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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The federal government is establishing a new system for updating medical records of servicemen and women during and after their military careers, President Obama announced Thursday. President Obama made veterans' affairs a big priority in the 2008 campaign and continues to do so. The joint virtual lifetime electronic record will, among other things, help ensure a streamlined transition of health care records between the Pentagon and the Veterans Administration. It will provide "a framework to ensure that all health care providers have all the information they need to deliver high-quality health care while reducing medical errors," the White House said in a background statement. "When a member of the armed forces separates from the military, he or she will no longer have to walk paperwork from a [Defense Department] duty station to a local VA health center. Their electronic records will transition along with them and remain with them forever," Obama said in remarks delivered near the White House. The system will "cut through red tape" and allow new veterans to start receiving their benefits more quickly, he promised. During the announcement, Obama was joined by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. "We welcome this news. ... This is a huge day for veterans and troops," Paul Rieckhoff, head of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, told CNN. "This is a good way for [Obama] to come back from Iraq and make a powerful statement." The White House recently proposed a significant budget increase for the Veterans Administration, including an 11 percent hike in fiscal year 2010. In March, however, the administration abandoned a controversial plan to charge private insurers for treatment of veterans' service-connected ailments. Veterans' representatives and members of Congress angrily opposed the proposal, which White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said was never finalized.
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NEW: "This is a huge day for veterans and troops," chief of veterans group says .
Government is establishing a new system for updating medical records .
Joint virtual lifetime electronic record aims to streamline data between Pentagon, VA .
Obama: System will "cut through red tape," allow new vets to get benefits faster .
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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- A suspected U.S. missile struck a village Wednesday in Pakistan's tribal region, killing three Taliban militants and wounding four others, according to local officials and media reports. People inspect the damage from a suspected U.S. missile strike in northwest Pakistan last month. The strike is the 12th missile attack this year, compared with three attacks during the same period in 2008. The missile -- fired from an unmanned drone -- was targeting a pickup truck carrying suspected militants near the town of Wana in South Waziristan in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, according to Nasim Dawar, an official with the South Waziristan administration. Witnesses and intelligence sources said the drone was flying low and the militants fired at it before the missile strike, Dawar said. Two nearby shops were destroyed in the missile attack, he said. The U.S. military in Afghanistan routinely offers no comment on reported cross-border strikes. However, the United States is the only country operating in the region known to have the capability to launch missiles from drones, which are controlled remotely. Journalists Janullah Hashimzada and Nazar Ul-Islam contributed to this report.
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Witnesses say missile was fired from drone plane flying low over village, official says .
Militants fired back at pilotless drone, according to official in Pakistan's tribal region .
Strike is the 12th this year, compared to just three in same period last year .
U.S. military in Afghanistan routinely doesn't comment on reports of drone attacks .
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(CNN) -- A man who was sought by police in Texas after four children were burned with sulfuric acid has turned himself in, authorities said Monday. Tracy Lynn Escobedo is taken into custody for allegedly burning four children with sulfuric acid. Tracy Lynn Escobedo, 27, called CNN affiliate KXII-TV and asked that a crew videotape him as he turned himself in Sunday. "I would never throw acid at nobody. It was an accident," Escobedo says repeatedly on the video as he surrenders to Cooke County sheriff's deputies. "I ran because I was scared. I hurt my kids. It was an accident. ... I would never hurt my kids. I love them." Escobedo is charged with four counts of injury to a child, the sheriff's office said. The children involved were ages 14, 7, 4, and 18 months, authorities said. In the incident last week near Gainesville, Texas, a container of sulfuric acid ruptured in a pickup truck, police said. Cynthia Stout -- a woman believed to be the mother -- and three of the children were left at a cafe by Escobedo, who took the baby with him, authorities said. Escobedo then gave the baby to another woman, believed to be a relative, at a residence, authorities said. When police arrived at the cafe, Stout attempted to flee and resist arrest, but was taken into custody, authorities said. She was being held on suspicion of child endangerment. It was unclear why sulfuric acid was in the truck. Cooke County Sheriff Michael Compton said all four children are being treated at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas. Speaking to CNN early Monday, Compton said the condition of the 7-year-old "is not very good, I don't think. The others are stable." The state has temporary custody of the children, Compton said.
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Suspect says four children accidentally burned with sulfuric acid .
Tracy Lynn Escobedo's surrender documented by local TV station .
Children hospitalized; three stable, one "not very good," police say .
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(CNN) -- The number of child abuse reports in Jamaica increased dramatically in 2008, the nation's Office of Children's Registry reported Saturday. The office received 3,784 child abuse reports last year, up from only 425 complaints in 2007, a significant increase for a nation with a population of about 2.8 million. OCR Registrar Carla Edie told the Jamaican government news service, JIS, that the people of Jamaica have become "increasingly mindful of their legal responsibility to report such incidents," and are increasingly concerned about child safety, given a recent trend of violence against minors in the country. According to JIS, a police report issued late last year said that, between January 1, 2008 and November 1, 2008, 73 children were murdered and 383 cases of carnal abuse were reported. Flogging and other forms of physical abuse are a part of Jamaican culture, Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne told JIS in an interview. "There are many parents who even threaten to 'murder' their children, even some as young as two years old," Lightbourne said. Regarding official child abuse reports, Edie also said that the large increase can be attributed to growing awareness that the Office of Children's Registry is the department responsible for tracking and acting on such information, and not other government and police agencies that handled those reports in the past. In addition, "if someone has information of suspected child abuse and fails to make a report to the Registry, that person can be charged a maximum fee of $500,000 or-and six months imprisonment," Edie told JIS. In response to increased demand, the OCR will increase its operating hours and staff.
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Child abuse reports in Jamaica have risen dramatically in past year, officials say .
Justice Minister: Flogging, other forms of physical abuse are part of Jamaican culture .
In 2008, 73 children were killed in 10-month span, according to police report .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Packing on the pounds over the holidays? Adam Sandler can sympathize. He recently put on some weight himself. Adam Sandler had to cope with more than just falling gumballs in his latest comedy, "Bedtime Stories." The comedian got buff for the movie "You Don't Mess With the Zohan" (in which he showed a lot of skin), but then he said he let himself go just a bit. "[For 'Zohan'] I worked out like a madman," he told CNN. "And then I started getting fat again." Concern over his physical conditioning led to an unintended consequence -- a broken bone. "[One Saturday] I ate so much food, that I was laying in bed. I was fat as heck and I said, 'I better play some ball.' I went out and played basketball, broke my ankle. I said, 'Maybe I should have stayed fat.' " The mishap occurred as he was filming his latest comedy, "Bedtime Stories." In scenes that involved walking around, Sandler needed a body double. "I'm shooting the movie with the cast on," he said. "We did about six, seven weeks of shooting. If I was standing here and I had to walk to the door, I would stand up [then the camera would cut to] a guy with my outfit on that took the walk." Sandler is on the mend, but he said his ankle is still a little swollen. "Bedtime Stories" opens Christmas Day.
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Adam Sandler wore cast for part of "Bedtime Stories" filming .
Some scenes required a body double after star broke ankle .
Sandler says he let himself go after "You Don't Mess With the Zohan"
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Vladimir Putin spent the Russian New Year boogying to the hits of ABBA after spending $30,000 to fly a tribute band to a lake town north of Moscow. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin flew an ABBA tribute band to Russia for a private concert. According to Bjorn Again founder, Rod Stephen, Putin disco pointed to the ABBA classics "Super Trouper" and "Mamma Mia" at a gathering of only eight guests. Stephen said he received a phone call from the Kremlin prior to Christmas. "It was pretty mad. It was the type of phone call everyone gets everyday from Moscow. I thought someone was taking the piss." Stephen said an agent in Moscow then set the gig up, and he was told it was for Russia's "number two." He said the band were flown to Moscow and then had a nine-hour bus trip to Lake Valdai -- where Putin has held high-level meetings in the past -- on January 22 (the traditional date of Russian New Year's eve). "The band and crew were searched at checkpoints by people with appropriately sized weapons," Stephen said. He said the band played behind a heavy gauze curtain, which made it hard for them to see the audience. However, the could make out Putin's profile and that of the other seven guests. Stephen said it was initially "roaring" at the venue. "When the band started people were sitting on sofas. But then Putin was up and dancing to Super Trouper and Mamma Mia, pointing fingers up and down." The band played for an hour before being shown out as the guests went to watch a fireworks display. Stephen said they were paid $30,000 and their expenses covered. He described it as the "weirdest" gig the band had done. "I've had phone calls from the agency saying 'don't talk to anyone else we are getting grief from the Kremlin,' but there was no non-disclosure contract."
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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has revealed a love for ABBA's hits .
ABBA tribute band founder says he flew group to Russia for private concert .
Rod Stephen says there were only eight people in the audience .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Mandy Moore is getting a license to wed rocker Ryan Adams. Mandy Moore has been with Ryan Adams for about a year. Moore's publicist confirmed Thursday the 24-year-old singer-actress is engaged to marry Adams, 34, who is known for producing rock music with a country influence. Spokeswoman Tracy Bufferd gave no details about wedding plans. Rumors first surfaced almost a year ago that Moore and Adams were dating as paparazzi photos surfaced of the couple out together in Los Angeles. Moore's role as a bride in the 2007 movie "License to Wed" may help her as she moves toward the altar. The romantic comedy featured Robin Williams as "Reverend Frank," who put Moore's character and her fiance through a "marriage preparation course" before they could get hitched in his church. Her first success as a recording artist came in 1999 with her debut album, "So Real," which went platinum with the help of her top 10 single "Candy."
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Singer-actress Mandy Moore engaged to rocker Ryan Adams .
Moore has had top 10 music success, better known for movie roles .
Adams a prolific singer-songwriter as soloist and with Whiskeytown, Cardinals .
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(CNN) -- A Singapore lawmaker was in intensive care Monday after a man set him on fire at a community event, a hospital official told CNN. Seng Han Thong of the ruling People's Action Party underwent skin graft surgery at Singapore General Hospital Monday morning and was in stable condition, said hospital spokeswoman Junaidah Hameed. Seng suffered burns to his face and chest after a man in his 70s came up behind him as he was sitting down for lunch, poured thinner on him and set him on fire, party official George Tan told reporters. An event organizer who rushed to Seng's aid and tried to douse the flames was also injured, the hospital said. Seng had gone to the community center in his parliamentary district to hand out money to residents -- a tradition among many politicians ahead of the Chinese New Year, which falls on January 26 this year. The attacker was a 70-year-old former cab driver who has been in and out of a mental clinic in recent months, the English-language daily newspaper the Straits Times reported. Tan, the party official, said the man had met Seng at several meet-and-greets and complained about "evil spirits in his house." "No matter what the reason is, and whatever condition the person is in, that is no reason to commit such a crime against anyone, not just against an MP [member of parliament]," Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng told reporters at the hospital. Two years ago, Seng was attacked at another community event by another cab driver, the newspaper said. In that incident, the cab driver punched Seng because he was upset that the lawmaker was not helping him get his revoked license reinstated. CNN's Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report.
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Man in his 70s poured thinner on lawmaker and set him on fire while he had lunch .
Seng Han Thong of the ruling People's Action Party is in intensive care .
He suffered burns to his face and chest and underwent skin graft surgery .
Attacker is a former cab driver who has been in a mental clinic, media says .
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Five U.S. soldiers were killed Friday in a suicide bombing in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul -- the single deadliest attack on U.S. troops in more than a year, the U.S. military said. A suicide truck bomber breached the outer security barrier of Iraqi National Police headquarters in southern Mosul, and detonated his explosives, killing eight people and wounding 60 others, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said. A U.S. soldier was also among the wounded, the U.S. military said. The ministry said those killed include five Americans, two Iraqi policemen and an Iraqi soldier. At least two individuals suspected of being involved in the attack were detained, the U.S. military said. It is the deadliest attack on U.S. forces since March 10, 2008, when five U.S. soldiers were killed in a suicide attack in Baghdad. Despite a number of military operations in this volatile city during the past year, Mosul remains one of the most violent places in Iraq. Last year the U.S. military said Mosul was the last urban stronghold of al Qaeda in Iraq. Mosul is the provincial capital of Nineveh and is about 260 miles, or 420 kilometers, north of Baghdad. Watch a suicide bomb attack kills 5 U.S. soldiers » . U.S. and Iraqi military forces plan to pull out of Mosul to allow Iraqi police to control security in the city. But police are not quite ready yet, according to an Iraqi general. "We need to bring the police to the required level. The deadline is the end of July, and it's not enough time to prepare the police," said Gen. Hassan Karim, commander of Nineveh operations for the Iraqi army. "(That) means we'll need U.S. forces to stay in Mosul." CNN's Nic Robertson contributed to this report .
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NEW: Attack is deadliest on U.S. forces in more than a year .
Suicide bomber explodes truck at national police headquarters in Mosul .
Five Americans among eight dead; 60 others wounded .
Mosul, 260 miles north of Baghdad, called last urban stronghold of al Qaeda in Iraq .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton had $6.4 million in presidential campaign debt at the end of November, according to a report filed Saturday with the Federal Election Commission. Hillary Clinton says she hopes to have her campaign debt paid before her possible confirmation as secretary of state. The amount, though still significant, represents the lowest level of debt the New York senator's failed presidential campaign has reported this year. Clinton's campaign debt reached its peak, $12 million, at the end of June and has gradually fallen since then. Clinton said she hopes to pay off her debt before her possible confirmation as secretary of state. Clinton has also officially forgiven the $13.2 million she personally loaned her campaign. Under the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, presidential candidates who loan their campaigns money from personal funds may only be paid back if they do so by the national party convention -- in this case, the Democratic National Convention held last August in Denver. Clinton began November with $985,000 in her campaign account and raised nearly $290,000 by the end of the month. Her campaign paid out $1.2 million, mainly to unpaid vendors, ending the month with $188,000 in the bank. The $6.4 million in remaining debt is owed to a total of 16 creditors. The largest unpaid amount is owed to Penn, Schoen & Berland, a political consulting and polling firm that advised Clinton during her presidential bid. The firm's president, Mark Penn, served as chief strategist to Clinton for most of her campaign until he was forced out of his position in April after revelations that he lobbied for a U.S.-Colombia trade deal on behalf of the Colombian government despite Clinton's opposition to the measure. However, he never left the campaign entirely.
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Hillary Clinton still owes more than $6 million in presidential campaign debt .
Clinton has officially forgiven the $13.2 million personal loan to her campaign .
She hopes to have debt paid before her possible confirmation as secretary of state .
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(CNN) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has added his brother-in-law to a military board in a move analysts say paves the way for an heir, according to South Korea's state-sponsored Yonhap news agency. Kim Jong-il has named his brother-in-law Jang Song Thaek to a top military board. The addition of his kin to the powerful National Defense Commission also solidifies his standing, Yonhap said. Kim was reappointed Thursday as chairman of the military board in his first major public appearance since a reported stroke in August. His brother-in-law, Jang Song Thaek, is considered his right-hand man, according to Yonhap. Jang, who has been married to Kim's sister since 1972, currently serves as a director of the Workers' Party, Yonhap said. "Kim wants to keep the military in check and secure loyalty to both the military and the party," Cha Doo-hyeogn, a North Korea expert, told Yonhap. Kim also increased the number of members in the military agency to 13, from eight, Yonhap said. "Overall, the power of the National Defense Commission was strengthened," Seoul's Unification Ministry spokesman, Kim Ho-nyoun, told Yonhap in a briefing. There were no other major changes in the new parliament, which signifies that Kim, 67, is prepared to maintain the status quo as he readies someone to take over from him, analysts told Yonhap. Kim's recent health problems and long absence from public functions have prompted speculation on whether he is ready to groom an heir to the world's only communist dynasty. But the secretive nation shields its internal affairs from international scrutiny. Analysts told Yonhap that Jang may serve as caretaker for Kim's successor, who will possibly be one of his three sons.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-il added his brother-in-law to a military board .
Analysts say move paves the way for an heir to be named .
Jang Song Thaek is considered to be Kim's right-hand man .
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(CNN) -- Incumbent leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika has won a third term in office after a landslide victory in Algeria's presidential election, media reports said Friday. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika arrives to cast his vote at a school in Algiers. Bouteflika's victory came despite calls from his political opponents for voters to boycott the polls. They claim the election was a charade, with the other presidential candidates -- from left-wing parties to Islamists -- standing no real chance. The 72-year-old was elected with over 90 percent of the vote, Reuters.com quoted the official in charge of organizing Thursday's presidential election as saying. "Bouteflika has won ... 90.24 percent of the votes cast," Interior Minister Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni told a news conference. Algerian lawmakers, most of them loyal to the president, cleared the way for him to stand for re-election last year by abolishing constitutional term limits. Critics said that would allow him to serve as president-for-life. Supporters of Bouteflika say he deserves credit for steering the North African country, an oil and gas producer, back to stability after a bloody civil conflict in the 1990s that killed an estimated 150,000 people. But critics say he is using the threat of renewed violence from Islamic militants to mask the country's deepening economic problems. "I continue to regard the restoration of civil peace as a national priority, as long as hotbeds of tension and pockets of subversion survive," Bouteflika, running for a third term, said in his final campaign speech on Monday, Reuters.com reported. He has also promised to spend $150 billion on development projects and create 3 million jobs, his remedy for an economy in which energy accounts for about 96 percent of exports but where other sectors have been choked by red tape and under-investment.
