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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Oscar said yes to "No Country for Old Men" and to European actors on Sunday night. Actors Daniel Day-Lewis, Tilda Swinton, Marion Cotillard and Javier Bardem toast their success. "No Country," the Coen brothers' brutal tale of a man pursued by death and the law across the bleak moonscapes of West Texas, won best picture at the 80th Academy Awards. The four acting awards, meanwhile, went to Europeans: Marion Cotillard, Daniel Day-Lewis, Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton. The Coens also won best director and best adapted screenplay, and Bardem, who played cattle-gun-armed killer Anton Chigurh, won best supporting actor. Producer Scott Rudin shared the best picture award with the brothers. "We're very thankful to all of you out there for letting us continue to play in our corner of the sandbox, so thank you very much," Joel Coen said in accepting the directing award. He observed that the pair didn't think they were doing much different work now from when, as a child, Ethan Coen "got a suit and a briefcase and we went to the Minneapolis International Airport with a Super 8 camera and made a movie about shuttle diplomacy called 'Henry Kissinger, Man on the Go.' " Watch the best of the winners' backstage remarks » . The Coens, who have been known for their arch style and oddball humor in films such as "Fargo," "O Brother, Where Art Thou" and "The Big Lebowski," received some laughs for Ethan Coen's laconic acceptance speeches. After the pair won for adapted screenplay, Ethan Coen gave a brief thanks. Upon winning the directing award, he expanded on his speech slightly, sort of: "I don't have a lot to add to what I said earlier. Thank you," he said. Day-Lewis was more effusive in his thanks after winning best actor for his performance as a misanthropic oilman in "There Will Be Blood." "My deepest thanks to the members of the Academy for whacking me with the handsomest bludgeon in town," the British actor said as he accepted the award. "I've been thinking a lot about fathers and sons in the course of this, and I'd like to accept this in the memory of my grandfather, Michael Balcon, my father, Cecil Day-Lewis, and my three fine boys, Gabriel, Ronan and Cashel," he added. See the complete list of winners . As he accepted his first Oscar, Bardem, one of Spain's top actors, thanked his directors and reflected on his role as a creepy killer with a bad haircut. "Thank you to the Coens for being crazy enough to think that I could do that, and to put one of the most horrible haircuts in history over my head," he said. Watch "No Country" win best picture » . It was his second career nomination. His other came for "Before Night Falls" (2000), in which he played Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas. In a mild surprise, French actress Cotillard won her first Academy Award for her portrayal of singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose." Early handicappers had bet heavily on veteran Julie Christie, a previous Oscar winner who played a woman falling victim to Alzheimer's in "Away from Her." But Cotillard, who's received raves for her performance as the French singer, had been considered a strong contender for best actress. "I'm speechless now ... I ... I ... thank you life, thank you love," Cotillard exclaimed. "And it is true, there are some angels in this city. Thank you so, so much!" The actress has appeared in dozens of films in her native France, but she may be most recognizable to American audiences for her performances in "A Very Long Engagement" (2004) and "Big Fish" (2003). In a highly competitive race, Swinton nabbed the best supporting actress Oscar for her portrayal as lawyer Karen Crowder in the legal drama "Michael Clayton." "I have an American agent who is the spitting image of this. Really, truly, the same shape head and, it has to be said, the buttocks," the British actress said, examining her new Oscar. "And I'm giving this to him because there's no way I'd be in America at all, ever, on a plane if it wasn't for him." See Swinton on the red carpet » . Swinton beat out 83-year-old Ruby Dee, who had been considered a sentimental favorite for her first Oscar nomination in the supporting actress category, playing Mama Lucas to Denzel Washington's drug kingpin Frank Lucas in "American Gangster." Swinton also beat Cate Blanchett (as a mid-'60s take on Bob Dylan in "I'm Not There") and Amy Ryan (a difficult working-class mother in "Gone Baby Gone"). The Academy Awards opened with host Jon Stewart joking about the recently ended writers strike -- which forced a cutback in the Golden Globes and threatened the Oscars as well -- and commenting on the bleakness of the best picture nominees. "Tonight we look beyond the dark days to focus on happier fare: This year's slate of Oscar-nominated psychopathic killer movies," Stewart joked. "Does this town need a hug? What happened? 'No Country For Old Men,' 'Sweeney Todd,' 'There Will Be Blood'? All I can say is, thank God for [the comedy "Juno's"] teen pregnancy. I think the country agrees." Check out Oscar prep photos » . "Juno" has been the little movie that could all season. The film, which cost a relatively paltry $7.5 million, was the only best picture nominee to top $100 million at the box office, ensuring it a rooting interest from moviegoers. Star Ellen Page received plaudits for her performance as the title character, and screenwriter Diablo Cody -- famously a former stripper -- has become one of Hollywood's "it" scribes. Cody won best original screenplay. "This is for the writers. I want to thank all the writers. I especially want to thank my fellow nominees because I worship you guys and I'm learning from you every day," Cody said. The first award of the evening, for costume design, went to "Elizabeth: The Golden Age." The best animated feature went to "Ratatouille," a computer-animated Pixar film directed and written by Oscar winner Brad Bird ("The Incredibles"). The rat-turns-chef movie beat out "Persepolis," based on the graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi, and "Surf's Up," a computer-animated film about penguins. "The Counterfeiters" from Austria took the best foreign-language film. The movie is based on a true story about a counterfeiter who, after being sent to a concentration camp, was employed by the Nazis to fake other countries' currency. Best original song was awarded to "Falling Slowly" from "Once." It beat out three songs from "Enchanted," the Disney film about an animated princess come to life. The Oscars were spread around. "No Country" picked up four, "The Bourne Ultimatum" earned three (one for its rapid-fire editing) and "There Will Be Blood" received two: Day-Lewis' acting award and Robert Elswit's cinematography honor. But nobody had any doubt what film was considered the evening's big winner. "There's nothing like it, and especially with these two guys," producer Rudin said backstage with the Coens of their unusual Western. "I'm incredibly proud, and I think it's the best movie we have been involved with. I loved it from the first minute I saw it." E-mail to a friend . | "No Country for Old Men" wins four awards, including best picture and director .
Four acting awards go to Europeans: Cotillard, Day-Lewis, Bardem and Swinton .
Best original screenplay is awarded to former stripper Diablo Cody for "Juno"
Host Jon Stewart jokes about the recently ended writers strike . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "24d2f15f65bfb5608c75d19ba07fc410aab4d9c6"} | 1,868 | 80 | 0.400288 | 1.292023 | 0.701403 | 2.967742 | 24.919355 | 0.903226 |
(CNN) -- The death of a passenger last week aboard an American Airlines flight underscores the importance of taking precautions before flying, a travel health industry representative said Monday. An American Airlines passenger complaining that she was having trouble breathing died on a flight last week. Jill Drake, a marketing representative for MedAire, Inc., said its physicians last year advised 74 airlines on how to handle more than 17,000 in-flight medical events. Flight attendants with sick passengers call Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, a level-one trauma center where emergency room physicians and a service able to translate 140 languages are on call to answer questions from any of 2 million airline passengers flying at any given time, she said. "Very rarely" does the call result in a diversion, a decision made not by the doctor but by the pilot who must consider a number of variables beyond the passenger's health, she said. The pilot must weigh weather conditions, remaining fuel and proximity to an airport. As of 1 p.m. (3 p.m. ET) Monday, MedAire had fielded 110 calls, "which is a very busy day for us," she said. On average, the company gets about 50 in-flight calls from commercial airliners for an entire day, and an additional 25 or 30 calls related to events that occur at airport gates or aboard yachts and commercial ships, she said. Airlines contracting with MedAire include Continental, Southwest and British Airways. American has its own in-house medical team. Drake said MedAire's doctors documented 97 onboard deaths in 2007, down from 110 in 2006. The top categories of in-flight illness are fainting, gastrointestinal problems, respiratory issues such as shortness of breath, heart problems ranging from arrhythmias to arrest and orthopedic problems, such as broken bones, Drake said. By law, U.S.-based commercial airlines must carry automatic external defibrillators, oxygen and medical kits. Some airlines choose to carry extra, non-mandated medications. If a passenger already has breathing problems, airplane travel will only worsen the condition because cabins are typically pressurized at 8,000 feet, said Drake. Her advice to anyone not feeling 100 percent: "Do not travel." And anyone with a medical condition who travels should pack any critical medications in a carry-on bag, she said. Though flight attendants are trained to handle on-board emergencies, "they are not medically trained," she said. "To think that they are going to be able to assist your every need, that's quite a high expectation." Hydration and moderation are key, and passengers should carry water and a snack, she said. Vacationers often return home from tropical locales sunburned and, in some cases, drunk. "Altitude amplifies the buzz," Drake said. "You have a couple of cocktails in Denver, you feel it a little bit more than in Omaha." Denver's altitude is 5,280 feet; Omaha's is 1,040 feet. Flying in a fresh cast can also prove dangerous. "Your arm could expand and it could cut off your circulation," she said, noting that the risk is reduced with older casts, which have typically already expanded to accommodate any swelling. Though the FAA began demanding that airlines carry certain medications more than 30 years ago, the list was tiny. During the 1990s, overseas airlines began carrying more sophisticated equipment, and pressure increased for U.S.-based airlines to follow, said Dr. Russell Rayman, executive director of the Aerospace Medical Association, which has roughly 3,000 members including physicians, research scientists and flight nurses. Congress held hearings and then required airlines carry more robust kits and defibrillators by 2004. American Airlines was among the first to do so, said Dr. David McKenas, who served for 10 years as the airline's corporate medical director until 2002. He lauded the defibrillator as "so good it's like 100 cardiologists in a box." The machine will only work if the patient's heart is fibrillating, a condition where the contractions become so irregular it loses its ability to pump blood efficiently. American Airlines buys its kits from Banyan International Corp., which describes itself as "the nation's leading provider of emergency medical kits." Each of the nine-pound, $250 kits includes aspirin, alcohol swabs, nitroglycerine tablets, antihistamines, IV tubing, a stethoscope, a blood-pressure gauge, a bronchodilator, syringes, gloves, saline solution, epinephrine, dextrose, a manual resuscitation bag, alcohol pads and shears. Oxygen comes in several forms aboard planes. The oxygen that flows into masks stored above individual seats is not medical oxygen and would not suffice for a passenger in an in-flight medical emergency, said Rayman. Flight attendants have portable bottles of oxygen that they are to use for themselves in the event of a cabin decompression. "It could be used if there is a medical emergency on board, but that's not its purpose," he said. More oxygen is stored in the cockpit for the pilots. Though MedAire keeps track of its clients' medical air incidents, Rayman criticized the FAA's failure to do so. "There is no central repository where these things can be archived and then retrieved," he said. "They don't want to report it because it just doesn't look good. It's not good P.R., you could say." He said even an anonymous registry would serve a useful purpose. "We're concerned for safety on the flight," FAA spokeswoman Alison Duquette said. "Once someone leaves the aviation system, there is no way for us to track the outcome." E-mail to a friend . | Flight attendants call hospital with 24/7 staff, multi-lingual staff who give advice .
Pilots, not doctors, decide whether to divert a flight due to passenger illness .
U.S.-based commercial airlines carry defibrillators, oxygen and medical kits .
A passenger died last week aboard an American Airlines flight . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "698329cc7a8d796d7635bf59d2435aa22c1a38e6"} | 1,317 | 73 | 0.557734 | 1.611313 | 0.907916 | 2.45614 | 19.017544 | 0.77193 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush on Wednesday signed a sweeping energy bill that he said would help the country become "stronger, cleaner and more secure." President Bush on Wednesday signs a bill raising auto fuel economy standards for the first time in decades. The bill -- approved overwhelmingly Tuesday by the House of Representatives -- raises automotive fuel economy standards for the first time in more than three decades, requiring a corporate average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020. It also boosts federal support for alternative fuel research and energy conservation efforts. A Republican filibuster in the Senate removed provisions that Bush objected to that would have eliminated tax breaks for oil companies and a requirement that electric utilities produce a portion of their power from alternative sources. The current fuel-economy standards of 27.5 miles per gallon for passenger cars and 22.2 for light trucks were established in 1975. The new bill sets a single average standard for manufacturers. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said Tuesday's bill was "a great, wonderful first step for an energy revolution that starts in America and ripples throughout the world." But Reid said Democrats would continue pushing to shift federal tax breaks away from fossil-fuel producers and into renewable energy research -- one of the party's top priorities when it took control of Congress in January. House opponents such as Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, complained that the bill will undo many of the efforts made to foster increased production of fossil fuels in an energy bill passed in 2005. "I understand the consequences of elections. I understand there's a new majority," said Barton, the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. "I do not understand how what made sense two years ago doesn't make sense today." Barton called the legislation a "no-energy" bill and "a recipe for recession," arguing its mandated conservation measures would raise prices for fuel, homes and appliances for consumers. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Ed Henry contributed to this report. | New law raises auto fuel efficiency standards .
Increase to fleet average of 35 miles per gallon is first in 32 years .
Senate majority leader calls bill a "great, wonderful first step" | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "b531a8ba685e8d461d0a491f35c9970c3dddf3dd"} | 445 | 42 | 0.501251 | 1.248908 | 1.011299 | 2.342105 | 10.368421 | 0.763158 |
MOUNT AIRY, Maryland (CNN) -- U.S. President George W. Bush on Friday stressed the role of faith-based groups in the fight against AIDS, calling the struggle one of conscience and morals on the eve of World AIDS Day. Activists call for more AIDS funding in front of the White House, draped with a giant red AIDS ribbon. Bush was speaking at Calvary United Methodist Church in Maryland after meeting with representatives of religious and community groups. "Faith-based groups like these are the foot soldiers in the armies of compassion," he said. "They are helping to defeat this epidemic one soul at a time." More than 33 million people worldwide have HIV -- the virus that can lead to AIDS -- according to the United Nations. That includes 2.5 million children younger than 15. Watch a report on living with HIV » . More than 2 million people have died of AIDS this year -- including 330,000 children. Bush is asking Congress for an additional $15 billion to continue and expand the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a program approved by Congress after he announced it in his 2003 State of the Union address. On Friday, he announced plans to visit sub-Saharan Africa early next year to see the program at work. He renewed his call for lawmakers to continue funding it. "Now the time has come for the United States Congress to act again," he said. "I'm confident they will." The White House says the program -- which targets countries hardest-hit by the disease -- has treated more than 1.3 million people with AIDS. Increased funding would boost that number to 2.5 million, while expanding AIDS prevention programs and offering care to millions more with AIDS. Despite some successes, the program has been criticized for requiring that participating groups emphasize abstinence education. At the White House, about 40 people carried signs in support of more AIDS funding. Before speaking, the president, along with First lady Laura Bush, participated in an hourlong faith-based roundtable discussion at the church. Among others, the president met with Martha Chilufya, founder of the Mututa Memorial Center in Zambia. The center works with faith-based and other caregivers to serve more than 150 patients. Laura Bush and daughter Jenna visited the center in June. Bush said the first lady will join him on his trip next year. A giant red ribbon -- the international symbol for AIDS awareness -- was hung from the north portico of the White House Friday morning "to represent the continued battle against HIV/AIDS and to affirm the matchless value of every life," the White House said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Larry Lazo contributed to this report. | Bush: Faith-based groups are "helping to defeat this epidemic one soul at a time"
World AIDS Day is Saturday .
More than 2 million people have died of AIDS this year .
Bush wants to expand the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "5b0e686b4679910743337ce02b36dd71a5caf5eb"} | 590 | 60 | 0.583227 | 1.601133 | 0.792099 | 6.358491 | 9.811321 | 0.886792 |
(CNN) -- A 12-year-old boy should get a say in whether he gets circumcised, the Oregon Supreme Court has ruled. The court sent the parental custody dispute back to the trial court "to resolve the factual issue whether M agrees or objects to the circumcision." "M" is the child at the center of a long-running custody dispute between James and Lia Boldt, who divorced in 1999. Soon after, the father began studying Judaism and later converted. He also started teaching his son about the faith. By then, James had parental custody and told his ex-wife the boy would convert as well, and that to do so, he would have to have the circumcision procedure. The mother objected, saying the child had been raised in the Russian Orthodox faith while the couple was married. Because the two sides disagreed, and were living in neighboring states, the conflict dissolved into ongoing personal and constitutional dispute. James Boldt said that as a Jew and the primary caregiver, he has a First Amendment right to practice his faith as he sees fit for his child. Lia Boldt countered her son does not want to go through with the circumcision, and that it is an invasive, irreversible, and potentially dangerous medical procedure. The state high court seemed especially reluctant to address the issue, saying normally such disputes "are considered private family matters." But the justices noted "these parties cannot or will not resolve this matter without resort to the courts." So rather than offer a definitive ruling, the justices ordered both sides to go to the actual source of the conflict. "In our view, at age 12, M's attitude regarding circumcision, though not conclusive of the custody issue presented here, is a fact necessary to the determination" of whether the mother can press her objections to the procedure, wrote Chief Justice Paul De Muniz for the six-member panel. "Forcing M at age 12 to undergo circumcision against his will could seriously affect the relationship between M and his father, and could have a pronounced effect on father's capability to properly care for M." There was no initial reaction to the decision from the parents or their attorneys. The case is James Boldt v. Lia Boldt (S054714). E-mail to a friend . | Case part of parental custody dispute .
Father converted to Judaism after splitting with wife .
Father wanted son to convert after getting custody .
Russian Orthodox mother says son doesn't want procedure . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "980e6db610d9882443d61e36d955f02d983d3e76"} | 509 | 46 | 0.491979 | 1.424853 | 0.51134 | 1.078947 | 11.684211 | 0.763158 |
(CNN) -- A man who rescued a co-worker from the jaws of a crocodile in northern Australia also accidentally shot him in the process, police said. A mature saltwater crocodile in the the murky waters of the Adelaide River, near Darwin in the Northern Territory. The two men were collecting crocodile eggs by a river bank in Australia's Northern Territory Tuesday when a crocodile grabbed Jason Grant by the lower right arm, a spokeswoman for the area police told CNN. The second man, Zac Fitzgerald, shot the crocodile, causing it to let go of Grant's arm. But a second shot that Fitzgerald fired struck Grant in the upper right arm, said Northern Territory police spokeswoman Katie Fowden. Grant, who is in his late 20s, was flown to a hospital for treatment of both the bullet and the crocodile wounds. His injuries were not life-threatening, Fowden said. The two men are workers at a crocodile farm in Darwin, the capital city of the Northern Territory. They were collecting the eggs legally, police said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report . | Man rescues co-worker from jaws of crocodile in northern Australia .
He shot crocodile, causing it to let go of man's arm, second shot hit man's arm .
The two were collecting crocodile eggs by a river bank in the Northern Territory .
Wounded man's injuries were not life-threatening . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "6c18984d8f30ce196e9399200dd15e373e699267"} | 281 | 85 | 0.702354 | 1.612702 | 1.1719 | 4.241935 | 3.516129 | 0.887097 |
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Four active-duty U.S. soldiers -- three of them elite Army Rangers -- have been arrested and charged with planning to rob drug traffickers. A courtroom sketch shows David White, left, Stefan Champagne, center, and Carlos Lopez. Wearing street clothes, Rangers Carlos Lopez, 30, and David Ray White, 28, and Army medic Stefan Andre Champagne, 28, appeared in federal court Friday. They're charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine and with carrying firearms in connection with that conspiracy. U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Baverman ordered them held in custody until a preliminary hearing Wednesday. Another Ranger, Randy Spivey, 32, is scheduled to appear in court Monday. "It is a sad day when members of one of America's most elite corps of soldiers, the Army Rangers, are alleged to have become involved in criminal activity," U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias said of the case. "These men were trained to defend the people and principles of this country, not to use their skills to steal cocaine from drug dealers at gunpoint." Lopez, White and Champagne were arrested Thursday at a storage facility in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a suburb just north of Atlanta, by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who had set up a sting operation. Spivey was apprehended at Camp Frank D. Merrill, an Army Ranger training center in Dahlonega, Georgia, on Friday, the ATF said. Dahlonega is about 60 miles north of Atlanta. Lopez, White and Champagne were to commit the robbery while Spivey covered for them back at the camp, where the men are stationed, according to an affidavit filed with U.S. District Court. All four were to get a cut of the spoils of the robbery, the affidavit from ATF Agent Brett Turner says. The investigation began in November, when the ATF "became aware" that some soldiers were interested in robbing drug dealers of their cocaine, Turner says. He posed as a disaffected security guard for the drug traffickers who wanted to "rip them off." The first try to set up the "robbery" failed, but a second attempt earlier this month succeeded, leading to the arrests at the storage facility and, a day later, the Ranger camp. A subsequent search found that Lopez, White and Champagne were carrying semiautomatic pistols and had an AR-15 assault rifle and a field pouch with 15 magazines of ammunition for it in their vehicle. Agents also found a ski mask, binoculars and a Taser among the items the men brought with them. The four soldiers face minimum mandatory sentences of 10 years in prison each for the drug conspiracy and an additional five years, consecutive, for the weapons allegation. The Army Rangers are an elite light infantry fighting force capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 18 hours. They became a permanent presence in the U.S. military in the 1970s. From the Colonial Era until that time, Rangers were activated for specific missions or conflicts and then deactivated when their work was completed. E-mail to a friend . | Arrests made after ATF agents set up a sting operation .
Affidavit: ATF "became aware" some soldiers wanted to rob dealers of their cocaine .
The investigation began in November .
The Army Rangers are an elite light infantry fighting force . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "e00f05efe2038fffc8eaa1e8eecbe9445a9483e5"} | 719 | 67 | 0.470955 | 1.505517 | 0.620694 | 4.541667 | 12.25 | 0.875 |
(CNN) -- Armenian President Robert Kocharian declared a state of emergency Saturday night after a day of clashes between police and protesters, a spokeswoman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry said. Opposition supporters wave an Armenian flag during a protest rally in Yerevan, Armenia, on Saturday. The protesters claim last month's presidential election was rigged. The state of emergency will "hopefully bring some order" to the capital, Yerevan, said Salpi Ghazarian, assistant to the Armenian foreign minister, who spoke to CNN early Sunday. The state of emergency could last until March 20, she said, but the government hopes "that it will be lifted sooner." The clashes began when authorities used force to clear Freedom Square of thousands of demonstrators who had camped there for the past 10 days, according to a U.S. Embassy official. Ghazarian said the authorities "moved in" because "they thought that there were arms there, and it turned out that they were right." Watch a report on clashes between police and the opposition » . The embassy official estimated that the demonstrations in Freedom Square grew to as many as 60,000 Armenians at times over the last 10 days. As of early Sunday morning, Freedom Square was empty, Ghazarian said, but the protesters were demonstrating in a main square elsewhere in the city. Watch Ghazarian discuss the situation in Armenia » . "What is happening on the streets of Yerevan is people protesting what they consider to be unfair elections," Ghazarian said. "After the president was forced to declare a state of emergency, things have quieted down. There are a couple of burning cars, and there are a few hurt people," she said. "We're convinced that this will come to an end soon." She did not elaborate on the number of people injured or the extent of their injuries. Witnesses told CNN that Saturday morning's action by Armenian riot police was bloody, but the U.S. official said there were no confirmed deaths or serious injuries. An Armenian woman interviewed by CNN said there was "huge chaos" when police moved in. "These are innocent people," she said. "They just want their freedom. They just want to be heard. They are being beaten up, some people have horrible wounds." She asked that CNN not use her name because she feared for her safety. As night fell Saturday, the sounds of gunfire could be heard from the direction of the protesters' gathering, and tracer fire could be seen in the sky, according to another Yerevan resident, who also asked not to be identified out of fear for his safety. The man said his wife saw two demonstrators hit by a police car earlier in the day. The car initially did not stop, he said, but the protesters surrounded the car, dragged the officers out and burned the vehicle, he said. The officers were able to escape, he said, but he did not know the condition of the protesters who were struck. The protests began soon after the February 19 presidential election. Opposition presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian lost to Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, a political ally of outgoing President Kocharian. The opposition party immediately accused the government of vote fraud and demanded that the results be voided. Ghazarian said Sunday that the government had reached out to the opposition. "We are hoping with the help of the international community, the opposition, the leader of the opposition, will come and enter a political dialogue rather than continuing this debate on the streets," she said. Haroutiun Khachatrian, editor of the Noyan Tappan News Agency, told CNN that riot police arrested several hundred people in the square Saturday morning, including many opposition party officials. Ter-Petrosian was there but was not arrested, he said. The opposition vowed to pursue its claims through legal means. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) monitored last month's Armenian election and concluded that it was mostly in line with international standards, although it did include some criticism in its report. The U.S. Embassy has warned the several hundred Americans living in Yerevan to stay at home and avoid the downtown area where the demonstrations have been taking place, the U.S. official said. Armenia, population 3 million, is a former Soviet republic east of Turkey, south of Georgia and north of Iran. E-mail to a friend . | NEW: Protest moves after crackdown at Freedom Square .
Order sought after protests over last month's election turn violent .
Demonstrators say the election was fraudulent .
State of emergency could last until March 20, official says . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "9ce109dc50fe4eca8b2d0c926d5dbd1df5f49187"} | 980 | 52 | 0.472832 | 1.168699 | 0.937349 | 2.568182 | 19.090909 | 0.704545 |
SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- Nearly 3 million gallons of sewage spilled into San Francisco Bay when a pump failed at a waste treatment facility, the Marin County Sheriff's Department told CNN on Friday. Attempts are being made to contain Thursday night's 2.7 million-gallon sewage spill. The 2.7 million-gallon spill occurred Thursday night. A pump failed at the South Marin Sanitation District's waste treatment facility in the town of Mill Valley, said Lt. Doug Pittman. The waste was released into Richardson Bay, an inlet of the large bay on the east shore of Marin County, he said. See the spill from the air » . The sewage and storm water was partially treated, according to Greg Renick of the California Office of Emergency Services. In addition to the pump failure, he said, an alarm that would have alerted workers at the facility to the spill also failed. The accidental release occurred between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Thursday, according to a statement from Marin County's emergency operations center. But the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin didn't report it to the state until 11:16 p.m., Renick said. The state Office of Emergency Services notified local offices in the bay area within an hour of receiving the report, he said. The Marin County Department of Environmental Health was conducting tests Friday to determine how far the contamination had spread, Pittman said. Boaters were being warned to avoid the Richardson Bay area, and residents were told to avoid contact with the water. The California Department of Fish and Game has had a boat and personnel on the water since early Friday, and has found no sign of sick or distressed wildlife resulting from the spill, agency spokesman Steve Martarano said. Marin County is just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Chuck Afflerbach contributed to this report . | NEW: Sewage was partially treated, Office of Emergency Services says .
The 2.7 million-gallon spill occurred Thursday night, Sheriff's Department says .
Pump and alarm failed at Marin County waste treatment facility .
Area being tested; boaters advised to avoid Richardson Bay area . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "bbec538b4453859ee9c772c4de8f0eb28acd87c4"} | 429 | 64 | 0.647665 | 1.662915 | 1.144999 | 3.037037 | 6.611111 | 0.814815 |
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A massive anti-Mafia sweep that stretched from New York to Sicily has not only cut off the head of the Gambino crime family but lopped off "the shoulders and chest" too, prosecutors said Thursday. John "Jackie the Nose" D'Amico, shown in 1992, is one of 62 people indicted. Sixty-two members of the Gambino, Genovese and Bonanno families face 80 charges, ranging from money laundering to illegal gambling and murder. "These charges strike at the very core of the Gambino family," said Benton Campbell, United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York. The Gambino family profited from extortion within the New York construction industry and its labor unions, according to the charges. Watch the perp walk » . Several companies allegedly paid a "mob tax" in return for "protection" and "permission to operate," said Gordon Heddell, inspector general of the U.S. Department of Labor. Other charges involve an alleged illegal gambling ring, said Richard Brown, Queens County district attorney. Nicholas Corozzo -- a reputed captain in the Gambino family -- was involved in a sports gambling enterprise that relied in part on toll-free telephones, Brown alleged. Meanwhile, four members of the Gambino family are charged with eight crimes involving murder, according to the indictment. Those charges include the felony murder of Jose Delgado Rivera, who was shot and killed in an armored truck during a robbery in 1990. "Today we are able to bring closure to crimes from the past that have never been forgotten," Campbell said. He said the crimes span back over three decades. Watch feds say they've 'cut off the head' of crime family » . Key to the Gambino arrests Thursday was a member of the Attorney General's Organized Crime Task Force who infiltrated the Gambino family and recorded hundred of hours of conversations, said John Milgrim, a spokesman for the attorney general. Forty-five of those charged are already in custody, police said. Arrests were made in New York City; Long Island, New York; and New Jersey. "It is as unrelenting as weeds that continue to sprout in the cracks of society," New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said of organized crime. "We will not rest until organized crime is a distant memory." In addition to the arrests in the New York area, police in Italy detained 77 people in connection with organized crime. Those arrests netted important members of a powerful clan in Sicily linked to Mafia boss Salvatore Lo Piccolo, who was believed to be the successor of the boss of bosses, Bernardo Provenzano. Watch the prosecutor explain why authorities acted now » . Police say that in his attempt to rise to power, Le Piccolo tried to mend fences with New York-based Mafia families after those ties were broken during the bloody Mafia wars of the 1980s. Those families included the Gambinos of New York and the Inzerillos of Italy. Provenzano was arrested two years ago in Corleone. "It is evident that the intent of the Mafia in Palermo was to re-establish a dialogue through the Inzerillo family in the U.S," Francesco Messineo of the Italian Police said. "A dialogue that was never interrupted because the relationship between the American and the Italian Mafia is historic, based on long tradition. But there was certainly an attempt to re-establish that connection." Investigators believe mob clans wanted to collaborate on illegal commercial ventures such as money laundering and drug trafficking. Italian officials said the arrests were aimed at preventing these illegal activities, but they warned that other Mafia clans in Sicily oppose the return of the Inzerillo family to the island, and therefore were concerned about a new Mafia war. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Deborah Feyerick and Alessio Vinci contributed to this report. | Dozens of people face charges, ranging from money laundering to murder .
Gambino family accused of profiting from extortion .
Several companies allegedly paid a "mob tax," Department of Labor official says .
Police in Italy also make 77 arrests in connection with organized crime . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "c4e0587d1b8fcc06c2cc5cfcec42a34d314fbe44"} | 958 | 70 | 0.544541 | 1.416339 | 0.816671 | 3.45283 | 13.830189 | 0.811321 |
(CNN) -- Saddam Hussein let the world think he had weapons of mass destruction to intimidate Iran and prevent the country from attacking Iraq, according to an FBI agent who interviewed the dictator after his 2003 capture. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in an unknown location in Iraq after his capture in 2003. According to a CBS report, Hussein claimed he didn't anticipate that the United States would invade Iraq over WMD, agent George Piro said on "60 Minutes," scheduled for Sunday broadcast. "For him, it was critical that he was seen as still the strong, defiant Saddam. He thought that (faking having the weapons) would prevent the Iranians from reinvading Iraq," said Piro. During the nearly seven months Piro talked to Hussein, the agent hinted to the Iraqi that he answered directly to President Bush, CBS said in a posting on its Web site. "He told me he initially miscalculated ... President Bush's intentions. He thought the United States would retaliate with the same type of attack as we did in 1998 ... a four-day aerial attack," Piro said. "He survived that one and he was willing to accept that type of attack." "He didn't believe the U.S. would invade?" Correspondent Scott Pelley asked. "No, not initially," Piro answered. Once it was clear that an invasion was imminent, Hussein asked his generals to hold off the allied forces for two weeks, Piro said. "And at that point, it would go into what he called the secret war," the agent said, referring to the insurgency. But Piro said he was not sure that the insurgency was indeed part of Hussein's plan. "Well, he would like to take credit for the insurgency," he said. Hussein had the ability to restart the weapons program and professed to wanting to do that, Piro said. "He wanted to pursue all of WMD ... to reconstitute his entire WMD program." Hussein said he was proud he eluded U.S. authorities who searched for him for nine months after the U.S.-led invasion, Piro said. "What he wanted to really illustrate is ... how he was able to outsmart us," Piro said. "He told me he changed ... the way he traveled. He got rid of his normal vehicles. He got rid of the protective detail that he traveled with, really just to change his signature." Hussein was hanged in 2006. E-mail to a friend . | CBS: Hussein claimed he didn't think the U.S. would invade Iraq over WMD .
FBI agent says Hussein lied about having WMD to intimidate Iran .
But the Iraqi dictator said he wanted to start the WMD program again, agent said .
Hussein was captured in 2003 and hanged in 2006 . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "7eaaa5bfe35344ee85eeb871a4d31cd31b12965b"} | 595 | 80 | 0.497537 | 1.330989 | 0.683147 | 2.103448 | 8.241379 | 0.827586 |
• The twins get a check-up (2/26/08) • VIDEO: Nancy Grace introduces on set 2-14-08 • The twins go out for a stroll (2/11/08) • The twins at 3 months (2/4/08) • The twins in January (1/21/08) • VIDEO: First video of Nancy Grace's twins E-mail to a friend . | Pictures of Nancy Grace's twins .
John David and Lucy Elizabeth were born November 4, 2007 .
Come back to this site for regularly updated pictures! | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "9cce7373a54faccf5b5d1232c82afab9b29ab6b9"} | 93 | 33 | 0.638281 | 1.328526 | 0.12682 | 0.935484 | 2.290323 | 0.290323 |
(CNN) -- Hispanics are described as the largest minority group in the United States, as a burgeoning force in the electorate and as an untapped frontier of the business market. Yet these descriptions belie the complexity of the 44 million people to whom they refer. Susana Clar, with daughters Vanessa (left) and Virna (center), says the labels "Hispanic" and "Latino" are limiting. Even the terms used to name them -- Hispanics, Hispanic-Americans, Latinos, Latino-Americans, the Spanish-surnamed -- too tightly package the people categorized by those definitions, some observers say. "We are mixed and we are many things," said Phillip Rodriguez, a documentary filmmaker. Many of his films, such as "Los Angeles Now" and "Brown is the New Green: George Lopez and the American Dream," explore the experience and identity of Latinos in the United States. Latinos "very often don't share language, don't share class circumstances, don't share education; it's very difficult to speak about them as one thing," he said. From a census standpoint, being of Hispanic or Latino origin means a person identifies himself in one of four listed categories: Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban or "other Spanish, Hispanic or Latino" origin. In the latter more open-ended category, respondents can write in specific origins, such as Salvadoran, Argentinean or Dominican. According to a Pew Hispanic Center/Kaiser Family Foundation survey in 2002, that is how most Latinos choose to identify themselves. When asked which terms they would use first to describe themselves, 54 percent said they primarily identify themselves in terms of their or their parents' country of origin. About one quarter choose "Latino" or "Hispanic," and 21 percent chose "American." But the broader terms -- Latino, Hispanic -- are the ones tossed about when the media want to discuss a "trend among Latinos," or when a politician appeals to the "Hispanic vote." The U.S. government came up with the term "Hispanic" in the 1970s to generally refer to people who could trace their origin to Spanish-speaking countries. The term "Latino" refers to origins from Latin America, which includes non-Spanish speaking countries like Brazil. The terms are often used interchangeably, which is a point of some contention in the wider community. But do the terms carry meaning among the people to whom they refer, or are they merely governmental designations? "That's the way you call our people," Susana Clar, 52, said of the terms. She and her family emigrated from Uruguay nearly two decades ago, and she works as a vice president in her daughter, Vanessa Di Palma's, Salt Lake City, Utah-based communications firm. "Either you are Latino [or] Hispanic. I'm fine with that, but I think that we are so much more than that," Clar said. Manuel Baez, 49, a native of the Dominican Republic who owns an insurance agency in Tampa, Florida, laughingly answered the question of how he identifies himself. "Manuel or Manny," he said, adding, "We're being put together in this package and that's too hard," he said, stressing that he didn't like labels. He continued, "Dominican-American really represents who I am, instead of Dominican or Latino." He never uses Hispanic to identify himself because "I am mixed," Baez said. "Hispanic doesn't go with me because I don't believe that Spain was the best thing for Latin America." "For me...there is no such thing as a Latino identity," said Suzanne Oboler, professor of Puerto Rican and Latino studies at John Jay College at the City University of New York. "There's certainly a cultural understanding... [And] a political identity," she said, noting that the many different groups will join on particular issues such as immigration and wages. But she stressed that it was not a homogenous group. "Not all Latinos speak Spanish, for example. Not all Latinos are going to vote Democratic... All Latinos are not immigrants." Others, such as Carl J. Kravetz, a longtime veteran of Hispanic marketing, said similarities among the different subsets of Latinos do show a Latino identity, one partly fused through the group's experience in the United States. Kravetz heads a Los Angeles-based Hispanic advertising agency called cruz/kravetz: IDEAS. The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies embarked on a Latino cultural identity project last year -- when Kravetz was the organization's chairman -- to better understand a group of consumers they felt could not be adequately reached through the traditional Spanish-language market. There is "very definitely a Latino identity," Kravetz said. It is drawn along parallels in values and ways of thinking and regardless of country of origin, the group tends to "cluster" in a few areas, he said. Those areas include interpersonal relationships (Latinos tend to emphasize family; individuality is not as important), perceptions of time and space (they have longer time horizons and have a relaxed sense of privacy), and spirituality (religion and spirituality have a strong influence on Latino life and perception of the world). David Chitel, the founder of New Generation Latino Consortium, a group of advertising and media companies, also said there are definite cultural ties among Latinos, particularly between those born in the United States. So much so, he said, that he and others coined the term "new generation Latinos" to refer to them. "We're talking about people that have grown up here in the U.S. in Latino households, most likely with their parents speaking Spanish at home, eating certain foods at home, certain values and traditions that are instilled in them, from music to religious beliefs to the importance of family, these sorts of things," Chitel said. "And it creates very much an identity that is Latino." Chitel said this group of U.S.-born Latinos should be reached with culturally nuanced media, in the same way the African-American market functions. Still, some chafe at the labels. "Every time it comes up it just kind of annoys me and makes me mad," Anna Rivas, of Boulder, Colorado, said of her background. Her parents emigrated from Mexico before she was born, but she said she's never identified with the Mexican culture. "On a regular basis I get asked where I'm from," she said. "And I'll usually reply, 'My parents are from Mexico.' And I don't say, 'I'm Hispanic or Latino, or I'm from Mexico,' because I'm not." E-mail to a friend . | There are more than 44 million people of Hispanic origin in the U.S.
The community includes diverse national origins, generations, languages .
Some observers say enough similarities exist to project a communal identity . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "1b37e549bbcec859711e5b2ef310e94deed4dc95"} | 1,580 | 46 | 0.462818 | 1.20459 | 0.657411 | 1.447368 | 34.578947 | 0.763158 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy has moved the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole and other ships to the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon, Pentagon officials said Thursday. A file image of the USS Cole, which the U.S. Navy moved to the Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon. The deployment comes amid a political standoff over Lebanon's presidency, but the Navy would not say whether the events are linked. "It's a group of ships that will operate in the vicinity for a while and as the ships in our Navy do, the presence is important," Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday. "It isn't meant to send any stronger signal than that," he said. "But it does signal that we're engaged and we are going to be in the vicinity, and that's a very important part of the world." The Cole was badly damaged by an al Qaeda bombing during a port call in Yemen in 2000, killing 17 sailors. It returned to service in 2002. The destroyer and two support ships are close to Lebanon but out of visual range of the coast, Pentagon officials said. Another six vessels, led by the amphibious assault ship USS Nassau, are close to Italy and steaming toward the other three, the officials said. Mullen would not say whether the deployment has anything to do with the upcoming Lebanese parliamentary vote on a new president, which was postponed for a 15th time earlier this week. But he said the vote was "important," and Washington was waiting for it to take place. And a Bush administration official told CNN the decision to move ships to the region was a message to neighboringSyria that "the U.S. is concerned about the situation in Lebanon, and we want to see the situation resolved." "We are sending a clear message for the need for stability," said the official, who was not authorized to speak for publication. The ships "should be there a while," the official added. Lebanon's pro-Western majority in parliament and the pro-Syrian opposition have battled for power over the last three years. The country has been without a president since November, when pro-Syrian leader Emile Lahoud's term expired and parliament was unable to agree on a replacement. Despite general agreement among the factions to award the post to army chief Gen. Michel Suleiman, disagreements over how to share power in a future Cabinet have kept the issue from coming up for a vote. Parliament speaker Nabih Berri's office announced Tuesday that the next planned session has been pushed back to March 11. Berri's office said the Arab League needed more time to break the deadlock. Lebanon has been wracked by a sometimes-violent power struggle since the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, whose supporters blamed Damascus for his killing. The resulting outcry eventually drove Syrian forces out of Lebanon, where they had been stationed since the 1970s. E-mail to a friend . CNN Correspondent Zain Verjee contributed to this report. | U.S. Navy makes move amid a political standoff over Lebanon's presidency .
