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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- William Jackson was a slave in the home of Confederate president Jefferson Davis during the Civil War. It turns out he was also a spy for the Union Army, providing key secrets to the North about the Confederacy. William Jackson, a slave, listened closely to Jefferson Davis' conversations and leaked them to the North. Jackson was Davis' house servant and personal coachman. He learned high-level details about Confederate battle plans and movements because Davis saw him as a "piece of furniture" -- not a human, according to Ken Dagler, author of "Black Dispatches," which explores espionage by America's slaves. "Because of his role as a menial servant, he simply was ignored," Dagler said. "So Jefferson Davis would hold conversations with military and Confederate civilian officials in his presence." Dagler has written extensively on the issue for the CIA's Center for the Study of Intelligence . Watch the stories of slaves as spies » . In late 1861, Jackson fled across enemy lines and was immediately debriefed by Union soldiers. Dagler said Jackson provided information about supply routes and military strategy. "In Jackson's case, what he did was ... present some of the current issues that were affecting the Confederacy that you could not read about in the local press that was being passed back and forth across local lines. He actually had some feel for the issues of supply problems," Dagler said. Jackson and other slaves' heroic efforts have been a forgotten legacy of the war -- lost amid the nation's racially charged past and the heaps of information about the war's historic battles. But historians over the last few decades have been taking an interest in the sacrifice of African-Americans during those war years. Jackson's espionage is mentioned in a letter from a general to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell refers to "Jeff Davis' coachman" as the source of information about Confederate deployments. Watch grandson of slaves: "They call me Little Man" » . Dagler said slaves who served as spies were able to collect incredibly detailed information, in large part because of their tradition of oral history. Because Southern laws prevented blacks from learning how to read and write, he said, the slave spies listened intently to minute details and memorized them. "What the Union officers found very quickly with those who crossed the line ... was that if you talked to them, they remembered a great more in the way of details and specifics than the average person ... because again they relied totally on their memory as opposed to any written records," he said. Jackson wasn't the only spy. There were hundreds of them. In some cases, the slaves made it to the North, only to return to the South to risk being hanged. One Union general wrote that he counted on black spies in Tennessee because "no white man had the pluck to do it." No one was better than Robert Smalls, a slave who guided vital supply ships in and out of Charleston Harbor in South Carolina. He eventually escaped and provided the Union with "a turning of the forces in Charleston Harbor," according to an annual report of the Navy secretary to President Lincoln. "A debriefing of him gave ... the Union force there the entire fortification scheme for the interior harbor," Dagler said. One of the most iconic spies was Harriet Tubman, who ran the Underground Railroad, bringing slaves to the North. In 1863, she was asked by the Union to help with espionage in South Carolina. She picked former slaves from the region for an espionage ring and led many of the spy expeditions herself. "The height of her intelligence involvement occurred late in 1863 when she actually led a raid into South Carolina," Dagler said. "In addition to the destruction of millions of dollars of property, she brought out over 800 slaves back into freedom in the North." As the nation marks Black History Month in February, Dagler said that history should include the sacrifices of the African-Americans who risked their lives for their nation. Many paid the ultimate sacrifice. "They were all over the place, and no one [in the South] considered them to be of any value. Consequently, they heard and saw virtually everything done by their masters, who were the decision-makers," Dagler said. Whatever happened to William Jackson, the spy in Jefferson Davis's house? Unfortunately, that remains a great unknown. "He simply disappeared from history, as so many of them have." CNN's Wayne Drash contributed to this report.

William Jackson, a slave, learned key details inside the home of Jefferson Davis . Davis was president of the Confederacy; Jackson leaked key secrets to the Union . "Because of his role as a menial servant, he simply was ignored" by Southerners . Author said history must never forget the sacrifice of African-Americans in Civil War .

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Samuel Welsh's chances of landing a job before this economic downturn were already slim. Samuel Welsh, laid off since 2006, has found solace in his faith. "You got to keep God in your heart," he said. Now, as a disabled worker, the 29-year-old is competing with thousands of nondisabled job seekers going for jobs once allocated for the disabled population. Welsh was laid off from his job as an executive assistant in 2006. "I did mortgages, refinances and purchase deals. I was dismissed from that job and after that I was sent over to the Bobby Dodd Institute to do my vocational rehab counseling," he said. The Bobby Dodd Institute in Atlanta provides job training and rehabilitation for people with disabilities. Meg Godfrey, an employment specialist with BDI, has been handling Welsh's case. "He came to us originally looking for a position in administrative clerical type work. We have lowered his goals to greeting and ticket-taking, but those are the first jobs that go in this type of economy," she said. As part of her job, Godfrey seeks potential employers who will allocate some of their positions for people with disabilities, but as unemployment has soared, competition has gotten fierce. "Usually, we can get three to five jobs a month. Lately it's been one or no jobs each month. There are some employers I have talked to about hiring our clients. It's in a restaurant-type business and they have people coming in and putting applications that have previously worked at Morgan Stanley," she said. For Welsh, the competition and the wait have proven too long. He recently started a home cake-making business using cooking skills he learned from his grandmother when he was growing up in Alabama. He gets orders from local clients and delivers the cakes with the aid of public transit for the disabled. He gets about three orders a week, at an average price of $15 per cake. Welsh said he evaluated his skills and abilities before starting his business. "I know that I can bake cakes. I know that people like cakes; people like to eat a little something sweet, " he said. He added that he has not lost hope about finding a job. Wayne McMillan, CEO of BDI, says job numbers for people with disabilities show little hope. "It's terrible to be without a job in this country. It's tragic to have a disability and be without a job. We are having people come through the programs that we are not being able to place. Last year we placed 171 folks; during the month of December zero; January two. This is a real crisis for us," McMillan said. For the first time, the Department of Labor in February released a report tracking unemployment rates among disabled job seekers. The survey found a 14 percent unemployment rate among disabled workers -- almost double that of the nondisabled population. And only 21 percent of the available working disabled population is employed, compared with the 65 percent of nondisabled workers. "It is not at the top of most people's minds," said Megan Rutter Branch, director of communication for BDI. "They are seeing family members go off and have the dignity of work, and earn a paycheck, and the only expectation that is had of them is to sit at home, watch TV and stay out of trouble." She emphasized that disabled workers have one of the highest retention rates in the industry, 82 percent to 87 percent, according to BDI figures. "Our folks wouldn't want to leave. They had to overcome all these hurdles to get a job." According to the U.S. Census, people with disabilities comprise the largest minority group, approximately 20 percent of the population. Robin L. Shaffert, senior director of corporate social responsibility with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), says it is critical for this group to be included in economic recovery plans. "It is very important for our society that we are using all the productive force of our society. It is important that we are also looking at people with disabilities and make sure we are looking for solutions for them as well," Shaffert said. AAPD research shows that President Obama's economic stimulus package has allocated funds to help people with disabilities, such as increased Medicaid help, vocational rehabilitation, help with independent living and specialized education. Until that help comes, Welsh, who suffers from spina bifida, says he is holding onto his faith. "You got to keep God in your heart. As long as you got him in your side everything will go smoothly," he said.

Institute that places disabled employees says employers all but stopped calling . Labor statistics show 14 percent unemployment rate among disabled workers . Stimulus package allocates funds to aid disabled, but immediate help needed .

(CNN) -- Imagine for a moment that we lived in a world where two million children under the age of five were dying every year of diseases that were entirely preventable. Imagine that this world was divided in two, where in one half children were free from this scourge and the other half lived in fear of these diseases which threatened their families every single day. "Mostly it is our children that are affected. I lost two of my children, a boy and a girl and my sister also lost two of her children; two boys. The first one of mine was two years and the recent one who died just two weeks old." These aren't the lines from a dystopian Brothers Grimm story, or a page lifted from the dark ages of our history. These are the words of Yenge Koroma, who lives in Vaama in Sierra Leone. This is our world today. Globally nearly a third of under-five child deaths are attributable to just two diseases, pneumonia and diarrhea. Between them, they account for around two million young lives a year, with nearly 90% of these deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Last year, UNICEF and the World Health Organization launched a Joint Action Plan, which WaterAid strongly supports, to help tackle these two child killers together. These organizations recognized that alongside vaccines and treatments like oral rehydration salts, access to safe drinking water, basic sanitation and good hygiene are vital in helping to prevent these diseases. As Yenge puts it: "The cause of the sicknesses is the water we are drinking. That water is polluted. There is dirt in the water and sometimes fish die in the water mysteriously. Sometimes we launder in that water; we use the water as toilet. All this is really making the water unhygienic but we have no other source. It is the same water we are drinking and that water I believe is really the cause of the sicknesses in this community." Her story is far from unique. Globally 1 in 10 people are without safe drinking water, while over a third of the planet (36%) goes without basic sanitation. In Sub-Saharan Africa the situation is that much more desperate, with 35% going without an improved water source, and a staggering 70% without safe sanitation. This lack of access to such basic and essential services has devastating consequences for people's health. According to the U.N. as many as half the hospital beds in the developing world are being used at any one time by people suffering from waterborne diseases. Economists at the World Health Organization have calculated that a lack of access to these services is costing developing countries $35 billion every year, in healthcare costs alone. When looking at the full range of productivity losses this figure jumps to $260 billion. This devastating loss of life and the economic costs can be tackled if governments, civil society and the private sector work together to address this crisis. Addressing this crisis requires collaboration and innovative partnerships and WaterAid works with organizations like the U.N., the World Health Organization, with governments, businesses, academia and our colleagues and partners around the world to advocate for the step change in approach we need to see to get these services out to the communities that desperately need them. WaterAid works in Sierra Leone and 25 other countries around the world, providing some of the world's poorest people with access to these basic services. Since 1981 WaterAid has reached 19.2 million people with safe water and 15.1 million people with sanitation, and we are proud to be the world's largest international NGO focused entirely on water, sanitation and hygiene. We are approaching a crucial point. Next year, governments from around the world will finalize their negotiations to decide on a new set of Sustainable Development Goals to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030. These goals will help to shape the progress and priorities in the developing world for the next decade and a half. WaterAid believes that these new Sustainable Development Goals should include a dedicated commitment from governments for everyone everywhere to have access to water, sanitation and hygiene. Access to these services is the crucial first step in tackling killer diseases, and in helping lift people out of debilitating poverty. A third of the U.N. member countries have already signaled that this should be a priority, and we agree. Access to sanitation, water and hygiene are fundamental for a decent and productive life. We must not lose this opportunity to act and help end preventable child deaths.

Pneumonia and diarrhea kill around two million young children a year . Providing clean water and sanitation can help tackle these diseases . Globally 1 in 10 people are without safe drinking water . New Sustainable Development Goals should include access to water and hygiene, argues WaterAid .

(CNN) -- Leszek Balcerowicz, Poland's former finance minister, recently said his country is enjoying "its best period in 300 years." CNN looks at how the country emerged from communism to become one of eastern Europe's most stable and thriving democracies. Solidarity leader Lech Walesa addresses striking workers in Gdansk, Poland in 1989. Modern Poland gained independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union during the Second World War. Almost six million Poles, including the majority of the country's large Jewish population, died during the devastating six-year conflict. The shadow of Stalin continued to loom large over Poland after the war, when the communist-dominated government ensured that Poland would become a Soviet satellite state for the next 40 years. The following decades were punctuated by revolts against the repressive authoritarian regime in Warsaw, but none had a greater impact on Poland's political future than events in 1980 at a shipyard in western Poland. With a struggling economy and rumors of corruption and mismanagement within the state causing widespread discontent, a series of strikes by workers paralyzed the country. Eventually the government was forced to negotiate and on August 31, 1980, workers at the massive Lenin shipyard in Gdansk, led by an electrician named Lech Walesa, signed a deal giving workers the right to strike and form trade unions. This heralded the creation of the Solidarity movement, which would ultimately be instrumental in bringing Poland's communist era to an end. The presence in the Vatican at the time of Polish-born Pope John-Paul II was also a significant influence on the movement throughout the 1980s, as the Catholic church had remained a very potent force in Polish life. The Pope even made a visit to the country in 1979. Despite Soviet-endorsed attempts to slow the erosion of the regime's grip on power -- including the declaration of martial law by General Wojciech Jaruzelski in 1981 which outlawed Solidarity -- Poland's worsening economic situation, compounded by further nationwide strikes, meant that the government had no alternative but to negotiate a date for free elections with Walesa and the Solidarity movement. Solidarity members won a stunning victory in the election of 1989, taking almost all the seats in the Senate and all of the 169 seats they were allowed to contest in the Sejm or parliament. This gave them substantial influence in the new government. Activist and journalist Tadeusz Mazowiecki was appointed prime minister, while Lech Walesa was elected as president the following year. Were you in Poland in 1989? Send us your memories . After years of economic mismanagement under the communists, Poland embarked on a painful reform program under finance minister Leszek Balcerowicz -- especially in traditional heavy industries such as coal and steel -- which moved away from the inefficient state-controlled system of economic planning. Despite growing unemployment and a dilapidated infrastructure, Poland was slowly transformed into an investment-friendly, market economy. Banking and lending policies were reformed, while newly reshaped ownership relations, independent enterprises and strengthened domestic competition all had a massive impact. Over a relatively short period of time, Poland had become one of the most dynamically developing economies in Europe and by the mid-1990s, it became known as the "Tiger of Europe." Poland also liberalized its international trade during this period. The national currency -- the zloty -- became convertible to other currencies and internal convertibility was also established, providing another platform for dynamic economic growth. New markets in countries that had been treated not so long before as ideological as well as economic enemies were opened up to Polish companies. The EU and U.S. were now the key markets for Polish goods. This realignment of policy was emphasized by its accession into the European Union in 2004. It had also joined NATO in 1999. Unfortunately the continuing problem of high unemployment and the promise of better salaries encouraged many Poles to work in other EU countries after 2004. However this trend started to reverse in 2008 as the Polish economy enjoyed a boom period. Politically, Poland has also successfully transformed itself into a fully democratic country. Since 1991 the Polish people have voted in parliamentary elections and four presidential elections -- all free and fair. Incumbent governments have transferred power smoothly and constitutionally in every instance to their successors.

Poland was ruled by Soviet-backed regime after the Second World War . Solidarity movement became a key factor in the fall of communist regime . Centrally-planned economic system replaced by free market economy . Poland joined the European Union in 2004 .

(CNN) -- With 2013 firmly in the rearview mirror, the movers and shakers of the video gaming industry are focusing on where the next 12 months will take us. With new platforms and consoles available and more people playing games on smartphones and tablets, the future appears to be open to a vast array of possibilities. We asked four industry players what they think the next year will look like. Each offered a few specifics and a broader view about what will be important to game makers and players. Many expect 2013's releases of new hardware and software platforms -- most notably, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles -- to spur creativity in game development and delivery. Here's what they told us: . Ken Levine, creative director, Irrational Games . "2013 was the year of the left field: crowdfunding, the Steam box, in-house streaming. 2014 is the year we're going to start to see how that changes the space. The majority of old-school developers I know now have gone into more personal, niche titles; (it) reminds me of when many of the great PC studios (BioWare, Bungie, Bethesda) started developing console games in the early 2000s. "Being in gaming is like being in music in the '60s, but there's a new British invasion like every three years. I think disruption is generally a good thing. It keeps us on our toes as developers and usually yields dividends for gamers." Jean-Michel Detoc, managing director, Ubisoft Mobile . "We've seen the mobile industry consistently evolve over the past five years and, in my opinion, 2014 will be no exception. I anticipate the trends in 2013 -- increased time spent playing games on mobile devices and a shift to 'freemium' pricing in games -- will continue to grow in 2014. "With more than 2 billion smart devices currently activated and the increased availability of low-end smart devices, the mobile market has never been stronger or reached such a mass audience. Gaming has expanded to represent around a third of time spent on connected devices, and I am confident gaming will confirm its position as one of the core uses on those devices in 2014. "Additionally, as app quality as a whole continues to improve, we will see fewer applications, but with more budget and ambition put behind them. The last important trend I believe we will see is the extension of 'freemium' mobile games to new devices such as smartwatches and smart TVs." Geoff Keighley, host, Spike TV . "2014 will be a monumental year for the gaming industry. Both the Xbox One and PS4 will continue to grow their install base, and we will begin to see more games built specifically to take advantage of the next generation hardware. Already fans are anticipating the birth of new franchises like 'Titanfall' and 'Destiny.' "That said, 2014 will be a year of experimentation. We will see more games on tablets, new business models birthed by the rise of digital distribution, the continued growth of eSports and exciting new ventures like Valve's Steam box. "What used to be a race between three console manufacturers for dominance has diversified into dozens of companies carving out their own market segments." Wallace Santos, CEO and founder, Maingear . "2014 is going to bring a lot of new and exciting technologies to gamers. The big story this year is the advances that AMD and NVIDIA are making with GPUs (faster processors for graphics) that make 4K gaming a reality. Next year we'll see those 4K panels come down in price. "With exciting technologies like AMD's Mantle API, designed to max out the performance capabilities of your graphics card, and NVIDIA's G-SYNC, designed to deliver silky smooth gaming, there's a whole lot to get excited about. "And then there's the peripherals like the Oculus Rift. With gaming legend John Carmack joining the company, we can be sure to see great things from them as well. And let's not forget the Steam OS. It'll be interesting to see how this new entrant into the gaming market fares alongside the next generation gaming consoles. As always, it's a great time to be a gamer." What gaming trends to do expect this year? Tell us in the comments below.

Four experts discuss where video gaming is headed in 2014 . Many say the release of new hardware and software platforms will spur creativity . Spike TV host says 2014 will be "a monumental year for the gaming industry" Several cite the potential of Oculus Rift, the virtual-reality headset .

(CNN) -- The question of Jewish resistance to the Nazis -- or the lack of it -- has loomed large ever since the true extent of the horrors of the Holocaust became impossible to ignore. Liev Schreiber, left, and Daniel Craig play Jewish resistance fighters in the World War II drama "Defiance." As early as 1940 and 1942, Charlie Chaplin and Ernst Lubitsch fashioned satiric fantasies in which Adolf Hitler was comically humiliated by Jews (a barber in Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" and a hammy actor in Lubitsch's "To Be or Not to Be"). More recently, Steven Spielberg and Roman Polanski presented authentic stories of Jewish Holocaust survivors in "Schindler's List" and "The Pianist." In "Defiance," Edward Zwick tells the true story of the Bielski brothers, Tuvia (Daniel Craig), Zus (Liev Schreiber) and Asael (Jamie Bell). When the Germans and local collaborators started rounding up Jews in what was then Belorussia in 1941, murdering thousands -- including the Bielskis' parents -- the three men took refuge in the woods. They evaded capture, scavenged, begged or stole the food they needed; they set up a camp and saved hundreds of fellow refugees -- and they fought back. Watch the stars of "Defiance" talk about the film » . It's a remarkable story, one that should have inspired a more exciting and original movie than this sluggish compendium of earnest debates and hackneyed battle scenes. The timing is unfortunate. For a story that has gone neglected for the best part of 60 years, this is hardly the ideal week to be extolling heroic Jewish resistance fighters. Ari Folman's angst-laden nonfiction animated film, "Waltz With Bashir," is altogether more relevant. Zwick's Hollywood liberal credentials are not in doubt, but his films have a surprisingly gung-ho undercurrent (they include such martial adventures as "The Last Samurai," "Glory," "The Siege," "Legends of the Fall" and "Courage Under Fire"). He may like a fight, but he's no great shakes when it comes to staging action. Besides, in a Zwick flick, words always speak louder. In "Defiance" those words come with a thick, guttural European inflection (Hebrew is spoken as English, though characters also break into subtitled Russian and German on occasion). The speechifying is often clumsy and long-winded. Take the backwoods intellectual who doesn't know how to handle a hammer but can sure nail a philosophical one-liner: "At least Descartes recognized the subjective nature of existence," he kvetches. Where's Lubitsch when you need him? Dour and dourer as the movie goes on, Daniel Craig looks rugged in a weathered leather jacket and cloth cap, but his Bond associations aren't exactly helpful. You have to check yourself from wondering why he doesn't just take out that battalion of Nazis single-handedly. Tuvia may be a reluctant hero, but he shoulders the burden of leadership and assumes responsibility for protecting his ever-increasing flock. Schreiber's Zus, on the other hand, joins with the Soviets to take the fight to the Germans. It takes him longer to learn who his true friends are. The movie is full of mud and muck, yet somehow Zwick sanitizes the things that matter most. In the most challenging scene, just as Tuvia turns a blind eye as his enraged fellow Jews beat a German prisoner to death, Zwick consistently pulls back from anything that might be too unpleasant or tasteless. His heroes remain fundamentally unsullied. Later Asael picks up Tuvia's mantle and leads his followers like a latter-day Moses, away from their enemies through an impenetrable swamp. "Defiance" is a hard slog, at times. But even if it's heavy-handed and old-fashioned, there's also something satisfyingly solid about it. It's always comforting to know who the good guys are, even if they're stuck in a not-so-good picture. "Defiance" is rated R and runs 137 minutes. For Entertainment Weekly's take, click here.

Film tells the true story of the Bielski brothers, who fought back against Nazis in 1941 . The brothers set up a camp in the woods and saved hundreds of fellow refugees . Remarkable story should have inspired more exciting, original film, Tom Charity says . Charity: "Defiance" heavy-handed, but there's something satisfyingly solid about it .

Bangkok (CNN) -- It's a life experience nobody would want to endure -- attending your child's funeral. But that's what some parents have had to do in Thailand in recent days, as the country's anti-government unrest has taken an increasingly ugly, more violent turn with children killed or injured, their tiny bodies maimed and turned lifeless by shrapnel or gunshots. A six-year-old-girl, a four-year-old boy and a woman of about 40 died when a grenade detonated at an anti-government rally outside a shopping mall in the Ratchaprasong area of Bangkok. A five-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet when attackers opened fire on an anti-government demonstration in eastern Trat province. The two youngsters in the capital were siblings, the children of a working-class family. The father, Thayakorn Yotubon, works as a personal assistant and driver -- he told me he spent every single night with his children and would never leave them alone. In one of the photographs at his children's funeral, the little girl, nicknamed by her family as "Cake," (the brother was known as "Kane") is wearing a t-shirt that says "I love Papa." "She asked me to buy it for her to wear on Fathers' Day," he told me, tears rolling down his face. Special day out . The day they were caught in the attack was a special day out because their aunt was visiting from out of town. She had brought Cake, Kane and her son out for a treat to the local shopping mall. They were waiting for a tuk-tuk -- a rickshaw taxi -- when a grenade was thrown into the crowds close to an anti-government rally outside the mall. Cake and Kane died from their injuries. Their cousin, who is 8-years old, is in critical condition in a hospital. We found his small, blood-drenched baseball cap at the scene. I have been covering the Thai unrest story from various protest sites, especially outside government buildings, but this time it was at the funeral of two young children. As we looked on and filmed, I questioned if we should be there -- if we should be filming their grief. But the family invited the cameras in. They didn't stop us and all spoke to my team. Despite my moment of doubt, I knew this was an important aspect of this whole story that needs to be shown to those involved. As Thayakorn so clearly put it: "My kids were just children, sweet children. They were too young, they should not have done this to them ...They were just innocent children, they had nothing to do with this (political issue)." What's behind the Thai unrest? Their mother seated towards the back, was unable to bring herself to lift her head, wipe away her tears or talk to those sitting beside her. I watched as she was helped to her feet by family members, helping her take each shaky step towards her children's bodies. "These are not my children," she cried. "They don't look like that." Children's bodies . Her children were laid out with their bodies bandaged and stitched together, their faces without expression, without the joy and happiness their father described to me. "They were happy, innocent and sensitive kids," said Thayakorn. "They loved to be around us -- their mum and dad all the time. They were sweet kids." This was a Buddhist ceremony. During the last rites, family members pour water through the person's hands to symbolize the return of the body to the elements. But these hands were far too tiny, far too angelic, delicate and innocent to be there. I watched as the mother struggled to perform the ceremony. She couldn't look at their faces -- she wouldn't look -- unable to accept or bear the burden of this loss. Even the Buddhist monk appeared lost for words as he looked on. I have been told that Buddhist funerals in Thailand are often somber events, with little emotion and outward shows of grief. But the passing of two innocent children in such circumstances was too much for all in attendance. Family members and friends were so distraught they could not utter words of condolence or comfort to ease the mother and father's pain. And when the father came to perform the rituals -- he dropped to his knees, talking to his children. Crying out in disbelief: "You were too young to die." In this corner of the capital, at least one family had paid too high a price for the political turmoil sweeping across the country.

Brother and sister killed in grenade attack at shopping mall in Bangkok . Latest act of violence as anti-government protests in Thai turn more violent . Father: They were just innocent children, they had nothing to do with this (political issue)

(CNN) -- Three officials in a Los Angeles suburb whose high salaries sparked statewide outrage will step down from their jobs, the city's mayor said Friday. Oscar Hernandez, the mayor of Bell, California, said the City Council accepted the resignations of City Manager Robert Rizzo, Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia, and Police Chief Randy Adams, who reportedly had a combined salary of more than $1.6 million. He added that the three will not get severance pay. "Today, our city council took the quick and decisive action that is in the best interest of our city so that we may return our attention to delivering outstanding city services," the mayor said in a statement posted on the city clerk's website. "We recognize that today's economic climate and the financial hardships so many families are suffering put our past compensation decisions in a new light. To the residents of Bell, we apologize. We are confident that your pride in our great city endures and that the city's financial health and superior public services demonstrate that our priorities remain intact." But Hernandez also praised Rizzo and called the Los Angeles Times story and the resulting uproar that led to the resignations "unfair and unwarranted." The salaries have infuriated many in California. Jerry Brown, California's attorney general, issued a statement Thursday saying that his office had launched a investigation into the salaries. The Los Angeles Times reported that Rizzo had an annual salary of nearly $800,000 a year, "making him the highest-paid city manager in the state." Citing the newspaper, Brown's statement said Adams had an annual salary of $457,000 and Spaccia received $376,288 a year. "Most city council members are paid nearly $100,000 for their part-time jobs," the attorney general said. "These outrageous salaries in Bell are shocking and beyond belief," he said. "With record deficits and painful budget cuts facing California cities, astronomical local government salaries raise serious questions and demand a thorough investigation." "It's shocking. How did they get it?" Cory Christ, a resident of the city, said to CNN affiliate KTLA. "They're making more than the president -- it's totally not fair," California Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, who represents the district that encompasses Bell, also voiced outrage. "The city council salaries and the outrageous salaries for the staff have really riled up the community," he told CNN recently. "... It's a working class community. They're busy just trying to survive in this tough economic climate." De La Torre said the median yearly income in the southern California town is under $35,000 a year. "Just to put it in context, the general fund for the city of Bell is $15 million. So, Mr. Rizzo with his salary and compensation package, around $800,000 is about one-fifteenth of the budget for the city of Bell," De La Torre said. "And Mr. Rizzo is obviously a little delusional about what the private sector would be (able) to pay anybody, certainly not $800,000. Certainly not double what the president of the United States" makes. In his statement, Hernandez said the Times' "coverage and the contrived uproar the Times sought to provoke are unfair and unwarranted" and praised Rizzo. Hernandez said the salaries "have been in line with similar positions over the period of their tenure" and that Rizzo gave the town 15 years of balanced budgets after a $20 million shortfall. "While other cities are defaulting on their commitments, borrowing to maintain city services or even threatening bankruptcy, Bell has a healthy surplus that has enabled us to ride out the nation's fiscal storm and even expand services to meet the growing needs of our low-income residents through the city food bank and programs for youth and seniors. "While other municipalities are shuttering their libraries and shutting down their parks and services, Bell's parents know their children have access to services and activities that keep them safe -- especially during the summer months when school is out and working parents are not at home during the day." Hernandez appointed Pedro Carrillo, assistant to the city manager, to be the interim city manager. "We acknowledge that the actions taken today are not a panacea, but a first step towards healing our city and getting back to business that ensures the safety and well-being of our residents," the mayor said.

The state attorney general says the salaries are "beyond belief" The Los Angeles Times reported that the city manager had a nearly $800,000 salary . The median yearly income in the town is under $35,000 a year .

(CNN) -- For nearly a decade, a Danish bank has been recognized by the Great Place to Work Institute as one of the best small to medium sized companies to work for in Europe. Situated near the quiet coastline on the island of Fyn, Middelfart Sparekasse has an unusual approach to people management that experts say is worth noting. Coaching, self-directed leadership and personal growth are not usually words associated with financial institutions, but to this bank's 200 or so employees they are key, and the business operates under the assumption that everyone comes to work wanting to do their best, virtually eliminating the need for any oversight. Sound utopian? Perhaps, but managing director of human resources, Knud Herbert Soerensen says it works. "You'd be amazed what happens once people are empowered to make decisions." Under the concept of self-directed leadership, every employee is coached to resolve 100% of their work on their own, sometimes by making substantial monetary decisions without asking for help. "It forces people to step into character," says Soerensen, "And they do. Our employee satisfaction is very high, and for customers it means a highly individual treatment. There's no one solution and we believe the only way to treat people the same is by treating them differently. As a result, 80% of new customers come to us through referrals." The bank was a leader in the use of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) as a coaching tool. It began with a simple chat between Soerensen and managing director, Hans Erik Broenserud in 1999. "We were wondering why we ended up in top positions at the bank," says Soerensen. "None of us were particularly clever in school, so we agreed that something else must have played a part. Then we questioned why two employees with the same qualifications and training were not getting the same results, and we realized that those who succeeded had something extra: A will to succeed, a type of robustness if you will, and a belief in themselves that they were capable. And we thought we could train people to do this." They did and they do. Today, all new employees at the bank go through an NLP seminar and a self-directed leadership seminar. They train employees in empathy, stress management, and personal self-development, and they keep a coach on staff. Randi Rude, the bank's NLP master coach and HR director says it makes a tremendous positive difference. "It helps keep our employees really engaged and motivated. It keeps our sickness rates well below industry average, and it helps our leaders clarify their strategies, among many other things," he says. "I think the biggest bang from coaching produces more of what I call "Professional Human Beings," says Ginger Jenks, owner of Magellan Enterprises in the U.S. and coach to several CEOs and clients in Fortune 500 companies. "These are people who are continuously upgrading and learning, pushing their potential and that of the organization." The Great Place to Work Institute publishes lists of best places to work. It has been comparing thousand of global workplaces for years, and its research reveals more and more coaching in companies. "Fundamentally though, it's about respect and about helping people find work-life balance and deal with stress, says managing director for Denmark, Ditte Vigsoe, "It has to be a serious commitment." Flemming Poulfeldt, Professor of management at the Copenhagen Business School agrees. "Self-directed leadership doesn't mean less leadership. On the contrary, it demands strong leaders to create a framework of support for employees to reach their full potential. Whether you call that coaching or something else, I think we'll see more of it." Jenks says she is seeing much more of it. "Sixteen years ago when I said 'I'm a coach', people would ask, 'what sport?' It's part of the corporate lexicon now. Coaching is about the development of human potential - savvy companies get that that's a true competitive advantage." Middelfart Sparekassen executives now speak to companies big and small about the bank's approach. But can this really work in larger companies? Soerensen says absolutely. A few years ago when he discovered that the Banco Real Sao Paulo in Brazil was using nearly the same approach as his bank, he arranged a visit to interview the leadership and employees. "It was a company of 29,000 employees at the time," he says, "and I had goosebumps at how similar their positive results and employee and customer feedback was to ours. So yes, it can most definitely work."

A Danish bank has repeatedly been recognised as one of Europe's best places to work . The bank coaches its employees in self directed leadership . The strategy is shown to have kept its staff engaged and motivated .

Venice, Louisiana (CNN) -- President Obama on Wednesday proposed a package of measures that would provide at least $58 million in additional funding for oil spill relief efforts and raise the tax that oil companies pay to maintain an emergency fund. In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi requesting congressional approval of the package, Obama said oil giant BP -- which owns the leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico -- was responsible for all cleanup costs. In addition, Obama said, the government would seek full compensation for all damages from BP. "We cannot allow the potentially protracted pursuit of claims to prevent us from swift action to help those harmed by this spill," Obama said in the letter. The proposals would increase by 1 cent the current tax of 8 cents a barrel that oil companies pay into the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, and also increase the amounts that could be spent from that fund on single incidents. Efforts to staunch the gusher continued Wednesday. The "top-hat" oil containment device has reached the sea floor and should be in position over the wellhead and operational by the end of the week, BP said. A larger containment vessel was unsuccessful in stopping the flow of oil from the gusher about 5,000 feet underwater. The spill is sending 210,000 gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico each day. The "top-hat" cofferdam, a 5-foot-tall, 4-foot-diameter structure, weighs less than 2 tons. The structure was deployed by the drill ship Enterprise. BP built the smaller dome after a much larger, four-story containment vessel, designed to cap the larger of two leaks in the well, developed glitches Saturday. Ice-like hydrate crystals formed when gas combined with water and blocked the top of the dome, making it buoyant. The new device would keep most of the water out at the beginning of the capping process and would allow engineers to pump in methanol to keep the hydrates from forming, said Doug Suttles, BP's chief operating officer for exploration and production. Methanol is a simple alcohol that can be used as an antifreeze. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said the success of this latest attempt to cap the well could be known in the next few days. "On this Thursday, we should know whether or not this alternative top-hat cofferdam is going to work," Salazar said on CNN's "The Situation Room." "And then the next key date is Saturday, because by Saturday they will have the diagnostics completed through X-rays and gamma rays and pressure ratings to be able to make decisions about what the next steps are." If attempts to cap the well fail, BP may try to plug the leak by shooting debris -- shredded tires, golf balls and similar objects -- under extremely high pressure into the well's blowout preventer in an attempt to clog it and stop the leak. The blowout preventer has been partially successful in sealing the well, but did not fully close when the rig exploded and sank. Suttles said BP also is drilling a relief well to try to divert the flow to another pipe. "That started about a week ago," Suttles said. "That work continues. The well is at about 9,000 feet." It may take up to three months to reach the target area, and progress will slow the deeper the drill bit goes, said David Nagel, executive vice president of BP America. Federal investigators are still trying to determine what caused the explosion that sank the Deepwater Horizon, which was owned by BP contractor Transocean Ltd. The oil rig exploded April 20 and sank two days later, about 50 miles off the southeast coast of Louisiana. BP is legally required to cover economic damages from the spill up to $75 million. But Florida Sen. Bill Nelson has introduced legislation that would raise the liability cap to $10 billion. iReport: Share images from the Gulf . "If this gusher continues for several months, it's going to cover up the Gulf Coast and it's going to get down into the loop current, and that's going to take it down the Florida Keys and up the east coast of Florida," Nelson said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union. "And you are talking about massive economic loss to our tourism, our beaches, to our fisheries, very possibly disruption of our military testing and training," he said. CNN's David Mattingly contributed to this report.

NEW: Obama also says U.S. will seek full compensation for all damages from BP . "Top-hat" containment device reaches Gulf floor . New device would allow engineers to pump in methanol and keep hydrates from forming . Interior secretary: Success of latest attempt could be known in next few days .

(CNN) -- No one in the Netherlands will be panicking just yet but this isn't how the Dutch wanted to start their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. The Netherlands -- fresh off an uplifting third-place finish at the World Cup in Brazil -- lost their first Euro or World Cup qualifier since October 2011 after a slumping Czech Republic overcame Guus Hiddink's weakened side 2-1 in Group A thanks to an injury-time effort. It stemmed from a defensive blunder, as Daryl Janmaat's header intended for his keeper Jasper Cillessen went past Cillessen, hit the post and gave Vaclav Pilar an easy finish. Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Sweden topped the Netherlands three years ago when the visitors had already locked up first place in their Euro 2012 qualifying group but the last time the Netherlands lost a meaningful qualifier came seven years ago against Belarus. It wasn't the start Hiddink wanted in his second stint in charge as national team boss, especially after he saw his team fall 2-0 to Italy in a glamor friendly last week. Hiddink has been quizzed about formations since he took over from Louis van Gaal, though the absence of winger Arjen Robben might be the biggest reason why the Netherlands only managed four shots on target against the Czechs in Prague. Robben sparkled in Brazil, and the Netherlands' mediocre display Tuesday will strengthen claims that when he's not in the lineup, it's a different -- and less potent -- Oranje. Borek Dockal handed the Czechs, who were winless in four games and lost 1-0 to the U.S. at home last week, the lead in the 22nd minute with a fine effort off the post. Stefan de Vrij leveled in the 55th on a header and it appeared as if the teams would share the points. But in the first minute of injury time, Pilar struck to deliver the Czechs' first win over the Netherlands since a 3-2 result -- that match was a classic -- at Euro 2004. Fine start continues for Conte . The last time Italy played a competitive international, it garnered even more attention than usual. Not because of a win, but Luis Suarez's antics. Suarez bit defender Giorgio Chiellini -- an offense for which he later received a lengthy ban from FIFA -- and to rub salt into the wounds his Uruguay bundled out Italy in the group stage in Brazil. It was the second straight time Italy fell at the first hurdle at a World Cup and overshadowed the team's surprising run to the final at Euro 2012. Out went Cesare Prandelli as manager and in came the man who led Juventus to three straight league titles, Antonio Conte. Conte demands the best from his players, expects them to be disciplined and is very much into team spirit. He wants the players, too, to play with pride in an Italy shirt -- a shirt that he wore 20 times during his own career. His appointment was met with approval from the likes of Juventus and Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon, and the Azzurri duly upended the Dutch in Bari, Italy. In Conte's first competitive match as manager Tuesday, Italy ended a 77-year drought by topping Norway 2-0 in Group H. Not since 1937 had Italy triumphed in Norway. Conte didn't include striker Mario Balotelli in the squad for the two games and he was without the injured Andrea Pirlo, Giuseppe Rossi, Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli. But the squad he assembled was plenty good enough to defeat the Norwegians, who last played in a major tournament at Euro 2000. Simone Zaza of modest Sassuolo in Serie A was the star man, opening the scoring in the 16th minute with a deflected effort from a tight angle, hitting the crossbar after a burst of pace in the 77th and seeing his chip cleared off the line moments later. Leonardo Bonucci's free header in the 62nd minute accounted for the second goal. Joshua King created mild panic in and around the Italy box in the first half but wasn't a factor in the second as Italy bossed proceedings.

The Netherlands lose their first qualifier in three years after a 2-1 defeat to the Czechs . The result came after the Netherlands lost to Italy 2-0 in a high-profile friendly . Italy wins at Norway for the first time since 1937, cruising in a 2-0 victory in Oslo . It was the first competitive game in charge for Antonio Conte, who left Juventus in the summer .