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Bouteflika, 72, win third term comfortably with 90 percent of vote .
Lawmakers abolished constitutional term limits last year .
Political opponents claim vote was a charade .
Algeria is fighting an Islamic insurgency and an ailing economy .
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(CNN) -- Japan is grappling with its worst economic crisis since the end of World War II, the nation's economic and fiscal policy minister said Monday. A businessman walks past a homeless man taking a nap at a Tokyo park. The comments from Kaoru Yosano followed news of Japan's gross domestic product falling 12.7 percent in the fourth quarter in 2008. "This is the worst economic crisis in the post-war era," Yosano said at a press conference, according to Japan's Kyodo news agency. The global economic crisis has pummeled Japan, which depends largely on its auto and electronics exports. The slump in exports has led to tens of thousands of layoffs across Japan. "Behind [the contraction in GDP for] the October-December quarter is a terrific downturn in exports," he said, according to Kyodo. "Like other major countries, our country cannot avoid the pains of structural change," Yosano said. To stimulate the economy, the Japanese parliament needs to act quickly on key budget measures, he said, referring to bills related to a second supplementary budget for fiscal 2008 and early passage of the state budget for fiscal 2009. Asked about Japan possibly producing a new economic stimulus plan in the short term, Yosano said wide-ranging discussions would be needed first. "After seeing this level [of GDP], it is our duty to think of various policy options," he added.
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Economic and fiscal policy minister says worst economic crisis since end of WWII .
Japan's gross domestic product fell 12.7 percent in the fourth quarter in 2008 .
A slump in exports has led to tens of thousands of layoffs across Japan .
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(CNN) -- Todd Palin and nine aides were found in contempt Friday by the Alaska Senate for failing to appear to testify in the Legislature's "troopergate" investigation of his wife, Gov. Sarah Palin, a spokeswoman for the Alaska Democratic Party said. Todd Palin, shown campaigning in Virginia in 2008, didn't testify, but submitted a statement in the case. But a Senate resolution said no one should be punished, because the 10 did submit statements to the investigator, the Anchorage Daily News reported. The governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The investigation concerns the governor's firing of the state's public safety commissioner, Walter Monegan. A bipartisan commission in the state Legislature investigated allegations that Palin fired Monegan after he refused to sack her ex-brother-in-law, State Trooper Mike Wooten. The governor, first elected in 2006, has denied wrongdoing. In court papers, Palin called her sister's ex-husband a "rogue trooper" who threatened the governor's family during a bitter divorce and custody battle. Complaints from Palin's family led to a five-day suspension for the trooper in 2006 after his superiors found he had illegally shot a moose using his wife's permit, drove his patrol car while drinking beer and used a Taser on his 10-year-old stepson "in a training capacity." In an interview last year, Wooten said, "I made mistakes. I 'fessed up to them. I was punished appropriately, and I'm moving on." Palin was Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona's running mate in his unsuccessful campaign last year for U.S. president.
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Todd Palin, nine aides found in contempt by Alaska Senate for failing to appear .
The 10 won't be punished because they submitted statements, newspaper says .
Legislature's "troopergate" investigation concerns firing of public safety chief .
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(CNN) -- A 24-year-old teacher from Holyoke, Massachusetts, is in custody after allegedly leaving town with a 15-year-old student, city officials said Tuesday. Lisa Lavoie, a 24-year-old teacher, is charged with enticement of a child. Lisa Lavoie and the male student were found in Morgantown, West Virginia, Monday night after apparently being together for a week, Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan said. Investigators have charged Lavoie with enticement of a child. On February 13, the student's parents informed school officials of a possible relationship between the teacher and their son. That was late on a Friday afternoon, and when officials went to the school to question Lavoie, she was gone for the day. The next week was a vacation week for the school. The student was reported missing on February 16, at the start of the vacation week. Lavoie wasn't reported missing until she didn't show up for school Monday. Officials said the pair were in Vermont on Thursday before showing up in West Virginia on Monday. No details were provided on how their alleged movements were traced. Officials couldn't take the pair into custody until after gathering enough evidence to obtain a warrant from the district attorney's office, said Holyoke Police Chief Anthony Scott. They got the warrant Monday and asked police in Morgantown to arrest Lavoie. She has been placed on administrative leave pending conclusion of the investigation, Sullivan said. If convicted, Lavoie could lose her teaching license in Massachusetts, the mayor said. She has been with the school only five months and her job is not protected under contract, he said.
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A missing teacher and her 15-year-old student were found in West Virginia Monday .
Police say the two were together during a weeklong vacation .
The teacher, 24-year-old Lisa Lavoie, has been suspended pending an investigation .
Investigators have charged Lavoie, of Massachusetts, with enticement of a child .
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(CNN) -- Staffers at a federal prison in central Florida fired shots to break up a large-scale fight that sent eight inmates to hospital emergency rooms Sunday afternoon, officials said. Eight inmates were injured Sunday in a fight at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Florida, officials said. Authorities did not say what led to the fight at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County. A statement from the prison said one inmate suffered a gunshot wound, but did not say whether the person was struck by a prison staff member's bullet. The other seven were "stabbing/shooting victims," said a spokesman for Orlando Regional Medical Center, where the inmates were taken. The hospital did not elaborate. No prison staffers were seriously hurt in the incident, which the FBI is investigating, said Charles Ratledge, spokesman for the prison. The fight broke out in the recreation yard of the United States Penitentiary No. 2, a high-security facility, about 2:20 p.m. The Coleman complex consists of four institutions. The other three facilities -- another U.S. penitentiary, a medium-security and a low-security facility -- were not affected, said Bureau of Prison spokeswoman Traci Billingsley. "The inmates ignored staff orders to stop their assaultive behavior, and shots were fired by institution staff to prevent possible loss of life," Ratledge said. Five medical evacuation helicopters -- three from the hospital -- landed at the prison and transported the injured inmates on the 15- to 20-minute flight to Orlando Regional, hospital spokesman Joe Brown said. The prison complex is in near Coleman in Sumter County, about 50 miles northwest of Orlando, Florida. The community was never endangered by the fight, U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney said. CNN's Nick Valencia, Susan Candiotti and Terry Frieden contributed to this report.
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NEW: Staffers had to fire shots to break up large-scale fight, officials say .
Eight inmates wounded, one by gunshot, at prison complex in Florida, officials say .
Officials: Fight happened at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex's recreation yard .
No staff members were hurt during the brawl, spokeswoman says .
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(CNN) -- Two crew members were taken to a hospital after a FedEx cargo plane crashed on landing Tuesday morning at the Lubbock, Texas, airport, officials said. A damaged FedEx ATR-42 lies beside a runway early Tuesday at the Lubbock, Texas, airport. The injuries appeared to be minor, said James Loomis, director of Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport. There was a small fire on the plane, the Federal Aviation Administration and FedEx spokeswoman Sandra Munoz said. Munoz said she was not sure about the extent of the damage. The plane is an ATR-42 twin-turboprop aircraft and landed short of the touchdown zone at 4:37 a.m. CT (5:47 ET), Loomis said. Munoz said the plane had been traveling from Fort Worth Alliance Airport and skidded off the runway amid light freezing rain. iReport.com: Are you there? Send photos, video . Neither official could immediately say what caused the accident, and Munoz didn't know why parts of the plane caught fire. The plane was operated by Empire Airways, which is under contract with FedEx Corp., based in Memphis, Tennessee.
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Fire reported as plane goes off runway in freezing rain at Lubbock, Texas, airport .
Two crew members hospitalized with apparently minor injuries, official says .
ATR-42 twin-turboprop operated by Empire Airways under lease to FedEx .
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(CNN) -- The body of a tourist was found off the coast of Thailand Tuesday, but six others remain missing after a ferry sank over the weekend near a popular diving destination, authorities said. Survivors of the ferry sinking disembark the Thai police boat that rescued them. The body is believed to be that of Austrian tourist Gabrielle Jetzinger, the Phuket Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office told the Thai News Agency. A Thai naval helicopter spotted the body floating face down about 12 nautical miles from Phuket's Promthep cape, and a Thai navy patrol retrieved the floating corpse. The body has been sent to a government hospital for an autopsy, the agency reported. Authorities are still searching for the five tourists and one crew member who remain missing. They are thought to be German, Austrian, Japanese, Swiss and one Thai crew member, the news agency said. The tourist boat, the Choke Somboon 19, was taking passengers from the Similan Islands to Phuket -- an area popular with tourists from around the world. It capsized during a heavy storm Sunday night, said Lt. Sattawat Srirattanapong with the Phuket City police. Survivors included 15 international tourists and eight Thais, who were picked up by a rescue boat Monday morning. Phuket and the Similan Islands are famous for their diving spots, attracting international tourists each year from November to May.
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Body thought to be of Austrian tourist found off Thai coast .
Five tourists, one crew member still missing after ferry sank at the weekend .
Body was spotted by Thai rescue helicopter near Phuket's Promthep cape .
The ferry sank during heavy storm about 12 miles from shore .
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(CNN) -- California's Supreme Court said Wednesday that it will hear the appeal of a challenge to Proposition 8, a voter-approved measure outlawing same-sex marriage. California's voter-approved measure banning same-sex marriage has sparked protests throughout the state. In a written statement, the court said it will not block the implementation or enforcement of the law in the meantime. Proposition 8 passed with about 52.5 percent of the vote, making California one of several states to ban same-sex marriage in the November 4 elections. But unlike the other states, California had already been issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples since May, after a state Supreme Court ruling legalized the unions. The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed legal challenges to the vote, asking the high court to rule the ballot-initiative process was "improperly used" to strip away a right protected by the state constitution. iReport.com: Share your view on same-sex marriage . The court said arguments in the case could be heard as early as March. In its May 15 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in California, the justices seemed to signal that a ballot initiative like Proposition 8 might not be enough to change the underlying constitutional issues of the case in the court's eyes. The ruling said the right to marry is among a set of basic human rights "so integral to an individual's liberty and personal autonomy that they may not be eliminated or abrogated by the legislature or by the electorate through the statutory initiative process." In the hours after the proposition's apparent passage, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Los Angeles and other cities across California in protest. Observances in support of same-sex marriage were held in cities across the country Saturday.
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Three groups file challenge to Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage .
Groups say ballot initiative "improperly used" to strip away state constitutional right .
Court says it will not interfere with enforcement of the law before it hears appeal .
State Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in May 15 ruling .
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(CNN) -- Canada's public radio is asking listeners to pick 49 songs that will "best define" the country to the incoming president of its southern neighbor. Canadians are voting on the 49 songs that best define their nation, for President-elect Barack Obama's benefit. Online voting for "49 Songs from North of the 49th Parallel" ends Friday, and CBC Radio 2 will unveil and play the picks on the day of Barack Obama's presidential inauguration Tuesday. "One of the best ways to know Canada is through the depth and breath of our artistic expression," Denise Donion, CBC's executive director, said on the station's web site. Obama's taste in music runs the gamut from old-school R&B to blues and classical. "His playlist could definitely benefit from some Canadian content," the station said. Listeners can pick from 100 songs. They range from classical (Montreal Symphony Orchestra), to classic rock (The Band, Rush), to more contemporary fare (Feist, Arcade Fire). You can check out the entire list at http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/obamasplaylist/ .
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CBC Radio 2 asks listeners to pick 49 songs that best define Canada .
They're building playlist so Barack Obama can better understand neighbor to north .
Options have wide range: classical, classic rock, contemporary fare .
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(The Frisky) -- Here are some things that it's okay to lie about: . "I can totally do a headstand in yoga class." 1. The number of sexual partners you've had plus or minus five . 2. That you totally just washed your hands . 3. That the reason for your bags is not, in fact, that you were out late partying but that you were up late reading "Twilight" 4. That you're naturally toned . 5. How much you paid for that (ridiculously cheap) pair of shoes . 6. How much you paid for that (ridiculously expensive) bag . 7. That you're not planning on seeing "Marley & Me" 8. That your favorite magazine is, duh, The New Yorker . 9. That you can not do a headstand in yoga class . 10. That you made that lasagna yourself . 11. Your height and weight on your driver's license . 12. That this is your natural hair color . 13. That you totally read "The Feminine Mystique" and it changed your life . 14. That you stayed at work a full hour after your boss left . 15. That you didn't just fart right now . 16. That you don't know all the lyrics to "I'll Make Love To You" by Boyz II Men . 17. That of course you floss every day, Dr. Smith! 18. That you never ever, ever look at so-and-so's Facebook page! 19. That you just love your friend's boyfriend/husband . 20. That you really adore that pink sweater and thanks so much Grandma! 21. That you always recycle . 22. That you had only one glass of wine last night not five because that would be excessive . 23. That your current boyfriend is totally the best sex of your life . 24. That you're not the jealous type . 25. That you read all sections of the paper, not just the Style and Entertainment sections . TM & © 2009 TMV, Inc. | All Rights Reserved .
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You can lie about your height and weight on your driver's license .
Tell people you made the lasagna yourself .
Feel free to lie about your natural hair color -- or your eye color .
Of course you don't know all the lyrics to "I'll Make Love To You" by Boyz II Men .
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(CNN) -- President Hugo Chavez on Thursday ordered the nationalization of the Banco de Venezuela "to put it at the service of Venezuela" after denying approval for its sale. President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela says the banks owners aren't interested in selling but he's buying anyway. The leftist president said in a televised address to the nation that he heard "a few months ago" that the bank's Spanish owner -- Grupo de Santander -- was planning to sell the bank, which was privatized a few years ago, to a Venezuelan banker. The banker had asked the Venezuelan government for permission needed to complete the deal, Chavez said. "I sent a message to the Spaniards: No. And to the Venezuelan banker: No," Chavez said. "Now the government wants to buy the bank, wants to recover it, because it's called the Bank of Venezuela, to put it at the service of Venezuela." Chavez said he was told Wednesday that the owners now were no longer interested in selling. "So now I am telling them I am interested in buying. We are going to nationalize the Banco de Venezuela." In a written statement issued Friday, Banco de Santander said it had planned to sell the bank to a Venezuelan private investors group, but "found afterward that the Venezuelan government was interested in [acquiring] Banco de Venezuela, and conversations are under way to that effect."
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Banco de Venezuela's Spanish owner asked for permission to sell, Chavez says .
Chavez refused prospective buyer and seller's request for sale .
Bank now will be "at the service of Venezuela," Chavez says .
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Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the "Cutting through the Bull" segment of Thursday night's broadcast. CNN's Campbell Brown says John Thain, according to CNBC, spent $28,000 on curtains. (CNN) -- John Thain, the former CEO of Merrill Lynch, resigned Thursday from the company that bought Merrill out, Bank of America. As far as we can tell, his departure couldn't come soon enough. Not long ago, Thain was credited with keeping Merrill alive long enough to be rescued. Now we learn the man who asked for, then quickly withdrew, his request for a $10 million bonus still managed to live large while Merrill teetered on the brink and workers paid the price. According to CNBC, Thain spent more than $1.2 million in company funds to spruce up his office, hiring a world-class designer to decorate in full decadence. The list includes an $87,000 "area rug," $28,000 for curtains, a $68,000 credenza and the perfect finishing touch: a $1,400 wastebasket. This is what passes for corporate responsibility? CEO John Thain: picking out fancy new curtains while the walls are tumbling down. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Campbell Brown.
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Brown: Departure of John Thain couldn't come soon enough .
Thain, former CEO of Merrill Lynch, has resigned from Bank of America .
Before he left, Thain reportedly spent more than $1.2 million to spruce up his office .
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(CNN) -- Two people were shot and killed Friday at a community college in Dearborn, Michigan, in what police believe was a murder-suicide, an official said. The Henry Ford Community College campus in Dearborn, Michigan, was locked down after the shooting. A man and woman were found dead in a classroom building on the campus of Henry Ford Community College, Dearborn Deputy Chief Gregg Brighton said. Investigators believe the man shot the woman but would not provide further information, Brighton said. A shotgun was involved in the incident, which occurred in a classroom that was not being used, he said. "We're in the very preliminary stages," Brighton said. "We've just made the scene safe. The crime lab is on the scene with detectives." Watch Brighton describe the scene » . Police responding to a report of gunfire at the school had entered the south hallway of the Fine Arts Building when they heard another gunshot, Brighton said. "We were in the building when we heard the shotgun blast, and when we finally got to that room, we had two deceased parties," he said at a news conference. "We believe this is a murder-suicide." The campus was briefly in lockdown and will remain closed for the rest of the Friday, a school official said. The school's emergency system immediately notified students, faculty and staff about the shooting via e-mail and cell phone, said Marjorie Swan, vice president and controller of the college. "Our hearts go out to the family and the friends of the young woman who lost her life today," Swan said.
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NEW: Police believe man shot woman in murder-suicide .
NEW: School offers condolences to "young woman who lost her life today"
Man, woman found dead in classroom building at Henry Ford Community College .
Scene is contained, campus will remain closed for rest of Friday .