The presence is important," says chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff .
Lebanon's pro-Western majority in parliament struggles with pro-Syrian opposition . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "da780ee614304d195bde3b7549313c02990d072e"} | 708 | 56 | 0.532864 | 1.369932 | 1.234796 | 4.75 | 13.25 | 0.886364 |
(CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton got her campaign back on track with projected wins in the Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island primaries. Sen. Hillary Clinton claimed victory in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island. Delegate-rich Texas and Ohio were considered must-wins for her campaign. Obama, who claimed victory in Vermont, had won 12 straight contests since Super Tuesday on February 5. Texas also held Democratic caucuses Tuesday, but it was too close to declare a winner. "For everyone here in Ohio and across America who's been ever been counted out but refused to be knocked out, for everyone who has stumbled but stood right back up, and for everyone who works hard and never gives up -- this one is for you," Clinton said before supporters in Columbus. "You know what they say," she said. "As Ohio goes, so goes the nation. Well, this nation's coming back and so is this campaign." Obama congratulated Clinton on her victories but downplayed his losses. CNN's political team weighs in on the results » . "We know this: No matter what happens tonight, we have nearly the same delegate lead as we had this morning, and we are on our way to winning this nomination," Obama told supporters in Texas. Sen. John McCain swept all four Republican contests on Tuesday to become his party's presumptive nominee. Read about McCain's victory . McCain won primaries in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island, giving him more than the 1,191 delegates needed to clinch the GOP nomination. "I am very, very grateful and pleased to note that tonight, my friends, we have won enough delegates to claim with confidence, humility and a great sense of responsibility, that I will be the Republican nominee for president of the United States," McCain told supporters Tuesday night. Watch McCain claim victory » . Mike Huckabee dropped out of the Republican race after the results came in. "It's now important that we turn our attention not to what could have been or what we wanted to have been, but now what must be -- and that is a united party," Huckabee told a crowd in Dallas. Watch Huckabee bow out » . McCain is slated to go to the White House on Wednesday to receive the endorsement of President Bush, according to two Republican sources. The Arizona senator's campaign -- his second run for the White House -- was largely written off for dead last summer amid outspoken opposition from the party's conservative base, a major staff shakeup and disappointing fundraising. But McCain said earlier Tuesday that he was confident he would emerge as the presumptive nominee by the end of the night. McCain overwhelmingly won moderates and conservatives in Ohio, but he lost the evangelical vote to Huckabee, according to exit polls. Obama's campaign pressed to extend voting by one hour in two Ohio counties. See county-by-county results in Ohio . "Due to reports of ballot shortages in Cuyahoga and Franklin counties, we requested a voting extension in those counties," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. A judge ruled to keep parts of Cuyahoga county open an extra hour. In Texas, Clinton held a two-to-one advantage over Obama with Hispanic voters, while Obama had the overwhelming advantage with black voters in the state's Democratic primary, according to CNN's exit poll. See county-by-county results in Texas . Eighty-three percent of blacks voted for Obama, while 16 percent supported Clinton, according to the exit poll. Meanwhile, 64 percent of Hispanics backed Clinton, while 32 percent went for Obama. Early exit polls indicate a distinct "age gap" in both states. Obama appealed most strongly to younger voters while older voters favored Clinton. Among Ohio Democratic primary voters aged 17 to 29, 65 percent went for Obama, and 34 percent went for Clinton. Among those age 60 and older, Clinton led Obama 67-31 percent. The same pattern held true in early exit polling from the Texas Democratic primary. Among voters aged 18 to 29, Obama led Clinton 61-39 percent, and among voters 60 and older, Clinton led Obama 63- 36 percent. Poll workers in Collin County, near Dallas, estimated that nearly three-quarters of the Democratic voters would participate in the Democratic caucuses to be held after the polls close. In an unusual system, the 193 delegates that Texas will send to the Democratic National Convention will be split between Obama and Clinton according to the results of both the primary and the caucuses. State party officials say the dual primary/caucus system promotes participation in the party. Both Clinton and Obama have encouraged supporters to do the "Texas two-step" and vote in both events. Obama came into the day with momentum on his side. He had 1,378 pledged delegates and superdelegates to Clinton's 1,269. Neither candidate is close to the 2,025 needed to win the Democratic nomination. Allocate delegates yourself and see how the numbers add up » . Former President Bill Clinton said in February that if his wife won Ohio and Texas, she'd go on to win the nomination. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Paul Steinhauser, Rachel Stratfield, Mary Snow, Mark Preston and Sasha Johnson contributed to this report. | NEW: Clinton wins in Ohio, Texas, CNN projects .
NEW: McCain clinches GOP nomination; Huckabee drops out .
NEW: Clinton wins Rhode Island; Obama wins Vermont . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "e24cdc200182d698a34f564ba71f4948ce6760e5"} | 1,174 | 44 | 0.45172 | 1.138699 | 0.431177 | 1 | 28.25 | 0.722222 |
MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina (CNN) -- The top three Democratic presidential candidates face off in a Monday night debate in South Carolina, with the hearts and minds of African-American voters on the line. Sen. Barack Obama addresses Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached. Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina share the stage at Myrtle Beach's Palace Theatre as the nation honors the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with a federal holiday. The debate, put together by CNN and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, comes five days before the Democratic primary in South Carolina, where almost half of the Democratic primary voters are African-Americans. These voters will be crucial to the outcome of Saturday's primary in South Carolina. They now appear to be leaning heavily toward Obama, who if elected, would become the country's first black president. Having a debate on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in South Carolina "is very fitting," said David Bohrman, CNN senior vice president and Washington bureau chief, who is executive producer of the debate. "Perhaps a debate on Martin Luther King Day in South Carolina should be made a must-stop on the road to the White House every four years." A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Friday suggested that nearly 60 percent of black registered Democrats were backing Obama as the presidential nominee, with 31 percent supporting Clinton. That's a major shift from October, when African-Americans backed Clinton over Obama, 57 percent to 33 percent. What appears to have changed is Obama's electability. "There's been a huge shift among African-American Democrats from Clinton to Obama. African-American Democrats used to be reluctant to support Obama because they didn't think a black man could be elected. Then Obama won Iowa and nearly won New Hampshire. Now they believe," Bill Schneider, CNN's senior political analyst, said. "Obama's lead over Clinton among black men is more than 50 points, and among black women, once a Clinton stronghold, Obama has an 11-point advantage," said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director. Entrance polls from Saturday's Nevada Democratic caucuses match what appears in the CNN poll. Eighty-three percent of black voters questioned before they entered the caucuses said they were backing Obama, with 14 percent supporting Clinton, who if elected, would become the country's first woman to win the presidency. These kinds of numbers could spell trouble in South Carolina for Clinton, who's coming off victories in the New Hampshire primary and the Nevada caucuses. But Clinton holds a special relationship with many in the black community, thanks to her efforts in support of civil rights and to the popularity of former President Clinton with African-Americans. Both Democratic front-runners were reaching out to African-American voters Sunday. Obama, who often refers to King in his speeches, spoke at Atlanta, Georgia's Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the late civil rights leader once preached. Watch Clinton, Obama reach out to black voters » . Obama recalled the legacy of discrimination against African-Americans but challenged the audience at the historic black church to take a look at a few lingering prejudices among some within the community. "And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we're honest with ourselves, we'll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King's vision of a beloved community," Obama said, citing homophobia, anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant sentiment. Obama told the congregation Sunday morning that if King could forgive his jailers, "surely we can look past what divides us in our time." Obama's visit to the city coincided with his endorsement Sunday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which cited his "appeal across many of the lines that have divided America," adding that "both Clinton and Obama would make very good presidents, [but] Obama is the person; this is his time." Georgia voters head to the polls February 5. In New York, Hillary Clinton spent Sunday morning at another historic black church, Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church, where she picked up the endorsement of its pastor, the Rev. Calvin Butts. Butts said outside the church: "A vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to elect someone who has proven through time to me and to this community and this country that she has the experience to make things happen, and the vision to return us to a place of prosperity." Clinton also sounded a conciliatory note Sunday. "I have the highest regard and admiration for my friend and colleague Sen. Barack Obama. I am honored to be running with him," she said. "I hope that this election remains focused on the big challenges that confront us." After a distant third-place finish in the Nevada caucuses, Edwards on Sunday made light of his performance. On CNN's "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer," Edwards said he hopes "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," admitting, "I got my butt kicked." Edwards would like to rebound in South Carolina, his native state. He won the primary there in 2004 when he was making his first bid for the White House. But he's running a distant third in most recent surveys in South Carolina, behind Obama and Clinton. On Sunday, Edwards sounded a cautious note, saying South Carolina was important but just one "part of the long process. ... We will see how it goes." Also on "Late Edition," the House majority whip, Rep. James Clyburn, D-South Carolina, cited the timing of the debate to help put the spotlight on issues important to blacks. Clyburn, the highest ranking African-American in Congress, was instrumental in having Monday's debate held in South Carolina. "When we were dealing with the dates of the primary, we tried to work in the symbolism that it would have to all of the world, for that matter, to have this debate on Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday celebration," Clyburn told Blitzer, who is the moderator of the event. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Paul Steinhauser, Rebecca Sinderbrand, Chris Welch and Josh Levs contributed to this report. | Congressional Black Caucus Institute, CNN host Democratic debate tonight .
Front-runners vying for African-American voters ahead of South Carolina primary .
Sen. Barack Obama visits former church of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Atlanta .
Sen. Hillary Clinton picks up pastor's endorsement at Harlem church . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "42483672c204aebcf7ba6e7d6ca4c628fe9a69e7"} | 1,413 | 74 | 0.582761 | 1.624826 | 0.697114 | 1.913793 | 21.224138 | 0.844828 |
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (CNN) -- Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination was her own fault, the country's president, Pervez Musharraf, said in an interview on U.S. television. Bhutto sits on stage at a campaign rally minutes before her assassination. "For standing up outside the car, I think it was she to blame alone -- nobody else. Responsibility is hers," the former general told CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday. Bhutto was killed December 27 in Rawalpindi, south of the Pakistani capital Islamabad, while she was standing in an armored moving car after rallying supporters for now-postponed parliamentary elections. Her head was above the roof and unprotected at the time of the attack. The cause of her death is not clear: a bomber blew himself up near Bhutto's limousine and videotape showed a gunman present, though no autopsy has been carried out. Asked if Bhutto could have been shot, Musharraf said, "Yes, absolutely, yes. Possibility." He has said he welcomes an international investigation. Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, rejected criticism that his government did not do enough to provide security to Bhutto, who was seeking to regain the post of prime minister. He noted that she had already survived one assassination attempt and "was given more security than any other person." Asked about the hunt for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, widely rumored to be in the remote border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Musharraf said, "There is no proof whatsoever that he's here. We are not particularly looking for him, but we are operating against this -- and al Qaeda and militant Taliban. And in the process, obviously, it is combined. Maybe we are looking for him also." And Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Mahmud Ali Durrani, told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" that, "If we knew where he was, we would have taken him out." Durrani added that Musharraf's comment about "not specifically looking for Osama" means that the Pakistani military is "totally focused on destroying al Qaeda and the Taliban network and not just one person." About Bhutto's death, he noted only that the investigation is not completed "and we should not jump to conclusions." Still, he added, "if she had not come out of the vehicle, the protected and armored vehicle, maybe we would have seen her smiling face again today." Though Musharraf's popularity at home has plummeted, he retains support from GOP presidential contender Sen. John McCain. "I think he's a good man," the Arizonan told NBC's "Meet the Press." "But I think he's made mistakes, don't get me wrong. And we've got to move forward with these elections and have them free and fair. "But I can work with him. He understands the threat to his country that the Taliban and al Qaeda present. And radical Islamic extremists. He's a very smart man. He'd be one of the first to go. They've tried to kill him nine times, OK? Nine times they've tried to kill Musharraf. He's not their favorite guy." The New York Times reported Sunday that the Bush administration is considering expanding covert operations in the western part of Pakistan to shore up support for Musharraf's government and to find bin Laden and his second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson of New Mexico told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" that, though he had not heard details of the plan, "it sounds like a strategy that makes sense." He added, "We have got to take whatever action is needed." Richardson has called for Musharraf to step down and has called for free and fair elections. "What we need to do is ask Musharraf, push him, push him to step aside for the good of the country, because he is widely unpopular," he told CNN. Sen. Hillary Clinton, a Democratic presidential candidate from New York, said Saturday that she would try to persuade Musharraf to share the responsibility for safeguarding his country's nuclear weapons with a delegation from the United States and perhaps Great Britain. Meanwhile, detectives from Britain's Scotland Yard on Sunday once again examined the white Land Cruiser that Bhutto was riding in when she was assassinated, Pakistan's state-run news agency said. The Associated Press of Pakistan said the detectives also watched videos of Bhutto's last moments three times, and looked at bird's eye view photographs of Liaqat Bagh park taken from a building that overlooks the Rawalpindi public site. The team of five detectives arrived in Pakistan Friday after Musharraf agreed they should work alongside Pakistani agencies to determine how Bhutto was killed and who was responsible for her death. On Saturday, the team spent more than two hours at the park. Musharraf said he expected the Scotland Yard investigators to help "solve all the confusion" surrounding the case. Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, wants a United Nations inquiry into his late wife's assassination. The Pakistan interior ministry say the former leader died when she hit her head on the lever of her car's sunroof after ducking for cover after a suicide bomb attack on her convoy. However, supporters of Bhutto insist she was shot prior to the explosion -- a view that some say is supported by video footage of the moments before the blast. E-mail to a friend . | NEW: British counter-terrorism experts re-inspect Bhutto's vehicle .
NEW: Bhutto's assassination was her own fault, says Musharraf in interview .
NEW: He blamed her for standing up outside the safety of an armored car .
Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, wants a U.N. inquiry into his late wife's death . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "3501c83d3dab4a2e4d2142522a4bf1510a64422a"} | 1,315 | 98 | 0.463947 | 1.41165 | 0.615066 | 3.820896 | 15.80597 | 0.80597 |
(CNN) -- A Texas couple charged with killing the little girl known as "Baby Grace" now face capital murder charges, after a Texas grand jury upgraded the charges on Wednesday. Riley Ann Sawyers was moved from Ohio to Texas by her mother. Prosecutors said they have not decided whether to seek the death penalty against the girl's mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, and Trenor's husband, Royce Clyde Zeigler II. Two-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers was beaten to death and her body was disposed of in Galveston Bay. Riley's body was found October 29 by a fisherman on an uninhabited island in the bay. It was wrapped in black plastic bags and stuffed in a blue, plastic bin. Her identity was not known at first, and police dubbed her "Baby Grace." Police sketches of the child were widely distributed, and Sheryl Sawyers, the girl's paternal grandmother, contacted police from her Ohio home to say the drawing resembled her granddaughter. DNA testing confirmed the child's identity. Trenor, 19, and Zeigler, 24, were initially charged with injury to a child and tampering with evidence. But since the initial charges were filed last month the investigation has continued and police have gathered additional evidence, in addition to confirming Riley's identity, said a statement released Wednesday by Galveston County Criminal District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk. Based on that, the grand jury was asked to upgrade the charges, he said. A three-hour hearing was held Wednesday in which grand jurors heard testimony from five witnesses, including police and FBI investigators and the medical examiner. The grand jury deliberated for only three minutes Wednesday before upgrading the charges, Sistrunk said. Trenor told police Riley had been beaten and thrown across a room and that her head was held under water before she died July 24. She said the couple hid the girl's body in a storage shed for one to two months before putting it in the plastic container and dumping it into the bay. A medical examiner said Riley's skull was fractured in three places that would have been fatal injuries. Trenor and the girl moved to Texas from Ohio in May to be with Zeigler, who Trenor had met online. Sistrunk said the investigation is continuing, and a decision on whether to seek the death penalty will not be made until its conclusion. E-mail to a friend . | Grand jury upgrades charges against girl's mother and mother's husband .
Presented new evidence, jury took just 3 minutes to vote for tougher charges .
Riley Ann Sawyers, initially known as Baby Grace, was beaten to death .
Prosecutors haven't decided whether to seek death penalty for couple . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "964589248c2d95ac3c734ad71283ca22ae4ecedf"} | 553 | 73 | 0.52679 | 1.488189 | 0.90858 | 1.62069 | 7.793103 | 0.793103 |
(CNN) -- The Saudi lawyer who represented a woman kidnapped and raped by seven men said his license to practice has been reinstated. A protest appeared in India in November against the Saudi sentence. Lawyer and human rights activist Abdul Rahman al-Lahem told CNN's Nic Robertson that the Justice Ministry has reinstated his license. Al-Lahem had previously told CNN that the Saudi judge revoked his license as punishment for speaking to the media about his client's case, which attracted international attention. His client, an engaged teenager, was raped by seven men who found her alone with a man unrelated to her. She has said she was meeting with the man to retrieve a photograph. The attack took place in Qatif in March 2006. The seven rapists were sentenced to two to nine years in prison but she also was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison for having violated the kingdom's strict Islamic law by being alone with an unrelated man. The woman's sentence provoked outrage in the West and cast light on the treatment of women under Saudi Arabian law. Under Saudi law, women are subject to numerous restrictions, including a strict dress code, a prohibition against driving and a requirement that they get a man's permission to travel or have surgery. In challenging what he said were his suspension and disbarment, al-Lahem said he had received threats on his life from the religious right. Last month, Minister of Justice Abdallah bin Mohammed al-Sheikh, in a phone call to a Saudi Television newscast, said the lawyer's license had never been revoked. "Such decisions are made through institutions in the kingdom," he said. "The punishment of the lawyer or any lawyer does not come from a reaction; it comes from a carefully examined procedure within a special council in the ministry." He said the council charged with deciding law license revocations had not issued any decisions in the case. E-mail to a friend . | Saudi lawyer Abdul Rahman al-Lahem says his license to practice is reinstated .
Al-Lahem says license revoked because he publicized rape victim's conviction .
Saudi minister last month denied license was ever revoked .
Rape victim was convicted of being alone with an unrelated man . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "6b72550a663bcb7a64e242ede6da53b1f585ea71"} | 446 | 74 | 0.598332 | 1.594328 | 0.708175 | 2.333333 | 6.944444 | 0.703704 |
(CNN) -- CNN is taking an in-depth look at contemporary Russia as part of the "Eye on Russia" series. We asked you to share your photos of Russia and tell us about your experiences in the country, and photos and stories poured in of beautiful places and ordinary places, and of hopes for Russia's future in the 21st century. Anna Glubokina, 27, jumped at the opportunity to send photos of her country. A business analyst in Moscow, she has traveled through Russia and collected photos along the way. Murray Gillis took this image of an ice sculpture during a trip to Gubkinsky, Russia. "I think that Russia is like a mountain river: fast, dangerous and beautiful," Glubokina said. "You will never know what is waiting for you in the future. But I love Russia very much. I will never be bored here. I know that tourists like Russia, because of its astonishing churches and palaces, because of Kremlin and Red Square, because of its great scenery." Many of those who sent us photos were originally from other countries, like Justin Goney, originally from Urbana, Ohio. He now lives in Helsinki, Finland, but spent 14 months teaching English in Moscow. At the small Soviet-style grocery store where he sometimes shopped, he would tell the store clerk what he would like to purchase, rather than get the items himself. The 26-year old said he thinks there are more tourists in Russia now than there would have been during Soviet times. He said he has very vivid memories of what it was like seeing the country on TV as a child. "I guess that's sort of a defining element of who I am is growing up during the Reagan presidency and seeing the end of the Cold War on TV," Goney said. Arturo Fortun, originally from Bolivia, has lived in Russia for six years. He said the Russian people will take time to become accustomed to democracy. He said life is different there, but after a time, your impressions may change. "It's like a constant adventure," he said. "You cannot take anything for granted." Volker Kleensang, of Hamburg, Germany, frequently visits Kaliningrad, Russia, a former German territory that lies between Poland, Lithuania and the Baltic Sea. Physically separated from the rest of Russia, Kaliningrad has a different character than other parts of the country, Kleensang said. "Many people from Kaliningrad, they still use the old German name. For me it's a sign that they say, 'We are Russian, but we are more and more European-oriented than the people from Moscow or St. Petersburg.'" Craig Dillon of Queenstown, New Zealand, visited the country after winning a contest through a New Zealand vodka company. He said he had a choice of taking an $8,000 prize or a trip to Moscow, and out of curiosity, he took the latter. It was his first trip out of the region, and he said it was a "major eye opener" to see the gap between the rich and poor: "Fast cars power past a begging woman on the streets of Moscow." On a more mundane note, he visited a Russian McDonald's and found that the food was much the same as anywhere else. The only thing he noticed about edible items was that the water had a slightly different taste. E-mail to a friend . | Eye on Russia is part of a CNN series looking at contemporary Russia .
CNN.com asked readers to share their photos, views of Russia . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "c96bdfc0463d994ddc858ad358fe59371be79352"} | 759 | 32 | 0.417185 | 1.148833 | 0.635463 | 1.444444 | 24.740741 | 0.777778 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin Thursday citing an alleged claim of responsibility by al Qaeda for former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination, a DHS official told CNN. An Italian news agency says al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri began planning Bhutto's killing in October. But such a claim has not appeared on radical Islamist Web sites that regularly post such messages from al Qaeda and other militant groups. The source of the claim was apparently Italian news agency, Adnkronos International (AKI), which said that al Qaeda Afghanistan commander and spokesman Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid had telephoned the agency to make the claim. "We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahadeen," AKI quoted Al-Yazid as saying. According to AKI, al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri set the wheels in motion for the assassination in October. One Islamist Web site repeated the claim, but that Web site is not considered a reliable source for Islamist messages by experts in the field. The DHS official said the claim was "an unconfirmed open source claim of responsibility" and the bulletin was sent out at about 6 p.m. to state and local law enforcement agencies. The official characterized the bulletin as "information sharing." Ross Feinstein, spokesman for Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, said the U.S. intelligence community is monitoring the situation and trying to figure out who is responsible for the assassination. "We are not in a position to confirm who may be responsible," Feinstein said. Feinstein said that the intelligence community "obviously analyze(s) open source intelligence," but he would not say whether the community believes the claim has any validity. For now, he said, there is "no conclusion" as to who may be responsible. Earlier, DHS spokesman Russ Knocke said Bhutto's assassination had not prompted "any adjustments to our security posture." "Of course, we continue to closely monitor events as they unfold overseas," he said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report. | FBI, Department of Homeland Security issue bulletin Thursday .
Bulletin says two al Qaeda associates made claim to news agency .
"We terminated the most precious American asset," associate says .
DHS official says the claim has not been confirmed . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "085dc5d706487da983655043b144952956cb3c5b"} | 535 | 55 | 0.538901 | 1.475468 | 0.778169 | 2.541667 | 8.5 | 0.791667 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Senate was called to order for 11 seconds on Wednesday as the last political scuffle of the year between the White House and the Democratic-led Congress played out. Democratic senators will hold short "pro forma" sessions over the holiday break to prevent recess appointments. Nearly all the senators left the Capitol for the Christmas holiday last week, but Democrats are keeping the Senate in session to block President Bush from making any recess appointments -- a constitutional mechanism that allows the president, during congressional recesses, to fill top government posts for up to one year without Senate confirmation. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, opened and then immediately gaveled the Senate session to a close. He spent 57 seconds in the chamber. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, announced December 19 that he would keep the Senate open with a series of "pro forma" sessions through mid-January. Talks had just broken down with the White House on a deal that would have allowed the president to make dozens of those appointments if he agreed not to appoint one controversial official, Steven Bradbury, as the permanent head of the influential Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department. Bush declined to accept the Democrats' offer, and Reid refused to approve Bradbury because of concerns about his involvement in crafting legal opinions for the administration on interrogation techniques of terrorism suspects. Similar sessions were conducted over the Thanksgiving recess. Webb also did the duty Friday, but he won't be the only senator tasked with presiding over the shortened sessions. Other Democrats -- including Sens. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Ben Cardin of Maryland and Chuck Schumer of New York -- will share the duty. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Ted Barrett and Vandana Kilaru contributed to this report . | Democratic senators will hold short "pro forma" sessions over the holiday break .
Sessions usually under one minute long .
Move prevents President Bush from making recess appointments .
Bush refused to withdraw one controversial nominee after Democratic offer . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "1c1dc1da2f6ba045478e25e91c8e1b039ce4cc67"} | 434 | 51 | 0.573353 | 1.44338 | 1.004752 | 5.266667 | 8.022222 | 0.733333 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush on Friday proposed a temporary, broad-based tax relief package aimed at spurring the nation's slowing economy. "We can provide a shot in the arm" to the economy, President Bush said Friday at the White House. During remarks at the White House, Bush, flanked by economic advisers, said the nation's economy is at risk for a downturn and Congress must act to head off trouble. "This growth package must be big enough to make a difference in an economy as large and dynamic as ours," Bush said. "By passing a growth package quickly, we can provide a shot in the arm to keep a fundamentally strong economy healthy, and it will help keep economic sectors that are going through adjustments, such as the housing market, from adversely affecting other parts of our economy." Watch more of Bush's tax outline » . It should equal about 1 percent of the nation's gross domestic product, or roughly $140 billion, he added. Bush said the economy will continue to grow but at a slower rate. The president offered no specific details of the proposed package, but he did insist that it include tax incentives for business, "including small businesses, to make major investments in their enterprises this year." Bush also said the economic package must include "rapid income tax relief" for consumers to "lift our economy at a time when people otherwise might spend less." Although Democratic leaders in Congress expressed general support for Bush's remarks, other Democrats on Capitol Hill met the president's proposal with suspicion. Two Democratic leadership aides made it clear Friday that the growth package would not win support from Democratic leaders unless it includes relief for low and middle income earners. "We want to include people who pay taxes, not necessarily income taxes -- a lot of lower income people pay payroll taxes," said one aide. Another source stated flatly, "We're not going to pass a bill in the House that doesn't include low-income people." Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, said he was disappointed that Bush did not include stimulus-spending measures aimed at helping the disadvantaged such as extending unemployment benefits. Schumer said such spending initiatives would jump-start the economy faster than tax cuts alone. "I think if we avoid any of the ideological fights, we could actually pass something so that it would take effect on March 1," Schumer said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, expressed agreement with Bush on "the need to provide assistance immediately," saying in a statement that "we must invest our resources in such a way that injects confidence and consumer demand, promotes economic growth and creates jobs." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said, "I also agree that our focus must be on finding temporary measures that will do the job effectively." Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, agreed that "we must act swiftly to boost the economy" but stressed the need to help families who "are struggling every day to pay their bills, heat their homes and pay their mortgages." Bush's remarks came a day after talks on the subject with Democratic and Republican lawmakers, and following Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's call for a fiscal stimulus package to help an economy beset by plummeting stock prices and a credit and mortgage crunch. Bush said Friday he was encouraged by his discussions with lawmakers. "I believe there is enough broad consensus that we can come up with a package that can be approved with bipartisan support." Existing income tax cuts supported by the Bush administration are due to expire in 2010, and the president called on Congress to make them permanent. "Unless Congress acts, the American people will face massive tax increases in less than three years," Bush said. "This tax increase would put jobs and economic growth at risk." Watch experts explain how to goose the economy » . The proposed stimulus package comes as a leading gauge of future economic activity was released Friday by the Conference Board. The December report showed a decline for a third straight month for the U.S. leading index -- down two-tenths of a percent. The report cited housing permits for the largest negative contribution to the index. See chart showing Americans' recession fears » . On Thursday, the Dow Jones industrial average of stock prices dropped more than 300 points after reports of slowing growth and massive debt write-offs by Merrill Lynch. The brokerage giant reported a nearly $10 billion loss for the fourth quarter of 2007 and wrote off more than $11 billion in bad mortgage debts. Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers stressed the importance of whom any relief package would target. "It needs to go to people who are going to spend it," Summers said Friday on CNN's "American Morning." "That means particularly those who rely on tax refunds -- those receiving benefits, those whose incomes have been hurt by the downturn." Bernanke told the House Budget Committee on Thursday that he does not believe the economy will enter a recession, but he said he expects growth to proceed at a slow pace this year and possibly into early 2009. He said Congress needs to take decisive action to boost the economy. "To be useful, a fiscal stimulus package should be implemented quickly and structured so that its effects on aggregate spending are felt as much as possible within the next 12 months or so," Bernanke said. But he said any package should be "explicitly temporary" to avoid running up the government's long-term debt. Bernanke stopped short of suggesting that the Bush tax cuts should be made permanent, telling lawmakers he supports "the law of arithmetic." "What comes in at least has to equal what goes out at some point," he said. In 2001, Americans received checks from the government designed to stimulate the economy. Individuals received $300 and families $600. Twenty to 40 percent of the checks were spent within days. Consumers saved one-third of the money, and two-thirds went back into the economy within two quarters, officials said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report. | NEW: Democratic leadership aides say bill must help low-, middle-income earners .
President calls for broad-based tax relief for consumers, businesses .
Bush says he's encouraged by talks with Congress, hopeful of agreement .
Bush says his tax cuts due to expire in 2010 should be made permanent . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "da90eb668bfc66a5e70b2e6631a5ec1c9ffb2413"} | 1,339 | 70 | 0.481639 | 1.215431 | 0.920859 | 1.95082 | 19.754098 | 0.836066 |
LONDON, England (CNN) -- More than 150 people have abandoned a sinking cruise liner that collided with an iceberg in Antarctic waters, a Chilean navy captain told CNN. The ship sent out a distress call at around 10 p.m. ET Thursday. Passenger ship Explorer reported problems near the South Shetland Islands, south of Argentina. The area is in a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom. Capt. Carlos Munita of the Chilean navy said they received a distress call from the Explorer, saying the vessel had hit an iceberg around 10 p.m. ET Thursday. He added a Norwegian rescue ship had arrived at the scene. Tour companies describe the Explorer as a passenger ship which runs tours between South America and Antarctica. Some 154 people are reported to be on board ship, which carries a Liberian flag, including 100 passengers. However the nationalities of those on board is not yet known. Passengers and crew have been evacuated onto lifeboats, but the captain and the first officer are reported to have stayed on board. "The great majority of people, including all the passengers, have been safely taken off the Explorer and are now being recovered by the first of the vessels to arrive on scene in response to the distress call," Dave Jardine-Smith, head of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's (MCA) search and rescue team in England said. "The passengers and crew from the Explorer have not been in lifeboats very long," Jardine-Smith said. "They should be, hopefully, in good condition. We are told that there are no injuries." Earlier, Mark Clark, a spokesman for the MCA told the Press Association five ships were on their way to help the sinking vessel. "She hit something and is taking on a serious amount of water, that is all we know." The temperature in the area is said to be at around minus 5C, with a sea temperature at around minus 1C, forecasters told the Press Association. Stephen Davenport, senior forecaster with MeteoGroup, said:"It wouldn't take long for hypothermia to set in at that kind of temperature in the sea. "They do get very bad storms down that way, and gale force winds especially, because there is no land in the way," he told PA. Lt. Matt Alex from the US Coast Guard Atlantic Area command center said the boat is owned by Gap Adventures, based in Toronto, Canada. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. | 150 passengers evacuated from a ship after it struck object in Antarctic waters .
Ship, named Explorer, was expected to sink, British coastguards said .
Passengers in lifeboats, captain and first officer remain on board . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "717b1934db9eb0d7e5e2aef75cd54b29a6530a59"} | 598 | 52 | 0.558972 | 1.346676 | 0.60116 | 1.261905 | 11.928571 | 0.690476 |
TAMPA, Florida (CNN) -- After witnessing the rapid devastation of a Cayman Island coral reef where he had been diving since childhood, Todd Barber was moved from horror to action. He gave up a six-figure salary as a marketing consultant and dedicated his life to restoring the world's ocean reef ecosystems. "I had been following this reef since I had been 14; it was where my first dive was," recalls Barber. "When that one little tiny reef was lost, that sparked something in me. If we lost one and it took that tens of thousands of years to get here, how fast is this happening?" Barber had caught a small glimpse of a larger global issue -- the destruction of the world's coral reefs -- and it scared him. According to the Nature Conservancy, if the present rate of destruction continues, 70 percent of the world's coral reefs will be destroyed by the year 2050. Not only are they home to 25 percent of all marine fish species, but the organization states that 500 million people rely on coral reefs for their food and livelihoods. So Barber and his father, a marine biologist and fellow diver, sat down to devise a solution to "put the reef back." What started as a basic idea to shape concrete around a beach ball led to three years of research, testing and prototyping with the help of friends and college professors. Watch as Barber explains his passion for saving reefs » . "Our goal was to mimic nature, not dictate nature," says Barber. "And that meant that I couldn't come up with an idea; I had to design something that would fit exactly what the reef required." The result was what Barber calls a "Reef Ball." Made of concrete engineered to last more than 500 years, Reef Balls are circular structures with a hollow center that serve as a base habitat upon which a natural reef can grow. Portable, inexpensive and environmentally friendly, according to Barber, Reef Balls can be built anywhere and are used to mimic and rehabilitate all forms of oceanic reefs, such as mangrove, oyster and coral reefs. They can also help control erosion and stabilize shorelines. Watch as an organization in Tampa tries to restore habitats for oysters » . To manufacture and place Reef Balls in marine habitats around the world, Barber established The Reef Ball Foundation in 1993. Today, the non-profit organization works with environmental agencies, universities, community groups and corporations and empowers others to build and restore their local marine ecosystems. "[Reefs] have an incredible bearing on human life," says Barber. "Without conserving these resources, they're going to be all gone before we even know what we've lost." According to Barber, marine conservation isn't just about Reef Balls, but they're one important tool. "It's about saving natural reefs. It's about changing our behaviors," says Barber. "It's better to save the reef that you have than to build a new one." Since its inception, the Reef Ball Foundation has placed Reef Balls in more than 59 countries. "For me, personally, the satisfaction comes from diving on a Reef Ball and seeing that the environment has been rehabilitated; that the reef is actually there," says Barber. "And that our grandkids will be able to see the same thing." E-mail to a friend . | Most coral reefs are in danger, according to estimates from the Nature Conservancy .
The group says 500 million people rely on coral reefs for food .
Reef Balls are concrete spheres upon which a natural reef can grow .
The objects also help control beach erosion and stabilize shorelines . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "e493fe7f282adb10c6b9af18d41f0181f17341e5"} | 767 | 66 | 0.449813 | 1.186035 | 1.460952 | 3.709091 | 12.054545 | 0.836364 |
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Valerie Gooding is in the top five most powerful businesswomen in Europe as named by the Financial Times. She runs global health and care organization BUPA and under her leadership it has grown to over 8 million customers in over 190 countries and record revenues. CNN's Todd Benjamin spoke to her in London and began by asking her why there are so few women at the top. She said it goes beyond family issues. Gooding: Women sometimes don't put themselves forward for things. And one of the things I think about and talk about a lot is that women often lack confidence to go for the next job, the top job. They sometimes don't wish to compete or they don't think they're good enough for the next thing. Benjamin: Why do you think that is? Gooding: Partly a lack of role models, partly it may be conditioning from a very early age about what the role of women is in society and the family, in work. But also I think there is still -- I don't like to call it a glass ceiling, but I think there is still an unseen barrier for women, which is that, if you ask most business people, would they like to promote more women, they would all say yes, they'd love to: "Where are these women, I want to promote them," will be the answer. But often they don't really automatically think of a woman first for a top job. Benjamin: And what advice would you give to women who want to try and make it to the top? Gooding: Well, first of all, to learn as much as you can and to make sure you've got the right experience, the right qualifications, and to enjoy each job for its own interest and job satisfaction. But I think another piece of advice I would give to women is not to be afraid to put themselves forward and say what it is they want, because I think one thing that happens with women, which perhaps is a gender difference, is that women often hang back and think "I will be noticed for my results, everybody will see how great I am because I've delivered these exceptional outcomes". But actually life isn't like that, you have to tell people about your results and your achievements, and men are often better at doing that than women are. Benjamin: What do you think separates good leadership from great leadership? Gooding: Well, I think good leaders should be judged on their results. And I think of a good leader you should be able to say "she transformed the business," "she upped the performance," "she exceeded the expectations of the stakeholders." I think of a great leader I would go to that old Chinese saying, "of a great leader the people will say "we did it ourselves"". Benjamin: Do you think that women in general as managers are more inclusive than men? Gooding: No, I don't. In fact, I sometimes find these gender differences, when sort of represented in the business environment, are actually just not very useful. I think men and women have very different styles of leadership as individuals and I don't think it goes down to straightforward gender divide. Because I have seen women who are more autocratic and more leading from the front and more dictatorial, and I've equally seen men who are very consultative. So, I don't just think it divides that way. Benjamin: You clearly love what you do. What is it about business that you think is such a buzz? Gooding: It's the constant challenge, there's always something new, there's a new competitor, there's a new pressure, there's a new opportunity, there's a new challenge, I think that's what keeps us all going. I think it's the thrill of the chase, basically. E-mail to a friend . | Valerie Gooding, CEO of BUPA, speaks to CNN's Todd Benjamin .
BUPA has over 8 million customers in 190 countries .
Valerie is one of FT's top five most powerful businesswomen in Europe . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "e510fc72b8ef595e45f1a510d0cad761ae1bd032"} | 839 | 56 | 0.434461 | 1.292972 | 0.404622 | 2.875 | 19.225 | 0.875 |
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) -- A fire charred the top of two of three wings of the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino on Friday, causing no major injuries but forcing visitors and employees to evacuate, authorities said. The recently remodeled Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, is shown after and before the fire. A bit over an hour after it began, the fire was fully contained, according to the fire departments in Las Vegas and Clark County. Firefighters would remain at the hotel until "the fire is completely knocked out," said Clark County Fire Chief Steven M. Smith. Watch the fire chief explain the situation » . That would be at least through the afternoon, he said. It was mainly an exterior fire, although there might have been slight damage to some rooms, he told CNN after a news conference. The cause of the fire was unknown. Welders had been working on the roof. See where the hotel is located » . No one was trapped, and there were no reports of major injuries, said Ed Cagalo of the Clark County Fire Department. The 32-floor building was completely evacuated. The blaze was reported about 11 a.m. Black smoke and flames poured from the fire, which roared through the building's exterior stucco and foam until firefighters were able to get on the roof and knock down the flames. Watch the fire burn » . Most of the damage was to the top floor of the building. Falling debris ignited parts of an exterior ledge four floors below. "High-rise fires are never easy to fight. As you can see with it being outside, our firefighters actually had to hang out the windows to try and cut the fire off. We directed our fire streams at an angle so we could make contact with the fire. ... It wasn't an easy fire at all," Smith said. Watch the chief talk about the firefighting efforts » . He urged motorists and pedestrians to avoid the area. Earlier, the smoke was visible from more than a mile away, CNN producer Darian Billington said. Billington said traffic was backed up on the Strip, and crowds of people were gathering to watch the blaze. "It was horrible, there was fire everywhere," a hotel worker who watched the flames from a parking lot told CNN affiliate KVBC. Four U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters with rescue crews were put on standby at Nellis Air Force Base during the afternoon to assist in any rescue efforts, but were not needed, a Nellis spokeswoman said. The hotel has more than 3,000 rooms, including 211 penthouse suites, and conference rooms. The more expensive rooms are on the top floors. The hotel was built in 1996 for $344 million. It is in the heart of the resort corridor. The Monte Carlo, a subsidiary of MGM Mirage, has about 3,000 employees. In 1980, a fire across the street at the MGM Grand Hotel, now Ballys, killed 84 people and injured nearly 700. E-mail to a friend . | Fire doused on the top floors and roof of Monte Carlo resort .