(CNN)A pilot and CEO of a health research firm, who survived a 2010 mishap involving a plane in Gaithersburg, Maryland, was among six people killed in Gaithersburg Monday when a twin-engine plane crashed into a subdivision. Marie Gemmell and her sons, Cole, 3, and Devon, an infant, were found in the second-floor bathroom of one of the houses struck by the plane, said Pete Piringer, the public information officer for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. Michael Rosenberg, CEO and founder of a North Carolina clinical development company called Health Decisions, was identified as one of the people on the airplane, according to a statement from the company. The flight originated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, close to the company's headquarters in Durham. The National Transportation Safety Board has not said who piloted the plane, but Rosenberg was certified to fly that type of aircraft, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. The crash occurred at about 10:44 a.m. Monday as the twin-engine Embraer EMB-500/Phenom 100 made an instrument approach to Montgomery County Airport, Robert Sumwalt of the NTSB said at a news conference near the wreckage. FAA records show that Rosenberg piloted a small plane that left the runway during a landing at the same airport on March 1, 2010. The plane skidded 100 feet off the runway and came to rest in trees, nose down in the mud, the NTSB report says. There was one minor injury, the report added. In Monday's incident, the plane went down about a mile from the airport, hitting three houses in all. The airport is about 25 miles northwest of Washington. Witness Fred Pedreira, 67, told CNN affiliate WJLA the plane appeared to be out of control when it crashed. "This guy, when I saw him, for a fast jet with the wheels down, I said, 'I think he's coming in too low,'" said Pedreira, who lives near the crash scene. "Then he was 90 degrees -- sideways -- and then he went belly-up into the house and it was a ball of fire. It was terrible." In describing the crash site, Sumwalt said, "The main part of fuselage is rested up against the second house, with the tail of the airplane actually at the front door of that house, and then finally it appears that one of the wings was catapulted over into the third house where the majority of the fire damage occurred. So the aircraft wreckage itself is really in two main areas, but it damaged three houses." Montgomery County Police Chief Chris Manger said Gemmell's husband and the couple's 5-year-old child were not home at the time. "This a tragic loss for the Montgomery County community," Fire Chief Steven Lohr said at the news conference. On Monday, Sumwalt said the plane's "black box" had been recovered from the wreckage. He said the device contained the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder. "It has been rushed to our headquarters in Washington, D.C., where... investigators in our labs will begin this evening downloading the data," he said. There was no "mayday" call from the plane, and the first sign of trouble was a radio call from someone who saw the crash. "I think that Phenom just came up short," the call said, according to LiveATC.net. "What? Holy [deleted]!" someone else replied on the frequency. Later, someone says, "There's nothing left of that house." A woman who lives near the scene of the plane crash told CNN affiliate WUSA she might have heard victims calling for help. "I heard screams and somebody else beside me heard screams, but we're not sure if it was from inside the house or behind the house. ... We're not completely sure it came from inside the house, but we did hear screams," the woman said. She also described how she first became aware that something was terribly wrong. "At first I heard a big sputtering sound. By the time we rushed over here, you see a plane hit the side of the house and then crash right down and there was a big explosion," the woman said. She also says she heard a loud booming sound. "By then, the flames were just so high and then it was a big mushroom effect of smoke and it just burst into flames." CNN's Deanna Hackney, Leslie Holland and Rene Marsh contributed to this story.

A pilot named Michael Rosenberg crashed at the same airport in 2010 . A woman and her two young sons were found dead inside the house, authorities say . The "black box" has been recovered and its data is being analyzed, NTSB said .

(CNN) -- It was the threats that took the fun out of "Family Funday." A Muslim group had sold more than 4,000 tickets to the private event, set for this Sunday at a theme park in suburban London, when park officials canceled it last week. This week, officials went a step further, also closing the 150-acre park's 150-room hotel for the weekend, a park spokeswoman said Thursday. The event was to have been held at Legoland Windsor Resort, 30 miles west of London. It was to have been "open to people from all faiths and cultures in an open and welcoming environment without the promotion of any particular ideology," according to the website for the Muslim Research and Development Foundation. But now -- after critics of the group filled the park's Facebook page with threats -- it's not open to anybody. "Sadly, our right-wing extremists took a huge offense to it," park spokeswoman Liz Edwards said. "It's the saddest thing." The hotel's closure was also based on concern over safety, she said. "We wanted to just ensure that the whole site was secure," Edwards said. Those who had booked rooms were given refunds, but the move didn't satisfy Sarah Shenton Plews, who posted on the park's Facebook page that she was "Extremely upset!" and asked, "Can u arrange for someone to come round and tell my 5 yr & 8 yr???! Well??" In response to the posting, the hotel cited the threats: "Your Safety and security is our number one priority so we've made the decision to close the whole Resort, including the Hotel for the weekend." Legoland said it took down its Facebook page for a couple of days at the request of the Thames Valley Police. The Muslim Research and Development Foundation cited far-right groups linked to the English Defence League and "Christian patrols" for the decision to cancel. "We should not be intimidated by violent threats to our way of life," the group said, adding it's a charity that has consistently promoted nonviolence. "Unfortunately, during the last few weeks leading up to the event, several right-wing groups including the (English Defence League) and Casuals United along with others threatened both the visitors and employees of Legoland in relation to this planned event. They threatened staff at Legoland, staff at MRDF and aimed to disrupt families on the day of the event." The Muslim group did not immediately return a call and e-mail seeking further comment. A posting on Casuals United's blog denied its members had made any threats. "We are hardly Nazis, we are British people who are standing up for our country," the entry said. "Call us Nazis all you want, we don't care. We stop Islamic extremists, we get results. Any venue this group (tries) to book will get the same treatment." The English Defence League describes itself as a human rights organization working "to protect the inalienable rights of all people to protest against radical Islam's encroachment into the lives of non-Muslims." It says it is not a far-right group. In a statement, the group accused the Muslim Research and Development Foundation of being led "by a notorious hate-preacher who has made it quite clear that he is opposed to almost every standard of democracy, decency, morality and inclusiveness that we British see as the cornerstone of our culture" and said it was pleased the event had been canceled. The foundation's chairman, Sheikh Haitham Al-Haddad, has denied he is extremist. The English Defence League added it "wholeheartedly" condemned any threats of violence. "In a country with a long and honorable tradition of peaceful protest there is absolutely no excuse for this and the EDL affirms its commitment to nonviolent action." In a statement, the Thames Valley Police said it initiated an investigation after being notified about the online threats February 11 but had made no arrests. "As there is an ongoing police investigation, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further," police said. In November, another event by the Muslim group -- held at the Chessington World of Adventures, Legoland's sister park about 45 minutes away -- went off without threats or complaints, park spokeswoman Edwards told CNN. "We have no idea why this has been different." Sunday's cancellation is the first by the park since it opened in 1996, she said. CNN's Lucy Pawle contributed to this report.

Legoland Windsor Resort cancels a Muslim group's plans for "Family Funday" "Sadly, our right-wing extremists took a huge offense to it," park spokeswoman says . It's the first cancellation since the park opened in 1996, spokeswoman says .

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's most powerful Sunni Arab political party on Monday said a U.S. soldier's desecration of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, requires the "severest of punishments," not just an apology and a military reassignment. Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond apologizes after a U.S. soldier admitted using the Quran for target practice. The Iraqi Islamic Party, the movement of Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, condemned what it said was a "blatant assault on the sanctities of Muslims all over the world." An American staff sergeant who was a sniper section leader used a Quran for target practice on May 9. The U.S. commander in Baghdad on Saturday issued a formal apology and read a letter of apology from the shooter. The sergeant has been relieved of duty as a section leader "with prejudice," officially reprimanded by his commanding general, dismissed from his regiment and redeployed -- reassigned to the United States. But the Iraqi Islamic Party -- which said it reacted to the news "with deep resentment and indignation" -- wants the "severest of punishments" for the action. "What truly concerns us is the repetition of these crimes that have happened in the past when mosques were destroyed and pages of the Holy Quran were torn and used for disgraceful acts by U.S. soldiers," al-Hashimi said. "I have asked that first this apology be officially documented; second a guarantee from the U.S. military to inflict the maximum possible punishment on this soldier so it would be a deterrent for the rest of the soldiers in the future." A tribal leader said "the criminal act by U.S. forces" took place at a shooting range at the Radhwaniya police station on Baghdad's western outskirts. After the shooters left, an Iraqi policeman found a target marked in the middle of the bullet-riddled Quran. Read how the soldier could have provoked a crisis . Copies of the pictures of the Quran obtained by CNN show multiple bullet holes and an expletive scrawled on one of its pages. On Saturday, Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, appeared at an apology ceremony flanked by leaders from Radhwaniya. Watch as the U.S. formally apologizes » . "I come before you here seeking your forgiveness," Hammond said to tribal leaders and others gathered. "In the most humble manner, I look in your eyes today, and I say please forgive me and my soldiers." Another military official kissed a Quran and presented it as "a humble gift" to the tribal leaders. Hammond also read from the shooter's letter: "I sincerely hope that my actions have not diminished the partnership that our two nations have developed together. ... My actions were shortsighted, very reckless and irresponsible, but in my heart [the actions] were not malicious." Hammond said, "The actions of one soldier were nothing more than criminal behavior. I've come to this land to protect you, to support you -- not to harm you -- and the behavior of this soldier was nothing short of wrong and unacceptable." The soldier reportedly claimed he wasn't aware the book was the Quran, but U.S. officials rejected his assertion. Tribal leaders, dignitaries and local security officials attended the ceremony, while residents carried banners and chanted slogans, including, "Yes, yes to the Quran" and "America out, out." Watch as villagers protest the Quran incident » . Sheikh Hamadi al-Qirtani, in a speech on behalf of all tribal sheikhs of Radhwaniya, called the shooting "aggression against the entire Islamic world." The Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq also condemned the shooter's actions and the U.S. military's belated acknowledgment of what happened. "As the Association of Muslim Scholars condemns this heinous crime against God's holy book, the constitution of this nation, a source of pride and dignity," the group's statement said, "they condemned the silence by all those who are part of the occupation's agenda and holds the occupation and the current government fully responsible for this violation and reminds everyone that God preserves his book and he [God] is a great avenger."

Iraqi Islamic Party calls Quran incident "blatant assault" on Muslim holy book . U.S. soldier used Quran for target practice, military investigation found . U.S. commander in Baghdad has issued formal apology . Soldier relieved of duty, will be reassigned after sending letter of apology .

(CNN) -- Until recently, fears of peak oil and dependence on Middle Eastern suppliers were the key factors shaping our energy policy, pushing governments to scramble for fossil fuel alternatives. Then came shale gas, tar sands, and other unconventional sources. Industry found ways to affordably extract fuel for decades to come. So many are now imagining an end to the energy crisis. That's a dangerous mistake. First, even the most optimistic predictions leave our grandchildren exposed to an uncertain future. More immediately -- and maybe more importantly -- burning fossil fuels is the number one cause of global warming and its catastrophic consequences. We need to innovate alternative energy sources now more than ever ... and our choices are limited. There are few viable options that will preserve the levels of prosperity that modern industrial economies have come to expect. Solar, advanced nuclear fission, and fusion offer the best hope but, unfortunately, none are ready for large-scale deployment. All need time-consuming innovations so we cannot afford to hesitate; research must be ramped up across the board and government must keep up the pace. Of our three most promising technologies, fusion would be the biggest prize. It is in many respects the perfect energy source. Sea water provides millions of years of fusion fuel. Fusion reactions are safe, they emit neither radioactive waste nor greenhouse gasses and fusion reactors would take up relatively little space. The catch is fusion is very hard to do. Two isotopes of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium) must be held at 200-million degrees until they collide and fuse to make helium. It is not easy to build a device that runs at ten times the temperature of the Sun, but it is possible. In fact, the European experimental facility, JET -- hosted in the UK, has already done it. For a couple of seconds, it generated 16 megawatts of fusion power -- enough to supply around 8,000 homes. This is an astonishing achievement. We must now extend that duration and power and innovate technologies to make fusion electricity at a price that the consumer will pay. We're working flat out on the first of those goals. Seven international partners representing more than half the world's people are constructing the critical experiment right now in Southern France. Called ITER -- it is designed to reach a self-sustaining fusion burn -- the last scientific hurdle to fusion power. Construction will complete in 2020 with a fusion burn expected by 2030. There are other approaches to fusion -- for example the laser experiments at the National Ignition Facility in California -- but for many of us in the scientific trenches, the fusion burn on ITER is expected to be the defining moment. But what about our second objective of economic viability? ITER isn't meant to achieve that goal. In addition to clearing our last remaining scientific hurdle, we need to advance a parallel engineering agenda into key reactor technologies that will enable commercial fusion power plants to reliably deliver electricity in a highly competitive market. This means technological advances in areas such as structural and functional materials, power conversion, and reliability. China and Korea are on the job but the U.S. and Europe are reluctant to face the engineering issues. Certainly, cost increases on ITER haven't helped. If we continue to starve the technological research agenda of funds, however, we risk delaying fusion power and ceding technological leadership to China and Korea. It goes without saying that resources are limited in our recession-ravaged economies ... but disinvesting in seed corn is obviously self-defeating. What can we afford? The world energy market is approximately €5-€10 trillion ($6.5-13 trillion) a year. The total world spend on energy research is about 0.5% of this -- strikingly low. Fusion research including ITER construction is less than €1.5 billion ($2 billion) a year -- not even 0.05% of the market. We are, it seems, not taking the threat of climate change and energy shortages seriously. In this context, the roughly €200-500 million ($260-650 million) per year needed to vigorously pursue the parallel track of technology innovation in fusion seems absurdly small. We often hear that Thomas Malthus' dire predictions about population growth were wrong because humans innovated solutions to food shortages. Will we innovate ourselves out of our long-term energy constraints too? Only if we sufficiently fund alternative energy research now. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Steven Cowley.

Fusion power is, in many ways, the perfect energy source, says Steven Cowley . Few viable energy options will preserve prosperity in modern industrial countries . Experiments at ITER in France aim to create fusion power by 2030 . More alternative energy funding and research required to help solve energy crisis .

(CNN) -- Manti Te'o, the Notre Dame linebacker at the center of an online hoax involving his non-existent girlfriend, will sit down for his first on-camera interview this week with Katie Couric, the talk show host said Sunday. Couric announced on her Twitter account that Te'o and his parents would take part in the interview airing Thursday on the "Katie" show. No other details were given. Sports website Deadspin broke the story Wednesday that the girlfriend that Te'o, this year's Heisman Trophy runner-up, had talked about and had claimed died in September of leukemia wasn't real. Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick told reporters later that day Te'o was the victim, having been fooled into believing that a woman he met on the Internet, but never in person, was his girlfriend. After issuing a brief statement Wednesday, Te'o sat down Friday with ESPN for an off-camera interview. There, one of the best defenders in college football this season defended himself against allegations that he was somehow involved in the online scheme. "I wasn't faking it," Te'o told ESPN's Jeremy Schaap. "I wasn't part of this." Manti Te'o denies he was part of girlfriend hoax . Thursday's interview with Couric would be the first time Te'o has spoken on camera about the hoax. His parents, Brian and Ottilia Te'o, who also haven't spoken out since the story broke, will also answer questions, according to Couric. Te'o rose to national prominence leading Notre Dame's Fighting Irish to an undefeated regular season. As he and his team excelled, Te'o told interviewers in September and October that his grandmother and girlfriend, whom he described as a 22-year-old Stanford University student, had died within hours of each other. "I miss 'em, but I know that I'll see them again one day," he said then. Te'o told Schaap that the hoax was created by a man named Ronaiah Tuiasosopo. He said Tuiasosopo contacted him via Twitter the day the story broke, explaining he'd created the hoax and apologizing, according to Schaap. CNN has not seen the tweets Te'o allegedly received from Tuiasosopo. "Two guys and a girl are responsible for the whole thing," Te'o said, according to ESPN. Ronaiah Tuiasosopo hasn't spoken publicly, nor had members of his family, in the past week. On Sunday, though, CNN asked Peter Navy Tuiasosopo about Te'o blaming his nephew, Ronaiah. "It definitely takes two to tango," the uncle said. "This is not just a matter of blaming it all on Ronaiah." Peter Navy Tuiasosopo made his remarks after a service at Oasis Christian Church of Antelope Valley in Lancaster, California, near the family's Palmdale home about 60 miles northeast of Los Angeles. There, about 50 people attended an early afternoon service led by Ronaiah's father, the Rev. Titus Tuiasosopo. Ronaiah Tuiasosopo was not among them. The almost two-hour service was filled with singing, clapping, hugging and a few veiled references to the controversy. The Rev. Titus Tuiasosopo welcomed members of the media, without cameras, and quipped, "I've been practicing to say 'no comment' in 20 languages." The pastor made no reference to his son specifically, or the alleged girlfriend hoax, during the service. At the conclusion of the service, he said, fighting back tears, "I want to thank all of my church family, my cousins, those who are here: I love you." Afterward, Peter Navy Tuiasosopo told CNN that Ronaiah "is holding up well." "I know he doesn't feel his best, but he definitely feels like ... this family is there for him," said Peter Navy Tuiasosopo, who is an actor. "And if not for this young man and his strength and family with God, he would have done something stupid." CNN's Paul Vercammen reported from southern California, and CNN's Greg Botelho wrote this story from Atlanta.

Katie Couric says she'll interview Manti T'eo and his parents for her talk show . The interview -- Te'o's first on camera in recent days -- will air Thursday, she says . Te'o has said he was duped in the creation of a girlfriend he met online but wasn't real . Uncle defends nephew accused in the hoax, saying, "It takes two to tango"

(CNN) -- In the digital age, war isn't contained to the ground. The Israeli government on Sunday said it has been hit with more than 44 million cyberattacks since it began aerial strikes on Gaza last week. Anonymous, the hacker collective, claimed responsibility for taking down some sites and leaking passwords because of what it calls Israel's "barbaric, brutal and despicable treatment" of Palestinians. "The war is being fought on three fronts," Carmela Avner, Israel's chief information officer, said on Sunday in a press release. "The first is physical, the second is the world of social networks and the third is cyberattacks. "The attackers are attempting to harm the accessibility of Israel's government websites on an ongoing basis. When events like the current operation occur, this sector heats up and we see increased activity. Therefore, at this time, defending the governmental computer systems is of invaluable importance." Israel and the military wing of Hamas have been criticized for using ready-to-share images on social media to spread spin about the conflict, which has claimed the lives of about 100 Palestinians and three Israelis since the back-and-forth violence began again Wednesday. There is some dispute about the effectiveness of the cyberattacks. Israel says the attacks have largely been unsuccessful. "We are reaping the fruits on the investment in recent years in the development of computerized defense systems, but we have a lot of work in store for us," Israel's finance minister, Yuval Steinitz, said in a written statement. Reuters quotes him as saying only one website was down for 10 minutes. CNN iReport: Instagram users wage peace in Israel . Anonymous, meanwhile, posted a list of more than 650 Israel-based websites it says it has taken down or defaced since last week. "They've knocked down websites, deleted databases and have leaked e-mail addresses and passwords," Casey Chan wrote Friday for the tech site Gizmodo. "It's a whopping takedown." A post on an Anonymous Twitter feed Monday morning said another set of hackers had defaced the Israeli versions of several Microsoft websites, including Bing, MSN and Skype. Visitors to Bing's Israeli site on Monday morning saw an anti-Israel rant instead of a search-engine homepage. "Microsoft is aware of the site defacements and working to get all sites fully functional," a company spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail to CNN. "At present, we have seen no evidence to suggest the compromise of customer information but will take action to help protect customers as necessary." A page associated with Anonymous also posted a new threat: "November 2012 will be a month to remember for the (Israel Defense Forces) and Internet security forces. Israeli Gov. this is/will turn into a cyberwar." Some observers took this as a sign of an escalating digital battle. "Beyond mere 'denial of service' tactics that blocked sites with floods of junk data, the hackers also ramped up their attacks to penetrations of any vulnerable target available to them, resulting in tens of thousands of Israeli citizens' and supporters' private data dumped onto the Web," wrote Andy Greenberg from Forbes. Others said most of Anonymous' threats have been "hollow" so far. "Today, Anon lacks the talent and semi-cohesion it once boasted across the net, and its most recent online crusade is an embarrassing reminder," Sam Biddle wrote for Gizmodo on Monday. "This is less a war than the hacker equivalent of egging someone's house and then smoking weed behind a Denny's." The group is calling its campaign #OpIsrael. "While the Israeli government almost certainly has backups of the aformentioned databases, these attacks as well as the defacements show Anonymous isn't just doing its usual spree of overloading target sites," writes another tech blog, TheNextWeb. "OpIsrael appears to have gotten multiple hackers involved who are interested in doing actual damage, or at least something that is slightly more permanent than just a 404," which is the code that appears online when a website won't load. Greenberg, from Forbes, makes the important point that none of this digital damage compares to the loss of life on the ground in the Middle East. "Anonymous' attacks, of course, hardly register compared with the physical damage inflicted by both sides in the Gaza conflict," he wrote. Israel and Hamas: How the conflict reignited .

Israel says its government websites have been hit by 44 million attacks . The hacker collective Anonymous claims some responsibility . The group says it has posted e-mail addresses online . Cyberattacks are the third front in the conflict between Israel and Gaza, Israeli official says .

Hong Kong (CNN) -- Asia is set to have the world's wealthiest residents, with city-state Singapore heading the rich list. Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea will do well, too, according to by a new survey that predicts which countries will be home to the wealthiest citizens by 2050. By one measure, they are already are. Singapore's per capita income is estimated by Knight Frank and Citi Private Wealth's 2012 Wealth Report to be the highest in the world at $56,532 in 2010, measured by purchasing power parity. Norway follows at $51,226, then the U.S. ($45,511), Hong Kong ($45,301) and Switzerland ($42,470). (The International Monetary Fund listed Singapore 3rd in the world in 2010-11 by per capita GDP, behind Qatar and Luxembourg, which weren't included in the Knight Frank report). By 2050, the Wealth Report estimates the world's wealthy citizens will be dominated by Asia: Singapore ($137,710), Hong Kong ($116,639), Taiwan ($114,093) and South Korea ($107,752). The only western economy projected to remain in the top five is the U.S., with an estimated per capita income of $100,802. Danny Quah of the London School of Economics predicts that by 2050, the world's economic center of gravity will be somewhere between India and China, the report notes. In 1980, the global economic center lay in the middle of the Atlantic. Some of the world's super-rich have already crossed the Pacific. Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, a native of Brazil, moved to Singapore in 2009 has since renounced his U.S. citizenship. Jim Rogers, the co-founder of the Quantum Fund with George Soros, also moved to the former British colony in 2007. "I have moved -- I have sold my house in New York. I have moved to Asia and my girls speak Mandarin, speak perfect Mandarin ... I'm preparing them for the 21st century by knowing Asia and by speaking perfect Mandarin," Rogers told CNN recently. "It's easier to get rich in Asia than it is in America now. The wind is in your face. (The U.S.) is the largest debtor nation in the history of the world," Rogers added. "The largest creditor nations in the world are China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore. The assets are in Asia. You know who the debtors are and where they are. Look at Greece. Look at Spain. I mean, I don't like saying this. You know, I'm an American, too. But facts are facts." The report's list of fastest growing economies between 2010 and 2050 also gives more credence that the world's wealth is moving toward Asia. Of the top 10 fastest rising economies -- Nigeria, India, Iraq, Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines, Mongolia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Egypt, respectively -- all but three are in the region. Old World economies will have the worst growth performance in the next 40 years, the report predicts: Spain, France, Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany are at the bottom of the list. But Japan and its aging population will have the weakest projected growth of all economies, Knight Frank estimates. However, just because the denizens of Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan are projected to live in the world's wealthiest regions doesn't mean all will share in the wealth. In the report Tina Fordham, Senior Global Political Analyst at Citi, warns that the dissatisfaction with income inequality shown in the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations "will gain momentum, and that there could be a long-term recalibration between governments, businesses and society as a result." On Monday, a court ordered the protesters of Occupy Central in Hong Kong, one of the last outposts of the global protests sparked by Occupy Wall Street, to give up its encampment at HSBC's headquarters in the city. CNN's Christine Romans contributed to this report .

Asia set to have the world's wealthiest residents, with city-state Singapore heading the rich list . Knight Frank-Citi report predicts the top four wealthiest regions will be in Asia by 2050 . Japan and several European economies are predicted to grow the least in the next 40 years . Report: Seven of the world's top 10 fastest growing economies will be in Asia .

(CNN) -- Commoner Kate Middleton, known as "Waity Katey" for her patience in waiting for Prince William to pop the question, has finally gotten her prince. But besides his title, money and ability to fly a helicopter, what skills will he bring to the marriage? Many women are a lot more practical. We want princes who have real skills and talents, and it may take more than one to satisfy all our needs. I asked female friends and colleagues to name the celebrity who would be a "perfect prince" for the various tasks below. (The comments in parentheses are those of the nominators.) And after checking out these choices, please add your favorite princes in comment section. Keeping your castle in good shape: • Mike Holmes of HGTV's "Holmes on Homes" • Ahmed Hassan OF DIY's "Yard Crashers" • John Gidding of HGTV's "Curb Appeal: The Block" • Courtland Bascon of HGTV's "Design Star" • Matt Muenster of DIY's "Bath Crashers" • Ty Pennington of ABC's ""Extreme Makeover Home Edition" • Eric Stromer of HGTV "Over Your Head" Cooking his way to your heart: • Emeril Lagasse • Jamie Oliver • Bryan Caswell of "Iron Chef" (Hot!) • Tyler Florence, celebrity chef and Food Network star • Bobby Deen (son of Paula Deen) Singing you to sleep: • Josh Groban • Taylor Hanson (Hah, embarrassing, I know.) • Harry Connick Jr. • John Mayer • Brad Paisley or Darius Rucker (Country singers have the best lullabies.) Picking out your wardrobe: • Clinton Kelly of TLC's "What Not to Wear" • Tim Gunn of Lifetime's "Project Runway" Throwing the perfect party: • Comedian and talk show host Conan O'Brien • Gregg Gillis (a.k.a. Girl Talk) • Nate Berkus, featured design expert for "The Oprah Winfrey Show" • Musician Seal. Well, more like his wife, Heidi Klum. (Have you seen their Halloween bash photos?) • Actor, musician, comedian Jamie Foxx • Actor Gerard Butler . Balancing your budget and doing your taxes: • HLN money expert Clark Howard • Shia LaBeouf (He did pretty well for himself in the movie "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," up until he lost all his money to his girlfriend's father.) • Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-New York (A joke, since the House Ethics Committee voted for a censure of the congressman over ethics and tax issues.) • Singer Willie Nelson (who has also had tax problems) Perfect traveling companion: • Bert Kreischer of the Travel Channel's "Bert the Conqueror" (He tackles all these extreme challenges, like the top roller coasters at Six Flags or redneck water-skiing.) • Anthony Bourdain of the Travel Channel's "No Reservations" • Soccer star David Beckham • European travel expert Rick Steves . Someone you want to take home to meet the parents: • Michael Cera of "Arrested Development" • Cory Monteith of "Glee" • Ben Stiller of "Meet the Fockers" • Jake Gyllenhaal of "Love and Other Drugs" • Matt Damon . He could play your doctor on TV: • Patrick Dempsey -- "Dr. McDreamy" of "Grey's Anatomy" • Eric Dane -- "Dr. McSteamy" of "Grey's Anatomy" • Matthew Fox of "Lost" • Matt LeBlanc of "Friends" fame • Dr. Drew Pinsky (The Love Doctor) • Dr. Travis Stork of the TV show "The Doctors" Solving any crime for you: • David Boreanaz of Fox's "Bones" • Jesse L. Martin of "Law & Order" • Peter Falk of "Columbo" • The adorable boys from USA Network's "Psych" (Dulé Hill is my favorite.) • David Caruso of CBS' "CSI: Miami" Please add your princely picks below and tell us why you chose them.

Commoner Kate Middleton is engaged to Britain's Prince William . But you can pick your own prince, or several if you have many needs . Prince of the kitchen could be Emeril Lagasse or Jamie Oliver . Castle fixers could be Mike Holmes or Ahmed Hassan .

Mexico City (CNN) -- Mexican authorities have opened an investigation into permits issued to Wal-Mart in light of allegations that the retail giant bribed officials in Mexico to speed up store construction. "If any irregular activities attributable to federal public servants are detected, the federal government will take appropriate action," Mexico's Ministry of Public Administration said in a statement Wednesday. The ministry also said Mexico's federal government was requesting information from U.S. officials about the case for its investigation. Local authorities will be alerted if the investigation turns up possible corruption among local officials, the ministry said. The announcement comes several days after a New York Times report detailed what the newspaper said was widespread bribery used by Wal-Mart's Mexican subsidiary. The New York Times report cites a former executive, Sergio Cicero Zapata, who resigned from Wal-Mart de Mexico in 2004. Cicero told the newspaper he had helped organize payoffs to local officials -- including dispatching intermediaries to deliver envelopes full of cash. The aim of the bribes, he said, was to guarantee zoning approvals, reductions in environmental impact fees and support from neighborhood leaders, according to the newspaper. After resigning, Cicero alerted a senior Wal-Mart lawyer about the deals in 2005, prompting an internal investigation, The New York Times said. A paper trail found suspect payments in Mexico totaled more than $24 million, the newspaper said, citing an internal Wal-Mart review. CNN has not independently confirmed the details in the New York Times report. Wal-Mart de Mexico y Centroamerica, the company's subsidiary in Mexico, said in a statement that it is "fully committed to complying with the laws of the countries where it operates, including any state or municipal regulations pertaining to the application for licenses and permits." "The allegations in the recent New York Times article, if true, do not accurately reflect Wal-Mart de Mexico y Centroamerica's culture," the statement continued. Earlier this week, the CEO of the Mexican Stock Exchange declined to comment on the New York Times report. "I have nothing more to say, other than that it is a great company, that Wal-Mart is a company that has been very appreciated by Mexican investors. It is one of the companies that has grown most in the country," Luis Tellez said. Mexico was the first country in Wal-Mart's international division. Wal-Mart has 2,099 retail units in the country, including 213 supercenters, according to a company fact sheet. While some experts and officials have called for investigations of the retail giant's Mexican subsidiary in light of the New York Times report, others see a symptom of a larger problem: widespread government corruption. Mexico ranked 100 out of 183 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index last year. And only China and Russia ranked behind Mexico on the organization's Bribe Payers Index, which ranks the likelihood of companies to win business abroad by paying bribes. Jose Luis de la Cruz Gallegos, who directs an economic research center in central Mexico, told CNN Expansion that such rankings "show clearly that businesses and people have to incur a great cost in order to get ahead." "It's not so much the kinds of bribes that The New York Times mentions, even though those are important. It is the general context of impunity and abuse of the law that has characterized the growth of Wal-Mart over the past decade in Mexico," John Ackerman, a professor at the Institute of Legal Research at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, told CNN Expansion. The retail giant, which also came under fire in the United States after the New York Times report, has stressed that it has been conducting a global review for months over whether its workers violated the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which prohibits giving bribes to international officials. "We will not tolerate noncompliance with FCPA anywhere or at any level of the company. We are confident we are conducting a comprehensive investigation, and if violations of our policies occurred, we will take appropriate action," Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar said in a statement Tuesday. Tovar also noted that the alleged activities in the newspaper's report "are more than six years old." The company has taken steps to "establish stronger FCPA compliance" in Mexico, he said, including improving auditing procedures, policies and training. CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet and Rey Rodriguez contributed to this report.

Mexican federal authorities are looking into permits given to the retail giant . The probe comes after a report alleged widespread bribery to speed up store construction . Analysts say the bribery allegations are a symptom of a more widespread problem . Wal-Mart says it has taken steps to ensure compliance with corruption laws .

WESTERN DESERT, Iraq (CNN) -- The hot wind swirls around the human bones and cracked skulls that litter the forsaken desert lands in Western Iraq. The entrance to the bunker complex where al Qaeda terrorized enemies in Iraq. We are standing in the middle of what was an al Qaeda execution site, just outside an intricate bunker complex that the organization used to torture and murder its victims, the bodies left to rot or be eaten by animals. From the back of the police truck the opening to the first bunker is barely discernible in the distance. "Al Qaeda came in as a massive force" one of the officers says as we bump along the harsh terrain. "They stole our cars, our personal cars. They kidnapped two of my brothers. They blew up the house over there." In the distance we can see his village -- a set of sand colored homes surrounded by parched farmlands. As we approach grubby children chase the truck and then stand to the side, despondent, as the officer points to their home. "Their father was killed by al Qaeda," he says. In 2007 the U.S. military launched a series of airstrikes that drove out al Qaeda. As we enter the first bunker Captain Khaled Bandar tells us they found the floor littered with bodies. A gaping hole is evidence of the U.S. firepower. Insurgents used the layered and intricate labyrinth of passageways and hatches to carry out summary trials and executions. The police show us clothing and shoes, saying they are leaving them in place in case the families of the victims decide to come back. The stench of decay still lingers. Al Qaeda has been on the defensive in recent years, notwithstanding spectacular attacks attributed to the group like last week's blasts in the capital, including suicide truck bomb attacks on the ministries of foreign affairs and finance. At least 100 people were killed and more than 500 wounded. But the concerted security campaign against the group has forced it to change its structure and strategy. According to one man who has close connections to al Qaeda in Iraq and asked not to be identified, the group lost support because it lost the protection of the people. "There is an old saying about the basics of war. Whoever wins the people wins the war. So when al Qaeda didn't win the people over, it lost its battles," he explains. "Al Qaeda's strategy of taking control of areas has been abandoned for now. Their method is propaganda, instilling fear, terrorizing." He adds that the group stopped recruiting over the last six months because of a shortage in funding and increased infiltration. "Al Qaeda is moving towards selecting the elite and condensing its forces rather than expanding. The Americans nearly defeated al Qaeda by cornering it and reducing its operations," he says. But those operations are still deadly, and the war is by no means over. "No, the war is not over in Iraq, a type of battle is over, but there are new battles cloaked in politics. Now politicians try to pay militias, al Qaeda, or armed factions ...in order to eliminate political foes," the man with knowledge of al Qaeda says. And al Qaeda is still able to send a message to those who dare oppose them. The police officers show us blood stains in the desert near the bunkers and tell us how they found two beheaded bodies just a month ago. They were identified as being the brothers of two police officers from another city, Ramadi. Meanwhile, al Qaeda's global war has sifted to a place it believes it can still win -- Afghanistan. "Al Qaeda in Afghanistan is made up of true believers, those who believe in jihad and fighting, and that's why they joined," the man with connections says. "As for most of al Qaeda in Iraq's members, they are just looking to benefit themselves, or they join out of resentment for a certain sect or to avenge their families." As for Iraq's longterm stability, that very much still hangs in the balance. He says: "Peace will not be achieved by a magic wand or the rhetoric of a politician. Peace will be accomplished through the will of the Iraqi youth. We have to wait for this generation to change ... so that a generation that hates (the violence) will emerge." Yousif Bassil and Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report .

Abandoned al Qaeda in Iraq bunker base littered with bones of its enemies . U.S. bombed bunkers in 2007 but stench of decay remains in desert base . Source close to al Qaeda says it lost in Iraq as it lost support of the people . He says al Qaeda's focus is now Afghanistan .

(CNN) -- I come from Palestine. I have lived my entire life under military occupation, and I have no memory of a time without struggle. I have seen my neighbors beaten, blindfolded, and kidnapped. I have seen children snatched from their mothers in the dead of night. I have seen my brother shot and friend murdered. I can't tell you how this holy land felt before the armored jeeps' rumble. I can't trace a path from here -- from where the Wall surrounds me -- to the sea. But for as long as I can remember, I could not forget. Forget the checkpoints, the harassment, the detentions. Forget that I am not free. Like all prisoners, my memories are what sustain me. But what I need now are new memories. Happy memories. That's why I started filming. I wanted to make memories of my son, Gibreel. I wanted to capture his smile, to chronicle his life in close-up. I wanted to crop out the occupation, the violence, the hopelessness. You know the scenes. Maybe you, too, have captured your loved ones' firsts: the first words, the first steps, the first glimpse of that way he angles his head and grins. Just like his mother. Soraya's gentle voice is in so many scenes of our son's early life. But as I continued filming, Gibreel taught me that there are other sounds more urgent in his world. Read more: How a boy's death brought a West Bank cinema back to life . His first words were "army" and "wall." His first steps were in the shadow of groaning bulldozers and screeching cranes. Not the kind children play with. The kind that build the colonies that are stealing our land. Our land is Bil'in -- "a little village on a hillside." That's how the British described it a century ago, when we had already been there for many more. We are fewer than two thousand people, and we tend the land. We have no factories or office towers. There are no commuter trains or carpool lanes. For centuries, our walk to work has led through biblical fields of olive trees. Read more: Palestinian filmmakers beat the odds to hit silver screen . Then the colonists came. They are -- we hear -- English, French, Swiss, American. Some say there are 50,000 or more. They use our precious water to wash their cars and fill their swimming pools. They seem to thirst for pavement, cold steel, and concrete. And when they weren't satisfied with what they had already stolen, they came looking for more. They came looking in Bil'in. That's when our families stood up and said, "No." We did so peacefully, but persistently, through nonviolent protest against the Wall cutting through our land. Throughout, our only power was our conviction. And that conviction drew others -- English, French, Swiss, American. And Israelis. One of them is my friend Guy Davidi, who helped me make a film. Five cameras and as many years later, I invited the world to see scenes from my son's first years-because the story of Gibreel's early life is also the story of Bil'in's resistance. The world calls it a documentary. I call it our story, a Palestinian story. In it, a farmer becomes a filmmaker, and a village stands taller than a Wall. Soon, this Palestinian story will contend for an award. It is a very big award, and many people will be watching. If it wins, what would I say? How does a Palestinian, from a little village on a hillside, address the world? I close my eyes and imagine the scene. There are a billion people, but I see just one. It is you, Gibreel. You are a man, perhaps my age now, looking back at the 35 years that brought you there. What will you see? What will your world look like? And if you had a camera, too, what memories would you make? As the world listens, Gibreel, I want to say to you: I am from Palestine. I have lived my whole life under military occupation, and I have no memory of a time without struggle. But you, son, you will know better times. Someday, you will make new, happy memories. And that will be the true award. Emad Burnat is co-director of "5 Broken Cameras", which is nominated for best documentary at this year's Academy Awards. His views expressed here are his own and not those of CNN.