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(CNN) -- Actor Bruce Willis married model-actress Emma Heming over the weekend in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the actor's publicists announced. It is the second marriage for actor Bruce Willis, 54, and the first for model-actress Emma Heming, 30. A small, private ceremony was held at the actor's home in the islands in the West Indies on Saturday, according to publicists Rogers and Cowan. It is the second marriage for Willis, 54, and the first for Heming, 30. The couple met through friends and have been together for more than a year, the publicists said. At the wedding were Willis' daughters, Rumer, 20; Scout, 17; and Tallulah Belle, 14. Their mother and Willis' first wife, actress Demi Moore and her husband, actor Ashton Kutcher, also attended the ceremony. Willis and Heming will have a civil ceremony when they return to California, the publicists said.
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A small, private ceremony was held at the actor's home in the West Indies .
Willis and Heming will have a civil ceremony when they return to California .
Willis' first wife, Demi Moore and her husband, Ashton Kutcher, attended the wedding .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Grammy-winning rapper Coolio was charged Tuesday with possession of cocaine and a smoking device, and battery against an airport screener who allegedly found the illegal drugs in his luggage, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's office. Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" was used in the movie "Dangerous Minds." Coolio -- whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr. -- was arrested Friday while attempting to board a flight at Los Angeles International Airport, the office said in a written statement. "At one point, Ivey allegedly grabbed a screener's arm to prevent the search," the statement said. Coolio, 45, was freed on bail and ordered to appear in court for arraignment April 3, it said. He is best known for his 1995 hip-hop hit "Gangsta's Paradise." Efforts to reach his publicist were unsuccessful.
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Grammy winner Coolio arrested at Los Angeles International Airport .
He is accused of possessing illegal drugs, paraphernalia .
Police say he grabbed screener's arm to prevent search of luggage .
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(CNN) -- Another body was found in the same 92-acre parcel west of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the remains of 10 other people have been discovered, police said Thursday. An Albuquerque, New Mexico, police forensics team member digs at the burial site. The latest discovery was made Tuesday, and the remains were recovered Wednesday, Albuquerque police spokesman John Walsh said. Like the others, it was sent to the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, he said. A woman walking her dog found the first bodies earlier this month on the property, which had been graded in preparation for development. The graves are on about 10 acres, police spokeswoman Nadine Hamby said earlier, but that area keeps expanding. So far, 11 bodies have been found, including those of a first-trimester fetus with those of a pregnant woman. Police believe the bodies were buried sometime in the earlier part of the decade, Walsh said Thursday. Authorities have identified two of the remains, Walsh said. Body No. 8 belongs to Gina Valdez, who was born in 1982, he said. Valdez was pregnant, and the remains of her fetus were with her. Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz told reporters that Valdez had a prior criminal history that included arrests for prostitution and drug charges, according to CNN affiliate KRQE-TV. Earlier, police had identified another set of remains as belonging to Victoria Chavez, a prostitute and drug user who was last seen in 2003 and reported missing in 2004. Authorities are investigating how the two women's paths may have crossed, Walsh said. Valdez's father, Dan Valdez, told KRQE she was 22 when he reported her missing four years ago. Despite her rough lifestyle, he said, "she was my daughter and didn't deserve to be buried in the desert." Hamby said earlier there is housing south and east of the vacant land. After rain caused flooding, surrounding neighbors complained to the developer, who made culverts to divert the water, apparently bringing the first remains to the surface.
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NEW: Eleventh body found at site west of Albuquerque, New Mexico .
One body found earlier has been identified as a prostitute reported missing in 2004 .
First bodies were discovered two weeks ago by a woman walking her dog .
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GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala (CNN) -- Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom said Friday that government prosecutors are trying to determine who put microphones and video cameras in the presidential palace. Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom: "Organized crime" may be behind cameras found in the presidential palace. "It's a serious allegation, it has never happened before in Guatemala," he told CNN en Español. He said he did not know who was responsible for the breach of security, but added, "One of the possibilities is organized crime." He said "a lot of people" had access to the palace and his office. Colom noted that Mexican President Felipe Calderon's anti-narcotrafficking efforts may have pressured drug cartels to move their smuggling to other countries, including Guatemala. Calderon said in June that his campaign against drug traffickers was working. Mexico has seized more cocaine and money from drug cartels than anywhere else in the world and this summer Mexican authorities seized at least 16,000 arms, including more than 1,000 grenades. Colom said Friday that he has already taken measures to ensure his security and that of his family. The president said that the discovery of the microphones and cameras explain, to him, some strange experiences he's had recently. He said he was in his office when the Guatemalan military called him and asked permission to seize a plane suspected of carrying illegal drugs. Within moments of approving the action, the plane disappeared. He is convinced the call was being monitored. Colom took office in January and is Guatemala's first leftist president in 53 years. CNN's Claudia Palacios contributed to this report.
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President Alvaro Colom says microphones, cameras found in palace .
He says "organized crime" may be involved .
Mexico's anti-trafficking campaign may have pushed criminals to Guatemala, he says .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Some of the security officials at this weekend's Super Bowl will be scrutinizing the body language and demeanor of fans as part of the effort to spot suspicious and possibly dangerous people in the crowd. Fans take in the sights Thursday at the NFL Experience at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The Transportation Security Administration says it will have several teams of behavior-detection officers working with local police in Tampa, Florida, as an added security measure for the high-profile game. TSA spokesman Christopher White said that the officers are being sent at the request of the local police and the FBI, and that it's the first time such officers are assisting with a major sports event. "Unlike technology, the human detection officers can be anywhere," White said. "They can be completely unobtrusive." The TSA officers will be wearing their uniforms and working in teams with police along the stadium's security perimeter but won't work inside the stadium as fans watch the game. They'll also be around key hotels associated with the Super Bowl, the airport and other transportation centers in Tampa. Watch what goes on at Super Bowl media day » . According to White, if a TSA officer observes someone displaying unusual behavior, a local police officer will follow up by questioning the person. This month, the TSA also held a four-hour training session on behavior detection for about 100 Tampa-area police. The TSA officers themselves undergo an initial seven days of training before being paired with experienced officers and having follow-up training. Barry Steinhardt of the American Civil Liberties Union said such behavior screening is a bad idea. "There is no scientific evidence behavior profiling works to pick out terrorists or criminals," Steinhardt said. The TSA uses behavior screening daily at airports. White said officers also have helped out at such high-profile events as last week's presidential inauguration and the Republican and Democratic national conventions.
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TSA will scan body language and demeanor of fans attending big game .
TSA says behavior-detection officers will work in tandem with Tampa police .
ACLU says there's no hard proof that such screening works .
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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Florida Law enforcement officials said Monday they had launched an investigation into a tragic boating accident near St. Augustine, Florida, that took the lives of five people and seriously injured seven others. CNN affiliate WJXT shows the scene of the deadly boating accident near Jacksonville, Florida, on Sunday. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has taken over as the lead agency involved in the investigation. The incident took place on Sunday around 7:15 p.m., in the intracoastal waterway in St. Johns County, Florida, about 20 miles north of St. Augustine. According to FWC investigators, a 22-foot boat with 12 people on board rammed into the rear and right side of a 25-foot tugboat. "We are still investigating and haven't come to any conclusions yet," said Carol Pratt, spokeswoman for FWC. She said they still do not know who was driving the boat. They also are waiting for victims' next of kin to be notified before releasing any of their names and ages. The tugboat was at a dock and boat launch under construction on the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Valley, said Jeremy Robshaw, a spokesman for St. Johns County Fire and Rescue. Robshaw said rescuers couldn't initially reach the end of the unfinished dock, but laid plywood sheets on the structure to get to crash victims. No one was onboard the tugboat, which is registered to F&A Enterprises in St. Augustine. The seven injured were taken to Shands Jacksonville Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. Two patients remain in critical condition, one is considered serious and three are in fair condition. A hospital spokesman did not have information on the seventh victim. FWC told CNN that they hope to release more information on the incident and on their investigation. As in any accident, toxicology studies will be done on the driver of the boat, to determine whether he or she was impaired, spokesman Carol Pratt told CNN.
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Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission takes lead in the investigation.
Boat crashed into tugboat, barge and dock under construction .
Five people killed; remaining seven taken to hospital with serious injuries .
Rescuers had to use plywood panels to reach the passengers .
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(CNN) -- A man with a pistol killed one person and wounded three others at a cafe in the Dutch city of Rotterdam on Saturday morning, a police spokesman said. Police officers stand next to the body of the victim killed by the cafe gunman in Rotterdam. Patrons at the cafe managed to capture the shooter, a 45-year-old man, and hold him until police arrived, Rotterdam Police spokesman Gerde Jung told CNN. Police arrested the man and recovered his weapon, Jung said. The shooting was probably the the result of a quarrel the man had earlier, but details of that argument were unclear, Jung said. All of the victims were male, he said.
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Gunman shoots one person dead, wounds three others at a Rotterdam cafe .
Patrons at the cafe manage to capture the 45-year-old man .
Police: Shooting was probably the the result of a quarrel .
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(CNN) -- A roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan killed a female Canadian soldier and wounded four other troops, the Canadian military said Tuesday. Trooper Karine Blais, 21, is the second Canadian female soldier to die in Afghanistan. Trooper Karine Blais was killed Monday when the troops' armored vehicle struck the bomb. The attack occurred north of Kandahar in the Shah Wali Kowt District of Kandahar province. Blais' death was the 117th Canadian troop fatality in the Afghan war, and she is the second Canadian female soldier killed in Afghanistan. The first, Capt. Nichola Goddard, was killed in a May 2006 firefight with insurgents in Kandahar province, where Canadian troops have been based during the conflict. Brig. Gen. Jonathan Vance, commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, called the 21-year-old Blais "an energetic soldier who gave 100 percent to every challenge she faced using a unique sense of humor based on her honesty and frankness." Vance said Blais "demonstrated the qualities of a future leader" and was "respected by all members of her squadron." "Our thoughts are with the friends and family of our fallen comrade during this difficult time," the Canadian Forces said in a news release. "All members of Task Force Kandahar are thinking of the family and friends of our fallen comrades during this sad time. We will not forget their sacrifice as we continue to bring security and hope to the people of Kandahar province." Blais, from the 12th Canadian Armored Regiment at Valcartier, Quebec, near Quebec City, was serving with the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22th Regiment Battle Group. A chopper evacuated the four other troops to a medical facility at Kandahar airfield. Before Monday's attack, the last Canadian deaths in Afghanistan occurred March 20 when four soldiers were killed in two roadside bombings.
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Female soldier killed, four other troops wounded in roadside bombing .
Karine Blais, 21, is second Canadian female soldier killed in Afghanistan .
There have been 117 Canadian troop deaths in the Afghan war .
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(CNN) -- The Dutch-based finance and insurance group ING is cutting up to 7,000 staff in an effort to help save $1.4 billion. The Dutch financial giant ING is cutting up to 7,000 jobs this year in an effort to save $1.4 billion. It also announced Monday that CEO, Michel Tilmant, was stepping down. Tilmant will continue to serve ING as an adviser until his retirement in August, ING said in a statement. His designated replacement is Jan Hommen, currently chairman of ING's supervisory board. Shareholders must still approve Hommen's transition to CEO. In October, the Dutch government injected $13.4 billion into ING to shore the company caught in the global financial crisis.
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Dutch-based finance and insurance group ING is cutting up to 7,000 staff .
Move part of effort to help save $1.4 billion over the next year .
It also announced Monday that CEO, Michel Tilmant, was stepping down.
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- A 31-year-old Ecuadorean man who was beaten last Sunday in what New York City authorities say may have been a hate crime has died at a Queens hospital, his brother said Saturday. Jose Sucuzhanay was beaten after leaving a party at a Catholic church. Jose Sucuzhanay and his brother, Romel, had left a party on December 7 at St. Brigid's Roman Catholic Church when several men approached them in a car in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, police said. The men allegedly began shouting anti-gay and anti-Latino vulgarities at the two men. Jose Sucuzhanay suffered severe head trauma and was taken to Elmhurst Hospital. He died Friday night from his injuries. Romel Sucuzhanay, 38, escaped with minor scrapes and has talked with detectives on the case. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said she was "horrified to learn that anti-LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual) and anti-Latino slurs were used by one or more of the assailants, raising this event to the level of a hate crime." Watch how attack has outraged the Latino community » . Quinn said she was in touch with the NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force. According to police, however, the attack has not been categorized as a hate crime. "This is a wake-up call and shows how far we still must come to address the devastating problem of hate crimes in our communities," said Diego Sucuzhanay, Jose's brother, in a written statement. "Only by exposing these crimes and working together will we be able to make a difference." No arrests have been made in the case. Police are offering a $22,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the attack. Sucuzhanay's mother arrived Saturday in New York from the family's home outside Quito, Ecuador, only to learn that he son had died, said family spokesman Francisco Moya. He said the victim had lived in the United States for more than a decade and was a legal resident, working as a real estate broker. A news conference is expected to be held Sunday afternoon.
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Immigrant dies from injuries sustained in possible bias attack .
Jose Sucuzhanay, brother assaulted by group of men after leaving party .
Group allegedly yelled anti-gay, anti-Latino vulgarities at men .
Mother learned of son's death shortly after arriving from Ecuador .
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- The number of homicides in New York City rose about four percent in 2008 compared with the previous year, preliminary figures from the city's police department showed. There were 516 homicides in New York City in 2008, according to preliminary police figures. The NYPD's CompStat data showed 516 homicides in the city last year, up from 496 in 2007. That's still a dramatic change from 1990, when 2,262 homicides earned New York the title of "murder capital" of the nation. Though the figures are subject to change, the 2008 tally also represents a drop from the 596 homicides investigated in New York in 2006. The NYPD, which began compiling the report in 1963, cited its Operation Impact as a chief reason for the improvement in recent years. The operation places more uniformed officers in concentrated areas where crime rates are high, the NYPD said.
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There were 516 homicides in the city last year, up from 496 in 2007 .
That's still a dramatic change from 1990, when there were 2,262 homicides .
The NYPD cites its Operation Impact as a chief reason for the improvement .
The operation places more uniformed officers in areas where crime rates are high .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- British military officials on Sunday said Prince William had not breached any rules when he used a Royal Air Force helicopter to drop in at his girlfriend's house. Chinhook helicopters are normally used for transporting troops and equipment in war zones. The prince, second in line to the throne, landed a Chinook helicopter -- normally used for transporting troops -- in a field next to the home of Kate Middleton, according to the News of the World tabloid. The paper said the trip had caused fury among some in the military who saw it as a waste of time and money at a time when British forces are thinly-stretched, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defense said the maneuver was part of a planned training exercise designed to help the prince learn to fly in combat situations. "Battlefield helicopter crews routinely practice landing in fields and confined spaces away from their airfields as a vital part of their training for operations," a statement said. "These highly honed skills are used daily in conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan." The Ministry said that due to a shortage of landing fields available for practice, an offer to land near the Middleton house on April 3 was readily accepted. It said no one got on or off the aircraft, which spent 20 seconds on the ground. Britain's air forces have already come under criticism for allowing William, 25, to fly a Chinook to attend a bachelor party, accompanied by his brother, Prince Harry. William, a second lieutenant in the British Army, graduated as a pilot earlier this month following a detachment to the Royal Air Force. E-mail to a friend .
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Prince William drops in at girlfriend's house using RAF Chinook .
Ministry of Defense says operation was standard training procedure .
Newspaper says the landing has angered some in the military .
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(CNN) -- The first guests checked back into the Taj Mahal Palace and the Oberoi-Trident hotels Sunday, marking the reopening of the two luxury venues damaged by terrorist attacks in Mumbai last month. Guests arrive Sunday at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai. Along with new guests, the hotels' five restaurants were booked with diners, representatives of the Taj Mahal said. "Today has been an incredibly moving day. The Taj has been reopened, after a massive concerted effort, in dedication to all of those who lost their lives in the attacks on Mumbai," said Ratan Tata, the chairman of the company that owns the the Taj Mahal Palace hotel. Representatives at the Oberoi-Trident marked the reopening of that hotel with a multi-religion prayer meeting. Watch as the Taj Mahal hotel reopens . "All the 550 guest rooms, including the executive floors, of the hotel are ready to receive guests," a hotel spokesman said, adding the business was reopening with "heightened security," There were still portions of both hotels that could not reopened because of damage, including the Heritage wing of the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi wing of the Oberoi-Trident. The scene Sunday is a far cry from November 26 when the hotel and many other locations in Mumbai were paralyzed by a mass of coordinated attacks. Terrorists using bombs, gunfire and fire caused the deaths of more than 160 people over three days of sieges throughout the city that is India's commercial capital. They took hostages at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower and Oberoi-Trident hotels. The assaults also targeted a historic train station, a Jewish cultural center and other landmarks. CNN's Harmeet Singh contributed to this report.
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Mumbai's Taj Mahal Palace Tower, Oberoi-Trident luxury hotels reopen .
Both were targeted by gunmen in last month's attacks in which around 160 died .