Fire chief: Firefighters had to hang out the windows to try to cut the fire off .
The 32-floor building was completely evacuated .
No major injuries have been reported, and no one was trapped . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "564e02cb944ea00c02f9832ab968441b5c67332e"} | 684 | 63 | 0.505236 | 1.331424 | 1.215943 | 4.303571 | 10.482143 | 0.910714 |
PELLA, Iowa (CNN) -- A senior aide to Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee admitted Friday that the former Arkansas governor had "no foreign policy credentials" after his comments reacting to the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto raised questions. During an event Friday in Pella, Iowa, Huckabee said the crisis sparked by Bhutto's death should lead to a crackdown on illegal immigrants from Pakistan. The Huckabee official told CNN that when he said that, Huckabee was trying to turn attention away from scrutiny of his foreign policy knowledge. Huckabee's foreign policy credentials have been under a microscope since the candidate admitted that he was unaware of an intelligence report that Iran had suspended its nuclear weapons program earlier this month. "In light of what happened in Pakistan yesterday, it's interesting that there are more Pakistanis who have illegally crossed the border than of any other nationality except for those immediately south of our border," Huckabee said Friday. Americans might "look halfway around the world and say, 'How does that affect me?' ... We need to understand that violence and terror is significant when it happens in Pakistan, [and] it's more significant if it can happen in our own cities. And it happens if people can slip across our border and we have no control over them." "The immigration issue is not so much about people coming to pick lettuce or make beds, it's about people who could come with a shoulder-fired missile and could do serious damage and harm to us," Huckabee said, "and that's what we need to be worried about." The Huckabee official said he told Huckabee that his reaction to the crisis in Pakistan will be the story for the next several days, and until he is "briefed and up to speed" on Pakistan, a good place for Huckabee to draw the line is on illegal immigration. Watch a report about the 'surprising tactic' » . "Why does Rudy Giuliani get more credentials on homeland security than you do? You've been a governor," the Huckabee campaign official said he told the candidate. The campaign official admitted that Huckabee's tough immigration talk is also aimed at helping him win male GOP voters in Iowa -- a bloc the official concedes the campaign has been losing ground with. Huckabee said 660 Pakistanis entered the country illegally last year. When asked by a reporter the source for that statistic, Huckabee appeared unsure, saying, "Those are numbers that I got today from a briefing, and I believe they are CIA and immigration numbers." The Huckabee campaign later said the figure came from a March 2006 report by The Denver Post. But the Border Patrol told CNN on Friday that it apprehended only "a handful" of illegal immigrants from Pakistan in 2007. The number of illegal immigrants from Pakistan deported or apprehended is not mentioned in the latest report from the Department of Homeland Security/Office of Immigration Statistics. In 2005, the nation did not make the list of the top 10 sources of illegal immigrants. The previous year, Pakistan was the last country listed, but no specific numbers were given. Huckabee is the GOP front-runner in Iowa, according to most polls. A Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll conducted December 20-23 and 26 has Huckabee leading former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney 36 percent to 28 percent among likely caucus goers. The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 7 percentage points. As the campaigns enter the final stretch before the Iowa caucuses on January 3, Romney has gone on the attack against Huckabee, particularly focusing on his record on illegal immigration issues while he was Arkansas governor. Huckabee's Friday comments on immigration came after he appeared to make another gaffe Thursday, when he seemed to suggest incorrectly that Pakistan was under martial law. Watch Huckabee's response to Bhutto's assassination » . While commenting on Bhutto's death during an Orlando, Florida, press conference, Huckabee told reporters that the United States' first priority should be to find the responsible parties. "But the most urgent thing to do is to offer our sincere sympathies and concerns to the family and to the people of Pakistan, and that's the first thing we would be doing other than, again, trying to ascertain who's behind it, and what impact does it have on whether or not there's going to be martial law continued in Pakistan, suspension of the constitution," Huckabee said. "Those are concerns that the United States certainly should have." Later Thursday, at an event in West Des Moines, Iowa, Huckabee told CNN that "it was not that I was unaware it was suspended, two weeks ago, lifted. ...The point was, would it be reinstated, would it be placed back in? All of the aspects of martial law have not been completely lifted even now. There's still a heavy hand Musharraf has used." Conservative critics immediately pointed out that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf lifted the country's state of martial law roughly two weeks ago. The slip "ought to be really bad news for Huckabee," said the National Review's Jim Geraghty, writing on the magazine's Web site. "I'm not sure how big assassination-related news will play in the first primary states. Still, I think those misstatements will exacerbate the Huck/Not Huck divide in GOP circles." The National Review has endorsed Romney. But CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider said the debate over whether Huckabee has command of the nuances of the Pakistan crisis would have little impact on his support. "Mike Huckabee is a populist. His comments on Pakistan reflect a populist understanding of the crisis, which, is to say, not much," Schneider said. "Sure, the political establishment is snickering, but I doubt that his misstatements bother his supporters much." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Dana Bash and Rebecca Sinderbrand contributed to this report. | NEW: Aide admits that Huckabee has "no foreign policy credentials"
NEW: Campaign official suggested tying Pakistan crisis to immigration issue .
Huckabee appeared not to know that martial law had been lifted in Pakistan .
Gaffes will have little effect on support for populist candidate, analyst says . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "dfd0cea6589cb8be40538b9f165781fbc2c7d796"} | 1,404 | 73 | 0.489533 | 1.438726 | 0.786295 | 1.571429 | 20.392857 | 0.75 |
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (CNN) -- President Bush drew parallels between the aftermath of the Vietnam War and the potential costs of pulling out of Iraq in a speech Wednesday. President Bush draws parallels Wednesday between the cost of pulling out of Iraq and "the tragedy of Vietnam." "Three decades later, there is a legitimate debate about how we got into the Vietnam War and how we left," Bush told members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, at their convention in Kansas City, Missouri. "Whatever your position in that debate, one unmistakable legacy of Vietnam is that the price of America's withdrawal was paid by millions of innocent citizens, whose agonies would add to our vocabulary new terms like 'boat people,' 're-education camps' and 'killing fields,' " the president said. The White House billed the speech, as it did next week's address to the American Legion, as an effort to "provide broader context" for the debate over the upcoming Iraq progress report by Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander, and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad. Bush also sought to shore up the perception of his support for Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, after voicing some frustration with him on Tuesday. "Prime Minister Maliki's a good guy -- good man with a difficult job and I support him," Bush said. "And it's not up to the politicians in Washington, D.C., to say whether he will remain in his position. Watch Bush reiterate his support for al-Maliki » . Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, said Bush had drawn the wrong lesson from history: . "America lost the war in Vietnam because our troops were trapped in a distant country we did not understand supporting a government that lacked sufficient legitimacy with its people," Kennedy said in a statement. Sen. Joe Biden, Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, invoked his own Vietnam analogy in a statement released after the speech: . "It's the president's policies that are pushing us toward another Saigon moment -- with helicopters fleeing the roof of our embassy -- which he says he wants to avoid." Biden said Bush continues to cling to the premise that Iraqis will rally behind a strong central government, but he believes that will not happen. "There's no trust within the Iraqi government; no trust of the government by the Iraqi people; no capacity of that government to deliver security or services; and no prospect that it will build that trust or capacity any time soon," Biden's statement said. But House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said more Democrats are "bucking their party leaders" in acknowledging progress in Iraq. "Many rank-and-file Democrats have seen this progress firsthand and are now acknowledging the successes of a strategy they've repeatedly opposed," Boehner said in a statement. "But Democratic leaders, deeply invested in losing the war, would rather move the goalposts and claim that a precipitous withdrawal is the right approach despite the overwhelming evidence of significant progress." Former presidential adviser David Gergen said Bush ran the risk of doing as much harm as good for his case. "By invoking Vietnam he raised the question, 'if you learned so much from history, how did you ever get us involved in another quagmire?' " Gergen said. Gergen said he did agree with Bush in one respect, though: "He's right, initially when we pulled back in Vietnam there were massive killings." On Tuesday, Bush had expressed frustration with the pace of progress toward political reconciliation in Iraq, saying if the Iraqi government doesn't "respond to the demands of the people, they will replace the government." Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday shot back at criticism of his government, including pointed remarks from a U.S. senator who called his administration "nonfunctioning" and urged Iraq's parliament to turn it out of office. Speaking at a press conference in the Syrian capital of Damascus, al-Maliki characterized such comments as "irresponsible" and said they "overstep the bounds of diplomatic and political courtesy." Government spokesman Ali Dabbagh told CNN that al-Maliki was referring to comments made Monday by Sen. Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, who called on Iraq's parliament to turn al-Maliki's "nonfunctioning" government out of office when it returns in two weeks. Levin said al-Maliki's government was "too beholden to religious and sectarian leaders" to reach a political settlement that would end the country's sectarian and insurgent violence. In his speech, Bush said withdrawing from Vietnam emboldened today's terrorists by compromising U.S. credibility, citing a quote from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden that the American people would rise against the Iraq war the same way they rose against the war in Vietnam. "Here at home, some can argue our withdrawal from Vietnam carried no price to American credibility, but the terrorists see things differently," Bush said. President Bush has frequently asked lawmakers -- and the American people -- to withhold judgment on his troop "surge" in Iraq until the report comes out in September. It is being closely watched on Capitol Hill, particularly by Republicans nervous about the political fallout from an increasingly unpopular war. Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he would wait for the report before deciding when a drawdown of the 160,000 U.S. troops in Iraq might begin. Bush's speeches Wednesday and next week are the latest attempts by the White House to try to reframe the debate over Iraq, as public support for the war continues to sag. A recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll found that almost two-thirds of Americans -- 64 percent -- now oppose the Iraq war, and 72 percent say the Petraeus report will have no effect on their opinion. The poll also found a great deal of skepticism about the report; 53 percent said they do not trust Petraeus to give an accurate assessment of the situation in Iraq. In addition to his analogy to Vietnam, Bush referred to previous conflicts in Asia in talking about the war against terror in Iraq. "There are many differences between the wars we fought in the Far East and the war on terror we are fighting today," Bush said. "But one important similarity is that at their core, they are all ideological struggles. "The militarists of Japan and the Communists in Korea and Vietnam were driven by a merciless vision for the proper ordering of humanity. They killed Americans because we stood in the way of their attempt to force this ideology on others." Bush said history proved skeptics wrong about Japan's ability to become a free society and will prove those who want to withdraw from Iraq wrong. "In the aftermath of Japan's surrender, many thought it naive to help the Japanese transform themselves into a democracy. Then, as now, the critics argued that some people were simply not fit for freedom," Bush said. "Today, in defiance of the critics, Japan ... stands as one of the world's great free societies." E-mail to a friend . | NEW: Kennedy: Bush drawing wrong lesson from history .
President says withdrawing from Iraq will embolden terrorists .
Speech is latest White House attempt to try to reframe the debate over Iraq . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "dbceded6ea7d8a0944ab3f44263f688f644a5c37"} | 1,648 | 45 | 0.459148 | 1.253144 | 0.670138 | 2.513514 | 37.297297 | 0.891892 |
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- They prefer the darkness and calm of early morning when their targets are most vulnerable, still sleeping or under the influence. They make sure their prey -- suspected killers and other violent fugitives -- know what they're up against. U.S. Marshal supervisory inspector James Ergas takes aim during a computer-simulated attack. "When they wake up to a submachine gun and flashlight in their face, they tend not to fight," says James Ergas, the supervisory inspector for the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force. The U.S. Marshals Service is the nation's oldest law enforcement agency and best known for protecting federal judges, transporting federal prisoners and protecting witnesses. Less known is the cutting-edge work of the agency's six regional task forces in capturing suspects. The task force in Atlanta is located in a nondescript warehouse office park. In 2007, the investigators from the Southeast task force arrested more than 3,000 suspects; only once did the Marshals exchange gunfire, Ergas says. Watch Ergas blast bad guys in simulated attack » . "This is the crème de la crème of the Marshal Service," says Eugene O'Donnell, a former prosecutor and New York City police officer who now teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. On any given day, Ergas and his force are tracking 10 to 15 suspected killers roaming the Southeast, while also searching for other violent offenders. Already this year, they have been involved in a number of high-profile searches: Gary Michael Hilton, the suspect charged in the killing of Meredith Emerson who disappeared while hiking in northern Georgia; a fugitive Marine wanted in connection with the killing of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach in North Carolina; and suspects wanted in connection with the killings of two suburban Atlanta police officers. But most of the time they're chasing suspects outside of the glare of the media spotlight. "Our mandate is to track violent fugitives -- murderers, armed robbers, rapists and fugitives of that caliber," says Keith Booker, the commander of the task force. Watch Booker describe their mission » . One suspect currently being hunted is Charles Leon Parker who has been on the run since the 1980s after being accused of molesting his stepdaughters. The Marshals were brought in recently, Booker says, after Parker allegedly called one of his victims and said, "I wanted you to know I saw you and your daughter, and she sure is beautiful." O'Donnell says it takes highly trained, high energy, "really special people" to do such work day in and day out, especially when they're up against "some of the most dangerous individuals in the country." "It's not an exaggeration to say they're the front of the front line," O'Donnell says. "It's not going to get any more challenging than this in law enforcement." To make sure they are well prepared, the Atlanta office is equipped with a locker full of high-powered weaponry; a high-tech operations center, complete with flat screen TVs, where they communicate directly with investigators in the field; a two-story house for training; and a 300-degree computer simulator that puts the Marshals into real life danger scenarios. In one demonstration, Ergas steps into the simulator and responds to reports of shots fired at a workplace. A woman rushes to a victim on the ground, as Ergas barks out commands. Moments later, a man rounds the corner. He too tends to the victim. Suddenly, the gunman runs into the corner and Ergas opens fire with his Glock. The suspect hits the ground. Watch Ergas say there's no better training than the simulator » . A split second later, another gunman emerges, and Ergas blasts him too. Think of it as Wii on steroids. "These are things you cannot get on a range," Ergas says. There are 50 different scenarios the simulator can create, with a technician able to change each scenario. A trainee can use a shotgun, rifle, Glock 22 or Glock 23. The guns shoot a laser and each shot is traced. Sometimes, the simulator jams the guns to see how one responds to the situation. After each training session, the person is debriefed about why he or she opened fire or didn't fire at all. Each shot is analyzed, because in the real world a law enforcement officer is held accountable for every bullet that comes out of his or her gun. It helps investigators train for situations they could face on any given day, at any given moment, Ergas says. "No one wants to shoot anyone," Ergas says. "Even officers that may not have pulled the trigger will be affected by shooting and killing someone." O'Donnell says the fact the task force rarely engages fire with suspects and that they have such rigorous training, "underscores you can teach tactics." "This is a model," he says. Booker says it helps having a coordinated team of armed officers with shields and big guns, as well. "We overwhelm them with surprising speed and force," he says. "That's what keeps us safe, and that's what keeps them safe." His message for those still out there? "We'll pull all of our collective knowledge and resources and investigative techniques to hunt them down and take them into custody," Booker says. "We won't stop until our job is finished." E-mail to a friend . | U.S. Marshals Southeast task force tracks 10-15 suspected killers a day .
Some are high-profile cases, but most are searches that go under media radar .
Commander: "Our mandate is to track ... murderers, armed robbers, rapists"
Office captured 3,000 suspects last year; only once were shots fired, chief says . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "305a7272b28da5bc5574487ca0a09f48b852788c"} | 1,240 | 82 | 0.491804 | 1.580306 | 0.868704 | 2.257576 | 16.075758 | 0.833333 |
(InStyle.com) -- Check out these seven truly amazing destinations and plan the best place for your great escape. The Farm at Cape Kidnappers in New Zealand is the best place for an adrenaline rush. GIRL'S GETAWAY: Ojai Valley Inn & Spa -- Ojai, California . Why it's great: This Spanish Colonial hideaway offers 308 rooms -- many with fireplaces and private terraces with mountain views. (No wonder Kate Walsh celebrated her wedding here.) What to do: Activities range from hiking and horseback riding to the more esoteric (take a watercolor class or customize your own massage oil.) Watch what stars pack for trips » . Bring it back: Honey lip balm from a local bee farm; pixie tangerines (some of the sweetest fruits in this valley). Book it: ojairesort.com . HIP SIGHTSEEING: Haymarket Hotel -- London, UK . Why it's great: Haymarket manages to capture the cool, contemporary buzz of today's London to a tee. It's where Posh and Becks stay when they cross the pond and where Jude Law drops by for dinner. All 50 guest rooms are spacious and done in a bold color scheme. What to do: Shop at OG2 the new shop from of-the-moment designer Duro Olowu, whose vintage prints draw clients like Sienna Miller; visit Eco, a Green store opened by Colin Firth in Chiswick; or head to the Fashion and Textile Museum, spearheaded by designer Zandra Rhodes. For London's hottest new table, return to Haymarket's Brumus. Bring it back: Blue-suede weekend bag at Conran; new Lulu Guinness jewelry collection (we love the glamour-girl charm); colorful candles or twist tumblers from Nina Campbell. Book it: firmdale.com . SHOPPING SPREE: Villa Mangiacane -- Tuscany, Italy . Why it's great: You'll feel as if you stumbled onto a Bernardo Bertolucci set at this retreat, with its sculpture garden and gnarled olive grove. The 26 guest rooms are located in two villas, but romantics should stay in the 16th-century main villa, whose loggia is decorated with historic frescoes. You can request to have dinner in a new spot each night (try the dreamy vineyard). What to do: Florence is a short drive away -- spend the day shopping at the city's hottest fashion emporium, Luisa via Roma, and Loretta Caponi for exquisite lingerie, then head to the roof of Hotel Continentale, where the Ferragamos go for sunset cocktails. Bring it back: In Florence, find hand-finished leather gloves from the family-run Madova shop; soaps from the historic Santa Maria Novella pharmacy; a bottle of Mangiacane wine (the property produces Merlot and Chianti). Book it: steinhotels.com/mangiacane . LAZY BEACH TIME: Rosewood Mayakoba, Mexico . Why it's great : Located on the super-hot Riviera Maya, which has drawn the likes of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Rosewood Mayakoba has 128 suites, which are actually freestanding villas with luminous bathrooms and private plunge pools. It's also eco-minded: Building materials are indigenous, and guests can navigate the property's network of freshwater canals via electric boats. What to do: Visit the Mayan ruins of Tulum; have dinner in the beach town of Playa del Carmen (try the hip Glass Bar/ Di Vino); snorkel in underwater caves (cenotes); or book a treatment at the Rosewood's spa, which occupies its own little island. Bring it back: A string hammock from Tulum for lounging; beauty products, like scented candles and linen spray, made with local ingredients, such as tropical wood and coconut, from chic eco-retreat (Coqui Coqui). Book it: rosewoodmayakoba.com . COZY WEEKEND: Winvian -- Morris, Connecticut . Why it's great: When it comes to throwing the ultimate weekend get-together, this new 113-acre resort is the place. The heart of the property is a restored colonial farmhouse, filled with antiques, but guests stay in 18 lavish cottages -- each boasting a unique design scheme and at least one open fireplace. One pick: Stable, a duplex with a sunken bathtub. What to do: Plenty of outdoor activities, like hiking and antiquing, but you may want to stick close to Winvian's spa (facials with top U.K. aesthetician Eve Lom's products) and fabulous restaurant (the chef trained under Alain Ducasse). Bring it back: Furniture from the historic town of Woodbury (once home to American antiques dealer Wayne Pratt); a first edition from a nearby antiquarian book dealer, like Nutmeg Books in Torrington; maple syrup tapped at a local farm. Book it: winvian.com . ADRENALINE RUSH: The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand . Why it's great: This luxe lodge is situated on a 6,000-acre sheep and cattle farm in Hawke's Bay, one of the country's premier wine regions. It offers 24 suites, spread among several cottages (all have private decks with sweeping views). What to do: There's no end to the activities, whether you love the beach (surfing) or the countryside (hiking). Ask the lodge to arrange sporting expeditions with an expert guide, a helicopter excursion, or a trip to local wineries. And don't miss the stunning seaside golf course, designed to make the most of the natural topography. Bring it back: Sheepskin slippers (locally made from merino wool); a bottle of sauvignon blanc (Hawke's Bay is known for it). Book it: capekidnappers.com . SURFING AND SAMBA: Fasano -- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil . Why it's great: Rio tops current hot lists, and there's no better place to soak up the vibe than at the new Fasano. Located in a prime spot overlooking Ipanema beach, the hotel has 82 rooms, ten suites and three mini apartments -- all designed by Philippe Starck -- and boasts a 1950s bossa-nova ambience. What to do: Sip Rio's best caipirinhas, the national cocktail, at Club Chocolate; spend a day at Posto 10 (the city's chicest beach); or for authentic samba music, head to Carioca a Gema (but never before 11 P.M.). Bring it back: A teeny Isabel Capeto bikini and matching sarong; a CD by Gilberto Gil; loose Thai pants from the outdoor Ipanema hippie market. Book it: fasano.com.br E-mail to a friend . Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2007 Time Inc. All rights reserved. | You can enjoy the same posh places as the stars .
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa in California is great for weekend getaway .
Learn to samba at Fasano in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil .
Shop your heart out in Villa Mangiacane in Tuscany, Italy . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "9814600b03458475607fa2e4e9f1637138b7c9bf"} | 1,680 | 71 | 0.451932 | 1.460665 | 0.807473 | 2.156863 | 24.470588 | 0.862745 |
(CNN) -- A Vietnamese woman caught cooking a tiger carcass was sentenced to two and a half years in jail, state media reported Thursday. There are reportedly only about 100 tigers, prized by so-called medicine men, left living in Vietnam. A Hanoi court convicted Nguyen Thi Thanh, 41, for "violating regulations protecting rare wild animals." She was arrested last September after police raided a house that she rented in the capital city of Hanoi and found dead tigers, bear arms, monkey bones and elephant tusks. Officers found Thanh and three accomplices cooking tiger carcasses, the Thanh Nien daily reported. The three men received suspended sentences, ranging from 24 to 30 months, the daily said. The woman told police she sold the animals' bone marrow for 6.5 million Vietnamese dong ($400) per gram to traditional medicine men, according to reports at the time. Such medicine men think tiger bones and other parts can cure arthritis and other joint ailments, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Tigers are universally threatened, with only about 100 still living in Vietnam, the World Wildlife Fund said. The southeast Asian country has banned trafficking in endangered animal parts. Last year, the Vietnamese government unearthed 38 cases of illegal trafficking that involved 503 endangered animals, local media said at the time. E-mail to a friend . | Vietnamese woman caught cooking a tiger carcass jailed for two and a half years .
Nguyen Thi Thanh, 41, convicted for violating regulations protecting rare wild animals .
Police found dead tigers, bear arms, monkey bones and elephant tusks in her flat . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "d16bff688345742ee8a1762cb6b82b49e4a065dd"} | 316 | 70 | 0.723228 | 1.638875 | 0.504865 | 6.326531 | 5.326531 | 0.897959 |
(CNN) -- CNN.com reader Kristy O'Connor took a prenatal yoga class with Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams and says she was "in awe of his devotion and attention to Michelle." Reader Dena Michnowih says she came across Ledger in Brooklyn, New York, teaching his young daughter Matilda her right from her left, and was enchanted. Heath Ledger is pictured with crew of the 2005 film "Lords of Dogtown" and members of the Zephyr skating team. CNN.com asked readers to share their memories of Ledger, who was found dead in a New York apartment Tuesday, January 22. Famous for his roles in the films, "The Patriot" and "Lords of Dogtown," Ledger was widely acclaimed for his portrayal of the homosexual cowboy Ennis del Mar in 2005's "Brokeback Mountain." CNN.com readers describe meeting Ledger in person, and call him humble and kind. Below are a selection of their responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity. Donal Logue, actor, of Los Angeles, California I met Heath eight years ago while working on "The Patriot." He became a star while we were sequestered away in a small town in South Carolina based on the strength of the dailies going back to Los Angeles. Heath was a fantastically kind and sweet young man. He surrounded himself with his friends from Australia and never forgot any of us he ever worked with. I last saw him in Australia when he called my name on a Melbourne street and introduced me to Michelle, his (then) pregnant [girlfriend]. I have great memories of going for runs with him or watching a bootleg copy of a Parker and Stone's musical called "Cannibal! The Musical of the Donner Party Tragedy." Heath must have been in a place of great pain and sadness to be split from his wife and child. He was sensitive and unfairly victimized in his native country by the unfortunate Australian custom called the "tall poppy syndrome" in which an Australian, the second he or she achieves global success, is immediately and arbitrarily accused of losing all of their humanity. Not true. He was a sweet person, and less importantly, an unbelievably talented actor. Maybe the best of his generation. Dan Bova of Larchmont, New York Once when I was driving in Brooklyn, I got a flat tire. As I was jacking up my car, this deep voice from behind me said, "Need a hand?" It was Heath Ledger. I couldn't believe it. He helped jack up my car and change the tire. He was really good with tools! R. of Perth, Western Australia I grew up with Heath around the speedway racing circuit. I remember the night he was a little boy and his Dad was racing speed cars at Claremont Speedway (my dad was in the race, too). His dad was coming 3rd then in the final corner, the two lead cars spun out and Heath's dad Kim took the lead and won the State Title race. Heath was standing a couple of rows in front of me with his mum and sister and they were all so excited, jumping up and down and cheering. He was about as happy as a little boy could be watching his dad become a champion. I remember that night because in the years that followed, I saw his parents marriage break up and it was like there was this moment in his childhood of pure joy that I witnessed. Later Heath would pit crew for Graham Jones, and I crewed for my dad and brother. Heath and I were both the youngest on our crews so that meant our job was to take the fiberglass bonnets over to the hoses and wash the mud off after each race really dirty work but he managed to stay cleaner than the rest of us. Crystal Davis of Toronto, Ontario I met Heath in L.A. at a mall a year or so ago. I was staring at him working up the nerve to ask for an autograph. He saw me, started laughing and walked towards me. He said I was white as an "egg" and asked if he could do anything. I said, No thanks ... yes I forgot to ask for the autograph. He touched my shoulder and told me to take it easy and walked away. He looked back several times and smiled. What a great memory I have of him. My prayers go out to his family and friends. Dena Michnowich of Glen Cove, New York I was walking in the lower east side of Manhattan one day and I noticed a really cute man holding his little daughter on his shoulders. She looked just like him. He told her that they had to make a right and asked her to point them in the right direction, which she did. I soon realized that it was Heath Ledger and I got really excited. I was walking right up to them as they were waiting to cross the street. When I got close, I waved and he smiled at me. He was so handsome I got the chills. I could also sense that he had a very sweet spirit. It was a very special moment for me. I'm so sad to hear that he died. Leanne Scorzoni of Staten Island, New York I worked as a nanny for a number of years in Manhattan, and I ended up having a toddler class with my charge and Heath, Michelle and baby Matilda. The couple was so polite and laid back at first I didn't recognize who they were. They were genuinely interested in their child, her development, and treating the rest of us (including staff) with respect. He will be sorely missed. Michael Williams of Perth, Western Australia I met Heath Ledger many years ago while I was working at a local fast food outlet here in Perth Western Australia. He came through to order and I was amazed at how polite, kind and friendly he was. He stopped to sign autographs while he waited knowing that to the people asking him he was somewhat of a hero. He did all this with the great Australian attitude that he had and a smile on his face, he was one superstar that took stardom well and in his stride, I for one feel thankful that I have met this great person. I send my deepest sympathy to his family and say to them that you do not mourn his passing alone; the people of Perth share your grief. Tracy Kimball of Rock Hill, South Carolina I met Heath Ledger in 1999 while he was filming "The Patriot" in South Carolina. I was a reporter for a daily newspaper there and he was at a press conference about the movie at Historic Brattonsville, a Revolutionary-era plantation. He was so very kind and was more than happy to sign my newspaper. The media was flocking around Mel Gibson, but seeing a new young and dashingly gorgeous guy standing off to himself, I approached him and asked for his autograph. He flashed that smile, grabbed my pen and used my back to sign the newspaper I was holding. We had a conversation, but I don't remember it because I was so enamored. I had never heard of him before because the only American movie he had filmed was "Ten Things I Hate About You," which I had not yet seen. I went back to the paper where I worked and wrote a story about the new hot Aussie star that would surely become hugely successful in America. His death really saddens me. He was such a talented actor and a new dad. Having a child the same age as his daughter, it makes me even sadder to think of her missing her father. Amanda Olmstead of Penticton, British Columbia I met Heath when he was filming "Brokeback Mountain" in my hometown of Fort Macleod. He was a down to earth man with amazing talent. His portrayal of Ennis del Mar was life-changing for many of my friends. I am truly saddened by his death. Kristy O'Connor of Sydney, Australia My heart goes out to Heath's family and little Matilda, I met Heath one time at a prenatal yoga class in Sydney with Michelle and was in awe of his devotion and attention to her. He was a true gentleman and I'm sure an amazing father. To make assumptions as to how or why he died is to bring more pain to an already devastated family. Adrian K. of Perth, Western Australia I met Heath one night on the town in Perth. The one-degree of separation rule in Perth made him a friend of a friend. We had a brief and quiet chat. What struck me was his calm in the face of his monstrous burgeoning celebrity. With both of his feet planted firmly on the ground, he seemed to be facing the publicity with stoic resolve. Goodnight, Heath. You were a good bloke. "A sad fan" in Chicago, Illinois I was an extra in the movie "Dark Knight," which filmed in Chicago this past summer. I spend an entire weekend on set with Heath. He was rather quiet most of the time between takes, but seemed to be a nice, likeable guy. It was great to watch him work, as he was very committed to his craft. His death is a great loss. Kelly Fishburne of West Palm Beach, Florida I met Heath Ledger while working in Atlanta. We both were taking a CNN tour. He was silly, smiling all the time and we spoke about horses and riding lessons. He was also talking about the movie the Patriot he filmed with Mel Gibson. He had to do lots of riding. He was down to earth and so very talkative. Just a normal guy, hanging out. A real gentleman. Jessi Lee of Central, South Carolina I really enjoyed Heath's acting. His best movie was my favorite movie of 2005, "Lords Of Dogtown." Heath played the somewhat obnoxious Skip Engblom, but thinking of all the other actors who could have taken the roll, I don't think anyone could have done it better. Even two of the original Zephyr shop boys themselves. Tony Alva & Stacy Peralta, said when Heath came in & did the voice he would use in the film, it was like hearing Skip from the past. E-mail to a friend . | I-Reporters share tales of meeting Heath Ledger in person .
"He was really good with tools," says Don Bova; Ledger helped him change a tire .
I-Report: Share your photos, memories of actor Heath Ledger . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "c85a7eb698c39c7465d1fe4ebbb50447329b5497"} | 2,329 | 63 | 0.435156 | 1.342866 | 0.447457 | 1.75 | 41.541667 | 0.833333 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The head of Blackwater USA on Sunday rejected a mounting series of reports suggesting the private contractor's security guards opened fire on innocent Iraqi civilians last month. Blackwater CEO Erik Prince said Sunday that guards "definitely" faced insurgent fire September 16. "There was definitely incoming small arms fire from insurgents" in the September 16 incident in Baghdad, founder and CEO Erik Prince told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "Late Edition." There was no "deliberate violence," committed by Blackwater employees, he added. Still, when asked whether it is possible someone with Blackwater "screwed up" in the incident, Prince replied, "Certainly it's possible." He said he expects the FBI investigation to provide many answers. Meanwhile, U.S. and Iraqi officials continue discussing Baghdad's demand that Blackwater be expelled from Iraq within six months, The Associated Press reported Sunday. American officials are also coming up with ways to fill the security gap if Blackwater is forced to leave, AP reported. Blackwater guards, protecting U.S. officials in Iraq, face dangerous circumstances every day and have navigated the vast majority of those situations without any violence, Prince told CNN. The guards just try to do their jobs, and are "not trying to make any trouble," he said. The Iraqi government accuses Blackwater guards of opening fire without provocation on civilians in a crowded area in Baghdad on September 16, killing 17 and wounding 27. Survivors told FBI investigators Blackwater guards shot at civilians presenting no threat. Watch a Blackwater witness describe his account » . The first U.S. soldiers to arrive on the scene after the incident told military investigators they found no evidence contractors were fired upon, a source familiar with a preliminary U.S. military report told CNN. The soldiers found evidence suggesting the guards fired on cars attempting to leave and found weapon casings on the scene matching only those used by U.S. military and contractors, the military source said. But Prince on Sunday told CNN, "In the incident reports I've seen, at least three of our armored vehicles were hit by small arms fire, incoming, and one of them damaged, which actually delayed their departure from the traffic circle while they tried to rig a tow. "So there was definitely incoming small-arms fire from insurgents." He added, "I guarantee our guys weren't shooting at each other." And he said the traffic circle is very big, so those first soldiers on the scene would have needed "almost a battalion to secure that entire area, to do a thorough crime scene type investigation." "So the jury is still out. We'll see what the FBI report comes up with, but I'm confident that the kind of people we have out there are proven military professionals," Prince said. Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh accused Blackwater of "a deliberate crime against civilians," and said the company "should be tried in court, and the victims should be compensated." A Philadelphia law firm has filed suit in federal court against Blackwater on behalf of the families of three Iraqis killed and one wounded in the in the incident, which occurred in and around Baghdad's Nusoor Square. The suit claims Blackwater "created and fostered a culture of lawlessness amongst its employees, encouraging them to act in the company's financial interests at the expense of innocent human life." Prince called the lawsuit "politically motivated" for "media attention," and rejected the depictions of his company. "In Baghdad, the most dangerous city in the world, to say that it was a callous, rampant, evil action, you know, when the guys get it right 99 out of 100 times and don't have to use any force or any violence at all, I think they are doing very well," he said. E-mail to a friend . | Erik Prince: "There was definitely incoming small arms fire from insurgents"
There was "no deliberate violence," he said, during September 16 shooting .
Iraqi government says Blackwater guards killed 17, fired without provocation .
AP: Blackwater may be expelled from Iraq within six months . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "5f299d74b492be5e53e6bcf3a54d3c8a4b418a97"} | 880 | 69 | 0.58876 | 1.730483 | 0.985451 | 3.982456 | 13.017544 | 0.859649 |
(CNN) -- A mine exploded Monday on a road in southern Somalia, killing four people -- three members of the medical humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres and a journalist. Ongoing violence in Somalia has devastated the capital Mogadishu. The incident occurred Monday along a road in Kismayo, the group said. Victor Okumu, 51, a Kenyan doctor; Damien Lehalle, 27, a French logistician; and a Somali driver named Billan were the MSF workers who were killed. Another member of the team was slightly wounded, the group said in a posting on its Web site. "The exact circumstances of this fatal incident are not yet clear," the posting said. Also killed was journalist Hassan Kafi Hared, 36. The remote-controlled mine erupted as he was walking to a news conference in Siyad Village in northern Kismayu, said the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). He was working for the government-run Somali National News Agency and a Somali Web site called gedonet.com. He is survived by a wife and three children. "This is a targeted attack and we declare that this brutal killing on the journalist and the aid workers is an attack on the society itself," said NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman, in a news release. "We demand that transitional government and the authorities in Kismayu to identify the culprits of this crime and bring them to justice" he said. The medical humanitarian organization said it was evacuating remaining international members of it staff from Kismayu. Hared is the second journalist to be killed this year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The first, 38-year-old Norwegian reporter Carsten Thomassen, died Jan. 15 in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul. In a written statement, a representative of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said he condemned the killings and "demands a thorough investigation by the authorities." E-mail to a friend . | Journalist and two doctors were among those killed .
Remote-controlled mine went off in southern Somalia .
Somali driver also died in the attack .
Journalist is the second to die in conflict situation this year . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "5a4e46a4e18d31d1ef4d1087b1643a349f10dd14"} | 465 | 47 | 0.561497 | 1.408061 | 0.880147 | 1.47619 | 8.761905 | 0.714286 |
LONDON, England -- Cocaine-abusing celebrities are glamorizing the use of narcotics and encouraging more young people to use illegal substances, the United Nations drug control agency has warned. Model Kate Moss faced allegations of cocaine use in 2005 but was never charged for over the claims. The annual report from the International Narcotics Control Board warns that treating stars "leniently" by allowing them to get away with drug crimes undermines faith in the criminal justice system and has a damaging effect on adolescents. "They get more lenient responses by the judiciary and law enforcement, and that is regrettable," Professor Hamid Ghodse, a member of the INCB, told the UK's Press Association Wednesday. "There should not be any difference between a celebrity who is breaking the law and non-celebrities. "Not only does it give the wrong messages to young people, who are quite impressionable, but the wider public becomes cynical about the responses to drug offenders," Ghodse said. Watch Ghodse explain how celebrity offenders are being given an easy ride » . Last month, acclaimed singer Amy Winehouse was questioned by police after a video emerged which appeared to show her smoking crack. Last fall she was arrested and fined in Norway for possessing marijuana. Winehouse was due to appear in a Norwegian courtroom to contest the drug charges at the end of February. The hearing was postponed indefinitely, PA said, after the court approved a request from Winehouse's lawyer. Watch how celebrity drug scandals affect children » . Supermodel Kate Moss also faced cocaine-snorting allegations in 2005. The Crown Prosecution Service later said she would not be charged over the claims. Despite losing modeling contracts in the wake of the revelations, she later won fresh jobs and remains one of the world's top models. Singer Pete Doherty, the former boyfriend of Moss, also has had a well-publicized drug abuse problem but has so far managed to avoid jail time. Earlier this month he was named by music magazine NME as its Hero of the Year. And Paul McCartney and his late wife Linda were open about their marijuana habit. The former Beatle was arrested for possession in 1980 in Japan. After 10 days in jail, he was released without charges. The report found that Britain, along with Spain and Italy, have some of the highest rates of cocaine abuse in the world. The report also expressed concerns on rising opium production in Afghanistan. E-mail to a friend . | U.N. says celebrity drug use encourages adolescent substance abuse .
Report says leniency towards celebrities hurts criminal justice system .