Filmmaker Emad Burnat has lived in the West Bank under military occupation all his life . He started filming the early years of his son's life alongside the resistance of his village . Now, his documentary "5 Broken Cameras" is up for best documentary at the Oscars .

(CNN) -- Labor Day isn't only a commemoration of American workers -- it's also a reminder of the often oppressive power of employers backed by the law and muscle of the U.S. government. The history of the Labor Day tells the tale. On May 1, 1886, tens of thousands of workers protested in cities all across the United States to demand an eight-hour workday. At the time, most American laborers worked 18- or even 20-hour workdays. But police responded aggressively to the peaceful protests. Two days later, while workers were meeting to plan further protests in Chicago, police showed up and beat and shot at the group at random. Six unarmed workers were killed by the police. The next day, outraged Chicagoans attended what was initially a peaceful protest in Haymarket Square. The peace fell apart near the end, when police advanced on the crowd. Someone who was never identified exploded a bomb and killed a police officer. The cops responded by opening fire on the protesters. In the darkness, about a dozen workers and police were killed. The event influenced the history of labor in America and internationally for years to come. Martial law was declared across the country. The police blamed workers for the violence and, in particular, some Socialist Party labor organizers involved in the protests. Several were tried for murder and convicted. That fall, one man died in his cell and four were executed. In response, all around the world, workers movements adopted May 1 to commemorate the Haymarket Massacre and to symbolize the ongoing fight for worker rights and worker justice. So why doesn't the United States celebrate Labor Day on May 1 as well? On May 11, 1894, again in Chicago, workers at the Pullman Palace Car Co. called for a strike to protest wage cuts and the killing of a worker. In solidarity, the American Railroad Union called for a boycott on working in all Pullman railway cars. Within a matter of days, train traffic west of Detroit ground to a halt. In response, President Grover Cleveland called in the Army to suppress the strikes. Protests broke out. At least 26 people were killed. The government collusion with big business, both in the court system and in the deployment of the military, was unprecedented and severe. The labor community was enraged. And so, the story goes, President Cleveland, realizing he had to do something quick to appease the labor movement, pressed for Labor Day to become a national holiday. But Cleveland worried that tying the holiday to May 1 would encourage Haymarket-like protests and tacitly strengthen communist and socialist movements that had backed the May 1 commemoration around the globe. And so through a twist of choices and coincidences, the first Monday of September was chosen to be the official "Labor Day" in the United States. Labor Day, then, shouldn't just serve as a commemoration of the hard work of American laborers and all they have contributed to America's history, infrastructure and prosperity. Labor Day should also serve as a reminder of not only how companies can undervalue and undermine their workers but how our government provide dangerous or even deadly levels of support to bad employers. Even today, we know what it takes to improve the lives and prosperity of America's workers. Unions raise the wages of workers by roughly 20% and raise total compensation --including wages and benefits after union dues are deducted -- by 28%. Raising the minimum wage helps low wage workers while pumping more spending power into the economy as a whole. And strengthening worker safety laws and other protections is good for workers and for a productive and safe economy. But when some in government, especially Republicans, undermine the ability of workers to form a union or erode wage and safety laws, they're doing the dirty work for big business at the expense of American workers. It's certainly less severe than calling in the Army to defend the profit interests of big corporations, but the effect is the same: Republicans taking the side of CEOs and wealthy shareholders and standing against ordinary working Americans. Study after study after study -- not to mention the entire history of our economy -- shows what policies are good for ordinary, hardworking Americans. But Republicans, who rhetorically say they support ordinary Americans, consistently stand against these measures and stand for anything that would give more power and leeway to big businesses. When we celebrate Labor Day, we should remember that government isn't always on the side of the American people -- no matter that we have a federal holiday that was created to distract us.

Sally Kohn: Labor Day reminds us of the power of employers, government over workers . Kohn: Milestones, Haymarket Square and Pullman Car Co. galvanized movement . Kohn: President Cleveland created Labor Day to appease workers . Kohn: Workers are still fighting for hikes in minimum wage and better safety laws .

(CNN) -- Two videos newly posted on YouTube show what Syrian opposition activists say is the gruesome slaughter of civilians in the besieged city of Daraa who had tried to feed people during a recent uprising. One video shows what appears to be a group of Syrian security forces standing over dead bodies, making jokes and discussing planting weapons on them. The gruesome images include the bloody, mangled bodies of five men in civilian clothes. They lie close together on a rooftop, in pools of blood. A group of men dressed in military uniforms walk around them, talking. "Show me those weapons," one says, "put them here." Someone drops what seems to be weaponry onto the torso of one of the bodies. "These are the weapons the committee will come film," a voice says. Throughout the uprising in Syria, the Syrian government has described protesters as "armed criminals" and "terrorists," at times saying photos prove that the "criminals" were armed when security forces shot them. In the video, the people speaking know they are are being taped, addressing the camera at times. Some of them are smiling or laughing. One jokes about "eyeliner" on one of the dead bodies. Deadly clashes at Syrian border . Another video of what appears to be the same scene at a different point in time shows the dead bodies. A young man in military uniform then turns to the camera himself and says, "These are his criminals." It is not clear who he is referring to. The gory videos -- in which the bodies are bleeding from different areas -- are labeled online as having been shot April 30. CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of the videos. Two activists with the Syrian opposition explained the incident. One is Abdullah Abazeed, an activist in Daraa, Syria, where the videos were apparently taken. The other activist, who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity, is in the United States and helps Syrian activists post videos online. Abazeed said members of his group, the Syrian Revolution Coordinators Union, negotiated the purchase of the two videos from a member of the security forces for 200 Syrian pounds ($40 U.S.) and put them on YouTube. The incident took place in Daraa, which was under siege by Syrian security forces. Four of the men were working out of a mosque in Daraa, supplying food rations to people, the activists said. Two were the sons of Daraa-Abu Ibrahim, the man who calls for the prayers at the mosque; another two were his nephews, the activists said. Syrian forces marched into the mosque and took the four men, along with a fifth unidentified man, to the roof of a neighboring building, the activists said. The mosque's minaret is visible in the background of the videos. The forces shot the men at point blank range, the activists said. Members of the security forces took videos themselves, the activists said. On April 30, Ibrahim -- whose sons and nephews were just killed -- was forced into making a statement on Syrian state television, the activists said. Syrian state television aired video of Ibrahim making a statement at the time. "The army came to me and asked me for help so I can move a group of people on the roof of the mosque," he said. He added that he was "surprised to find my son was inside. I told him, 'My son, surrender and leave.' I tried twice, and three times and then took myself and left." He said he told the army lieutenant what had happened, who then told him to go back again. "There was a gunfight between the army and the group inside which included my children and my nephews," Ibrahim said on state TV. "The thought that they could get martyrdom and their idea was to get freedom. Freedom is not gotten this way, not by means of killing, never ever by killing." He added that he "saw them carrying weapons and killing and shooting at the army." The opposition activists told CNN that Ibrahim's statement was coerced by Syrian security forces, who threatened the rest of his family. Throughout the uprising, the Syrian government has generally ignored requests for comment from CNN, which has not been granted access into the country and is unable to independently verify the accounts. A call to the Syrian embassy press office Sunday was not immediately returned. CNN's Josh Levs and Yousuf Basil contributed to this report.

Videos show people in military uniforms discussing putting weapons on dead bodies . "These are the weapons the committee will come film," a voice says on the video . Syria has previously described protesters as "armed criminals" Those killed were trying to feed people during a siege on Daraa, opposition activists say .

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama paid tribute Wednesday to those who have lost their lives in the nation's wars as well as to the men and women who currently serve. "There's no tribute, no commemoration, no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice," he said in a speech at Arlington National Cemetery on a rainy, overcast Veterans Day. "We call this a holiday, but for many veterans, it's another day of memories that drive them to live their lives each day as best as they possibly can," he said. "For our troops, it is another day in harm's way. For their families, it is another day to feel the absence of a loved one and the concern for their safety. For our wounded warriors, it is another day of slow recovery. And in this national cemetery, it is another day when grief remains fresh." He vowed that "America will do right" by its troops. "To all who served in every battle in every war, we say that it's never too late to say thank you." Earlier Wednesday, the president and first lady Michelle Obama also walked through Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, CNN's Jill Dougherty reported. The section is where service members from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. There, the Obamas stopped to talked to relatives and friends of those who have died. Skip and Rhonda Rollins of New Hampshire were visiting the gravesite of their son, Justin, who was killed in Iraq in 2007. He would have turned 25 on Tuesday. The couple said they were "extremely surprised" to see Obama "take the time to speak with the families" in Section 60. Although he said he generally holds different political views from those of the president, Skip Rollins said that supporting American soldiers, both living and dead, "should always be a nonpartisan issue." He added, "It was extremely nice of him to take this time out to come down here and do this." The couple said they make the trip to their son's grave each year around this time for their son's birthday and for Veterans Day. "It's not just my son that I mourn for; when I see all the others' stones, the ages of the soldiers, and you know they've given the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. And you know it's hard for me to leave, to leave my son," Rhonda Rollins said. Earlier Wednesday, the president laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in the cemetery. He then stood solemnly as a bugle played taps. Some onlookers watched from under umbrellas. Veterans Day comes a day after Obama addressed 15,000 people at a memorial service at Fort Hood Army Post, where 13 people were killed and dozens more were wounded in a shooting last week. The president told the families of those killed that "no words can fill the void that has been left," adding, "your loved ones endure through the life of our nation." The suspected gunman in the attack is a 39-year-old Army psychiatrist, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who remains in intensive care at an Army hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Later Wednesday, Obama discussed with his war council scenarios to move forward in Afghanistan. One scenario, a senior administration official and U.S. military official independently confirmed, calls for sending about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. Other nations honored those who sacrificed their lives in wars on Wednesday, in many cases for the first time without any surviving veterans of World War I. Services took place around the world to mark the 91st anniversary of the armistice signed between Germany and the Allies on November 11, 1918. Depending on where it is celebrated, the day is known as Armistice Day, Remembrance Day, Poppy Day or Veterans Day. In Britain, Queen Elizabeth led Remembrance Day ceremonies in Westminster Abbey, a service also attended by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other senior politicians and military leaders. In Paris, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a ceremony under the Arc de Triomphe. Australians observed one minute silence at 11 a.m. in memory of those who died or suffered in all of the nation's wars and armed conflicts. "Their loss is a reminder that there is nothing glorious about war. Those called upon to fight know that better than anyone," said Gen. Peter Cosgrove, chairman of the Council of the Australian War Memorial. CNN's Leslie Bentz contributed to this report.

"No praise ... can truly match the magnitude of your service," he tells veterans . America will do right by its troops, Obama promises . Nations around the world take day to honor fighting men and women .

(CNN) -- Mark Webber and Red Bull judged their race strategy perfectly to pip Fernando Alonso to the checkered flag during an action packed British Grand Prix at Silverstone. The Australian maneuvered expertly through 52 immensely tactical laps to record his second victory of the season, though Ferrari's Alonso did maintain his lead in the drivers' championship. With the torrential rain that had affected the build up absent for the entire race, Webber hunted down Alonso in the closing stages as the Spaniard's tires began to wear, eventually overtaking on lap 49. Defending double world champion Sebastian Vettel, also of Red Bull, came third while Alonso's Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa finished fourth. Silverstone support: Does home advantage help in F1? "It was a very interesting race. Fernando Alonso had very good pace," Webber told a press conference after his victory. "We had the better strategy in the end. We never gave up, kept pushing and it did not work out in the end for Fernando. "I've had a few wins, but this one is taking a little bit to sink in. It didn't look like a spectacular race between us initially, but it was one -- pacing the stints on the tires, Fernando starting on the harder tire. "After the first stint Fernando had I thought he was in good shape to close the win out. But it came our way and I am absolutely over the moon. "I had a single opportunity to pounce and I wasn't going to let that slip. Fernando, with the front-left tire, if you lose balance around this place, the speed is very high in that second sector and it's very hard for the driver to do something. "It was obvious he was pushing as hard as possible but the balance wasn't with him." It was Webber's second win at Silverstone in three years and helped him cut Alonso's lead at the top of the drivers' standings to 13 points. Alonso has 129 to Webber's 116, with Vettel third on 100 points. Alonso said: "It was very close today but at the end Mark was much quicker than us and deserved the victory. Now we are fighting for victories in the last three or four grands prix. "I hope the fans enjoyed the show today. I'm still leading the championship and that's the main target for us, we lost seven points with Mark winning but we gained some more points on the rest of the field." World champion Vettel added: "Mark deserved to win. Thanks for all fans out there -- it's been horrible weather for them, not just for us. But today the sun came out and British summer showed its best." Starting on pole, Alonso protected his lead even after a pit stop on lap 16 but the hard tires on Lewis Hamilton's McLaren car set up a tussle for first place on lap 19. The lead changed hands several times as the former McLaren teammates battled round the circuit. Eventually, Alonso came out on top and Webber moved up to third when Hamilton pitted. The Spaniard was forced into his own stop for a set of compulsory soft tires as a furious round of strategic stops took place around lap 38. And try as he might, Alonso couldn't hold off Webber as his tires faded fast, allowing the Australian to make his decisive move three laps from home. There was also controversy further down the field as Sauber's Sergio Perez blasted his Williams counterpart Pastor Maldonado for a crash that put the Mexican out of the race. Perez said of the Venezuelan: "He doesn't respect other drivers. I was already in front and he should have given space not to crash, but he tried to push me all the way. "I don't understand why he drives like that and I hope the stewards do something. It is not first time he has damaged my weekend. This guy will never learn if they don't do something. He could hurt someone. Everybody has concerns about him." Maldonado was later reprimanded and fined $12,000 by the sport's governing body, the FIA, for the collision while Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi from Japan was fined $30,000 for injuring three three mechanics during a pit-stop. The next race in the Formula One calendar is the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim on July 22.

Australian Mark Webber wins the Formula One British Grand Prix for Red Bull . Webber pips Ferrari's Fernando Alonso to the checkered flag at Silverstone . Defending double world champion Sebastian Vettel finishes race in third . Alonso retains his lead at the top of the F1 drivers' championship .

(CNN) -- The 10th anniversary this month of the invasion of Iraq will remind most people of a divisive and dubious war that toppled Saddam Hussein but claimed the lives of nearly 4,500 Americans and more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians. What it conjures up for me is the media's greatest failure in modern times. Major news organizations aided and abetted the Bush administration's march to war on what turned out to be faulty premises. All too often, skepticism was checked at the door, and the shaky claims of top officials and unnamed sources were trumpeted as fact. By the time U.S. soldiers discovered there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the media establishment was left with apologies and explanations. The Bush-Cheney administration helped whip up an atmosphere in the wake of 9/11 in which media criticism of national security efforts seemed almost unpatriotic. Watch: Did Roger Ailes cross a line in calling Obama lazy? As the war, once sold as a cakewalk, went sour in 2004, the New York Times said in an editor's note that its editors were "perhaps too intent on rushing scoops into the paper," some of them erroneous stories by Judith Miller. The paper said its reporting on what turned out to be nonexistent WMDs was "not as rigorous as it should have been" and that the Times overplayed stories with "dire claims about Iraq." I was working at The Washington Post at the time, and I took it upon myself to examine the paper's performance in the run-up to war. It was not a pretty picture. From August 2002 through the March 19, 2003, launch of the war, I found more than 140 front-page stories that focused heavily on administration rhetoric against Iraq: "Cheney Says Iraqi Strike Is Justified"; "War Cabinet Argues for Iraq Attack"; "Bush Tells United Nations It Must Stand Up to Hussein or U.S. Will"; "Bush Cites Urgent Iraqi Threat"; "Bush Tells Troops: Prepare for War." By contrast, pieces questioning the evidence or rationale for war were frequently buried, minimized or spiked. Watch: Bill Clinton uses op-ed to flip-flop on gay marriage . Len Downie, then the executive editor, told me that in retrospect, "we were so focused on trying to figure out what the administration was doing that we were not giving the same play to people who said it wouldn't be a good idea to go to war and were questioning the administration's rationale. Not enough of those stories were put on the front page. That was a mistake on my part." Bob Woodward told me that "we did our job, but we didn't do enough, and I blame myself mightily for not pushing harder." There was a "groupthink" among intelligence officials, he said, and "I think I was part of the groupthink." Watch: Should ESPN give Keith Olbermann another at-bat? Tom Ricks, who was the paper's top military reporter, turned in a piece in the fall of 2002 that he titled "Doubts," saying that senior Pentagon officials were resigned to an invasion but were reluctant and worried that the risks were being underestimated. An editor killed the story, saying it relied too heavily on retired military officials and outside experts -- in other words, those with sufficient independence to question the rationale for war. "There was an attitude among editors: Look, we're going to war, why do we even worry about all this contrary stuff?" Ricks said. Watch: White House bullying against the press . I actually think the Post did a better job than most. And there is no minimizing the difficulties that even the most intrepid journalists faced: They couldn't go to Iraq to investigate for themselves, and most government sources were echoing the administration's line about WMDs. But that system's failure casts a dark shadow on the news business that has not entirely lifted. The press needs to challenge what government officials say, whether it is about war or weapons or Wall Street, or whether the impact of federal budget cuts is being exaggerated. The low level of public confidence in the media has many causes, but one of them stems from what happened back in 2003. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Howard Kurtz.

Howard Kurtz: News reporting before war in Iraq was media's greatest failure in recent times . He says news organizations aided Bush administration's push to war on faulty premises . Newspapers ran stories without enough skepticism, he says . Kurtz: Public's lack of confidence in media can partly be traced back to 2003 .

(CNN) -- Norway's police are facing tough questions over their response to last Friday's terror attacks, in which 76 people died. First, Oslo was rocked by a huge blast outside government buildings, which left eight people dead. Less than two hours later, a gunman reached Utoya island, some 20 miles away, and proceeded to fire on the mostly teenage participants of a political summer camp for well over an hour. Reporters, particularly from the foreign press, have asked why it took an hour from the police first being alerted for armed officers to arrest the suspect, 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik. Among their questions have been why a helicopter was not used to take elite officers to the scene, rather than them travelling by road, and whether problems with a police boat -- which meant civilian vessels had to be commandeered -- delayed the response. Some have also asked whether the response to the bombing in the Norwegian capital took priority over the Utoya alert, with emergency phone operators and resources already tied up as frantic calls started to come in from young people under fire on the island. Sissel Hammer, chief of police for the Nordre Buskerud district, which covers Utoya, told reporters Wednesday that her officers and members of an elite police unit had done their best to get to the island quickly. "I don't think we had any chance to be there faster than we made it," she said. Responding to the situation in Utoya was "the highest priority" for local police, and was not affected by events in Oslo, she said. Her staff had done a "very demanding job" both during and after the event, she added. At the same press conference, Haavard Gaasbakk, who was a commander on the scene, described how he grabbed his equipment and raced to the embarkation point for Utoya when the alarm was raised. A problem with the engine of the police boat meant the 10 or so emergency personnel who had met there had to take two privately owned motor boats instead, he said. However, these made the 700-meter crossing of the deep Tyrifjorden lake faster than the police boat would have done, he said. As they approached, the police heard "a lot of shooting" from the southern part of the wooded island, with gunshots "coming fast and thick," Gaasbakk said. Officers ran toward the shooting and were about 350 meters away, in very difficult terrain, when they started to shout to the suspect, he said. Suddenly they saw him in front of them with his hands above his head and his weapons -- a rifle and an automatic pistol -- on the ground. The gunman was arrested by one officer as the others sought to find out of whether he was working alone and started to give first aid to a "conveyor belt" of the injured, Gaasbakk said. He spoke of his pride in the way police and local citizens rallied to help the injured. Hammer said an evaluation of the police response would be carried out later this year. A day earlier, police spokesman Johan Fredriksen rejected criticism of the police response to the massacre in Utoya. "I don't think this could have gone faster," he said. "I don't see how that would be possible with the distance and with these conditions. We always try to be better but I don't see how we could have done this faster." He said the police had only one helicopter, which is kept at Gardemoen airfield north of Oslo, and that it would not have been suitable to transport a team of counter-terror officers from the capital to the scene. "It took time to get the staff in. It was filled with irrelevant equipment for the purpose and has never been used for such operations," he said of the helicopter. "I am of the opinion it would not have been any quicker to use it." The former police inspector for Oslo, Finn Abrahamsen, told Norwegian reporters he felt it was a pity the helicopter was on the ground on the day of the attack. Anstein Gjengedal, of Oslo police district -- which pays for the national police helicopter service from its budget -- acknowledged it was flying less hours than it used to because of budget constraints. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg announced an independent commission of inquiry Wednesday, which he said would take an exhaustive look at what had happened and report back within a year on what lessons could be learned. But he rejected the suggestion that his country was naive and unready for potential attacks, saying Norway's security forces were aware of the danger of violent attacks and were prepared for them. CNN's Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report.

Some reporters question the speed of the police response . Police officials are defending their decisions . The bomb blast in Oslo left 8 dead . 68 were killed on Utoya .

(CNN) -- On Friday, Pope Francis announced the canonization of two of his predecessors: Pope John Paul II (pope from 1978 to 2005) and Pope John XXIII (1958-1963). That John-Paul II, whose pontificate dominated the late 20th century, is on a fast-track to sainthood should not come as a surprise. At his death in 2005, the crowds chanted, "Santo subito!" (sainthood now!). The Vatican verified his first miracle, the curing of a French nun of Parkinson's, from which he also suffered, just two months after his death. He was beatified in 2011 and his second miracle, the healing of a Costa Rican woman with an aneurism after her family prayed at one of his shrines, was ratified that same year. John XXIII's canonization, however, was not on the radar, but it makes sense. John presided over the Second Vatican Council, the great midcentury meeting that completely transformed modern Catholicism, and which is now celebrating its 50th anniversary. Pope Francis has emphasized the divine nature of this council's work frequently over the last few months and has waived the requirement that two miracles be credited to his intervention. A Vatican spokesman emphasized that because "no one doubts" John's holiness, Pope Francis has decided to move forward with the dual canonization. (Early Italian reports suggest December 8, a Sunday this year, and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, as the most likely date.) Why does a pope become a saint? At its most basic, Catholics believe, a saint is a holy person through whom God intervenes after his or her death to aid the living. Over the first 1,500 years of Catholic history, people generally became saints through popular acclamation rather than through a formal papal process. While there were some saints who were celebrated across the Christian world, the vast majority received only local or regional veneration. As with so many other Catholic procedures, the reform movements in the medieval papacy gradually asserted control of the process of canonization. In 1588, Pope Sixtus V instituted the "Sacred Congregation of Rites," a body intended to take complete charge of all processes of beatification and canonization. However, local communities and religious leaders have always sought to promote their local holy men and women as saints, and often started venerating people regardless of official Vatican sanction. Pope John Paul II, in fact, oversaw the canonization of more people (483) than had been canonized in the previous 500 years, in part to lend the weight of Vatican authority to saints that had emerged throughout the global Catholic world. Seventy-eight of the 265 popes have been saints, which may seem like a large number, but this includes 52 out of the first 54 popes. After the sixth century, the rate of papal canonization rapidly decreased. By the time of the great medieval reform movements, most popes did not become saints and were not expected to do so, as sanctity became reserved for those not so deeply involved in worldly affairs. For example, Pope Celestine V may have become a saint, but he was recognized for his quiet life as a hermit, rather than for his brief life as pope (he was also an inspiration for Pope Benedict XIV's retirement). Over the modern era, pious leaders in local communities, people like Mother Teresa, and others of great piety outside the elite hierarchy were most likely to be recognized as saints. Thus, the incipient canonization of these two popes does stand out as unusual. So what's going on in Rome? I turn back to the lessons of the history: Decisions about sanctity almost always involve considerations about local contexts and contemporary needs. John Paul II's sainthood has been promoted by many of the more conservative elements within the Catholic world. John XXIII, however, is something of a hero to more liberal groups because of his sponsorship of Vatican II. Perhaps in linking these two pontiffs, Pope Francis is performing yet another act that emphasizes the continuity and the connections among Catholics of all kinds, a theme that has dominated his papacy so far. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David M. Perry.

David Perry: Pope Francis announced the canonization of two predecessors . He says John XXIII's Vatican II was "divine" work, so Francis required only one miracle . People used to become saints by popular acclamation. Papacy controlled process later, he says . Perry: In canonizing one conservative, one liberal pope, Francis sends unifying message .

New York (CNN) -- Emergency crews on Wednesday rescued two window washers who were trapped on a hanging platform dangling perilously at the 68th floor of the 1,776-foot One World Trade Center building in lower Manhattan. Rescue workers used a diamond saw to tear through three layers of glass panes -- the thickest nearly two inches -- to pull the workers to safety about 2:15 p.m., authorities said. The men were taken to Bellevue Hospital Center with mild hypothermia, police said. The workers had been tethered inside the apparatus, fire officials said. Additional personal safety cables were lowered from the roof of the 104-story building. "I see two heads dangling over the scaffolding and one of the guys -- they just keep looking down," Reginald Moye, who watched the incident unfold from the 24th floor of a nearby hotel, told CNN. "They look like they're maybe five feet in the middle of the scaffold, hanging." A cable on one side of the hanging platform developed slack, leaving it suspended in a near-vertical position, authorities said. The cause was under investigation. The men were identified as Juan Lizama, 41, of New Jersey, and Juan Lopez, 33, of the Bronx, according to 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, which represents about 600 window cleaners in New York City. Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said emergency personnel from the NYPD, the New York Fire Department and Port Authority police practiced a rescue from such a rig 10 days ago. "They were more than ready to operate here," he told reporters. "The result: two men are going to go home tonight." But it wasn't easy. "In this case, the glass is three layers thick and, of course, they're 68 stories up," Nigro said. "It does present a little more of a challenge." Television images showed the rig dangling precipitously at a sharp angle. A Twitter photo from the fire department showed the rig as seen from inside the tower, with New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty in the distance. Officials said emergency workers communicated with the window washers via a portable radio lowered by rope from the roof. The men worked for a company called Upgrade, according to Erica Dumas, a spokeswoman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. "They were going up, washing the windows, and I was amazed at the view," Moye said. "Wow. Such a dangerous job. So, suddenly, I didn't see it collapse, but once I looked over and said, something is wrong, it was dangling." Officials at Tractel, the company that designed, built and installed the window-washing rig, had no comment. Tractel also designed the scaffolding that collapsed at the Hearst Tower in Manhattan in June 2013, according to aerial and CNN footage of both scenes. In the 2013 incident, two workers were rescued more than 550 feet above the streets of midtown Manhattan after their scaffolding buckled near the top of the tower, fire officials said. The workers, who spent 90 minutes dangling near the top of the building, suffered no injuries. Firefighters cut through a double-paned window on the 45th floor and brought the workers in through the newly created hole. At 1,776 feet tall, the One World Trade Center building surpassed Chicago's 1,451-foot Willis Tower as the nation's tallest building. The new building officially opened November 3, when the first tenant, publishing company Conde Nast, moved in. Many of the floors remain unoccupied. It is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, with a 408-foot spire atop the 1,368 foot tower. Its predecessor, the Twin Towers, were destroyed 13 years ago when al Qaeda terrorists flew two hijacked passenger jets into the buildings, killing 2,753 people on September 11, 2001. Asked if emotions surrounded the rescue, fire department Lt. Billy Ryan said: . "It's business. The task at hand is what you worry about. You separate yourself from that. This is business." CNN's Steve Kastenbaum, Laura Ly, Lorenzo Ferigno, Renee Wunderlich, Leigh Remizowski and Kevin Conlon contributed to this report.

Two window washers rescued from window-washing rig high above Manhattan . Hanging platform collapsed at One World Trade Center with the workers on it . The tower is the country's tallest building at 1,776 feet .

Los Angeles (CNN) -- The Palestinian maker of a film nominated for an Oscar was briefly detained by U.S. officials who questioned the validity of his Academy Awards invitation as he and his family arrived in Los Angeles for this weekend's event, his publicist told CNN on Wednesday. The brief detention of Emad Burnat, a West Bank farmer who spent five years making his "5 Broken Cameras" home video in his village of Bil'in, was quickly criticized by fellow documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, whom Burnat had contacted for help while being questioned at Los Angeles International Airport. U.S. authorities also placed Burnat's wife and 8-year-old son, Gibreel, in a holding area at the airport Tuesday night, Moore said on his Twitter account. "Apparently the Immigration & Customs officers couldn't understand how a Palestinian could be an Oscar nominee. Emad texted me for help," Moore tweeted. "After 1.5 hrs, they decided to release him & his family & told him he could stay in LA for the week & go to the Oscars. Welcome to America." 2013 Oscars: Get to know the best actor nominees . Julia Pacetti, Burnat's publicist, told CNN that Burnat e-mailed her and Moore about how "immigration authorities were telling him he needed to give them a reason for his visit. "He asked me to send his invitation to the Oscars. But before I did, immigration authorities released him. It was a short-lived situation," Pacetti said. Burnat told Moore that "It's nothing I'm not already used to" and "When u live under occupation, with no rights, this is a daily occurrence," Moore wrote on his Twitter account. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it was prohibited from discussing specific cases. In a statement, the agency said it strives to treat travelers with respect. "Travelers may be referred for further inspection for a variety of reasons to include identity verification, intent of travel, and confirmation of admissibility," it said. In an interview with CNN late Wednesday, Burnat said the experience reminded him of the more than 500 Israeli checkpoints and roadblocks in the West Bank. "The negative media and the government propaganda that they show the Palestinians as terrorists, as not human, a bad face -- this is not true and this is not real and this is what makes life difficult for Palestinians," Burnat said. "It is very important for me to be attending the Oscars because this is the first time a Palestinian documentary has been nominated for the Oscars," he said. The title "5 Broken Cameras" refers to the damage to the filmmaker's equipment while documenting local resistance to encroaching Israeli settlements and the construction of an Israeli wall separating farmers from their lands and olive groves. Burnat was the only cameraman in the village, sometimes recording violent events. He was jailed and put under house arrest in 2006 "after which, his cameras were broken," the film's website says. Are you cramming for Oscar Sunday? The film is told from a Palestinian perspective, though it is co-directed by Burnat's Israeli friend Guy Davidi, a filmmaker and peace activist. In the documentary, Burnat captured how the ongoing conflict influenced the life of his son, Gibreel. Burnat recorded some of his boy's first words: army, cartridge and the Arabic word for the security fence separating Israel and the West Bank. "Our kids grow up like this, in this situation. So they open their eyes and they are facing the soldiers around the houses, in the streets. And they talk about the army and the soldiers," Burnat told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. In a recent interview with CNN in the West Bank, Burnat said his son has lost much of his innocence. Speaking in Arabic, Gibreel remarked to CNN's Sara Sidner about the nomination: "The Oscar ... half should go to us and half to the Palestinian people." Davidi said he knew his work with Burnat would be criticized. "The minute we decided the film was going to be Emad as the main character," Davidi said, "then, it was much more comfortable for me, as an Israeli, to work with Emad, because I'm helping him shape his voice and not interfering with my own voice." Oscars snubs then and now . CNN's Joe Sutton contributed from Los Angeles. Carolyn Sung also contributed.

NEW: Federal agency explains general policy . "Propaganda that they show the Palestinians as terrorists" is "not real," filmmaker says . Emad Burnat is nominated for "5 Broken Cameras," a documentary about West Bank . He and his family are eventually released, the publicist says .

(CNN) -- David Beckham was a key figure in London's drive to win hosting rights for the 2012 Olympics, and now the sports icon is taking on the challenge of boosting the image of China's troubled soccer industry. The world's most populous nation has recruited the veteran Paris Saint-Germain midfielder as a global ambassador to help promote the Chinese game both at home and abroad as it combats a serious image problem caused by recent match-fix scandals and the premature departure of two high-profile foreign imports. According to a statement released by Beckham's management, the Chinese Football Association was drawn to the former England captain's "credibility as one of the most admired sportsmen and iconic figures in the world as well as his outstanding sportsmanship and professionalism." "I am honored to have been asked to play such an important role at this special time in Chinese football history," declared 37-year-old Beckham, who is a worldwide celebrity following stints with Manchester United and Real Madrid in addition to his high-profile off-pitch endorsement deals. "I'm excited by the prospect of promoting the world's greatest game to Chinese sports fans as I've seen firsthand the growing interest in football there," added Beckham, who also spent five years in Los Angeles with his former popstar wife Victoria and their four children. "This is a wonderful sport that inspires people across the world and brings families together, so I'm relishing the opportunity of introducing more fans to the game." Beckham's appointment coincides with the 20th anniversary of professional football in China, which is home to 1.3 billion people. "We are pleased to invite Mr. Beckham to visit China at this special moment," said a CFA official, who was not named. "While in China, he will attend the Chinese Super League (CSL) and visit clubs to get a deeper insight into football in China. "He will also help us to inspire and motivate many children to participate in this beautiful game." Beckham will hope to improve the reputation of Chinese football, which has been blighted by numerous scandals. Last month Shanghai Shenhua was stripped of the CSL title it won in 2003 as part of a crackdown on match-fixing which also saw 33 lifetime bans from the sport handed out. "There has been major corruption in the past but there have been some severe punishments of late," Asian football writer John Duerden told CNN. "Consequently, the situation seems to be much better. The game is cleaner and sponsors and fans have returned. "It is hard to say that is completely clean but recent events have shown that no country can say with any certainty that it is free of corruption." Shanghai made headlines around the world after embarking on a recruitment drive which included the signings of strikers Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka from English club Chelsea, which won the European Champions League last season. But the two transfers have not been the success Shenhua had hoped, despite paying both players more than $200,000 a week. Drogba recently signed an 18-month contract with Turkish club Galatasaray after just 10 months in China, while Anelka joined Italian champions Juventus on a five-month loan deal in January. "It put China in the international news and excited fans back home," Duerden said of the duo's move to Shanghai last year. "It was good for the brand of the country's football, especially at home. Other stars followed in their footsteps ... the two just went to the wrong club, perhaps the worst-run club in China." Despite recent controversies and the departures -- both permanent and temporary -- of Anelka and Drogba, Duerden suggests the reputation and popularity of the CSL is on the rise. "The popularity of the Chinese Super League is growing," he said. "There is a lot of money there, the facilities are good and the attendances are the highest in Asia. There's still a long way to go but it's growing." Part of Beckham's new role will be to encourage China's youth to embrace soccer at a time when the country's government is attempting to grow the sport. "In schools, a massive program has just started to help train Chinese kids for the first time," Duerden said. "It is a systematic approach and well-funded. It remains to be seen how successful it is but it certainly can't do any harm."

Soccer star David Beckham appointed ambassador for Chinese football . Paris Saint-Germain player will help to promote the game in China and abroad . Chinese football has been hit by high-profile match-fixing scandals . Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka recently left Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua .

(CNN) -- Should the world's best video game players -- those who earn six figures and play professionally -- be considered athletes? Are they on par with Olympians? People who read CNN's recent story on pro gaming and gaming addiction in South Korea raised these questions in comments threads, on Twitter and over e-mail. Many criticized CNN for highlighting the dark side of video gaming in that country, instead of celebrating the achievements of the world's best e-sports athletes. Specifically at issue was the story of MarineKing, one of the world's best "StarCraft II" players who, in the past, worried his parents and teachers because he practiced sometimes for 20 hours a day. They flagged him as a potential gaming "addict," but his parents now support his quest to be the world's best at the strategy game he loves. Furthermore, they regret having pushed back against their son's passion. How do you draw the line between obsessive, unhealthy behavior and a drive to be the world's best? Should pro gamers (or chess players, for that matter) be put in the same class as track-and-field stars and gymnasts, who also go to extreme lengths to get in shape for competition? Many pro gamers in South Korea, for example, are required to run, swim and lift weights as part of their training. Here's a look at what some of you had to say. Comments may be edited for brevity and clarity: . On the training schedules of pro gamers vs Olympians: . "Would you claim that Phelps is addicted to swimming? Simply because someone works hard at something that is not what you view as a traditional sport does not mean their work is not real, and difficult. I dare you to compare top e-sport athlete's training regimens to top Olympic athletes training regimens. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if their schedules were similar." -- Justin Ahn, 22, from Waterloo, Ontario . On MarineKing as an athlete: . "To me, MKP (MarineKing) represents many things. He represents dedication and skill and perseverance. He is one of the best in the world at one of the most difficult endeavors that has ever existed and he is beloved by his fans for good reason. To mention him in the same breath as something bizarre like addiction is to belittle everything he has worked for and everything we as a community value." -- Twitter user @kevinflo, over e-mail . On passion/love vs. addiction: . "They make money doing something they love, which takes hard work, perseverance and sacrifice. What a terrible addiction." -- CNN commenter "Shivy Deo" On when that passion goes too far: . "We all know that most pro gamers started because they became addicted to gaming, not because they played every now and then. And it was their addiction and their willingness to spend most of their time in front of a computer that made them so good and eligible to become pros. Also, it's not because you make money doing something that makes it OK (just look at gambling). You can rationalize it as much as you want but an addiction is an addiction, period. It means that your life is not balanced and therefore it means you have a problem. Are there other (more conventional) professions in the world like that? Of course there are. But two wrongs don't make one right." -- CNN commenter "diiggas" On the skill required to be a pro gamer: . "This article did not truly distinguish the difference between game addiction and professional gaming or even gaming as a hobby. I do no(t) believe the article shows the amount of skill needed to be one of the best in the world or how truly big professional gaming has become." -- Justin Pringle, 24, from Augusta, Georgia . On "physicality" being an important part of athletics: . "I wouldn't call them athletes. The one common denominator with all Olympians is the physicality involved. Even the word athlete refers to physical activity. I have no issues with video gaming, but the Olympics just seems to be the wrong venue." -- CNN commenter "t0of1y" On video games as physical challenges: . "Their reflexes (physical) approach the zenith of human capability." -- CNN commenter "Fnordian72" We would love to continue this conversation, so please let us know what you think in the comments section of this post, or message CNN Tech on Twitter or Facebook.

CNN story on pro gaming and addiction stirs conversation . Commenters compare pro video gamers to athletes and Olympians . "Would you claim that Phelps is addicted to swimming?" one commenter asked . The comments follow a story about MarineKing, one of the best "StarCraft II" players .