Parts of both hotels still closed because of damage suffered during three-day sieges .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A medical ailment that has worried male members of string sections across the music world for over 30 years has been exposed as a hoax. Male cellists of the world can breathe easy again. A senior British lawmaker confessed to making up the condition known as "cello scrotum" -- which relates to chafing from the instrument -- after reading about another musically-related ailment called "guitarist's nipple" in the British Medical Journal in 1974. Elaine Murphy, who is a member of The House of Lords and a trained doctor, came clean about the prank she devised with husband John in a letter to the BMJ published on Wednesday. She said: "Perhaps after 34 years it's time for us to confess that we invented cello scrotum. "Reading (Dr) Curtis's 1974 letter to the BMJ on guitar nipple, we thought it highly likely to be a spoof and decided to go one further by submitting a letter pretending to have noted a similar phenomenon in cellists, signed by the non-doctor one of us. "Anyone who has ever watched a cello being played would realize the physical impossibility of our claim." Murphy's confession may have been hastened by the fact that cello scrotum was referenced by a medical researcher in the BMJ late last year. The article, entitled "A symphony of maladies," focused on health problems among musicians and contained references to such ailments as fiddler's neck, flautist's chin and cellist's chest. Fiona Godlee, editor of the BMJ, told Britain's Independent newspaper: "It seems the BMJ has been deliciously hoaxed. It is wonderful it has been going all these years and no one realized. "We frown on misconduct and medical fraud is taken very seriously. But in this case I hope I am right in saying that no harm has been done." Murphy was made a life peer in 2004 and is active on mental health and ageing issues in the House of Lords.
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Elaine Murphy is a member of The House of Lords and a trained doctor .
She made up cello scrotum ailment after reading about guitarist's nipple in 1974 .
Cello scrotum was referenced in a British Medical Journal article last year .
"A symphony of maladies" focused on health problems among musicians .
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MOSCOW, Russia -- Russia declared an end Thursday to its 10-year anti-terror "operation" in the autonomous republic of Chechnya. Russian forces have been operating in Chechnya since Boris Yeltsin's order in 1999. The end to the offensive could see the withdrawal of thousands of troops from the Muslim-majority region, where Russia has fought two wars since the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991. The head of the Federal Security Service "canceled the decree declaring a counterterrorist operation in the territory of the republic as of midnight of April 16," Russia's anti-terror committee said. It said it did so to create "the conditions for the future normalization of the situation in the republic, its reconstruction and development of its socio-economic sphere," it said in a statement. The late president Boris Yeltsin ordered the counter-terrorist operation in 1999. Since then, the region has been relatively stable.
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Russia declares end to 10-year anti-terror "operation" in Chechnya .
Thousands of troops could be withdrawn from Muslim-majority region .
Former president Boris Yeltsin ordered the counter-terrorist operation in 1999 .
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(CNN) -- India is trying to reclaim the famous metal-rimmed glasses and some other artifacts from freedom leader Mahatma Gandhi that are up for auction next week in New York, a top official said Saturday. Mahatma Gandhi was known for his peaceful opposition to tyranny, which led to India's independence. "The government will be doing whatever is required to get them back," India's culture ministry secretary Jawhar Sircar told CNN. He said there were "several options" in place for India. When asked whether India planned any indirect participation in the bidding reportedly scheduled next week at the Antiquorum auction house on New York's Madison Avenue, he said it is one of the "speculative" options. "I can't disclose what (exactly) those options are. But we are doing something," Sircar remarked. The glasses are scheduled to be auctioned off along with Gandhi's pocketwatch, sandals, bowl, and plate with letters of authenticity, according to the Web site for Antiquorum, which specializes in watches. The glasses and other items are estimated to sell for as much as $30,000, the Web site said. CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report.
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Auction scheduled to take place in New York .
Glasses and other items estimated to sell for as much as $30,000 .
Indian official: India has "several options"
Gandhi's pocketwatch, sandals, bowl, and plate among items on auction .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Jon Hamm has a confession to make: He hates his hair. Jon Hamm poses with his partner, Jennifer Westfeldt, at the premiere of "The Day the Earth Stood Still." That may come as a surprise to fans of the actor, whose slick-backed hair is part of his signature look on "Mad Men" -- the show that just earned him another Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a TV drama. In the new movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still," Hamm sports a slightly different 'do, with his bangs combed rakishly over one eye. It was in the context of promoting the sci-fi remake that Hamm revealed his tonsorial frustration. "It's the bane of my existence. Goofy hair," he said in a self-deprecating interview with CNN. "It never looks good ... It's a pain." Hamm says he's always worn his hair long, but had to cut it for AMC's TV series, in which he plays a 1960s Madison Avenue ad executive. He says stylists on the show, armed with hair spray and blow dryers, mold his coiffure into a hard shell. Helmet hair has come in handy at work. "I've had a piece of the set fall on my head and my hair didn't move," he said. "I had seven stitches in my head and my hair didn't move. That's impressive." Whether it's his hair, good looks, acting chops or a combination thereof, Hamm's star is on the rise in Hollywood. Apart from his co-starring role in "The Day the Earth Stood Still," Hamm recently completed work on the murder mystery "The Boy in the Box." He hosted "Saturday Night Live" this fall, he's due to play Tina Fey's love interest on "30 Rock" and he continues to receive accolades for his work on "Mad Men" (nominations for an Emmy and a Golden Globe so far). How does that make Hamm feel? "Exciting is the right way to say it. It's been a good year. It's very exciting," he said. "I get to read a lot more scripts. I get to meet interesting people. I get to work with interesting people ... It's fun to be sort of invited to the party."
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"Mad Men" star Jon Hamm earned another Golden Globe nomination .
Hamm says hair is a pain -- especially short and lacquered for "Mad Men"
Actor currently appearing in "The Day the Earth Stood Still"
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Porn icon Marilyn Chambers was found dead in her Los Angeles home Sunday night, but investigators do not suspect foul play, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokesman. Marilyn Chambers rose to fame as an adult-film actress in the 1970s. Chambers began her career in 1970 as a model for Ivory Snow soap, and starred two years later in the porn classic "Behind the Green Door." "She was a really nice girl," said actor Ron Jeremy, who co-starred with Chambers in adult films starting in the 1970s. Chambers' death was a "total shock," Jeremy said, because they had been scheduled to sign a contract Monday to perform together in an off-Broadway "tongue-in-cheek" re-enactment of the porn classic "Deep Throat." "What's strange is that she was at a stage where she was totally happy and totally content with her life," Jeremy said. "Her life was falling together, and she was doing really well." A family member found Chambers, 56, in the mobile home where she lived in the Canyon Country area and called police Sunday evening, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitemore said. The death appeared to be from natural causes, although toxicology tests have not been completed, Whitemore said. The coroner's investigation has not been completed, and no cause of death has been determined, according to a spokesman with the Los Angeles Medical Examiner's office. Although her career was mostly in X-rated films, Chambers' fame was boosted by the irony that her face had graced the Ivory Snow box, a soap advertised as "99 and 44/100 percent pure." Chambers eventually co-starred with all of the best-known porn actors of the 1970s and 1980s, Jeremy said.
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NEW: She had been set to sign contract for off-Broadway show with Ron Jeremy .
Marilyn Chambers starred in some of the most famous porn movies of '70s .
Chambers, once a model for Ivory Snow, was in "Behind the Green Door"
Chambers' body was found Sunday; investigators do not suspect foul play .
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(CNN) -- Seydou Keita wrecked any chance of a Bayern Munich comeback in their Champions League quarterfinal return with a second half equaliser as Barcelona drew 1-1 for an emphatic 5-1 aggregate win. Bayern scorer Franck Ribery embraces Barcelona's Lionel Messi after Bayern's European exit. Primera Liga leaders Barcelona arrived in Germany with a comfortable first leg cushion and will now host Chelsea in their semifinal first leg at the Nou Camp on April 28. No side in the tournament's history had overturned a four goal deficit and Bayern were always up against it. "We were much better in the personal duels, things were a bit more normal, and we played the way you need to against such a good team," said Germany defender Philipp Lahm. "But unfortunately we have still lost the tie." And Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer -- who was scathing after the first-leg debacle -- said the Germans had gone some way to redemption. "I think the team has rehabilitated itself, although Barcelona's equalising goal was needlessly conceded", said Beckenbauer. After going close in the first-half, Franck Ribery finally unpicked the Barcelona defense on 47 minutes before Keita equalised for the Spanish with less than 20 minutes left. No Spanish side has ever won the treble of league, Kings Cup and Champions League, but Barcelona are on course to take all three titles as coach Josep Guardiola hopes to lead the Spaniards to a third European title after 1992 and 2006. France striker Thierry Henry succumbed to a high temperature for Barca, while Bayern's Germany strikers Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose were ruled out with calf and ankle injuries respectively. That left Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni as the lone forward with Ribery playing just behind him. Bayern coach Jurgen Klinsmann was booed by his own fans before kick-off, but this result on the back of the weekend's 4-0 win over Frankfurt in the German league will have taken some of the pressure off the ex-Germany coach.
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Seydou Keita wrecks Bayern Munich comeback bid as Barcelona progress .
Barcelona led Champions League tie 4-0 from first leg and won 5-1 on agg .
Spanish giants now face Chelsea at Nou Camp in semifinal first leg clash .
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(CNN) -- The possibility of engine fires has prompted General Motors to recall nearly 1.5 million passenger sedans manufactured between 1997 and 2003, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Monday. The recall involves certain GM vehicles in which oil apparently can leak and ignite. The recall covers certain mid- and full-size passenger sedans under GM's Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac brands. The affected vehicles have naturally aspirated 3.8 liter V6 engines -- that is, engines that use atmospheric pressure rather than a mechanical blower to bring in air for combustion -- according to documents that GM filed with federal regulators last week. On Friday, the federal government acknowledged the filing and agreed to the plan. The problem involves a potential for oil to leak on the exhaust manifold during hard braking. When a car operates under normal conditions, the manifold can get very hot. Oil that runs below the manifold's heat shield could ignite and spread to plastic channels that hold spark plug wires. As a solution, the company recommends a change in the bracket that holds spark plug wires, which will be done free of charge. Owners and dealers affected by the recall will be notified by letter next month with details. The vehicles involved are: • 1997-2003 Buick Regals. • 1998-2003 Chevrolet Luminas, Monte Carlos and Impalas. • 1998-1999 Oldsmobile Intrigues. • 1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix. GM issued a recall on a similar engine in 2008, according to the company's filing with the government. That problem was traced to a faulty gasket on the engine rocker cover.
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Recall involves certain Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac sedans .
Problem involves potential for oil to leak on the exhaust manifold, then igniting .
General Motors to send details to owners next month .
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(CNN) -- A roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan killed a female Canadian soldier and wounded four other troops, the Canadian military said Tuesday. Trooper Karine Blais, 21, is the second Canadian female soldier to die in Afghanistan. Trooper Karine Blais was killed Monday when the troops' armored vehicle struck the bomb. The attack occurred north of Kandahar in the Shah Wali Kowt District of Kandahar province. Blais' death was the 117th Canadian troop fatality in the Afghan war, and she is the second Canadian female soldier killed in Afghanistan. The first, Capt. Nichola Goddard, was killed in a May 2006 firefight with insurgents in Kandahar province, where Canadian troops have been based during the conflict. Brig. Gen. Jonathan Vance, commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, called the 21-year-old Blais "an energetic soldier who gave 100 percent to every challenge she faced using a unique sense of humor based on her honesty and frankness." Vance said Blais "demonstrated the qualities of a future leader" and was "respected by all members of her squadron." "Our thoughts are with the friends and family of our fallen comrade during this difficult time," the Canadian Forces said in a news release. "All members of Task Force Kandahar are thinking of the family and friends of our fallen comrades during this sad time. We will not forget their sacrifice as we continue to bring security and hope to the people of Kandahar province." Blais, from the 12th Canadian Armored Regiment at Valcartier, Quebec, near Quebec City, was serving with the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22th Regiment Battle Group. A chopper evacuated the four other troops to a medical facility at Kandahar airfield. Before Monday's attack, the last Canadian deaths in Afghanistan occurred March 20 when four soldiers were killed in two roadside bombings.
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Female soldier killed, four other troops wounded in roadside bombing .
Karine Blais, 21, is second Canadian female soldier killed in Afghanistan .
There have been 117 Canadian troop deaths in the Afghan war .
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SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- One could say she has the determination ... but lacks the drive. Driving agency estimates woman has spent more than $2,888 in exam fees. A 68-year-old South Korean woman this week signed up to take her driving test once again -- after failing to earn a license the first 771 times. The woman, identified only as Cha, first took the written portion of the exam in April 2005, said Choi Young-cheol of the Driver's License Agency in the southwestern city of Jeonju. At the time, she made her living selling goods door-to-door and figured she would need a car to help her get around, Choi told CNN. She failed the test. She retook the test the next day and failed again. And again. And again. "You have to get at least 60 points to pass the written part," said Kim Rahn, who wrote about the unflappable woman in the Korea Times, an English-language daily. "She usually gets under 50." In the beginning, Cha went to the license office almost every day. Now, she no longer works but still turns up once a week, Choi said. The office estimates she has spent more than 4 million won ($2,888) in exam fees. Cha's last failed attempt was Monday. She tries for the 772nd time either Thursday or Friday. -- CNN's Kathy Paik and Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report.
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68-year-old South Korean woman has signed up to take her 772nd driving test .
She first took the written portion of the exam in April 2005 .
License office estimates she has spent $2,888 on test applications .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office asked police to do more investigative work before a decision is made on whether charges will be filed in the domestic violence case against singer Chris Brown, according to a spokeswoman for the DA. Chris Brown attends a party saluting music producer Clive Davis in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday. The LAPD's chief investigator in case, Detective Deshon Andrews, told CNN he hand-carried his findings to the district attorney Tuesday afternoon. Prosecutors looked at the files and then asked Andrews for "an additional investigation," DA spokeswoman Jane Robinson said. Andrews said that to keep photos and documents from leaking to the media, he has kept the case file closely guarded and allowed no copies of the material to be made. Watch the latest about the case » . Police have refused media requests to hear the 911 call that led to their investigation early Sunday, but Andrews said it mostly recorded the sound of "a screaming woman." Brown, 19, turned himself in Sunday night after police said they were looking for him. He was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats. Brown was later released on a $50,000 bond. He is expected to appear in court on March 5. Police said Brown and a woman were in a vehicle near Hollywood's Hancock Park early Sunday when they became involved in an argument. The woman "suffered visible injuries and identified Brown as her attacker," police said. Police did not identify the woman, but sources close to the couple told CNN the alleged victim was his girlfriend, singer Rihanna, 20. Brown's lawyer has not responded to several requests for comment. CNN's Jennifer Wolfe and Ninette Sosa contributed to this report.
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NEW: L.A. DA's office wants more investigation of Chris Brown case .
Police: Brown turned himself in after woman accused him of attacking her .
Police haven't named woman; sources say it was girlfriend Rihanna .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As a career military officer, Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry is familiar with sacrifice for his country and long stretches away from home. Karl Eikenberry testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee March 26. But he apparently doesn't want any more separation from his wife, Ching Eikenberry. If he is approved as the next U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan he wants her to come with him. That could collide with State Department rules. Afghanistan is designated "an unaccompanied post" by the department because of the dangers of the war and terror attacks. That means family members are not allowed. Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, who as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee was running Eikenberry's confirmation hearing last week, was in favor of the idea. "I know you are hoping to take your wife there with you, and I think I certainly, and I think the committee is entirely supportive," Kerry said. "I think it would be a terrific message and a strong boost of morale for the Embassy, and obviously wherever possible we should try to encourage that. So I hope that will be facilitated." Said Eikenberry, "Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for that support." There was no immediate reaction from the State Department.
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Karl Eikenberry awaits Senate confirmation to be next ambassador to Afghanistan .
If approved, Eikenberry wants to take his wife with him .
But that request could collide with State Department rules .
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KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Taliban gunmen executed a young couple for trying to elope in rural Afghanistan, a local police chief told CNN Tuesday. The woman was forced by her parents to become engaged to a man she did not like, said Police Chief Gabar Furdali, and decided to leave home with another man. Local Taliban commanders found out and set out to punish them, said the police officer in the village of Man De Khe in the Kash Rud district of Nimruz province, a remote southwestern province that borders on Iran and Pakistan. The Taliban gathered residents of Kash Rud to watch the execution of the two. The man, Abdul Aziz, and the woman, who was not named, were shot to death, the police officer said. He did not say when the killings took place. NATO troops who patrol the country have "limited presence in that particular area," a spokesman told CNN. The killings were not "within our area of responsibility, but we are aware of the reports" said the spokesman for the NATO mission who declined to be named, in line with policy. There is a tradition of "honor killings" in the region that long predates the Taliban, said Barnett Rubin, an Afghanistan expert at New York University. Journalist Tawab Qurayshi contributed to this report .
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Police chief says couple were killed for planning to elope .
He says woman wanted to get away from forced engagement to another man .
Incident happened in Nimruz province, a remote area that borders Iran and Pakistan .
NATO aware of the reports but said it was not their area of responsibility .