Report finds Britain, Italy, Spain have among highest rates of cocaine use . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "b6b7cbc40f51483708d53416719205f36c06f6df"} | 567 | 51 | 0.526131 | 1.406078 | 0.75314 | 1.297297 | 12.621622 | 0.648649 |
(CNN) -- A Colorado prosecutor Friday asked a judge to dismiss the first-degree murder charge against Tim Masters, who spent nine years in prison until new DNA evidence indicated someone else might have committed the crime. Tim Masters, center, walks out of a Fort Collins, Colorado, courthouse Tuesday with his attorney David Wymore. Court papers filed by District Attorney Larry Abrahamson cited "newly discovered" evidence, but took pains to state that evidence didn't clear Masters. "While the newly discovered DNA evidence does not exonerate Timothy Masters, it clearly warrants a complete re-examination of all the evidence related to the murder of Peggy Hettrick," the court papers state. The motion seeks dismissal of the charges "in the interest of justice." It points out the DNA testing used to uncover the new evidence wasn't available when Masters was investigated and tried. On Tuesday a judge threw out Masters' 1999 murder conviction, and he was freed -- also "in the interest of justice." Although the motion signals that Abrahamson is dropping the Masters case, he did not rule out future prosecution. In a statement, the prosecutor cautioned: "Contrary to news reports, the DNA testing results only suggest that there may be others, along with Timothy Masters, who should be investigated. These test results do not provide us with enough information to completely exonerate anyone." Abrahamson said he has asked Colorado Attorney General John Suthers to appoint a special prosecutor to continue the investigation of Hettrick's slaying. The attorney general will announce his decision early next week, Abrahamson said. Masters, 36, has been investigated for Hettrick's murder since he was 15. He has insisted he had nothing to do with her death, and no physical evidence ties him directly to the crime. Watch Masters describe his anger at police » . A jury convicted Masters 12 years after the discovery of Hettrick's stabbed and sexually mutilated corpse in a field near his trailer. Among the evidence jurors considered were a collection of knives found in Master's bedroom, gruesome sketches and testimony from a prosecution expert that he fit the psychological profile of a killer. Masters' defense team said he was framed, and that police and prosecutors sat on evidence that could have raised doubt about his guilt. The significance of Friday's motion to dismiss is largely procedural, but Abrahamson indicated earlier this week that it might be unnecessary to try Masters again. "In light of newly discovered evidence revealed to me on Friday," Abrahamson said in a statement a week ago, "I will be moving as expeditiously as possible to make the determination of whether all charges against Timothy Masters will be dismissed." Abrahamson also has vowed to review all "contested convictions" in which advances in DNA testing may prove useful. He said he wanted to examine the legal discovery process and that he had met with the Fort Collins police chief and his officers "to discuss the critical flow of information with assurance that all information is available to our office and the defense." Special prosecutor Don Quick filed a motion earlier this month citing four instances in which police and prosecutors should have handed over evidence to Masters' original defense team. See the key players in the case » . Among them was a police interview with a plastic surgeon who said it was improbable that a teen could have made the meticulous cuts necessary to remove Hettrick's body parts. Also, according to Quick's motion, police failed to divulge that a renowned FBI profiler warned police that Masters' penchant for doodling gruesome horror scenes did not tie him to the crime. Investigations into how police and prosecutors handled the case continue. E-mail to a friend . | NEW: D.A. seeks dismissal of Tim Masters murder case .
Masters was released Tuesday; conviction was tossed .
Masters convicted in 1999 of murder, sexual mutilation of 37-year-old woman .
He spent nearly nine years in prison . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "7c0bda3744be6f7d95eef695e59a4e4001455a35"} | 840 | 60 | 0.484018 | 1.322876 | -0.123575 | 1.166667 | 14.729167 | 0.708333 |
(CNN) -- The announced pregnancy of Jamie Lynn Spears -- the 16-year-old children's television star and younger sister of beleaguered pop star Britney Spears -- is casting new light on how states deal with the thorny issue of consensual sex among teens. Jamie Lynn Spears, shown in September, stars in the popular Nickelodeon series "Zoey 101." Spears, the star of Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101," told OK! Magazine that she's pregnant and that the father is her 18-year-old boyfriend. There has been no public talk of criminal prosecution in the case. Consensual sex between the two may well have been legal, depending on where and when it took place. But critics of the nation's statutory rape laws say that laws that are ignored in some cases can be used to put other teens in prison and land them on sex-offender registries. Watch CNN's Sunny Hostin on what the law says » . "You have a disturbing disparity in how these laws are enforced," said Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University. "I have no problem at all with nailing adults who sleep with children, but I have a problem with the prosecution of teenagers in consensual relationships. "What this case should focus the nation on is having a more evenhanded approach to these cases." Watch a psychologist talk about how Spears' pregnancy could lead to parents talking to their kids about sex » . In Louisiana, where Spears lives, it is a misdemeanor for someone age 17 to 19 to have consensual sex with someone age 15 to 17 if the difference between their ages is more than two years. In California, where she sometimes tapes her television show, it's a misdemeanor to have sex with someone younger than 18 if the offender is less than three years older. Someone more than three years older could be charged with a felony. According to OK! Magazine, which first reported the news Tuesday, Spears said the father of her baby is longtime boyfriend Casey Aldridge. Turley said most states have similar laws but rely on prosecutors to be selective in enforcing them. But that's a recipe for legal problems, he said. The issue drew international attention when a Georgia teen was sentenced to 10 years in prison for having consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 17. In 2005, Genarlow Wilson was tried for the rape of a 17-year-old girl at a hotel-room party. While he was found not guilty of that charge, he was convicted of aggravated child molestation for the act with the 15-year-old -- even though he was less than two years older. Georgia law, which has since been changed, required a mandatory 10-year sentence on the charge of aggravated child molestation and required Wilson to register as a sex offender when he was released. Under the revised Georgia law, the act now would be a misdemeanor. Now 21, Wilson was released from prison in October -- after serving more than two years -- when the state Supreme Court ruled his sentence was "grossly disproportionate to his crime." "The current laws leave too much to prosecutorial discretion," Turley said. "We saw in the Wilson case how prosecutorial discretion can lead to grotesque results." He said statutory rape prosecutions of teens are more common in Southern states and small towns than they are elsewhere in the country or in big cities. B.J. Bernstein, Wilson's attorney, argued throughout his case that Wilson was imprisoned for an act that, while perhaps morally questionable, probably is going on among teens everywhere. "If you prosecuted, even with misdemeanors, all those cases, you'd clog up the justice system with kids having sex," she said. "It's a social issue -- and it may be something that parents don't want to happen or wish wouldn't happen at that age -- but it shouldn't be a crime." Spears, who turned 16 on April 4 and says she is 12 weeks into her pregnancy, told the magazine she plans to raise her child in Louisiana, "so it can have a normal family life." Nickelodeon released a statement saying the network respects Spears' decision "to take responsibility in this sensitive and personal situation." E-mail to a friend . | Experts say there is a disparity in how statutory rape laws are applied .
Jamie Lynn Spears is 16, and her boyfriend -- the father of her child -- is 18 .
There has been no talk of criminal prosecution involving the couple .
Experts: Attorneys choose when to prosecute, leading to unfairness . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "f19b17438e69527f376e5d9efc74d19fbac6f755"} | 1,028 | 73 | 0.473372 | 1.368135 | 1.230023 | 1.666667 | 13.933333 | 0.766667 |
NEW DELHI, India -- Police covered up the murder of a British teenage girl in Goa last month to protect the tourist industry, a state minister and local media said Monday. Scarlett Keeling stands on Anjuna beach in Goa a few days before her death. Officers had initially said Scarlett Keeling had drowned on Anjuna beach after taking drugs, but changed their story when the 15-year-old's mother protested and a second autopsy suggested she had been raped and murdered. A suspect in the case was arrested Sunday but Fiona MacKeown said she did not believe he was the man who killed her daughter. "This is a clear case of murder and it has gone out of proportion because the police tried to cover it up," Francisco X. Pacheco, Goa's Tourism Minister told Reuters.com. Indian media suggested the cover-up was an attempt to protect Goa's tourism industry. "They should have arrested this man a long time ago and this issue would have got diluted, but now because of the tainted image of some police officers in the case, things have gone out of hand," Pacheco said. Police said they were investigating allegations of a cover-up and the actions of junior officers. "There are certain things under my scrutiny and I have taken cognizance of all these issues, specially these officers," Kishan Kumar, a senior police officer overseeing the probe told Reuters. Keeling's mother said she also believed police were trying to cover up the truth behind her daughter's murder, and that they had arrested Samson D'Souza, 29, to make it look like they were making progress in the case. "We've had an awful lot of contact with people that have been in this situation before, and they've warned us to be careful (that) the police will try and find someone immediately to try and put a front on it that they're actually doing something," Fiona MacKeown told BBC radio on Monday. Kumar described D'Souza as a "local Anjuna boy" who was a bartender at Liu's, a beachfront bar. He said police had confirmed D'Souza's role in Keeling's rape and were now trying to find evidence that he killed the teenager. "We have sufficient evidence to show that he was involved in rape," Kumar told CNN. "So far as murder is concerned, we are investigating further." Scarlett and her family arrived in November for an extended vacation in Goa, known for its white sandy beaches and dance music scene. Beachfront shacks house the bars that fuel the nightlife. MacKeown said Scarlett was left in the care of a trusted male friend and his aunts while the rest of the family traveled to an adjoining Indian state, but she told the BBC that she has had no contact with the family since her daughter's death. The mother said Monday she sent a letter to Goa's chief minister asking for India's Central Bureau of Investigation to look into the case. Goa is popular with Western tourists but several tourists have died from drug overdoses in recent years while women have been attacked and sexually assaulted. The Times Of India said 126 foreigners have died in Goa over the last two years and in January this year a 30-year-old British woman was raped. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Tess Eastment contributed to this report. | Indian police covered up murder of UK girl in Goa, state's tourism minister said .
Police arrest one man over the death of the 15-year-old .
Mother of Scarlett Keeling says she thinks police have arrested wrong man . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "eb2fe21af9629392d61a4fabe6cad72130525f2f"} | 778 | 56 | 0.544288 | 1.473534 | 0.53597 | 1.893617 | 13.595745 | 0.829787 |
(CNN) -- A mine exploded Monday on a road in southern Somalia, killing four people -- three members of the medical humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres and a journalist. Ongoing violence in Somalia has devastated the capital Mogadishu. The incident occurred Monday along a road in Kismayo, the group said. Victor Okumu, 51, a Kenyan doctor; Damien Lehalle, 27, a French logistician; and a Somali driver named Billan were the MSF workers who were killed. Another member of the team was slightly wounded, the group said in a posting on its Web site. "The exact circumstances of this fatal incident are not yet clear," the posting said. Also killed was journalist Hassan Kafi Hared, 36. The remote-controlled mine erupted as he was walking to a news conference in Siyad Village in northern Kismayu, said the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). He was working for the government-run Somali National News Agency and a Somali Web site called gedonet.com. He is survived by a wife and three children. "This is a targeted attack and we declare that this brutal killing on the journalist and the aid workers is an attack on the society itself," said NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman, in a news release. "We demand that transitional government and the authorities in Kismayu to identify the culprits of this crime and bring them to justice" he said. The medical humanitarian organization said it was evacuating remaining international members of it staff from Kismayu. Hared is the second journalist to be killed this year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The first, 38-year-old Norwegian reporter Carsten Thomassen, died Jan. 15 in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul. In a written statement, a representative of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said he condemned the killings and "demands a thorough investigation by the authorities." E-mail to a friend . | Journalist and two doctors were among those killed .
Remote-controlled mine went off in southern Somalia .
Somali driver also died in the attack .
Journalist is the second to die in conflict situation this year . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "eebebdc4fa08a6e927ab958a39d91f888550afec"} | 465 | 47 | 0.561497 | 1.408061 | 0.880147 | 1.47619 | 8.761905 | 0.714286 |
(CNN) -- A bus carrying members of a Marine Corps Reserve unit overturned at an Alabama military base Sunday, leaving 23 Marines injured, four of them critically, the military said in a news release. A bus overturned Sunday in Alabama, injuring 23 Marines, the military said. The passengers, members of E Company, Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Division, had been taking part in a training exercise at Fort Rucker, an Army post outside Ozark, Alabama. They were departing the range at 9:20 a.m. when the accident occurred. The unit is made up of reservists from Tallahassee, Florida, and Bessemer, Alabama. The injured were from First and Headquarters Platoons out of Bessemer, a Birmingham suburb. By mid-afternoon, 11 of the injured had been released to their unit from the hospital. Pictures of the wreck were provided to the news media by the military. Ozark is about 175 miles south of Birmingham. E-mail to a friend . | Bus carrying Marine Corps Reserve unit overturned at Alabama military base .
23 Marines have been injured; four critically, the military says .
E Company, Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Division, was involved .
The accident happened Sunday morning, officials said . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "94b15ad6efcd6d47dfcc242135be481fceb7f634"} | 235 | 62 | 0.758728 | 1.680128 | 0.562934 | 4.403846 | 3.596154 | 0.788462 |
(CNN) -- Despite the obvious claims of younger rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, few can really argue with the 96 football journalists who voted Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite as the 2007 World Footballer of the Year. Brazilian genius Kaka fully deserves winning the 2007 World Footballer of the Year award. The prestigious Ballon d'Or award is widely regarded as the most prestigious individual prize in football and Kaka's inclusion on its coveted roll of honor is a testament to the 25-year-old Brazilian's current standing in world football. When AC Milan defeated Liverpool in the Champions League final in Athens, avenging their heartbreaking loss to the same team in Istanbul two years previously, it enabled Kaka to fulfill his dream of holding aloft Europe's premier trophy -- a winner's medal he fully deserved after a sublime 90-minute performance. Kaka's stock for both club and country has risen steadily since his move to the San Siro from Sao Paulo for a fee of just $8.5 million in the summer of 2003. Unlike many a Brazilian sporting genius, Kaka did not hone his skills on the beach or the streets of a favela shanty town. He was born into a comfortable middle class Brasilia family, where football was not the only hope of a bright future. However, it soon became clear that this particular boy had a very special skill and he was signed by Sao Paulo, after his family had moved there, at just eight years of age -- making his first team debut as an 18-year-old. Kaka's progress was soon picked up by his national team coach and Felipe Scolari named the graceful midfielder in his 23-man squad for the 2002 World Cup finals, earning him a winners' medal despite playing only 19 minutes of the tournament in a group match against Costa Rica. A year later, and Kaka was on his way to Milan. Within a month he had made the starting line-up and his 10 goals helped the Rossoneri lift the Scudetto and the European Super Cup. Throughout his career, Kaka has always possessed the innate ability to score goals -- his record for both club and country sees him average roughly a goal every three games. Yet to describe Kaka merely as a goalscoring midfielder would be doing him a massive injustice. Tall, elegant and blessed with astonishing skill, Milan and Brazil utilize Kaka's ability superbly. Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti soon recognized Kaka's genius, changing his team's system to a 4-4-1-1, playing the Brazilian behind a main target man. With Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso holding the central midfield area, Kaka has a license to roam in behind the lone striker, be it Filippo Inzaghi, Ronaldo or Alberto Gilardino. And Kaka does this with devastating effect, running at the opposition with pace and power, finding defense-splitting passes or shooting from range with deadly accuracy be it from a dead-ball situation or open play. The fly in the ointment for Milan comes in the shape of their poor form this season. Although they have already reached the last 16 of the Champions League, the club are floundering in Serie A and face the unthinkable prospect of not qualifying for next season's competition unless they win the trophy. Real Madrid have coveted Kaka for the last two years -- expect the world transfer record to be smashed if Milan don't secure a place among Europe's elite. E-mail to a friend . | Kaka deservedly named World Player of the Year for the first time in his career .
The Brazilian beats Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the journalists' vote .
The 25-year-old averages one goal in three games for both AC Milan and Brazil . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "504ed83e41a6a861927345f7a027ba53ad02237a"} | 823 | 63 | 0.530289 | 1.308741 | 0.581428 | 2.235294 | 12.862745 | 0.823529 |
JACKSONVILLE, North Carolina (CNN) -- Christina Laurean has told authorities she was attending a Christmas party on the night her husband allegedly killed pregnant Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, according to police. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, wanted for murder, may have fled to his native Mexico. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean is charged with first-degree murder. He remains at large, and authorities say he may have fled to Mexico. Also, an affidavit obtained Thursday by CNN states that Christina Laurean knew about the death one day before reporting it to authorities. The Marines were assigned to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach was eight months pregnant when she was reported missing December 19. Authorities say she was killed four days earlier. A warrant allowed authorities to search Western Union records. Authorities said in the accompanying affidavit that Cesar Laurean and his wife received a transfer of money between December 10 and January 12. The affidavit provided no other details. Authorities requested the search warrant and all accompanying documents be sealed. The FBI says Laurean may have fled to his native country of Mexico. Cesar Laurean, 21, is a naturalized U.S. citizen. He mailed at least one letter from Houston, Texas, since his disappearance, CNN affiliate KPRC in Houston reported Thursday. According to the affidavit, Christina Laurean, 25 -- who also is a Marine -- went with her husband to a Jacksonville attorney on January 10, and the lawyer told Cesar Laurean he could face the death penalty. The next day, Christina Laurean reported Lauterbach's death to the Onslow County Sheriff's Office, where she appeared with an attorney and a sergeant from her former chain of command. She turned over to deputies several notes from her husband that she said she found at their home. In the notes, Cesar Laurean said Lauterbach committed suicide and he buried her. Lauterbach, 20, had accused Cesar Laurean of raping her and was to testify at a military hearing not long after her disappearance. According to a co-worker, she feared Cesar Laurean, although the military said she told prosecutors she did not. Lauterbach's allegations involved two encounters -- one on or about March 26 and one approximately two weeks later, the Marines told CNN. Lauterbach received two protective orders, one of which was in effect when she died. Christina Laurean on January 11 told authorities her husband had denied the rape allegations and said he was not the baby's father, according to the affidavit. In the document she says her husband told her: . Dubois contends the facts show probable cause exists to show that Cesar Laurean "committed murder." The detective said he doesn't believe Lauterbach committed suicide, especially because she had told people she wanted the child. Christina Laurean told police she was at a Christmas party for her husband's Marine unit during the late afternoon and evening of December 15, Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown told CNN. Her husband did not attend the party, she told authorities. Lauterbach's charred remains and those believed to be of her unborn child were found in a fire pit in the Laureans' backyard. Police have said blood spatters were found throughout the Laurean home on walls and ceilings, and evidence showed someone tried to clean them up and paint over them. DNA testing is being conducted to see if Lauterbach's unborn baby was fathered by Cesar Laurean, Brown said, adding there was no rush on the part of detectives to get those results. The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to Cesar Laurean's arrest. Anyone in Mexico with information is asked to contact the legal attache at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. Meanwhile, authorities have discovered the weapon likely used to kill Lauterbach, a spokesman for the Onslow County Sheriff's Office said Thursday. Authorities have said the woman died of blunt force trauma to the head. A man who had rented a room to Lauterbach, Sgt. Daniel Durham, told investigators he found a note from her December 14 -- the day she was last seen -- saying she was tired of the Marine Corps life and was leaving. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Rusty Dornin contributed to this report. | NEW: Woman says husband didn't show up at a party on suspected date of killing .
NEW: DNA testing under way to see if Cesar Laurean fathered the victim's child .
Accused Marine and his wife spoke to lawyer after pregnant Marine slain .
Marine fled the next day, is believed to have headed to native Mexico . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "42176b852f897ae19ef0cf39d598878c8ff0bced"} | 1,008 | 82 | 0.510419 | 1.584187 | 0.803491 | 1.484848 | 12.106061 | 0.787879 |
(CNN) -- Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama each accused the other of borrowing portions of their presidential campaign speeches Monday. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, left, on the stump with Sen. Barack Obama. The Clinton campaign accused Obama of borrowing from a close supporter, and the Illinois senator responded by saying his own words have been used by Clinton. On a conference call with reporters, Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said it was clear Obama had "lifted rhetoric" from Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Late Monday, Clinton followed up with a swipe of her own. "If your whole candidacy is about words, then they should be your own words," Clinton said in Madison, Wisconsin. "That's what I think." Obama downplayed the significance of the accusation. "I've written two books, wrote most of my speeches. So I think putting aside the question ... in terms of whether my words are my own, I think that would be carrying it too far," Obama said. "Deval and I do trade ideas all the time, and you know he's occasionally used lines of mine," Obama said. Obama said he also used some of Deval's words at a Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Wisconsin. "I would add I've noticed on occasion Sen. Clinton has used words of mine as well," said Obama. "As I said before, I really don't think this is too big of a deal." Obama campaign officials said Clinton had a pattern of borrowing from some of her rival's signature phrases, including "Yes, We Can" and "Fired Up, Ready to Go." They circulated a YouTube video and list of these alleged instances to reporters. The Clinton campaign earlier pointed to similarities between the words of Obama and Patrick that have raised eyebrows and attracted traffic on YouTube. A central passage in a speech Obama gave Saturday -- aimed at convincing voters that his campaign is not just about lofty rhetoric -- is adapted from one that Patrick used in his 2006 campaign, the Obama campaign said when asked about it. The controversy is lost on the Massachusetts governor, who endorsed Obama. Obama's campaign had Patrick call the New York Times over the weekend and issue a statement. "Senator Obama and I are long-time friends and allies. We often share ideas about politics, policy and language," Patrick said in the statement. "The argument in question, on the value of words in the public square, is one about which he and I have spoken frequently before. Given the recent attacks from Senator Clinton, I applaud him responding in just the way he did." Watch a comparison of Obama's and Patrick's speeches » . The Obama campaign also confirmed comments chief strategist David Axelrod -- an adviser on Obama's Senate campaign and Patrick's gubernatorial run -- made to the New York Times about the speeches. "They often riff off one another. They share a world view," Axelrod told the Times about Obama and Patrick. "Both of them are effective speakers whose words tend to get requoted and arguments tend to be embraced widely." Responding to attacks from Clinton that he offers words while she offers action, Obama has been arguing that words matter. Saturday night at a gala for the Wisconsin Democratic Party, Obama said to frequent applause, "Don't tell me words don't matter! 'I have a dream.' Just words. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' Just words. 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself.' Just words, just speeches!" In 2006, Patrick, fending off attacks from his rival Kerry Healey, told a crowd, "Her dismissive point, and I hear it a lot from her staff, is all I have to offer is words. Just words. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal' -- just words. Just words. 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself' -- just words. 'Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country' -- just words. 'I have a dream' -- just words." Clinton has argued that while Obama provides rousing speeches, she has the stronger grasp of the issues and the knowledge of how to use the presidency to start making changes from "day one." Speaking last week at a General Motors plant in Ohio, she said, "There's a big difference between us -- speeches versus solutions, talk versus action. You know, some people may think words are change. But you and I know better. Words are cheap. I know it takes work." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Josh Levs, Rebecca Sinderbrand and Chris Welch contributed to this report. | Phrase in Obama speech similar to that of Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick .
Clinton: "If your whole candidacy is about words, then they should be your own"
Obama downplays significance, says: "Clinton has used words of mine as well" | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "62ac534bf7e3e897b2726dddf2b7b6f7723362d4"} | 1,065 | 58 | 0.584208 | 1.679055 | 1.027461 | 6.265306 | 19.22449 | 0.836735 |
(CNN) -- Whoever killed six people in a Memphis, Tennessee, home may still be on the loose, police said Tuesday. They asked the community for help in solving the slayings. Police and fire units responded Monday after six people were killed in Memphis, Tennessee. Police found six people -- two men, two women and two boys -- dead in a home in a north Memphis neighborhood Monday, said Memphis police Lt. Joe Scott. Three other children who were wounded in the home were taken to a hospital. Scott did not release the names of the victims. He said there was no sign of forced entry into the home, and evidence at the scene indicated that the killer or killers left the house. Detectives were trying to determine the day of the killings, which could have occurred as early as Saturday, Scott said. He said police had not developed a suspect and need people to come forward with information. "We need the community's help," he said. "These were children that were brutally killed. We know that there are people out there that heard things, saw something. This is a stain on our community. We really need the community's help to solve this." The four dead adults were shot and the two dead children were stabbed, sources told CNN affiliate WMC-TV. The wounded children -- a 7-year-old boy, a 10-month-old girl and a 4-year-old whose gender wasn't immediately known -- were transported to Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center. They were treated for gunshot wounds, said hospital spokeswoman Jennilyn Utkov, who said she did not have any additional information about their conditions. At least one of the wounded children also was stabbed, police told the Commercial Appeal newspaper. The newspaper reported Tuesday that two of them were in very critical condition and one was in serious condition. A neighbor told CNN Tuesday that he heard gunshots coming from the house Saturday night. "I heard about six or seven shots," said Wayne Bolden, a landscaper who said he lives across the street from the home where the killings occurred. "I did not call the police because you always hear shooting in this neighborhood. Now I wish I would have called." He said he did not see any movement at the home the next day. The two cars, a van and a passenger car, never moved. Monday, he saw many police cars at the home and heard about the killings, he said. Bolden said a family that included a man, a woman and five or six children moved into the home about five months ago. "I did not know him by name," Bolden said of the man. "But the kids were always out playing, and he would barbecue outside on his front porch." A prayer service was held for the victims Tuesday morning at the family's nearby church, said Keith Norman, senior pastor at First Baptist Church. He said he had been asked by the police to counsel the family members of the victims. Another prayer service was scheduled for 6 p.m., he said, and some of the victims' family members are expected to attend. "There are multiple families affected by this," said Norman, who said he did not want to speak about what led to the killings. "We are just praying for the family members and trying to help them get through this." Police do not know what was behind the violence, the Commercial Appeal newspaper reported. "We just don't know the motive or cause of death, but we do have four adults and two children [dead]," Memphis police Lt. Jerry Guin told the paper. Rob Robinson told the Commercial Appeal that he was the landlord for the brick, single-family house that rented for $550 per month. "They were very nice, very polite to me," Robinson told the paper of the residents. "It's kind of surprising, actually. I've never had any trouble with them, no damage to the property. They paid their rent and even helped with repairs and stuff." Neighbor Leo Baker told WMC-TV he has lived nearby for 10 years but did not know the residents of the home. "It's sad you come home to find out something like this has gone on," Baker said. "It's kind of sad, and scary too." Video footage showed emergency vehicles on the scene, with people embracing in rainy weather outside police tape surrounding the home. "I've been on a scene where there were one or two or three [victims], but I don't remember anything this large," Guin told the Commercial Appeal. The newspaper reported that the shooting appeared to be the city's deadliest mass killing since 1973, when 28-year-old David Sanders randomly shot and killed five people before being shot dead by police. In 2000, police said firefighter Frederick Williams confessed to a shooting in Memphis in which four people were killed -- his wife, a sheriff's deputy and two fellow firefighters. E-mail to a friend . | NEW: Police believe killer or killers left the Memphis house where 6 people slain .
Neighbor says he heard shots Saturday night, didn't call police .
Police: Four adults, two kids killed; 3 other children wounded .
7-year-old, 4-year-old, and 10-month-old hospitalized . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "4ff05ae8454ad482f81911c5e4275b63466bea35"} | 1,088 | 75 | 0.477856 | 1.394801 | 0.491779 | 2.242424 | 15.060606 | 0.818182 |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Four men have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of NFL player Sean Taylor, authorities announced Friday evening. Police have more than one confession in the case and the individuals will be charged with murder, said Robert Parker, director of the Miami-Dade Police Department. The suspects were identified as Venjah K. Hunte, 20; Eric Rivera Jr., 17; Jason Scott Mitchell, 17; and Charles Kendrick Lee Wardlow, 18. Additional arrests are possible, Parker said. "The key to solving this case was citizen's tips," he said. Taylor, 24, died Tuesday, a day after he was shot during an apparent burglary at his Miami home. The police investigation revealed the suspects thought the house was empty, Parker said. "They were certainly not looking to go there and kill anyone," he said. "They were expecting a residence that was not occupied, so murder or shooting someone was not their initial motive. ... Their obvious motive was to go there and steal the contents of the house." The men knew Taylor lived at the house, Parker said. At 1:45 a.m. Monday, Taylor's girlfriend, Jackie Garcia, called 911 and said someone had been shot. Authorities have said she told police she was hiding under the bedding during the attack. Garcia did not see what happened and could not provide a suspect description, Parker told reporters on Wednesday. Police said Garcia and Taylor were awakened by noise in the living room, and that Taylor got up and locked the bedroom door, but the door was kicked in and two shots were fired, one striking him in the leg. Garcia tried to call 911 but was unable to, and used her cell phone instead, police said. There was no evidence the line had been cut, Parker said Wednesday. A break-in was also reported eight days earlier, Miami-Dade police said. A police report said someone forced a window open and left a kitchen knife on a bed. Several drawers and a bedroom safe were searched during the break-in, according to the report. Taylor was home unexpectedly because of an injury, his former attorney, Richard Sharpstein, told reporters Tuesday. "I think he was surprised or they were surprised to find him there," he said. Taylor spent four years with the Washington Redskins, but had been out with a sprained right knee. He did not play in Sunday's game against Tampa Bay. Taylor was a first-round pick in the 2004 draft, according to his team's web site. He played at the University of Miami, where he was an All-American in 2003, and was also a high school standout in the city. Dubbing him "the prototype NFL free safety," the Redskins credited Taylor's team-leading tackling prowess for sending him to his first Pro Bowl after 2006. He was regarded as one of the hardest hitting players in the league. Taylor recorded 257 tackles (206 solo) during his brief career, two sacks and seven interceptions. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Rich Phillips contributed to this report. Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. | NEW: Police say they have more than one confession in the case .
NEW: Investigation reveals the men thought the house was empty, police say .
Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor died Tuesday .
Taylor shot during an apparent burglary at his Miami home . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "16e86dc5e3fe27875ee927741542536ea7b7553b"} | 719 | 57 | 0.538183 | 1.534198 | 0.632398 | 4.411765 | 12.490196 | 0.803922 |
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (Reuters) -- Humble woodcutter Mohammed Sultan Nafeek's teenage daughter moved to Saudi Arabia to work as a housemaid to support her family after they were displaced by the 2004 tsunami. Now she is on death row, and all he can do is pray. Razeena Mohammad (left) and Mohammad Sultan Nafeek, parents of Rizana Nafeek. Rizana, who was 17 when she started work in Saudi Arabia, was convicted of killing a 4-month-old baby boy in her care just two weeks into her job. Nafeek says the child died accidentally, choking on milk. His daughter was sentenced to beheading in a case rights groups say underlines the vulnerability of many of the 1.5 million Sri Lankans who work abroad -- nearly 400,000 of them in Saudi Arabia alone. "Our family was suffering hardship, and so our daughter volunteered to go and work abroad to send money home," Nafeek told Reuters by telephone from his modest home in Mutur in Sri Lanka's war-torn northeast. After the December 2004 tsunami forced them from their home, the family was displaced again by renewed civil war between the state and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels. Nafeek visited Saudi Arabia with Sri Lanka's deputy foreign minister this month in a bid to secure clemency and met with relations of the dead child's parents but came away empty handed. Under Saudi law, a pardon is the gift of the family of the victim, and so far the parents of the dead child have refused to meet either the family or Sri Lankan officials. "The cops told us: 'Go and pray to Allah. If you can get the forgiveness of the parents, your daughter will be free,' " he said. "So I am praying all the time." "If we had been able to meet the parents, we are sure they would have been willing to forgive our daughter after seeing our situation." The Sri Lankan government is investigating the agency that sent Rizana to work abroad when she was technically still a child but remains hopeful she will be pardoned or exonerated. "I am fairly confident," said Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila. "We have spoken to tribal leaders of their particular tribe, we have spoken to area officials... It is they who will now have to speak (to the parents)." "His Excellency the President (Mahinda Rajapaksa) has been following this case very keenly. This is an exceptional case because of her tender age," he added. Rights groups accuse the government of failing to protect its expatriate workers -- one of the main sources of foreign-exchange revenues for the $23 billion economy -- with legal aid. They also decry Saudi Arabia's legal system. "This case raises many troubling questions about the treatment of children and foreigners in Saudi Arabia's criminal-justice system," Human Rights Watch said in a statement issued overnight. "International law prohibits the death penalty for crimes committed before the age of 18." Saudi Arabia executed four Sri Lankans convicted of armed robbery earlier this year, and did not inform Sri Lankan authorities beforehand. Sri Lanka reinstated its own death penalty in 2004 after the murder of a high court judge, but it has been dormant since 1976. There is no indication any of the dozens of convicted murderers, rapists and drug smugglers on death row in Sri Lanka and effectively serving life prison terms will actually be executed. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Girl convicted of killing baby in her care in Saudi Arabia when she was 17 .
Nafeek says the child died accidentally, choking on milk .
Girl's family displaced by December 2004 tsunami, renewed civil war in Sri Lanka . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "ad55d2f13db6732edcd716e09f527ed2df39946f"} | 820 | 54 | 0.567086 | 1.693686 | 0.909975 | 4.333333 | 15.2 | 0.911111 |
(CNN) -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is expected to plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges involving an illegal dogfighting operation, according to one of his attorneys. Leah Perry, who sent this photo of son Bobby and dog Rosie, thinks Vick should not be allowed back on the field. The plea deal may include prison time, but the NFL has not yet decided what football sanctions, if any, it should impose on Vick, a spokesman said. We asked CNN.com readers whether they thought Vick would -- or should -- play professional football again as well as their opinions on the case. Below is a selection of those responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity. Stephanie King of Arlington, Washington Michael Vick is a disgrace. For anyone thinking he should be let off easy for admitting his guilt -- think again. The only reason he did that was because he knew the evidence against him was so great. Remember only shortly ago he was stating vehemently that he "only owned" the property and had no idea what was going on there. It wasn't until the eyewitness accounts were brought to light that he "apologized." One cannot be "sorry" for torturing and killing animals. As you know it's been proven that those with the ability to do so also have a stronger chance of being abusive to humans. How can we allow someone like that to be a role model for children? If we do we're degrading our society and shame on us. Patricia Reese of Paola, Kansas Yes, I think Mr. Vick should be allowed to play football again. He is a talented individual and it would be a shame to waste that talent. I also believe he should be able to rebuild his life. However, as part of his restitution to society, I believe he should contribute at least 40% of his salary for what could have potentially been his maximum jail sentence to the Humane Society to help abused and abandoned animals. Debbie Clayton of Greensboro, North Carolina He should never be allowed to play [in the] NFL or earn a dime associated with the NFL. He should be made to work so many hours per week, every week, at minimum wage at an Animal Shelter. Jeff Wise of Atlanta, Georgia Why not give him a chance to play again? Seriously how many chances has the NFL given to Ricky Williams? Smoking pot is against the law, but he's been given a number of chances, and STILL isn't banned from the NFL! Jeremy Montgomery of Mount Laurel, New Jersey I think that Vick should not be allowed to step on the field again and any endorsement deals revoked. What he did was reprehensible. He is in a spotlight where he should be held at a higher standard for a role model. Josh Hebert of Loganville, Georgia He should take whatever punishment our government gives him, but when he has done his time (if he does do time) he should be able to continue playing football. The charges against him are not football related in any way. Angela Ziegler of Cleveland, Ohio The NFL needs to "step up to the plate" and be the man that Michael Vick is not. Allowing him in their league gives a signal that animal abuse is OK with them. Remember Jeffrey Dahmer started as an animal abuser! Want him as your role model or a spokesman? Kelly Koch of Holland, Michigan The NFL and all sponsors should refrain from any future contact with Michael Vick. I, for one, will boycott those with future dealings with him. John Robinson of Redmond, Washington Pro athletes are constantly getting in trouble with the law. Unless we make a policy that all players who are convicted of a felony are banned from the league, then Vick should be allowed to play after a suspension. Randy Jonson of Stamford, Connecticut Until I know the depth of the gambling angle it's hard to be certain. Dog fighting is brutal but if it's only dog fighting/killing, he should get whatever the feds give him and be able to return to football once his debt is paid. Bill Saray of Derby, Connecticut Vick should never play again. He wasn't the best QB to begin with. Anyone with such a blatant disregard for life -- animal or human -- is not worthy of the position in life he was given. Playing in the NFL is not a right. As such, the league should ban him permanently, while society should shun him publicly. If only scarlet letters were still around. Todd Morrison of Howell, Michigan Mr. Vick should be judged of his crime. Not by his fame, nor his race. He should be prosecuted as a person. I believe Mr. Vick's NFL playing days should be determined by the NFL commissioner with consideration of the NFL's personal conduct policy. This is how everyone should be treated in America. Everyone is equal regardless of popularity, fame, and race. Lance G. of Dearborn Heights, Michigan First off, I am an African-American ... this is NOT a race issue. I wish the ignorant people here in the U.S. would get off that tip. This is not an issue to raise the "race" card. Even his so-called homies (who were all black) turned on him. Vick ... committed a felony and now he has to pay for it. He should have chosen a better hobby in life than dog fighting. As for playing football ... he should be banned from the league for at least 2 to 3 years, including his jail time. Leah Perry of Chelmsford, Massachusetts I don't think Vick should be allowed to play football, nor should he get off easy. After he serves his sentence, I think he should work at the MSPCA [to] make him see what cruelty to animals really looks like in all aspects. Steven Todd of Fort Wayne, Indiana I think Michael Vick will play football again, though at what level is anybody's guess. I do not think he should be banned for life. He may have gambled, but not on the game as Pete Rose did. A suspension is in order and I think a year would be fair, but a prison term and suspension would put him out of football for up to three years, and who knows what kind of QB he will be after this ordeal and so long an absence? Jennifer Runyan of Fayetteville, North Carolina I think the whole Michael Vick case is disgusting. The NFL needs to ban him permanently. He shouldn't be able to use the obscene amount of money he makes to torture innocent animals. Kids looked up to him and how many of them will think that abuse is OK now? I don't think he deserves to play ever again. I applaud the people sending Michael Vick jerseys into the Atlanta Humane Society to use cleaning the kennels, now that's appropriate! Watch what a dog thinks of his Vick jersey . Debbie Connor of Whitesville, Kentucky No, he should not be granted the right to play pro football again! He was given the "Golden" key to a life of fame and riches and he blew it away. He should be working for the road department, picking up "Road Kill" off the streets! Julio Hernandez of Kalamazoo, Michigan He needs to be banned from the NFL forever. These "men" are role models for the youth of this country. What kind of message would we be sending to them if we were to let him play in the NFL again? Not a good one, I can tell you that much. He's through. And if he's not, I certainly won't be watching any Falcons games, or for that matter any team he may eventually play for. Nichelle Williams of Woodbridge, Virginia If Imus is going to return back to the air ... then Vick should return to the field. You violate some people or beings; you apologize, let the air clear and go on with business as usual! John Brandon of Old Hickory, Tennessee To make a long story short -- my family will never watch a game with Michael Vick in attendance. E-mail to a friend . | Michael Vick to take plea deal on dogfighting charges .
NFL expected to announce how the case will affect his career .
CNN.com readers shared their thoughts on Vick's future, send your I-Report . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "160228fe18f272761b969b08622ba868ad65b206"} | 1,835 | 50 | 0.445309 | 1.213751 | 0.839362 | 1.075 | 39.4 | 0.775 |
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Leaving school at 16 is not normally the route to success. But Richard Branson did just that, setting up a magazine and then entering the record business. Now his brand is behind more than 300 companies -- from cola to trains, from phones to planes making Virgin a global name. Soon Virgin will reach galactic proportions. In 2009 Richard Branson hopes to take tourists into space. CNN's Todd Benjamin caught up with the billionaire in London and asked what drives him to create such a diverse enterprise. Branson: What drives me to create a lot of different businesses is simply a feeling that we can, most likely, do it better than other people in particular areas. We won't create a business if somebody else is doing it really well, the only time we'll create one is if it's not being done well. Benjamin: How would you describe your own personality? Branson: I love people, I love to learn. I never went to university so I see my life as one long university education I never had. I'm very inquisitive, hence the fact we've gone to 350 different businesses, which is quite unusual for a western company. Benjamin: You run your companies as a series of independent companies. What do you look for in your key lieutenants? Branson: Number one, the Virgin brand is absolutely paramount, they must do nothing to damage the reputation of the brand. And the second thing is to look after their team of people. Benjamin: Your headmaster when you left high school said to you ''Branson, congratulations, I predict you'll either go to prison or become a millionaire.'' What was it in your character that you think made him make that observation? Branson: Well I suspect the fact that at age 13 I'm writing him letters on how he could organize the catering better and how the school could save money, and if they save money they could then put it into better facilities for the students. And I managed to persuade him to give me a study to start my magazine and it was only when he actually finally came to me and said "Look, you're either going to have to do your school work or your magazine," that I said "Well, goodbye. I'm off to do the magazine, but thanks very much." Benjamin: In your autobiography you write about being four-years-old and your mother stops the car and makes you get out and what does she make you do? Branson: We were on the way to my grandmother's house in Devon, and I think about three miles before we got there she made me get out and told me to find my own way to my grandmother's house. Basically, her approach was to try and get us to stand on our own two feet and she went to extreme measures sometimes to do so. Benjamin: Without your persona do you think the Virgin brand could have ever become what it became? Branson: I think the particular Virgin brand perhaps needed me, in the past, to get out there and be adventurous, and therefore to give the brand an adventurous feeling; take on the big guys, which we did, and beat the big guys and that's what's created the Virgin brand. I think now if my balloon pops, or the space ship just continues to go into space, or whatever, I think the brand is strong enough to withstand all that and it'll continue to grow. E-mail to a friend . | Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, talks to CNN's Todd Benjamin .