(CNN) -- It's all tied up in Texas. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are running a tight race in Texas. A new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll suggests the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination between Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois is a statistical dead heat in Texas, which holds primaries March 4. In the survey, out Monday, 50 percent of likely Democratic primary voters support Clinton as their choice for the party's nominee, with 48 percent backing Obama. But taking into account the poll's sampling error of plus or minus 4½ percentage points for Democratic respondents, the race is a virtual tie. Watch Democrats target Texas. » . Two recent polls by other organizations also show the race statistically even. Map: National and state polling . "One reason the race appears to be tight is that Texas Democrats are having a hard time choosing between two attractive options," says CNN polling director Keating Holland. "Likely Democratic primary voters would be equally happy if either candidate won the nomination, and they don't see a lot of difference between them on several top issues. "Roughly a quarter of likely voters say they could change their minds in the next two weeks -- and not surprisingly, those people are splitting roughly equally between Clinton and Obama." Many political strategists and analysts consider Texas and Ohio -- which also holds a March 4 primary -- must-win states for Clinton. Obama has won the past eight contests and is now ahead in the overall battle for delegates, 193 of which are at stake in Texas. The new survey indicates Arizona Sen. John McCain is the clear favorite for the Republican presidential nomination. Among Republicans, 55 percent of likely Texas GOP primary voters support McCain as their choice for nominee. Thirty-two percent back former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and 11 percent support home-state congressman and former Libertarian standard-bearer Ron Paul. The poll's sampling error for Republican respondents is 4 percentage points. The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted by telephone from Friday through Sunday. Pollsters talked to 1,506 adults in Texas, including 553 likely Republican primary voters and 529 likely Democratic primary voters. McCain is the overwhelming front-runner in the fight for the Republican presidential nomination and party leaders have rallied around the candidate in an attempt for party unity. The poll was released on the same day the only living former Republican president -- George Herbert Walker Bush, the current president's father -- endorsed McCain at an event in Houston. Watch McCain get a big boost » . But McCain has had trouble winning conservative voters. Just last week, McCain lost the conservative vote to Huckabee in the Virginia primary, according to exit polls. The new survey, though, suggests McCain may have better luck in Texas. "It looks like McCain has made some inroads with conservative Republicans," Holland said. "McCain is picking up a bare majority among conservative likely voters in the GOP primary. The McCain campaign probably wishes that number were higher, but it does mean that a McCain victory in Texas would not be based on the votes of moderates and independents, as has happened in several states in the past few weeks." Texas Democrats and Republicans may not see eye to eye on the issues, but the poll suggests they do agree on what's the most important issue. Thirty-five percent of Democrats and an equal number of Republicans said the economy was the most important issue in their choice for president. The second most important issue for Democrats was health care, at 23 percent, followed by the war in Iraq at 22 percent, illegal immigration at 10 percent and terrorism at 7 percent. Nineteen percent of Republicans said illegal immigration was their most important issue, putting it in second place, followed by the war in Iraq and terrorism at 17 percent and health care at 8 percent. Sixty percent of Republicans say they'll definitely support the candidate they are now backing. That number climbs to 76 percent for Democrats. Likely Democratic primary voters view Clinton and Obama on roughly equal terms. Seventy-nine percent say they would be satisfied if Clinton were the nominee; an equal number feel the same way about Obama. Seventy-nine percent say it's likely Clinton can win the nomination; 82 percent say the same about Obama. The two candidates are essentially tied on immigration, Iraq and the economy, but Clinton has an advantage on health care and abortion. E-mail to a friend .

Texas voters go to the polls March 4 . Sen. John McCain is the clear front-runner on the Republican side . Sen. Barack Obama is on an eight-state winning streak . Some strategists see Texas as a must-win state for Sen. Hillary Clinton .

(CNN) -- The biggest change in Arizona since the state adopted a tough immigration enforcement policy two years ago has been a more tolerant climate for immigrants, representatives from several groups said Monday. "There has been a change in Arizona, without a doubt," said Clarissa Martinez, director of immigration for the National Council of La Raza, which led a coalition of civil rights groups in a tourism boycott of the state after SB 1070 became law in the spring of 2010. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that three of the law's four key provisions infringed on the federal government's constitutional jurisdiction over immigration. The high court let stand the provision allowing police to check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws. Supreme Court strikes down key parts of Arizona law . There were dire warnings by critics when the law took effect in July 2010 that it would keep businesses and people from moving to the state and that it would drive families away. There is no good measure of how many Hispanic families, fearing persecution by law enforcement, moved from Arizona. The boycott targeting Arizona's $18 billion tourism industry and others by local governments, including the city of Los Angeles, got the attention of Arizona's business leaders. "An increasing number of voices in the business community started cautioning the legislature about continuing on this path," Martinez said. The tourism boycott, which one study estimated cost the state's hotels $141 million in convention business, was lifted last fall "at the request of community organizations, businesses and elected officials who were working to create a new environment in the state," Martinez said. Analysis: Five things we learned from court's ruling . While it's hard to pinpoint how much damage the controversy did to Arizona's hotel industry, occupancy rates have increased in the past year, according to Smith Travel Research, a company that tracks data for the hotel industry. Those figures are about in line with the national average. "Indicators are showing that we had an increase in tourism" in 2011, said Kiva Couchon, spokeswoman for the Arizona Office of Tourism. "The trend line is moving upward." An effort to pass even tougher anti-immigrant measures was rejected by Arizona's legislature last year, she said. Winners, losers in immigration policy debate? "Arizona's business community came out in force saying 'Please don't do this,'" said Marshall Fitz of the Center for American Progress, a Washington-based public policy think tank. One trigger for this was the economic sanctions imposed by several local governments, including Los Angeles. Those resolutions, passed after the Gov. Jan Brewer signed SB 1070 into law, limited contracts with companies based in Arizona. Gov. Brewer: Obama administration launched 'assault' Those boycotts caused "a lot of heartburn for companies here that saw potential customers outside the state dwindle, " Arizona Chamber of Commerce spokesman Garrick Taylor said. Last November, voters recalled SB 1070's architect, Russell Pearce, from his state senate post, replacing him in November with a Republican who opposed the immigration crackdown. "Arizonans are coming together to undo the tarnished image of their state that was inflicted on them by their governor and Sen. Pearce," Martinez said. The controversy "galvanized communities in Arizona" and "served as a wake up call to increase participation in the electoral process," she said. Supreme Court's ruling at a glance . The shift against the immigration measures came "because people realize they don't want to be in a state that's suppose to be a vacation spot or a place to retire, but has an international reputation of being inhospitable and a place of intolerance," Fitz said. Luring new businesses to the state is tougher with the "tarnished brand" caused by the immigration law controversy, he said. "A business trying to decide to open a new plant or new office in one of two place -- either Arizona or New Mexico -- (isn't) going to think twice about." The backlash has put the state "on the cusp of a tipping point, where Arizona is going the way of California with the demographic changes and the desire to move away from a tarnished inhospitality," Fitz said. The state could, like California, become a Democratic stronghold, he said. A changing national mood on immigration?

"There has been a change in Arizona, without a doubt," La Raza's immigration director says . La Raza's tourism boycott was lifted after leaders began to "create a new environment," she says . Voters ousted Arizona SB 1070's architect from the state senate . Arizona is "on the cusp of a tipping point" politically, one analyst says .

(CNN) -- According to Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, it is payback time for Greece. Despite being forced to "clarify" her comments after a furious reaction from thousands of Greeks on Facebook, there will, she emphasized, be no softening of the demands the stricken country will have to meet if it is to receive further aid. But what if Greece simply can't manage payback? As prescribed by the IMF itself, the normal remedy for a country that can't pay its debts would be devaluation and default. Locked in the eurozone, these options are not available. No one denies that the Greeks have very largely brought this disaster on their own heads. But, as anyone who has been there recently knows, they are now paying an excruciatingly heavy price for their past misdeeds. The public sector has seen its pay cut by an average of 40% over the last year, and most pensions have been reduced. In what is left of the private sector things are even worse, especially for those who have lost their jobs in the downturn and the young, 50% of whom are now unemployed. For them, when work can be found, the going rate is often half what it was before the crisis. Yet petrol, food and clothes all cost more than they do in Britain. Amazingly for Greece, even taxes are getting harder to evade. The property tax on many homes has trebled. Because it is levied via electricity bills, the only way to avoid it is to go without power. As the economy continues to shrink under the impact of austerity at home and recession abroad, it is little wonder that anxiety about the outcome of next month's poll extends far beyond Greece itself. We read a lot about the thuggish extreme-right party, Golden Dawn. But it is the rise of the left-wing Syriza grouping and its charismatic young leader, Alexis Tsipras, that has really got the markets and the European Union establishment rattled. To them, Tsipras is dangerous because he has pledged to tear up his country's controversial bailout pact with Brussels, despite saying he wants the country to stay within the euro. But he stands almost alone among leading European politicians in his ability to spell out two basic truths. Firstly, if the EU really wants to push Greece out of the euro, it should have prepared the way months, if not years ago, rather than leaving it to the last minute. Secondly, the sacrifices being demanded of Tsipras's countrymen are financially and politically impossible. There is no longer any point in pretending otherwise. Last week, Europe's assembled leaders once again told the Greeks that they should view the elections on June 17 as a referendum on whether or not they are going to stay in the euro. The not-very-subtle threat is that if they back Tsipras, they will be out on their ear. But, as the man himself frequently points out, if the new election is really to be treated as a referendum, the question won't just be whether Greece should stay in the euro. With the single currency in its present fragile state, it could very easily become whether the eurozone itself survives. Is this really something the rest of Europe wants Greece to decide? And even if the Greeks vote the way Europe tells them to, what will have been achieved? Everybody knows that the fundamentals won't have changed. The likelihood is that there will only be another crisis -- probably even bigger -- six months down the road. Seen in this light, Tsipras's demand that the EU should instead help them to find a realistic way to stay in the single currency suddenly begins to make sense. After leading in the opinion polls at the start of the campaign, the latest surveys have Syriza slipping behind the right wing New Democracy for what looks set to be another tight finish. The pressure from abroad may be beginning to have an effect. But given the mess both Greece and the euro are in, the threat that Athens could yet call the eurozone's bluff won't go away. That genie is now well and truly out of the bottle, whoever wins next month. This article is based on one that first appeared on theweek.co.uk, the website of Britain's biggest selling current affairs magazine The Week. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Richard Ehrman.

Richard Ehrman says anxiety about next month's poll results extends beyond Greece . The rise of the left wing Syriza grouping and its leader Alexis Tsipras has rattled the markets . But Ehrman says Tsipras has been alone in spelling out the truth on the euro . Ehrman: If the election is treated as a referendum it could define whether the eurozone survives .

(CNN) -- The brazen escape of a notorious gangster in France may be due partly to a problem plaguing the prison that couldn't hold him: overcrowding. There is a clear "overpopulation problem in the Sequedin prison and this hinders the job of guarding prisoners," a spokesman for the French Ministry of Justice told CNN on Sunday, commenting on the escape of Redoine Faid. Faid allegedly held five people, including four guards, at gunpoint at the detention center in the northern city of Lille on Saturday, officials said. He burst his way to freedom by allegedly detonating explosives that destroyed five doors, penitentiary union spokesman Etienne Dobrometz told CNN affiliate BFMTV. His whereabouts are unknown. French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira told reporters on Saturday that a European arrest warrant covering 26 countries had been issued and that Interpol had been called in. An Interpol spokesman told CNN no public notice had been issued on Faid. Interpol can also issue "restricted" notices that are not public. The spokesman did not say whether one had been issued in this case. Police detained a brother of Faid for questioning only, according to a law enforcement source, who did not provide other details about that development. The source spoke on the condition of not being identified because the person is not permitted to discuss the matter publicly. The source also estimated that up to 150 French police are working on the case. Faid's prison escape raises a number of questions: How did an inmate get guns and explosives? How did he manage to use those to force his way out? And, after all that, why is he still at large? The four guards who Faid allegedly held hostage "are safe and sound," said Lille prosecutor Frederic Fevre. Still, officials from the prison guards' union pressed Taubira to provide better safety measures inside prisons, including more thorough searches of those who enter, BFMTV reported. Built in 2005, the Lille-Sequedin penitentiary is not old, but it's not well designed to keep watch of prisoners, said Jimmy Delliste, a former associate director there. "The construction ... makes it particularly difficult to manage detainees, who are particularly difficult to watch," Delliste told BFMTV. Modern-day gangster . Faid fashioned himself as a modern-day gangster. He thought big -- getting inspiration from the movies. He wore a hockey mask, like Robert DeNiro's character in "Heat," and acted audaciously in attacking armored trucks among other targets. After more than a decade in prison, though, the Frenchman insisted he'd changed. This promise didn't last long, according to French authorities. A year after his autobiography was published, Faid, who was free at the time, landed back behind bars in 2011. One person not surprised by Faid's breakout is his lawyer, Jean-Louis Pelletier. Pelletier had planned to meet his client soon in preparation for an upcoming trial tied to a May 2010 attack in Villiers-sur-Marne, east of Paris, that left a 26-year-old policewoman dead. "He is remarkably intelligent, and he is using his intellect to serve his ambitions," Pelletier told BFMTV. "(And Faid) cannot stand being imprisoned anymore." In his autobiography, "Robber: From Suburbs to Organized Crime," Faid chronicled his progression from a petty thief to one of France's most notorious criminals, according to the book's publisher, La Manufacture De Livres. In 1998, after three years on the run during which he fled to Switzerland, Faid was caught. Sentenced to 20 years, he ended up spending more than a decade in high-security prisons around France. After being released, Faid put himself out there -- not only with his book, but also as the subject of numerous interviews. The high-adrenaline life of crime he described resembled that of another famous French gangster, Jacques Mesrine. The country's most-wanted man in the 1970s, Mesrine made his name as a charismatic, press-courting criminal known for his daring bank heists and spectacular prison breaks. Mesrine's story ended in 1979, when he was gunned down by police on the streets of Paris.

French justice officials say there is a clear prison "overpopulation problem" Redoine Faid was a wanted criminal in the '90s known for attacking armored trucks . Faid held guards at gunpoint and used explosives to burst through a prison's doors . Law enforcement in France and elsewhere in Europe are now hunting for him .

(CNN) -- In a picture posted on Facebook, a man in a white shirt holds his daughter in his arms. She holds an Israeli flag. The caption reads: "Iranians we will never bomb your country. We ♥ you." A response on the same page: An Iranian tells the story of being forced to walk over an Israeli flag every day when entering his school. Years of being taught to hate the Israeli flag had an effect, he says. But "after seeing your daughter holding the flag, I do not feel that way anymore, and I am so happy. Now: I love that blue, I love that star, I love that flag." The man in the white shirt is Israeli graphic designer Ronny Edry. With his wife, Michal Tamir, and their students at a small graphic design school, they've started an Internet meme. And slowly, but steadily, Israelis are expressing their hopes for peace, and Iranians are responding in kind. While it's surprising and moving to see these unfamiliar images, it's also tempting to dismiss Edry's project as the latest example of "slacktivism," activism that's as simple as a mouse click, with little or no effect in the real world. After all, it's probably unrealistic to believe that Invisible Children's "Kony 2012" online campaign, viewed by more than one hundred million people on YouTube, will bring a Ugandan warlord to justice. So it's at least as unrealistic to believe that Israeli and Iranian leaders, both playing to their political bases with threats of war, will be swayed by these images. That casual dismissal may be too simple and too cynical. One of the more unexpected outcomes of Invisible Children's campaign to bring Joseph Kony to justice was the response of Ugandans via social media. Upset that the Kony 2012 video misrepresented the situation in her country, Ugandan blogger and journalist Rosabell Kagumire posted her own video to YouTube. And 500,000 views later, she found herself appearing on CNN, explaining the importance of focusing on the path toward stability in northern Uganda and not on arresting a single warlord. Kagumire felt that Invisible Children didn't represent her voice and used social media to make herself heard. Edry, and the participants in Israel ♥ Iran, are making the point that their governments don't speak on their behalf when they threaten war. Through social media, they can challenge an official narrative and make clear that neither Israel nor Iran is a monolith. It's worth noting that while most of the Israeli images feature photos of people looking into the camera, few Iranian images do. One features a black and white photo of an Iranian diplomat who rescued 4,000 French Jews from the Holocaust. Another showcases a Jewish shrine in Iran. Iranians know that expressing solidarity with Israelis online could lead to harassment or arrest and are finding ways to reach out -- often making clear that their sympathies are with "the Israeli people" instead of the state of Israel -- without putting themselves at undue risk. Will an effort like Israel ♥ Iran force either the Netanyahu or Ahmedinejad government to listen to the voices of dissenting citizens? No. Will it complicate the dialogue occurring in each country? Perhaps. It offers evidence that not all Israeli citizens see Iran as an implacable enemy, and it replaces the faces of leaders with the faces of ordinary people. A path toward war for Israel involves seeing Ahmedinejad as a madman; a path toward peace starts with seeing Israelis and Iranians as real people. What do movements such as Israel ♥ Iran mean for governments and their diplomats? It's harder to speak for a nation when citizens of that nation can demand publicly to speak for themselves. Corporations struggle to respond to customers who complain about poor service on their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds. Nonprofit organizations such as Invisible Children find themselves confronting online criticism from the people they claim to represent. Diplomats may find themselves one voice of many, complemented and contradicted by the voices of citizen diplomats such as Edry and Tamir. Expecting a series of images on the Internet to change the path of the Israeli-Iranian relationship is too much weight to put onto a simple gesture. But it's a worthy hope, and Israel ♥ Iran is a sign of things to come. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ethan Zuckerman.

Ethan Zuckerman: Israelis' Facebook page reaching out to Iran drew big response . He says it's tempting to dismiss impact, but social media efforts produce unexpected outcomes . He says one effect is replacing faces of leaders in conflict with faces of ordinary human beings . Zuckerman: Social media lets citizens bypass leaders, speak for themselves .

(CNN) -- Katt Williams' aggressive behavior at a Seattle bar and an odd exchange with police landed the comedian in jail Sunday, police said. Williams "exchanged words with patrons in the bar, brandished a pool cue at a bar manager and refused to leave the business," and later refused to show identification to a police officer who had been called to the scene, a Seattle police news release said. The 41-year-old comic, who was in Seattle to perform his stand-up comedy show over the weekend, was booked into the King County jail on charges of assault, harassment and obstruction, police said. He was released on bond Monday morning, a jail official said. CNN requests for comment from Williams and his representative have not been answered. Officer Michael Virgilio wrote in his report that he responded to a call for police help at the World Sports Bar Sunday afternoon. The manager told him that Williams had returned to the bar after being involved in a dispute with a customer the night before, Virgilio said in his arrest report. "I suppose you're going to ask me to take my hands out of my pockets, huh?" Williams said to Virgilio, according to the report. Williams refused to give his name or show an ID, but "yelled out a (California) driver's license number," the officer wrote. When Virgilio warned he would arrest him for obstruction unless he produced an ID, Williams responded "No." The comedian then turned around and placed his hands behind his back "on his own accord," the arrest report said. "Two of Williams' associates were standing nearby and were pleading for Williams to calm down," the officer wrote. While being handcuffed and searched, Williams "made several comments about how he was going to sue the department," the report said. "He stated he had been arrested over 30 times in the last few months and every time he was released prior to being booked into jail," Virgilio wrote. "He made comments regarding my employment with the city of Seattle and how it would end as a result of his arrest. Williams stated he had millions of dollars and this arrest would not affect him." After the search turned up Williams' passport in his pocket, the officer asked why he hadn't just handed it over. "You asked for my driver's license," he quoted Williams saying. "I didn't have it!" Then, it got worse, the arrest report said. "Williams became aggressive and resistant and his actions forced me to take him to the ground for a short period of time. He was subsequently placed in the back of my patrol car." Williams was playing pool in the bar when Sunday's trouble started, the report said. "An argument began and quickly escalated." When the manager tried to separate Williams from the couple with whom he was arguing, Williams yelled at him for "protecting the customers from the famous guy," Virgilio wrote. "Williams picked up a pool stick, raised it up and pointed it at (the mananger's) face," the report said. "(The mananger) continued to state if he hadn't stepped back the stick would have hit in the the face." When the manager asked him to put the stick down, Williams said "What if I don't?" and jabbed the stick toward him again, the report said. "At one point during the altercation, Williams followed a family outside of the bar where, as the family got into their car, Williams flicked a cigarette through a car window at a woman, striking her just below her eye," the police news release said. "Williams also threw a rock at the family's car." Officer Virgilio said he would request additional charges against Williams, including reckless endangerment, because the rock hit a window in the family's car, "directly next to an 8-year-old girl." "Had the glass shattered or the rock had penetrated the window it could have struck and harmed the 8-year-old victim," he said. Williams began his career as a stand-up comic, gaining attention in 1999 for comedy club appearances. Television appearances on the BET network led to more success. His 2006 HBO special "Katt Williams: Pimp Chronicles Pt.1" raised his profile to a higher level. He has acted in several movies, including Eddie Murphy's "Norbit," and his voice is featured in several popular cartoons, including "The Boondocks." His often-raunchy style has drawn comparisons to comedy legend Richard Pryor. CNN's Jane Caffrey contributed to this report.

Katt Williams was first arrested for refusing to give police his ID, police say . A bar manager and patron say Williams threatened them after playing pool . He "flicked a cigarette through a car window at a woman," police say . The 41-year-old comic was in Seattle to perform his stand-up comedy show .

(CNN) -- Freedom. Equality. Both are cornerstones of our treasured American heritage as well as primary foundations of Sikhism. The South Asian faith preaches equality among races, genders, and classes and incorporates this teaching in all aspects of its practice. The Sikh temple, or gurdwara, which means "House of God," is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and has four doors pointing toward the four cardinal directions to welcome people from all faiths, creeds and backgrounds, demonstrating Sikh ideals in its very architecture. You find this not only in India -- where the most notable of gurdwaras is the Golden Temple -- but also right here in the United States. In fact, you'll find it at the gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, where one of those doors that welcomes all comers was used by someone who did not have equality in his heart. Those four doors were kept open in no small part because of the tireless dedication and efforts of the president of the temple, Satwant Singh Kaleka, a personal, family friend I had the pleasure of knowing since we first welcomed members of his family to southeastern Wisconsin over 30 years ago -- a place that I still proudly call home. Although we now know him as a victim of this horrendous act and as the hero who died trying to stop the gunman, I remember him as someone who never missed an opportunity to open his heart to you and greet you with a smile. And what a characteristic and beautiful smile it was. His whole family is a fixture in the Milwaukee area and members carry with them that same spirit of love and caring. Indeed, one of my fondest memories is of Mr. Kaleka's family joyfully leading a group of guests in song at our home in Wisconsin the day after our wedding. So full of life. Fate intervened and my family and I did not attend services that Sunday. The loss of our friends is deep and saddening and it hurts. But the effect it's had on not just the Sikh but the broader community has been nothing less than profound. And for that, in the midst of this grief, I am sincerely grateful. In Sikhism, all are welcome and are one, without condition or limitation. All Sikh houses of worship have a community kitchen, called a langar, so that anyone in need of food can come and eat free of charge at any time. Indeed, tradition dictates that everyone who participates in langar sit at an equal level with all other diners to remind congregants to practice what is preached -- that we are all one. Both at langar and elsewhere, congregants strive to serve others, especially those less fortunate. It's a practice known as seva, selfless service, and it represents the highest ideal and function of Sikhs. At their core, the teachings and traditions of Sikhism represent the very best of what our beloved country stands for: a place of equality and opportunity open to and in service of all. And, as they've done in both in their home country and here in the United States, Sikhs have sacrificed greatly to ensure that this freedom is guaranteed to all. But, unfortunately, we also have to recognize that respecting and protecting the liberty and equality of all sometimes means making an uncomfortable peace with those who seek to undermine those very same principles. It means making a place for those who might not reflect our lofty ideals and who express hate instead of inclusion. It means making a place for, and respecting the existence of, people like Wade Michael Page, who committed the massacre in Oak Creek on Sunday. A messy thing, freedom. That said, as Americans and as Sikhs, we are committed to respecting the essential rights of every human. We know the sacrifices of heroes like Lt. Brian Murphy -- in critical condition after he was shot nine times helping victims -- Satwant Singh Kaleka and myriad others, are worth it in the end. It's the price of the society envisioned by the Founding Fathers and those sages who founded Sikhism. Indeed, it's the price we pay for the very foundation of this country that we call home. After all, as it is written in the very first stanza of the Sikh holy book, we are all one under one guiding spirit. Not just those with whom we agree, but all of us. Now, if only we could all remember that. Chardi Kala. May your spirit rise. Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Kanwar M. Singh.

Kanwar Singh: Freedom and equality are cornerstones of America and of Sikhism . Kanwar was friends with temple head Satwant Singh Kaleka, who died trying to stop gunman . Respecting all includes finding a place in the heart for people who express hate, he writes .

(CNN) -- Danish footballer Rasmus Ankersen had been looking forward to the new season. He was lining up for top division club FC Midtjylland, and at just 19 had been identified by coaches as having a bright future in the game. But after just 15 minutes of the first match of the season, he injured his anterior cruciate ligament and his career as a footballer was over before it had really begun. Now 30, Ankersen doesn't dwell on what might have been. Instead he has spent much of the last 11 years moving from coaching to researching and writing books to unravel the enigma of talent and potential: what turns someone from just good to great? "Talent cannot be evaluated in a vacuum," he says. "You need to talk about what is important and then you can talk about what talent is." For those in the field of sports the margins between being a gold medal winner are tiny. Ankersen cites the movement away from the gut-instinct of scouts -- "they only remember when they're right" -- to measurable metrics, best shown in the 2011 Brad Pitt film "Moneyball," as an industry-wide phenomenon aimed to find the very best. However, just pure number-crunching can be flawed if it is not done with clear goals and an element of objectivity, he suggests. "(Outside of sports) the recruitment process has potential for becoming a lot more professional," he says. "I think businesses are way too static, they look at resumes and certificates too much. "If you speak to a business you'll have a hard time finding someone to explain why they are using the metrics they are using; they basically put an ad in a newspaper because that's what everyone else does. There's a lot of ass-covering." To find the best, you go to the place where it the most difficult to demonstrate the skills you are looking for, believes Ankersen. As a consultant for a fashion company's recruitment department he prescribed some bitter medicine: no resumes could be looked at and no one could come from within the fashion industry. The results, he says, were positive, with new employees coming from a range of backgrounds. Others are looking to social media to help find the diamonds in the rough. Former Fox TV and Facebook employee Jordan Katz founded Create.it last year. What began as a platform for Red Bull to help recruit future surf and skateboard champions via peer-evaluated competitions is now branching out into other fields. "We're looking at how technology can help improve efficiencies," says Katz. "We're moving into the enterprise space to help hire employees, like identify on-air talent for TV networks or a barista at a cafe; they're all applicable." Linked to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube, the Red Bull campaigns invite skaters and surfers around the world to post videos of their skills and for others to rate them. A panel of coaches also chime in with their expert opinion. "There's a filter layer," says Katz. "So votes from non-friends are weighted more than friends or those within the candidates' social network. "It also gets fans involved and lets the recruiters see the personalities and who are the most marketable." The U.S. ski team used the platform last summer to try and help find members for its Olympic aerial skiing team beyond its normal demographic. It encouraged gymnasts, trampolinists and tumblers to send in videos and be rewarded with a place in a try out camp. While it seems an ideal platform for finding the next surf champion or super fan to become a company spokesperson, Katz maintains that is not just an elaborate popularity contest or brand extending exercise. "You'll still have to interview a potential CEO, but this provides a platform to filter, a pre-qualifier before some of the more traditional methods," he says. "We're creating a wider net that reduces the time to evaluate talent and gives people a chance to earn an opportunity." Ultimately seizing that opportunity comes down to the candidate, be it a potential Olympian or gas pump attendant whose stellar service skills could be better used elsewhere. Hard work is a necessity in being a top sportsperson, and Ankersen believes that fundamental holds true for success in other fields. "How many people get honest feedback or stretch themselves, set goals on a daily basis?" asks Ankersen. "Not many of us. The whole practice mindset is what sports do very well, but not in business."

Danish footballer Rasmus Ankersen was forced to abandon his dreams of being a footballer after injury . Emerged as coach, research and author on how to find talent . Suggests employers need to be looking outside their industries, use alternative methods for hiring . Crowdsourcing is an ideal method for recruiting unlikely top candidates .

(CNN) -- Members of the international community have reacted to the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of Iran and the oppostion protests which have accompanied the result. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pictured at a rally held in Tehran Sunday to celebrate his re-election as Iranian president. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement Saturday: "We are monitoring the situation as it unfolds in Iran but we, like the rest of the world, are waiting and watching to see what the Iranian people decide. "The United States has refrained from commenting on the election in Iran. We obviously hope that the outcome reflects the genuine will and desire of the Iranian people." White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Saturday the administration was "impressed by the vigorous debate and enthusiasm that this election generated, particularly among young Iranians." U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, commenting on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, said: "I have doubts, but withhold comment." He added that the Iranian government had suppressed crowds and limited free speech, which raised questions. He also said that the strong showing by Ahmadinejad was "unlikely," based on pre-election analysis. Gallery: Emotions run high after election » . Israel's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman said in a statement that "the problem which Iran poses for the international community is not personal in nature, but derives from its policy. "In any case, in light of Tehran's ongoing policy, and even more so after Ahmadinejad's re-election, the international community must continue to act uncompromisingly to prevent the nuclearization of Iran, and to halt its activity in support of terror organizations and undermining stability in the Middle East. In a statement Saturday the EU Presidency said it was "concerned about alleged irregularities during the election process and post-electional violence that broke out immediately after the release of the official election results on 13 June 2009. "The Presidency hopes that outcome of the Presidential elections will bring the opportunity to resume the dialogue on nuclear issue and clear up Iranian position in this regard. The Presidency expects the new Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran will take its responsibility towards international community and respect its international obligations." UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Saturday that the UK government had "followed carefully, and admired, the passion and debate during the Iranian election campaign. "We have also heard the concerns about the counting of ballots expressed by two of the candidates. This is a matter for the Iranian authorities to address. We will continue to follow developments. Our priority is that Iran engages with the concerns of the world community, above all on the issue of nuclear proliferation." Fawzi Barhoum, spokesman for Hamas, the militant Palestinian movement backed by Iran, welcomed the results. He urged the world to respect Iranian democracy and accept the results of the elections. The office of Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in a statement Sunday that he had congratulated Ahmadinejad on his victory. It added that Karzai believed "relations between the two Muslim nations of Afghanistan and Iran expanded during Mr. Ahmadinejad's first term and hoped that these relations get stronger during his second term." German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told ARD Sunday that the Iranian ambassador in Berlin would be summoned to explain the treatment of protesters against the result. "I have already prompted Iran, together with European colleagues today, to quickly shed light on what has happened there -- if one can take the announced election results there seriously or not," he added. Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have offered their congratulations to Ahmadinejad, the official Anatolian Agency reported Monday. It said that they "called Ahmadinejad on the phone and congratulated him for his success in the election." Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon told reporters in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Saturday, that Canada was "deeply concerned" about allegations of voting irregularities. "We're troubled by reports of intimidation of opposition candidates' offices by security forces. We've asked our embassy officials in Tehran to closely monitor the situation, and Canada is calling on Iranian authorities to conduct fair and transparent counting of all ballots." CNN's Shira Medding in Jerusalem and Greg Clary in Washington contributed to this report.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden: Questions need to be asked about vote . UK: We admire passion of the election, Iran needs to address fears about fairness . EU Presidency: Hopes outcome sees opportunity for dialogue on nuclear issue . Turkish media: President, prime minister have offered congratulations .

New York (CNN) -- It cost Alex Rodriguez nearly $1 million to buy his cousin's silence on "very sensitive" matters, according to court documents. The Yankees star paid his cousin and former personal assistant Yuri Sucart $900,000 in 2013 and gave him and his family medical insurance, a 2009 Chevrolet Suburban and a 5-bedroom house, in return for Sucart keeping quiet on confidential matters, said documents filed in federal court in Miami. The alleged hush money came in response to a December 2012 letter from Sucart's attorney, Jeffrey Sonn, threatening a lawsuit and demanding $5 million and a "life estate" for his client. "Unfortunately for you," the letter said, "litigation with you over [Sucart's] employment agreement will reveal all of his duties you instructed Yuri to perform." According to court documents, Sucart introduced and personally arranged meetings between Rodriguez and Tony Bosch, the founder of the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic in Miami that is alleged to be at the center of Major League Baseball's largest doping scandal. Fourteen players were suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs from the now closed clinic, including Rodriguez, who received a 162-game suspension -- the most severe doping penalty in MLB history. Sucart was arrested in August and charged with conspiracy and distribution of illegal steroids in connection with the scandal. In court documents, federal prosecutors said the letter from Sucart's lawyer suggested "the defendant would maintain his silence" in exchange for money. Sonn told CNN Tuesday: "This was not a threat. This was about his (Alex Rodriguez's) promise to employ Yuri Sucart for life and his breach of that agreement. These guys were like brothers." Rodriguez's lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, could not be reached for comment. The payments were first reported by the New York Daily News, citing court documents filed last week in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The letter and subsequent agreement between Rodriguez and Sucart were presented as evidence to support the prosecution's argument that Sucart had lied on a financial document about his ability to pay for a court-appointed attorney. During his employment, Sucart acted as a "servant" to Rodriguez and "handled matters that were of a very sensitive and confidential nature," according to the 2012 letter from Sucart's attorney. In 2009, Rodriguez admitted at a news conference that his cousin transported and administered to him a performance enhancing drug from the Dominican Republic. "He basically took an instruction from me and felt he was doing something that was going to be helpful, not hurtful," Rodriguez said. From 2003 to 2012, Rodriguez paid Sucart an annual salary ranging from $50,000 to over $110,000 for his services, according to court documents. Rodriguez employed Sucart beginning in 1996 and paid him through the third quarter of 2013, according to court documents. According to Sonn, Rodriguez's payments stopped unexpectedly in November 2012, leaving Sucart, his wife and two children in dire straits. "You ceased providing Yuri and his family, indeed your own family, any support, and he has suffered greatly, financially and emotionally due to your actions," the letter said. "Given the sudden breach of your longstanding agreement with Yuri," the letter continues, "he wishes to propose that you provide to him payment for his past services rendered, and for the loyalty he has shown to you." Half a year later, Rodriguez and his cousin reached a settlement under silence and secrecy, according to the documents. The June 2013 Confidential Settlement Agreement included in the prosecution's evidence details the terms of the deal. The prosecution also included copies of four receipts for wire transfers totaling $900,000 from Rodriguez to a firm connected to Sucart. Rodriguez's doping suspension by MLB officially ended last week with the close of the 2014 baseball season. He is eligible to return to the field with the Yankees in 2015. Sucart faces up to ten years in prison if convicted.

Alex Rodriguez paid his cousin $900,000 in return for his silence, prosecutors say . The cousin's lawyer says money was a settlement for a breached employment agreement . Court papers link the cousin to a clinic at the center of baseball's doping scandal . The cousin introduced Rodriguez to the founder of the clinic, the documents say .

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sophisticated submarine-like boats are the latest tool drug runners are using to bring cocaine north from Colombia, U.S. officials say. Semi-submersible boats used to smuggle drugs are gaining in quality, the Coast Guard says. Although the vessels were once viewed as a quirky sideshow in the drug war, they are becoming faster, more seaworthy, and capable of carrying bigger loads of drugs than earlier models, according to those charged with catching them. "They tend to be one of a kind," U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen said. "They cost up to a million dollars to produce. Sometimes they are put together in pieces and then reassembled in other locations. They're very difficult to locate." The boats are built in the Colombian jungle. They sail largely beneath the surface of the water but cannot submerge completely like a true submarine. But they are the latest escalation of a tactical race between smugglers and the U.S. Coast Guard. In the past three months the Coast Guard has learned of more semi-submersible vessels smuggling drugs than it did in the previous six years, when there were 23 cases, officials said. Watch the Coast Guard chase down a semi-sub » . U.S. Coast Guard intelligence officers predict 85 cases this year and 120 next year. In some instances, the semi-subs are towed behind other vessels and are scuttled if they are detected, Allen said. Authorities are investigating reports that some semi-subs are unmanned and are operated remotely, he said. Diplomatic agreements give the U.S. Coast Guard drug-interdiction jurisdiction in partner countries' waters. Encounters have become so frequent -- and the dangers of boarding the vessels so pronounced -- that the Coast Guard is pushing for legislation that would make the use of "unflagged" semi-submersibles in international waters a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison, even if authorities can't recover drug evidence because the smugglers scuttle the transports. "There's really no legitimate use for a vessel like this," Allen said. An unflagged vessel is one not registered with a government. Allen believes the semi-subs are a response to the Coast Guard's tactic of using snipers in helicopters to shoot out engines on smugglers' speedboats. The submersibles' engines are beneath water level. "We're seeing an evolution in the construction," he said. "Early on we saw fiberglass and now we're seeing steel." Early semi-subs were capable of carrying 4 or 5 metric tons of cargo; newer ones can carry 12 metric tons, Allen said. Their speed has increased to 12 knots, which is "a pretty good speed on the ocean." Despite the increase in the use of the semi-subs, Drug Enforcement Administration officials say most drugs still are transported by traditional methods -- fishing boats, speedboats and airplanes. But Frankie Shroyer, deputy chief of the DEA's Office of Enforcement Operations, called the use of semi-subs "an emerging threat and we are attacking it through our investigations and working with the interagency community." The DEA's main focus, however, "is to dismantle entire organizations," he said. "So we are looking at the organizations that are building these things. ... These are the same organizations that are using containers, the same organizations that are using airplanes, same organizations using go-fast boats." Allen said the Coast Guard, the Department of Defense and others are working on how to board the vessels. "In many cases, they don't stop. And it's difficult to slow them down," he said. The Coast Guard says drug runners also are resorting to putting refueling vessels far offshore so drug-carrying boats can avoid coastal areas, and even liquefying cocaine and concealing it in fuel. The semi-subs are "another adaptation ... that we're going to have to adapt to ourselves," Allen said. Last year, the Coast Guard seized a record 355,000 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $4.7 billion -- a 2 percent increase over 2006. The Coast Guard's largest cocaine bust ever came in 2007 -- 42,845 pounds stacked in large bundles on the deck of a freighter off the coast of Panama. E-mail to a friend .

Small boats can travel almost completely submerged, Coast Guard says . Semi-subs carry narcotics from Colombia to U.S. Million-dollar vessels built in jungle, sometimes assembled elsewhere . They've been around awhile, but now more sophisticated, carry more cargo .