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Three professors and a former professor at Columbia University's Teachers College received hate mail this week, the New York Police Department said. It's the campus that was shaken by several bias crimes directed at black and Jewish professors in 2007. Columbia University's Teachers College is once again the target of a hate campaign. Three professors received manila envelopes Tuesday with images of swastikas in them. The fourth, a former professor who is an African-American, was sent a manila envelope containing an image of a noose, according to NYPD deputy commissioner Paul Browne. Among those receiving a swastika image was Elizabeth Midlarsky, a Jewish psychologist who has studied psychological principles in the context of the Holocaust, police said. In 2007, her office door was spray-painted with a swastika. (A swastika is the right-angles cross symbol used on Nazi Germany flags). The NYPD Hate Crimes Unit is leading the investigation into the incident. No arrests have been made. "The TC community deplores these hateful acts, which violate every Teachers College and societal norm," said an e-mail Wednesday to faculty and students from the college's president, Susan Fuhrman; and dean, Tom James. No arrests were been made in the 2007 incidents. Police declined to say if they believe there is a connection between those cases and the mailings this week.
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Three professors, one former one at Columbia University receive hate mail this week .
Jewish psychologist at Teachers College among those receiving swastika .
In 2007, same psychologist's office door was spray-painted with a swastika .
NYPD Hate Crimes Unit is leading investigation; no arrests made .
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A woman was jailed for eight years by a British court Friday for her part in the kidnap of her own daughter. Karen Matthews and Michael Donovan were both involved in the plot to kidnap Shannon. Nine-year-old Shannon Matthews was locked in an apartment for 24 days after going missing from her home in February last year. After a massive police investigation, Karen Matthews, 33, was found guilty last month of kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice. She was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court in West Yorkshire, northern England, the British Press Association reported. Her former partner's uncle, Michael Donovan, 40, was also convicted of the same offences and received an eight-year jail term, PA said. Prosecutors say Donovan abducted Shannon as she was on her way home from school in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. They claim he gave her Temazepam -- a type of sleeping tablet -- and travel sickness pills and kept her tethered to an elasticated strap attached to a roof beam through a loft hatch when he went out. Meanwhile Matthews kept up a "wicked and dishonest lie" as her daughter became the subject of a massive police search operation and a reward fund offered by a local newspaper grew to $50,000, jurors were told. Donovan planned to release Shannon and then "discover" her, prosecutors said. According to PA, Matthews told five versions of what happened to Shannon, ranging from being a distraught mother whose daughter had gone missing to blaming the crime on her former partner Craig Meehan and other members of his family. It also emerged in court that Donovan abducted one of his own daughters after he became involved in a custody battle with his former wife, PA said.
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Girl, 9, drugged, tethered, as part of kidnap plot staged by mother and uncle .
Karen Matthews, 33, and Michael Donovan, 40, jailed for 8 years .
Guilty of kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice .
Prosecutors say Shannon was tethered to roof beam, given sleeping tablets .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Singer Chris Brown, sought by Los Angeles police after an alleged domestic violence incident, turned himself in Sunday, police said. Chris Brown attends a party saluting music producer Clive Davis in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday. Brown, nominated for two Grammy Awards, was a no-show Sunday night at the nationally televised awards show. He was scheduled to perform at the show. His girlfriend, singer Rihanna, abruptly canceled her planned Grammys performance, but neither her spokesman nor the show organizers gave a reason. "Rihanna is well," her spokesman said in a written statement. "Thank you for concern and support." Police have not identified the alleged victim, who they said "suffered visible injuries and identified Brown as her attacker." Brown, 19, and Rihanna, 20, were seen together Saturday night at a pre-Grammys dinner at the Beverly Hills Hilton, about five miles from where police said the alleged incident happened at 12:30 a.m. Sunday. The police statement said Brown and a woman were in a vehicle near Hollywood's Hancock Park when "they became involved in an argument." "After stopping his car, Brown and the woman got out and the argument escalated," police said. After receiving a 911 call at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, officers found the woman at the scene of the alleged fight, but Brown had left, the department said. Investigators were treating the incident as a possible felony battery case, police said. Executives with Brown's record label at the Grammy Awards told CNN they knew nothing about the incident and declined further comment. Brown was nominated for two Grammys this year, including in the best male R&B vocal performance category for his song "Take You Down." He also shares a best pop collaboration with vocals nomination with Jordin Sparks for "No Air." The introduction to the CBS broadcast of the Grammys, apparently pre-taped, listed both Brown and Rihanna as performers.
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NEW: Police: Brown turned himself in after woman accused him of attacking her .
Brown a no-show at Grammy Awards, where he was to perform Sunday .
Brown, woman were in vehicle when alleged fight started, authorities say .
Police haven't named woman; Brown's girlfriend, Rihanna, cancels performance .
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(CNN) -- Singer Chris Brown's arrest on a domestic violence charge prompted Wrigley to suspend its Doublemint gum campaign that uses Brown as a spokesman. "Wrigley is concerned by the serious allegations made against Chris Brown," Wrigley spokeswoman Jennifer Luth said. Brown was arrested Sunday night in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident in Hollywood early Sunday morning, police said. He was released on a $50,000 bond and given a March 5 court date. A Doublemint commercial features Brown singing about the gum to the tune of his hit song "Forever." "We believe Mr. Brown should be afforded the same due process as any citizen," Luth said. "However, we have made the decision to suspend the current advertising featuring Brown and any related marketing communications until the matter is resolved."
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Chris Brown has been featured in ad for Wrigley's gum .
Brown was arrested Sunday in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident .
Wrigley's spokesperson: We've suspended Brown ads until "matter is resolved"
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(CNN) -- An apparent natural gas explosion in downtown Bozeman, Montana, leveled three businesses Thursday morning, according to city and state officials. An explosion rocks downtown Bozeman, Montana, on Thursday in a photo from iReporter Sean Gallik. "When we say gone, we mean gone. These three businesses are gone," said Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who added that the state is providing help for clean up, and to businesses and residents who are affected. One person remained unaccounted for Thursday evening, Bozeman Assistant City Manager Chuck Winn said. "The situation remains unsafe for anyone to enter," Winn said. "So in terms of a search -- we are unable to do so at this time." Winn said city crews are making progress cleaning up the area, but the damage is great. He said a meeting was planned Friday morning to give business owners and residents information about when they can return. "It literally looks like a bomb went off in downtown Bozeman," he said. iReport.com: Photos from the scene . "Roofing material, construction material is scattered for three or four blocks," he said. "It was a very violent explosion." Schweitzer added that the situation would "not be over in 24 hours." The blast occurred about 8:15 a.m. on the town's Main Street, Fire Chief Jason Shrauger told CNN. The city government declared a local emergency after the blast. Initially, 11 people were reported missing, but 10 were later accounted for, Winn said. It was not clear what triggered the blast. Bozeman is in south-central Montana, about 100 miles southeast of the state capital, Helena.
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One person unaccounted for .
Three businesses destroyed in downtown Bozeman, Montana .
Eleven people initially reported missing after natural gas explosion .
It was not clear what triggered the blast .
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26855713436f551490bdb7958898c076ca22bde3
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(CNN) -- Wimbledon have confirmed plans to hold an exhibition event on Centre Court to test conditions under the new roof ahead of next year's tennis championships. Wimbledon first unveiled plans for a retractable roof over Centre Court in 2004 with capacity increased to 15,000. The special one-off event has been scheduled for Sunday, May 17, just over a month ahead of next year's Championships where Rafael Nadal defends the title for the first time. Former British number one Tim Henman, four times a semifinalist at the grass-court grand slam and a member of the All England Club, has been lined up to play. The club's chief executive, Ian Ritchie, explained the need for a pre-tournament event: . "The key thing for the new roof is the atmospherics and humidity conditions, " he told BBC Radio Four on Tuesday. "We need to get 15,000 people inside to test the humidity. It's a roof over a grass court and it's not like a football or rugby pitch, we need it to be absolutely bone dry. "We have to test the air conditioning and playing surface as well." Former champion John McEnroe is also being lined up to make a sentimental return to Centre Court. "We are looking to put together a good raft of people to come and play. "We will probably put several matches on as we want to put on a day of entertainment and enjoyment to try to get a maximum crowd to come and see it," said Ritchie. Wimbledon first announced plans for a retractable roof over Centre Court in 2004, with the redevelopment increasing the capacity to 15,000. It will mean an end, on Centre Court at least, to the famous Wimbledon rain delays, which have frustrated spectators and players alike over the years, arguably costing Henman his best chance of Wimbledon glory in 2001 when he lost a protracted semifinal to eventual winner Goran Ivanisevic.
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Wimbledon to test new roof over Centre Court with special event in May .
Former British number one Tim Henman and John McEnroe lined up to play .
New roof will house increased 15,000 capacity on most famous court in tennis .
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BEIJING, China (CNN) -- A 13-year-old Chinese girl tried to commit suicide because she wanted her family to donate her liver to her cancer-stricken father, state media reported Thursday. The girl, Chen Jin, swallowed more than 200 sleeping pills after she discovered a medical note in her mother's purse that said her father was dying of liver cancer and had three months left to live, the news agency Xinhua said. Jin's mother returned home after visiting her husband in the hospital to find the front door locked. The mother climbed in through a back window and found two empty bottles of sleeping pills. "Mom, I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you any longer," read a note that the teen had left next to her. "Please give my liver to dad and save him after my death." The incident occurred January 24 in Jiangsu province in east China. The teen was taken to the same hospital as her father, where she remains in intensive care, drifting in and out of consciousness, Xinhua said. Doctors say that even if she pulls through, she will need surgery for burns she suffered from an electric blanket on her bed when she lost consciousness, the China Daily newspaper said. According to Chinese media reports, the family -- whose monthly income is about 1,000 yuan ($146) -- has already spent nearly 100,000 yuan ($14,600) in medical expenses since the father was diagnosed with cancer more than a month ago. The mother, who is also in poor health, retired early more than eight years ago. The woman told China Daily she is now trying to keep her husband from learning of their daughter's desperate act of love.
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A 13-year-old Chinese girl tried to commit suicide to save her cancer-stricken father .
Girl swallowed more than 200 sleeping pills when she learned of father's liver cancer .
The teen remains in intensive care, drifting in and out of consciousness .
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(CNN) -- The French Navy captured 11 suspected pirates off the coast of Kenya Wednesday, the French Ministry of Defense announced. The French frigate Nivose, pictured last year patrolling the Gulf of Aden. The Navy tracked the pirates overnight after they attacked a ship called the Safmarine Asia. The French launched a helicopter from the frigate Nivose to head off the attack Tuesday night, then seized the suspected pirates Wednesday morning, the statement said. Both the European Union and the United States have been patrolling the region since an upsurge in piracy off the coast of Somalia last year. U.S. snipers killed three pirates holding a U.S. ship captain hostage Sunday. The captain, Richard Phillips, was held in a lifeboat for days after his ship, the Maersk Alabama, was seized last week . But pirates in Somalia vowed revenge, saying that an attack on another ship, the Liberty Sun, was a response to the killing of Phillips' captors. "It was a revenge," Hassan Mohamud told a Somali journalist. "The U.S. ship escaped by a matter of chance."
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French Ministry of Defense says they were captured off the coast of Kenya .
Navy tracked pirates overnight after they attacked ship called the Safmarine Asia .
Helicopter launched from frigate Tuesday night; 11 captured Wednesday .
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(CNN) -- NASA scientists say new data provided by twin spacecraft analyzing the sun will help them more accurately predict how so-called solar tsunamis wreak havoc on our planet. NASA says new data on so-called solar tsunamis will help predict how they will affect our planet. The tsunamis -- powerful explosions known as coronal mass ejections, or CMEs -- produce solar cosmic rays that can interfere with technology, causing power blackouts and disrupting air traffic communications and cell phone networks. NASA says images captured by its twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, or STEREO, spacecraft have enabled scientists to map the tsunamis in 3D to examine their structure, velocity, mass and direction. The solar ejections, its says, can release billions of tons of high-velocity plasma into space, producing a shockwave that generates cosmic rays which then plow into our atmosphere. These can create the brightly-colored auroras, more commonly known as the Northern or Southern lights, but also have more damaging effects, posing particular threats to spacecraft and astronauts. Solar physicist Angelos Vourlidas of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington said the new data from the STEREO craft -- launched into orbit in October 2006 -- will revolutionize the study of cosmic weather patterns. "Before this unique mission, measurements and the subsequent data of a CME observed near the sun had to wait until the ejections arrived at Earth three to seven days later," he said in statement. "Now we can see a CME from the time it leaves the solar surface until it reaches Earth and we can reconstruct the event in 3D directly from the images."
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NASA says new data will enable scientists to map solar tsunamis in 3D .
Solar ejections can wreak havoc on Earth, causing power and radio blackouts .
New data could help predict what effects the phenomena will have, NASA says .
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(CNN) -- Yes, she is 28. Yes, she is a Sunday school teacher, and yes, her name is Melissa Huckaby. Melissa Huckaby of Manteca, California, is also a 28-year-old Sunday school teacher. But the woman from Manteca, California, said she wants people to know that she is not that Melissa Huckaby. This Melissa Huckaby lives about 14 miles from Tracy, California, where the other one was arrested and accused of raping and killing 8-year-old Sandra Cantu. That hasn't stopped national talk shows from calling her and people from threatening her, forcing her friends to bring guns to church in an effort to protect her. Her MySpace page has been mistaken so many times for the one of the murder suspect that she has had to shut it down, Huckaby said. "They hear the name, and a lot of people think it's me," Huckaby told CNN affiliate KOVR-TV. "I was getting hate mail." Even Melissa Huckaby of Manteca has noticed the similarities with her namesake in nearby Tracy. Watch how the Manteca woman deals with the confusion » . Not only are they the same age and both teach Sunday school, the two women resemble each other slightly. Melissa Huckaby of Tracy is accused of killing an 8-year-old playmate of her 5-year-old daughter. Melissa Huckaby of Manteca has two daughters -- 8 and 5. But that's where the similarities end, the Manteca woman said, noting that she's never even received a speeding ticket.
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"They hear the name, and a lot of people think it's me," woman tells TV station .
Melissa Huckaby shares name and age of suspect in 8-year-old girl's slaying .
Woman receives hate mail, threats; she takes MySpace page down .
Manteca, California, woman says she's never even gotten a speeding ticket .
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(CNN) -- The operation on Ronaldo's injured left knee "went well" but the Brazilian striker faces a lengthy rehabilitation as he bids to save his football career. Ronaldo leaves the field in agony after suffering his latest injury blow against Livorno. Ronaldo had surgery in Paris on Thursday, the two-hour operation perfomed by Dr. Eric Rolland with Dr. Gerard Saillant, who carried out a similar repair to his right knee in 2000, in attendance. "The operation went well," said Saillant. "The intervention was of the same type as the one in 2000. The healing period should last nine months," he said in sports paper L'Equipe. Ronaldo was injured playing for AC Milan in a 1-1 draw with Liverno on Wednesday night and teammate Clarence Seedorf gave CNN a graphic description of the incident. "It was like a film I already saw," said the Dutch star who was on the pitch when Ronaldo suffered his previous serious injury. "I saw his reaction, I was frozen by the reality, a bad, bad thing. My heart went out to him because it was his second injury. I hope he has the will to come back," added Seedorf. Ater the two-hour operation at Pitie-Salpetriere hospital, the three-time FIFA World Player of the Year is likely to need about 10 days of physical therapy, L'Equipe said. Ronaldo, 31, has battled serious injuries throughout his career, and has played sparingly since joining Milan from Real Madrid in January 2007. Wednesday's match was only his fifth in Serie A this season after injuring his thigh during preseason training on July 31. He returned in November, but has been in and out of the team due to a series of recurring problems. E-mail to a friend .
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Ronaldo recovers in Paris following surgery on his ruptured left knee tendons .
The surgeon who performed the two-hour operation said it went "very well"
Ronaldo sustained injury playing for AC Milan against Livorno on Wednesday .
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(CNN) -- The Georgia company whose peanut products have been blamed for a nationwide salmonella outbreak shipped some products even though they had tested positive for the bacteria and no other tests indicated they were safe, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The FDA confirmed Friday the Peanut Corp.'s Blakely, Georgia, plant shipped tainted product without retesting. Previously, Peanut Corporation of America had said it shipped products only after subsequent tests on them came back negative. Items made with its peanut products have been linked to more than 500 cases of illness, including eight deaths. The agency said the company's management told FDA inspectors last month during an inspection of the plant that they shipped products that first had tested positive for salmonella, but only if they later had tested negative. But, it said, "FDA determined that certain information provided by PCA management during the inspection was not consistent with the subsequent analysis of the company's records." As a result, the agency amended its report Thursday. "In some situations the firm received a positive salmonella test result, followed by a later negative result, and then shipped the products," said the FDA report, which was included in an e-mail to CNN. "In some other situations, the firm shipped the products [which had already tested positive] before it had received the [second] positive test results." Watch Senate hearing on food safety amid peanut recall » . In some cases, it said, "no additional testing appears to have been done." No one from the company returned a call seeking comment. Federal authorities have initiated a criminal investigation into the company.
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Government confirms PCA shipped salmonella-tainted product without further testing .
PCA had said it shipped products only after subsequent tests returned negative .