Branson left school at 16 to work on a magazine he had set up .
He is now responsible for over 300 businesses under the Virgin brand . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "7ebb75bc91aa51d53b06fdbed7feb52d42612065"} | 759 | 51 | 0.451117 | 1.254722 | 0.697028 | 1.590909 | 15.590909 | 0.818182 |
PARIS, France (CNN) -- As a look, it is about as quintessentially French as it gets. All the same, from the New Year enjoying a cigarette while you sip on your cafe au lait will become a thing of the past. From January 1 it will be illegal in France to smoke in cafes as well as clubs, casinos and hotels. France is extending its ban on smoking to include bars, discotheques, restaurants, hotels, casinos, as well as its fabled cafes. In a country renowned for its fondness for romance, smoking has never quite shaken off its romantic associations with smoky Left Bank cafes and waifish Parisienne beauties clutching on a Gauloises. In spite of the health dangers, about 13.5 million people smoke out of a population of 60 million with around 26 percent of 15 year olds estimated to smoke, according to 2002 figures from the World Health Organization. A smoking ban was first introduced in France in February this year to cover workplaces, schools, airports and hospitals. The new restrictions will only apply to the inside of premises, meaning smokers are still free to light up on the terraces. Even so, enforcing the ban may prove tricky in a country well known for its cafe culture. To soften the blow, the authorities have agreed to an amnesty over the New Year holiday and will not fully enforce the new arrangements until Wednesday. After that time, any smoker caught will face a fine of €450 ($662), while hotel and bar owners who fail to prevent smokers from lighting up on their premises will be fined €750 ($1,100). France has lagged behind many of its European neighbors in bringing in legislation to curb smoking in public places. Ireland became the first European country to introduce a comprehensive smoking ban in 2004. Since then Italy, Spain, Belgium and Britain have followed suit with similar bans. E-mail to a friend . | Smoking ban in France extended to bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes from Jan 1 .
Smoking ban first introduced in February 2007 for public buildings, workplaces .
About 13.5 million people in France smoke out of a population of 60 million .
Similar bans now exist in Ireland, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Britain . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "a84e31bf36290e557a3080ad297177b6f18cdf84"} | 429 | 72 | 0.578106 | 1.456842 | 1.032964 | 2.984127 | 5.809524 | 0.857143 |
(CNN) -- The toddler whose body washed ashore in Texas last month has been tentatively identified as a 2-year-old girl, and her mother and a man identified as her boyfriend were arrested Saturday, the Galveston County Sheriff's office said Sunday. Police believe two-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers may be "Baby Grace." Investigators believe the child they dubbed "Baby Grace" is actually 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers, the Galveston County Sheriff's office said Sunday. DNA analysis is still in progress to confirm that identification. The child's mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, 19, and a man identified as Royce Clyde Zeigler II, 24, were arrested Saturday on charges of injuring a child and tampering with physical evidence, the sheriff's department said. The couple lives in Spring, Texas, a Houston suburb about 75 miles north of Galveston. Their bonds were set at $350,000 each. The arrests followed searches conducted Saturday after a November 7 tip, the sheriff's department said. Deputies and FBI agents plan to release more information at a news conference Monday, Galveston County Sheriff's Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said. The girl's grandmother, Sheryl Sawyers, of Cleveland, Ohio, told CNN affiliate WKYC that Riley Ann has been missing since June. Watch Sawyers family describe their fears before child was identified » . On October 29, a fisherman discovered the body in a blue Sterilite plastic container on an uninhabited island in Galveston's West Bay. Police dubbed the dead girl "Baby Grace," and asked the public for help in identifying her. A medical examiner said the child's skull was fractured, and a forensic dentist estimated her age at 2 to 3 years. In composite sketches, the girl is wearing a pink skirt and matching top -- clothing authorities said she was wearing when she was found. The other sketch, a close-up rendering of the child's face, shows a fair-skinned toddler with long blond hair. "She is more to us than just a case number, more to us than just an unidentified body. She is very much a human being," Tutoilmondo said last month. "She is someone's child, someone's grandchild, someone's cousin, someone's best friend, and to us, that is the most important part about this case." "We have adopted the name of Baby Grace because, there again, that is part of the emotional part of this case for us," he said, holding a tiny sneaker identical to one of those the child was wearing when she was found. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Hank Bishop contributed to this story. | Woman, boyfriend arrested after a tip led to search .
Police believe child found dead in box is Riley Ann Sawyers, 2 .
Body of little girl was found in box that washed ashore last month .
Police asked public for help identifying girl they dubbed "Baby Grace" | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "c43c7253f38ff2cd79770034ed9af3567cfaa811"} | 631 | 68 | 0.525436 | 1.651073 | 0.606325 | 1.963636 | 9.4 | 0.836364 |
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Four suspects indicted on murder and burglary charges in the slaying of Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor begin their journey through the courts on Wednesday. A grand jury identified Eric Rivera Jr. as the shooter in the death of NFL star Sean Taylor. Court documents say the youngest is alleged to have fired the fatal shot. He is identified as Eric Rivera Jr., 17. He appeared briefly on Wednesday morning before a judge in Miami, Florida. Rivera has been indicted as an adult and Judge John Thornton found probable cause to support charges of first degree felony murder and burglary with assault or battery with a firearm. Three other suspects -- Venjah K. Hunte, 20, Jason Scott Mitchell, 19, and Charles Kendrick Lee Wardlow, 18 -- appeared Tuesday in court via videoconference. They wore thick green vests, which defense attorneys said were suicide safety smocks. They were ordered held without bail at the Pre-Trial Detention Center in Miami, Florida, where Corrections Officer Janelle Hall said they are under suicide watch. All four suspects are expected to make initial appearances later this morning before Circuit Judge Dennis Murphy. Watch CNN's Rick Sanchez speak to attorneys for two of the suspects » . Rivera was armed during the alleged burglary, and "during the course of the commission of the offense ... discharged a firearm and as a result of the discharge, death or great bodily harm was inflicted upon Sean Maurice Taylor, a human being," the indictment says. The four men were arrested Friday, officials said. Taylor, 24, died a day after he was shot during an apparent burglary at his home. Miami-Dade police investigators said they believe the burglars thought the house was empty. Thousands of mourners attended Taylor's funeral Monday at Florida International University's arena. See photos from the funeral » . Police said Taylor and his girlfriend, Jackie Garcia, were awakened by noise coming from the living room early November 26. Taylor got up and locked the bedroom door, but the door was kicked in and two shots were fired, police said. One struck Taylor in the leg. Garcia and the couple's 18-month-old daughter were not hurt. Authorities have said Garcia told police she was hiding under the bedding during the attack, did not see what happened and could not provide a suspect description. A break-in had been reported at Taylor's residence eight days earlier. A police report from that incident said someone forced a window open and left a kitchen knife on a bed. Several drawers and a bedroom safe were searched during the break-in, according to the report. Taylor spent four years with the Redskins, earning his first Pro Bowl selection in 2006. He suffered a sprained right knee in a November 11 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and had not played since. The 2004 first-round draft pick played at the University of Miami, where he was an All-American in 2003. He was regarded as one of the hardest-hitting players in the NFL. E-mail to a friend . CNN's John Couwels, Kim Segal, and Patrick Oppmann contributed to this report. | NEW: 17-year-old alleged shooter appears in Miami courtroom .
NEW: Eric Rivera Jr. will be tried as an adult .
Three adult suspects in Sean Taylor slaying on suicide watch .
Taylor died after being shot in home invasion last week . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "a4601415eafb5264a4bdc273de3a16365aefb35b"} | 708 | 61 | 0.511841 | 1.403279 | 0.668253 | 1.156863 | 11.862745 | 0.686275 |
LONDON, England -- Football will pay its tribute to the legend of Manchester United's Busby Babes on Wednesday in moments of remembrance on the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster. A memorial stone recalls the place of the Munich air disaster in Kirchtrudering near Munich. Eight players lost their lives on February 6, 1958, when Flight 609 ZU crashed on the third attempt to take off after re-fuelling in Germany as United returned from knocking Red Star Belgrade out of the European Cup. Sir Matt Busby's side, back-to-back English champions and well positioned for a hat-trick attempt, were arguably on course to become the best United team. The United players killed at Munich were Geoff Bent, aged 25, Roger Byrne(28), Eddie Colman (21), Mark Jones (24), David Pegg (22), Tommy Taylor (26), Liam Whelan (22) and 21-year-old Duncan Edwards who died in hospital 15 days after the crash. They and the other 15 people who lost their lives will be remembered with a commemorative service at Old Trafford while a short ceremony, organised by supporters, will also take place at the memorial site in Kirchtrudering, on the outskirts of Munich. In keeping with tradition, United supporters will also gather under the memorial plaque at Old Trafford where the clock is fixed at the exact time of the final fateful take-off attempt. Later in the day, a minute's silence will take place ahead of England's friendly with Switzerland at Wembley as a further mark of respect. As he bows his head during this week's Munich commemorations, survivor Harry Gregg's mind will understandably flash back to that snow-laden runway, but only briefly. The 75-year-old Ulsterman prefers not to remember the afternoon he lost so many friends among the victims, but instead the days when the dream of the 'Busby babes' was still vibrant and alive. Goalkeeper Gregg, hailed a hero in the wake of the crash after returning to the wreckage to pull out survivors, is adamant those are the times which always burn brightest in his memory. "I was part of something that was a very, very beautiful thing at that time," said Gregg, who cost United a record 23,000 pounds sterling when he joined from Doncaster Rovers two months before the disaster. "I'll always be proud of that. The fact there's going to be a minute's silence after 50 years is a tribute to the people I played with, but one must remember as well there were other people on board that aircraft, a lot more people. "I want the minute's silence to be over and then I want to remember the happy times, that's what I want the world to remember, that's what I want the families to remember." E-mail to a friend . | Football pays tribute on the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster .
Eight Manchester United players died when plane crashed on take-off .
A total of 23 people were killed as Utd returned from cup tie in Belgrade . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "91d43f137b3d928561fb62b200ae40aee4a34b73"} | 653 | 50 | 0.46274 | 1.165423 | 0.486423 | 3.136364 | 12.590909 | 0.818182 |
(CNN) -- The presidents of Sudan and Chad signed a non-aggression agreement late Thursday, aiming to halt cross-border hostilities between the two African nations. Chad President Idriss Deby, right, and Sudan's President Omar al-Beshir, left, shake hands after signing the pact. The signing came after nearly two full days of talks in Dakar, Senegal, between Sudan President Omar al-Beshir and Idriss Deby, the president of Chad. Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade facilitated the talks, and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with officials from both nations and witnessed the signing of the agreement at about 10 p.m. "The idea is to get the governments of Sudan and Chad to normalize their relations with each other and to halt any action that would allow for the cross-border movement of rebel factions or armed factions of either side that could hurt the other country," said United Nations spokesman Farhan Haq. Each country accuses the other of supporting armed rebel groups that cross the border to attempt to destabilize the government. The rival nations' armies have skirmished several times. The United Nations says refugees and armed groups have been regularly crossing the border between the troubled Darfur region of Sudan and Chad. They allegedly include many of the rebels that attacked N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, in early February. As recently as Thursday, just hours before the agreement was signed, Chad issued a communique saying rebels from Sudan had crossed the border. Chad is still recovering from a failed attempt last month by rebels to overthrow Deby's regime. The United Nations says the swelling number of Darfur refugees and other displaced people living in eastern Chad is causing serious strain on the region. Kingsley Amaning, the U.N.'s humanitarian coordinator for Chad, said more than 10,000 people from Darfur, in Sudan, have fled into 12 official refugee camps in eastern Chad. They join some 240,000 Darfurians who have lived in Chad since 2004 because of fighting in their homeland and an estimated 180,000 displaced Chadians also living there. The number of displaced Chadians is growing because of the recent fighting there, Kingsley said. Haq said the United Nations, which has peacekeeping troops in the Darfur region, will work to assure Sudan and Chad carry out the terms of Thursday's deal. The countries have signed several peace agreements in the past, only to see renewed violence flare up. E-mail to a friend . | Sudan, Chad presidents sign agreement aiming to halt cross-border hostilities .
Signing came after nearly two days of talks between presidents of Sudan and Chad .
Each accuses other of supporting rebels that attempt to destabilize the government .
Just hours before agreement, Chad claimed rebels from Sudan had crossed border . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "ab2d99eedfd685ce685fa44e735695c27e946683"} | 583 | 77 | 0.586585 | 1.401079 | 0.883221 | 3.59322 | 7.779661 | 0.915254 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Larry Craig filed an appeal Monday in his continued legal fight stemming from a bathroom sex sting this summer. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, initially said he would resign at the end of September but then changed his mind. The Idaho Republican wants the Minnesota Court of Appeals to overturn a judge's decision refusing to let him withdraw a guilty plea to misdemeanor charges stemming from his arrest in June. "From the outset Senator Craig has maintained that he is innocent of any illegal conduct at the Minneapolis airport," Craig's lawyer, Billy Martin, said in a written statement. "Like every other citizen, Senator Craig has the constitutional right to make every effort to clear his name." Martin called the judge's decision "a manifest injustice." In an interview Sunday with Boise, Idaho, TV station KTVB, Craig said "we don't know what the appellate court will say to me," according to the station's Web site. Watch Craig discuss his chances on the appeal » . "Honestly, the appeals courts tend to defend the courts below them. It is my right to do what I'm doing. I've already provided for Idaho [the] certainty that Idaho needed, I'm not running for re-election. I'm no longer in the way. I am pursuing my constitutional rights." The appeals process could take months to complete, court spokesman Kyle Christopherson said. Craig entered a guilty plea after his arrest in a men's room at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for allegedly propositioning a plainclothes police officer for sex. Craig originally said he would resign from the Senate on September 30 if he could not get the guilty plea withdrawn. He later postponed his decision until the judge ruled. After an October 4 ruling against him, Craig changed course, saying he would not resign and would continue to pursue his legal options. "I am innocent of the charges against me," he said at the time. The Idaho lawmaker's decision not to resign has created a political headache for the Senate's Republican leadership. When news of the arrest first surfaced, GOP leaders called for an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee. They later applauded Craig's decision to resign. And when Craig announced that he would continue to serve in the Senate, GOP leaders did not appear pleased. "It's embarrassing for the Senate. It's embarrassing for our party," said Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, who leads the GOP's Senate campaign committee, on the day of the judge's decision. "I think it's best for the U.S. Senate, it's best for certainly his party, that he just keeps his word." Romney accused . In an interview taped Sunday with NBC's Matt Lauer, Craig complained that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney "threw me under the campaign bus" when news of his arrest came out. "He not only threw me under his campaign bus, he backed up and ran over me again," Craig told Lauer in the interview set to run Tuesday night, according to MSNBC.com. Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, called Craig's behavior "disgraceful" and urged the senator to resign when news of the arrest broke in August. Craig was Romney's Senate liaison before resigning from the campaign. Romney spokesman Kevin Madden defended the presidential candidate's response. "Gov. Romney simply believes that a public office is a public trust," Madden said. "He believes when a public official enters a guilty plea, they have broken that public trust and should step aside for the sake of their constituents." Also in the Lauer interview, Craig and his wife, Suzanne, denied that their marriage is a cover for his homosexuality, according to MSNBC.com. "People know me and know that I would never do that," said Suzanne Craig, MSNBC.com reported. "That's almost like selling your soul for something." The senator has denied he is gay. "I love this woman very, very much," Larry Craig said, according to MSNBC.com. "The day I found her, I fell deeply in love. And we're heading toward our 25th anniversary." When she learned the story was going to break, Suzanne Craig said, "I felt like the floor was falling out from under me. ... And I felt like almost like I was going down a drain for a few moments," according to MSNBC.com. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Scott Anderson and Alexander Romney contributed to this report. | Sen. Larry Craig files appeal to get guilty plea in sex sting withdrawn .
Craig criticizes Mitt Romney for quickly calling for his resignation .
The Idaho Republican was GOP presidential candidate's liaison to the Senate .
Craig stepped down from Romney campaign when news of his arrest broke . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "df9c4e1b8698581720b28c71f1e98f82bd6ea6e6"} | 1,040 | 66 | 0.530914 | 1.672382 | 0.741984 | 1.796296 | 16.296296 | 0.833333 |
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Queen Elizabeth helped launch Heathrow's $8.6 billion new Terminal 5 on Friday as part of the British airport's rejuvenation plan to maintain its status as one of the world's most important transport hubs. A general view of the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport prior to its official opening on Friday. The British monarch, who also opened Heathrow's first passenger terminal in 1955, was present under strict security a day after a man carrying a backpack was arrested for running onto a runway at the airport. The first flights from the new terminal are scheduled for March 27. Its opening has come after 15 years of planning and construction by its owners BAA -- and protests by local residents and environmental groups. It is part of a strategy which could lead to passenger numbers almost doubling to 122 million a year, with a sixth terminal and a third runway in the pipeline despite some vociferous opposition. Spanish-owned BAA, which also runs Gatwick and Stansted in Britain, also plans to eventually demolish Terminals 1 and 2 and replace them in a project called Heathrow East. Watch Queen Elizabeth meet airport staff. » . Residents were once told by BAA that there would be no fifth terminal, but the company is planning to forge further ahead despite the concerns of environmental groups. "Terminal 5 stands as a monument to the binge-flying culture this Government has done so much to encourage," Greenpeace transport campaigner Anita Goldsmith told the UK Press Association. "It's part of an obsession with expansion which can only mean more flights, more emissions and more climate change." Richard Dyer of Friends of the Earth added: "If the Government is serious about tackling climate change, the opening of Terminal 5 must mark the end of airport expansion in Britain. "Further expansion of Heathrow would be environmentally irresponsible and isn't necessary for the economy of London." However, business groups welcomed the expansion at Heathrow. "Thriving, growing airports are vital to help maintain Britain's economic competitiveness," Neil Pakey, chairman of the Airport Operators' Association, told PA. "Domestic air links to Heathrow are particularly valuable for the regional economies, and this new terminal will undoubtedly provide them with a much-needed boost. The passage of the current Planning Bill must ensure that this is the last airport which has to endure such an absurdly protracted planning process." See British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh's views on the terminal. » . Visit London chief executive James Bidwell said: "T5 will provide visitors to London and the UK with a spectacular first impression and alleviate the pressure experienced at Heathrow, the world's busiest airport. "The terminal's smoother check-in process and state-of-the-art baggage management system will certainly better the tourist experience and should help improve the airport's international reputation." E-mail to a friend . | Queen Elizabeth opens Heathrow Airport's $8.6 billion new Terminal 5 .
The new building took more than 15 years to complete following protests .
Launch a day after security scare at one of world's busiest international airports .
A lone man ran onto a Heathrow runway carrying a backpack on Thursday . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "a1d7a119707506100920e1a6f0d9cbf4d4e7c838"} | 660 | 77 | 0.514441 | 1.353113 | 0.591837 | 2.017241 | 9.603448 | 0.775862 |
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A young man carrying what turned out to be a hairbrush died Monday night in a hail of bullets fired by New York police. Khiel Coppin's brother Joel Coppin spoke briefly with reporters saying, "We want justice." Authorities were responding to a 9-1-1 call his mother made about a "family dispute with a gun," police said. In the background of the call, played at a news conference Tuesday, 18-year-old Khiel Coppin can be heard saying, "I've got a gun, I've got a gun," New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne told CNN. The teen put an object under his shirt and told his mother around the time she phoned 9-1-1 that he was going to say he had a gun, said New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. The teen told her, " 'I'm prepared to die,' " Kelly told reporters. When authorities arrived at the Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment, the teenager had something stuffed under his shirt and several times showed a knife to police. "Shoot me, kill me," he shouted, according to Kelly. "Come get me. I have a gun. Let's do this." Coppin ignored repeated commands to stop and get on the ground. Witnesses said the teen appeared to be holding an object underneath his shirt and pointed it at the officers. Coppin continued to approach officers, as they ordered him to stop, said Kelly. Twenty shots were fired; Coppin was struck eight times, Kelly said. "This was a terrible tragedy for Khiel's family, no doubt about it," said Kelly. But the commissioner stressed that officers reasonably believed they were about to receive fire. Kelly said the teen's mother reported he had not taken his anti-depressant and anti-psychotic medication. Police have not recovered a gun and do not believe that Coppin was armed, Kelly said. A reporter asked Kelly if it's possible the young man was goading police to shoot him, a phenomenon known commonly in law enforcement circles as suicide-by-cop. "That's certainly a possibility," said Kelly. "The boy didn't have no gun, he had a brush on him," said Andre Wildman, a neighbor who told CNN that he saw the shooting. Listen to mother's 911 call » . Another neighbor, Wayne Holder, said police should be required to see a weapon before opening fire on a suspect. "At least see a gun before you start to discharge it," Holder said. Police "don't even have to see it, [if] they think you got one, you're going to get shot." Coppin was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday, the medical examiner's office said. The Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network is expected to hold a news conference on Tuesday about the shooting. Police said they were investigating whether Coppin had a history of mental illness and whether his mother had tried to have him hospitalized earlier Monday. The shooting came a year after unarmed groom Sean Bell, 23, was killed hours before his wedding in a shooting involving New York police. In 1999, unarmed African immigrant Amadou Diallo, 22, died when police in the Bronx shot him 19 times. Bystander Dyshawn Gibson described Monday's shooting to CNN affiliate WABC-TV. "He dropped the brush," Gibson said. "He put his hands up. Police just started firing." Coppin was seen pacing around the apartment prior to the shooting, according to an initial police statement issued Monday night. "He began screaming from the window at his mother and the police," the police statement said. "At some point, the male climbed out of the window and began crossing the sidewalk toward the police." That's when police began firing, a police spokesman said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Jennifer Rizzo, Janine Brady and Alina Cho contributed to this report. Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. | Official: Unarmed teen hid object under shirt, shouted, "Kill me."
New York Police Commissioner: Police feared being fired upon .
Police confirm Khiel Coppin, 18, was carrying hairbrush under shirt .
Police say he ignored orders to halt; cops fired 20 shots, killing the teen . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "acd2b851b367bf62dd603ebff5670ffa9c853a8f"} | 940 | 73 | 0.559189 | 1.661255 | 0.647103 | 1.233333 | 13.633333 | 0.733333 |
(CNN) -- The Amazon rainforest is so vast and full of life that even its defenders don't know exactly what it is they are protecting. In the past 40 years, roughly 20 percent of the Amazon rainforest has been wiped out. "The wealth of biodiversity is so immense, we cannot even estimate the amount we don't know," says Cláudio C. Maretti, Brazil-based director for conservation for the World Wildlife Fund. "Every new expedition you do to the Amazon, you might find one new species of fish. Every other, you might find some new bird or frog." The Amazon rainforest, which encompasses an area nearly as large as the continental United States and stretches across nine countries, is considered the world's richest and most varied natural habitat, with several million species of insects, plants, birds and fish calling it home. It also plays an important role in regulating Earth's temperature as its dense vegetation absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen into the air. But the Amazon has been under pressure from outside forces for decades. In the past 40 years, roughly 20 percent of the rainforest has been wiped out. Maretti says an additional 17 percent has been degraded to varying degrees. "We have been deforesting at enormous rates," Maretti says. The chief drivers of this deforestation are large-scale business interests involved in logging, mining, agriculture and, especially, cattle ranching. Some of this activity is sanctioned by the government; much of it is not. Greenpeace estimates as much as 80 percent of the logging is illegal. The Amazon rainforest is just one of many habitats around the world threatened by encroaching development or natural resource extraction. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimates that 50,000 square miles of forest -- more than three times the size of Switzerland -- are lost each year because of clearing and degradation. The threat is particularly acute in the more tropical areas of South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. Cambodia, for example, lost nearly 30 percent of its primary forests from 2000 to 2005, according to FAO. Vietnam lost close to 55 percent of its primary forests, FAO found. And Nigeria lost nearly 56 percent of its primary forests over the same period, the worst rate of forest loss in the world, according to FAO. The destruction of the Earth's oldest and richest forests is not a new phenomenon, but the rate of destruction has increased in recent decades. "Worldwide, one-half of all forests we've lost in the last 10,000 years has occurred in the last 80 years. Half of that was destroyed in the last 30 years," says Scott Paul, Forest Campaign Coordinator for Greenpeace. Paul says the chief driver of forest destruction is the buying and selling of forest products and farm products in the international market, not to meet local needs. "The timber market, and also for agriculture, mining: When it plugs into the international economic system, that's when you've got to watch it," he says. Paul would like to see a certification system so that consumers know the source and conditions under which the product they're consuming was harvested. "If you buy wine and cheese, we can tell the region and the year. But forest products have always been cut in remote and distant areas and thrown in a pipe and spit out on the other side. There is no way to determine if something came from a well-managed forest or an illegal forest where there is slavery, murder, drug trade, etc.," he says. While the story of the world's old-growth forests would appear to be one of unremitting destruction, forests lost to logging and agriculture are actually growing back in some areas, such as the northeast region of the United States and parts of Europe. This thrills some wildlife advocates who would like to see the restoration of exiled or decimated species. "Northern New England is the only place in the eastern United States where you have the potential for large-scale wilderness where wolves, lynxes, cougars, woodland caribou and salmon rivers could be restored," according to Michael J. Kellett, executive director of RESTORE: The North Woods. "We could literally have almost the entire ecosystem of the Maine woods as it once was." With large-scale agriculture all but gone from New England and logging companies concentrating their attention elsewhere, Kellett's biggest fear is that real estate development could begin to carve up the vast forests of Maine. His proposed solution: create a national park. In Brazil in recent years, the government reportedly has stepped up efforts to slow the Amazon's destruction. Last October, Brazil said the rate of deforestation plunged 41 percent because of the enforcement of environmental laws. Environmental groups say the drop also was caused by the fall of soy prices and the rise of Brazil's currency against the dollar, making the country's exports more expensive. The World Wildlife Fund's Maretti is hopeful that Brazil, with international help, will be able to protect even more of the Amazon, an area he considers among the most vital natural habitats in the world. "We do have strong civil society. We do have more governance," Maretti says. "But we certainly need support from abroad. I don't believe Brazil can do this job alone." E-mail to a friend . | UN: More than 50,000 square miles of forest lost each year .
Most trees cut down for international sale .
Some forests making comeback in U.S., Europe . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "b9f5a02386adb698ae71cadd3fd1825fa7b998db"} | 1,157 | 39 | 0.474452 | 1.217851 | 0.519686 | 1.6875 | 32.4375 | 0.75 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States imposed stiff sanctions against Iran on Thursday, targeting two Iranian military groups and a number of Iranian banks and people it accuses of backing nuclear proliferation and terror-related activities. "What this means is that no U.S. citizen or private organization will be allowed to engage in financial transactions with these persons and entities," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said. "In addition, any assets that these designees have under U.S. jurisdiction will be immediately frozen." Rice and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson made the announcement in a brief appearance before reporters on Thursday morning. Rice accused Iran of "pursuing nuclear technologies that can lead to a nuclear weapon; building dangerous ballistic missiles; supporting Shia militants in Iraq and terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories; and denying the existence of a fellow member of the United Nations, threatening to wipe Israel off the map." Watch Rice tell why sanctions are being imposed » . "Many of the Iranian regime's most destabilizing policies are carried out by two of its agencies: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the IRGC, and the Quds force, an arm of the IRGC," she said. She said the sanctions were being imposed "because of the Revolutionary Guard's support for proliferation and the Quds force support for terrorism." The United States also designated three Iranian state-owned banks for sanctions, two of them "for their involvement in proliferation activities" and the other "as a terrorist financier," Rice said. "Iran funnels hundreds of millions of dollars each year through the international financial system to terrorists," Paulson said. "Iran's banks aid this conduct using a range of deceptive financial practices intended to evade even the most stringent risk management controls." The Revolutionary Guard Corps, he said, "is so deeply entrenched in Iran's economy and commercial enterprises, it is increasingly likely that, if you are doing business with Iran, you are doing business" with the corps. "We call on responsible banks and companies around the world to terminate any business with Bank Melli, Bank Mellat, Bank Saderat, and all companies and entities" of the corps, Paulson said. The move marks the first time the United States has attempted to punish another country's military through sanctions. Previous sanctions imposed by the United States have been tied to Iran's nuclear program. The United States has been working with other world powers to halt what they believe is Iran's intent to develop a nuclear arsenal. Iran says it is pursuing nuclear power for peaceful reasons. Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency, said last month that Iran's declared nuclear material has not been diverted from peaceful use and criticized U.S. rhetoric regarding Iran. The Quds Force is blamed by the U.S. military for training and arming Shiite militias in Iraq and smuggling highly lethal explosives into Iraq, where they are used to attack coalition forces. Iran denies the charge. "If the Iranian government fulfills its international obligation to suspend its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activity, I will join my British, French, Russian, Chinese and German colleagues, and I will meet with my Iranian counterpart any time, anywhere," Rice said. "We will be open to the discussion of any issue. But if Iran's rulers choose to continue down a path of confrontation, the United States will act with the international community to resist these threats of the Iranian regime." Last month, representatives of world powers announced that unless a November report shows a "positive outcome" of talks with Iran about its uranium enrichment program, they will move ahead with plans for a resolution imposing additional sanctions on the country. The U.N. Security Council has repeatedly demanded that Iran suspend enrichment of uranium and has imposed limited sanctions on Tehran for refusing to comply. The European Union is weighing its own unilateral sanctions. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Kathleen Koch and Elise Labott contributed to this report. | U.S. puts sanctions on Iran's Revolutionary Guard, banks, individuals .
Revolutionary Guard accused of supporting nuclear proliferation .
Guard's Quds force said by U.S. to support terrorism .
Sanctions mean financial assets of Revolutionary Guard, others, are frozen . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "c26f356dc536e5797ba550be6e27a95059f1ce53"} | 907 | 66 | 0.489628 | 1.272776 | 0.97109 | 1.270833 | 15.979167 | 0.854167 |
(CNN) -- Not only is Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the United Arab Emirates, the first female minister of economy in the Gulf, and the first to start a Middle Eastern BB marketplace, but she's also the first minister - anywhere in the world - to launch her own perfume line. Member of Sharjah royal family and one of Forbes' 100 most powerful women, Sheikha Lubna took the post of minister for economy and planning of United Arab Emirates in 2004. Her background is in IT and before the government appointment worked at the Dubai Ports Authority where she gained the "Distinguished Government Employee Award" in 1999 for developing a documentation system that reduced cargo turnaround from one hour to ten minutes. In 2000, Sheikha Lubna founded Tejari, the first Middle Eastern business-to-business marketplace. As a result of Tejari (Arabic for commerce) 70 percent of Dubai's government purchases are made online, while only 30 percent of bureaucrats were web-literate before its launch. One of the cornerstones of Sheikha Lubna's work has been to allow for foreign ownership, so when John Defterios met up with her, he began by asking her about her upcoming strategy. Sheikha Lubna: We are looking with scrutiny at the companies a lot at the moment and we have several sectors. We will evaluate each sector, from the service side, finance, accounting. And any sector that we believe we need further development in terms of economic growth, then we will focus on that: on increasing the acquisition or the ownership of the foreign company. Defterios: If you look at the Middle East, specifically within this Gulf region, it's quite a radical change to open up specific sectors to majority foreign ownership. Is this society in the region ready for this move? Sheikha Lubna: Interestingly, the United Arab Emirates is host to 80 percent of its population coming from outside. We host 200 nationalities, so for us, the contribution to the economy has already started over 15 years ago with the existence of the expatriate community. So in many ways I think the openness is only a natural path: it's an organic path to continue the openness that exists. Foreign direct investment is not your own wealth. When you have your own wealth, you have a tendency to be complacent sometimes, because it's your money and you may not think you need to actually strengthen your infrastructure. However, if you look at foreign direct investment, it mandates you to be much more transparent, you have to be very diligent about your work, and it also creates new knowledge coming into the country and you can create more development through employment. Defterios: It's interesting, you read the front line of the DP World, P&O acquisition and the furor it created in the United States particularly within Congress. What are the lessons, not just from the UAE perspective, but the lessons learned from both sides during that whole process? Sheikha Lubna: First of all, I think it is important to understand, in this global world, there is a circulation of funds and there is excess of wealth that has to go somewhere. Liquidity of markets sometimes means you invest internally or you invest abroad. We've learned a lesson being in the oil crises earlier that you need to diversify your money and look into investment abroad. And we've seen this where the UAE invests in the Far East, Australia, Asia as well as in Europe and the United States. What's more important to understand is that if you're going to lock up your interest in terms of selling either because of protectionism or a particular idea in your mind that I don't want to sell to this particular organization versus another, there are other places. Defterios: That's not a veiled message your saying, that's pretty forthright this comment. Sheikha Lubna: But it's a message to all of us. If today I lock up my investment opportunity here, money will not come to me, money will go somewhere else. When I have investment coming from abroad, it creates confidence in this country that 'I am a global image'. So when I say it, I am not directing this as a message to a particular country. I am saying all countries are equal when it comes to regulation, when it comes to responsibility, when it comes to strategy in terms of attracting foreign funds and wealth coming to the country. So that's really a lesson that's very very critical. Defterios: A number of firsts: the first to start a B2B marketplace; the first female minister within the country, an economy minister; and the first to launch a perfume range as well. What is it all about? Trailblazing, setting examples, being an entrepreneur? How would you describe what you're doing here? Sheikha Lubna: Everybody laughs about the perfume. One, I think the United Arab Emirates, since inception (it's not from today but from the founder late Sheikh Zayed) has always given equal opportunities for women. But it's up to us as women to decide what is it that we can push, and what it is that we can do and not do. In my personal belief you need a bridge, you need a door opener for women. And sometimes women do not want to take the risk. Sometimes they are shy of achieving what they should be achieving. I had the opportunity and I had the trust from the government and the community, so to me, it is setting the example internally for the young women, and men by the way. Be it in technology, or economy or e-commerce. Defterios: And the perfume line is the exclamation point? Sheikha Lubna: A young woman, actually a perfume creator, who sells exclusively to Saks Fifth Avenue in Dubai, decided to create a perfume with my name. So I had two mandates from her. One, I had to smell it, otherwise if it doesn't smell good I'm not going to take it as a name. So one, I had to actually agree to the scent of the perfume. And it's an Arabic perfume by the way. And second, my mandate was that I would only launch it with my name for her, if she gives 20 percent of its sales and revenue to the Friends of Cancer Patients. E-mail to a friend . | Sheikha Lubna was first female minister in the United Arab Emirates .
Openness to foreign ownership is the "natural path", she says .
If countries "lock up" interest due to protectionism there are other places to go . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "94a9883a283e94c3ad53069d98517b08e8853447"} | 1,423 | 52 | 0.453202 | 1.423977 | 0.659443 | 2.022222 | 27.444444 | 0.911111 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Federal agents have determined New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer used a high-priced call-girl ring at least eight times in recent months, and agents had him under surveillance twice this year, sources familiar with the investigation said Wednesday. Sources say New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer used a call-girl service eight times in recent months. Spitzer announced his resignation Wednesday, two days after reports of his connection to the Emperors Club VIP became public. He has not been charged with a crime. He told reporters Wednesday, "I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work." The resignation will take effect Monday. Watch Spitzer say he will resign » . The sources said the investigation began when New York's North Fork Bank notified the Treasury Department about suspicious transfers of money from Spitzer's bank accounts. That investigation led agents to the alleged organizers of the prostitution ring, four of whom were charged in a criminal complaint last week, the sources said. A grand jury in New York is likely to hear evidence in the case soon, said Kathleen Mullin, an attorney who said she represents one of the ring's employees. Mullin would not identify her client, but said she was not the woman identified only as "Kristen" linked to Spitzer in court papers. She said her client and other women who worked for the Emperors Club have been asked to testify before the grand jury. Asked if her client had any encounters with Spitzer, Mullin said, "We have no information regarding the governor." Wiretaps on suspected members of the ring, authorized in January, yielded more than 5,000 telephone calls and text messages and another 6,000-plus e-mails, according to court papers. In those intercepts, the organizers told clients how to arrange and pay for their trysts, a federal agent's affidavit states. The affidavit identified clients by number, with Spitzer designated "Client 9," a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN this week. Sources familiar with the investigation said federal authorities Wednesday were trying to clamp down on leaks of the investigation's details. See a timeline of the investigation » . The affidavit states "Client 9" paid $4,300 for 2½ hours with a call girl he arranged to meet at Washington's Mayflower Hotel, with some of that a deposit on a future session. Court papers state he also paid for train tickets, cab fare, mini-bar and room service charges for Kristen -- a 5-foot-5, 105-pound brunette he arranged to meet the night of February 13. Kristen is a 22-year-old would-be singer from New Jersey, The New York Times reported Wednesday. The newspaper said Ashley Youmans -- now known as Ashley Alexandra Dupre -- was identified in court documents as Kristen. Dupre has not been charged with a crime. She made a brief appearance Monday in U.S. Magistrate Court as a witness against four people charged with operating the Emperor's Club, the Times said. In an entry on her MySpace page, Dupre says she left "a broken family" and "abuse" in 2004, eventually settling in Manhattan "to pursue my music career." "I am all about my music, and my music is all about me," she writes on her MySpace page. "It flows from what I've been through, what I've seen and how I feel." Dupre's mother, Carolyn Capalbo, told the Times she and her daughter were close, adding that "she obviously got involved in something much larger than her." Spitzer, whose squeaky-clean image as a corporate corruption-buster made him a rising Democratic star, testified to the House Financial Services Committee the next day about the effect of the mortgage meltdown. He took a state plane from Buffalo, New York, to Washington and back to New York, his office confirmed Tuesday. Sources told CNN that FBI agents had Spitzer under surveillance at the Mayflower that night -- and on an earlier occasion, on January 26, when no prostitute showed up. His resignation is unlikely to affect decisions about whether he will face prosecution, the sources said. His attorneys were negotiating Wednesday with the U.S. attorney's office in New York in an effort to avoid criminal charges, a source told CNN. But in a statement issued after the governor's resignation, U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia said no agreement had been reached between his office and the governor "relating to his resignation or any other matter." The resignation could be a factor in the U.S. presidential race. Spitzer was a superdelegate, one of nearly 800 party leaders and officials who cast their votes at the Democratic National Convention. They are free to vote for any candidate they wish. Spitzer was a political ally of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, who is currently in a tight race with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama to win the Democratic nomination. A candidate must get 2,024 delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination. With the race so close, superdelegates could play a larger role in determining the Democratic presidential candidate than in past elections. According to two sources who spoke Tuesday with CNN, Spitzer hit the federal radar when a bank reported to the Internal Revenue Service that a significant amount of money had been suspiciously transferred from one account to another. Late last year, upon investigating the movement of money that the bank initially reported, the IRS found that the accounts were connected to Spitzer, the sources said. The IRS contacted the FBI, which joined the case to investigate the possibility of government corruption. Federal law requires a banking institution to file a suspicious activity report when the institution suspects a transaction is linked to a federal crime. More specifically, banks are required to report to the IRS any transactions totaling $5,000 or more if the transactions "involve potential money laundering or a violation of the Bank Secrecy Act." The act requires businesses to keep documents that are useful for identifying and investigating money laundering. After receiving the IRS report last year, the FBI Corruption Squad linked the account transfers to a prostitution ring, according to sources. The FBI criminal division joined the probe to look into the prostitution ring, while the federal corruption team continued its investigation into Spitzer. Legal experts not involved in the case have said Spitzer could face some type of money-laundering charge, such as structuring a financial transaction to evade federal bank reporting requirements by breaking up a large transaction into smaller ones. Sources tell CNN that prosecutors have considered pursuing a structuring charge, but have run into some difficulty. And Richard Smith, a former Justice Department official, said structuring charges are "fairly difficult to prove." "You are going to have to prove that he withdrew sums of money with the intent to evade the reporting requirements, to conceal the fact that he is withdrawing the money," said Smith, the former deputy chief of the Justice Department's fraud section. "Because if the money was withdrawn, it appears if his lawyers are correct, in a manner that he didn't conceal anything, it begs the question whether or not they can prove the reckless intent that he withdrew this money in small sums to avoid the reporting requirement." Spitzer also could face charges related to the Mann Act, which makes it a federal offense to transport someone across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. But sources tell CNN that the government is less interested in pursuing charges for prostitution than on following the money. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Kevin Bohn contributed to this report. | "Kristen" identified as aspiring singer Ashley Youmans, 22 .