(CNN) -- Rafael Nadal is on course for a comeback double as he bids for two titles at the VTR Open in Chile on Sunday. The 11-time grand slam champion will seek his 37th clay-court crown and 51st overall when he takes on 73rd-ranked Argentine Horacio Zeballos in the singles final at Vina del Mar. He will then team up with another Argentine, last year's tournament winner Juan Monaco, in the doubles final against Italy's Paolo Lorenzi and Potito Starace. "I'm really happy with what I've been doing this week," said the Spaniard, who has dropped to fifth in the rankings after being sidelined for over seven months due to knee problems. "I have a good feeling on the court, so I cannot ask for anything more. I will try to play better and better every day." "I won't compare myself to seven months ago, it's just the first week of competition. It's a great feeling to be in a final match after so much time without playing." Nadal's first real test of the week came in Saturday's semifinal against 26th-ranked French third seed Jeremy Chardy, but he had no problems in cruising to a 6-2 6-2 victory. "I played well today, better than the days before, which is important," he said. Zeballos, meanwhile, reached the second ATP World Tour final of his career -- the other being in St. Petersburg in 2009 -- by beating eighth-seeded compatriot Carlos Berlocq 6-3 7-6 (7-4). Richard Gasquet became the first player to win twice on the ATP Tour this year as he beat compatriot Benoit Paire 6-2 6-3 in Sunday's final of the Open Sud de France in Montpellier. The 10th-ranked Frenchman has a 14-1 record in 2013, having won the Qatar title in January before losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open. In other men's news, Nadal's great rival Roger Federer will return to action in Rotterdam this week as he defends his World Tennis Tournament title. The world No. 2, who lost to Andy Murray in the Melbourne semifinals last month, will play 60th-ranked Slovenian Grega Zemlja in his opening match. In women's action, Petra Kvitova put the Czech Republic into the semifinals of Fed Cup on Sunday, as her 2-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 win over Samantha Stosur gave the two-time defending champions an unbeatable 3-0 lead against Australia in Prague. The 2011 Wimbledon champion saved a match-point at 5-4 down in the second set against that year's U.S. Open victor Stosur. Kvitova's teammates Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka then beat Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua 6-0 7-6 (7-1). The Czechs will next face Italy, who edged the United States 3-2 in Rimini. Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci beat Liezel Huber and Varvara Lepchenko 6-2 6-2 in the decisive doubles rubber. Russia also went to a decider against Japan before sealing a semifinal clash with Slovakia. Japan leveled at 2-2 in Moscow as home No. 1 Maria Kirilenko was unable to play due to illness, as Ayumi Morita triumphed 6-4 6-1 against stand-in Elena Vesnina, but Ekatarina Makarova bounced back from her Saturday defeat to beat Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-1 6-1. She then teamed up with Vesnina in a 6-2 6-2 doubles victory over Morita and Misaki Doi. Slovakia took an unbeatable 3-1 lead against last year's finalists Serbia as Daniela Hantuchova won 6-3 6-2 against Vesna Dolonc.

Former world No. 1 Rafael Nadal reaches singles final in Chile comeback tournament . Spaniard will seek his 37th clay-court title as he faces Horacio Zeballos in Vina del Mar . Nadal can complete a Chilean conquest in the following doubles final on Sunday . Roger Federer to return to action this week as he defends his title in Rotterdam .

(CNN) -- At every congressional recess, the question remains: What has Congress accomplished to advance medical innovation, or for that matter any of our national priorities? A ritual of leaving town with no meaningful action on pressing issues seems to have taken hold as lawmakers once again meet with voters in their districts. Indeed, much will happen during this break, but as elected officials hold yet another town hall meeting, Facebook or Twitter chat or public event, thousands will be diagnosed with cancer or get the dreaded confirmation from a physician that they or a loved one has Alzheimer's disease. Thousands will suffer a heart attack or stroke, and thousands of parents will learn that their child has a rare disease. Researchers are racing against the clock to identify a new gene or molecule that could lead to the next medical breakthrough and bring us closer to cures and new therapies to halt disease. Time is of the essence in the scientific community, but unfortunately, our elected leaders continue to squander precious time in political, ideological battles that yield little or no results. Is this the Congress you elected? This is not the first elected body to tackle formidable challenges, but it may be the first that has failed miserably in addressing critical issues that will have short- and long-term implications for the health and well-being of Americans. Spending bills to fund the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and other agencies in the next fiscal year remain in limbo as sequestration, across-the-board spending cuts enacted in March, tightens its grip on medical innovation. As a result of these mindless budget cuts, researchers are delaying or scrubbing promising studies. Institutions across the country have closed labs, reduced their work forces and implemented hiring freezes. Young scientists are rethinking their career paths or moving abroad to countries that have accelerated investments in research. Many commentators have noted that the 113th Congress is on track to be the least productive in recent history. Fewer than three dozen bills have been passed by this Congress and signed into law. This new style of legislating, when there is any, seems to be brinksmanship at the last possible moment: Hail Mary passes to avert a government shutdown and the like. If the head of a Fortune 500 company performed in this manner, he would be given the boot. Perhaps voters should think the same of those obstructionists on Capitol Hill who block action on measures to advance science and innovation the next time they head to the polls. In the meantime, it's important for all of us who care about the future of biomedical and health research to get engaged. It's a myth that members of Congress don't pay attention in the month of August. On the contrary, during this recess, they are meeting with their constituents to at least shore up support for their next campaigns. This is the time to tell them that voters are expecting action, not more heated rhetoric. It's time to tell them that tax and entitlement reform is essential -- rational proposals that will reduce health care costs and sustain investments in research and development. Research and development is now classified as an investment rather than an expense by the Bureau of Economic Analysis in calculating the gross domestic product, a sensible approach in recognizing the value of R&D in generating future income and bolstering our economy. Now, if only our esteemed leaders in Washington will do likewise. They must abandon the notion that research isn't highly valued by most Americans compared with bread-and-butter issues. In fact, more than half of Americans are willing to spend more in taxes if they were certain that all of the money would be spent on additional medical research, according to polling (PDF) commissioned by Research!America, a nonprofit advocacy alliance. Americans understand the importance of a long-term investment in medical and health research to spur private-sector innovation and produce the therapies, medical devices and treatments that will save lives. The importance of long-term priorities is, by the way, one of the ways a nation stands apart from a corporation beholden to shareholder demands for immediate return. A nation's leadership must view research through the prism of future generations: our children and grandchildren, who will benefit from both a health and economic standpoint as a result of today's scientific discoveries. Imagine a world free of cancer, free of AIDS, free of Alzheimer's, free of heart disease. It's certainly possible if elected officials get beyond the rhetoric and take decisive action to strengthen our nation's investments in research. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John E. Porter.

Former congressman John Porter says Congress has done little up to August recess . Among the issues he says Congress hasn't tackled is more funding for health research . He says people support more spending, and most would pay more taxes for research . Porter: Health research is an investment that will benefit our childen and grandchildren .

(CNN) -- The grim stories of two women who endured long-stretches of solitary confinement in Iran's most notorious prison are chilling omens for the two jailed U.S. hikers who each reportedly received an eight-year prison sentence on Saturday. Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer have been abused and assaulted in Evin Prison, their friend Sarah Shourd said in a BBC interview in June. Evin is noted for its harsh conditions and its wing for political prisoners. "My worst fear is that they're not safe," said Shourd, who was arrested with Fattal and Bauer in July 2009 but was freed for medical reasons in September after 410 days of solitary confinement. The two men were sentenced on charges of spying and illegal entry. Shourd said a guard at Evin was furious that Fattal took extra food and pushed him down the stairs. The guard repeatedly threw Bauer -- Shourd's fiance -- against a wall of his cell until his head began bleeding. She said the three had feared that they would be executed soon after they were arrested, when a guard began cocking his gun. In July 2009, Shourd, Fattal, and Bauer were hiking in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish area along the border with Iran when they were arrested by Iranian police. Shourd said they accidentally strayed across the border. Iranian authorities say the three crossed into Iran illegally. Twice, they feared for their lives as guards loaded them into a vehicle to a mysterious location and cocked their weapons, Shourd said. Terrified, they held hands, cried out and begged for their lives. In September, Shourd spoke to CNN's "American Morning" about her stint at Evin, where she was in solitary confinement. She said she got through the ordeal of imprisonment by thinking of her mother and loved ones and "just knowing I had to come back to them, you know, bruised but unbroken." As she wept while prison guards slammed the door of her cell and walked away, Shourd understood what Fattal and Bauer were coping with. "I can see them in their cramped little cell with very little sunlight and they only get out an hour a day and, you know, they exercise side by side on a space like the size of a towel." Asked whether she was physically abused, she said no. "It is all psychological. And it's just the hardest thing, of course, is being so alienated from your family." She remembers how she begged to make a phone call, a request that was finally granted seven months into her captivity. "By the time I got a phone call, I lost hope that it was going to happen," she told CNN. "There's just so many ups and downs. You think it will be over and then it goes on and on and on." American journalist Roxana Saberi also spent time in solitary confinement at Evin and spent hours thinking: Is it going to ever end? "I felt anger toward God, as well. I said, 'Why are you punishing me? Why don't you save me?'" Saberi told CNN's "American Morning" in September. She was sentenced to eight years in prison but was released after 100 days in May 2009. She said the ordeal was a hard one. "When you're alone, you feel helpless. You might feel hopeless. At first you might be in a state of denial. You ask or tell yourself: 'I can't accept this. It is just a nightmare. It is going to end.'" Saberi never knew whether she would be able to speak with her lawyer or when she might see her parents again. She spent her 32nd birthday in jail, in the midst of a hunger strike. She chose to stop eating because her body was the only thing she could control. It was her only weapon against the regime. The Iranians promised her freedom if she would admit she was a spy. They threatened her to keep her silent about her time in Evin. Saberi said she was threatened by her captors if she spoke about "certain things." One guard told her he would sign her death warrant. She said they told her: "I think you've seen how capable we are. We have agents all over the world and we can find you anywhere. You might be reporting in Afghanistan and we can kill you and make it look like you died in a car accident."

Iran's Evin Prison has a reputation as a dismal, dangerous place . Sarah Shourd said Fattal and Bauer were roughed up . Journalist Roxana Saberi was held for 100 days at Evin . Saberi says she was threatened during her imprisonment .

Philadelphia (CNN) -- Opening arguments started Monday in the first case in which a Roman Catholic archdiocese official is accused of covering up evidence of suspected sexual abuse of children. Monsignor William Lynn and the Rev. James Brennan appeared before Common Pleas Judge Teresa Sarmina inside a nearly filled Philadelphia courtroom. The attendees had to pass through a metal detector and surrender all electronic devices before entering the courtroom. Commonwealth prosecutor Jacqueline Coelho told jurors in her nearly hour-long opening statement that Lynn's role was to protect priests, the church and privacy "at any cost." Lynn, dressed in all black and wearing a priest collar, listened intently as Coelho argued that he knowingly covered up incidents of sexual abuse, including alleged acts by Brennan, and "ignored common sense and placed children at risk." Lynn, 61, who served as the secretary for clergy under former Philadelphia Archbishop Anthony Bevilacqua, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the alleged assaults. From 1992 until 2004, Lynn was responsible for investigating reports that priests had sexually abused children. Brennan, 48, is accused of assaulting a 14-year-old boy in 1996. Both pleaded not guilty in April. Their defense attorneys were slated to give their opening statements Monday afternoon. Last year, a Philadelphia grand jury report accused the archdiocese of failing to investigate claims of sexual abuse of children by priests. The grand jury report led to the Philadelphia district attorney's office criminally charging four Philadelphia priests and a parochial school teacher with raping and assaulting boys in their care, while Lynn was accused of allowing the abusive priests to have access to children. Defrocked priest Edward Avery was slated to go on trial with Lynn and Brennan, but he pleaded guilty last week to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and conspiracy to endanger welfare of child, according to court documents. Avery was sentenced to two and a half to five years in prison. He is scheduled to report for his sentence on April 2. The plea agreement does not require Avery to testify against Lynn. Judge Sarmina advised jurors to "keep an open mind" and "not speculate about" Avery's absence. The Philadelphia scandal could open a historic chapter in the abuse crisis, church watchers say, by changing the way the American criminal justice system deals with church abuse. The charges are unusual because they go beyond accusations against priests and included a church higher-up charged with covering up the abuse, which church experts say has never happened in the United States before. Avery and Charles Engelhardt are charged with assaulting a 10-year-old boy at St. Jerome Parish in Philadelphia in 1998 and 1999. Avery was defrocked in 2006. Bernard Shero, a teacher at the school, is charged with assaulting the same boy there in 2000. Engelhardt and Shero, who pleaded not guilty to sexual abuse and conspiracy charges in April, are facing sex abuse charges and will be tried separately in September. Cardinal Bevilacqua, who died on January 31, testified 10 times before grand juries in 2003 and 2004. A final grand jury report said it had no doubt that the cardinal knew about the danger posed by the accused priests and his actions endangered thousands of children in the archdiocese. Bevilacqua served as archbishop of Philadelphia from February 11, 1988, to October 7, 2003, the archdiocese said in announcing his death. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals on June 28, 1991. Lynn would face a maximum of 14 years in prison if convicted of all charges, according to the district attorney's office. After the release of the January 2011 grand jury report, Cardinal Justin Rigali, who later resigned as Philadelphia's archbishop, placed Lynn on administrative leave. A total of 23 priests in the Philadelphia area have been placed on administrative leave by the archdiocese, 21 on March 7, 2011. The two other priests, who were retired but were allowed to assist in priestly duties, were placed on leave 23 days later. A gag order imposed by a Philadelphia judge remains in effect. It bars all parties involved in the criminal case from talking to the media.

Monsignor William Lynn is accused of covering up evidence of sexual abuse . Lynn served as the secretary for clergy under the former Philadelphia archbishop . A grand jury report accused the archdiocese of failing to investigate accusations .

(CNN) -- In Monday's foreign policy debate, President Barack Obama said former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had criticized his administration for being too tough against China and bringing a protectionist case at the World Trade Organization. The statement: Obama cited a case in which the Chinese "were flooding us" with cheap tires. "And we put a stop to it and as a consequence saved jobs throughout America. I have to say that Gov. Romney criticized me for being too tough in that tire case; said this wouldn't be good for American workers and that it would be protectionist," Obama said. CNN Fact Check: Romney, Obama and Iraq . The facts: In 2009, the Obama administration sought tariffs against China for dumping tires into the United States. The World Trade Organization upheld the tariffs. On its website, Romney's campaign cites where the Republican candidate addressed the case in his 2010 book "No Apology." "President Obama's action to defend American tire companies from foreign competition may make good politics by repaying unions for their support of his campaign, but it is decidedly bad for the nation and our workers," Romney said. "Protectionism stifles productivity." The result was indeed inherently protectionist, according to Douglas Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "It means it will raise prices for American consumers on tires, both domestic and imported," Paal said. But the case was a minor one in the overall scheme of things, he added. Both sides have engaged in such symbolic activity, "but neither is willing to take action that would seriously affect economic relations between our two economies," he added. CNN Fact Check: Comparing costs of Iraq, Libya missions . The subject of China has been raised over and over during the campaign, with each candidate accusing the Chinese of stealing American jobs through unfair trade practices. In broad terms, both men offered similar views, even using some of the same language: . "China is both an adversary, but also a potential partner in the international community if it's following the rules," Obama said. "So my attitude coming into office was that we are going to insist that China plays by the same rules as everybody else." "They're making some progress; they need to make more," said Romney, who vowed to label China a currency manipulator on his first day as president. "They have to understand we want to trade with them. We want a world that's stable. We like free enterprise, but you got to play by the rules." First, has China really stolen U.S. jobs? The numbers say yes. Since China entered the World Trade Organization in 2001, the U.S. trade deficit with China "eliminated or displaced more than 2.7 million U.S. jobs," according to a report published in August by the Economic Policy Institute, a left-of-center think tank. The primary category from which jobs have been lost has been in the manufacturing sector. The candidates have complained because, while the United States allows the free market, in large part, to dictate how much a dollar is worth and how much people will be paid in the United States, China uses its power to keep wages low. CNN Fact Check: Obama's apology tour? So, while the Bureau of Labor Statistics says the average employer has to pay about $35 per hour in salary and benefits to hire a worker on a production line, a Chinese factory pays only about $1.36 per hour for the same work. In response, many companies have moved jobs to China to take advantage of the lower wages. Consequently, Chinese products tend to be cheaper to buy all over the world. The result has been that Chinese exports to the United States have soared in recent years, while U.S. exports to China have lagged far behind. What can a U.S. president do about that? Probably not much. If the United States were to raise trade barriers, China could do the same. If the United States were to forbid U.S.-based companies from shipping jobs to China, that might leave U.S. companies less competitive in the world market. And if China were to say it is no longer interested in buying U.S. debt, that could make it harder for the U.S. government to borrow the money it needs to operate. The conclusion: In the tire case above, Obama is correct in his characterization of Romney's position. In the larger case of what to do about U.S.-China relations, both candidates have promised to get tough. But that will hardly be the last word. Complete coverage of CNN's Fact Checks .

The Chinese "were flooding us" with cheap tires, Obama says . "Gov. Romney criticized me for being too tough in that tire case" Romney said Obama's action was "decidedly bad for the nation"

(CNN) -- Shortly after President Barack Obama was inaugurated, he said that his re-election effort will be judged largely on the economy. The overall unemployment rate is above 8%; fewer than 150,000 jobs were created the last month; student loan debt has hit $1 trillion; consumer personal credit card debt is on the rise; gas prices look like a yo-yo; the housing industry continues to be stuck in the mud; and Americans still are unsure what the future holds economically. For Mitt Romney's team, that should look like fertile ground to lay a serious line of attack against the incumbent president, especially in hard hit states like Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Nevada. Yet for a band of GOP strategists, they somehow think trying to replay a bunch of old sermons by the president's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, will result in electoral gold. Sounds more like fool's gold. When I opened up Thursday's New York Times and saw a story at the top of the page about a proposal calling on Chicago billionaire Joe Ricketts to spend upwards of $10 million on a vicious attack on Obama with Wright at the center of it, I frankly laughed. In fact, even President Reagan came to mind and one of the all-time classic debate lines he used on Walter Mondale: "There you go again." It's as if the butt-whippin' the GOP got in 2008 wasn't enough. Now they want to try to go to the well a second time. D-U-M-B. When Sen. John McCain declared tying Obama to Wright was off limits in 2008, GOP stalwarts seethed, angry that they couldn't portray the then-senator as an acolyte of someone they considered to be a crazed, deranged pastor who hated America. The revelations of Wright's sermons caused a ruckus in the Democratic primary in 2008, dominating the news cycle for weeks. The only way Obama could quell the raging inferno was to deliver his speech on race in Philadelphia, which was hailed by some commentators as momentous. Ever since then, some in the GOP believe that had McCain bludgeoned Obama with Wright, he could have stood a better shot at winning. To all of you who love and adore the Republican Party, I'll play your political priest and absolve you of all of your sins -- said and unsaid -- on this issue. Making Wright a central campaign theme would have done nothing to keep Obama from beating McCain. And while Republicans like Sarah Palin and countless mouthpieces on the right swear that Obama wasn't properly vetted, just deal with the reality that your party lost in 2008. Trying to dredge up Wright in 2012 simply won't do it. It's silly, childish, and frankly, shows a sign of desperation. And this has nothing to do with riling Obama's African-American base or ticking off independent voters. It just doesn't make sense because what it does is remove the core message of Romney -- the economy -- and makes it about sermons from 20 years ago. Obama's weakness in 2012 isn't a sermon by Wright called "Confusing God and Government" -- that's the one he was ripped for saying "goddamn America" -- it's the weak economy and him as its chief steward. When things are going well a president gets the credit, and when they're not going so good, he gets the blame. And right now, he's shouldering lots of blame for the economy. Romney's team was quick to disavow the plan, and even Ricketts had to come out and say that it was one of many proposals that he was presented, and rejected. Now, Ricketts didn't become a billionaire by making dumb decisions. But even allowing this plan to cross his desk is about as dumb as J.P Morgan continuing to employ the folks that lost the firm more than $2 billion in a colossal trading screw up. Maybe we can just chalk up the Obama-Wright proposal as an attempt by these GOP strategists to pull a fast one on Ricketts and make a quick buck off of an unsuspecting billionaire. Even that thought has me laughing.

GOP considered airing sermons by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright to attack President Obama . Roland Martin says economy seems to be fertile ground for attacks . Making Wright a campaign issue in 2008 wouldn't have kept Obama from winning, he says . Martin: Dredging Wright up in 2012 is silly, childish, shows desperation .

(CNN) -- Washington was billed as the national testing ground on the issue of genetically modified foods, which draws spirited supporters and detractors into the debate over their effects on human health and the environment. If the state's vote tally is to be believed, it appears the Evergreen State won't get special labeling for GMO foods, as expected before the Tuesday vote. Those in favor of the initiative, however, say don't count your genetically engineered chickens before they hatch, according to a news release that reads rather victoriously, considering the Washington secretary of state's office says the measure failed 55% to 45%. "The campaign remains confident that a majority of Washington voters support labeling of genetically engineered foods, and optimistic about supporters getting out to vote in this off-year election," said the Yes on Initiative 522 release. "For now, the votes are too close to call," reads the Yes on I-522 landing page. "Over the next few days more ballots will be counted and we will keep you posted as we learn more." The secretary of state's website says 100% of the vote has been counted. The vote, if confirmed, would mark a defeat for those who say GMO foods may pose health risks and lead to a spike in herbicide and pesticide usage. The Elway Poll in October reported that Washington voters were in favor of the initiative by four percentage points. The vote would have made Washington the third state to require GMO labeling and the first to pass an initiative that will go into effect regardless of whether other states enact similar laws. Placed on the ballot after Washington voters submitted more than 350,000 signatures, I-522 "would require most raw agricultural commodities, processed foods, and seeds and seed stocks, if produced using genetic engineering as defined, to be labeled as genetically engineered when offered for retail sale." Yes on I-522 says it is "motivated by a very simple principle: People have the right to know what's in the food they eat and feed their families." Sixty-four countries have passed laws allowing consumers to know when there are GMO ingredients in their food, according to the Center for Food Safety. The watchdog group says the "limited data" on GMO foods indicates that the foods lead to higher risks of "toxicity, allergenicity, antibiotic resistance and immune suppression." Since genetically engineered foods entered the U.S. market, herbicide use on corn, soybeans and cotton has increased by 527 million pounds, the center said, citing a study by Environmental Science Europe. Monsanto, a Missouri-based agricultural giant that was staunchly opposed to the measure, says on its website, GMOanswers.com, that the crops have led to lower pesticide usage. The company says it's also invested more than $100 million to ensure the products are safe. "Humans, over our history, have altered all of our crops, often for taste or yield or disease resistance," the website says. "Before they reach the market, crops from GM seeds are studied extensively to make sure they are safe for people, animals and the environment," the Monsanto site adds. "Today's GM products are the most researched and tested agricultural products in history." Opponents spent more than $22 million to fight the legislation -- more than triple what those in favor of labeling spent -- with only $600 of that money coming from within the state. Monsanto contributed more than $5 million, the Washington Public Disclosure Commission said. Twenty-three states have pending legislation regarding GMO labeling, according to the group Right to Know GMO. Maine and Connecticut in June passed laws requiring labeling, but they won't go into effect until other states pass GMO-labeling laws. California last year shot down such a law with 51.4% of voters casting ballots against it. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service approved a non-GMO label for meat and liquid egg products in June, the first time the department has approved such a label from a third party. GMO foods were approved for human consumption in 1995, but the Food and Drug Administration never required any labels pointing them out as such. Follow Eliott C. McLaughlin on Twitter: @CNNWriters . CNN's Greg Botelho contributed to this report.

Vote tallies suggest GMO labeling measure failed, but proponents still hopeful . Center for Food Safety says GMO foods cause health problems, increase in pesticides . Agricultural giant Monsanto says it has spent $100 million to make sure they're safe . GMO foods approved for human consumption in 1995, but FDA never required labels .

(CNN) -- On Saturday, in the wake of the rocket attack that downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko urged the U.N. secretary-general to recognize the two main rebel groups in his country, the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic, as terrorist organizations. In a similar vein Monday, Poroshenko told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that everyone must chose between the terrorists and the civilized world. Although any country can declare those two rebel groups terrorist in accordance with their national legislation, and so make it illegal for any of their nationals to provide them with support, the U.N. secretary-general cannot, and nor can any other part of the United Nations, except possibly the Security Council. The reason is that there is no internationally agreed definition of terrorism. In fact, the debate on what terrorism means has been going on at the United Nations for at least 20 years, stuck in major disagreement over what may be considered legitimate when people are fighting for their right to self-determination. There are, however, many international conventions that define acts of terrorism, one of the earliest being the 1971 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation, which would certainly cover the downing of the Malaysian airliner, so long as the act was shown to be intentional. But for Poroshenko, the rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions were terrorists long before Flight 17 came down, and will remain so whether or not they are proved responsible. Russian President Vladimir Putin would see it differently. Although he backs President Bashar al-Assad's characterization of all rebel groups in Syria as terrorists, in the Ukrainian case he believes that the rebels are exercising their rights to self-defense and self-determination. The two issues are not completely similar because the Syrian rebels are looking to change their government rather than their nationality, but in both cases use of the terrorist label has the same intention of inviting universal condemnation. It makes it harder to distinguish between what may be legitimate and what is not. And here lies one of the complexities of so many current areas of conflict around the world, where borders have become disputed not by the states that exist on either side, but by the people who live inside them and resent the identity or confinement that they confer. Since 9/11, terrorism has come a long way from the isolated cases of assassination or attack that were common beforehand. A movement such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, which even terrorist groups regard as terrorist, is as much an overt insurgency as a covert group of bombers and killers. In fact, the territory it currently controls makes it one of the wealthiest oil producers in the Middle East. Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, all universally regarded as terrorist groups, control large areas of territory and aim to extend their reach. They are not like the Irish Republican Army, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, ETA or other historic organizations that more easily fit the popular concept of terrorism. Another issue that arises in the Ukrainian case is that if the rebels are terrorists, what does that make Russia? State-sponsored terrorism has been less of an issue since the rise of al Qaeda, which seems to have done perfectly well without it. And while there are murky relationships between illegal armed groups and governments in parts of Africa and South Asia, state sponsorship on a scale that involves the supply of missiles capable of bringing down an aircraft at 30,000 feet would seem to deserve a name more closely related to conventional warfare. So we now have a nasty mix in many places around the world of terrorism, armed opposition groups and proxy wars, all dressed up in ambiguity, denial and obfuscation. And while these dirty wars drag on, only one thing remains constant -- the dead bodies strewn around the fields and towns, whether fallen from the sky or just lying where they stood. It doesn't much matter whether the international community regards the Ukrainian rebel forces as terrorists or not, there are no possible reasons or exculpatory factors that can excuse what happened to Flight 17, if -- as seems to be the case -- it was brought down by a missile fired from territory under their control. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion.

Ukraine President says pro-Russian rebels should be called terrorists . Richard Barrett: There's no internationally agreed definition of terrorism . Under '71 agreement, Malaysian jet's downing would be terrorism -- but only if intentional . Barrett: The world is seeing a merging of terrorist groups and quasi-states .

(CNN) -- An abandoned car sits in the Mexican desert outside Juarez, Mexico, the doors and trunk wide open. Under a blanket in the trunk is a body. Hands tied together. A bullet in the head. This was freelance journalist Jeff Antebi's introduction to the war between rival drug cartels in Juarez. The 40-year-old photographer, also known as the founder of the music company Waxploitation, traveled there to observe and document the violence that has gripped what many call the most deadly city in the Western Hemisphere. "When I arrived in Juarez," says Antebi, "within an hour, over the police scanners, a body has been found. And maybe 30 minutes later, another body. "And then another body. And by the end of the day, it was 10. The next day, 10. The next day, 10." More than 2,000 people have been murdered in Juarez so far this year, according to police. Just this week, two students from the University of Texas at El Paso were shot and killed there. The Mexican government estimates that as many as 28,000 people have been killed by the cartels since 2007, when Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared war on the cartels. Army troops entered the fight, and the level of violence from the cartels escalated dramatically in response. "The cartels kill indiscriminately," says Antebi. He arrived on the scene last December, just in time for the Christmas season. In the past, he had photographed many places where people live in poverty and despair, from the Gypsy camps of Europe to the slums of Haiti and Brazil. But in Juarez, he says, there is a unique sense of dread. "The average ordinary resident of Juarez, their life is in danger every day." "You just never know if some distant cousin, perhaps, has done something, and someone is exercising revenge on them by killing you," he says. As a precaution, Antebi traveled with a local reporter familiar with the lay of the land. And he avoided being out on the streets at night. "The cartels," he says, "own the night." While visiting crime scenes throughout the city, Antebi discovered a chilling fact about police. "Only in Juarez do the good guys wear masks." Police officers routinely wear ski masks when out in public, or investigating crime scenes, to conceal their identities and protect the safety of their families. For that reason, Antebi says, he was careful to not photograph unmasked police officers. "Those photos might be used to target law enforcement personnel when they are off duty." There was another reason to be careful when photographing officers. "You might be taking a photo of a policeman who is secretly working for a cartel," Antebi says. "That's something that makes murder scenes so ominous." Politicians are also at risk of becoming targets. This summer, Antebi returned to Juarez to photograph the national elections. Elections held amid conflict are of particular interest to Antebi. He has photographed elections in Afghanistan and Southern Thailand, among others. But Antebi says the violence of the Mexican election season was eye-opening. "Two weeks before the elections, several candidates in the state of Chihuahua were assassinated." And other politicians, says Antebi, received gruesome threats. "The prime candidate for mayor of Juarez," he says, "had a severed head left on the front door of his house." The result, according to Antebi, is that few politicians dare to openly challenge the cartels. Journalists are in danger as well. Mexico's National Commission on Human Rights says 65 journalists have been murdered since 2000. A recent front-page editorial in El Diario, the biggest daily paper in Juarez, has sparked national controversy. "What do you want from us," the editorial asks the cartels. "You are currently the de facto authorities in this city. ... Tell us what you expect from us as a newspaper." The editorial was published after the assassination of one of the newspaper's photographers. Antebi says the government is trying to crack down on the cartels, and has arrested many key figures over the last two years. But he believes those efforts have only provoked even greater violence. "It's a very sad city to be in," he says.

Journalist Jeff Antebi is documenting the drug cartel wars in Juarez, Mexico . Antebi does not photograph unmasked policemen; identifying them could get them killed . The government says 28,000 people have been killed by the cartels since 2007 . Antebi: "The cartels kill indiscriminately"

(CNN) -- After five and a half weeks in transit limbo, NSA leaker Edward Snowden was granted temporary one-year asylum in Russia on Thursday. The White House expressed "disappointment" and again raised the threat of possibly canceling the meeting between President Barack Obama and President Vladimir Putin next month when the U.S. president is scheduled to travel to Russia for the G-20 meeting in St. Petersburg. But just how disappointed should Washington be with this development? With Snowden being allowed to leave the transit area, the move can provide an opportunity for U.S. authorities to make contact with him somewhere in Moscow. It is my understanding that while Snowden has been in the transit area, it has not been possible for U.S. authorities to make contact with him, and this has been a real problem for Washington. Perhaps if Snowden had a clearer idea of what precisely his fate would be upon return to the United States, he might reconsider. That was certainly the purpose of Attorney General Eric Holder's letter to the Russians last week. Putin has made clear several times that his preferred option is for Snowden to leave Russia as soon as possible, and I am inclined to believe him. My hope for the past few weeks has been that there had been considerable back-channel communication between U.S. and Russian authorities, including most importantly at the Obama/Putin level, about finding a reasonably acceptable exit strategy from the dilemma. Russia has already gotten some PR bang from the Snowden affair, and we have to assume that Russian intelligence authorities have copied all materials that Snowden brought with him as well as whatever else he knows about sources and methods, intelligence personnel, internal operations, etc. It is hard to imagine that Russian special services have not had extensive conversations with him and likely this cooperation was an important factor in consideration of his asylum request. But staying in Russia longer only gratuitously inflames an already very shaky and vulnerable U.S.-Russia relationship that I do not believe Putin seeks to further damage, at least not because of Snowden. Putin has made clear that he will not extradite Snowden to the United States, and we should take him at his word on that. However, if Snowden himself decided that he preferred to return to the United States, then the Russians would be obliged, and perhaps happy, to let him go. Perhaps Snowden should heed the excellent story by Kathy Lally in The Washington Post on July 19 about the predominantly sad fates of U.S. citizens who have received asylum in the former Soviet Union and Russia. There is no way the ex-KGB agent Putin, who fundamentally despises and disrespects traitors and revealers of state secrets, will allow Snowden much running room in Russia. Putin does not really like public discussions of state surveillance of citizens, even if they are U.S. citizens, and when he states the condition of staying in Russia that Snowden stop harming the United States, he probably means he wants an end to public revelations of further documents Snowden claims to have. And if Snowden were to pursue his so-called human rights activities in Russia, he would meet a very unhappy fate indeed. Like many of his asylum-seeking brethren in the past, he may find his life so restricted that he turns to drink or some worse self-destructive fate. So Snowden should not only be clear about what his likely fate would be in returning to the United States, but he should also be clearly briefed by our Russian friends about how he will actually be treated upon receiving asylum in Russia if that were to happen. Finally, having received and accepted for now asylum in Russia, this is the second-best outcome for U.S. security interests after Snowden himself possibly deciding to return to America, something he still could potentially do. Since we have to assume that the Chinese and the Russians already have taken all the information that he had to offer, the United States should have no interest in seeing Snowden going off to other countries and even more widely distributing his secrets. Probably Putin himself would not like to see this happen either since it would diminish the value of the intelligence that Russia has received from Snowden. Despite the developments Thursday, Putin might also see that the best outcome is for Snowden to decide for himself that he should return to the United States. I have to think that our Russian friends can be very persuasive in making this argument, and I hope that Obama and his team are pursuing this more subtle and face-saving solution. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Andrew C. Kuchins.

Edward Snowden was granted temporary asylum in Russia . Andrew Kuchins says people should not be quick to label it a defeat for U.S. He says Putin would likely want Snowden to leave Russia voluntarily . Kuchins: Snowden should reflect on unhappy fate of asylum seekers in Russia .

Washington (CNN) -- "So gimme a stage . Where this bull here can rage. And though I can fight, . I'd much rather recite . That's entertainment!" -- Jake LaMotta, rehearsing his stage routine, from the movie "Raging Bull" It sounded like a good way to pass a snowy Washington day when the rest of the federal government was shut down because of the weather: watch a potentially entertaining Supreme Court oral argument, when the issue was about a Hollywood movie and the colorful life of a professional athlete. The appeal deals with a 1963 book and screenplay on the life of boxer Jake LaMotta, the former middleweight champion who wrote it with his childhood friend and business partner Frank "Peter" Petrella. LaMotta's story was made into the 1980 movie "Raging Bull," starring actor Robert De Niro. But the underlying issue Tuesday was surely more dry: equitable defense and tolling for remedies in civil copyright claims. The dense subject matter was enough to temper the court's creative, even mischievous streak -- no pop culture references to showbiz or sports; no clever rhetoric about this being a "knockout" legal fight; and no justice who would admit ever seeing the Oscar-winning film. On purely aesthetic grounds, the justices' public review of the case was a disappointing script, the ending of which won't be known for months. At issue is whether Petrella's daughter waited too long to file a copyright infringement lawsuit over the original screenplay and the subsequent rights to the story. Her father died a year after the movie's release. Federal copyright law gave Paula Petrella the right to renew the copyrights before the term expired, which she did in 1991. But her lawsuit was not filed until 2009. MGM Studios and 20th Century Fox -- the movie's distributor -- say that violates the established legal principle of "laches," which bars most claims that are unreasonably delayed, on the theory it would unfairly burden the adverse party. Both sides also dispute what ownership rights the studio retained after the elder Petrella's death, and which were subsequently returned to his daughter. Paula Petrella claims she is the sole owner of the book and the original screenplay, and that the subsequent film infringes on those copyrights. Paula Petrella seeks damages dating back three years from the filing of the lawsuit, and an injunction on further distribution of the work without compensation. Her lawyers claim the yearslong delay was caused by fear of retaliation, lack of money to file the suit and being told by the studio that "Raging Bull" was no longer making money. MGM and Fox say they have invested heavily to convert the film to formats such as DVD for home viewing, and for overseas distribution. The companies say having an open-ended period to file copyright claims makes it hard to make future business decisions. Justice Sonia Sotomayor posed tough questions for both sides. "You see, counselor, this is my problem. I sort of disagree with you fundamentally, because I don't know that you're entitled to injunctive relief," she told Petrella's lawyer, Stephanos Bibas. "The government says you might be entitled to payment for the use of your copyright because it belongs to you and there shouldn't be some adverse possession right that the other side gets. But in terms of injunctive relief, given their [studio's] reliance on your failure to act for 18 years, they shouldn't be put out of business and told that they can't continue in their business." Later, the studio's attorney Mark Perry called the plaintiff's claims a "bizarre argument." He added Petrella sought to "skim the cream" and pick an opportune time to file her claim, after the studio invested so much in the movie over the years. "What's so bad about that?" asked Sotomayor. "You've gotten a lot of profits in those 18 years and, in fact, at one point when she did reach out to you, you told her, 'Why sue? You're not going to get any money. We're not making any.'" The movie won two Oscars, including best actor for De Niro, who portrayed the boxer. LaMotta is 92 and not a party in the appeal. The fighter also known as the "Bronx Bull" held the middleweight title from 1949-51. The case is Petrella v. MGM, Inc. (12-1315).

Daughter of screenwriter filed copyright infringement case . Other side's lawyers said she waited too long to make claim . Oscar-winning movie was about boxer Jake LaMotta .