FDA: Data provided by company "not consistent with the subsequent analysis"
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(CNN) -- The mountain gorillas in a national park in Congo appear to be hanging on well despite such dangers as civil warfare and poaching, according to an ongoing census. Park rangers conducting the census in November. Workers have identified 75 "habituated" gorillas in Virunga National Park, three more than there were in the last census nearly a year and a half ago, said Samantha Newport, the park communications director. Habituated gorillas are those who are accustomed to contact with humans. They are easier to spot than non-habituated gorillas, thought to number around 120. Newport said the census should be completed by around January 20 and officials hope that more habituated gorillas will be identified. She said the fact that gorillas have survived amid civil war in the region is "nothing short of a miracle." Laurent Nkunda's Tutsi armed force that had been fighting Congolese soldiers and their militia allies has had control of large swaths of the 8,000 square-kilometer park. The gorilla section is in a strategically important area near the borders of Rwanda and Uganda. Officials have long said that the 250-square kilometer gorilla reserve in the southern part of Virunga National Park is where around 200 of the world's 700 mountain gorillas live.
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Census of mountain gorillas in DR Congo doing well despite war, poaching .
So far, 75 gorillas found which are accustomed to human contact .
That's three more than last census and conservationists hope to identify more .
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(CNN Student News) -- Students will examine Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Also, they will compose responses to Dr. King in which they compare his historic vision of racial equality in the United States to the reality of present-day life. Procedure . In class discussion, have students define the following terms: racism, prejudice and discrimination. Have them give examples of each. Inform students that, on August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his vision of racial equality in America in his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. Then, point out that in his speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of being judged not by the color of one's skin, but by the content of his or her character. Direct your students to read or watch Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech and discuss its content in class. Then, challenge each student to compare Dr. King's dream to the reality of life in the U.S. in the year 2009. Direct each student to compose a response to Dr. King, explaining what life is like in the U.S. today and to what extent his dream has been realized. (Encourage students to be creative in their responses. For example, students could write a letter, a speech, a song or a poem, or produce a brief video.) After students share their responses to Dr. King, pose the following questions for class discussion: . Correlated Standards . Social Studies . II. Time, Continuity and Change Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ways human beings view themselves in and over time. X. Civic Ideals and Practices Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship in a democratic republic. The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands/ ) are published by the National Council for Social Studies (http://www.socialstudies.org/ ).
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Students will examine Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech .
Students will compose responses to the speech based on life in 2009 .
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Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi walks Anjali Rao through the streets of Tokyo. She stunned global cinema audiences with her controversial and Oscar-nominated performance as a lonely deaf girl in the film "Babel." Rinko Kikuchi is one of Japan's hottest young actresses and models, recently working with Karl Lagerfeld as the new face of Channel. Despite her success, she remains an unconventional figure in Japan, at odds with the traditional demure image of the Japanese woman and forging a career on her own terms. Talk Asia follows her on a modelling assignment, discusses how her life has changed since "Babel" and revisits the unique location of one of the film's most important scenes. E-mail to a friend .
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Rinko Kikuchi was Oscar-nominated for her performance in the film "Babel"
She has recently worked with Karl Lagerfeld as the new face of Channel .
She challenges the traditional demure image of the Japanese woman .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Liverpool and England midfielder Steven Gerrard has denied assaulting a man during a nightclub brawl last month, a court in Southport, northern England, heard on Friday. Gerrard leaves court on Friday after pleading not guilty to actual bodily harm and affray. Gerrard, 28, issued a not guilty plea to affray and assaulting company director Marcus McGee, 34, at the Lounge Inn, Southport, after Gerrard scored twice in Liverpool's 5-1 win at Newcastle, reported the UK's Press Association. The Liverpool captain was charged with occasioning actual bodily harm and affray along with co-defendants John Doran, 29, and Ian Smith, 19. Dozens of photographers were kept back from the magistrates' court entrance in a penned area as Gerrard arrived in a dark blue suit. Nick Evans, prosecuting, asked for the case to be heard next on April 3 after a 10-week break to prepare it. But after submissions from the defense solicitors including Gerrard's, Richard Green, the magistrates adjourned the case back to the court at Southport on March 20. Gerrard, a father of two young daughters, spoke only to confirm his name and address and say he intended to plead not guilty along with the other defendants.
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Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard denies assault charges in court on Friday .
Alleged incident came hours after Gerrard scored twice in win at Newcastle .
Gerrard pleaded not guily and will return to the court in Southport on March 20 .
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(CNN) -- Australian Tim Cahill dealt Liverpool a desperate and potentially damaging blow with the goal that salvaged a 1-1 draw for bitter rivals Everton and stopped the Reds returning to the top of the Premier League. Tim Cahill earned Everton the point they deserved with a header three minutes from the end to deny Liverpool. Liverpool had grabbed the lead when Steven Gerrard, captaining the Anfield club for the 250th time, swept home a low drive midway through the second half for his 14th goal of the season. But Cahill earned Everton the draw their contribution deserved when he met Mikel Arteta's 87th minute free-kick with a powerful header from inside the six-yard box. Spain striker Fernando Torres returned to Liverpool's starting line-up for the first time since November following hamstring problems, for the 209th Merseyside derby. And Torres should have broken the deadlock in the first half when he surged between Joleon Lescott and Phil Jagielka only to prod his shot against a post from a few meters. Referee Howard Webb was kept busy as the tackles flew in and he lectured Phil Neville, Joleon Lescott and Arteta after a series of fouls on Gerrard. Webb later refused Liverpool a penalty two minutes after the interval when Torres went down theatrically after being nudged by Jagielka. Everton believed they were entitled to a spot kick when Martin Skrtel looked to send Victor Anichebe tumbling. The referee again waved away the appeals, and the complaints were still raging on the pitch -- and the touchline -- as Liverpool surged away for Gerrard to crash home a 30-yard drive to put the hosts ahead after 68 minutes. It had been more than 10 hours since Everton had conceded a goal and it looked as though it would be enough to send Liverpool back to the top ahead of Manchester United. Cahill had other ideas -- and the sides will go through it all again on Sunday when Liverpool host Everton in an FA Cup fourth round clash.
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Australian Tim Cahill denies Liverpool win with late goal as Everton draw 1-1 .
Liverpool had grabbed the lead when Steven Gerrard struck after 68 minutes .
Merseyside rivals clash again on Sunday at Anfield in FA Cup fourth round .
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(CNN) -- A 23-year-old Mexican beauty queen and seven men were taken into custody late Monday after being found in vehicles containing weapons and cash in central Mexico, police said Tuesday. Laura Zuniga and seven men were found in vehicles with guns and $50,000, Mexican police say. Laura Zuniga and the men were traveling in two vehicles that contained AR-15 assault rifles, handguns, cartridges and $50,000 in cash, said Luis Carlos Najera Gutierrez de Velazco, secretary of public security for the state of Jalisco. The eight were stopped in Zapopan, outside Guadalajara, and will face arms charges and an investigation by a federal organized crime team, Najera said. Police, who had received a tip that a group of armed men were in a home, "detected" the vehicles as they were traveling to investigate the call, Najera said. One of the men in the vehicles was 29-year-old Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza, who is Zuniga's boyfriend and the brother of "one of the greatest capos of narcotraffic," Najera said. Najera said Urquiza's brother, Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, is a member of the Juarez cartel and already was in police custody. All eight were filed before the news media Tuesday. Zuniga, wearing blue jeans and a gray sweater, raised her handcuffed wrists to cover her face in a police picture. Zuniga is from Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa, a center of drug activity. In July, she won the title Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa. That gave her the right to compete two months later in the national Nuestra Belleza Mexico in Monterrey, where she won "The Election of the Queens," one of five special recognitions, and came in third overall. In October, she won the title "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. According to the Nuestra Belleza Mexico Web site, she is to represent Mexico in next year's Miss International contest.
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Mexican police: Laura Zuniga, seven men face arms charges, federal probe .
Zuniga, men found in vehicles with weapons, $50,000, police say .
Zuniga won state beauty contest, finished third in national competition .
She won "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" title in October .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Editor's note: Watch MainSail on CNN International at the following times: Thursday 16th April at 1230 GMT; Saturday 18th April at 0700 and 1730 GMT; Sunday 19th April at 0300 and 0730 GMT; Monday 20th April at 0300 GMT. CNN's MainSail anchor Shirley Robertson has won two Olympic gold medals in an extremely successful sailing career, but, she has never climbed to the top of a huge mast. Tall task: MainSail host Shirley Robertson takes on the world's biggest aluminium mast . Until now, that is. On this month's MainSail programme, Shirley reaches the top of the tallest aluminium mast in the world - aboard the 56 meter Perini Navi vessel, Salute. The mast reaches a remarkable 250 feet (76 meters) into the air, and even with a small swell and light breeze, the top of the mast can swing through as much as ten meters -- five meters each side -- of its center point. Going up the mast is a dangerous job, but it is also a common necessity on any large yacht -- whether it be to check the rigging or complete a repair. Shirley has to wear all of the appropriate safety equipment for the climb -- which she has to do alone. Fortunately for Shirley, she doesn't have a big fear of heights and she receives some expert instruction, too. Watch Shirley climb the mast » You can also watch the full MainSail show and catch up with the latest news and features on the MainSail homepage.
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CNN's MainSail host Shirley Robertson is a double Olympic gold medalist .
Robertson has never climbed a big mast before this .
She takes on the 250 foot mast aboard the 56-meter yacht Salute .
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(CNN) -- NASA scientists say new data provided by twin spacecraft analyzing the sun will help them more accurately predict how so-called solar tsunamis wreak havoc on our planet. NASA says new data on so-called solar tsunamis will help predict how they will affect our planet. The tsunamis -- powerful explosions known as coronal mass ejections, or CMEs -- produce solar cosmic rays that can interfere with technology, causing power blackouts and disrupting air traffic communications and cell phone networks. NASA says images captured by its twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, or STEREO, spacecraft have enabled scientists to map the tsunamis in 3D to examine their structure, velocity, mass and direction. The solar ejections, its says, can release billions of tons of high-velocity plasma into space, producing a shockwave that generates cosmic rays which then plow into our atmosphere. These can create the brightly-colored auroras, more commonly known as the Northern or Southern lights, but also have more damaging effects, posing particular threats to spacecraft and astronauts. Solar physicist Angelos Vourlidas of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington said the new data from the STEREO craft -- launched into orbit in October 2006 -- will revolutionize the study of cosmic weather patterns. "Before this unique mission, measurements and the subsequent data of a CME observed near the sun had to wait until the ejections arrived at Earth three to seven days later," he said in statement. "Now we can see a CME from the time it leaves the solar surface until it reaches Earth and we can reconstruct the event in 3D directly from the images."
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NASA says new data will enable scientists to map solar tsunamis in 3D .
Solar ejections can wreak havoc on Earth, causing power and radio blackouts .
New data could help predict what effects the phenomena will have, NASA says .
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(CNN) -- Cristiano Ronaldo's sixth-minute strike saw holders Manchester United become the first English team to win in Porto, reaching the semifinals of the Champions League 3-2 on aggregate in the process. Ronaldo scores in spectacular style as Manchester United reached the Champions League semis. The European Player of the Year fired a spectacular 35-yard strike into the top corner as United remained on course to become the first team to retain the Champions League -- and will now face Premier League rivals Arsenal for a place in the final in Rome. The stunning goal was Ronaldo's 20th of the season but only his second in the Champions League since scoring the opener in last year's final in Moscow. After drawing the first leg 2-2 at Old Trafford, Porto only needed a low-scoring draw to reach the last four, but in truth they never looked threatening against a United defense superbly marshalled by Nemanja Vidic and the returning Rio Ferdinand. In fact, had Vidic been able to keep his close-range effort under the crossbar after John O'Shea had got the faintest of touches to a Ryan Giggs corner just before the interval, United would surely have completed their task in the first 45 minutes. "We were very solid at the back tonight and that stability helped us," United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports. "The return of Rio Ferdinand alongside Vidic was a major boost and scoring an early goal helped settle us. It was a great strike by Cristiano and although we didn't score a second goal, I thought we never looked in danger of conceding," he added. The result puts Ferguson head-to-head with his old foe, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, for a place in the final against either Chelsea or Barcelona. It also keeps alive United's dreams of claiming an astonishing five trophies this season after also winning the English League Cup and the Club World Cup.
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Manchester United beat Porto 1-0 to reach the Champions League semifinals .
Cristiano Ronaldo scores a sixth-minute stunner to put holders into last four .
United become first English team to win in Porto and now face rivals Arsenal .
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Legendary football coach and broadcaster John Madden is retiring, he announced Thursday. John Madden appears at the TV Critics Association Press Tour in Beverly Hills, California, in 2008. "It's been such a great ride ... the NFL has been my life for more than 40 years, it has been my passion -- it still is," he said in a statement released by NBC Sports. Madden, 73, was a Hall of Fame coach for the Oakland Raiders, but is best known to millions as an ebullient football commentator. He won 16 Emmy awards for outstanding sports analyst/personality, NBC said.
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Legendary football coach and broadcaster John Madden announces he is retiring .
"The NFL has been my life for more than 40 years, it has been my passion," he says .
Madden is best known to millions as an ebullient football commentator .
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Lillo Brancato Jr., an actor who appeared in "The Sopranos," was acquitted of the 2005 killing an off-duty New York City police officer but found guilty of attempted burglary. Lillo Brancato Jr. appeared on "The Sopranos" and played alongside Robert De Niro in "A Bronx Tale." Brancato, 32, was also acquitted of two counts of burglary, but could face three to 15 years in prison on the attempted burglary charge. He has already served three years, according to his attorney, Joseph Tacopina. Police officer Daniel Enchautegui, 28, was killed trying to break up a burglary attempt at his neighbor's house in the Bronx in December 2005. During the trial, Brancato said there was not a break-in. Brancato said he knew the owner of the home, and that he and friend Steven Armento, 51, were drinking at a strip club when they decided to go hunt for valium. Brancato told the jury that the owner, a Vietnam veteran, gave him permission to come to his house and take painkillers or other pills whenever he wanted. Brancato admitted to breaking a window at the home, but said it was strictly because he was going through intense heroin withdrawal that night and he said he was trying to wake up his friend to get the drugs. When Brancato and Armento entered the home, the next door neighbor -- Enchautegui -- came outside to investigate. That's when prosecutors said Armento shot the officer through the heart with his .357 Magnum. Armento was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in November. The jury in that trial took less than six hours to convict Armento. Enchautegui was shot in the chest by Armento when he interrupted the alleged robbery, but managed to shoot both suspects multiple times before dying. "This jury spoke loud and clear, that Lillo had nothing to do with the murder of this police officer," Tacopina said. Brancato appeared on six episodes of the hit HBO series "The Sopranos" as a wannabe mobster in 2000. As a teen, Brancato starred alongside actor Robert De Niro in "A Bronx Tale."
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Lillo Brancato Jr. played a wannabe mobster on "The Sopranos"
Brancato faces up to 15 years for attempted burglary conviction .
Actor said homeowner allowed him to come and get drugs when needed .
As a teen, Brancato starred alongside actor Robert De Niro in "A Bronx Tale"
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(CNN) -- A struggling German soccer team is offering a refund to its fans who traveled to another city to watch it suffer a 4-0 loss. Cottbus are second from the bottom of the German Bundesliga. More than 600 Energie Cottbus supporters saw their team suffer its sixth loss in seven games when it received a 4-0 drubbing Friday at the hands of another team, Schalke. Cottbus are second from the bottom in the German Bundesliga's ranking and is in danger of being relegated to a lower league at the end of the season. The team posted a Web statement Saturday headlined, "Sorry, Energie Fans!" In it, the team said its players "did not manage at any time to stand up to a high-class opponent with our particular qualities of passion, dedication and one-on-one duels." "Certainly one can lose at Schalke," the team manager Steffen Heidrich said in the statement. "Nevertheless we did not put up enough defense against the class of the individuals of this opponent." The team said it will announce details in the coming weeks of how fans can receive a refund on their admission ticket. "I welcome the apologetic gesture of the team to its fans," Heidrich said. "Real compensation must actually be given in the coming matches." CNN's Ben Brumfield contributed to this report.
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More than 600 supporters watch their team suffer its sixth loss in seven games .
Energie Cottbus are second from the bottom in its league's ranking .
The team will announce details of how fans can receive a refund on their ticket .
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(CNN) -- Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will leave her post by noon on January 20, the day President-elect Barack Obama is to be sworn in to office. Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has resigned effective January 20. In an e-mail to the staff at the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the CDC, outgoing HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt asked Gerberding and several other senior officials from his team to submit their letters of resignation. "She did so, and it was accepted, and it is effective January 20," CDC spokeswoman Karen Hunter said. Leavitt explained his move this way: "The next phase of Transition involves the departure of our team on January 20, and the arrival of President-elect Obama's team later that day," his e-mail said. "In order to create a clear path for leadership transition, I am attaching a list of senior leaders who will become the acting heads of their respective agencies and offices (or in some cases, remain as heads of their respective agencies and offices) until the new administration appoints individuals to various leadership positions." In addition to the change at CDC, Assistant HHS Secretary Charlie Johnson will serve as acting secretary, Leavitt said. CDC's Chief Operating Officer William H. Gimson III will take over as interim director at the agency until the next HHS secretary appoints a new one, the e-mail added. Gimson and Gerberding were traveling and unavailable for comment.
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Dr. Julie Gerberding will leave her post by noon on January 20 .
Outgoing HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt asked her for resignation .
Chief Operating Officer William H. Gimson III will take over as interim director .