Spitzer resigns Wednesday, two days after he is linked to call-girl ring .
Bank notified Treasury Department about suspicious transfers of money .
Spitzer could face charges of money laundering, legal experts say . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "9c02ebeda5d84859eb36070de7e8a9517ac3fee6"} | 1,701 | 68 | 0.522784 | 1.422466 | 0.486306 | 2.754717 | 27.264151 | 0.90566 |
Editor's note: In our Behind the Scenes series, CNN correspondents share their experiences in covering news and analyze the stories behind the events. Here, CNN's Arwa Damon describes the hardships faced by Iraqi women. Her documentary airs this weekend on CNN and CNN International. Nahla's husband returned to Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. He was killed in a bomb blast in 2007. BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The pain here is choking -- it's a dark, suffocating sorrow. "They took my husband away in front of me. I found his body in the morgue a few days later. He had multiple bullet wounds and his eyes had been gouged out," one woman tells me, forcefully twisting a tissue in her hands as if it somehow could ease her agony and erase the chilling memory. She didn't want her story told, too afraid that she would meet the same fate as the man she loved. Her husband's body bore the "signs of torture." How many times has that phrase been used? It's such a common phrase it's as if what really happened gets glossed over: skin scraped off their bodies, fingernails ripped out, horrifying screams of pain before death. How many times have we reported death tolls from one horrific bombing or another and not been able to get across that these are lives that literally were blown apart? No matter how hard we in the media try, Iraq remains a nation filled with untold tragedies, the scope of which so often is overwhelming. And no matter how hard Iraqis try to shield themselves and those they love from the horrors here, more often than not they fail. Yet they keep fighting. See the sacrifices of Iraq's women » . Nahla works at a radio station and is one of those women. She's tall, slender, elegantly dressed and has a firm handshake. I look at her and it's nearly impossible to imagine what she's been through. "This numbers game, you always think that you are exempt from the numbers," Nahla tells me, referring to the daily death toll. "You're pained by them, but you are outside of them." Watch Nahla's struggle to live on » . On April 14, 2007, her world shattered. There was an explosion on a bridge in the capital and 10 people were killed. Her husband, Mohammed, was one of them. "And with it, I am motionless," she says. "Truly, life was in color and now it is in black and white. I feel like it is a game of musical chairs we used to play with others. ... One time you are hit with the chair; another time, someone else is. Now, my son and I are out of the game completely, completely." The image of the man she loved, tall and proud, is of a doctor who moved his family back to Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein because he believed his country needed him. He was a father who doted on their 6-year-old autistic son. Also etched into her memory is the image of his charred body, melted together with nine others, a twisted pile of black, scorched flesh. Yet Nahla's voice is calm as she speaks, only breaking at the very end of our conversation, when the pain, buried so deep, rises to the surface. She couldn't suppress her gut-wrenching dry sobs. I don't know how many times I have heard stories like hers after nearly five years of war here, and yet I still get chills. I can't stop being in awe -- nor can I stop looking at these women in amazement. Life in Iraq has forced people to confront horror that would leave many of us paralyzed. Watch a divorcee forced to live amid squalor with her kids » . Where do they find the strength to keep going? Some don't and choose to live out their lives as hollow shells, just waiting for this wretched existence to be over. But so many others refuse to be beaten down, refuse to allow the horror that is Iraq to win and kill their spirit. "If I want to see Baghdad again from before the war, I have to do my part while the other person will do his part and the other person will do his part," says Dr. Eaman, a children's doctor, as her bright smile seems to shine unnaturally in Baghdad's grim atmosphere. "This is the dream, and I wish everybody would believe it and it will happen, I'm sure, and this is what is keeping me here," she continues. "I have been attacked by three insurgents and was going to be kidnapped." She now lives at the hospital, choosing to disassociate herself from her 8-year-old son to keep him safe. Watch why "I must help my people" » . "I wish I can have him with me, live with me, you know, raising him, and just show him how to do things more than anything else," Eaman says as she laughs and apologizes for her tears. She knows she chose to live with that pain because she believes other children need her more. "Iraq is my life, is my country. Being a woman and knowing what other [countries] look like, I want to make a change. I want to make a change for the future for a lot of people." Yanar is another fighter, petite with curly dark hair and a commanding presence. "You have been beaten, pushed, kicked and blindfolded," Yanar says, describing today's Iraqi woman. "You cannot see, you cannot hear, but you are kicking back. It's not OK to be like that. You kick back and you fight for what you deserve ... you should not be turned into a prisoner." She started the Organization for Women's Freedom in Iraq to act as a watchdog to help safeguard women's rights amid war and conflict. She is another woman who exhibits jaw-dropping courage. Go inside Iraq with CNN's Arwa Damon » . She left her family and her comfortable life in Canada and came to Baghdad to build growing support for women's rights. She lives a life that at times sounds more like a James Bond movie -- having to constantly move because of death threats -- than that of a mother of a 9-year-old. "At many stages I had to change my house so my address is a secret; nobody knows where I am other than 10 very close allies," Yanar says nonchalantly, as if what she is saying is completely normal. But in Iraq it is -- it's a country where a person's parameters of what they accept as being "normal" have to shift to survive. "What brings me here," Yanar says, "it is that everybody that I love, all the people that I love have been crushed." She adds, "This cannot happen, should not happen, cannot be allowed to happen." What we as journalists cannot allow to happen is for these voices to go unheard. No matter how hard it is for us to find them -- literally navigating roadblocks and checkpoints or spending days chasing down someone -- the voices of the innocents caught in war must be heard. E-mail to a friend . | Iraqi woman perseveres because "all the people that I love have been crushed"
CNN's Arwa Damon reveals stories of horror, tragedy among Iraq's women .
Doctor says she wants all Iraqis to do their part: "I wish everybody would believe"
One woman's husband was killed in 2007; his melted flesh is etched in her mind . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "37ab3a49bb7732e145a24e70e6f077469ca1dbd3"} | 1,665 | 82 | 0.506002 | 1.552984 | 0.721051 | 2.57971 | 20.927536 | 0.869565 |
(CNN) -- Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is "ready to cooperate" with the government and is committed to pursuing a dialogue with the ruling junta, according to a statement the United Nations' special envoy to Myanmar read Thursday on her behalf. Activists display a portrait of detained democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in Myanmar. "It is my duty to give constant and serious considerations to the interests and opinions of as broad a range of political organizations and forces as possible," Ibrahim Gambari said, reading the statement from Suu Kyi. On Friday Suu Kyi was able to meet with three executive members of her National League for Democracy and a party spokesman -- the first time they have met in more than three years. Members of her party said Suu Kyi was "very optimistic" about prospects of the process for reconciliation, the Associated Press reported. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has said she will continue to be "guided by the policies and wishes" of the opposition political party she heads -- the National League for Democracy. In the statement, Suu Kyi also welcomed the appointment of Aung Kyi as the minister of relations, a position the junta created last month to be a liaison between government and Suu Kyi, whom the junta has under house arrest in Yangon. She has been confined to her home for the better part of almost two decades. Aung Kyi -- viewed as a moderate -- was appointed as the liaison officer amid international pressure following September's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations. As many as 110 people are believed to have been killed in the violence, including 40 Buddhist monks. Video smuggled out of the country showed unarmed protesters being beaten by the military regime's security forces, and one man -- believed to be a Japanese journalist -- was shot and killed at close range. The protests were sparked by a huge fuel price increase imposed by the military government, and quickly escalated. Myanmar's military junta said in mid-October that it had detained more than 2,900 people during the crackdown. Many of them are still believed to be in custody. Suu Kyi described her October 25 meeting with the liaison officer as "constructive," said the statement read by Gambari. "I look forward to further regular discussions." Gambari said he will return this week to New York to brief U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the five-day trip to Myanmar, also called Burma. The situation in the secretive Asian nation is not what it was "a few weeks ago," said a U.N. statement released in conjunction with the end of Gambari's trip. "We now have a process going which would lead to substantive dialogue between the government and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," the statement said. "The sooner such a dialogue can start, the better for Myanmar." During his trip, Gambari met with Myanmar's prime minister, Gen. Thein Sein, and other government officials, as well as Suu Kyi, the United Nations reported. E-mail to a friend . | Aung San Suu Kyi says she's committed to pursuing a dialogue with the ruling junta .
Suu Kyi meets with three executive members of her political party .
Crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators set off international outrage .
As many as 110 people were killed in the September violence . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "fa67b52d4597e227947776fd40a4b16f402ed12d"} | 712 | 75 | 0.52151 | 1.284381 | 1.057611 | 3.818182 | 10.672727 | 0.836364 |
PANAMA CITY, Panama (CNN) -- The sole survivor of a plane crash that killed two Americans and a Panamanian pilot was awake and talking Wednesday, a doctor said. Francesca Lewis, 13, apparently fell out of the plane or was ejected on impact, her mother, Valerie Lewis, told CNN on Wednesday. The girl endured two days in the rugged mountains of Panama, in frigid temperatures and heavy rain, before rescuers stumbled upon her in the wreckage on Christmas Day. "She's doing all right," Valerie Lewis said. "She is having tests done at the hospital right now, and so far things seem good -- kind of miraculous. "The fact that she so far doesn't seem to have any major damage seems incredible." Dr. Alexander Quidano at the Mae Lewis Medical Center in Boquete, Panama, said Francesca was in stable condition, awake and speaking. She was being treated for a fractured arm and several cuts, but tests, including a CAT scan, were under way to make sure nothing else was wrong, Quidano said. Francesca apparently was disoriented when her rescuers saw her under a wing of the wrecked plane, her mother said. She thought she was at home and wondered why an airplane wing was in her house, her mother said. Rescuers carried the girl on a stretcher for three and a half hours in torrential rain over rugged terrain to a helicopter. "We're so relieved to have her with us," her mother said. The small plane disappeared Sunday in a mountainous area of Panama. Authorities found the bodies of pilot Edwin Lasso, American businessman Michael Klein and Klein's 13-year-old daughter, Talia, about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to a statement posted on the Web site of Panama's civil protection agency. Francesca and Talia were friends. Watch latest from school the girls attended » . Rescuers planned to retrieve the three bodies Wednesday, said Thomas Mesa, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Panama City. Klein, a 37-year-old hedge fund manager, was vacationing with the two girls when they took the flight Sunday to photograph a volcano in Chiriqui province, about 285 miles west of Panama City. Authorities think the small single-engine Cessna ran into bad weather. Radio contact with the flight was lost about noon Sunday. Authorities and hundreds of volunteers spent the last two days searching the dense jungles and mountainous terrain, but heavy rain in the area had hampered recovery efforts. "I just want to thank all of the people that cared so much about trying to help us," Valerie Lewis said. "So many people tried to help, and at great effort and sacrifice, and through the Christmas holiday. "I mean, the most important family holiday, people were giving up that to go and trudge through the mud. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. We really appreciate everything that was done." Klein was president and CEO of eGroups Inc. in 1999 and 2000, when Yahoo! acquired the company, merging it with its own e-mail services and changing its name to Yahoo! Groups, which now serves more than 100 million users worldwide. "My heart goes out to everyone," Valerie Lewis said. "We all have been through a tremendous trauma together." E-mail to a friend . | NEW: Girl, 13, was disoriented when found under wing, mother says .
NEW: Lack of major injuries "seems incredible," mother says .
NEW: Rescuers carried girl 3.5 hours over mountains in heavy rain .
Girl was only survivor in Panama crash that killed three . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "cafb6a9801a85984042abcd7e552d1e129dff4cf"} | 762 | 66 | 0.498486 | 1.463142 | 0.373497 | 1.22807 | 11.333333 | 0.736842 |
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan election officials on Monday disqualified opposition party leader and former former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from participating in January parliamentary elections. Election officials say Nawaz Sharif's previous convictions bar him from standing for reelection. A spokesman for Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League told CNN Monday that Sharif had been barred by the election commission because of a previous criminal conviction. Sharif filed paperwork for his candidacy last week, although he had left open the possibility that he would boycott the election in protest of a state of emergency imposed by President Pervez Musharraf. Sharif, an outspoken critic of Musharraf, who ousted him from power in 1999, had said he wanted to keep all options open. Sharif returned to Pakistan last month, ending seven years in exile in Saudi Arabia. He had first returned in September, but Pakistani authorities deported him within hours of his arrival. Sharif was convicted of terrorism, hijacking and tax evasion after Musharraf seized power in 1999. He was released in 2000 in exchange for agreeing to 10 years of exile in Saudi Arabia. He retained his Pakistani citizenship, but has not been allowed to travel to Pakistan or directly take part in Pakistani politics. Musharraf, who quit as military leader and took office for a third term last week, has pledged to lift the state of emergency by December 16. He was criticized of using the emergency to crack down on political rivals and to purge the judiciary of those likely to block the approval of his reappointment as leader. E-mail to a friend . -- CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report. | Former Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif has his candidacy papers rejected .
Had submitted nominations papers for Pakistan's parliamentary election .
Returning officer in Lahore upheld ineligibility objections from other candidates . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "12a24b1aba082a5fd0687a14015e1e58090ed9c6"} | 380 | 53 | 0.478386 | 1.08402 | 0.974124 | 0.647059 | 8.882353 | 0.529412 |
PARIS, France -- AC Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka has been named European player of the year, lifting France Football's Ballon d'Or award. Kaka has already claimed all of the game's major prizes. His success comes two years after his fellow countryman, Barcelona's Ronaldinho, claimed the award . The 25-year-old Kaka was a major factor in AC Milan's triumphant Champions League campaign. The runner-up was Manchester United's Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo with Barcelona's Argentinian midfielder Lionel Messi finishing third. "This is very special for me - it culminates an astonishing year for me," Kaka said. "It's the top prize around and the only way to win something like this is to play for a team like AC Milan. It's great to be part of a team that wins." At 25 years old, he has already won all the game's major prizes, individually and collectively. He was part of Brazil's 2002 World Cup winning squad, although he was limited to just 19 minutes as a substitute against Costa Rica. He was top scorer in last season's Champions League, helping Milan to avenge their loss to Liverpool in the 2005 final. He won the Italian domestic title in his first season at Milan having joined from Brazilians Sao Paulo for$ 8.5 million, a sum that Milan president Silvio Berlusconi then described as peanuts. E-mail to a friend . | Brazilian Kaka is named European player of the year .
The AC Milan player is chosen ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester Utd .
Argentine Lionel Messi of Barcelona finishes third . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "c8ebf6f48257a704202c7b6df238bc1cbfa838d7"} | 337 | 46 | 0.469189 | 1.19574 | 0.567558 | 1.911765 | 7.941176 | 0.794118 |
BRUSSELS, Belgium (CNN) -- European leaders agreed Friday to send an 1,800-strong security force to maintain stability in Kosovo, although they stopped short of backing independence for the province. French soldiers at the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo last month. Kosovo is expected to declare independence from Serbia early in the new year. Serbia, however, insists the region should remain autonomous within its borders. Speaking at the end of a one-day summit of European heads in Brussels, Jose Socrates, the Portuguese prime minister currently holding the European Union presidency, said that sending the security mission was a "political decision." The police and security force is expected to be deployed to the Balkan state ahead of an announcement of independence. "This is the clearest signal that the EU could possibly give that it intends to lead on the whole issue of Kosovo's future, its status and its role in the region," Socrates said. According to CNN's Robin Oakley in Brussels, European leaders are trying to balance an obvious readiness to back Kosovan independence with incentives to Serbia, which is seeking membership of the EU. EU leaders are deeply conscious of their failure in the early 1990s to move early enough to prevent the bloodletting in the Balkans over the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, he said. Although most EU leaders support Serbia becoming a member state to boost stability in the Balkans, French President Nicholas Sarkozy said that Serbia's membership is dependent on it recognizing Kosovo's independence and handing over war criminals. Socrates confirmed to CNN that any fast-tracking of Serbia into the EU could only be considered if it agreed to hand over Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb general wanted at the The Hague for suspected war crimes. Two years of negotiations on the future status of Kosovo ended in failure earlier this week, when talks mediated by Europe, the United States and Russia ended without an agreement. The disputed province is dear to the Serbs, Orthodox Christians who regard it as Serbian territory. But it is equally coveted by Kosovo's ethnic Albanians, Muslims who have a 90 percent majority. Since 1999 the United Nations has been running the province with NATO peacekeepers, who still number 16,000. Oakley said the EU mission to Kosovo would help to ease the handover from the U.N. to local authorities. E-mail to a friend . | European leaders agree to send 1,800-strong security force to Kosovo .
Kosovo expected to declare independence from Serbia in new year .
Serbia insists region should remain autonomous within its borders . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "48e858dcb8dd62aad328f2c5f7fa052893d7304b"} | 524 | 40 | 0.574818 | 1.270736 | 1.070677 | 4.416667 | 12.5 | 0.916667 |
(CNN) -- Thousands of Chileans may have to sleep in the streets Wednesday night after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled the north part of the country, killing at least two people, injuring dozens and destroying hundreds of homes. Valentina Bustos shot this photo Wednesday of earthquake damage at a hotel in Antofagasta, Chile. "There are more than a thousand, 1,200 houses, at least, that were totally flattened, and others in bad shape," Tocopilla Mayor Luis Moyano said in an interview that aired on Radio Cooperativo. Tocopilla, Chile, north of Santiago, is about 35 km (21 miles) from the quake's epicenter. "Tonight, people are going to have to sleep in the street, because there are a great number of houses that are uninhabitable," said Moyano. Places that could be used as shelters, such as schools and gyms, were damaged in the quake, the mayor said. Moyano put the number of people without shelter at 4,000. Tocopilla's population is 24,000. Moyano described going through the damaged city and running into people asking, "Mayor, my house collapsed. What do I do? Mayor, I don't have water. What do I do?" "It gets to you," he said. Paula Saez with the aid organization World Vision told CNN she was on a treacherous drive attempting to reach Tocopilla. "There's no electricity and there's a lot of landslides" covering the road in spots, she said, and the highway was spotted with holes. Once in Tocopilla, Saez said, she was prepared to offer tents, blankets and medicine to citizens and assess additional needs. The government's Office of National Emergency reported that two women had died and others were injured in the city. Officials identified one of those killed as 54-year-old Olga Petronila Ortiz Cisternas. The other fatality was an 88-year-old woman. Watch what a 7.7 earthquake can do » . Municipal official Ljubica Ukurtovic, in an interview with Chilean TV station TVN, said that "approximately 100 people" had sought treatment at a Tocopilla hospital. The quake collapsed a roadway tunnel, temporarily trapping about 50 construction workers. See where the quake struck » . High-level government sources said the workers had been rescued. Repair work on the 793-meter (2,600-foot) Pedro Galleguillos tunnel, completed in 1994, began on October 1 and was to be finished early next year. Tocopilla is about 1,245 km (780 miles) north of Santiago and the quake was felt in Peru and Bolivia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor was centered at a depth of 60 km (37 miles), the USGS said. A tsunami warning was issued for the South Pacific coast after the quake hit, but was canceled within an hour. Chile has been the scene of hundreds of strong earthquakes throughout history, including the largest one of the 20th century on May 22, 1960. The quake that struck southern Chile that day registered a magnitude 9.5 and launched a tsunami that caused damage as far away as Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines. Nearly 6,000 people died as a result of the quake and its tsunami. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck southern Chile on January 25, 1939, killed 28,000 people. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake in what was then southern Peru but is now northern Chile killed 25,000 people in 1868. E-mail to a friend . | NEW: Tocopilla mayor: More than 1,200 homes flattened, shelters damaged .
Dozens of workers freed from collapsed roadway tunnel, officials say .
Chilean Navy is moving heavy equipment into the area to help with rescue .
7.7 quake north of Tocopilla happened at 12:40 p.m. (10:40 a.m. ET) | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "1522da440cb538c8fc60f254efcb65e8378065a1"} | 831 | 87 | 0.54448 | 1.546111 | 0.130237 | 0.877193 | 11.631579 | 0.631579 |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- No charges will be brought against a 10-year-old boy accused of accidentally starting an October wildfire that scorched more than 38,000 acres north of Los Angeles, California, prosecutors announced Tuesday. Firefighters battle the Buckweed Fire October 22, 2007. "There is no evidence of intent on the part of the minor," the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said in a written statement issued Tuesday afternoon. "The district attorney's office is referring the matter to the Department of Children and Family Services for evaluation of the minor's situation to determine if other intervention is necessary." The boy had faced possible charges in juvenile court after admitting to sheriff's deputies that he had started the Buckweed fire by playing with matches, investigators said. The blaze eventually destroyed 21 homes and 42 other structures. The fire started October 21 in the Agua Dulce community north of Los Angeles. It was one of nearly two dozen wind-whipped wildfires that swept across southern California in late October, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from homes near Los Angeles, San Diego and San Bernardino and leaving 14 people dead. E-mail to a friend . | There is no evidence that the boy intended to set the fire, prosecutors say .
He had faced possible charges in juvenile court after admitting to setting blaze .
The boy was playing with matches; the blaze destroyed 21 homes .
The Buckweed fire started October 21 north of Los Angeles . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "0b40c6061cfd6a745886150c46eb75a7f43b4efa"} | 262 | 64 | 0.70413 | 1.758475 | 0.685667 | 3.315789 | 4 | 0.859649 |
JACKSONVILLE, North Carolina (CNN) -- Police believe they have found the remains of a missing Marine buried in the backyard of the prime suspect in the case and blood spatter evidence inside his home, authorities said Friday evening. Investigators search for the body of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach Friday. Tests found the "trace of violent activity in the house" and "evidence of an attempted cleanup," said Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown. Investigators are treating the death of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach as a murder, Brown added. Lauterbach, 20 -- who was eight months pregnant -- was reported missing from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, by her mother December 19. Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean, whom Lauterbach had accused of rape, is the suspected killer, and is being sought, Brown said. He confirmed that Laurean had left a note, but did not divulge what it said. Investigators told CNN, however, that Laurean left a note to his wife saying Lauterbach had committed suicide and that he buried the body. "Evidence now is saying what he's claiming happened did not happen like he said it happened," Brown said. Authorities searching Laurean's home found a cavity in his backyard earlier Friday. A preliminary investigation indicated a "suspicious situation," prompting police to secure the scene and wait for daylight Saturday. Watch authorities search for a grave » . "We think that we have found what would be the skeletal remains [of Lauterbach]," Onslow County District Attorney Dewey Hudson told reporters. While authorities will not know for sure until Saturday, "there are certainly some strong indicators that there are human remains" buried in the cavity, he said. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand if there's a cavity out back and blood on the inside, that's probably going to be a key location for where this crime may have taken place," Brown said. He also hinted that investigators have uncovered more twists in the case. "I do think this case is going to be a bizarre ending, and when I say bizarre, more than just a death and a burial." Brown stunned reporters earlier in the day by opening a press conference with the announcement: "She is dead, and she is buried." Watch Brown describe the cavity » . Laurean, a 21-year-old from Nevada, is believed to have left the Marine base about 4 a.m. Friday, driving a black Dodge pickup with North Carolina license plate TRR1522, Brown said. He repeatedly refused to meet with investigators, finally telling them that his attorney wouldn't let him. The sheriff was downcast at a midday news conference. "These cases, investigations, become personal. I just want to cry," he said. "I'm telling you, at this point, I'm down, way down." Watch sheriff announce that Marine is dead » . Mary Lauterbach reported her daughter missing after being unable to contact her. She said she last spoke to her December 14. In a handwritten note, the Lauterbach family in Vandalia, Ohio, mourned their loss. "We would like to thank everyone for their prayers in this time of grieving," the note said. "Maria has been a gift for her family and friends. The outpouring of love from family, friends, neighbors and the general community has been very touching. "Please understand that the family needs time alone to deal with this tragedy. We wish to thank everyone for their love and concern." "They're having a very difficult time dealing with this," said Peter Steiner, a Kentucky psychiatrist who is Maria Lauterbach's uncle and Mary Lauterbach's brother. "They remained hopeful, and really, although everyone knew it was a possibility, it was very difficult when it became apparent." Brown said a witness came forward Friday morning with a statement and evidence that convinced authorities Lauterbach was dead. Brown wouldn't name the witness, or describe Lauterbach's cause of death, except to say she died "from an injury." Asked whether the witness was in protective custody, Brown said the person does not feel the need for protective custody, as Laurean likely left the county and possibly the state. A source close to the investigation told CNN the witness is Laurean's wife. Lauterbach's relatives believe the pregnancy was the result of the alleged rape, Steiner said. A reporter who asked military officials why Laurean hadn't been taken into custody after Lauterbach reported the alleged rape was told there were indications that Lauterbach and Laurean carried on "some sort of friendly relationship" after she filed the complaint against him. "The information developed over the last 24 hours leads us to believe that she still had some kind of contact" with him, said Paul Ciccarelli, agent in charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service at Camp Lejeune. Because of that, Laurean wasn't considered a flight risk, he said. Steiner disputed that, saying his niece had no relationship with Laurean. Ciccarelli also said the rape investigation is still active. Watch police face unanswered questions » . Lauterbach disappeared before she was able to testify at an Article 32 hearing -- a kind of military grand jury -- about the sexual assault. Earlier Friday, Brown said a Marine who returned to North Carolina from California -- Sgt. Daniel Durham, 20, in whose home Lauterbach had been living for a short time -- was questioned, but does not appear to have any link to the death. Lauterbach had rented a room in Durham's home, off the base, because she had been subjected to repeated harassment by the Marines after reporting the alleged rape, Steiner said. Her car had been keyed and an anonymous person had "slugged" her in the face, he said. Lauterbach's cell phone was found on a roadside near Camp Lejeune on December 20. Her car was found Monday in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant and had apparently been there since December 15, Brown said. A bus ticket to El Paso, Texas, was bought in Lauterbach's name on the same day, but Brown said it was never used. See a timeline of the case » . Investigators have said a withdrawal from Lauterbach's bank account was made on December 14, and there was "suspicious activity" on the account 10 days later. Lauterbach and her mother last spoke about 2:30 p.m. the day Lauterbach disappeared, Steiner said. At the time, she had experienced some contractions. "She was ready to have that baby." His niece "was an energetic, very athletic, beautiful young lady. She was a person that we're all dearly, dearly going to miss," he said. E-mail to a friend . | NEW: Tests find "trace of violent activity in the house," sheriff says .
NEW: Investigators: Suspect left a note saying Marine had committed suicide .
NEW: Source: Witness who came forward Friday is suspect's wife .
Official: We think we have found Lauterbach's skeletal remains . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "730655d5d1f29496344388805a891c3e3fd2a64e"} | 1,551 | 72 | 0.520594 | 1.625442 | 0.737948 | 2.416667 | 21.683333 | 0.85 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Investigators with bomb-making components in their luggage and on their person were able to pass through security checkpoints at 19 U.S. airports without detection, according to the Government Accountability Office. Passengers pass through security at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. GAO officials are expected to testify about the investigation Thursday before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The investigators reported that most of the time security officers followed Transportation Security Administration policies and procedures, but investigators were able to take advantage of "weaknesses in TSA procedures and other vulnerabilities." "These weaknesses were identified based on a review of public information," the planned GAO testimony says. Investigators concluded that if they had attempted the same test at other airports, they would have evaded detection. But the GAO did not detail the weaknesses because they "are sensitive security information." The investigators obtained the bomb-making components at local stores and over the Internet for less than $150, according to testimony. Watch a tester point out a TSA mistake » . The GAO said its investigators also tested the devices that could be built with the components they smuggled and discovered that "a terrorist using these devices could cause severe damage to an airplane and threaten the safety of passengers." The GAO investigators devised two types of devices: an "improvised explosive device" made of a liquid explosive and a low-yield detonator, and an "improvised incendiary device" that could be created by combining commonly available products prohibited in carry-on luggage. The GAO said it found the instructions for creating the devices "using publicly available information," including Internet searches. According to the testimony, a transportation security officer barred one of the investigators from bringing an unlabeled bottle of medicated shampoo through the checkpoint. But the security officer allowed a liquid component of the improvised explosive device to pass through undetected, although that item is prohibited by the TSA. In another test, the investigator put coins in his pockets to assure he would get a secondary inspection. But the officer, using a hand-wand and a pat-down, failed to detect any of the prohibited items the investigator was carrying. The GAO said it had briefed the TSA on its findings "to help them take corrective action." In testimony to be provided to the same congressional committee, TSA chief Kip Hawley defends the administration's policies and procedures, saying that the screening checkpoints are but one of a "multilayered approach to security." "We recognize that, despite our efforts to make each layer as strong as possible, a concerted effort may target any one layer," according to the testimony. "Our ongoing success is a result of the tremendous power in the reinforced, multiple layers. Truly, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts -- and together, they are formidable." Hawley sketches for members of Congress 19 security steps the TSA employs before, during and after checkpoint screening. "Each and every one of these 19 security layers is important and strong in its own right," he says. "Linked together, they are effective and daunting." Although it would not discuss the specific nature of its recommendations, the GAO said it recommended establishing special screening lines based on risk and passengers with special needs. The TSA should introduce more "aggressive, visible and unpredictable" measures to detect concealed items and develop new technology for screening at checkpoints. Hawley's said the TSA concurs with the GAO's recommendations and specifically discussed several "new technology" items that he said were "greatly improving our effectiveness in detecting prohibited items." Among the new technology, he said, were whole body imagers, bottled liquids scanners, hand-held explosives scanners and advanced technology X-rays. And, he added, "our pursuit of new technology is not limited to what I described today." He also said the TSA is constantly conducting covert tests of the screening process, including detection of prohibited liquids and IEDs. "The nation's aviation system remains secure," he said, "but requires ongoing improvement and vigilance to stay ahead of the threat of terrorism." E-mail to a friend . | GAO: Investigators took advantage of "weaknesses in TSA procedures"
GAO: Those "weaknesses" were not detailed for security reasons .
GAO said terrorists using same items could seriously compromise a flight .
Transportation Security Administration: Checkpoints only part of total security . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "399877dd5e90d151e29ad67fdeb6fa093632e0e1"} | 950 | 70 | 0.535678 | 1.515418 | 0.32711 | 1.784314 | 15.745098 | 0.72549 |
(CNN) -- The orgy of violence that has greeted Kenya's disputed election result has led to hundreds of deaths and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes. But away from the tragic human cost, the unrest has also provoked concerns about the stability of the east African country's economy, until now seen as a model for the region. Businesses have been destroyed and looted and supply routes disrupted after the opposition accused incumbent president Mwai Kibaki of election fraud after he was declared winner Sunday. Investors are watching events closely in the country, fearful of how it could affect one of Africa's few economic success stories. And the early signs have been worrying. The equity market on the Nairobi Stock Exchange lost 40 billion Kenyan Shillings ($591 million) in value on its first day of New Year trading Wednesday, the Kenyan financial newspaper Business Daily Africa reported. And business leaders said that the government was losing around 2 billion Shillings ($29.5 million) a day in lost revenue as a result of the political violence, the paper reported. "We do seem to be in a new place, there's a lot of uncertainty about where we go from here. And a lot depends crucially on how long-lasting this is," said Razia Kahn, an analyst specializing in Africa at Standard Chartered bank. Kenya has attracted a large number of multi-nationals and is home to one of the world's fastest growing stock exchanges. Its relative economic success has been helped in part by its thriving tourist sector, with visitors attracted by its abundant wildlife and pristine beaches. Provisional figures for 2006 from the Kenya's tourist board said the country had received 1.5 million visitors for the year, a growth of 5.2 per cent. However, fears that the tourist industry could take a heavy hit from the unrest grew with the British Federation of Tour Operators announcing Thursday it was suspending all holidays to the country departing up to and including this Saturday. Watch an aid worker describe fears that crisis may resemble Rwanda's » . British tourists already in the country have been advised by the British Foreign Office to stay indoors and to stay away from the major cities. There are also worries about the knock-on effect for the region, since around 40 percent of Kenya's exports go to other African nations, Kahn said. Of even greater concern is the effect on Kenya's lucrative agriculture industry. Exports of tea, coffee, vegetables and flowers are big earners for the country, with agriculture making up about a fifth of the total economy. There have been media reports of tea and coffee auctions being halted by the violence as well as widespread disruption to transport routes as rioters blockade major roads across the country. Arun Shah, who runs a coffee import business based in London, told CNN his livelihood depended on a stable Kenya. "We have had absolutely reliable supply," he said. "We have had reliable quality and the quantities that we need for our trade." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Jim Boulden in London contributed to this report . | Kenya's once-stable economy faltering due to violence following disputed election .
Equity market on Nairobi Stock Exchange lost $591 million on first day of 2008 .
Business leaders say the government losing $29.5 million a day in revenues .
Thriving tourist industry also hit, with British tour operators calling off flights . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "67fc9fa49a2c443dcbab030b9c6247a662716bc9"} | 686 | 71 | 0.479804 | 1.312809 | 1.299131 | 1.704918 | 9.655738 | 0.786885 |
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Fantasy author Terry Pratchett has admitted that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease -- but says he plans to continue writing his multi-million selling Discworld books. Terry Pratchett, whose books have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide in 33 languages. Pratchett, 59 -- whose books have, according to his Web site, sold more than 45 million copies worldwide in 33 languages -- suffered what he called a "phantom stroke" earlier this year. In a statement titled "an embuggerance" on the Web site of Discworld illustrator Paul Kidby, Pratchett says that he has been diagnosed with what he terms "a very rare form of early onset Alzheimer's." "I would have liked to keep this one quiet for a little while, but because of upcoming conventions and of course the need to keep my publishers informed, it seems to me unfair to withhold the news," says Pratchett, who has a strong following among fans of fantasy fiction. "All other things being equal, I expect to meet most current and, as far as possible, future commitments but will discuss things with the various organisers," he continues. "Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful, because I think there's time for at least a few more books yet." Pratchett adds that work is continuing on his next book "Nation" and that the "basic notes are already being laid down for Unseen Academicals." In a P.S. he adds that "I would just like to draw attention to everyone reading the above that this should be interpreted as 'I am not dead'. I will, of course, be dead at some future point, as will everybody else. "I know it's a very human thing to say 'Is there anything I can do', but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry." Pratchett's Discworld novels, of which 36 have been published to date, are set in a fantasy universe through which the author satirizes modern-day life. He says in a statement on his own Web site that the series "started out as a parody of all the fantasy that was around in the big boom of the early '80s, then turned into a satire on just about everything, and even I don't know what it is now." Pratchett, who began writing while a provincial newspaper journalist in the 1960s, received the Order of the British Empire "for services to literature" from the Prince of Wales in 1998. E-mail to a friend . | Multi-million selling writer has "a very rare form of early onset Alzheimer's"
Terry Pratchett says work continuing on books, plans to honor commitments .
Discworld novels are set in a fantasy universe but satirize modern day life .
Received the Order of the British Empire from the Prince of Wales in 1998 . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "8a44f223fc67ed0d5f946517f77c2291d6c4a027"} | 617 | 77 | 0.500927 | 1.520442 | 0.791131 | 4.83871 | 8.177419 | 0.903226 |
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi forces detained the suspected leader of a terrorist cell network believed to be funded by Saddam Hussein's eldest daughter, who is wanted by Iraqi authorities on terrorism charges, the U.S. military announced Monday. Raghad Hussein is currently living in Jordan under the protection of the royal family. The raid happened Sunday in Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. It was carried out by Iraqi forces, advised by U.S. Special Forces, the military said. The network, believed to be funded by Raghad Hussein, has been "linked to a series of attacks on coalition forces" using rocket-propelled grenades and roadside bombs, the military said. "These attacks have claimed the lives of numerous Soldiers and Airmen," a military statement said. Other leaders of the network have been detained in previous raids, the military said. The international police organization Interpol last year issued an alert to authorities across the world that Raghad Hussein is wanted by Iraqi authorities. The Iraqi government has issued an arrest warrant for the 38-year-old daughter of the late Iraqi leader on charges of inciting terrorism and crimes against life and health. Interpol -- based in Lyon, France -- issued a Red Notice in the case. That is a request to police anywhere to help track her down and extradite her to Iraq. She has been living in Jordan under the protection of the royal family. E-mail to a friend . | Iraqi forces detain the suspected leader of a terrorist cell network .
Cell is believed to be funded by Saddam Hussein's eldest daughter, Raghad .
Raghad, wanted in Iraq on terrorism charges, currently living in Jordan . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "a3906e4f27942e2742d5cc9a3241980e338e0d30"} | 335 | 59 | 0.644499 | 1.514573 | 0.891974 | 5.395349 | 6.348837 | 0.930233 |
PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire (CNN) -- Hillary Clinton became visibly emotional at a New Hampshire campaign event Monday after a friendly question from a voter. Sen. Hillary Clinton's eyes welled with tears as she spoke in New Hampshire Monday. At the close of a Portsmouth campaign stop, Marianne Pernold-Young, 64, asked Clinton: "How do you do it? How do you keep up ... and who does your hair?" Clinton said she had help with her hair on "special days," and that she drew criticism on the days she did not. Then she added: "It's not easy, and I couldn't do it if I just didn't, you know, passionately believe it was the right thing to do. "You know, I have so many opportunities from this country, I just don't want to see us fall backwards," she said, her voice breaking a bit. The audience applauded. "This is very personal for me, it's not just political, it's [that] I see what's happening, we have to reverse it," she said emotionally, adding that some "just put ourselves out there and do this against some pretty difficult odds. "But some of us are right and some of us are wrong. Some of us ready and some of us are not. Some of us know what we will do on day one, and some of us really haven't thought that through enough." "So as tired as I am and I am. And as difficult as it is to try and keep up what I try to do on the road, like occasionally exercise and try to eat right -- it's tough when the easiest food is pizza -- I just believe so strongly in who we are as a nation. So I'm going to do everything I can and make my case and you know the voters get to decide." Watch Clinton become emotional as she's answering a question » . The New York senator is under pressure after some weekend surveys show opponent Barack Obama with a sudden almost double digit lead, with less than a day to go until the New Hampshire primary. At a New Hampshire campaign event, presidential rival John Edwards told reporters he was unaware of Clinton's emotional reaction and would not respond to it. But he did say, "I think what we need in a commander in chief is strength and resolve, and presidential campaigns are a tough business, but being president of the United States is also a very tough business. "And the President of the United States is faced with very, very difficult challenges every single day, difficult judgments every single day." E-mail to a friend . | Clinton begins talking about how others have criticized her, gets emotional .