(CNN) -- South Africa risks witnessing mass uprisings if it doesn't act urgently to deal with rampant youth unemployment, the leader of the country's trade union movement has warned. As general secretary of the Congress of South African trade unions (Cosatu), which boasts some two million members, Zwelinzima Vavi's voice is an influential one. Speaking to CNN's Nkepile Mabuse, Vavi warned that 35 years after a youth revolt against the apartheid regime, the country's unemployment levels could lead to a new uprising. "If we don't do something urgent enough with the crisis of youth unemployment in South Africa we will be in Tunisia and Egypt very soon," he said. An edited version of the interview follows. CNN: You've warned that South Africa risks another 1976 uprising, tell us what you mean by that? Zwelinzima Vavi: I've participated in the struggle and I know what type of aspirations and hopes all of us carried throughout those many dark years of struggle against apartheid ... I'm only pointing out that after 17 years of all that democracy in the country we've seen little change when it comes to economic freedom, and I normally say we have a political freedom, but the economic jewelry is not hanging on our necks. We have unemployment that I've already described at 36.6%, with 48% of our people living in poverty. We're now number one in the world when it comes to inequalities. I participated in local government elections and I see the face of poverty every day: it's a grinding, humiliating type of poverty that many people will be on the streets demonstrating if they were to be subjected to the same conditions that the poor are subjected to in the country, and already in my view we're seeing an implosion in the country. CNN: Service delivery protests? ZV: You saw the service delivery protest, and having interacted with that thing, I'm of the view that even if we can get the best councilor elected in some of those rural towns, you're not going to get that situation turned around. The crisis is structural; as long as your economy is not put in a new growth path that can absorb large numbers of youth into employment in South Africa, we're sitting with that unemployment. Seventy-three percent of all the people who are unemployed are below the age of 35 -- that's a crisis, that's 1976 waiting to happen again and we've urged that we must address that crisis with the necessary speed and my sense is that more and more South Africans are coming to accept that is true. If we don't do something urgent enough with the crisis of youth unemployment in South Africa we will be in Tunisia and Egypt very soon. CNN: Why do you think there hasn't been urgency within the ruling party to address this issue? ZV: There's been, in my view, a serious lack of political willingness because people are not put under pressure enough. You know when you feel that your tomorrow is guaranteed, your levels of support are guaranteed, you tend to loosen up and the urgency disappears -- that's what's been lacking. CNN: Some analysts would say, if you had it your way, South Africa would not be a business-friendly and investor-friendly environment. ZV: Not true, not true -- I'm a realist, I'm a socialist but (one) who is a realist. I know that 80% of all people employed in the economy of South Africa are employed in the private sector and that demonstrates the extent of the role of the markets, of the private sector, in the South African economy. I wish that was not true, but that is true. I think that sometimes there is an exaggerated, completely misinformed view about the South African labor laws. Lots of people say that they have become too rigid and (are) not creating space for private firms, or it is not an attractive investment destination -- I don't think that is at all true. CNN: Would you ever accept a government job, if it was offered to you again? I understand that when President Jacob Zuma became president you were offered a government position. ZV: Under the conditions of today? No I would not. My basic belief is that we must build a stronger movement of the ANC outside government, capable of holding the leadership to account in every respect. You don't wait for the elections to do correct things, you do them because they are right things to be done every day, which is what I think has become lacking in the country.

Zwelinzima Vavi is general secretary of the Congress of South African trade unions . He calls for drastic action to deal with the problem of youth unemployment . 'I'm a socialist, but a realist,' says Vavi .

(CNN) -- If you have lived a happy, normal, American life, you have probably never heard of something so tedious and alien as a Miscellaneous Tariff Bill. I envy you. But strange as it sounds, the obscure MTB is at the heart of a very small -- but very significant -- fight for American freedom. So, what is an MTB? It works like this. Every day, you and I use materials that come from other countries. From umbrellas to medicines to cars, even if they are made in the USA, their plastics and chemicals and other raw components are often imported. Frequently, these raw materials are taxed at the border with federal tariffs, even if such products aren't produced in the United States and therefore must be imported. And so, every year, hundreds of American companies ask Washington for relief from one or another tariff in the form of a "duty suspension" - essentially a waiver on the tariff. These suspensions can typically save an American company hundreds of thousands of dollars that in turn allows them to keep more Americans employed, while giving consumers access to less expensive, higher quality products we might otherwise go without. Each particular duty suspension must first be introduced as its own bill. They all get referred to the same congressional committees, which then pass them along to the International Trade Commission, which vets the merits of the application and sends back the approved ones packaged into -- you guessed it -- a Miscellaneous Tariff Bill, which passes the House and Senate without any objection from anyone. It's a bipartisan no-brainer. Except, well, look at that first step again. Each individual tariff suspension has to be turned into a special bill and introduced by the company's representative or senator. Why? Why can't companies just petition the International Trade Commission directly, since they're the agency that reviews the applications anyway? I mean, who could possibly benefit from a process whereby nonpolitical companies, rightly focused on their customers and products, are forced by Congress to hire a lobbyist and pony up cash for re-election campaigns in order to get something the law says they deserve? Who, indeed? The process is worse than unfair and inefficient; it's fundamentally un-republican and un-democratic. If an application to suspend a tariff has merit, small businesses shouldn't be forced to grovel and kiss the ring of their own public servant to get it suspended. This is why this bad process has been treated just like spending earmarks under House and Senate rules for years and why Republicans in the House and Senate included limited tariff benefits as part of the earmark ban after 2010 elections. Some want to restart this part of the political favor factory and hope Americans don't notice Republicans breaking their own earmark ban, and others want to redefine earmarks to create a loophole for tariff suspensions. But the whole purpose of the earmark ban was to change the way we do business, not to change the definitions and rules of earmarks to pretend bad behavior is suddenly alright. And we wonder why Congress's approval rating is in the single digits. That's why I have introduced bipartisan legislation to end this odious practice and reform the MTB process once and for all. The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, streamlines the MTB process by allowing manufacturers to petition the trade commission directly. Under our reformed process, once these requests have been properly vetted, the trade commission can make its recommendations to Congress. Congress would retain its authority over trade policy and the ability to assist constituent companies with the MTB process, while the time and money saved from cutting out the lobbying process will benefit small businesses and their consumers, to say nothing of disinfecting the ugly, quasi-feudalism of the current pay-to-play racket. Our legislation would level the playing field for small businesses. As it is, the companies that obtain duty suspensions are too often those that can afford the most expensive, well-connected lobbyists. Our proposal allows every business to bring its case before a group of independent commissioners at the trade commission right from the start; no longer will large corporations be able to buy their way to the front of the line. Cleaning up bureaucracy and giving small businesses a fair shake in Washington is just one small step toward helping a few more citizens to go back to enjoying a happier and more normal American life. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jim DeMint.

Sen. Jim DeMint: Manufacturers who want tariff exemptions must get OK from Congress . He says the result is a process akin to budget earmarks in which lobbying is key . DeMint, who is Republican, and a Democrat are sponsoring legislation to change system . DeMint: Our legislation would level the playing field for small business .

JENA, Louisiana (CNN) -- Mychal Bell, the sole defendant who remains behind bars from the group of teens known as the "Jena 6," will not be released Friday, a court decided. Mychal Bell, 17, is accused with five others of beating Justin Barker in a school fight. Bell, 17, has been in jail since his arrest more than nine months ago. It was not immediately clear what happened in court Friday, where Bell's attorneys had planned to push for his release. "It is our understanding that the judge refused to give bond or bail to Mychal Bell today," the Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist who traveled to Jena for Thursday's rally, said in a written statement. A source inside the court said the issue of bond was not discussed at the hearing. Attorneys did not immediately comment. The proceedings, involving a juvenile, are not open to media. Bell's mother left the courthouse in tears. "We'll be back," shouted one Jena 6 supporter outside the courthouse Friday. With thousands of demonstrators converging on the small town Thursday to decry what they call "unequal justice," the state's 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal ordered a bond hearing for Bell within 72 hours. It was set for Friday morning. See highlights from the march » . Also on Friday, the FBI said it was looking into an online posting by a neo-Nazi white supremacist group that published the home addresses of all six of the African-American teenagers, as well as the phone numbers of some. The group said on its Web site it is calling on followers to "let them know justice is coming." Bell is the only one of the six teenagers to stand trial so far. District Attorney Reed Walters tried him as an adult and won convictions on two charges. Walters has said he believes Bell was the instigator of the alleged beating of classmate Justin Barker. Last week, the appellate court vacated Bell's battery conviction, saying he should never have been tried as an adult. He was 16 at the time; 17 is the legal adult age in Louisiana. A district judge earlier this month tossed out Bell's conviction for conspiracy to commit second-degree battery. On Tuesday, a three-judge panel said it was "premature" to consider releasing Bell. The district attorney will determine whether to refile the charges in juvenile court, a defense attorney said. Bails for the Jena 6 had been set at between $70,000 and $138,000, and all but Bell posted bond. The judge has refused to lower his $90,000 bail, citing the teen's record, which includes four juvenile offenses -- two simple battery charges among them. Bell and five other defendants were arrested in the alleged beating of Barker, who is white, at their high school on December 4. The incident followed months of racial tension, sparked originally when three white teens hung nooses from an oak tree the day after a group of black students violated an unofficial rule among students that only whites sit in that area. See timeline of how events unfolded » . Prosecutors originally charged all six black students with second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy. Walters reduced charges against at least four of them -- Bell, Robert Bailey Jr., Carwin Jones and Theo Shaw -- to battery and conspiracy. Bryant Purvis awaits arraignment. Charges against Jesse Ray Beard, 14 at the time of the alleged crime, are unavailable because he's a juvenile. Civil rights leaders and other demonstrators call events in Jena a sign of unequal justice in the 21st century. The white kids who hung the nooses were briefly suspended from classes but faced no punishments from the legal system. Donald Washington, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, told CNN that the FBI and other investigators thought the noose incident bore the markings of a hate crime, but a decision was made not to press charges because the case didn't meet federal criteria. The students were under 18 and had no prior records, and no group such as the Ku Klux Klan was found to be behind their actions. Authorities estimated about 15,000 to 20,000 protesters came out Thursday to Jena -- a town of about 3,000, according to the 2000 census. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: FBI looking into online posting by neo-Nazi white supremacist group . Court decides not to release Mychal Bell . Whether his bond discussed Friday is unclear; attorneys sought release . Bell is the only defendant from group known as "Jena 6" still in jail .

(CNN) -- California has long been a trendsetter. But on the issue of giving driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants, it fell behind other states. After what seems like forever, it is poised to become the 10th state, along with the District of Columbia, to make this concession. California is ready to jump on the driver's license bandwagon after many years of setbacks, betrayals and disappointments for advocates of the cause. Sometimes, it feels like we have been talking about doing this in the Golden State since before the automobile was invented. In fact, while more than two dozen states have debated the issue in recent years, California was one of the first states to consider giving driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. It could have set the trend, instead of letting nine states -- and the District of Columbia -- get ahead of it. Much of the credit for that early start belongs to persistent Democratic State Sen. Gil Cedillo who has, since 1998, tried eight times to get bills passed in the legislature that would grant driving privileges to the undocumented. Over the years, Cedillo's driver's license bills have been vetoed by Republican and Democratic governors alike. As time went on, it became clear what kind of bill would be most likely to succeed -- one with some critical adjustments making clear that undocumented immigrants would be able to use the licenses only for driving and not for identification to obtain employment or board airplanes, or open bank accounts or obtain public benefits and other privileges. That was a game changer. Other states, such as Utah and North Carolina, also attached special language to driver's license bills. Often, it was something like: "Not for Identification." And it was stamped right on the license. Fair enough. A lot of Americans don't like the idea that undociumented immigrants could carry in their wallets a driver's license identical to theirs. This solves that problem. So then Democratic Assemblyman Luis Alejo, with Cedillo's blessing, introduced AB60 granting driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants provided the licenses have special language stamped on them stating that the ID is only good for driving and not for anything else. Last week, both houses of the California legislature approved the bill. And Gov. Jerry Brown issued a statement indicating he would sign it. About 2 million people in California are expected to qualify for driver's licenses, if the bill becomes law. While some activists on the left complain that the language on the license amount to a "scarlet letter" that will encourage profiling and discrimination, other advocates are more practical and realize that driver's licenses of any kind are an important step that could make life much easier for a good many people. That's why I support this bill. It will allow drivers to get auto insurance and make it less likely that they will flee the scene of an accident. It represents a fair compromise that gives undocumented immigrants what they need, without giving away the store and blurring the line between immigrants and natives. Lastly, the enthusiasm with which people are reacting to the law highlights what many of us have been saying for a while -- that, despite the nonsense you hear out of Washington, the undocumented would rather have a driver's license so they can get to work than citizenship and the right to vote. This law will also cut down on abuse by making it harder for towns and cities to confiscate vehicles at increasingly popular driver's license checkpoints. Municipalities currently make money on the towing fees, and, if the car is never picked up, on the sale of the vehicle at auction. In some places, we're talking about several hundred cars per month. It generates lots of revenue for the localities, and wreaks havoc on the lives of hard-working people who are just trying to get from point A to point B to support their families. This is happening more often in California as local budgets go into the red. Just because people complain about undocumented immigrants doesn't mean that they aren't eager to make money off them. It happens a little at a time, so the undocumented immigrants don't feel the local officials' hands in their pockets. This law could help put an end to it. Giving driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants -- with restricted use, "scarlet letter" and all -- is an idea whose time has finally arrived. It just took California a little longer than usual to catch up to it. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette.

California will soon provide driver's license to illegal immigrants . Ruben Navarrette: The Golden State is usually a trendsetter but fell behind on this issue . He says giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants with restricted use benefits all . Navarrette: The undocumented would rather have a driver's license so they can work .

(CNN) -- I haven't had a single Diet Coke in 2014. It was a conscious health decision, and the only real side effect, now, is that the world is awful and I hate everything. Including puppies. Quite frankly, my life was much better when I drank Diet Coke. It had purpose. Mind you, that purpose was to spend seven hours a day in front of a urinal. But some really good ideas came out of that. "Andrew, we should totally build an ark." I've actually written before about my Diet Coke addiction. It was legitimately bad. There was even a short period where it was pretty much all I drank. For instance, I would come home from a jog, tired and dehydrated having just spent a whole 20 minutes mildly exerting myself, and then I'd take long, deep pulls from a two-liter bottle, fresh and cold right out of the fridge. Just do it. Of course I miss Diet Coke, and I still get the urges. But it usually ends after about an hour when one of the neighbors sees me crying in the street without pants and calls the cops. Thankfully, however, all that seems to be a thing of the past, because now there's a new virtual reality video game that lets you digitally enjoy the greatest pleasure in all the world. It's called Soda Drinker Pro. And it's totally real. I played it. The game was created by 33-year-old Will Brierly of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and, like all good innovations, it was inspired by laziness. "I woke up in the middle of the night and needed a soda," he told me via e-mail. "Unfortunately, I didn't have one, so I decided to make a simulated soda." Amazingly, over the course of one day, Brierly created the first five levels of Soda Drinker Pro. Which is probably why the graphics are what some experts might call complete and utter crap. But that's part of the Soda Drinker Pro charm. It's purposefully absurd, and, remember, this thing was built in a day. So, the game isn't exactly Rome. It's more like Tulsa. And the rules are pretty simple. You walk around different environments with a virtual soda in your hand, click left to put the straw up to your mouth, and then click right to simulate drinking. You hear the sound of draining fluid, and your soda levels deplete as you hold down the click. And that's pretty much it. May the odds be ever in your favor. Truth be told, I didn't actually play long enough to get past levels one and two (the beach and the park, respectively), but I'm sort of hoping that one of the now 100-plus levels is a drainage ditch in Tijuana so I can recreate some of my darkest moments with Diet Coke. "Señor, usted está asustando a los niños." Now, this might all sound a bit silly, and the bad graphics and simplistic game play are fine for goofing off on your Mac or PC, but Brierly has actually taken his "first person soda" to the next legitimate level of gaming. He proudly boasts that it has Kinect support for Xbox One, and that console will also offer exclusive levels of drinking soda throughout time. Like the Roaring 20s. Or, say, 1972. And Soda Drinker Pro even has Oculus Rift support. (Note to Dad: Oculus Rift is that incredible virtual reality software Facebook bought for $2 billion.) (Note to Dad: Facebook is that website mom is always on.) (Note to Dad: Virtual reality is ... oh, screw it. Never mind.) Beyond the fact that it's catching on at all -- albeit ironically -- it's also interesting that it's happening now. Brierly created the game six years ago, but it took a rather captive audience to get it off the ground. He explains, "I didn't show anyone except some friends, but last year I did a presentation of Soda Drinker Pro at a soda drinking convention in Providence." You read that correctly. There's literally something called the Providence Soda Club, and apparently they hold a convention. Which, I suppose, shouldn't be that unexpected. Rhode Island is so weird. It's not even an island. It's more like Tulsa. Follow @JarrettBellini on Twitter.

Soda Drinker Pro is a virtual reality game that simulates enjoying a soft drink . It started getting noticed after it was shown at a soda drinking convention in Providence . The game is now ready for Xbox One and Oculus Rift .

San Francisco (CNN) -- On first glance, the new, never-to-be-actually-named iPad is exactly the same as its predecessor: Same size, same price, same colors. But guts count for something. And the guts of the new iPad -- don't you dare call it iPad 3 -- are what make this tablet computer a step forward from the iPad 2. They're also what give Apple execs some room to claim this device as "amazing" and "revolutionary," rather than run-of-the-mill and incremental. The truth is that the new Apple iPad probably falls somewhere in the middle. It's neither dud nor game-changer. I got to handle the new tablet for a few minutes after Apple's launch event Wednesday. My first impressions: . The screen . The main upgrade is the screen, which is markedly crisper. Apple says it quadrupled the number of pixels on the iPad's 9.7-inch display to the point that there are now 3.1 million pixels on the screen, with a total resolution of 2048 by 1536 pixels. Color saturation on the device was increased 44% relative to the iPad 2, the company says. "Your retina in your eye cannot discern those individual pixels," Apple's Phil Schiller said at the news conference. "The images on it look stunning." CNNMoney: New iPad up close . That's not overstatement. Images do seem to have jumped out of the real world. That's good for people who want to watch movies, look at photos and play games on the new iPad. It also could be a big step forward for people who want to read digital books on the device. Enlarge the text on the latest-gen iPad, and the letters maintain their quality. The edges of the fonts are perfectly smooth, as if they're molded from plastic. "One of the iPad's biggest competitors has been paper," said Nick Bilton, a tech columnist at The New York Times, "and now this is better than paper." Gaming . Another new feature of the guts: The A5X "quad-core" chip, which is supposed to help render graphics much more quickly. This could be a boon for gamers, who likely will see high-resolution and more graphics-intensive games coming out for the tablet. In a short demo on Wednesday, a flying game called "Sky Gamblers" looked like nothing you would expect to see on a mobile device. Mountains and valleys appear photo-realistic, and the steam coming out of the back of the plane warps the sky around it. During its presentation, Apple highlighted gaming as a big advantage of the latest iPad. "This new device has more memory and higher screen resolution than an Xbox 360 or a PlayStation 3," said Mike Capps, president of Epic Games. Apps . Apple announced several new ones, and while these should work on older versions of the iPad, they're designed to take advantage of the new tablet's better screen. iPhoto is among the standouts. Apple's photo-organization software really comes to life on the high-def iPad, where users will be able to sharpen their photos with new features. One detects the horizon in a landscape photo and, with the tap of a finger, will make it perfectly level. Another lets users rub a finger over a section of a photograph to lighten, darken or soften it. It makes photo editing more hands-on and intuitive than before. Connectivity . While it's far from clear that tablet owners really want to connect to the Internet over cellular data networks (rather than Wi-Fi, which is often free but, of course, isn't available everywhere), the new iPad has 4G capabilities for those who do. In a demo, Apple reps showed videos loading considerably faster on the new iPad than on the iPad 2. Again, this plays into Apple's hope that this will be an even-better device for viewing media. "This new iPad has the most wireless bands of any device that has ever shipped, and it is truly revolutionary," Apple's Phil Schiller said during a news conference. Who's to say whether these updates will lead people to want to purchase the new iPad, or to upgrade from a previous version. Nothing about the iPad was completely overhauled, but the overall user experience is crisper and speedier than before. We'll leave you to be the judge. Let us know what you think of these updates in the comments section. Does this new iPad sound like it's worth the cash?

CNN's John Sutter gets his hands on a new iPad at Wednesday's launch event . The fundamentals of the device haven't changed much . You have to look at the guts of the tablet to see what's new . Games will like a faster processor in the new iPad .

(CNN) -- The annual festival of conspiracy theorizing, belligerent fist-shaking and anxious masculinity known as the National Rifle Association convention came to Houston over the weekend, and it was everything the organizers hoped it would be. Tens of thousands of attendees perused 500 booths where you could look at guns, buy guns, learn about guns, talk about guns and maybe weep about guns, along with plenty of training courses to prepare you for the day when society breaks down and you finally get the chance to use that arsenal to defend your home against marauding gangs of cannibals. NRA has record conference turnout, new president . One favorite was the trainer who advised people to keep a gun locked up in their kids' room. Because what could possibly go wrong? Oh yeah -- accidents. They could shoot each other, such as the 5-year-old who recently shot his 2-year-old sister, or the 13-year-old who shot his 6-year-old sister. This being an NRA gathering, there were media figures and politicians aplenty. Glenn Beck, fresh off suggesting that a man who shot himself last week at Houston airport's was a part of a Reichstag fire-like conspiracy to pave the way for a fascist crackdown on Americans, gave the keynote address. Prominent politicians who appeared included Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former presidential candidate Rick Santorum, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Sarah Palin. They have something in common, beyond the fact that they've all run for president before or might in 2016. Like the NRA itself, they all camp out on the conservative fringe but are nevertheless convinced that they represent the mainstream. Perry, who calls Social Security "a monstrous lie" and has flirted in the past with the idea that Texas should secede from the United States, thought that what Americans wanted in a president was Yosemite Sam without the intellectual pretensions. Turned out, not so much. Jindal recently suffered a political setback when he proposed cutting the (progressive) income tax and raising the (regressive) sales tax, I guess because poor people in Louisiana have just been having it too easy. Even his conservative state recoiled, and Jindal's approval ratings plummeted. Cruz has cut a McCarthyite swath through Washington in his four months there, leading to rare agreement between Republicans and Democrats that he's an enormous jerk. Naturally, he's seriously considering a run for president in 2016. And as for the former half-term governor of Alaska? Well, you already know about her. All of them believe they represent the real America, and if the country just had a chance to hear their unvarnished views, they could win the White House with ease. That most real Americans find that idea either laughable or terrifying doesn't seem to register with them. They're right at home with the NRA, which just selected as its president a man who still refers to the Civil War as "the war of Northern aggression," and has such a twisted view of liberty that he believes the freedom to buy an AR-15 at a gun show without having to fill out a form is as important as freedom of speech or religion. Eighteen years ago, after a right-wing anti-government extremist bombed the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 men, women and children, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre railed against the threat from "jackbooted government thugs" in "Nazi bucket helmets." In response, former President George H.W. Bush wrote the group an outraged letter defending those who work for the government, including one Secret Service agent killed in Oklahoma City who had worked on Bush's detail in the White House. "He was no Nazi," Bush wrote, and resigned his NRA life membership in disgust. In the time since, the NRA has become even more extreme, even more paranoid, even more ensconced in its self-reinforcing world in which guns are all that matter. There may be a few Republicans who now have the courage to stand up to them. But there are still plenty such as Perry, Cruz and Palin, who will troop to their convention and jump into their festering pool of anger and fear. They don't seem to realize how it makes them smell. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Paul Waldman.

Prominent conservatives gathered to support the NRA at its convention in Houston . Paul Waldman: These politicians are on the fringe but believe they represent the mainstream . He says the views of Rick Perry, Rick Santorum and Sarah Palin are not those of real America . Waldman: There may be just a few Republicans who are brave enough to stand up to the NRA .

(CNN) -- As the globe has become increasingly outfitted with wi-fi hotspots and cell phone towers, the skies have long been the last refuge from constant connectivity. That's changing, however, as more airlines are realizing wi-fi's earning potential. By its own estimate, one of the fastest-growing companies in America is Gogo, which was the first to successfully hook up planes with internet. It has since installed systems on several U.S. carriers, including Delta, American and US Airways. According to its CEO, Michael Small, Gogo's profits grew from $37 million in 2009 to $112 million in the first six months of 2012. "We're now on over 1,600 commercial aviation jets, which is nearly half the U.S. fleet. We've done that in four years, which is extraordinarily fast," says Small. "In just a few more years, it will be done in America." Watch video: In-flight wi-fi takes off . Though airlines pay to install the equipment, they also reap the rewards; Gogo charges the customers for internet usage -- between $5 and $20, depending on flight duration -- and shares its revenue with the carriers. "More travelers are aware of our service, and many of them want it," says Small. "One in five say they will switch a flight to get our service." The drawback with Gogo's system is that it uses an air-to-ground network of cell phone towers it built across the United States -- each with a 250-mile radius of coverage -- meaning its wi-fi isn't available when flying over water. Internet on Gogo-outfitted planes is therefore limited to domestic flights. This is where California-based firm Row 44 swoops in. Row 44 also installs wi-fi on airplanes, though unlike Gogo, it relies on a satellite system, meaning passengers can access internet even when flying over the ocean. "This is a distinct advantage, given that two-thirds of the planet is covered in water," notes John LaValle, Row 44's CEO. Also, satellite systems give passengers more options, due to better bandwidth. "Air-to-ground has certain inherent limitations in terms of the amount of data that can be processed through the network of cell towers on the ground -- for example, live TV really is an impossibility," says LaValle, whose company also offers that service as part of its package. "In a satellite environment, you're able to get much more data through the pipe." See also: Airplane phone calls to become standard? But the satellite system is substantially more expensive than using cell-phone towers, and has the added drawback of taking longer to install. As airlines lose money for every day a plane is out of commission, this can make the process rather costly. Some carriers, however, find it's worth the price. Mango Airlines and Southwest are among the airlines using Row 44's service, with Icelandair soon to follow. What's more, Norwegian Air Shuttle, which has also joined the fray, has just this month started offering wi-fi to passengers free-of-charge -- the first airline in Europe to do so. "We had a trial period where we offered it free to passengers, and we saw increases on those routes; it went up volumes," notes Boris Bubresko, head of business development for Norwegian Air Shuttle. "After that, we decided to keep it free." At the moment, connectivity is a perk; airlines that provide wi-fi or mobile services on board stand out. This will change, though, as customers increasingly start to expect the amenity, rather than merely appreciate it. LaValle feels that era has already dawned. He says: "I was on a plane recently that wasn't wi-fi equipped, and this guy sitting across the aisle opened up his laptop and he couldn't find the hotspot. He slammed it down and said, 'I can't believe this, I really needed to get a lot of work done on this flight!' "I think we're already at that point where everyone fully expects connectivity." Is it time for all flights to offer wi-fi? Would you pay for in-flight wi-fi, or should it be free? Leave a comment below. Daisy Carrington contributed to this report .

More airlines providing Wi-Fi on their flights . Norwegian Air first airline in Europe to offer free Wi-Fi . Gogo system installed on 1,600 U.S. jets, according to CEO . Row 44 provides satellite-based system that can access internet even over the ocean .

(CNN) -- It's hard to imagine a young child, strapped into a car seat under a baking sun, slowly succumbing to a hellish death. It's even harder to imagine that it could have been anything other than a terrible accident. But that's what police in Cobb County, Georgia, say happened last week when 33-year-old Justin Ross Harris left his 22-month-old son, Cooper Mills Harris, strapped into a car seat while he went to work. He's been charged with felony murder and second-degree child cruelty. Here are the key elements about this disturbing case: . What happened? On the morning of June 18, Cooper and his father stopped for breakfast at a Chick-fil-A restaurant near his office in suburban Atlanta. Afterward, Harris put his son into the rear-facing car seat for the half-mile drive to the office. Instead of taking Cooper inside to the day care at his office, police say Harris left the boy strapped into his car seat and went inside to work. According to police, he came out and opened the driver side door and put something inside at lunchtime. He left the office at 4:16 p.m., stopping a few miles later in a shopping center parking lot, where he called for help, screaming, "What have I done?" How did Cooper die? Although final autopsy reports aren't yet in, it appears he died the same way at least 619 other children have died since 1998, according to a study by a San Francisco State University researcher: his body got too hot and there wasn't anyone there to cool him down. It's a condition called hyperthermia. "Essentially what happens is that the body temperature gets so high that it begins to kill the cells," forensic pathologist and former medical examiner Vincent DiMaio told HLN. "It's like you're cooking something." While hyperthermia can strike anyone with enough exposure to heat, babies and small children strapped into rear-facing car seats are at particular risk, if a parent or caregiver forgets they are there. On an 80-degree day, a car can heat to an unsafe temperature in just two minutes, according to the National Weather Service, and the temperature can rise to 123 degrees in just one hour. On the day Cooper died, the temperature peaked at 88 degrees. So why is the father charged with murder? Police at first seemed sympathetic to what seemed like a tragic accident, but later said there was more to the case. "The chain of events that occurred in this case does not point toward simple negligence and evidence will be presented to support this allegation," Cobb County police Chief John R. Houser said in a statement. A subsequent affidavit released by the Magistrate Court of Cobb County may indeed support the allegation. The document states that when investigators interviewed Justin Harris, "he stated that he recently researched, through the Internet, child deaths inside vehicles and what temperature it needs to be for that to occur. Justin stated that he was fearful this could happen." What are his family and friends saying? Leanna Harris spoke in defense of her husband during Cooper's funeral Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Justin Harris' hometown. Justin Harris spoke as well, by phone from jail, thanking attendees "for everything you've done for my boy." The family has not answered questions from the media. Neither has anyone close to the family. Of the numerous family and friends of Harris contacted by CNN, none would speak. Most said they had been advised not to. Cooper's obituary says the boy was "loved and cherished and protected by both parents and all family members for his short 22 months of life." And on a now-closed change.org petition calling on authorities to drop the charges, several posts from people who said they know Harris spoke well of him. "He has been nothing but a caring father and supporting husband," wrote one poster, identified as Michael Gordon of Northport, Alabama. What's next? Justin Harris is being held without bond at the Cobb County jail after pleading not guilty last week. He's scheduled for a preliminary appearance on July 3. Because he's charged with murder, a grand jury will also have to review his case if the magistrate in an upcoming hearing finds probable cause for the charge to stand. Police: Georgia mom also searched Internet on child deaths . CNN's Nick Valencia and Mary Lynn Ryan contributed to this report.

Cooper Harris died on June 18; his death was consistent with hyperthermia or overheating . Police have charged his father, Justin Ross Harris, with murder . Court documents state Harris researched child deaths in cars . Harris spoke to the crowd at Cooper's funeral, via speakerphone .

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The governors of Massachusetts and New Hampshire declared states of emergency Friday after high winds, rain and snow swept through the Northeast, leaving at least a million homes and businesses without power. iReporter Candy Novoa says she woke up Friday to find a tree branch lying across her neighbor's car. The National Weather Service said sleet and snow, along with more than half an inch of ice that accumulated on roads in some areas, had made driving treacherous. In Massachusetts, work crews struggled to clear the debris because the powerful storm left roads and bridges covered in ice. Gov. Deval Patrick told WCVB-TV in Boston it would be optimistic to think power would be restored by Monday. "This is not going to be a couple of hours," Patrick said. "It's likely to be several days." Patrick mobilized 500 National Guardsmen to help clear roads, WCVB-TV reported. Utility company National Grid reported that nearly 300,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts were without power. Schools were closed across the state, as authorities warned ice-laden branches could snap and down power lines . "This is a serious storm," John Maserjian, a spokesman for Central Hudson Gas & Electric in upstate New York, told CNN. "We have contended with worse storms in past years, but this is among the worst." In New Hampshire, more than 300,000 residents had no electricity, CNN affiliate WMUR in Manchester said, citing reports from four of the state's utility companies. The station reported that fire departments across the state were scrambling to respond to reports of transformer explosions, downed power lines and utility poles, as well as burning and felled trees. The New Hampshire state fire marshal's office told WMUR a 49-year-old man died during the ice storm. WMUR reported a 49-year-old man died from carbon monoxide poisoning while trying to heat his camper using a generator. Gov. John Lynch declared a state of emergency and issued a statement, saying, "With rain expected to continue and temperatures expected to drop as the day progresses it is important that the state has all its resources available to manage this situation." Amtrak train service between Albany, New York, and New York City was suspended Friday morning, as was service between Portland, Maine, and Boston, Massachusetts. Ice and wind caused tree limbs to clutter the tracks and work crews could not clear them. Amtrak said it hoped to have service restored by Friday evening rush hour. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning Friday morning, saying that increasing winds and significant amounts of snow and sleet were expected. The deteriorating conditions could result in further damage to trees and power lines, the weather service said. Central Maine Power had 220,000 homes and businesses without electricity, spokesman John Carroll said Friday afternoon. In upstate New York, two utility companies reported that more than 200,000 customers were without power . More than 50,000 Central Hudson Gas & Electric customers in the Hudson River Valley were without power early Friday afternoon, said Denise VanBuren, a spokeswoman for the utility. Mutual aid crews in neighboring areas are spread thin, VanBuren said, so utility officials are requesting help from out-of-state crews, meaning power is not likely to be restored until Sunday or Monday. National Grid in New York reported more than 185,000 customers lost power in 23 counties. The company also had 22,000 customers in New Hampshire and 6,000 in Rhode Island without power. Residents also were having to contend with floods caused by excessive rainfall and blocked storm drains. The power outages raised concerns about the health of senior citizens in Holden, Massachusetts, and Goffstown, New Hampshire. Medical crews in Goffstown evacuated the Villager Nursing Home after the facility lost power. Residents were moved to a nearby middle school, WMUR reported. In Holden, senior citizens requiring oxygen were transported to a local hospital or a makeshift shelter at the town's senior center, according to WCVB. "Stay home if you live in Holden. Don't come to Holden if you work here," Holden Fire Chief Jack Chandler told WCVB. Friday's weather service forecast called for continued snow showers and temperatures below freezing across the Northeast. Snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches were expected.

NEW: At least 1 million without power across four northeastern states . Massachusetts governor tells station it could be days before power is restored . New Hampshire firefighters responding to exploding transformers, station says . Authorities move seniors to safety in Massachusetts, New Hampshire towns .

Washington (CNN) -- Democrats and Republicans narrowly averted a partial shutdown of the federal government Friday night, agreeing on a budget deal and a short-term funding extension little more than an hour before the clock struck midnight and time ran out. The new funding extension, which cuts spending by $2 billion, will last through next Thursday. "The government will be open for business," President Barack Obama said. "In the final hours before our government would have been forced to shut down, leaders in both parties reached an agreement that will allow our small businesses to get the loans they need, our families to get the mortgages they applied for, and hundreds of thousands of Americans to show up at work and take home their paychecks on time." Negotiators capped days of frantic closed-door talks and public recriminations by agreeing on a framework for a package of $38.5 billion in spending cuts covering the rest of the fiscal year, which expires September 30. Republicans, bolstered by their capture of the House of Representatives in last November's midterm elections, had initially pushed for $61 billion in cuts. Opinion: How did we get to brink of shutdown? A GOP push to strip $317 million in federal funding from Planned Parenthood failed. Democrats also turned back Republican attempts to get federal dollars currently set aside for family planning and women's health turned into block grants for states. Such a move would have given governors and state legislatures more ability to cut funding for services opposed by conservatives. Sources told CNN, however, that leaders of the Democratic-controlled Senate agreed to hold separate votes on both measures, as well as on an initiative to repeal President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Lessons learned from past shutdowns . Obama praised the agreement, calling the cuts "painful" but necessary to secure the country's economic future. This "is what the American people expect us to do," the president said at the White House. "That's why they sent us here." "This has been a lot of discussion and a long fight," said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Republicans fought to "create a better environment for job creators in our country." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, called the deal "difficult but important for the country." Nevertheless, the furious down-to-the-wire talks portend even tougher rounds of negotiations when Congress takes up an increase in the nation's debt ceiling and the fiscal year 2012 budget in the months ahead. If the negotiations had failed, approximately 800,000 government workers would have been furloughed. A range of government services would have come to halt. Obama noted earlier in the week that the mechanism of shutting down government operations had already started. An inability to reach a deal would have hurt federal workers, people who rely on government services and the nation's broader economic recovery, he warned. Belief Blog -- My Take: Culture war in budget battle . "For us to go backwards because Washington couldn't get its act together is unacceptable," the president said. Top aides on both sides of the aisle had seemed increasingly resigned to the prospect of a shutdown. Congressional staffers began receiving their furlough notices Thursday afternoon. Friday's agreement to slash $38.5 billion in spending comes on top of two previous funding extensions that included $10 billion in cuts. Republicans, under pressure from the conservative Tea Party movement to reduce the size of government, blame Democrats for failing to pass a fiscal year 2011 budget last year when they controlled both the Senate and the House. They also say Obama and his party are ignoring the peril of rising federal deficits and the national debt. Democrats call the $61 billion in cuts initially pushed by the Republicans extreme, and argue reductions of that scale would have harmed the economic recovery while damaging education and innovation programs essential for continued growth. The budget brinkmanship showed the political stakes of the situation, with both parties trying to depict the other as unwilling to do what's right for the country. It also demonstrated the cavernous gap between the two parties on social issues. Democrats said the Republican drive to defund Planned Parenthood proves the GOP is fixated on abortion and other issues related to women's health. Republicans repeatedly insisted that the size of spending reductions was the main cause of the dispute in recent days. CNN's Dana Bash, Deirdre Walsh, Ted Barrett, John King, Kate Bolduan, Brianna Keilar, Terry Frieden, Ed Henry and Dan Lothian contributed to this report.

NEW: A temporary measure will keep the government funded through next Thursday . NEW: The deal calls for $38.5 billion in spending cuts . NEW: Obama calls the cuts "painful" but necessary .