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(CNN) -- British author J.G. Ballard, whose boyhood experience in a World War II internment camp became the novel and film "Empire of the Sun," died Sunday at age 78, his literary agent said. He had suffered from cancer for several years. Ballard's semi-autobiographical "Empire of the Sun" was made into a movie by Steven Spielberg. "J.G. Ballard has been a giant on the world literary scene for more than 50 years," Margaret Hanbury said Monday. "His acute and visionary observation of contemporary life was distilled into a number of brilliant, powerful novels, which have been published all over the world." Ballard was born in a Western enclave in the Chinese city of Shanghai in 1930. The Japanese occupied the city in 1937, and Ballard and his family were placed in a civilian internment camp in 1943. He began writing science fiction in the 1950s, with his work taking on a strongly psychological, apocalyptic bent in later decades. But, "Empire of the Sun," his semi-autobiographical account of the war years, became his best-known work, and it was made into a film by director Steven Spielberg in 1988. Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg adapted another of Ballard's novels, "Crash," in 1996. Its plot -- people sexually aroused by car accidents -- drew the novel an initial reaction of "beyond psychiatric help" from his publisher and an adults-only rating for the film.
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Celebrated author J.G. Ballard dies at age of 78 from cancer .
Ballard began writing science fiction in 1950s .
His semi-autobiographical novel "Empire of the Sun" was made into film .
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(CNN) -- Five Filipino soldiers were killed and 24 others wounded during an overnight gun battle with a faction of a Muslim separatist group in the Philippines' southern region, a military spokesman said. Filipino soldiers check weapons captured from Moro Islamic Liberation Front militants in November. The fighting in Basilan province broke out after ongoing peace negotiations with rogue members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) hit an impasse, said Maj. Ramon Zagala. Early reports indicated the fighters were from a rogue faction of the front, but the military later identified them as members of the Islamic militant group Abu Sayyaf, which has been linked to the al Qaeda terrorist network, Zagala said. Abu Sayyaf members were seeking refuge in MILF-controlled towns, drawing a military response, Zagala said. The militants retaliated Sunday with gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades, he said. The splinter group originally believed to have been involved in the firefight, the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, issued a statement accusing Filipino troops of using artillery and "indiscriminately" launched airstrikes.The statement, posted Monday on a pro-Moro Website, included no report of casualties. The government of the Philippines has been involved in peace negotiations with Moro Islamic Liberation Front since 2003. CNN's Tess Eastment contributed to this report.
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NEW: Abu Sayyaf members drew military response, military spokesman says .
Filipino soldiers fight rogue faction of a Muslim separatist group .
Fighting began after negotiations hit an impasse, military in Philippines says .
Militants were trying to occupy part of a province, military says .
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(CNN) -- Ukraine's Security Service launched a raid on the country's state-run gas company Wednesday, searching for documents related to a gas deal with Russia, a spokesman for the company said. Ukrainian security service agents let employees leave a room at Naftogaz's headquarters. A group of about 30 gunmen wearing masks and carrying machine guns entered the offices of Naftogaz and took control of every floor of the company's building in the capital of Kiev, Naftogaz spokesman Valentyn Zemlyansky said. Operatives from the security service then began a search for various company documents, including those pertaining to the Russia-Ukraine gas deal signed in January to end a weeks-long gas dispute, Zemlyansky told journalists, according to Russia's Interfax news agency. The Security Service opened a criminal case on Monday into alleged misappropriation of 6.3 billion cubic meters of transit gas worth over 7.4 billion hryvnia ($880 million) by a group of Naftogaz officers, Interfax reported. Taras Shepitko, a deputy chief of an Energy Regional Customs division under the State Customs Service, was detained as part of the case. Ukrainian Security Service operatives confirmed to Interfax that the operation was related to that criminal case. The armed troops were there simply to protect the investigators, the service told Interfax, citing attempts to hinder the investigation. Naftogaz called police when the armed men stormed in but the police retreated soon after they arrived, Zemlyansky said. CNN's Maxim Tkachenko in Moscow, Russia, contributed to this report.
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Ukraine's Security Service raids country's state-run gas company .
Naftogaz: Raid was to search for documents related to gas deal with Russia .
Security Service investigating alleged theft of gas by Naftogaz officers .
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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- An Indian paramilitary trooper shot dead six colleagues and fled his military camp with an AK-47 rifle in the remote northeastern state of Manipur, a spokesman for his unit said Thursday. Indian Assam Rifles paramilitary soldiers on duty in the eastern state of Manipur. "He shot dead one junior commissioned officer in a fit of rage after having an altercation with him and then turned the gun on five other troopers (who arrived at the scene)," said Shamsher Jung, the spokesman for the Assam Rifles. Authorities launched a manhunt for the trooper. The Assam Rifles are stationed in Manipur, on the India-Myanmar border, to combat some 30 active insurgent groups that are believed to be operating there. The rebels want a separate homeland and have accused the Indian government of exploiting the region's natural resources, while doing little in return to help the indigenous people who live there. In the last decade, thousands have died in separatist violence. -- CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report.
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Trooper shot one junior commissioned officer in a fit of rage, spokesman said .
He then turned his gun on five other troopers who arrived on the scene .
Trooper part of Assam Rifles, stationed in Manipur on India-Myanmar border .
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(CNN) -- Muzak, the company that put pop, string-filled arrangements of rock songs in your elevator, filed bankruptcy papers Tuesday after it missed a $105 million payment to creditors. The Muzak company is best known for background music piped into places such as elevators. The pipeline of easy listening will continue to flow as Muzak restructures its debt during the Chapter 11 process, the company said. "Muzak is a solid business with an outstanding customer base, but we are burdened with substantial debt obligations established over a decade ago," Muzak CEO Stephen Villa said. Muzak's cash flows doubled in the last three years, Villa said, "demonstrating that our business continues to perform well even in today's challenging environment." Along with its ubiquitous elevator offerings, Muzak and its 14 affiliates -- all privately owned -- produce on-hold messages and install sound systems, digital signs and drive-thru systems for retail businesses. Bankruptcy documents showed Muzak owes its largest creditor -- U.S. Bank, as indentured trustee -- about $370 million, nearly all of it due this year. Muzak spokeswoman Meaghan Repko said the filing was voluntary and in cooperation with the creditors. The weakened global economy was not a factor, she said, noting the company's profits have been rising in recent years. The Chapter 11 protections will allow Muzak time to restructure the debt, which was incurred a decade ago, she said.
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Muzak creates musical material often called "elevator music"
Company missed $105 million payment to creditors .
Cash flow is up, says CEO, but company has "substantial debt obligations"
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(CNN) -- Each year, Dr. Paul Dell and his wife, Ruthie, host Hand Camp, a refuge for children and teens with upper-limb abnormalities. Campers get to try arts and crafts, archery, and rope climbing in an environment away from teasing. The Dells, along with their staff of therapists and volunteers, work with the kids and their parents, offering advice and answering medical questions. More than 300 participated in this year's Hand Camp in Starke, Florida.
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Many of the campers are patients of the camp's co-founder, Dr. Paul Dell .
Parent sessions are held to give advice to families, especially about teasing .
The camp is free and will hopefully stay free, co-founder Ruthie Dell says .
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(CNN) -- Cornelia Wallace, ex-wife of four-time Alabama Gov. George Wallace, has died, the governor's office announced. She was in her late 60s. The cause of death was not immediately known. "She served as first lady during a very turbulent time and our thoughts and prayers are with her family today," Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and wife Patsy said in a statement. Cornelia Wallace first met her husband at a party in the Alabama governor's mansion when her uncle, James Folsom, was governor and she was only eight years old, Time Magazine reported in 1972. She was 19 years younger than Wallace. At the time, Wallace was a state legislator married to his first wife, Lurleen, who also served as Alabama governor. The then Cornelia Ellis went to the semifinals of the Miss Alabama contest before becoming the star of the Cypress Gardens water ski show in Florida, Time reported. She married John Snively III, a millionaire whose family once owned the Gardens. The couple had two sons but divorced seven years later. After Lurleen Wallace died of cancer in 1968, George Wallace got back in touch with Cornelia Ellis Snively and they married in 1971. The following year, Cornelia Wallace was beside her husband when he was shot in a 1972 assassination attempt in a Maryland parking lot. George and Cornelia Wallace divorced after his failed bid for the U.S. presidency in 1976. George Wallace died in Montgomery on September 13, 1998.
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Cornelia Wallace was in her late 60s .
She was with Wallace when would-be assassin shot him in 1972 .
"She served as first lady during a very turbulent time," Gov. Bob Riley says .
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MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A heavy snowstorm caused chaos Friday at Madrid's Barajas Airport, where flights were suspended for hours before Europe's fourth-busiest airport reopened in the late afternoon. A woman enjoys the snow in Madrid, where the airport suspended flights because of the weather. Planes were flying again at 4:40 p.m. (10:40 am ET). "It's a huge snowstorm. You don't see this in Madrid often," an airport spokeswoman said. The airport has 1,205 daily inbound and outbound flights. But for the first time, the airport halted operations due to a weather problem, the spokeswoman said. The temporary shutdown began about noon (6 a.m. ET). Visibility was low, and the storm was so intense that the airport's snow clearing and de-icing equipment couldn't keep up, said the spokeswoman, who by custom is not identified. The first plane to depart when the airport reopened was a Finnair flight bound for Helsinki, a second spokeswoman said. The delays from the storm affected hundreds of travelers at the airport. Many others could not even reach the airport because of poor road conditions. Madrid is one of the highest capitals in Europe, at an elevation of 646 meters or 2,120 feet, but it does not often snow in the city itself, especially with the ferocity seen Friday. Watch snowy scenes from Madrid » . As children and even some adults gleefully tossed snowballs, city officials urged motorists to stay off the roads and use public transportation. Large traffic jams formed on the major highways leading from Madrid to Barcelona and other cities, and numerous vehicles ran off the roads and got stuck in the snow. iReport: Are you snowed in in Spain? Send us your photos, videos . Bus service was suspended in many areas, although subways and commuter trains were operating, with delays in some cases. Weather forecasters said the snow was expected to continue through Saturday morning, although diminishing in intensity.
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Airport reopens after suspending flights for hours Friday .
Madrid is one of the highest capitals in Europe, at an elevation of 646 meters .
However, it rarely has heavy snowfall of the kind seen Friday .
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(CNN) -- The first person ever convicted in Idaho of knowingly spreading the HIV virus is facing new charges for the same offense, authorities said Thursday. An Ada County, Idaho, grand jury on Tuesday returned an indictment charging Kerry Thomas, 45, with seven counts of knowingly transferring the HIV virus, Jean Fisher, Ada County deputy prosecutor, told CNN. In 1990, Thomas was charged with four counts of HIV transmission and two counts of statutory rape, Fisher said. As part of a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty only to the rape charges. According to Fisher, Thomas received a 12-year sentence and had to serve three years before being eligible for parole. He was later granted early release. In 1996, however, Thomas was again charged with one count of HIV transmission, and a jury convicted him, Fisher said. He received a 15-year sentence with a seven-year minimum. Now out on parole, Thomas faces possible life in prison on the new charges because prosecutors are seeking his designation as a "persistent violator." It was not immediately known whether Thomas was in custody Thursday. He was not listed online among the inmates in the Ada County Jail. Asked why Thomas would continue to spread the virus, which causes AIDS, Fisher said, "That's the $64,000 question, for a person who has been to prison twice."
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Kerry Thomas was indicted for second time for knowingly transferring HIV virus .
In 1990, Thomas was charged with four counts of HIV transmission .
If convicted, Thomas could face life in prison .
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(CNN) -- Don Henley, a founding member of "The Eagles," is suing a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, claiming the candidate is misusing two of his popular songs. Don Henley performs at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival on May 2, 2008. The suit filed Friday in federal court in California claims Charles DeVore is using Henley's hit songs "The Boys of Summer" and "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" without authorization. The suit comes from two campaign videos that DeVore posted on YouTube that used Henley's music, according to the lawsuit. In one of the videos, DeVore's campaign changed the words of "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" to lyrics that attacked Sen. Barbara Boxer, the lawsuit alleges. Mike Campbell, who co-wrote "Boys of Summer," is also named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. "Don Henley and Mike Campbell brought this action to protect their song, 'The Boys of Summer,' which was taken and used without their permission," Henley's spokesman said. "The infringers have vowed to continue exploiting this and other copyrighted works, as it suits them, to further their own ambitions and agenda. It was necessary to file a lawsuit to stop them." DeVore, a member of the California State Assembly, is running against Boxer, a Democrat, in the 2010 election, according to his Web site. DeVore mentions Henley's legal actions on the Web site. "We're responding with a counter-claim, asserting our First Amendment right to political free speech," the site said. "While the legal issues play out, it's time to up the ante on Mr. Henley's liberal goon tactics. By popular request, I have penned the words to our new parody song." DeVore then posted the lyrics of a song he called "All She Wants to Do Is Tax." CNN's Denise Quan contributed to this report.
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Don Henley files lawsuit against Republican running for Senate seat .
Henley claims Charles DeVore used his songs without permission .
DeVore is running against California Sen. Barbara Boxer .
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(CNN) -- Actress Jessica Lange took a tumble in her Minnesota vacation cabin Tuesday, but a publicist said her injuries were not serious. Lange, who turns 60 next month, suffered bruised ribs, a broken collarbone and a small cut on her forehead, spokeswoman Leslee Dart said Wednesday. "She will be completely fine and expects to be released from the hospital imminently," Dart said. Lange began her movie career in 1976 playing King Kong's love interest in the 1976 version of "King Kong" but later was nominated for six Oscars -- two of which she won. She won best supporting actress for her role in "Tootsie" in 1982 and best leading actress for "Blue Sky" in 1994. Lange owns a lakeside cabin not far from Cloquet, Minnesota, where she was born in 1949.
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Jessica Lange hurt in fall at Minnesota vacation home .
Lange suffered bruised ribs, a broken collarbone and a small cut .
Actress, 60, expected to be "completely fine," says publicist .
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OSWIECIM, Poland (CNN) -- Israel's vice prime minister compared Iran to Nazi Germany on Tuesday at the site of one of World War II's most notorious death camps. Israel's vice prime minister Silvan Shalom said Tuesday "Israel can never live with" a nuclear Iran. The Islamic republic's alleged efforts to acquire nuclear weapons are "not far away, not at all, to what Hitler did to the Jewish people just 65 years ago," Silvan Shalom said at the former Auschwitz camp. "Israel can never live with the idea that Iran will hold a nuclear bomb," Shalom added, reiterating long-standing Israeli policy. He was speaking as Israel observes its Holocaust memorial day, remembering the roughly 6 million Jews who were killed by the Nazi regime during World War II simply for being Jewish. A day earlier, Iran's president caused an uproar at a United Nations anti-racism conference by accusing Israel of having a racist government and committing genocide. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the West made "an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering ... in order to establish a totally racist government in occupied Palestine." Dozens of European diplomats walked out of the speech, but a majority of the conference delegates stayed, and there was some cheering. Iran denies its nuclear program is aimed at building bombs, but Israel and the United States do not believe it. CNN's Diana Magnay contributed to this report.
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Iran's nuclear effort compared to Nazi Germany's killing of Jews .
Israel's vice prime minister speaks on Holocaust remembrance day .
Iran denies nuclear program has military purposes .
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(CNN) -- Authorities in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, have arrested a man whom they accused of having terrorized students, their parents and the administration of a grade school for three months. Alberto Enrique Hernandez Magallanes, 62, is accused of making phone and written threats asking for money. "There have been threats against several schools, but this is the first time we have been able to make an arrest," said Arturo Sandoval, Chihuahua State Ministerial Police spokesman, after police acted Tuesday. Alberto Enrique Hernandez Magallanes, 62, is accused of making phone and written threats asking for money in exchange for not hurting the children. Police said he sent school administrators notes in packages that included bullets. Citing security concerns, police asked that the name of the school not be divulged. The spokeswoman for Chihuahua's state prosecutor, Daniela Gonzalez, described it as a private school with a student body drawn primarily from middle- to upper-class families. "School administrators were anxious and afraid," Gonzalez said. "The letters were escalating in demands until they reached the $50,000 figure. They feared for their safety and the safety of the children." Gonzalez said police helped her negotiate with Hernandez, who agreed to accept $10,000 and a sport utility vehicle. After he collected the money, Hernandez ran to his home, half a block from the school, where he was arrested, Gonzalez said. Police said they confiscated rifles, guns and ammunition. Sandoval said investigators don't think Hernandez is linked to Mexico's drug cartels that have laid siege to Ciudad Juarez, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas. "He is a person that, because of the current insecurity climate in the city, has taken advantage of the situation," the police spokesman said.
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Police say suspect sent school administrators notes in packages with bullets .
Authorities in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, arrest Alberto Enrique Hernandez Magallanes .