She was with mostly female voters in New Hampshire on a campaign stop .
"It's not easy," she told them .
The New York senator is trailing Sen. Barack Obama in polls . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "1e9f089602e8ab42ae65e273d866b53bdf9501bc"} | 581 | 61 | 0.496919 | 1.433357 | 0.543694 | 1.90566 | 9.924528 | 0.735849 |
(CNN) -- As the war in Iraq reaches its five-year anniversary this week, two of the world's leading humanitarian groups issued extensive reports Monday describing a crisis of huge proportions with little reason for hope. Iraqi women mourn the death of their relative outside the morgue in the restive city of Baquba, Iraq, on March 12. "Despite claims that the security situation has improved in recent months, the human rights situation is disastrous," Amnesty International says in its report, titled "Carnage and Despair: Iraq Five Years On." In a summary of the report, Amnesty writes that "a climate of impunity has prevailed, the economy is in tatters and the refugee crisis" keeps escalating. The International Committee of the Red Cross, in a report titled "Iraq: No Let-up in the Humanitarian Crisis," writes, "Despite limited improvements in security in some areas, armed violence is still having a disastrous impact. Civilians continue to be killed in the hostilities. "The injured often do not receive adequate medical care. Millions of people have been forced to rely on insufficient supplies of poor-quality water as water and sewage systems suffer from a lack of maintenance and a shortage of engineers." The Bush administration and many Republican lawmakers, including presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, have frequently praised successes in Iraq in recent months, noting improvements in security in key areas. They attribute that in part to the buildup of U.S. troops in Iraq ordered by President Bush last year. Vice President Dick Cheney described the five year U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in a news conference Monday during a visit to Baghdad. "This week marks the fifth anniversary," said Cheney. "It has been a difficult, challenging, but none the less successful endeavor." Democrats, including presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, have said the government failed to use the downturn in violence to achieve the steps it was supposed to make possible. Sen. John McCain met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Monday where he stressed the United States' commitment to Iraq. "We recognize that al Qaeda is on the run, but they are not defeated. Al Qaeda continues to pose a great threat to the security and very existence of Iraq as a democracy. So we know there's still a lot more work that needs to be done," he said. Amnesty writes, "Key political benchmarks have yet to be realized." Both Amnesty and the Red Cross slam the Iraqi government for failing to grapple with the critical needs of their populations. Amnesty also says the Iraqi government and the U.S.-led Multi-National Forces are responsible for some nightmarish circumstances. "Civilians are also at risk from Multi-National Forces and Iraqi security forces, with many killed by excessive force and tens of thousands detained without charge or trial," Amnesty writes in its summary. "The death penalty was reintroduced in 2004 and hundreds of people have been sentenced to death. At least 33 people were executed in 2007, many after unfair trials." In its report, Amnesty says the Iraqi government "has failed to introduce practical measures to deal with the gross and serious human rights violations perpetrated by its security forces. There appears to be no serious willingness to investigate properly the many incidents of abuses, including killings of civilians, torture and rape, and to bring those responsible to justice. "The government has also been unable to reign in Shiite militia groups, such as the Mehdi Army, or to rid the Interior Ministry of death squads. The fact that the government is divided along sectarian lines has serious repercussions on its effectiveness and bodes ill for the future." The two reports cite a litany of concerns, including severe widespread poverty, a lack of food and water, and broken families left to scrounge for whatever they can find to get by. Both reports describe a situation that shows no sign of clear improvement. Amnesty also says conditions for women have worsened with the rise of fundamentalist religious groups. Many women "have been forced to wear Islamic dress or targeted for abduction, rape or killing." The group notes a study by the World Health Organization in 2006/2007 that found 21 percent of Iraqi women had experienced physical violence. Amnesty adds that the "predominantly Kurdish region of northern Iraq has been more stable with fewer acts of violence, and has seen growing economic prosperity and foreign investment. However, here too there continue to be serious human rights violations, including arrests for peaceful political dissent, torture, ill-treatment, the death penalty and the killing of women in so-called honor crimes." The Red Cross says that despite the struggles in Iraq, the organization "has been able to help hundreds of thousands of the neediest Iraqis." The group called for a "renewed effort" to "address the needs of everyday Iraqis." E-mail to a friend . | Amnesty International and The Red Cross released reports Monday .
Amnesty report: "A climate of impunity has prevailed; the economy is in tatters"
Amnesty says conditions for women have worsened with rise of religious groups .
Vice President Dick Cheney describes war as success with challenges . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "768682d2f556e103bad77ad7aaa0660181747d1c"} | 1,126 | 74 | 0.562658 | 1.55555 | 0.882627 | 3.259259 | 17.444444 | 0.851852 |
NAPA, California (CNN) -- If Barrett Wissman were in the ministry, his arts festivals would be sunny outposts on a fast-widening mission field. His Tuscan Sun Festival opens Saturday in Cortona, Italy. An all-new Singapore Sun Festival opens October 18. And a secret known to missionaries everywhere is clearly in sway at the Festival del Sole in Napa Valley, which has just concluded its second year: Bonding with the locals. With quick fervor, local leaders, the hospitality industry and those all-important vintners of Napa have embraced their festival. When symphony conductor Stéphane Denève mentioned last year that he'd like to get married there, Tatiana and Gerret Copeland of the Bouchaine wine estate threw the ceremony for them in the vineyards. See images from a maestro's marriage in the vineyards of Napa during this year's Festival del Sole » . "It's a mission in my life to have more and more people enjoy and love the arts," Wissman says in an interview sandwiched between Denève's presentation of the Grieg piano concerto and Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet" suite with the Russian National Orchestra. Watch highlights and comments from Barrett Wissman and the artists of Festival del Sole » . "One of the reasons that we have these festivals -- engage local communities and have music, literature, art, film, cuisine, wine, all these subjects -- is we attract different people who like each one. And then get them to like something else. Today, our goal in education in the arts is to get everybody involved." Wissman is uniquely positioned to "get everybody involved." More than a priest or even a bishop in this arts-mission field, he's a cardinal in the industry, the chairman of IMG Artists, a major player in world artists' representation. IMG's roster includes violinists Joshua Bell and Itzhak Perlman, mezzo-soprano Fredericka von Stade, flutist James Galway, guitarist Christopher Parkening, the Joffrey Ballet and composer Jay Greenberg, among many others. Wissman has just announced a new managing director for IMG in North and South America, Elizabeth Sobol. She is, herself, a co-producer of a new festival in Boca Raton, Florida, and architect of a highly publicized new joint venture for IMG with Gorfaine-Schwartz, the agency representing trumpeter-composer Chris Botti, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, singer-songwriter James Taylor and Hollywood film composer John Williams. No matter how far-flung the festivals and events, Wissman stays near his roots. "I'm a pianist," he says, "a concert pianist. I still play, I play from time to time in the festivals. So I'm a musician, I come from the arts." In the case of Napa's Festival del Sole, Wissman has a co-founder, San Francisco-based attorney Richard Walker, who has a specialization in artists' management. Watch an audio slide show in which Richard Walker talks about the atmosphere of the festival » . Having worked with Mikhail Pletnev's Russian National Orchestra, Walker says, since its inception in 1990 as the first symphonic entity founded after the Soviet Union's collapse, he emphasizes the stylistic range demanded in festival work. And Walker echoes Wissman's interest in making these festivals oases in the itinerant lives of world-traveling artists. "The events that surround the musical performances," Walker says, "are attended by the artists, themselves -- a time of camaraderie for them because they see each other and spend time enjoying each other's company." As if on cue, two world-class pianists, Polish-Hungarian Piotr Anderszewski and French-born Jean-Yves Thibaudet, are seated at the same table at a gala post-concert dinner held by Far Niente wine estate on a cloudless night in a circular arbor crowded with honeysuckle. Thibaudet jumps up at one point to accompany violinist Bell in Manuel Ponce's "Estrellita," watched by composer Marco Tutino and cellist Nina Kotova. Read about Joshua Bell's recent win of the $75,000 Fisher Prize . "We are located in a wonderful hotel," says conductor Denève, the newlywed whose base of operations is Glasgow where he is music director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. "Wonderful swimming pool, actually it's a great way to socialize and get to know more and more the fellow artists because usually you are engaged and just have one or two nights." Thibaudet places a similar premium on these festivals' sense of community for artists. "When we have concerts," he says, "we just come into town, we play and we leave. Usually there won't be any other soloists, there's only you. So we never get to meet each other during the year." And it appears that the Napa community couldn't be happier than to find these major concert and recording artists "working the valley." In a kind of vine-roots, if not grassroots, effort, the wineries have jumped with endearing eagerness into what Walker terms a "friendly competition" for whose after-concert gala can be the most opulent. They lay on rich dinners set at starlit tables, some by glowing pools, others on cricket-chirpy hilltops and still others under chandeliers hung high in some of the most honored wine-making facilities in the country. One of the venues for the festival this year has been the Medieval-looking Castello di Amorosa, another the renovated Lincoln Theatre in Yountville. Wineries participating in special events around an intensely proud sponsorship of the festival have included Far Niente, the Copelands' Bouchaine Vineyards, Darioush Winery, Clos Pegase, Robert Mondavi Winery, Peju Province Winery, Pine Ridge Winery and St. Supéry Vineyards and Winery. Many of these are festival-funding partners, joined by Domaine Chandon, Blackbird Vineyards, Dalla Valle Vineyards, Plumpjack Winery, Folio Winemakers' Studio, Gargiulo Vineyards, Swanson Vineyards and COPIA, a nonprofit center of wine-making culture in the valley. The vintners, themselves, seem to enjoy the chance to mingle in the common interest of the festival and in the company of these artists they seem to be tying onto their hearts like vine tendrils in their fields. Margrit Mondavi is a welcome guest one evening at Far Niente, as are Tatiana and Gerret Copeland of the Bouchaine house. Florence's Maria Manetti Farrow, whose ranging Villa Mille Rose is an influential olive oil estate, seems to be everyone's fondest table mate and every artist's favorite dinner companion. Resort partners include Auberge du Soleil, Calistoga Ranch, Solage Calistoga, the Carneros Inn and Silverado Resort. Walker, in fact, estimates that the Napa festival -- which with Cortona and Singapore is produced by the nonprofit Del Sole Foundation for the Arts and Humanities -- could cost as much as $10 million to stage, if the many in-kind services provided by hoteliers, wineries and others were totaled in cash. The "rehearsals" for all this, if you will, took place in Cortona, where Wissman and Charles Letourneau, executive producer, have staged several years of festival events in what Wissman likes to call "a magical, Fellini-esque feel." When he looked for a spot in the United States to base a sister festival, "Napa was the perfect place," close to the metropolitan pace of San Francisco but removed enough to shelter artists and audiences in peace. Wissman looks across a long, candlelit table amid shadowy great barrels of Bouchaine wine. French conductor Denève has Tatiana Copeland's dinner guests in stitches with his tale of how he proposed to his new wife on the glass floor high atop the Canada's National Tower in Toronto -- "My God, it was frightening!" "One has to lead," says Wissman, Cortona's Saturday opening already occupying his thoughts. "When doing something important. No matter what your job is, no matter what your work is, you have to lead." E-mail to a friend . Official sponsors of the 2007 Festival de Sole include Auberge Resorts, Bouchaine Vineyards, Boucheron, Grove Street Winery/Peter Paul Wines, Napa Valley Vintners and XOJet. | Next in a growing series of arts festivals opens Saturday in Cortona, Italy .
Napa Valley's Festival del Sole staged more than 50 events in nine days .
Wineries engage in friendly rivalries, throwing lavish after-concert galas .
International artists cite chances to meet each other, community among lures . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "2806f716e41ce224a3862eb2bc50e214bc5037d8"} | 2,031 | 77 | 0.442452 | 1.445765 | 0.872192 | 2.101695 | 26.610169 | 0.711864 |
PARIS, France -- Goals from Juninho and Sidney Govou gave Lyon a 2-0 home win over Valenciennes and enabled the six-time champions to stay four points ahead at the top of the French league. Juninho opened the scoring for Lyon five minutes before the break. Brazilian midfielder Juninho nudged in a Karim Benzema cross five minutes before the break and Govou lobbed in the second three minutes from time. Lyon, who are at home to German champions VfB Stuttgart in the Champions League group stage on Wednesday, have 31 points from 13 matches. Second-placed Nancy celebrated their 40th anniversary with a 1-0 win over Girondins Bordeaux. Nancy, who have a game in hand, scored in the 29th minute when midfielder Chris Malonga headed in a cross from Youssouf Hadji. Bordeaux stay fourth with 22 points from 13 games after their first away defeat of the season. Third-placed Stade Rennes slumped to a 1-0 home defeat against Monaco, who had only picked up a point from their six previous league outings. Frederic Piquionne headed home from a Nene corner kick for the visitors two minutes into the second half. Troubled Paris St Germain clinched a 2-1 victory at Racing Strasbourg thanks to a Rodrigo own goal and 20-year-old midfielder Loris Arnaud's effort after 19 minutes. Olympique Marseille were held to an embarrassing goalless draw by Lorient and remain third from bottom. Coach Eric Gerets said:"The public have a right to be unhappy as the level of play in the second half wasn't worthy of Marseille. "Taking the match as a whole you can have a harsh judgement. We made a few chances in the first half but we had a problem constructing moves from the back. "In the second half we should have lost the match with the counter-attacks. "We have to look at ourselves in the mirror, fight and work." E-mail to a friend . | Lyon beat Valenciennes 2-0 to stay four points clear on top of the French table .
Nancy stay second by beating Bordeaux 1-0 .
Third-placed Rennes flop to a 1-0 home defeat against struggling Monaco . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "49d1a193a2c477f5861b593f06681b35b0e49573"} | 464 | 53 | 0.504499 | 1.168118 | 0.727421 | 2.956522 | 7.956522 | 0.826087 |
(CNN) -- Solid support from registered Democrats and women in New Hampshire were crucial Tuesday as Sen. Hillary Clinton rebounded from her third-place finish in last week's Iowa caucuses. Sen. Hillary Clinton has spent the past few days saying she has the experience to change Washington. She narrowly defeated Sen. Barack Obama in the New Hampshire primary, with 39 percent of the vote to Obama's 37. "Last week, I listened to you, and in the process I found my own voice," the New York senator said after her victory. "Now let's give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has just given me." Forty-three percent of self-styled independents said they voted for Obama, and 31 percent said they backed Clinton. Independents made up 43 percent of all voters polled. Addressing his roaring supporters after the race was called, Obama congratulated Clinton. But he was a candidate determined to draw a distinction between Clinton and himself. "But the reason our campaign has always been different, the reason we began this improbable journey almost a year ago, is because it's not just about what I will do as president," he said. "It is also about what you, the people who love this country, the citizens of the United States of America, can do to change it. That's what this election is all about." But Clinton was ahead of Obama 45 percent to 34 percent among those who said they were registered Democrats. Those voters made up a majority -- 54 percent -- of all respondents. Clinton also claimed the majority of women's votes, according to the polling. That's in contrast to last week's Iowa caucuses, in which Obama surprised observers by stealing the female vote from Clinton. Analysts say that shift among female voters was crucial to the Clinton turnaround. "If I had a single word, the word would be 'women,' " said CNN political analyst Bill Schneider. "She got the women back." And Schneider said the support of union voters that put Clinton over the top. "Union voters have her a 10 point lead," he said. CNN projected former Sen. John Edwards to finish third. College graduates, who made up 29 percent of the electorate, opted narrowly for Clinton -- 38 percent to Obama's 37 percent, according to the polling. Those polled who called themselves very liberal, and moderate, went with Clinton over Obama -- although by less than 2 percentage points in each -- and those who said they are somewhat liberal were evenly split. Pundits also were citing the role of former President Bill Clinton in helping his wife recover from what pre-primary polls were suggesting was a deficit of 9 percentage points to Obama in New Hampshire. The former president spent Tuesday in Hanover -- home to Dartmouth College -- where Obama had been expected to win handily. "They dispatched him to the area that Obama was surging," said CNN analyst Donna Brazille, who managed former Vice President Al Gore's campaign in 2000. "I think it had the effect of tamping down Obama support and giving Senator Clinton a real reason to come back in this race." New Hampshire was considered crucial to Clinton's campaign. If Obama had been able to sweep Iowa and New Hampshire -- after months of Clinton being considered the front-runner among Democrats -- it could have given him powerful momentum going into future primaries. "Age is also playing a big factor -- older voters are overwhelmingly outnumbering younger voters -- a proportion that is clearly benefiting Clinton," Schneider said. "Sixty-seven percent of Democratic primary voters are over the age of 40, and they are breaking heavily for Clinton over Obama." Over the past several days, Clinton has trumpeted her experience, saying that she has delivered change as both first lady and as a senator. After losing to Obama in last week's Iowa caucuses, it was unclear whether she could overcome what appeared to be Obama's ability to electrify American voters who had previously taken a sour and skeptical view of politicians and the political process. The duel between the Obama and Clinton campaigns grew especially testy Monday and Tuesday. She said she had more experience than he, and was therefore more qualified. He accused her of representing the status quo of Washington. And on the eve of the New Hampshire primary, Bill Clinton criticized the media for not pressing Obama more fully on Iraq, and accused the Illinois senator of shifting his position to reflect changing attitudes about the war in Iraq. Then, there was an issue unto itself -- Hillary Clinton's almost-tears. Clinton's eyes welled up this week while responding to a voter's question about her health and appearance. Pundits and voters alike questioned whether Clinton's emotions were sincere or faked as part of some strategy to diminish criticism that she is too steely, too cold. In front of the crowd of mostly female New Hampshire voters, an admittedly fatigued Clinton responded to a question by saying: "This is very personal for me, it's not just political, it's [that] I see what's happening, we have to reverse it." Her voice broke, and she was then applauded by the crowd. Polls indicated the show of emotions fared well with male voters, according to CNN's John King, but turned off some female voters. Edwards was followed in votes by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich. E-mail to a friend . | Sen. Barack Obama has electrified younger voters .
Sen. Hillary Clinton has maintained favor with voters older than 40 .
CNN has projected Sen. John Edwards will finish in third place . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "d603649af5260edbbe0474bcbb2e83e7340372d3"} | 1,208 | 42 | 0.437015 | 1.102242 | 0.893294 | 1.676471 | 31 | 0.852941 |
UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is "urgently dispatching" a special envoy to Myanmar, a statement from his office said Wednesday, following reports of violent clashes in that country between security forces and protesters. Protests at the crackdown have taken place overseas, including one outside the Myanmar embassy, London. "He calls on the senior leadership of the country to cooperate fully with this mission in order to take advantage of the willingness of the United Nations to assist in the process of a national reconciliation through dialogue," said a U.N. statement. The envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, is scheduled to lead a briefing on the situation in Myanmar for the U.N. Security Council Wednesday afternoon. "Noting reports of the use of force and of arrests and beatings, the secretary-general calls again on authorities to exercise utmost restraint toward the peaceful demonstrations taking place, as such action can only undermine the prospects for peace, prosperity and stability in Myanmar," Ban's statement said. There's been no official word yet if the military junta ruling Myanmar will accept the offer from the U.N. secretary-general. Speaking at the Labour Party conference Wednesday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown underscored that any trampling on human rights would not be accepted. "The whole world is now watching Burma and this illegal and oppressive regime should know that the whole world will hold it to account," he said. U.S. President George W. Bush, speaking to the U.N. General Assembly's annual session Tuesday before the crackdown, said his administration would impose stiffer sanctions against the country's military regime. "The United States will tighten economic sanctions on the leaders of the regime and their financial backers. We will impose an expanded visa ban on those responsible for the most egregious violations of human rights, as well as their family members," he said. "We will continue to support the efforts of humanitarian groups working to alleviate suffering in Burma (the country's traditional name) and urge the United Nations and all nations to use their diplomatic and economic leverage to help the Burmese people reclaim their freedom." His comments were echoed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, also at the U.N. General Assembly. "I'm deeply concerned about the situation in Burma and Myanmar, and I would like to appeal for the peaceful, spontaneous demonstrations which are expressing just political and social concerns that they not be repressed by force in any way," Sarkozy said. Soe Aung, National Council of the Union of Burma spokesman, called for the world to take action. "There should be some action -- decisive action -- taken by the international community. At least there should be an urgent meeting of the Security Council level," he said. Aung also commented that the demonstrators do not seem content to back down. "The monks are very determined that they are going to go ahead with the demonstrations unless their demands are met," he said. Such demands include an apology from ministry authorities for the mistreatment of monks in central Myanmar, a reduction in the price of gasoline -- which originally sparked protests in late August -- and the release of protesters detained since demonstrations began, Aung said. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad. "We are concerned about the situation, particularly now, because we see a worsening of the political situation and that is affecting the well-being of the people of Burma. "We have urged Mr. Gambari and he plans to visit Burma as soon as possible," Khalilzad said, referring to Ibrahim Gambari, the U.N. special envoy to Burma. E-mail to a friend . | U.N. to send special envoy to Myanmar amid reports of crackdown .
World leaders condemn events in Myanmar, call on regime to desist from force .
UK PM Brown underscores that any trampling on human rights not acceptable .
Pres. Bush says Tuesday that the U.S. will increase sanctions . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "241c3bfcde3e19fb8f0e5d0273ccb06155a2d86b"} | 852 | 70 | 0.557842 | 1.573598 | 1.180039 | 1.654545 | 12.563636 | 0.709091 |
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Buses that carry women only are experiencing a smooth ride with passengers in Mexico's capital. A woman rides on a bus exclusively for female passengers last month in Mexico City. Fans of the new service call their daily commutes more pleasant now that bus rides steer clear of too-close-for-comfort contact with men. "We're not just talking about sexual harassment, about rapes or about incidents of violence," said Ariadna Montiel, director of the Network of Passengers' Transportation for the Government of the Federal District. "But also about touching, staring, which is what generally occurs on public transport." The single-sex service, which started in January, is available on four major lines in the city, and it's expected to expand to another 15. Other plans include replacing male drivers with women. One woman described the service as "excellent," saying it's "more comfortable too because it doesn't make as many stops." Another passenger said she feels more comfortable and safer. Last year, the government received seven complaints of sexual abuse aboard the city's buses, which provide 200 million rides each year, officials said. Authorities said that a single complaint is enough to justify taking such measures. Juan Flores, who has driven buses in Mexico City for 15 years and now steers one for women only, said he even notices a difference. "I feel more tranquil, I work more peacefully and the interior of the bus is cleaner," he said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Mario Gonzalez contributed to this report. | Passengers on female-only buses describe their commutes as more pleasant .
Seven complaints of sexual abuse aboard Mexico City buses made last year .
Single-sex service is available on four major lines in Mexican capital . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "cc8898d831bb770da703c284d4a811f16cb4035b"} | 350 | 48 | 0.675859 | 1.839913 | 0.963207 | 3.071429 | 7.5 | 0.880952 |
(CNN) -- Kuwait's leader dissolved parliament on Wednesday and called for early elections, after the Cabinet resigned this week following a power struggle with the government. Kuwait's emir has dissolved parliament following conflict between the Cabinet and govenrment. The emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, said he was forced to dissolve parliament to safeguard Kuwait's national unity, citing the fragile political situation in the region and his primary concern for internal security and stability. New elections have been set for May 17, according to Kuwait's state-run news agency, KUNA. According to Kuwait's constitution, elections must be held within 60 days of dissolving parliament. Kuwait's parliament, made up mostly of opposition politicians, has been locked in a feud with the government which it accuses of corruption and abuse of power. Parliament has continuously called for some government members to be investigated, which is what prompted the Cabinet to resign this week. Al-Sabah said he tried to get lawmakers and government ministers to reconcile their differences, but they only inflamed the situation through their statements to the media. E-mail to a friend . CNN Senior Arab Affairs Editor Octavia Nasr contributed to this report . | Kuwait's leader dissolves parliament and calls for early elections after conflict .
Cabinet resigned earlier this week after a power struggle with the government .
The emir said he was forced to act to safeguard Kuwait's national unity .
New elections have been set for May 17 according to state-run news agency . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "e5685719d330bf84ed7691a9a591e04e6a6226b8"} | 282 | 71 | 0.745052 | 1.626605 | 1.123469 | 4.016667 | 3.833333 | 0.883333 |
(CNN) -- Investigators have found the bodies of three small children and the father who allegedly abducted them from their home in Columbus, Georgia, two weeks ago, the FBI said Wednesday. Eddie Harrington threatened to kill his children before disappearing with them, police say. "It is my sad duty to report that deceased bodies of these children and Eddie Harrington were located this afternoon," said FBI Special Agent Gerald Green. A coroner would confirm the identities, he added. The remains were discovered in a wooded area of Columbus by a person walking nearby, Green said. Watch the FBI say the bodies were in a car » . Eddie Harrington, 28, whom police described as depressed, took the children March 5, police said. Before he left, Harrington sent a letter indicating his intent to kill his twin 23-month-old girls, Aliyah and Agana Battle, and his son, Cedric Harrington, 3, officials said. The day before Wednesday's grisly discovery, the children's mother told CNN's Nancy Grace that Harrington had threatened them before. "He's just told me he'll do anything to keep me at that time, and he said that he was going to take them and ... kill himself and the kids," Agena Battle said. "But then later on, he told me that it was just to prove to me that, you know, what he'll do for me." Battle also described the moment earlier this month when she knew something was wrong. "I got home and I realized that the kids weren't there, and Eddie wasn't there either, and when I looked on the dresser and read the note, that's when I realized that my kids are in trouble," she said. A week ago, a tearful Battle publicly begged her boyfriend not to harm the children. "I am asking the public to please help me. I want my children home where they belong, with me," she said at an FBI news conference. "Please, if you see Eddie, the car or the children, please call 911. Please help me and keep them in your prayers." Watch the mother's tearful plea » . A child abduction alert was issued in Georgia after the children disappeared. "We have great concern for the safety of these children," Green said at the time. It was unclear what sparked Harrington's decision to take the children, authorities said. E-mail to a friend . | NEW: Children's mother says Eddie Harrington had threatened the kids before .
Harrington was last seen in Columbus, Georgia, March 5 .
Police say he was depressed, threatened to kill kids .
He took twin girls, 23 months, and boy, 3, from their home . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "bc868bcd37d2463875c4c685c582449069992a76"} | 535 | 63 | 0.584266 | 1.67419 | 0.177744 | 1.947368 | 8.526316 | 0.824561 |
DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- On a good day, Keri Christensen spends the day watching her children. She prepares their meals, gets them ready for school and helps them with their homework. Keri Christensen was nearly a victim of a roadside bombing in Iraq when the convoy in front of hers was hit. But this housewife and mother of two is far different than most of the women living in her Denver, Colorado, suburb. She's an Iraqi war veteran, among the first women in the United States to be classified as combat veterans. Even though she's been home from the war for more than 2½ years, she's now fighting another battle -- this one with depression, nightmares, sleeplessness and anger. She says all of it is caused by her time in Iraq. "I start feeling those feelings of 'I'm not worthy. I can't raise my family,' " Christensen said. Women have made up about 11 percent of the military force in Iraq and Afghanistan in the past six years, according to the Department of Defense; that's an estimated 180,000 women in the war zone. The figure dwarfs the 41,000 women deployed during the Persian Gulf War and the 7,500 who served during the Vietnam War, mostly as nurses. Unlike past wars, women are assigned to combat support roles. Many are seeing violence firsthand in an unconventional war. Watch CNN's Randi Kaye report on female veterans » . As a member of the National Guard, Christensen transported tanks in Iraq. She says she was shot at and was nearly a victim of a roadside bomb when a convoy in front of hers was hit. "You have this fear, 'Oh, my God, I still have to go through there,' " she recalled. " 'Am I going to make it?' " Christensen says that she was sexually harassed by a superior while serving in Iraq and that the harassment added to the pressure created by just being in a war zone. "I just know it took a big toll on me because I was trying to deal with it myself. Just trying to be a soldier," Christensen said. In 2007, the Department of Veterans Affairs found that women are reporting signs of mental health issues when they return home at a higher rate than their male counterparts. The VA diagnosed 60,000 veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Of those, 22 percent of women suffered from "military sexual trauma," which includes sexual harassment or assault, compared with 1 percent of men. Christensen, who has been diagnosed with PTSD, says she doesn't like leaving her comfort zone. She doesn't drive more than two miles from her home. "When I get outside my familiar safe territory, I start to feel overwhelmed," Christensen said. "It gets foggy. Not sure where I'm really going. Something comes over me where I don't feel like I have control over it." "PTSD is actually something that shows up over time, and so the natural recovery process doesn't happen," said Dr. Darrah Westrup, who counsels female veterans at the VA-run Women's Health Clinic in Menlo Park, California. "So three months out or so, you find yourself still not sleeping, still with nightmares, still having intrusive thoughts," Westrup said. Westrup says another factor contributing to poor mental health is the high amount of sexual trauma reported by women screened by the Veterans Administration. She says many women have trouble reporting the trauma to their superiors out of fear of retribution. "When you are in a war zone, your survival depends on people watching your back and on unit cohesion," Westrup said. "The same individuals who attacked you are those who will be protecting you, or you'll be fighting alongside the next day." Christensen receives counseling and group therapy sponsored by the VA. However, the military has said there is no merit to her claims that she suffered military sexual trauma. Like many who suffer from post-traumatic stress, Christensen still has her ups and downs. She says she's just working to get past the feelings of guilt, shame, loss of control and low self-esteem. "I don't think we'll ever be the same. I think that you can learn to cope with it, and that's what I'm learning right now," she said. E-mail to a friend . | Dept. of Veterans Affairs diagnosed 60,000 veterans with PTSD .
Women have comprised 11 percent of military force in Iraq and Afghanistan .
VA: 22 percent of women, 1 percent of men suffered sexual trauma in military .
Expert says women afraid to report sexual harassment for fear of retribution . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "c6369011986d295ce197e7304e14b207dab4c0aa"} | 981 | 65 | 0.464804 | 1.365218 | 1.053367 | 2.508772 | 14.982456 | 0.859649 |
(CNN) -- It wasn't Tibet's subzero temperatures that nurse practitioner Arlene Samen found so chilling on a 1997 medical trip, but the haunting stories she was told about mothers and newborns on the brink of death after childbirth. Arlene Samen, right, helps provide childbirth education and equipment to those in need through One H.E.A.R.T. "When I came to Tibet I heard of so many tragic stories of women dying -- no access to care in remote areas, no history of trained birth attendants, and no knowledge about pregnancy and childbirth," Samen recalls. It is a problem that stretches well beyond Tibet's borders. According to the World Health Organization, more than 500,000 women worldwide die each year as a result of complications during pregnancy and childbirth, and nearly 7 million babies are either born dead or die within 28 days of their life. Almost all these deaths occur in the developing world. Upon her return from Tibet, and in association with the University of Utah Health Services Center, Samen, 54, created One H.E.A.R.T. (Health Education And Research in Tibet) to combat the high infant and maternal mortality rates in Tibet and around the world. Through One H.E.A.R.T., Samen's mission is to reach remote areas where women have limited access to a safe delivery, distribute the organization's training model, and debunk any fears toward safe, sanitary birthing practices. "It's not uncommon for babies to die from basic things like not cleaning their mouth out to breathe," says Samen. "In surveys we've done, more than 50 percent of babies that died were born alive. This is due to lack of education." Watch Samen talk about the organization's work » . Since 1998, One H.E.A.R.T has worked to set up centers that teach and educate local nurse practitioners, villagers and expectant mothers on how to deliver and care for newborn babies. A huge part of the organization's instruction includes hands-on birthing demonstration and distribution of community-tailored birth kits. "I witnessed deliveries where the infant did not even have a blanket," says Samen. "I put a kit together with very simple items and anyone, anywhere can use this kit to keep infants and mothers alive during and after childbirth." Watch home video of Samen in Tibet, where she delivered a baby » . The birth kit typically includes a sterilized razor blade, a clean sheet, three towels for the baby, three fleece blankets, a string to tie around the umbilical cord, gloves for the person delivering the baby and soap for hand washing. Over the last 10 years, Samen's team has supplied more than 3,400 safe birthing kits to pregnant women and has trained more than 1,000 people in life-saving techniques. For 2008, One H.E.A.R.T.'s education outreach program has targeted Nayarit, Mexico, a mountainous terrain in Mesoamerica and the native land of more than 50,000 indigenous Cora and Huichol Indians. This past February, accompanied by a team of doctors and translators, Samen spent three days embedded within Nayarit's Santa Theresa communities, using an instructional newborn doll for childbirth training sessions and discussing safe birthing techniques and procedures. "The traditional birth attendants told us they don't like to bring the women to the hospital because there's a fear of C-section and complications. [The women] would rather die than to come in and get help," Samen says. Watch Samen describe the rigors of bringing a child birthing center to a remote area of Mexico » . "I found that really astounding and would like to look into that further to see if there's ways that we can cross that barrier and really help them so that they don't have that kind of fear." Samen lives in Salt Lake City, but currently spends several months of the year in Tibet. Future plans for One H.E.A.R.T. include training local partners on the ground in Nepal and Ecuador. E-mail to a friend . | Utah nurse practitioner helps fight high childbirth mortality rates in Tibet .
One H.E.A.R.T. conducts birthing demonstrations, distributes birth kits .
Group is working in Mexico this year; future plans include Nepal, Ecuador . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "c4e4f565d15f76b1e367d4fc2e7a2648c3cd395c"} | 913 | 55 | 0.536431 | 1.712109 | 0.467173 | 1.435897 | 19.282051 | 0.769231 |
(CNN) -- Two graduate students were found shot to death Thursday night in an apartment a block off the Louisiana State University campus, officials said. LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe briefs reporters on the fatal shootings of two international graduate students. No suspects have been identified in what police are investigating as a double homicide. Neighbors told police three strange men were seen in the area. The bodies of Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, both Ph.D. candidates from India, were found inside Allam's apartment at the Edward Gay complex near the LSU band's practice field. The complex houses graduate and married students. A task force of LSU campus police and the Baton Rouge Police Department is investigating, university Chancellor Sean O'Keefe said. "If anybody can find them, they can," O'Keefe told reporters Friday. Watch O'Keefe discuss "a tragic situation" » . O'Keefe said campus police responded to a 911 call at 10:37 p.m. and encountered "a very, very tragic scene." Both men had been shot in the head. One was bound with phone cable and the other was lying near the door. The apartment was cluttered and items were strewn about, so it has been difficult to determine whether anything was taken, O'Keefe said. Emergency text messages were sent to students and faculty across the LSU campus late Thursday, but the campus remained open on Friday. O'Keefe said officials decided against a campus lockdown after police determined that the slayings were not part "an escalating pattern." People were warned in the text messages to use caution, but not all of the 8,000 students who had signed up for them received them, O'Keefe said. Officials are looking into what went wrong. The Associated Press reported that Allam's pregnant wife found the bodies and called 911. Although police have indicated they suspect the slayings occurred during a home invasion robbery, O'Keefe told reporters no motive has been determined. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. | Pregnant woman reportedly found husband, other man dead in apartment .
Slain students were international Ph.D. candidates .
Apartment is on edge of university campus .
In text-message alert, campus officials urge students to be careful . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "32fe9f0f2eedaf63c9fd0314ab92c4b46297e260"} | 524 | 57 | 0.491626 | 1.383079 | 0.669527 | 0.818182 | 9.068182 | 0.681818 |
(CNN) -- Danish authorities said Tuesday they have arrested three people who allegedly were plotting a "terror-related assassination" of a cartoonist whose drawing of the Prophet Mohammed sparked rage in the Muslim world two years ago. The cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed provoked widespread outrage in the Muslim world two years ago. The Danish Security and Intelligence Service said police arrested a 40-year-old Dane of Moroccan origin and two Tunisians. The Danish citizen is charged with a terrorism offense, the intelligence service said, and the Tunisians will be deported. Police have not yet released the names of the three. The operation took place in the Aarhus area of western Denmark at 4:30 a.m. local time following lengthy surveillance, the intelligence service said. The target of the plot, the intelligence service said, was the cartoonist for the Danish newspaper Morgenavisen Jullands-Posten, which first published the controversial drawings in September 2005. The paper identified the cartoonist as Kurt Westergaard. Watch how threats have targeted cartoonists » . "Not wanting to take any undue risks [the intelligence service] has decided to intervene at a very early stage in order to interrupt the planning and the actual assassination," the statement by Jakob Scharf, the agency's director general, said. "Thus, this morning's operation must first and foremost be seen as a preventive measure where the aim has been to stop a crime from being committed." The uproar over the cartoons ignited after the Danish newspaper published caricatures of Islam's Prophet Mohammed. Some Muslims believe it is forbidden by the Quran to show an image of the prophet. Demonstrations erupted across the world in early 2006 after other newspapers reprinted the images months later as a matter of free speech. Some turned deadly. Many protesters directed their ire at Denmark, prompting the closure of several Danish embassies in predominantly Muslim countries, including Indonesia and Pakistan. Westergaard's cartoon depicted the prophet wearing a bomb as a turban with a lit fuse. Westergaard said he wanted his cartoon to say that some people exploited the prophet to legitimize terror. However, many in the Muslim world interpreted the drawing as depicting their prophet as a terrorist. "Of course I fear for my life after the Danish Security and Intelligence Service informed me of the concrete plans of certain people to kill me," Westergaard said in a statement posted on the newspaper's Web site. "However, I have turned fear into anger and indignation. It has made me angry that a perfectly normal everyday activity which I used to do by the thousand was abused to set off such madness." CNN's Paula Newton said the arrests reinforced growing fears in Europe that radical Islam was trying to suppress free speech. "More and more Europeans feel that Islam is a threat to their way of life," Newton said. A recent Gallup poll for the World Economic Forum showed a majority of Europeans believed relations between the West and the Muslim world were worsening. According to the poll this sentiment was strongest held among Danish. Westergaard remains under police protection and does not know whether it will continue. "I could not possibly know for how long I have to live under police protection; I think, however, that the impact of the insane response to my cartoon will last for the rest of my life," he said. "It is sad indeed, but it has become a fact of my life." Carsten Juste, the paper's editor-in-chief, said staffers have been "deeply worried" for several months. "The arrests have hopefully thwarted the murder plans," he said on the newspaper's Web site. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report . | Danish police say several arrested for plotting "terror-related assassination"
Agency reports that suspects include two Tunisians and a Dane of Moroccan origin .
Newspaper says the target was its cartoonist Kurt Westergaard .