(CNN) -- "Try to imagine the situation," says Dezso Gyarmati, captain of Hungary's 1956 Olympic water polo team. "A superpower destroys your country with weapons and tanks -- a country that has never asked for that power to be there. And after that revolution is crushed you have to face the representatives of that superpower." The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 became the backdrop to one of the most famous contests in Olympic history, where blood spilled in the sporting arena came to symbolize the bloody struggle of a nation against a brutal oppressor, the former Soviet Union. The events at the Melbourne Games in December that year became known as the "Blood in the Water" match, but when Hungary's water polo team set off for Australia in early November, the possibility of freedom still hung over the streets of Budapest. Mass protests and fighting which erupted on October 23 had died down after a ceasefire was ordered, and Soviet armed forces were beginning their withdrawal. Gyarmati had taken part in the initial rally, leaving the team's training camp in the hills above Budapest to join protestors on the streets. But by the time they set foot on Australian soil, Gyarmati and his teammates were informed of a brutal turn of events as Soviet forces ruthlessly reasserted their grip on the Hungarian capital. More than 2,000 protesters were killed in the fighting, hundreds more were injured and many thousands were forced to flee the country. It proved to be a bloody prelude to a bruising semifinal showdown with the Soviet water polo team. Gyarmati recalls a tough, but generally disciplined match which turned sour in the closing moments when Soviet player Valentin Prokopov elbowed Hungary's star Ervin Zador in the face, cutting him below the eye. "I told (Zador) to get out of the pool," Gyarmati recalled, "but not where he was, but to swim across the pool to the grandstand with 8,000 people. "By the time he'd swum over, the blood had trickled down onto his chest. He looked like he (had come out) from the butcher. The audience exploded." The headline "Cold War violence erupts at Melbourne Olympics" ran the following day in the Sydney Morning Herald, which reported that many spectators left their seats in the stands, shouting abuse and spitting at the Russians. The image of Zador standing poolside, blood streaming down his torso, quickly gained a wider audience. It seized the imagination of a world shocked by the crushing of the Magyar uprising, while offering some crumbs of comfort to a traumatized nation as the Hungarians triumphed 4-0. The team went on to win in the final, beating Yugoslavia 2-1 to claim the nation's fourth Olympic gold in the competition. Zador, who didn't play in the final, never returned to Hungary, instead choosing to settle in the U.S. and become a swimming coach in California. The victory over the Soviets inspired the making of a documentary "Freedom's Fury" and a feature film "Szabadsag, szerelem" ("Children of Glory") both released to mark the 50th anniversary in 2006. The documentary, co-produced by Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino, was narrated by seven-time Olympic champion Mark Spitz, who was coached by Zador as a youngster during the 1960s. The dramatic events in Melbourne form the centerpiece of a rich and proud heritage in the sport which has seen the Hungarians rack up nine Olympic golds, more than twice as many as any other nation. The "Blood in the Water" story continues to inspire and motivate Hungary's modern water polo heroes including Gergely Kiss, who grew up in dying years of communist rule. "Beating the beast, the big enemy was such a great feeling for every Hungarian. It helped so much for the revolution," Kiss said. The 34-year-old was part of the Hungarian team which beat Russian opposition in the final at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, ending a 24-year gold medal drought. Further success followed at Athens in 2004 and in Beijing four years later. Kiss will be aiming for a record fourth straight gold at this year's London Olympics.

Hungary's water polo match with Soviet Union played against backdrop of revolution . Hungary beat Soviets 4-0 in semifinal at Melbourne Olympics in 1956 and went on to take gold . Failed revolution claimed 2,000 lives and created hundreds of thousands of refugees . Hungary is most successful water polo team at Olympics, winning nine gold medals .

(CNN) -- The chairman of one of India's fastest-growing banks, the sister of a Bollywood actor, a Times of India journalist and the chief of India's Anti-Terrorism Squad were among Indians killed in the four-day terrorist siege in Mumbai. National Security Guard troops salute slain commando Gajendra Singh on Saturday in New Delhi, India. Eighteen foreigners, including five Americans, were killed in attacks on nine sites Wednesday through Saturday in India's commercial capital; at least 165 Indians died. Several news outlets reported that Ashok Kapur, chairman of Yes Bank, was killed Wednesday at the Oberoi hotel. He had gone there to have dinner with his wife and some friends, who escaped the carnage, the Indian newspaper Business Standard reported. His body was found not in the restaurant but on the hotel's 19th floor, a bank spokesperson told the paper. Kapur was one of the founders of the bank and held a 12 percent stake in it, Business Standard said. His long banking career included ventures in Singapore and the Netherlands, and he was an adviser to India's wealthy Tata family, the paper reported. Bollywood actor Ashish Chowdhury's sister, Monica Chhabaria, and her husband also were killed Wednesday at the Oberoi, CNN-IBN reported. The actor waited outside the hotel for word of his sister, who he said had stopped answering phone calls after the siege began. Chowdhury has appeared in numerous Indian films. He had a small role in the U.S. film "Fight Club," starring Brad Pitt. The body of Sabina Sehgal Saikia, a Times of India consulting editor and food critic, was recovered Saturday from the Taj hotel, CNN-IBN reported. As the terrorists were seizing control of the hotel, Saikia had sent a text message to hotel employees saying, ''They are in my bathroom,'' CNN-IBN said. She was not heard from again. Hotel staff were also among the many dead. Boris Rego, a management trainee at the Taj Mahal hotel, was killed Thursday, his brother told CNN-IBN. Kevin Rego said his 25-year-old brother was working in the hotel's restaurant when gunmen barged in and opened fire. Boris made several phone calls to his family in Goa, the last one coming in about 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Kevin Rego told CNN-IBN. "There was commotion in the background. All he said was 'Daddy ... Kevin ... Kevin.' Then his voice trailed off, and there was silence," his brother said. The chairman of the company that owns the Taj told said the hotel's general manager lost his family in a fire the broke out in the hotel Wednesday night. "I went up to him today, and he said, 'Sir, we are going to beat this. We are going to build this Taj back into what it was,' " Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata told CNN's Fareed Zakaria. The bodies of Karambir Kang's wife and two children of were burned beyond recognition in the fire, The Times of India reported, citing hotel sources, but it was unclear whether they were killed in the blaze. Thousands turned out Saturday in Mumbai for the funeral of Hemant Karkare, chief of Maharashtra state's Anti-Terrorism Squad, who was shot to death Wednesday as the siege unfolded. He was one of at least 17 police officers who died in the attacks. Karkare's cremation was delayed while his two daughters made their way home from the United States and England, The Times of India reported. A military funeral was held Saturday in Bangalore for Maj. Sandeep Unnikrishnan, a National Security Guard commando who was killed at the Taj hotel, The Times of India reported. iReport.com: Share tributes to those lost . The body of another Security Guard officer, Gajendra Singh, was taken to New Delhi before being transported for last rights in his native Dehradun, The Times reported. He was killed at Mumbai's Chabad House, a Jewish community center where American-born rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his Israeli wife, Rivka, were killed along with another American rabbi, Leibish Teitelbaum. IBN listed the other slain police officers as: .

NEW: Hotel employee, Taj GM's wife and two sons reported dead . Ashok Kapur, chairman of Yes Bank, reported killed at Oberoi Hotel . Body of Sabina Sehgal Saikia, Times of India consulting editor, found . Hemant Karkare, chief of Anti-Terrorism Squad, among 17 police killed .

(CNN) -- Sandwiched between Hong Kong and Shenzhen -- two of the world's busiest metropolises -- lies a Cold War-era anomaly: a 26 square kilometer green zone that is home to isolated villages, fishponds and flocks of migratory birds. Little more than 50m to the north, beyond the mesh fence and barbed wire that mark the border between mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the skyscrapers of Shenzhen loom incongruously over the wetlands and vegetable patches of the Frontier Closed Area. Established in 1951 after the Korean War placed colonial Hong Kong in the frontline of a U.N. embargo against the People's Republic of China, the buffer zone was created to stop illegal immigrants, smugglers and spies. Sixty years later and the Frontier Closed Area has long since passed its useful life, leaving behind a natural habitat largely untouched by humans and some of the most valuable undeveloped real estate in the world. Last month, the Hong Kong government launched the first stage of a large-scale reduction in the area of the zone, allowing public access to 740 hectares of the 2,800 hectare cordon. Previously, tourists and non-residents needed permits to enter the zone and the estimated 9,500 people living inside the area were required to flash special passes to take transport into the frontier area. While the move represents a further step in the integration of Hong Kong -- until 1997 a British colony -- with mainland China, at a local level a spat is brewing over the future use of the valuable stretch of land. Villagers from Lin Ma Hang, a hamlet of little more than 150 people which will remain within the closed area until 2015, claim the government's plan to turn the area into a "green buffer" will interfere with their right to develop property they have owned for generations. While the rest of Hong Kong is riding a boom, property prices in the Frontier Closed Area have been depressed for decades. As the temperature of the debate ramps up, Lin Ma Hang residents have told Hong Kong government meetings they will fight land use plans for the Frontier Closed Area in the same way they fought and resisted the Japanese during the war. Lin Ma Hang village chief Yip Wah-ching told local media the residents of the zone are not against plans for a green heritage zone, but he believed there should be plenty of room for tourism-related projects. "After our section of the FCA is fully opened to the public, we hope the government will step forward and give us the necessary support for tourism and agricultural development," he told China Daily. Under a feasibility study undertaken by the Hong Kong Planning Department, with the help of global engineering giants ARUP, the government envisages a public-private partnership to create a combined conservation and eco-tourism zone involving low-density private residential and passive recreation development. While the study does not envisage large-scale development in the zone, it does not rule it out in the future depending on Hong Kong's population and economic pressures. Already conservationists have expressed concern over the fate of wetlands in the zone which make up part of the East Asian-Australasian flyway -- a corridor for migratory birds. As many as 10 species of globally endangered birds use this wetlands, according to conservation group Birdlife International. While half the wetlands fall within the protected area of the Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay nature reserve, the other half is in part of the Frontier Closed Area that could be earmarked for development. Ecologists fear that if the integrity of the continuous habitat is interrupted, the whole system could be under threat. Conservation manager at the World Wildlife Fund, Alan Leung, says the pressure from land-hungry Hong Kong -- which has some of the highest land and property prices in the world -- means any conservation programs for the area would need to be strongly policed. In the past, Hong Kong developers have used illegal tactics such as tree-felling, landfill and land excavation to degrade land, later lodging development applications that claim the area had little or no conservation value. "Our biggest concern is unauthorized development," Leung told CNN. "Much of this area is out of sight of the general public. It's very difficult for the government to monitor it."

Hong Kong's border with China includes a 26sq km land zone, the Frontier Closed Area . The Cold War-era zone has been largely untouched by humans since the 1950s . The Hong Kong government has recently opened up a portion of the closed area to the public . Conservationists fear developers could encroach on the zone which is home to migratory birds .

(CNN) -- As each of the Republican candidates claims victory of one kind or another -- having beaten the others, having beaten expectations, having beaten odds or some combination of all three -- and heads eastward for another contest, some thanks are in order. To the people of Iowa. Every four years, presidential candidates descend upon the small, unassuming state to make their case. They do so for months on end, glad-handing farmers and old folk and insurance salesmen in each of the state's 99 counties, delivering variants of the same stump speech as if its contents had just occurred to them. Over bacon breakfasts and Sunday sermons, these candidates parade their policy positions, personal histories, moral convictions and leadership styles. And then come early January, as just happened today, party activists around the state render their judgment, and thereby establish an important precedent for the primary season to follow. Every four years, one also can count on a bevy of political observers to bemoan this state of affairs. Why should such extraordinary responsibility be vested in one small state? And particularly one that is a great deal whiter, rural and less educated than the rest of the union? Stephen Bloom took on the question of "why-Iowa?" in a controversial article for The Atlantic last month, in which he referred to a "schizophrenic" and "culturally challenged" state, home to some of the "wackiest" congressmen and "scuzziest" towns in the nation, where the only reason to own a dog is "to track and bag animals you want to stuff, mount, or eat." Given the clear importance of early wins in presidential campaigns, it seems patently nuts to abide a primary and caucus schedule that begins with a population whose interests in ethanol subsidies would appear to rival their concerns for national defense. Again, Stephen Bloom: "How screwy it is that a place like Iowa gets to choose -- before anyone else -- the person who may become the next leader of the free world." Shouldn't the residents of larger, more diverse states, such as Florida, New York, Texas or California, be given the job of vetting our presidents? No. And for two reasons. First, it is precisely because of Iowa's size and community organization that less well-known, and hence less well-funded, candidates can gain traction in presidential campaigns. Though the contents of their war chests are not irrelevant—just ask Tim Pawlenty—they are not the only relevant factor. For this brief interlude in presidential politics, electoral fortunes depend as much upon the establishment of personal connections and acquisition of key endorsements as on expensive ad buys, which helps explain why Ron Paul and Rick Santorum, who spent little money but lots of time in Iowa, managed to keep pace with the mighty Mitt Romney and his deep Superpac reserves. Were the primary season to begin with New York, the only candidates worth monitoring would be those who, roughly 18 months before the Democratic and Republican conventions even are held, have the wherewithal to blanket the state with television and radio advertising . And this leads to the second reason why our nation benefits from having Iowa -- and then the likes of New Hampshire (population 1.3 million) and South Carolina (population 4.5 million) -- lead off. To generate momentum in these states, presidential candidates must speak directly to actual voters in these small states. Far and away the most time that candidates (and later presidents) spend engaging actual voters, listening to their policy preferences, concerns and struggles, occurs in the months that precede these early caucuses and primaries. If you lament the amounts of money spent in presidential campaigns (amounts that will only increase in the post-Citizens United era) or the intellectual poverty of televised debates between presidential candidates, then you should applaud the good people of Iowa. For months at a stretch, they scrutinize the candidates in their homes, diners, meeting halls and churches. For before long, some of these same candidates will be swept up into much larger, more exclusive venues. Could other small states perform the same service for the nation? Of course. Could they do it better than Iowa? I doubt it. And regardless, it is because the residents of Iowa engage these presidential candidates as much, and as well, as they do -- inviting not just the candidates themselves into daily activities, but the national electorate as well -- that some gratitude is owed. So thanks Iowa. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of William Howell.

William Howell says now that Iowa caucus over, we should thank patient people of Iowa . He says some might pick a bigger, diverse, representative state for first caucus . But he says Iowa allows candidates equal time, no matter their campaign coffers . Howell: In Iowa, candidates make their case up close, impossible in populous states .

(CNN) -- A lawmaker's remarks at a roast for Sheriff Joe Arpaio made audience members chuckle and applaud. But critics of the controversial Arizona sheriff say they aren't laughing. Comments made by state Rep. John Kavanagh, they say, were racist jokes that used Latinos as the punchline. The tumult comes after the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization that has criticized Arpaio in the past, posted audio recordings from the recent roast on its website. "Sheriff Joe is the kind of guy that you gotta love, as long as you have papers," Kavanagh quips in the recording. "Going out with Joe is always an adventure," he continues, "because usually when we walk into a restaurant, most of the waitstaff and cooks dive out the back window, and when they don't, I never know what the hell's in my food." It's comments like that, the law center claims, that show why conservatives have a hard time connecting with Latinos. "There is a fundamental lack of respect," the center said. Kavanagh declined CNN's interview request. But in a written statement, he called the Southern Poverty Law Center's post a personal attack. "The jokes I made at the Sheriff Joe Arpaio Roast, at his invitation, were satirical comedy. The jokes were not directed at minority group members but at the target of the roast -- Sheriff Arpaio. The jokes were jabs against the sheriff based upon allegations of his department's engaging in racial profiling," Kavanagh said. "The Southern Poverty Law Center edited out selected portions of a much longer roast on many topics not related to racial profiling. The humor was typical of roasts and had I made the same jokes against Sheriff Arpaio at their annual dinner, I suspect that they would have been laughing as much as this audience laughed. Likewise, had these jokes been made on a TV comedy or variety show, there would also be no controversy." Kavanagh, a Republican, was a major supporter of Arizona's just-vetoed religious freedom bill and also supported its 2010 law cracking down on illegal immigration. The clip posted online included about six minutes excerpted from remarks that lasted around 20 minutes at the roast. In his roast, Kavanagh also joked about Arpaio's age and other topics, including singer Justin Bieber's legal problems. Arpaio, who calls himself America's toughest sheriff, told CNN there's no basis for allegations that Kavanagh is racist. "It was a roast. John Kavanagh's my friend. I support him. He's not a racist. He's very funny," Arpaio said. "So, he made these comments, I can't speak whether he went too far." The sheriff accused people criticizing the roast of having a double standard. "Everybody's talking about him. What about all the activists and the civil rights (groups) that called me Nazi and Hitler? For four years, they've been doing that, on street corners and everywhere else," he said. "Why isn't there an uproar about going after me, calling me every name in the book? Why are they worried about just some roast?" Last year, a federal court in Phoenix ruled that Arpaio's handling of people of Latino descent was not tough enforcement of immigration laws but instead amounted to racial and ethnic profiling. The judge later ordered a federal monitor to keep tabs on Arpaio's office and make sure officers weren't racially profiling anymore. The monitor was also a subject of jokes during Kavanagh's roast. "It's OK. I'm not the federal monitor," he said. "How many Hispanics did you pull over on the way over here, Arpaio, huh?" Arpaio's tough, headline-grabbing punishments have earned him diehard supporters and fiery opponents. He's issued pink underwear to the men detained in the county's jails and said he is saving taxpayers money by removing salt and pepper from prison meals. In January, Arpaio said inmates who allegedly defaced American flags placed in their jail cells would be punished with a diet of bread and water. CNN's Ana Cabrera, Gustavo Valdes, Brooke Baldwin, Faith Karimi and Ben Brumfield contributed to this report.

Rep. John Kavanagh is under fire after remarks at a roast for Sheriff Joe Arpaio . Critics say his jokes were racist and used Latinos as the punchline . Kavanagh says the jokes were "satirical comedy" aimed at Arpaio . A civil rights group says they show conservatives don't respect Latinos .

(CNN) -- To call myself a true ginger is rather an insult to all the legitimate redheads of the world. You know, the super shiny ones you carefully hide from your children. "Mommy, what is that?" "Nothing, dear. Just a horrible genetic mutation." "Can we keep it?" But, alas, I am one of them. I am a ginger. To be fair, my hair (what's left of it) is really more of a light brown with gentle hints of crimson. However, in a pinch, my beard can definitely be used as a warning beacon for low-flying aircraft. "Jim, shouldn't that bright red light be wearing pants?" Thus, while they'll never elect me King Ginger of the Pale, I'm definitely one among the people. Which is why I felt a certain amount of solidarity as I kept reading about the more than 100 redheads who recently marched in Edinburgh, Scotland, during the city's annual Fringe Festival. The UK's first Ginger Pride Walk was actually orchestrated by a Canadian comedian named Shawn Hitchins, who said, "Although it isn't a real word, 'gingerism' exists, and bullying exists. ... Kids are being subjected to taunts or being bullied in schools just for having red hair." So they marched through the streets of Scotland's capital, stretching out like a soulless, human laser pointer. Despite the serious tone set by Hitchins, the event was, of course, organized to be fun. After all, if anyone knows how to have a good time, it's someone who can't go out in direct sunlight. "Woo! Party over here! In the gazebo! C'mon, guys! Woo! Wear long sleeves! Woo!" As the red-haired masses marched down the street, some held positive signs saying "IT GETS REDDER" and "GINGER AND PROUD." Though, one little girl warned, "DON'T MAKE ME MAD OR I WILL GINGER SNAP." I see what she did there. Of course, Edinburgh was the perfect place to hold such an event. While the worldwide percentage of natural redheads is only about 1% to 2%, in Scotland, it's somewhere closer to 13%. Which is still pretty low. And some people think those numbers may get even lower. In 2007, National Geographic suggested that, eventually, gingers might actually become extinct. Perhaps as soon as 2060. While many disagreed with this prediction, it certainly didn't help that, in 2011, the world's largest sperm bank stopped accepting donations from gingers for lack of demand. Aaaaaaand there goes my retirement plan. Nevertheless, Hitchins has been encouraged by all the support he's received in his efforts to raise ginger awareness. Especially online. Naturally, then, I was curious what kind of resources were out there on the Web for my people. So, I did a little researching ... and mostly came up with links for fetish porn. Though, in retrospect, perhaps I shouldn't have Googled "dirty redheads." But two hours later I finally got back on track and discovered a couple legitimate support sites such as Redhead-World.net and RedheadandProud.com. I even found several dating options like HotForGinger.com. "I really like your profile. What's your SPF?" So there's plenty of love and support out there for us pale-skinned, red-headed folks who need a little extra encouragement. Still, it's kind of a bummer that some kids get teased just for being ginger. I was never THAT red, so I really don't know what it's like. But I'm sure it sucks, and hopefully these bullies will grow out of it and come to realize that freckles are awesome! But, until then, if any gingers in the world need an extra boost of confidence, just remember this: Axl Rose is a redhead. And so are Conan O'Brien and Bonnie Raitt, and Willie Nelson and, apparently, Genghis Khan. (But Carrot Top doesn't count. Because I said so.) I applaud Hitchins and his Ginger Pride Walk. And maybe next year I'll be there in person to cheer them on. From a shaded, safe distance. I'll be in the gazebo. Follow Jarrett Bellini on Twitter.

Redheads marched in Edinburgh, Scotland, for the UK's first Ginger Pride Walk . The event was started by a Canadian comedian named Shawn Hitchins . The event took place during Fringe Festival and aimed to raise awareness of 'gingerism'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. troops routinely face the threat of roadside bombs while fighting insurgencies in Afghanistan. They need the most protective clothing the market can bear, and they're getting it -- for now. North Carolina State University College of Textiles tests the flammability of different materials at this facility. Back home, a battle is brewing in Congress over the next lucrative contract for military uniforms. The issue boils down to the raw fiber used in their construction. Current uniforms are made in the United States, in Georgia, using a fabric called Defender M made by the TenCate company. It is favored by the military for its fire-resistant and breathable properties. But the fabric is made with a type of rayon imported from Austria, which normally would violate the military's buy-American requirement. This specific rayon cannot be produced in the United States for environmental reasons, so Congress passed an amendment allowing it to be temporarily imported. The extension expires, or "sunsets," in 2013, but that year's defense budget is being determined now. The idea of the sunset is to give U.S. manufacturers time to come up with a comparable product. At stake: a defense contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars. American competitors have submitted alternatives, but after independent testing at North Carolina State University College of Textiles, the Defense Department concluded that TenCate's Defender M -- with its foreign-made fibers -- is the most flame-resistant. Dr. Roger Barker, who specializes in clothing flammability at the College of Textiles, conducted a demonstration for CNN. Based on his testing, the Army says Defender M resists fire the longest of other fabrics. "What the new heat-resistant materials are able to do is add seconds of protection, so that seconds of protection can be the difference between a severe burn or a survival burn," Barker said. "Life and death," echoes Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Georgia, regarding those extra seconds of fire protection. He asked the Senate to extend the waiver. "So long as it's the best available in the world to protect our soldiers, we absolutely ought to maximize the use," Isakson told CNN. "There is no American competitor that can meet or exceed it," Isakson said on the Senate floor. "Obviously if there were, then that waiver would go away." The U.S. Army's uniform procurer says soldiers prefer TenCate's product. "They have consistently exceeded our expectations. This has proven to be a valuable fabric and well-received by our soldiers," Jeff Myhre told CNN. In a letter to CNN, a top military official said the ability to procure the foreign rayon "a valuable authority." "Our periodic review of rayon requirements within the Military Services and testing of alternative items that are available domestically continue to support the determination that satisfactory quality and sufficient quantity of rayon yarn conforming to the domestic source requirements cannot be procured as needed," wrote Ashton Carter, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology & logistics. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, opposed Isakson's amendment, debating on the Senate floor that it "permanently extends this waiver and will end all efforts to produce a domestic material to make military uniforms." Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, agrees with Graham that U.S. companies won't have an incentive to invest in research and development. He says the exception was supposed to be temporary, and "favors foreign suppliers of rayon over our own American companies." He argued on the Senate floor that in due time, U.S. companies would be able to demonstrate an ability to manufacture materials that meet Army requirements. He's also worried about jobs. "Some companies, like DuPont, for example, have already lost hundreds of jobs owing to their inability to compete for Army contracts," he said. The Senate voted, and the nays had it. No extension, no more imports of this fabric as of 2013. What next? The House of Representatives is expected to take up the bill when members return from the August recess. Isakson is confident his argument will prevail. "Facts are stubborn things. I think when the facts get out they'll understand it's the right thing to do. Our armed forces want it and it's the best thing for our soldiers," he said. Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence contributed to this report.

Uniforms made in Georgia by TenCate company, using a fabric called Defender M . It is favored by the military for its fire-resistant and breathable properties . Fabric uses rayon from Austria, which normally violates buy-American requirement . Amendment at issue would continue to allow special rayon to be imported .

Milwaukee (CNN) -- While there is a short-term and potential electoral edge in Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate, it is politically risky and violates what should be the guiding principle in choosing a vice-presidential nominee: "First, do no harm." In the end, the choice may do more harm than good. The son of a lawyer, Ryan was born and raised in Janesville, a city in the southern Wisconsin. His working-class credentials include driving an Oscar Mayer wiener truck. Ryan's rise in state politics began improbably in 1998 when at the age of 28 he handily won the open seat contest for Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District in what was an otherwise disastrous year for the Republican Party. Opinion: Paul Ryan and Gen X GOP . There is no doubt that Ryan is charismatic, resilient and sharp. When he was a teenager, his father, like his grandfather and great-grandfather, died of a heart attack in his 50s. As a result, Ryan has shown a consistent dedication to physical health. In early mornings in Washington, he leads lawmakers through regimented workouts. The man is driven. His swift ascent in the nation's capital as one of the most promising young leaders of the GOP was cemented in part by his highly touted "Path to Prosperity" budget plan. But in his home state, it is not clear how much Wisconsinites know about him since he has never held statewide office. As Romney slightly trails Obama in Wisconsin, perhaps Ryan could improve Romney's chance of winning over the voters. A survey of Wisconsin voters from the middle of July tested the impact of adding Ryan to the ticket and found that doing so would cut a six-point Obama lead to just a one-point lead. It's hard to predict the overall statewide impact on Election Day. Wisconsin is not a solidly Democratic or Republican state; it is a sharply divided, very middle-of-the-road part of the country. Democratic candidates have carried Wisconsin — sometimes by the slimmest of margins — since 1988. Historically, it isn't clear that the choice of a vice president matters very much at all. It seems significant when the decision is made, but the top of the ticket is what voters care about. The things that make people like or dislike Romney — their own partisan and ideological predispositions, their perceptions of economic conditions, their level of satisfaction with the direction of the country — are likely to also determine how they feel about Ryan. The impact of the Ryan pick -- whether positive or negative as we will soon find out -- will only be worth a few points in either direction on the national stage. Given how close the election is, any major decisions made by either of the campaigns could be decisive. One of the upsides of the Ryan pick is that it changes the campaign narrative. Romney has been taking a beating in the last few weeks. He desperately needs to shift attention in a new direction. Since the choice of a conservative firebrand like Ryan will be viewed as a daring choice, Romney may see a temporary boost to his campaign. Unquestionably, Ryan will help Romney solidify support with staunch members of the GOP. Most of them would have supported Romney in the end regardless, but Romney wanted to assure them that he is reliable and ideologically aligned to the Republican base. Opinion: Ryan will shift the campaign dynamic . But a serious downside to a Romney-Ryan ticket may be Ryan's specific policy ideas. Widely lauded in conservative circles, Ryan's budget plan will become front and center in the campaign. This is especially true for the fundamental restructuring of Medicare as proposed in the plan. Medicare and Social Security are typically viewed as the "third rail" of American politics, and presidential candidates have historically shied away from proposing sweeping changes to these programs. By choosing Ryan, Romney all but guaranteed that these hot-button issues would become fodder for the Obama campaign, which will present a contrasting vision of entitlement programs for Americans. It's treacherous waters to step into. Romney has come clean about his conservative loyalties in selecting Ryan. It is worth keeping in mind, however, that this election will probably be determined by factors that have little to do with the vice presidential candidates. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Thomas M. Holbrook.

Thomas Holbrook: It's not certain how much Paul Ryan can help Mitt Romney . Holbrook: In his home state, most Wisconsinites don't really know him . He says Democratic candidates have carried Wisconsin since 1988 . Holbrook: Ryan's budget plan will push Romney's campaign to address thorny issues .

(CNN) -- A professional rugby league player has been jailed for two years for a drunken assault in Sydney, amid national soul-searching over the prevalence of alcohol-fueled violence in Australian society. Russell Packer, a former New Zealand representative who plays for the Newcastle Knights in Australia's National Rugby League, attacked the victim during a night out drinking in Sydney's CBD in November, stomping on the man's face as he lay motionless. The severity of Monday's sentence apparently came as a surprise, with Australia media reporting that Packer's lawyer, Murugan Thangaraj, told the judge that he had no idea jail time was being considered. Packer's long-time mentor, former player David Lomax, speculated to Fairfax Media that the 24-year-old's "harsh" sentence may have been a reaction to public concern over recent high-profile street assaults. The most recent victim, 18-year-old Daniel Christie, was critically injured after being punched in the face in Sydney's King Cross nightlife district on New Year's Eve. The assault, which left him in a coma with a fractured skull, occurred close to the spot where another 18-year-old, Thomas Kelly, was killed with a single punch in July 2012. Kelly's death drew public attention to the potential damage wreaked by "king hits" -- a term widely used in Australian media for single, devastating punches -- and prompted the New South Wales state government to move to introduce a new "one punch" law, that will remove the legal requirement to prove assailants know a blow will kill in order to secure a conviction. The recent assault on Christie has sparked calls from doctors, politicians and victims' families for a concerted effort to tackle the problem of street violence, including an overhaul of Australian society's relationship with alcohol -- and its close association with sporting culture. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has weighed into the debate, urging police and the courts "to absolutely throw the book at people who perpetrate this kind of gratuitous, unprovoked violence" during an interview with an Australian radio station. He said the trend reflected the "rise of the disturbed individual." Steve Hambleton, the president of the Australian Medical Association, told CNN that changing habits of alcohol consumption was essential to tackling street violence. "Australia seriously needs to think about its culture, that alcohol is connected next to nearly every gathering that occurs," he said. "You would be forgiven for thinking you can't be successful in life, you can't be successful with the opposite sex, you can't be a successful sportsperson unless you drink." He said the current regime for the responsible service of alcohol had "failed," with "too many intoxicated people being served alcohol." Potential solutions included introducing early closing times, restricting the number of alcohol licenses and implementing "no re-entry" policies in hotspots for violence, as well examining the relationship between alcohol and sport. "All our youth are exposed to enormous amounts of alcohol advertising through sport," he said. The acting leader of the Australian Greens, Richard Di Natale, called for a Senate inquiry into the promotion and advertising of alcohol. "We need to have a close look at how the promotion of alcohol is contributing to a culture of drinking in this country that is unhealthy and dangerous," said Di Natale, a former drug and alcohol clinician. "Perversely linking healthy pursuits like cricket and football with alcohol through sponsorship and alcohol advertising is the dark side of Australian sport." Christie's family said even the widespread term "king hit" should be abandoned. "We don't agree with the popular term 'king hit,'" read a statement from the family. "We have heard it referred to as a coward punch, which seems more appropriate." New South Wales Police Minister Michael Gallacher said there was "no silver bullet for alcohol-fueled violence," but that initiatives rolled out in recent years had seen assaults in Kings Cross drop 33% last summer. "We will continue to work with NSW Police to curb alcohol-related violence, but individuals also need to take responsibility for their actions," he said. Packer has launched an appeal of his sentence, which will be heard on February 11. His lawyer, Thangaraj, did not return calls to CNN. Another National Rugby League player, Reni Maitua, is currently facing assault charges after a night out in Kings Cross in November.

Rugby league player Russell Packer was jailed for a late night assault in Sydney . His mentor believes the "harsh" sentence reflects public concern over drunken street violence . An 18-year-old is in a coma after being punched in Sydney on New Year's Eye . Many public figures are calling for an overhaul of Australia's relationship with alcohol .

(CNN)The nominations for the 21st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards are in. On Wednesday morning, "The Fault In Our Stars" actor/DJ Ansel Elgort and fellow multihyphenate Eva Longoria revealed the latest round of actors who are in contention for SAG honors. The awards show, which airs on CNN sister networks TBS and TNT, is the only televised ceremony that exclusively recognizes acting performances. Take a look at the list of nominees and let us know who you think will win. Motion Picture Nominees . Outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture . "Birdman""Boyhood""The Grand Budapest Hotel""The Imitation Game""The Theory of Everything" Outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role . Steve Carell, "Foxcatcher"Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game"Jake Gyllenhaal,"Nightcrawler"Michael Keaton, "Birdman"Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything" Outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role . Jennifer Aniston, "Cake"Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"Reese Witherspoon, "Wild" Outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role . Robert Duvall, "The Judge"Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood"Edward Norton, "Birdman"Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcatcher"J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash" Outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role . Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game"Emma Stone, "Birdman"Meryl Streep, "Into the Woods"Naomi Watts, "St. Vincent" Television nominees . Outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or miniseries . Adrien Brody, "Houdini" Benedict Cumberbatch, "Sherlock: His Last Vow"Richard Jenkins, "Olive Kitteridge"Mark Ruffalo, "The Normal Heart"Billy Bob Thornton, "Fargo" Outstanding performance by a female actor in a television movie or miniseries . Ellen Burstyn, "Flowers in the Attic"Maggie Gyllenhaal, "The Honorable Woman"Frances McDormand, "Olive Kitteridge"Julia Roberts, "The Normal Heart"Cicely Tyson, "The Trip to Bountiful" Outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series . Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones"Woody Harrelson, "True Detective"Matthew McConaughey, "True Detective"Kevin Spacey, "House of Cards" Outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series (six nominees due to tie) Claire Danes, "Homeland"Viola Davis, "How to Get Away with Murder"Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"Tatiana Maslany, "Orphan Black"Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey"Robin Wright, "House of Cards" Outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series . Ty Burrell, "Modern Family"Louis C.K., "Louie"William H. Macy, "Shameless"Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"Eric Stonestreet, "Modern Family" Outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series . Uzo Aduba, "Orange Is the New Black"Julie Bowen, "Modern Family"Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation" Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series . "Boardwalk Empire""Downton Abbey""Game of Thrones""Homeland""House of Cards" Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series . "The Big Bang Theory""Brooklyn Nine-Nine""Modern Family""Orange is the New Black""Veep" The 21st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will air simultaneously on TNT and TBS at 8 p.m. ET on January 25.

Nominees are announced for 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards . Ansel Elgort and Eva Longoria did the honors . The winners will be revealed January 25 .

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Lindsay Lohan checked into a California rehab center early Friday, ending -- at least for now -- a drama that has had more twists and turns than a high-speed car chase. Shawn Holley, the lawyer who guided Lohan through years of legal turmoil until the actress abruptly fired her in January, helped her avoid jail once again by brokering a deal, her father told CNN Friday. "I am so thankful to Shawn Holley and Evan Haney, her manager, for doing this," Michael Lohan said. While he wouldn't name the California facility his daughter entered, he noted it is a rehab program she's been in before. The actress underwent three months of court-ordered substance abuse rehab at the Betty Ford Clinic at the end of 2010, but she was in legal trouble again weeks later -- facing a shoplifting charge that led to her current woes. Lohan, 26, "wants to settle in" for a few days while arrangements can be made to transfer her to the Lukens Institute in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, which bills itself as a "luxury rehab center," Michael Lohan said. "The Lukens Institute is where she wanted to go all along -- a place she will get the right treatment and finally get better," Michael Lohan said. Santa Monica City Attorney Terry White, who must approve any transfer, has not responded to CNN calls for comment. The actress was supposed to start a 90-day stint in a "lockdown" rehab center Thursday, an alternative to a three-month jail term for two misdemeanor convictions and a shoplifting probation violation finding in March. But she abruptly left the Southern California facility where she had gone Thursday morning because "she was not happy with the place," her father said. Michael Lohan said he was not happy with it either because of the revelation that the facility -- Morningside Recovery in Newport Beach -- can't provide alcohol and drug rehab treatments because California officials revoked its license. "If a 24-hour residential facility is providing treatment or services to promote the recovery of alcohol and drug abuse then they must possess a license," said Millicent Tidwell, deputy director for the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. None of Morningside's several locations in California are licensed, Tidwell said. The company previously had three licenses, but all were revoked. The state's licensing agency is in litigation with Morningside's unlicensed Newport Beach facility, she said. It's unclear whether Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Dabney knew Morningside was unlicensed when Lohan's lawyer, Mark Heller, informed him in court Thursday morning that she would spend her rehab sentence there. White objected at Thursday's hearing, saying Heller didn't get prior approval for Lohan to go to Morningside. White said he needed time to investigate it. "Lindsay had no idea that Morningside wasn't approved," Michael Lohan said. Heller has not respond to several CNN requests for comment. The judge ordered the treatment after Lohan entered pleas of no contest on charges relating to a traffic accident and, with those convictions, she was found in violation of her shoplifting probation. Her six years of legal troubles trace back to two drunken driving arrests in 2007 and include other incidents in which she was behind the wheel. Lohan was charged with reckless driving and lying to a police officer about a June 2012 car crash in which her Porsche hit a dump truck on the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, California. Her arrest triggered the probation violation charge. The police report said Lohan denied being behind the wheel, but the prosecutor was expected to call witnesses who say she was driving. Lindsay Lohan acknowledged her drug and alcohol addiction in past court appearances. She's spent 250 days in five rehab facilities since January 2007, including one long court-ordered stint after a failed drug test. The actress has appeared in court at least 20 times before four Los Angeles judges who have now found her in violation of probation six times and sentenced her to a total of nine months in jail. Lohan has spent about two weeks behind bars in six trips to the Los Angeles County jail, served 35 days under house arrest and worked about 67 days of community service at the county morgue.

NEW: The lawyer Lindsay Lohan fired in January returns to help her avoid jail again . NEW: The actress faced jail unless she entered rehab . Lohan abruptly left another rehab center Thursday . The actress must spent 90 days in rehab, a judge ordered .