Spokesman: Letters escalated "in demands until they reached the $50,000 figure"
Police won't release name of private school, citing security concerns .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Jon Hamm has a confession to make: He hates his hair. Jon Hamm poses with his partner, Jennifer Westfeldt, at the premiere of "The Day the Earth Stood Still." That may come as a surprise to fans of the actor, whose slick-backed hair is part of his signature look on "Mad Men" -- the show that just earned him another Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a TV drama. In the new movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still," Hamm sports a slightly different 'do, with his bangs combed rakishly over one eye. It was in the context of promoting the sci-fi remake that Hamm revealed his tonsorial frustration. "It's the bane of my existence. Goofy hair," he said in a self-deprecating interview with CNN. "It never looks good ... It's a pain." Hamm says he's always worn his hair long, but had to cut it for AMC's TV series, in which he plays a 1960s Madison Avenue ad executive. He says stylists on the show, armed with hair spray and blow dryers, mold his coiffure into a hard shell. Helmet hair has come in handy at work. "I've had a piece of the set fall on my head and my hair didn't move," he said. "I had seven stitches in my head and my hair didn't move. That's impressive." Whether it's his hair, good looks, acting chops or a combination thereof, Hamm's star is on the rise in Hollywood. Apart from his co-starring role in "The Day the Earth Stood Still," Hamm recently completed work on the murder mystery "The Boy in the Box." He hosted "Saturday Night Live" this fall, he's due to play Tina Fey's love interest on "30 Rock" and he continues to receive accolades for his work on "Mad Men" (nominations for an Emmy and a Golden Globe so far). How does that make Hamm feel? "Exciting is the right way to say it. It's been a good year. It's very exciting," he said. "I get to read a lot more scripts. I get to meet interesting people. I get to work with interesting people ... It's fun to be sort of invited to the party."
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"Mad Men" star Jon Hamm earned another Golden Globe nomination .
Hamm says hair is a pain -- especially short and lacquered for "Mad Men"
Actor currently appearing in "The Day the Earth Stood Still"
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(CNN) -- Game show host and comedian Howie Mandel's irregular heartbeat scare is over, his publicist said Tuesday. Howie Mandel had an irregular heartbeat, but he did not have a heart attack, his publicist said. "Howie has been released from the hospital and will be back at work tomorrow," said Lewis Kay. "He appreciates everyone's concern." Mandel, 53, checked into a Toronto hospital Monday so doctors could monitor his condition, Kay said. He was in Toronto, filming segments for a new show "Howie Do It." The hour-long prank show debuted on NBC Friday. Mandel is the host of the American version of the game show "Deal or No Deal," which has brought huge ratings for NBC.
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NEW: Howie Mandel released from Toronto hospital .
Host of "Deal or No Deal" had been admitted with irregular heartbeat .
Comedian was in Toronto, Canada, filming segments for a new show, "Howie Do It"
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(CNN) -- The Sri Lankan military claimed it has struck a decisive blow against Tamil rebels in the taking of a rebel naval base at Chalai. Troops at Elephant Pass, the isthmus connecting the Jaffna peninsula to the rest of Sri Lanka. The "capture of Chalai by army troops several hours ago drove a decisive blow to the entire Tiger organization, now in its death throes with the loss of the biggest Sea Tiger base in the eastern coastal belt," said a statement posted on the military's Web site. The military also said it had killed at least four rebel leaders and 10 other rebels in the fighting Thursday evening in Chalai, a community known for its bazaars. Government troops and Tamil rebels are locked in a battle for the remaining rebel strongholds in the north of Sri Lanka, where the the country's ethnic Tamil minority has been fighting for an independent homeland since 1983. Watch a report on risks facing journalists in Sri Lanka » . Humanitarian groups say as many as 250,000 unprotected civilians are trapped in the area where the fighting is taking place, and the onslaught has intensified as government forces have closed in on the rebels. The aid agencies have asked for increased access to northern Sri Lanka, calling it a nightmarish situation. Earlier this week, the conflict forced the closure of Pudukkudiyiruppu hospital in the Vanni region, the last functioning medical facility in the area of fighting. Sri Lanka's Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse rejected calls Wednesday for a negotiated end to the fighting. He said there would be no political solution, the online edition of The Island reported. Some in the international community have suggested negotiations to give the rebels an opportunity to surrender.
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Military says it killed at least 14 rebels in the fighting .
Government troops, rebels battling for remaining rebel strongholds in north .
Aid groups say as many as 250,000 civilians are trapped in the area .
Ethnic Tamil minority fighting for an independent homeland since 1983 .
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(CNN) -- A convicted sex offender who was sentenced to death for killing a 9-year-old Idaho boy is scheduled to be arraigned Monday on charges related to the killing of a 10-year-old California boy. Joseph Edward Duncan III will answer charges in the 1997 abduction and murder of Anthony Martinez. Joseph Edward Duncan III is expected to appear in court in Riverside County, California, to answer to charges in the 1997 abduction and murder of Anthony Martinez, said a spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney's office. Investigators have charged Duncan with murder in Anthony's death. Law-enforcement officials also are investigating whether Duncan, who committed his first sexual offense at the age of 12, can be tied to other crimes, according to CNN affiliate KTLA in Los Angeles, California. Martinez was kidnapped on April 4, 1997 from an alley near his home in the city of Beaumont, the station reported; the boy's naked body was discovered a little over two weeks later. Duncan has confessed to killing Martinez and crushing the boy's head with a rock, KTLA reported, citing court documents. Authorities reportedly discovered the boy's body by following vultures to a remote section of a nearby canyon. The body was partially buried under a pile of rocks and bound with duct tape, according to KTLA. Duncan, a high school dropout and drifter, was sentenced to death last August for the torture and murder of Dylan Groene, a 9-year-old Idaho boy. He was convicted of kidnapping Dylan and his then 8-year-old sister before torturing them at a remote campsite and fatally bludgeoning members of their family. In 2007, Duncan pleaded guilty to murder and kidnapping counts in state court for the hammer-attack murders of three other Groene family members. If convicted of murdering Martinez, Duncan can be sentenced to death again.
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Joseph Duncan committed his first sexual offense at the age of 12 .
He was sentenced to death last August for the murder a 9-year-old boy .
Duncan could be sentenced to death a second time if convicted again .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- British singer Amy Winehouse has been charged with "common assault" in connection with an incident last September, and will appear in court later this month, Scotland Yard said Friday. Amy Winehouse performs at last year's V Festival in Chelmsford, England. In the incident, on September 26, the singer allegedly hit a fan at a charity ball, British media reported. A spokesman for the 25-year-old Winehouse said in a statement that she "voluntarily attended a police station in London yesterday morning. "She was questioned by appointment in relation to an accusation made after the Berkeley Ball last year. "She was charged with common assault and will attend a court hearing in the coming weeks." Winehouse is facing the possibility of another potentially damaging court case after husband Blake Fielder-Civil last month asked his lawyer "to commence divorce proceedings on the grounds of Amy's adultery," his lawyer, Henri Brandman, said. That came after Fielder-Civil saw photos of her cavorting with another man during her recent holiday in the Caribbean, while he sat in a British jail.
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Winehouse allegedly hit a fan at a charity ball in September .
She will appear in court later this month .
Troubled singer also facing divorce proceedings from jailed husband .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original "Star Wars" films, has revealed he is suffering from prostate cancer but is still feeling "fantastic." David Prowse signs autographs during the opening day of "Star Wars Celabration IV" in Los Angeles in 2007. Prowse, who wore the black suit and helmet to play the Dark Lord of the Sith, told a British radio station he had been undergoing radiotherapy at a hospital in south London and was helping its fundraising appeal. "I'm involved with the Royal Marsden Hospital appeal because I'm undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, would you believe," he told Absolute Radio. "I'm having my very last treatment this morning." "I've had two months' radiotherapy treatment at the Royal Marsden. It's the most fantastic hospital you could ever wish to go to." James Earl Jones did the voice for Vader, Luke Skywalker's father, (and also for CNN promotional links) in the films as Prowse's western English accent was thought to be unsuitable for the part. Prowse, 73, added he was fighting the disease. "The only thing I've had is hot flushes and my wife tells me I'm going menopausal," he said. "It's amazing what can be done so long as you catch it early." "Every man over the age of 50 should have a PSA test (a blood test for prostate cancer) and that just gives you some indication of whether you have prostate problems."
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David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in "Star Wars," has prostate cancer .
Prowse says he is undergoing radiotherapy at hospital in south London .
Actor said every man over 50 should have a blood test for prostate cancer .
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- NYPD officers on counter-terrorism patrol helped deliver a baby during morning rush hour in the middle of New York's bustling Penn Station Wednesday. Caesar Penn Boothe was delivered under the Penn Station departures sign at 7:20 a.m. Wednesday. "Forget the ambulance, forget everything else -- I'm going to have the baby right here," new mother Marie Boothe recalled at a news conference later in the day. Three members of the police department's counter-terrorism patrol team who were in the station and an Amtrak police officer stepped in to help deliver the seven-pound baby boy under the departures sign at 7:20 a.m. The newborn was greeted by fellow commuters in typical New York City fashion. "They started yelling, 'Name him Penn, after Penn Station!'" said Marie Medina, one of the NYPD officers who aided in the special delivery. Caesar Penn Boothe, whose middle name reflects his birthplace, was taken to Bellevue Hospital along with his mother, and the two were reported to be doing well.
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"Forget the ambulance ... I'm going to have the baby right here," said mother .
Baby named Caesar Penn Boothe; middle name reflects his birthplace .
Three counter-terrorism patrol officers and Amtrak police officer helped deliver baby .
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(CNN) -- Buy a $175,000 package to attend the Oscars and you might buy yourself trouble, lawyers for the Academy Awards warn. The 81st annual Academy Awards will be held on February 22 from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. The advertising of such packages -- including four tickets to the upcoming 81st annual Academy Awards and a hotel stay in Los Angeles, California -- has prompted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to sue an Arizona-based company. The Academy accused the company Experience 6 of selling "black-market" tickets, because tickets to the lavish movie awards show cannot be transferred or sold. Selling tickets could become a security issue that could bring celebrity stalkers or terrorists to the star-studded event, says the lawsuit, which was filed Monday in federal court in the Central District of California. "Security experts have advised the Academy that it must not offer tickets to members of the public and must know identities of the event attendees," the lawsuit says. "In offering such black-market tickets, defendants are misleading the public and the ticket buyers into thinking that purchasers will be welcomed guests, rather than as trespassers, when they arrive for the ceremony." Experience 6 did not return calls from CNN for comment. On Tuesday morning, tickets to the event were still being advertised on the company's Web site. The Oscars will be presented February 22 from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. The Academy Awards broadcast will air on ABC. Hugh Jackman is scheduled to host.
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Academy sues Arizona-based company over sales of Oscar packages .
Tickets to lavish movie awards show cannot be transferred or sold, Academy says .
Package includes four tickets to 81st annual Academy Awards, L.A. hotel stay .
Selling tickets could become a security issue, according to lawsuit .
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f24225ef0e0b719208c4055c7d7e0f16a362d3d7
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Supermodel and television host Tyra Banks said Sunday she's "concerned" about Saturday's melee at an "America's Next Top Model" audition at a New York hotel but said she didn't know what caused the disturbance. Supermodel Tyra Banks, who hosts "America's Next Top Model," says she's not certain what triggered the fight. "We are concerned by the events that occurred Saturday afternoon in the vicinity of the New York City casting call for the next cycle of 'America's Next Top Model,' " Banks, who hosts and produces the show, said in a joint statement with executive producer Ken Mok. "At this time, we still don't know all the details of what happened or what triggered the incident. We appreciate the efforts of the NYPD and will assist them in any way possible in this matter," the statement said. It remained unclear Sunday what happened in the crowd waiting for the audition at the Park Central New York Hotel in Manhattan. Three people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and inciting a riot, police said. Six people were injured and two of them sought treatment at a hospital, authorities said. Watch police try to control the screaming crowd » . The audition was shut down after the incident, authorities said. Calls to Park Central management were not immediately returned Saturday. The "Top Model" competition, aired by the CW network, is in its 12th cycle.
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Police: 3 people were arrested Saturday after melee at a TV show audition .
"America's Next Top Model" audition was held at a New York hotel, police say .
Tyra Banks, show's host, says she doesn't know what triggered the melee .
Authorities: Six people were injured; two sought treatment at a hospital .
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37130325cfc7a6da21bfc8aa84c76163d3ae2fb0
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MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Letters containing white powder were mailed to 16 U.S. embassies across Europe, according to the State Department on Wednesday. Emergency services surround U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain. The substance has proved to be harmless in 15 locations with results still pending for the final embassy in The Hague, Netherlands, Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood said. He said the list of U.S. embassies where the powder was received includes Berlin, Germany; Bern, Switzerland; Brussels, Belgium; Bucharest, Romania; Copenhagen, Denmark; Dublin, Ireland; Luxembourg; Madrid, Spain; Oslo, Norway; Paris, France; Reykjavik, Iceland; Riga, Latvia; Rome, Italy; Stockholm, Sweden; Tallinn, Estonia; and The Hague. An envelope, containing what testing revealed to be white flour, prompted the U.S. Embassy in Madrid to close the staff entrance on Wednesday, a U.S. embassy official told CNN. Mail at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid is received near the front entrance and was closed amid security concerns, he said, though most employees remained at work. "We know where the package is coming from," the official said, but declined to elaborate. The official spoke on coindition on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. He described the incident as "very serious" but went on to say there is probably "more commotion" outside the embassy, where local media reported police and ambulances had gathered. A similar letter was mailed to the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen on Tuesday, embassy spokeswoman Melissa Ford said Wednesday. She said the contents of that envelope "still aren't in," contrary to Wood's statement. "It usually takes more than 24 hours (for the cultures), so perhaps we'll know later today or early tomorrow," Ford told CNN. CNN's Elise Labott and Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman contributed to this report.
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Sixteen U.S. embassies in Europe receive mail containing white powder .
Tests show powder harmless in 15 cases; results pending in 16th case .
U.S. embassy official in Madrid: "We know where the package is coming from"
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edce56899d02d56f9e0f512aeb427bf27fae594d
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- -- Federal officials have fined Exxon Mobil more than $6 million after it violated a three-year-old agreement to decrease air pollution at four of its refineries. Exxon Mobil's refinery in Baytown, Texas, is one of four that the EPA said had high sulfur emissions. The Justice Department announced Wednesday that the oil giant agreed to pay $6.1 million after Environmental Protection Agency officials determined the company had not sufficiently reduced sulfur emissions in its refineries in Baytown and Beaumont, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Torrance, California. Exxon Mobil had paid a $7.7 million fine in its original 2005 agreement with the government and promised to install new emissions controls at the refineries. The petroleum company said after the latest settlement its refineries now meet the required EPA standards on sulfur emissions. The company's role in environmental pollution has been in the spotlight ever since the 1989 Exxon Valdez accident in Alaska, the worst oil spill in U.S. history. This past summer, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the company to pay $507 million in punitive damages from the incident, down from an original $2.5 billion judgment.
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EPA says company had not sufficiently reduced sulfur emissions at four refineries .
The facilities in question are in Texas, Louisiana and California .
Exxon Mobil says refineries now meet EPA standards on sulfur emissions .
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d4f28a51af3fd56dbafd357f0c64657b087b8502
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen married National Football League star Tom Brady Thursday in an "intimate" sunset ceremony, US Weekly magazine reported on its Web site. Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen attend a Metropolitan Museum of Art gala May 5, 2008, in New York City. The couple wed at a Catholic church in Santa Monica, California, in front of mostly immediate family members, the entertainment magazine reported. The two had dated since 2006. The bride wore a Dolce & Gabbana gown. Her three dogs, which attended the ceremony, wore matching Dolce & Gabbana floral lace collars, the Web site said. Bundchen, 28, is the highest-paid model in the world, the business Web site Forbes.com reported last year. New England Patriots quarterback Brady has gone to the Super Bowl four times, winning three of those games.
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Couple weds at a Catholic church in Santa Monica, California, US Weekly reports .
Bride wears a Dolce & Gabbana gown; her three dogs attend the ceremony .
She's world's highest-paid model; he's gone to the Super Bowl four times .
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275c394041684222a3258c62ffc5773d931c9806
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(CNN) -- Singer Kelly Osbourne, the daughter of rocker Ozzy Osbourne, checked herself into "a medical facility to address some personal issues," her London publicist confirmed Friday. Kelly Osbourne is struggling with "some personal issues," according to her spokeswoman. The British Press Association cited an unnamed source saying Osbourne, 24, is being treated at the Hazelden retreat in Oregon. "Kelly Osbourne has voluntarily entered a medical facility to address some personal issues," spokeswoman Caroline Barrett said in a statement e-mailed to CNN. "Her family stands by and supports her." Osbourne was jailed in London in January on a charge of assaulting a British newspaper gossip columnist at a London nightclub last summer. She was freed on bail. She's been absent in recent weeks from a British radio talk show in which she dispenses life advice to young people. Her father, who rose to fame with the heavy metal group Black Sabbath, and mother Sharon revealed nearly five years ago that Kelly Osbourne entered the Promises rehab facility in Malibu, California, for treatment of a painkiller addiction. Their revelation came in an appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live" in May 2004. "We just had to take evasive action very quickly, because the amount of pills that was found in her bag was astounding," Ozzy Osbourne told Larry King. Kelly Osbourne gained fame as a teenager when her family opened up their lives to cameras for an MTV reality show "The Osbournes." She used the exposure to launch her own music career.
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Kelly Osbourne in "medical facility to address some personal issues"
Daughter of Ozzy Osbourne had been doing radio advice show .
Kelly Osbourne first became known from MTV's "The Osbournes"
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796503aa4c16cd8e867665075bbd2a0b9776c7c9
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