Prophet Mohammed drawings sparked protests in the Muslim world two years ago . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "41698f361bcf6415f711719ed0c2f6817205c091"} | 866 | 73 | 0.647035 | 1.842594 | 1.06574 | 2.90566 | 13.396226 | 0.830189 |
(LifeWire) -- Colleen Hiltbrunner spent two years researching her dream trip to South Africa. But she wasn't looking for the perfect safari lodge. She was hunting for the right cosmetic surgeon. When she told her family, it wasn't an easy sell. "South Africa? You're going to get some kind of witch doctor," she recalls her father saying. "But I told him they perfected some of the first heart surgeries down there. To me, South Africa had the most reputable surgeons." Hiltbrunner, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, traveled to Johannesburg in 2004 for a face-lift, upper arm lift and eyelid surgery. And she and her husband -- who hadn't taken a vacation in 20 years -- went on a luxury safari, included in the package by medical-travel agency Surgeon and Safari. "Medical tourism" may sound strange, but patients are discovering they can get some cosmetic surgeries abroad for less than the U.S. price. And many surgeries include sightseeing packages. The roster of countries in which hospitals and surgeons are marketing their services to foreigners is growing. South Africa, Argentina, Thailand, Brazil, Costa Rica, India and Singapore have become major players. Robert Painter, a travel writer from Albuquerque, New Mexico, journeyed last year to Argentina for dental surgeries -- and tango lessons: "If I'm going to be stuck somewhere for two weeks at a time, twice, Buenos Aires has got to be the best possible place," he says . Painter's procedures were organized by Plenitas, a medical-travel facilitator in Buenos Aires, which booked him at a hotel with a dance studio in the back. He wasn't the only guest getting surgery: "While I was there, there was a young lady who was also having implants -- though not of the dental type." Cost-cutting pros and cons . Cosmetic, or elective, procedures aren't covered by insurance, so cost remains the motivating factor for most medical tourists. Surgeries in many countries cost half or even one-fifth what they would in the U.S. -- including airfare, hotel and excursions. "A full face-lift that would cost $20,000 in the U.S. runs about $1,250 in South Africa," a 2005 article in U-Daily, the University of Delaware's online news service noted. Faith Richter, of Hope Sound, Florida, got a face-lift in Bangkok, Thailand. Her trip was organized by New York City's Med Journeys. "In the U.S., it would have cost $20,000 for the procedure alone, with no time in the hospital," she says. In Bangkok, Richter was in the hospital four days, and the total cost of her 19-day trip, including sightseeing and airfare for two, was $10,600. Painter estimates he saved $18,000 on his surgeries. "Cost was the primary factor," he says. "The only factor." Medical costs abroad are less than in the U.S. for many reasons -- favorable exchange rates, lower salaries and fewer medical lawsuits, which means lower malpractice-insurance costs. But the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery warns against low-cost surgery. "Get bargains on your shoes and laundry detergent, not on your face," says spokesman Tony Staffieri. "Researching the quality of doctors should be a patient's primary consideration, but it isn't always," he says. "Some people think 'tummy tuck and shopping.' This is not makeup; it's somebody cutting you." Some medical professionals fear that patients will overlook the severity of invasive surgeries and fail to ask the right questions. More casual attitudes toward plastic surgery -- spurred by lunch-break Botox treatments and same-day liposuctions, paired with temptingly cheap alternatives and vacation packages -- increase the risk of bad outcomes. Even stateside, cosmetic surgery can have tragic results. "First Wives Club" author Olivia Goldsmith died during a chin-tuck in 2004, and this year Kanye West's mother, Donda, died after a tummy tuck and breast reduction. However, a 2004 study published in the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, found that "deaths occurring at office-based surgery facilities (in the U.S.) are rare -- less than a quarter of a percent." Quality surgeons . Medical tourism experts counter criticism by saying that cheaper prices don't necessarily mean lower quality of care. "In general, it is the hospitals and facilities that have justifiable claim to 'world-class' status or to meeting or exceeding U.S. standards that are competing for patients from the United States and other countries," says Jeff Schult, author of "Beauty from Afar: A Medical Tourist's Guide to Affordable and Quality Cosmetic Care Outside the U.S." The authors of a 2006 "New England Journal of Medicine" article confirm the high standards of internationally accredited hospitals: "We doubt (...) that the average U.S. hospital can offer better outcomes for common complex operations." "Almost 80 percent of the doctors we use have been trained in the U.S. or U.K.," says Tim Wallace, vice president of sales and marketing for Med Journeys. "It gives the American consumer a degree of confidence." Richter, a registered nurse, agrees that standards are high abroad. "After the surgery, the nurses were there for me 100 percent," she says. "At home, we're so understaffed and overburdened, and inundated with paperwork." When Painter visited U.S. dentists, "I felt like I was being processed for a home loan," he says. "In Argentina, I had three dentists working on me at once." While medical tourism continues to increase in popularity, it's still not mainstream. When Richter left for Bangkok, she "didn't tell a soul, not even my seven children, who are almost all in the medical field. They would have had a stroke. "At Thanksgiving, though, they were all saying, 'You really do look good.'" E-mail to a friend . LifeWire provides original and syndicated content to web publishers. Neil Edward Schlecht writes about travel, food and wine. He lives in Litchfield County, Connecticut. | Tummy tuck tourism is on the rise as companies make arrangements .
Most cosmetic procedures not covered by insurance .
Prices overseas are cheaper .
Company: 80 percent of doctors they use are trained in U.S. | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "f040d657ee146cd131d34aeb31d6728b4f996666"} | 1,412 | 47 | 0.428883 | 1.366387 | 0.722337 | 1.15 | 30.275 | 0.75 |
(CNN) -- Scientists have discovered the remains of a rodent the size of a small car which used to forage the South American continent. The 1-ton creature is believed to have been about 3 meters in length and 1.5 meters tall. The fossilized skull of the new giant rodent . The giant rat's skull, which measures an impressive 53 centimeters in diameter was found by Andrés Rinderknecht and Ernesto Blanco, two scientists from Montevideo, Uruguay. The two paleontologists stumbled upon the fossilized remains in a broken boulder in San Jose along the coast of Uruguay. By looking at the size ratios of the skulls and bodies of existing rodents, scientists determined the bodyweight of the rodent must have approached 1,000 kilograms or a ton, making it the world's largest rodent to have been discovered to date. The relatively small size of its teeth however, suggests it fed mainly upon soft vegetables and fruit. "We can give an educated guess that the rodent would have been 3 meters long -- assuming that it was similar to a Capybara (the largest rodent alive today) and taking it into account that large mammals generally have relatively smaller heads. It's tail probably was closer to the one of capybara or guinea pig (very short) and not like a rat," Ernesto Blanco says. The scientists believe the rodent, named Josephoartigasia monesi, roamed the earth about four million years ago at the same time as other giant creatures, such as terror birds, saber-toothed cats, ground sloths and giant armored mammals. During this period, the now arid region was forested and rich in vegetation. The largest living rodent is the capybara, a 50 kilogram guinea pig found in South America. E-mail to a friend . | Rodent the size of small car discovered in Uruguay .
Scientists say the rodent must have weighed 1,000 kilograms .
Small size of its teeth suggests it fed mainly upon soft vegetables and fruit . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "1823e1e750046606e4be0e8710f1d74998783e41"} | 425 | 45 | 0.629783 | 1.579902 | 1.084719 | 4.675676 | 8.945946 | 0.891892 |
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Rawalpindi's police chief stopped doctors at the hospital where Benazir Bhutto died from conducting an autopsy, according to a lawyer on the hospital's board. In a video released Sunday, Benazir Bhutto, far right, appears through the sunroof before shots ring out. It was a violation of Pakistani criminal law and prevented a medical conclusion about what killed the former prime minister, said Athar Minallah, who serves on the board that manages Rawalpindi General Hospital. However, the police chief involved, Aziz Saud, told CNN that he suggested an autopsy be done, but that Bhutto's husband objected. The revelation came on Monday after new videotape of Bhutto's assassination emerged, showing her slumping just after gunshots rang out. The tape provided the clearest view yet of the attack and appeared to show that Bhutto was shot. That would contradict the Pakistan government's account. Read Bhutto's full medical report . A previously released videotape showed a man at the right of her vehicle raising a gun, pointing it toward Bhutto, who was standing in her car with her upper body through the sunroof. He fired three shots, then there was an explosion. In the video that emerged on Sunday, Bhutto was standing, and her hair and scarf appeared to move, perhaps from the bullet. Bhutto fell into the car, then came the blast. Watch new tape showing apparent gunman » . These images seem to support the theory that Bhutto died at the hands of a shooter before a bomb was detonated, killing another 23 people. Doctors at Rawalpindi General Hospital declared the 54-year-old dead hours after Thursday's attack, but the cause of her death has been widely debated. Pakistan's Interior Ministry announced on Friday that Bhutto died from a skull fracture suffered when she fell or ducked into the car as a result of the shots or the explosion and crashed her head onto a sunroof latch. See the likely sequence of events » . Bhutto's family and political party maintain that the government is lying, and insist she died from gunshot wounds. Bhutto's husband, in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Monday, called for an international investigation into his wife's death, saying the new video proves the Pakistani government "has been trying to muddy the water from the first day." "Everything is now very clear that she was shot," Asif Ali Zardari said. Zardari also called on the U.S. government to push for an international probe. "I want them to help me find out who killed my wife, the mother of my children," he said of the Bush administration. Javed Iqbal Cheema, spokesman for Pakistan's Interior Ministry, said the government's conclusion on Bhutto's death was based on "absolute facts, nothing but the facts" and "it was corroborated by the doctor's report." But Minallah issued an open letter on Monday and released the doctors' clinical notes to distance them from the government statement, and he also talked to CNN. In the letter, Minallah said the doctors "suggested to the officials to perform an autopsy," but that Saud "did not agree." He noted that under the law, police investigators have "exclusive responsibility" in deciding to have an autopsy. Minallah told CNN that he was speaking out because the doctors at the hospital were "threatened." "They are government servants who cannot speak; I am not," he said. He did not elaborate on the threats against the doctors. He said the lack of an autopsy has created "a perception that there is some kind of cover-up, though I might not believe in that theory." "There is a state within the state, and that state within the state does not want itself to be held accountable," Minallah said. Cheema said the government had no objection to Bhutto's body being exhumed for an autopsy if the family requested it. Her widower has said the family was against exhumation because it did not trust the government. Minallah said the family could not have prevented an autopsy at the hospital without getting an order from a judge. The three-page medical report, which was signed by seven doctors, described Bhutto's head wound, but it did not conclude what caused it. It noted that X-ray images were made after she was declared dead. The wound was described as an irregular oval of about 5 centimeters by 3 centimeters above her right ear. "Sharp bones edges were felt in the wound," it read. "No foreign body was felt in the wound." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report . | NEW: New video proves Bhutto shot, widower says .
Doctors claim Pakistani police prevented an autopsy on Benazir Bhutto .
Lawyer Athar Minallah said the move violated Pakistani criminal law .
Police chief Aziz Saud said he suggested autopsy but Bhutto's widower objected . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "6fae638166ee95509fbab3b28ac1c0ba0b088c79"} | 1,102 | 79 | 0.58567 | 1.681261 | 1.29046 | 1.58 | 18.02 | 0.86 |
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- It was an image that got the nation talking: Two giggling young women in oversized sunglasses robbing a bank. The "Barbie Bandits" helped their hometown earn the dubious distinction as the nation's bank robbery capital. Here one of the so-called "Barbie Bandits" is captured on surveillance video at a surburban Atlanta bank. Atlanta's FBI field division topped Los Angeles in reporting the most bank heists, with 350 for the 12 months ending September 30, 2007, according to the FBI, which annually names areas most prone to bank robberies. The Los Angeles area was No. 2 with 338 heists, followed by Philadelphia with 316. Just Thursday, two suspects overpowered a security guard at an Atlanta, Georgia, bank, took his gun, robbed the bank and fled with money in hand, police said. Eventually, police shot one of the suspects in an exchange of gunfire. Two more armed bank robberies took place in metro Atlanta Friday. The FBI says violent crime is up across the nation, especially in major metro areas like Atlanta. So it's no surprise Atlanta has become a prime target for bank robberies, FBI spokesman Stephen Emmett told CNN. Watch Hotlanta or Heistlanta? » . "This goes hand in hand with those figures," Emmett said. Atlanta's rapid growth over the last decade has also been a factor. A recent Atlanta Business Chronicle article reported that metro Atlanta has 26 more banks than in all of North Carolina -- roughly one bank for every 3,500 people in the region. See photos of bank heists in metro Atlanta » . "We would attribute a lot of that [bank robberies] to the growth and the fact that the banking industry has matched that growth with an increase in bank branches throughout the area," Emmett said. Atlanta's rise in bank heists comes just as Los Angeles has aggressively countered once out-of-control bank robberies. Los Angeles has gone from more than 500 bank robberies in the mid-2000s to this year's 338, the FBI stats show. According to the FBI, its Atlanta field division reported 350 bank robberies in the last year -- the most notorious of which were the "Barbie Bandits" and "Grandpa Bandit" robberies. The FBI says 122 of the heists were armed robberies, or robberies where a weapon was visibly used. Emmett said many more of the robberies were what law enforcement officers classify as "note jobs" -- where a robber gestures as if he or she has a gun on them in a demand note handed over to the teller. Also factored into the total number of robberies were ATM heists and a record nine armored car robberies. Those armored car robberies are particularly disturbing to Emmett. "Anyone that would confront an armored car courier knowing that he's already armed and in somewhat of a defensive posture, that mindset is very troubling for law enforcement," he said. While Emmett said there is no "typical" bank robber, he said he has seen some trends, most notably that they are often people battling drug addictions. He also said bank robbers are often repeat offenders. Two recent high-profile cases in Atlanta seem to confirm that. Two women dubbed the "Barbie Bandits" were arrested after working with a bank employee to rob a Bank of America in the Atlanta suburb of Acworth. They both later admitted to police to having drug addiction problems. Recently apprehended 69-year-old Bobby Joe Phillips, dubbed the "Grandpa Bandit," is suspected to have robbed seven banks in Tennessee and the Atlanta area and had a criminal history. Emmett says typically very little money is taken in a bank heist. Joe Brannen, president of the Georgia Bankers Association, agrees, saying "the average is $2,000 to $3,000. It's not as big a payoff as most people think it is." With the holidays in full swing, authorities are steeling themselves for a spate of bank robberies with robbers looking for quick holiday cash. "I would make the assumption that a large part of it is the increased [financial] pressures this time of year," said Brannen. The FBI advises banks to be extra vigilant this time of year and to keep a close eye on jittery individuals donning gloves, hats and sunglasses. But Brannen says profiling people like that can be problematic. "We've chosen not to go there. Here in Atlanta, lots of people wear head coverings for religious purposes. This is a free and open society," he said. He said customers want to come into a bank unimpeded -- that 99.9 percent are just customers, not bank robbers. Brannen says banks do all they can to balance convenience for their customers and the bank's need for security. "There is no good, magic solution." he says. Emmett said as long as metro Atlanta continues to grow, so will the number of bank robberies. "This is something that is part of growth. We have more banks. We have more people. We're a big city now." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Rusty Dornin contributed to this report. | Atlanta surpasses LA, Philadelphia as city with most bank heists .
FBI says it's the result of rising violent crime and increased number of banks .
FBI: Expect more bank robberies around holidays .
Bank official says most robbers get away with just $2,000 to $3,000 . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "00be40289d0aea65afd2da6431db8a9fc8efc9c0"} | 1,248 | 69 | 0.589128 | 1.664871 | 0.682995 | 1.654545 | 18.018182 | 0.781818 |
(CNN) -- Disgraced former NFL star Michael Vick declared that "I am not the bad person or the beast I've been made out to be" in a letter to a judge asking for leniency. Michael Vick wrote he was "forever a changed man." "I have been talked about and ridiculed on a day to day basis by people who really don't know Michael Vick the human being. They only knew the football player which is unfair," Vick said in a handwritten letter released this week. U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson sentenced Vick on Monday to serve 23 months in prison for financing a dogfighting ring and helping to kill pit bulls that did not fight aggressively. Vick wrote the judge that he had accepted responsibility for his actions, would pay restitution and never again use "a single dollar that I have earned for anything but to help people." Read letters from Vick, his mom, sports stars » . The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback said he grew up not knowing the severity of the crime of dogfighting and asked Hudson for "a second chance." Other letters supporting Vick were sent by his mother, his seventh-grade teacher and children he had met since becoming a star and one of the NFL's most highly paid players. Brenda Vick Boddie said her son fell victim to friends who took advantage of Vick's inability to "say no." "PLEASE Your HONOR give my baby Michael another chance. [H]e's never been in trouble with the law before, PLEASE! PLEASE! one more chance," she pleaded in her own handwritten letter. Former Falcons teammate Warrick Dunn, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and two sporting legends -- former home-run king Hank Aaron and former two-time boxing heavyweight champion George Foreman -- also wrote letters on Vick's behalf. E-mail to a friend . | Michael Vick wrote five-page letter to judge seeking leniency .
Former NFL star said he was wrong and promised to make amends .
Vick's mom, Atlanta mayor and sports legends also sent letters to judge .
Vick sentenced Monday to 23 months in prison in dogfighting case . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "50dc0ca6cbbd4f9c3761fbb3ad9e7d7ba85bd9b3"} | 429 | 69 | 0.629924 | 1.60806 | 0.793627 | 1.490909 | 6.472727 | 0.8 |
(CNN) -- Steven Spielberg led the FBI straight to a stolen $700,000 Norman Rockwell painting someone snatched from a Missouri gallery. It was in his collection in California. The original of this Norman Rockwell reproduction was found in the collection of Steven Spielberg last year. Spielberg wasn't the thief, and he doesn't know who took Rockwell's "Russian Schoolroom" -- an oil of 16 pupils looking at a bust of Lenin. All the A-list director knows is he paid about $200,000 for the 16 x 37 canvas in a legitimate purchase. The FBI says its just one example of how pilfered art lands in respectable places. And it was an uncommon ending for stolen art -- someone found it. Recovering masterpieces happens in less than 5 percent of cases, said Bonnie Magness-Gardiner, the FBI's Art Theft Program manager. Usually, expensive pieces go missing. No one knows who took them. No one gets prosecuted, and everyone wonders, "Why steal something you can't turn to cash quickly?" Art thieves do a simple risk versus reward evaluation, said Corine Wegener, associate curator of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Thieves know that "even if they receive only a fraction of the work's market value, the cash gained was at low risk of death or injury -- museums can be a relatively soft target," said Wegener, who's teaching a University of Minnesota class this month on art theft. But it could be years -- or never -- before the thief sees even a small payoff. In 1990, robbers took $300 million worth of certified masterpieces -- among them Rembrandt's "Storm on the Sea of Galilee" and Vermeer's "The Concert" -- from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. No one's seen them since. On Sunday, robbers made off with one of the biggest art hauls in European history, grabbing four paintings worth an estimated $163 million from the E.G. Buehrle Collection in Zurich, Switzerland. They took works by Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. See what robbers grabbed in Switzerland » . "These paintings are extremely valuable on the open market, but they'll never go onto the open market. So at the same time they're both priceless and worthless," said Charles Hill, the former chief of Scotland Yard's art and antiques unit. "Some thieves may buy into the myth that a wealthy but unscrupulous collector will contact them and offer to take the art off their hands," Wegener said. "When this doesn't happen, the thieves often try to ransom the art back to the museum or the insurance company." One London art dealer, who said he has handled stolen works, told CNN on condition of anonymity that an insurance company would rather get art back at a fraction of its original price than pay the owner its insured value. Watch how art thieves operate » . Ransoming art to an insurance company through an intermediary adds "up to 10 percent of the market value, which ... given the art market, is quite a lot of money," the dealer said. David Vuillaume, secretary general of the Swiss Museums Association, told Time magazine that ransom may be what the thieves behind the Swiss heist want. "We are thinking that maybe in a week or two there will be a ransom demand. But we just have to wait and see," Time quoted him as saying. The museum has offered $90,000 reward for information leading to their recovery, Time reported. Options for art thieves . Julian Radcliffe, chairman of the Art Loss Register, which operates a database to help recover lost and stolen art, said ransom or reward are unlikely to bring results. "It is very seldom that people have been able to undertake a ransom," he said. "This gang might think that a reward has been offered, and that they'll get the reward." But in fact, "the reward won't be paid unless someone is arrested, or there is proper criminal intelligence," and that's unlikely to happen, Radcliffe said. He said the thieves may just be patient, willing to get their payoff decades later. Or the art may move through an underground network, gradually increasing in value, before being slipped back onto the legitimate market. Take Spielberg. He bought "Schoolroom" in an above-the-board transaction. "Usually, these pictures will change hands in the criminal underworld at a fraction -- 1 percent or less -- of their true market value," Radcliffe said, before someone tries to get them back into the international market. In such an effort, the seller may hope the work has been forgotten over time or they may disguise it as a copy or student re-creation. "They may try and sell them not as being by Degas, but as being a copy, or school, or by a follower of one of the great artists. And that is the ways in which they try and get them on the market," Radcliffe said. The original thieves rarely face justice, the FBI's Magness-Gardiner said. "The stolen items turn up years, sometimes decades, after the theft," she said. "Because a work of art does not require a title document in order to be transferred from one owner to another, a stolen object easily enters the legitimate stream of commerce. "It is impossible to trace them back to the original thief in most cases. Even if the original thief can be identified, there is also a statute of limitations on prosecution for theft," Magness-Gardiner said. What happens to stolen art? Even if the art is recovered, original owners may not get it back. While museum pieces are likely to go back to their collections, private owners may not be so lucky. "Russian Schoolroom" remains in Spielberg's possession while courts determine the rightful owner, a spokesman for the director said. But art stolen from a Los Angeles mansion and sold in Sweden remains with its Swedish purchasers, according to a case file posted on the Web site of the Los Angeles Police Department's Art Theft Detail. Even though the thief was caught, "the Swedish government refused to return the paintings, claiming that according to Swedish law, the auction buyers had purchased the paintings in good faith," according to the Web site. In the case of Rockwell's "Russian Schoolroom," someone took it from a gallery in Clayton, Missouri, a St. Louis suburb, in 1973, according to an FBI synopsis of the case. In 2004, The FBI's Art Crime Team found out that the piece had been for sale at a New York Rockwell exhibition 15 years earlier and posted a picture and description of the painting on its art recovery Web site. Spielberg's staff learned of the search and told the FBI that Spielberg had it in his collection in Los Angeles. He had purchased it from a legitimate dealer in 1989, an FBI press release said. The agency also determined the painting was auctioned in New Orleans in 1988, but it has yet to determine who took the painting or its whereabouts from 1973 to 1988. Whoever took "Russian Schoolroom" from the suburban St. Louis gallery in 1973, or the masterpieces from the Boston museum 1980, or the works lifted in Zurich this week, shouldn't be mistaken for a high-society, tuxedo-wearing, "Thomas Crown Affair" kind of thief, Radcliffe said. "These people are the worst sort of criminal. They are just like the criminals who traffic individuals or sell children, or murder. "They are thoroughly unpleasant people. There is no romanticism in anyway that should be connected to it." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Paula Hancocks and Teresa Martini contributed to this report. | Stolen art can be lost for decades .
Soft targets like museums entice thieves, experts say .
Stolen Rockwell found in Steven Spielberg's collection decades after theft .
Nothing glamorous about art thieves, expert says . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "28b0e5240a7c3088fc62a70628b146bb40b6b853"} | 1,775 | 53 | 0.544416 | 1.442448 | 1.021314 | 1.047619 | 36 | 0.761905 |
MACAU, China -- Pete Sampras rolled back the years to upset current world number one Roger Federer in an exhibition match in Macau on Saturday. Sampras enjoyed the spoils of victory in Macau after two previous defeats to Federer. Federer had one the two previous clashes in an Asian series in straight sets but was handed a 7-6 6-4 defeat in the finale. American ace Sampras downplayed his victory, noting Federer was coming off a long season and that he was helped by his big serve and the fast indoor carpet surface. He had only aimed to win one set during the three-match series. "Let's not get carried away," he said at a news conference. Sampras ruled out a comeback from retirement, telling the audience after the match, "I had my time in the 90s." Federer tried to put on a positive spin on the loss, saying he wasn't embarrassed to lose to his idol, but still showed some disappointment. "It's been tough beating my idol the last two times. I'm happy that he got me at least once," he said, but adding, "I hope we can do it again in the future. I'd like to get him back." The two players have won a combined 26 Grand Slam titles, but Sampras, 36, retired five years ago after winning the U.S. Open in 2002. Federer is coming off another outstanding season in which he won three grand slams and last week's Masters Cup in Shanghai. "I'm sort of surprised. This guy can play tennis, you know," the Swiss player said after his loss Saturday. Federer beat Sampras 6-4 6-3 in Seoul on Tuesday and edged the American 7-6 7-6 in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. In Macau, Federer was never able able to force a break point on the powerful Sampras serve, but had set points at 6-5 and 8-7 in the tiebreak. But Sampras saved both and a run of three points, capped by a forehand winner, gave him the opener. The ninth game of the second second proved vital as a forehand error by Federer gave Sampras a break point which he gratefully took with another fine forehand. Sampras closed out the match as a Federer backhand return sailed long. Federer said he thought Sampras could still beat the world's top five players on a fast surface. Sampras then predicted that Federer could beat his record of most grand slam wins (14) "if not next year, pretty soon." "He's a great, great player. He's got things in his game that I couldn't do," he said. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. | Pete Sampras beats world nunber one Roger Federer in exhibition in Macau .
Sampras wins 7-6 6-4 but rules out comeback to main ATP tour .
Federer had won their two previous exhibition matches on Asian tour . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "44bdf9aa9712197110017fca533785653210f1ea"} | 666 | 55 | 0.477001 | 1.346633 | 0.655762 | 1.886364 | 12.568182 | 0.75 |
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Alex Trebek, the long-time host of the popular television quiz show "Jeopardy," suffered a minor heart attack at his home Monday night. Alex Trebek has hosted "Jeopardy!" for 23 years. Trebek, 67, was recovering at a local hospital, and it was not clear when he would be released, a representative of the show said. He is expected to resume taping the show in January. The representative added that Trebek did not have any previous known condition that would have led to the heart attack. Trebek, 67, is a native of Sudbury, Ontario. He has hosted "Jeopardy!" since 1984. Prior to becoming "Jeopardy!" host, he served as emcee for a number of game shows, including "High Rollers," "The Wizard of Odds" and "Battlestars." E-mail to a friend . | Alex Trebek suffered heart attack at home Monday .
Trebek has hosted "Jeopardy!" for 23 years .
Trebek is recovering at L.A. hospital . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "879e68a2b78b3cf3f5c2581bbf6093871143ed7b"} | 226 | 43 | 0.761611 | 1.64205 | 0.369268 | 5.103448 | 6.068966 | 0.896552 |
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (Reuters) -- Archaeologists have discovered what they think are ruins of an Aztec pyramid razed by vengeful Spanish conquerors in what is now one of Mexico City's most crime-ridden districts. Construction workers unearthed ancient walls in the busy Iztapalapa neighborhood in June, and government archeologists said Wednesday they believe they may be part of the main pyramid of the Aztec city, destroyed by conquistador Hernan Cortes in the 16th century. Iztapalapa, now infamous for violent crime and drug dealing, has grown into a sprawling, poor district of the capital, obscuring the ruins. "We knew the general location but couldn't explore because it's a big urban area," said government archeologist Jesus Sanchez, who is director of the site. Iztapalapa's ruler, Cuitlahuac, nearly annihilated Cortes and his Spanish troops in 1520 in what became known as the Sad Night. After eventual victory, Cortes destroyed the city. Sanchez hopes he has found the city's main pyramid just below the neighborhood's central plaza and garden. He and his team will spend more than a year investigating before deciding whether to excavate. Mexico City is littered with pre-Hispanic ruins. In October, archeologists in the city's central Zocalo square unearthed a 15th century Aztec altar and a 12-ton stone idol just yards from choking downtown traffic. The Aztecs, a warlike and deeply religious people who built monumental works, ruled an empire stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean and encompassing much of modern-day central Mexico. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Ruins of an Aztec pyramid uncovered in Iztapalapa neighborhood, Mexico City .
Iztapalapa is a sprawling, crime-ridden district .
The Aztecs ruled an empire stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "980051ddbf137ec06e7aeead2acb598bae388520"} | 430 | 60 | 0.573653 | 1.49561 | 0.825502 | 5.707317 | 7.804878 | 0.926829 |
KHARTOUM, Sudan (CNN) -- Hundreds of angry protesters, some waving ceremonial swords from trucks equipped with loud speakers, gathered Friday outside the presidential palace to denounce a teacher whose class named a teddy bear "Mohammed" -- some calling for her execution. An undated amateur photo of Gillian Gibbons, who has been found guilty of insulting religion. The protesters, which witnesses said numbered close to 1,000, swore to fight in the name of their prophet. Gillian Gibbons, 54, was given 15 days in jail late Thursday after she was convicted of insulting religion. She was cleared of charges of inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs, her lawyer, Ali Ajeb, said. Ajeb said they planned to appeal the sentence, which begins from the date she was detained, Nov. 25. Including Friday, she has 10 more days in jail. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was "extremely disappointed" that the charges were not dismissed. Meanwhile senior British lawmakers were en route to Khartoum to try to secure Gibbons' early release. The two members of the House of Lords were set to arrive in Khartoum about 5 a.m. Saturday (9 p.m. Friday ET), Time magazine reporter Sam Dealey told CNN, citing British and Sudanese sources. They will meet with government ministers and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, he said. Sources close to the British government and the Republican Palace in Sudan say it is expected that a deal will be reached, and Gibbons will be released, Dealey said. Visas for the two, he said, were granted "in record time ... by Sudanese standards." Friday's demonstrations began as worshippers spilled out of mosques in the capital after Friday prayers. They marched to the palace, which is on the same street as Unity High School, where Gibbons taught grade school students. Those who named the bear were 7 years old. A heavy police presence was maintained outside the school, but no demonstrators were there. Watch men brandish knives, shout » . Armed with swords and sticks, the protesters shouted: "By soul, by blood, I will fight for the Prophet Mohammad." Western journalists who attempted to talk to the protesters were ushered away by men in plain clothes. Gibbons is being held in a women's prison in the Omdurman district of Khartoum, and she will be deported at the end of her prison term, British consular officials told CNN. British Embassy staff said they were giving the teacher -- from the northern British city of Liverpool -- full consular assistance. In leaflets distributed earlier this week by Muslim groups, the protesters promised a "popular release of anger" at Friday's protests. The leaflets condemned Gibbons as an "infidel" and accused her of "the pollution of children's mentality" by her actions. Omer Mohammed Ahmed Siddig, the Sudanese ambassador to Britain, was summoned for a second time to meet with the British foreign secretary late Thursday after the court's ruling. Miliband also spoke to the Sudanese acting foreign minister for 15 minutes on the telephone during the meeting, the British Foreign Office said. "Our priority now is to ensure Ms. Gibbons' welfare and we will continue to provide consular assistance to her," Miliband said in a statement. The Foreign Office said there would be further talks with the Sudanese government Friday. Gibbons was arrested Sunday after she asked her class to name the stuffed animal as part of a school project, the Foreign Office said. She had faced charges under Article 125 of Sudan's constitution, the law relating to insulting religion and inciting hatred. She could have received a sentence of 40 lashes, a fine or jail term of up to a year, according to the Foreign Office. British newspapers condemned Gibbons' conviction, with the Daily Telegraph calling for the recall of the British ambassador from Khartoum and sanctions against the heads of the Sudanese government. Watch a report on reactions to the verdict » . In an editorial, the tabloid newspaper, The Sun, said Gibbons' jailing was a "grotesque insult to Islam" and called Gibbons "an innocent abroad." Four vans filled with riot police were waiting outside the courthouse at Thursday's hearing, but there were no disturbances. Staff from Gibbons' school, including director Robert Boulos, were present. Defense counsel later confirmed that the complaint against Gibbons came from Sarah Khawad, a secretary at the school. Gibbons has been working at the school, popular with wealthy Sudanese and expatriates, since August, after leaving her position as deputy head teacher at a primary school in Liverpool this summer, Boulos said. He said Gibbons asked the children to pick their favorite name for the new class mascot, which she was using to aid lessons about animals and their habitats. E-mail to a friend . | Some demonstrators demand execution of Gillian Gibbons, 54 .
Gibbons found guilty of insulting religion, sentenced to 15 days in jail .
Teacher arrested after her class named teddy bear "Mohammed" | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "45b9fb89ac2724f2d7de56b2f8c9397bca03326e"} | 1,137 | 52 | 0.508469 | 1.497667 | 0.507282 | 2.675676 | 24.72973 | 0.891892 |
DUBAI (CNN) -- A court in Dubai sentenced two men Wednesday to 15 years in prison for the rape and kidnapping of a 15-year-old French boy. Veronique Robert, mother of the 15-year-old French-Swiss teen, speaking outside a court in Dubai. The boy's mother, Veronique Robert, was visibly upset after the sentence was read and promised to appeal. Robert, a French journalist, brought the case to the media's attention in recent months in an effort to shed light on what she deemed to be injustices in the pro-Western emirate of Dubai. Robert said Wednesday's sentence was too lenient for a crime that she believes is tantamount to attempted murder because one of her son's attackers was knowingly HIV-positive at the time of the rape. She refrained from asking the death penalty for her son's attackers, but said she hoped the sentence would be much longer. A spokesman for the Dubai government, Habib al Mulla, told CNN the sentence was in accordance with international standards and was not lenient. "Today's verdict has proven that the system is efficient and is fair to all parties involved," al Mulla said. The case began in July, when the two men, 36 and 18, kidnapped and raped the French teenager at knifepoint. Robert contacted French diplomats, who took up the allegations with Dubai authorities. Al Mulla said police action was swift and arrests were made within 24 hours. But Robert has said the case was botched from the start, beginning with her son's examination by a doctor who said her son was gay. Homosexuality in Dubai is illegal, and the teen could have faced as much as a year in prison. Robert's son has since returned to France and was not in court for Wednesday's sentencing. Robert has also said Dubai authorities repeatedly concealed evidence -- confirmed in court papers -- that one of the attackers was HIV-positive. Robert said her son, who is still awaiting test results to find out whether he has the virus, could have gotten treatment much sooner had they known. Dubai authorities deny any evidence was concealed. The case has shed light on Dubai's attitudes toward rape and homosexuality, which some Western observers have said is outdated. Al Mulla, however, said Wednesday's sentencing and the government's handling of the case proves the country's system works. "It's today's verdict which proves that there is a system," al Mulla said. "The system is working properly. However, if there is any room for any improvement in the system, we'll definitely look into it, consider it, and if there's any room for improvement, we'll implement it." The mother has already filed suit in courts in Paris and Geneva, Switzerland seeking compensation from Sheikh Khalifa, president of the United Arab Emirates, and the prime minister and vice president of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum. She is also suing others, including the Dubai police chief. Robert started a Web site over the summer, boycottdubai.com, demanding better treatment for children who suffer sexual assault there. At a press conference last month, she proclaimed, "We are here because I just would like first justice for my son; and second for every girl and boy who was raped and even had no chance to speak." Robert said she will drop all her pending cases if the government sets up rape clinics, recognizes the status of rape victims, and takes precautions after rape against sexually-transmitted diseases. In the wake of Wednesday's verdict, Robert said a Dubai government official told her the emirate plans to open its first rape clinic, which she said was a small victory. The government has not yet officially announced its plans to open such a facility. Al Mulla told CNN that Dubai believes a reception center for rape victims is "a good solution." "We are considering it," he said, regarding Robert's request. "We believe it's good. It's good for the victims, and it's good for the whole system." E-mail to a friend . CNN correspondent Wilf Dinnick contributed to this report. | Dubai court sentences two men to 15 years for rape, kidnapping of 15-year-old boy .
One of the attackers was knowingly HIV-positive at the time of the rape .
Family of the French victim says this makes attack akin to attempted murder .
Family say case investigation botched, want more severe sentence . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "b427165e1be5e9b6e6067fc5f6591c02bfb93333"} | 953 | 78 | 0.523404 | 1.542721 | 1.040619 | 3.4375 | 12.53125 | 0.75 |
SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) -- Chile called home its ambassador in Peru on Monday, as a dispute flared over disputed maritime territory between the South American neighbors. They have bickered over the rich Pacific coast fishing waters for years, and Peru published a new map on Sunday that pushes its bid to negotiate a new sea border. Chile's government protested the move and said it was calling home its ambassador in Peru, Cristian Barros, for consultations. "We feel that this type of publication (map) and this position certainly make more difficult a fluid bilateral relationship with the Peruvian government," spokesman Ricardo Lagos Weber said on Monday. "Chile will continue to fully exercise its rights and competencies over Chilean territory," he said. Peruvian President Alan Garcia said in June his country would take Chile to the International Court at The Hague to resolve the case. Peru's foreign minister, Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde, sought to downplay the row. "It is an absolutely common diplomatic practice in novel situations like this that garner attention that ambassadors are called (back to report)," he said. "The channels of dialogue and communication must be kept open, and the countries must work toward a positive agenda," Garcia Belaunde said. The sea border, set in the 1950s, starts close to the land border and cuts due west across the ocean. But Peru says it was non-binding and rob it of 14,630 square miles (37,900 sq km) of fishing waters. Its proposed border is a southwestern sloping line that follows the diagonal land border into the Pacific Ocean. Analysts say Peru will have its day in court and the Hague is the only venue for the issue to be resolved, unless something happens to escalate the debate. "The only thing that could happen, which would be very worrisome, would be if some autonomous group carried out some kind of act of sovereignty (in those waters) now that Peru officially claims them. That would be a shame," said Ricardo Israel, a political analyst in Chile. Chile defeated Peru in the 1879-1883 War of the Pacific and seized a chunk of mineral-rich territory from its northern neighbor. The two countries have strong economic ties but relations are still rocky. The dispute over their sea border has bubbled anew over the past two years and comes in addition to less serious disputes over the origins of everything from a dessert and a fruit to pisco, a grape liquor. Peru and Chile are the world's top producers of fish meal, a cattle feed, and fishing is one of the engines of Peru's economy. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Peru's foreign minister sought to downplay the row .
Sea border dispute has bubbled anew over past two years .
Less serious disputes involve dessert, fruit and a grape liquor . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "a9a2880bd65c6b3835d19987ebcbd3d09010a0c3"} | 621 | 44 | 0.553546 | 1.552517 | 0.423721 | 3.085714 | 15.114286 | 0.914286 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush vetoed an expansion of the federally funded, state-run health insurance program for poor children for a second time Wednesday, telling Congress the bill "moves our country's health care system in the wrong direction." In his veto message, President Bush calls on Congress to extend funding for the current program. In his veto message, Bush said the bill is almost a duplicate of the proposal he spiked in October. "Because the Congress has chosen to send me an essentially identical bill that has the same problems as the flawed bill I previously vetoed, I must veto this legislation, too," he said in a statement released by the White House. The bill would have expanded the State Children's Health Insurance Program by nearly $35 billion over five years, the same as the measure Bush vetoed October 3. Track recent and historical presidential vetoes » . The president had proposed adding $5 billion to the program and said the version he vetoed would have encouraged families to leave the private insurance market for the federally funded, state-run program. Democratic leaders said the new version addressed Republican objections by tightening restrictions on illegal immigrants receiving SCHIP benefits, capping the income levels of families that qualify for the program and preventing adults from receiving benefits. Though the measure had strong bipartisan support, it fell short of the two-thirds majorities needed to override a presidential veto in the House and Senate. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Democrats were more interested in scoring political points with the veto than in reaching a compromise with Republicans. "We could have resolved the differences in his program in 10 minutes, if the majority had wanted to resolve the differences," Boehner said. "This has become a partisan political game." The program currently covers about 6 million children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid -- the federal health insurance program for the poor -- but who can't afford private insurance. Democrats wanted to extend the program to another 4 million, paying for it with a 61-cent-per-pack increase in the federal tax on cigarettes. "What a sad day that the president would say that rather than insuring [millions of] children, 'I don't want to raise the cigarette tax,' " said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She called for a January 23 vote on whether to override the veto. Meanwhile, Bush called on Congress to extend funding for the current program to keep the 6 million now covered on the rolls. E-mail to a friend . | President Bush: Measure is "essentially identical" to the proposal he vetoed before .
Bill would have expanded the State Children's Health Insurance Program .
Bush: Measure "moves our country's health care system in the wrong direction"
Program covers 6 million children whose parents don't qualify for Medicaid . | {"src": "cnn_dailymail-3.0.0_train", "id": "0c67e8d5a91f3c7d9c53e29b8d0a25cf8db21b54"} | 584 | 72 | 0.549545 | 1.444781 | 0.79885 | 5.533333 | 8.233333 | 0.9 |
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