(CNN) -- As Britain continues to celebrate Andy Murray's Wimbledon title, things aren't going quite as well for Roger Federer. Federer, who owns a men's record 17 grand slam titles, slumped to his lowest world ranking in 10 years when the new standings were released Monday. The Swiss dropped from third to fifth in the aftermath of his upset loss in the second round to Sergiy Stakhovsky at Wimbledon, matching the ranking he last held in June 2003 when he wasn't yet a grand slam winner. Federer, a month away from his 32nd birthday, responded to the defeat by entering a pair of smaller clay court tournaments in Europe in a bid to reverse fortunes. He is sixth in the calendar-year points standings, with the top eight earning a berth at the year-end championships in London. Federer will play at next week's German Tennis Championships in Hamburg before contesting the Swiss Open in Gstaad the following week. "I'm really looking forward to playing in front of my home fans in Gstaad this summer," Federer told his website this month. "I have got a lot of great memories of the tournament in the mountains of Switzerland." Federer last played in Gstaad in 2004, winning the event for the only time. He lost his first four matches there before reaching the final in 2003 a week after his maiden grand slam triumph at Wimbledon. While Federer frets over his drop in the rankings, man of the moment Murray is very much on the up. He has spectacularly recovered -- with the help of coach Ivan Lendl -- from losing his first four grand slam finals and in the 2011 semifinals at Wimbledon to Rafael Nadal when he was firmly in control. He has now captured two of the last three grand slam tournaments he has competed in and replaced Federer as the world's best grass court player, having also claimed Olympic gold at Wimbledon in 2012 and a Wimbledon warm-up in London last month. "Under pressure right now Andy has two majors and a gold medal," his coach Ivan Lendl told British newspaper the Telegraph as he reflected on Murray's Wimbledon victory over Novak Djokovic on Sunday. "Novak is a great player, don't get me wrong. He has had a phenomenal last 12 months, basically since the start of 2011, so the rankings look at all of that. "[But] if somebody has two majors and an Olympic gold medal, and everybody else has only one major . . ." Lendl added, before tailing off. "Everybody can make their own opinion on that." When the Scot downed world No. 1 Djokovic in straight sets in Sunday's final, it ended a 77-year wait for a British men's singles champion at tennis' most prestigious tournament. Murray said Monday that he only had one-hour of sleep after his victory -- and that he didn't want to go to sleep at all because he thought when he woke up it would all be a dream. The Queen was one of those to congratulate Murray and he is being tipped to receive knighthood. The Scot's last loss on grass was to Federer in the 2012 Wimbledon final. "I didn't always think it was going to happen," said Murray of his Wimbledon conquest. "I didn't doubt myself so much after last year's final. "It was the best I'd recovered from a grand slam loss. Maybe a couple of years ago when I lost in the semis to Rafa when I was up a set, maybe a break as well or had break points, and didn't get that, that was a tough, tough one for me." And Murray said he doesn't expect his motivation to dip after his historic fortnight at Wimbledon. "I hope I don't lose hunger -- I think I should be able to use this as motivation," said the Scot. "I know what it's like losing in a Wimbledon final, and I know what it's like winning one. And it's a lot better winning. "I just need to make sure I don't get side-tracked by anything."

After losing in the second round at Wimbledon, Roger Federer drops to fifth in the rankings . The 17-time grand slam champion hasn't been that low since June 2003 . Federer, unusually for him, is set to play in two clay-court tournaments this month . Federer's slide comes as Britain basks in Andy Murray's Wimbledon title success .

(CNN) -- A rebel group that fought the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo for nearly two years announced Tuesday it would disarm. In a statement on the Facebook page for M23, leader Bertrand Bisimwa said the group would immediately end its rebellion and "pursue, by purely political means, a search for solutions to the profound issues that led to its creation." The move came a day after the group and the Congolese government agreed to a ceasefire, during talks in South Africa. Previous talks took place in Uganda. "To this effect, the major general and all unit commanders of the of the Congolese Revolutionary Army are asked to prepare the troops for the disarmament process," Bisimwa's statement added. "This is a hopeful first step toward peace and prosperity in this region," said Russ Feingold, the U.S. special envoy to the Congo and the Great Lakes region. He predicted that the agreements could be signed "in the next few days." But, he told CNN's Christiane Amanpour from Johannesburg, South Africa, "no one should mistake this as the final solution to this problem." He noted that dozens of armed groups fighting over complex issues have killed more than 5 million people in the past two decades in the region. "We need a broader political dialogue to solve that," he said. Feingold urged that amnesty not be granted to those who committed war crimes or crimes against humanity, but said he hoped that the "vast majority" of M23 members would be able to reintegrate into Congolese life. The Congolese government called the move a "step in the right direction" which came after rebel forces were defeated in their last strongholds by Congolese army and security forces. A government spokesman said the rebel group and government officials would eventually sign an 11-point declaration, according to a statement on the website of the state-run Congolese Press Agency. However, the spokesman said, the declaration would only be signed after the government could be certain that M23 members were taking the ceasefire and disarmament plan seriously. The announcement by M23's leader came as a spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said in a statement Tuesday that 10,000 people had fled in recent days across DRC's eastern border at Bunagana into southwest Uganda's Kisoro district, a direct result of fighting between M23 and government troops. On Monday, the U.N. group transported 3,624 refugees from the border to the Nyakabande transit center, which is located 23 kilometers away. They represent the largest number in a day since the fighting between the government and M23 began in April 2012, the statement said. Other refugees were walking to the center, where 8,230 people were staying on Tuesday. The center has a capacity of 10,000, it added. "Many of the new arrivals are suffering from dehydration and diarrhea," it said. More than half of the new arrivals were young children, many of whom had been separated from their parents while running from the border, it said. In late October, a U.N. peacekeeper was killed during fighting between Congolese forces and M23 rebels, according to a United Nations statement. The Tanzanian peacekeeper was part the U.N. Organization Stabilization Mission in the eastern part of the vast Central African nation. The mission was joining the Congolese military in an effort to protect civilians about 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Goma, the largest city in the region, the statement said. Rebels briefly held Goma a year ago. The eastern part of the DRC is a mineral-rich region at the epicenter of a bloody political and ethnic conflict involving its neighbors to the east, Uganda and Rwanda. Clashes in the region over the past year between the M23 rebel group and Congolese government troops have displaced more than 100,000 people, according to the U.N. M23 is named for a March 23, 2009, agreement it accuses the government of having violated. The soldiers, mostly from the Tutsi ethnic group, became part of the national army through that accord. However, they broke away from the Congolese army last year, complaining of lack of pay, poor conditions and failure to receive promised promotions.

NEW: More than 8,000 refugees fled to Uganda in recent days, UNHCR says . NEW: Congolese government calls M23 announcement "step in right direction" A rebel leader promises his group will end its campaign and disarm . Rebels briefly held the city of Goma last year before being driven out .

(CNN) -- Running an airline creates an astonishing amount of waste. Food, fuel, and the millions of tons of waste from worn carpets, uniforms and seat cushions adds up. Fortunately, many have started to get creative with recycling, turning their used goods into bags, quilts, shoes, carpets, and in one instance, a wedding dress. What passengers don't see when they board a plane is that many components have a shelf life. Life vests, for instance, are only good for six years before they need replacing. Even the seats have an expiration date. "After so many dry cleanings, seat covers lose their fire retardant coating, so by FAA rules, they can't remain on the plane," explains Matt Mahler, founder of Tierra Ideas, an design label that's teamed with Delta Airlines to create bags and wallets from the carrier's old seat covers and curtains. Since partnering with Mahler in 2010, the airline has recycled 7,973 pounds of textiles. Gallery: How dead airplanes get a second life . Nothing generates as much potential rubbish as a merger or logo change however. In those instances, any material bearing the old emblem or company colors needs to be scrapped to make way for the new. When KLM changed their uniforms 18 months ago, they had tons of useless fabric on their hands. They decided to give it to Desso Aviation, a carpet company with a zero-waste, 100% biodegradable approach known as "cradle-to-cradle". Desso wove the uniforms into carpets, which were kitted out on the new World Business Class cabin on KLM's Boeing 747-400 fleet, this July. Usually, Desso likes to know the background of products, because it affects how the materials will be used going forward. Nylon carpets, for instance, can be recycled, and turned into new carpets. When a wool carpet surpasses its utility, it gets turned into secondary fuel for the cement industry, and the leftover chalk gets used for backing carpet tiles. Delta disposes its carpets in a similar way, saving 340 tons of materials from the dumpster. Finnair has a more do-gooder approach. Old uniforms get sent to clean up oil spills, blankets are shipped to refugee camps in Myanmar and airline seats get fashioned into passenger seats in Finnish Red Cross emergency vehicles. Finnair also donates clothing and furniture to workshops for special needs individuals. "We don't need to make a new business opportunity for ourselves; we're not in the recycling business and don't want to go into it," says Kati Ihamäki, Finnair's vice president for sustainable development. "Instead, we'd rather help others find and create new opportunities from our old products," Finnair also collaborates with design label Global Hope, which also creates bags from their old uniforms. The carrier also sponsors competitions with local clothing and furniture designers, pushing them to create goods from their discards. Recently, the winner in a Finnish wedding design competition used KLM uniforms to create her couture gown. Report: Airline recycling in 'sorry state' However, Air France-KLM currently lead the pack in terms of their environmental efforts (the company has topped the Dow Jones Sustainability Index four years running). Sophie Virapin, Air France's vice president of sustainable development, estimates 80% of their on-board material is recycled and reused. In December, the airline teamed with upcycling design label Bilum to create bags from old billboard posters and life jackets. The life jacket cases, which retailed for $31, have already sold out. "Of our projects, the bags were fun and sexy for customers and the media, but they were just one little action," says Virapin, who is eager to point out the many less enticing ways Air France has cut back on waste. Plastic meal trays are repurposed to create plastic cutlery, the cables from seat backs are refashioned into headphones and retired aircraft are combed for reusable parts, which either get reborn in newer planes or passed on to General Electric. "When we launch a new product, we always ask, 'what is the life cycle of this product and what will we do with it at the end of its life?'" says Virapin.

Delta, Finnair and Air France have teamed with designers to craft bags from worn gear and uniforms . Delta says it has recycled 7,973 pounds of textiles . Delta and KLM's old carpets turned into secondary fuel for the cement industry . Finnair donates old materials to local workshops .

(CNN) -- A man suspected in the slayings of his girlfriend and her four children admitted choking the Oklahoma woman to death, but said the children were not present at the time, according to an affidavit filed in the case. Joshua Steven Durcho was arrested Tuesday after a car chase with police. Joshua Steven Durcho, 25, was arrested Tuesday night in Hamilton County, Texas, officials said. He is suspected of killing Summer Rust, 25; her son Teagin, 4; and daughters Evynn, 3, and Autumn and Kirsten, both 7. All five bodies were found in Rust's apartment in El Reno, Oklahoma, about 30 miles west of Oklahoma City, on Monday. Durcho's first cousin notified authorities he found the body of Rust, who is identified in the affidavit as Summer Dawn Garas. Police also found the children's bodies in the apartment, according to the affidavit, written by a special agent with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and filed Tuesday in Canadian County, Oklahoma, District Court. "The Medical Examiner's Office has reported to our agents that the preliminary assessment of the cause and manner of death for all five individuals was asphyxiation, suffocation and strangulation," the affidavit said. "It was also reported that each body had ligature marks around the neck. The ligature marks were also observed by OSBI crime scene investigators." A spokeswoman for the state medical examiner's office told CNN on Wednesday that the cause of death for Summer Rust and Teagin was strangulation, and that a ligature -- which could include a string, cord or wire -- was used to strangle them. Autopsies on the three girls were being conducted Wednesday, the spokeswoman said. A woman told police Durcho came to her apartment Monday afternoon and told her he had "choked" Summer Rust to death and that he was leaving Oklahoma, according to the affidavit. The woman asked Durcho about Rust's children, the affidavit said, and "Durcho told her that the children were at their grandmother's residence ... while he and Summer worked out their relationship problems." The woman called Durcho's mother and told her what he had said about killing Rust, the affidavit said. Durcho's mother drove to the apartment to check on the woman, but no one answered her knocks. She then called her nephew, Durcho's cousin, to accompany her, leading to the discovery of Rust's body, according to the document. About 6:30 p.m. Monday, the affidavit said, Durcho went to the home of another cousin, a female, and told her "he was in trouble and that he was headed out of state." Durcho was driving Rust's 1989 white Ford Thunderbird, the document said, and asked his cousin to swap cars with him, but she declined. A surveillance video showed Durcho at a truck stop on Interstate 40 about three hours later, driving the Thunderbird, the affidavit said. Early Tuesday morning, a text message was sent from a cell phone in Durcho's possession to his mother's cell phone, according to the affidavit. Tracking and cell phone records showed Durcho's phone was located in Wichita Falls, Texas, at the time. Later that morning, Durcho called his mother, with the call shown to be from the Abilene, Texas, area, the affidavit said. Durcho's mother said "Durcho told her he loved her and had to go," according to the document. Police said Durcho was arrested after a car chase Tuesday night. A Texas state trooper attempted to stop the car Durcho was driving because the trooper suspected the driver was drunk, according to Erin Mangrum of the Canadian County sheriff's office. When the trooper ran the license plate on the car, it matched the tag number of a vehicle sought by Oklahoma police. The car sped off, Mangrum said, and during the ensuing chase the car crashed. Durcho suffered only minor injuries and was taken into custody, Mangrum said. A court hearing was to be held for Durcho on Wednesday in Hamilton County, according to CNN affiliates. The Hamilton County district attorney's office did not immediately return a call from CNN. Durcho was being held in the county jail Tuesday night, Mangrum said. Rust's mother, Susan Rust of Carson City, Nevada, said Durcho was unemployed and had been living with Rust and her children.

NEW: Affidavit describes suspect's actions after slayings . Mother, son strangled with ligature, autopsy shows . Suspect arrested after chase in Texas . Family found dead in Oklahoma apartment on Monday .

(CNN) -- Police in Bahrain regularly resort to beating anti-government protesters, despite officials' pledges to stop such practices, a human rights group said Sunday. A Bahraini government spokesman denied that allegation and others made in the Human Rights Watch report. "The allegations are absurd, and unfortunately, we ask for human rights organizations not to rely on unreliable sources," said government spokesman Abdul-Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa. Human Rights Watch said interviews revealed at least five instances in the past month in which police severely beat detainees -- some of whom were minors, according to a report issued after representatives from the group finished a five-day visit to the island nation. Visible injury marks appeared to confirm details of accounts from former detainees interviewed by Human Rights Watch, the organization said. Treatment of prisoners inside police stations and formal detention facilities has improved, Human Rights Watch said, and Bahrain appears to have made "rapid progress" in eliminating torture inside police stations after a committee last year recommended installing video cameras there. But now, according to Human Rights Watch, beating and torture of prisoners is continuing at informal facilities and in secluded outdoor areas, where detainees have been taken for up to two hours before they're transferred to police stations. "Bahrain's leaders need to make clear that they will investigate and punish those responsible for abuses when the cameras are off," Human Rights Watch said. The Bahraini government spokesman said Human Rights Watch's relationship with political activists "is such that they don't check the legitimacy or facts behind the allegations." CNN has not independently confirmed the rights group's report. Al Khalifa said the government has taken steps to implement recommendations made by an independent commission last year. Dozens of officers are currently being investigated under a new government system to look into torture allegations, he said. Sunday's Human Rights Watch report comes amid growing global scrutiny of the human rights situation in the Gulf state. Earlier this month opposition groups in Bahrain and politicians around the world called for officials to cancel a Formula 1 race as violent clashes continued between activists and authorities. The Bahrain Grand Prix continued as scheduled, but protesters used the international spotlight on the race to call for the release of Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, a detained human rights activist who has been on a hunger strike for more than two months. The activist, who was arrested last April for his role in anti-government demonstrations that swept through his country, is protesting his life prison sentence. Last June, al-Khawaja and seven other Shiite opposition activists were found guilty of plotting to overthrow the country's Sunni royal family. On Sunday, Bahrain's information ministry denied that it was force-feeding al-Khawaja, saying in statement that al-Khawaja gave consent for doctors to insert a naso-gastric tube for nutrition after his blood sugar dropped. Demonstrations in Bahrain failed to gain the traction of other Arab Spring uprisings after a crackdown by authorities in the island state, backed by troops from nearby Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In November of last year, Bahrain's Independent Commission of Inquiry issued a report critical of authorities' reactions to the protests, which began in February 2011, spurred by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. The independent commission, set up by Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, found that between February and April of last year, 35 people were killed in unrest there. Two senior international advisers to Bahrain's chief of public security told Human Rights Watch they had visited some of the informal facilities identified by the group, but found no evidence of detainees being taken there and mistreated. The chief said the government planned to improve police training to stop abuse, according to Human Rights Watch. Earlier this month, the state-run Bahrain News Agency published a statement responding to another report by Human Rights Watch that alleged Bahrain had not lived up to its commitments on reform. The nation's Ministry of Human Rights and Social Development dismissed the criticism as rash, saying that Human Rights Watch report "had ignored the positive developments in the country and the continuation of the reform process," and that it was committed to the protection of human rights. CNN's Elizabeth Joseph, Mohammed Jamjoom and Peter Wilkinson contributed to this report.

NEW: "The allegations are absurd," a Bahraini government spokesman says . Beating and torture is continuing at informal facilities, Human Rights Watch says . A report says Bahrain has made "rapid progress" eliminating torture inside police stations . The report calls on Bahraini officials to investigate and punish abuses "when the cameras are off"

(CNN) -- "Lone Survivor," based on the true story of an ambushed Navy SEAL team in Afghanistan, was the No. 1 movie in America last weekend. If you haven't seen it, go see it. The movie reminded me of a phrase, "citizenship on the cheap," which has haunted me since I heard retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal utter it last summer. He was launching the Franklin Project, an ambitious initiative to expand national service in America. But he was talking about something deeper -- the widening divide between civilians and those coming out of the military. Because the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have been fought by an all-volunteer force, the great majority of Americans have only passing acquaintance with the sacrifices of national defense. Most Americans have not been asked to do anything more for their country during wartime than to thank the troops. That's why McChrystal has called for a rapid expansion of voluntary civilian service programs like AmeriCorps, so more civilians join those who serve in uniform. I couldn't agree more. I'd go further, in fact, and mandate national service, whether military or civilian. That, however, is a pipe dream when our nation can't even fully tolerate mandatory health insurance coverage. How, then, can American society aspire to something greater than citizenship on the cheap? Perhaps the answer lies not in trying to make more Americans serve but in enabling more veterans to serve in new ways when they come home. There are more than 2.6 million Iraq and Afghanistan veterans today. As our country's longest wars wind down, a million more are expected to return. These are people with leadership skills, professionalism, experiences solving complex problems under high stress while keeping a larger mission in mind. Think America could use a few (million) good men and women like that? Meet two of them, Rodrigo Garcia of Student Veterans of America and Chris Marvin of Got Your 6. Got Your 6 is military parlance for "got your back" and Marvin, a former Army Blackhawk pilot, founded this national campaign to bridge the military-civilian divide. It activates celebrities, social media, political and cultural leaders, and every other resource available to advance a simple message: Veterans are assets. This may seem obvious. But consider the two dominant images of veterans in everyday culture, from movie screens to school assemblies to corporate advertising. One is the hero. The other is the victim. The hero narrative portrays veterans as Medal of Honor winners with superhuman courage, amputees undaunted by their disabilities, and, yes, lone survivors of hellish battles. The victim story portrays veterans as sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder, wounded warriors betrayed by bureaucracy, combat leaders now left homeless and jobless. To be clear, both narratives have a basis in reality. More veterans than can be counted have indeed been damaged by war, and more than can be counted are indeed heroes of war. They have earned every bit of support, care, honor and gratitude we offer them -- and often more. But the hero and victim portrayals emphasize two messages: that vets belong on a pedestal, and that vets need your compassion. The veterans I know are looking for a third message: Vets can be great citizens back home. Consider Garcia, from Student Veterans of America, a Marine veteran who in the crowded years since his deployments has gone to graduate school, started businesses, led Student Veterans of America's expansion to many hundreds of campuses nationwide, and helped run a state veterans affairs department. The question for civilians is how to create more channels for people like Garcia to continue being contributors and leaders in public service -- not as pilots or infantry commanders but as candidates for office or school principals or heads of nonprofits. How we do this is simple. We just do it. We foster relationships between veterans and civilians. We hire, connect, mentor and invest in veterans. We support organizations like The Mission Continues and Team Rubicon that plug veterans into community service. We learn from them about how to show up for others. It's often said that "freedom isn't free." That's true. Freedom is dear. So is great citizenship, and so is deep gratitude. If we truly want to thank veterans for their service, let's make sure each one who returns from war is empowered to be an integrated, vital part of their community's social fabric and civic life. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Eric Liu.

Eric Liu: The two dominant images of veterans in everyday culture are hero or victim . Liu: Veterans want to be known for being great citizens back home . He says we should hire, connect, mentor, empower and invest more in veterans . Liu: Let's also consider mandating national service, whether military or civilian .

(CNN) -- Carlos Tevez may have escaped the clutches of the Premier League by joining Italian giant Juventus -- but the long arm of the law could yet bring the striker back to English shores. Tevez, who completed his $13 million move from Manchester City to the Serie A champion Thursday, has yet to complete his community service in England according to sources close to the case. The Argentina international avoided jail last March after pleading guilty to the charge of driving while disqualified and accepted the punishment of 250 hours of community service and a $1,500 fine. While the exact number of hours owed by Tevez has not been made public, he must complete his punishment within the 12 months of it being handed out. Community service punishments in the United Kingdom range from 40 hours to 300 -- with a minimum of seven hours per week being served. A Probation Service spokesperson told CNN: "We do not comment on individuals. "Offenders must serve the sentences handed down to them by the courts. Anyone who fails to do so will have action taken against them." CNN also contacted BCL Burton Copeland, the firm which represented Tevez at his trial, but it refused to comment on the matter. Meanwhile, Tevez revealed his delight Thursday at being handed the iconic number 10 shirt following the completion of his move to Turin. Tevez will follow in the footsteps of Bianconeri legends Michel Platini, Roberto Baggio and most recently, Alessandro Del Piero. "I'm absolutely aware of the great effort Juventus Football Club has made to bring me here," he told reporters. "I feel the responsibility of wearing this number and I am aware of the great responsibility of representing Juventus and playing for the club. This number is certainly a great challenge. "Top players have worn it before and I was number 10 with Boca (Juniors) before, and (Diego) Maradona played in it too, so the great responsibility is now that I'm going to play in this great club. So certainly the greatest challenge is to do my best. "Obviously I didn't want to forget Del Piero, who was the last player to wear number 10. He is a person and player that I greatly respect and who certainly represents an emblem and symbol of esteem. "It is a great pleasure and honor to wear this jersey with his number." Tevez's move to Italy brings an eventful seven-year spell in England where he played for West Ham, Manchester United and Manchester City. He endured a turbulent time at City after being exiled for six months by former manager Roberto Mancini following his refusal to warm up during a Champions League clash at Bayern Munich in 2011. Mancini's departure at the end of last season failed to persuade Tevez from seeking pastures new -- although he denies that he turned down a move to AC Milan following claims by the club's vice-president Adriano Galliani. "I want to be very clear and honest," he said. "I've only talked to Galliani a couple of times in my life," said Tevez. "The last time was last year when there was an intention to bring me to AC Milan but I don't know why he has said such a thing. "Today I'm here and that's what matters, I'm very happy to be here." Isco . Elsewhere, new Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti completed his first signing since taking over from Jose Mourinho with the acquisition of Spain under-21 and Malaga star Isco. Isco was a stand out star for the Spain under-21 team which retained the European Championship in Israel, scoring three goals following a stunning season with Malaga. "Real Madrid incorporates a new project with one of the best Spanish football players," the club said in a statement. "Francisco Roman Alarcon - Isco - plays at the Bernabeu for the next five seasons." The 21-year-old midfielder scored 12 goals in 45 appearances last season and made his full international debut against Uruguay last February. "Imagination and speed are some of the qualities that define this midfielder... a recent champion with Spain at Euro Under-21 and at age 21 already capped by the senior team," Madrid's statement added. "[He is] a player with enviable technical quality, chutzpah and imagination."

Carlos Tevez has completed his $13million move to Juventus from Manchester City . Tevez has signed a three-year deal with the Serie A champion . Real Madrid has confirmed the signing of Spain under-21 and Malaga star Isco . Midfielder has signed a five-year deal and becomes Carlo Ancelotti's first signing .

Pirot, Serbia (CNN) -- In the backroom of a small house in Pirot in southeastern Serbia, a handful of women are fighting to keep an ancient craft alive. Their dexterous fingers race up and down large wooden looms, weaving the bold geometric patterns distinct to Pirot carpets. Once celebrated throughout Europe for their beauty, Pirot carpets graced the walls and floors of Serbian royal palaces, as well homes of the urban elite. Weaved for over four centuries in the town after which they were named -- Pirot, once a thriving trade center on the caravan route between east and west -- they were ceremonially rolled out for state visits, and given to foreign dignitaries. However, what was a thriving craft practiced by 5,000 weavers a century ago is now under threat of extinction, with only 10 women still keeping the tradition going. "Pirot carpet weaving is our treasure which is passed on from generation to generation. It's the knowledge I learned from my mother and my grandmother," says Slavica Ciric who founded the Lady's Heart cooperative in Pirot with local women in 2009, to try to stop the skills nurtured throughout centuries from passing into oblivion. "Carpet weaving is in our DNA," she continues. "We were born on carpets and we grew up in houses filled with Pirot carpets." Mastery of craft . Pirot carpets are very thin but extremely dense, and are said to last more than a century. They have two identical sides and are geographically protected, which means that they can only be made in the Pirot area, and out of Pirot sheep -- a rare breed with only a few flocks counting just 250 sheep remaining. Weaving is painstaking work. It requires geometrical precision, supreme skill and creativity in equal measure. Everything is done by hand only, and in the same way as hundreds of years ago. It takes two weavers working simultaneously a month to create less than one square meter. Traditionally a female activity, young girls would start at the loom at the age of 10, practicing every day for five years to reach a level considered good enough. Their weaving skill had a great impact on their marriage prospects -- it was considered a measure of intelligence because of the knowledge of mathematics required to calculate the size and distribution of patterns. "When you look at a carpet with an untrained eye, you can see beautiful colorful patterns, but we work out exactly how many of these patterns we can fit within a meter," says Ciric. "We have to be visionaries and use logic to see where these patterns will stop, and where the border of the carpet will connect and finish," she adds. And if a weaver makes a mistake, the carpet is instantly pulled apart, even if the work was nearly completed. Magical meaning . The concentration necessary for this kind of precise work often means that once a weaver sits down at the loom, she loses all sense of time. "The pattern in a mysterious way simply possesses her, drags her into the depth and she's so taken by her work that everything around her stops. She forgets about the time, she surrenders herself to the pattern," says Ciric. And it's those patterns that give Pirot carpets a mystical allure. Weavers say they represent ancient symbols which carry magical meanings and can be read as an image alphabet, and there are 95 varieties which weavers have to memorize. "It is very mysterious but in every single carpet there is a story which you can read. When I see a carpet I can immediately tell whether it has been made now or in a different period, whether it has been made with love or only to be sold," says Ciric. Even though this skill is now practiced only by a handful of women, Ciric and her fellow weavers from Lady's Heart are trying to pass it on to the next generation, organizing winter courses for schoolchildren, including boys. "There is a new generation coming along and if we manage to pass on this knowledge to them, I think there won't be any danger of this craft dying out," says Ciric. "We are the guardians of the tradition of Pirot carpet weaving, and we do this with love." Read this: Resilient Belgrade rebuilds once again . Read this: No battery? Use a 'Strawberry Tree!' More from On the Road Serbia . Monique Todd contributed to this report.

Carpets have been weaved in the town of Pirot for 400 years . They were hung in Serbian royal palaces and celebrated across Europe . However, only 10 weavers still practice the craft today . Weavers say patterns have magical meanings and symbolism .

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Liu Yan, regarded as China's top classical dancer, was to give the performance of a lifetime: She was to dance a solo at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Liu, in red, performs on the 2008 Beijing Television Chinese New Year Festival Show. She was to perform a dance entitled "Silk Road," a piece intended to convey the rich cultural history of China. But it never happened. Twelve days before she was to take the stage at the Olympics, in an event that China hoped would catapult the nation to international glory, she fell while rehearsing the dance -- leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. "When the music stopped, I made my exit as usual. I was dancing on a thin layer of electrical mat, I was standing on that, and there was a platform powered by a vehicle moving underneath," Liu said from the Beijing 306 Military Hospital. "Right when I stepped on the platform, it moved away quickly ... then, like that, I fell." Watch more on Liu » . "It was extremely painful." Liu, who was knocked unconscious, was later told she would never walk again. Doctors operated on her for six hours, and the hospital where she was being treated was near the Bird's Nest -- the landmark national stadium built for the Games. The stadium can be seen from Liu's hospital room window. "I could not see it, because I was unable to sit up. But then, I could see the fireworks from the rehearsal," Liu said through tears. She did not watch the opening ceremony. "I was afraid to watch it," she said. "I was listening to Lisa Ono (a bossa nova singer) with the volume up to the highest on the stereo that used to be here in the corner. But, I watched it later." Liu began attending the Beijing Dance Academy in 1993. She spent 10 years studying professional dancing, and classical Chinese dance was her major. She repeatedly received the annual Best Student award and went on to win gold awards in the national dancing competition in 2004, the Lotus Dancing competition and the first Asian Youth Art Festival. She also won many top cultural awards in China for dance plays. "When I was young, I was the kind of child who studied dancing very hard. I never gave up. I love dancing very much. When practicing some dancing movements, which other students considered boring, I saw the practice as very interesting," she said. "People thought that I took dancing very seriously because of my love for it, but I think it's very interesting." Apart from the physical pain, Liu said: "The damage on my dancing career is the most painful part for me." "I think this is very sad. But I am injured and it is a fact that cannot be changed. But I believe I will keep dancing or at least doing work related to that, because that is what I love." Liu said she spends most of her time recovering in the hospital, exercising her legs to help develop her muscles. She said she feels much better now but it is still tough. "I often cry. After I got injured, I feel fragile every time I reflect on the past. But I think of it as a process," she said. "I will learn to face the reality rationally. Human hearts are made of flesh; it is not one flat surface. The important thing is how you adjust yourself." She has since started to return to her normal life. "For example, going back home and staying overnight, going out with friends for dinner, even going to see a show, a movie, drink coffee, drink Champagne, going back to classes." Liu does not blame anyone for the accident, saying that in big events, "accidents happen." "I think you should not blame one person, or one particular moment," she said. "I think I will use the word 'unfortunate.' I was very unfortunate to have that accident." She also said she did not know about reports her family and witnesses to the accident were told not to talk about what happened afterward. "That probably happened. I didn't know about it back then and I didn't really care. I was in the middle of an operation that lasted six hours." As for the future, Liu said she might go back to school, to learn more about dance, and get a master's or a doctorate degree. "Healthy dancers practice every day, I will do the same. This is how I am different from other patients -- I believe that I will recover when I do my exercise. I will live with hope."

Liu Yan is paralyzed while rehearsing her solo dance for the Olympics' opening . Doctors say she will not walk again . Liu wins many dance awards; she is considered China's top classical dancer . She believes she will recover and exercises every day .

(CNN) -- You've probably heard of Glorious Goodwood -- well, this is more like glorious driftwood. Galloping along beaches or drinking quietly from a pool, these majestic horses aren't what they first seem. That's because, not that long ago, they were just piles of what seemed like scrap wood -- until, that is, artist James Doran-Webb began working his magic. Born in Birmingham, the 46-year-old has lived in the Philippines since traveling there for what was supposed to have been an extended holiday in 1989. "I was entranced by the countryside, the beaches, the wildlife and the people, with their flair for color and artistry," he explained. He's long been using driftwood collected from the seas, beaches and rivers near his Cebu City home to create his breathtaking wildlife art, and Doran-Webb's work is a continuation of a childhood fascination with crafting wooden models and miniature sculptures. Much time in his formative years was spent in the workshops of his parent's antiques restoration firm, giving him a thorough informal education in the arts of craftsmanship. That accumulated knowledge of flair and polish is on display in his three thoroughbreds, all equine power and elegance and his biggest public art project to date. Inspired by the fact that this is the Chinese Year of the Horse, they were commissioned for New Year celebrations at the Gardens by the Bay nature park in Singapore, where they were even "ridden" by model jousters for a while. The logistics of creating each horse were daunting. A metal frame provides the equivalent of the animal's skeleton, with hundreds of pieces of driftwood going into each sculpture. The larger pieces are then bolted together and the bolts welded to the frame, with each smaller piece then painstakingly screwed into place. "This wood has been dead for more than 50 years," Doran-Webb told CNN. "It has weathered over those decades, and that's what makes it look so fantastic. "I was always an outdoor type of person, and would come across these wonderful pieces of wood while out kayaking -- I have been collecting driftwood since I was 18, and have enough stockpiled to be able to find, in the end, all the right pieces. "I'll go on a hunt for a piece for a nostril or eyebrow, but I'll come across a potential hoof instead. It's like a jigsaw puzzle: you keep on looking until you've found the right piece. "Also, people know the sort of wood I use now and they'll bring it to me," added Doran-Webb, who pays them, putting money into villages where incomes can often be precarious at best. "But sometimes I'll think I've finished a piece and then find myself starting again with a certain amount of the wood because it doesn't look right. I focus hard on the details of faces and muscles." His first use of driftwood, though, had nothing to do with animals or sculpture -- he had initially crafted and sold furniture from it until the possibilities of creating large-scale art suddenly struck him. And what ambitious scale it is: each horse sculpture can weigh anything up to a ton (1,000 kilograms), is 16-17 hands (around 5ft 11ins) tall and can easily take the weight of a "jockey" or two. Each takes three to four months to create, with Doran-Webb and his team of six craftsmen working together on the process, with each sculpture springing to life from a series of initial sketches and scale models. "I'll have an idea -- an image of a horse race or a polo match -- and sketch it until I get something that has motion and movement," he said. "The metal skeleton is crucial. If you stripped away the wood, what you would see would look sort of like the skeleton of the actual animal. It provides all the strength, but cladding it takes a long time." It may take a long time, but Doran-Webb says he's never fully satisfied with the results, and only the world of deadlines prevents him from perpetual tinkering. "If it wasn't for them, I'd never leave the studio," he admitted. "If something is even an inch out, you have to redo it. There's never been one I've been happy with first time."

James Doran-Webb uses driftwood to create stunning sculptures . Philippines-based artist builds three thoroughbreds for Singapore celebrations . Hundreds of pieces of wood are applied to metal skeleton to create art . Doran-Webb honed skills in parents' antiques restoration business .

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- Thick fog and steep, mountainous terrain forced rescuers to halt their efforts to reach the wreckage of a Russian jetliner that crashed on a demonstration flight in Indonesia, the country's state news agency reported Thursday. The Sukhoi Superjet 100 came to rest on the side of Mount Salak, a volcano south of Jakarta, Vice Marshal Daryatmo, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency, told the Indonesian news agency Antara. Efforts to reach the wreck are expected to resume Friday morning, said Daryatmo, who like many Indonesians uses only one name. "We have identified the crash coordinates, but our personnel have not yet arrived at the location," Antara quoted Daryatmo as saying. "However, because there is thick fog covering Mount Salak and the tilt of the cliff is 85 degrees, the evacuation process has been halted until tomorrow morning." The Russian Investigative Committee said 48 people were on board the plane, including eight Russian crew members. But the Russian news agency RIA-Novosti said the number was 45, citing Sukhoi Civil Aviation President Vladimir Prisyazhnyuk as saying three of the people on the passenger list did not board the flight. The wreckage was spotted at an elevation of about 5,800 feet (nearly 1,800 meters). Gagah Prakoso, a spokesman for the rescue agency, said the authorities hope to start removing bodies from the area by helicopter Friday, and there has been no sign that anyone survived. Daryatmo said the Sukhoi logo had been identified amid the wreckage of the plane, which disappeared off radar screens Wednesday. An image released by the Indonesian military showed bits of debris strewn across a patch of steep mountainside that had been stripped bare of the thick surrounding vegetation. The cause of the crash remained unclear. The Russian Investigative Committee said it had launched a criminal probe into possible safety violations. The plane was on a demonstration flight for Indonesian Ministry of Transportation officials and representatives of Indonesian airlines, the Russian Embassy in Jakarta said before the crash. Indonesia's Sky Aviation signed a $380 million deal in 2011 to buy 12 Sukhoi Superjet 100s, and press reports said a number of Sky employees were on the plane that went down. Sukhoi employees are also among the missing. It was the first crash of a Sukhoi Superjet 100, RIA-Novosti said. The plane was on its second demonstration flight Wednesday when it lost contact with air controllers at Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusuma Airport. "The first demonstration flight in the morning went smoothly. There were no problems," said Sunaryo, an official with Sukhoi's Indonesian agent, Trimarga Rekatama, who also uses only one name. On the second flight, the plane began making its descent but vanished from radar screens at 6,200 feet in a mountainous area. The plane lost contact with air traffic controllers at 2:12 p.m., 21 minutes after taking off, said Daryatmo, the rescue agency chief. Two helicopters were immediately sent out to search for the plane but had to return to their bases because of strong winds and unpredictable weather. The Sukhoi jet arrived in Jakarta as part of a demonstration tour of six Asian countries. It had been to Myanmar, Pakistan and Kazakhstan, and was scheduled to visit Laos and Vietnam after Indonesia, RIA-Novosti said. Sukhoi manufactures military aircraft and is known especially for its fighter jets. Its civilian aircraft is narrow-bodied with a dual-class cabin that can transport 100 passengers over regional routes. It flew its maiden flight in 2008. In March, a Superjet 100 operated by Russia's Aeroflot Airlines was forced to abandon its flight to Astrakhan, Russia, and return to Moscow because of problems with the undercarriage, according to RIA Novosti. A similar defect in another Aeroflot-operated Superjet 100 plane had to be fixed in Minsk in December. Russia's state-run United Aircraft Corp. said the defect did not affect passenger safety. CNN's Alla Eshchenko in Moscow contributed to this report.

NEW: Fog and steep terrain force a halt to the search, official says . Rescue workers have not found any survivors so far in plane wreckage in Indonesia . They plan to start removing bodies from a mountainous area Friday . The Sukhoi Superjet 100 started to descend and then vanished off radar screens .

New York (CNN) -- As a powerful mix of weather converged on the U.S. East Coast, residents across the region seemed to take the warnings with varying degrees of seriousness. "It started yesterday afternoon when we started to see a rush from consumers for supplies like flashlights, hand-held radios and batteries," said Tom Collins Jr., a hardware store owner in Atlantic County, New Jersey. "And starting this morning, we've started selling plywood to contractors to help board up homes." In Manhattan, where forecasts of a direct hit from Hurricane Irene last year left the city largely unaffected, many residents seemed relatively confident about Hurricane Sandy and its aftereffects. "Most seem to take the attitude of 'whatever happens, happens,'" said Jason Covell, who works at Nuthouse Hardware on Manhattan's East Side. "I don't think anybody's going crazy and buying sandbags." Still, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday declared a state of emergency in every county in expectation of the storm, while placing the National Guard on standby. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city's Metropolitan Transportation Authority would begin suspending service "before the arrival of sustained winds of 39 miles per hour or higher." "A major concern given this type of storm is the possibility of prolonged power outages, as you know," he said. As Sandy churned northward, forecasters warned of high winds, strong tides and heavy rain, as well as potential snow, saying the storm would be strengthened by its collision with a wintry storm moving from the west. Early forecasting models show the tropical weather could make landfall in the Washington region as early as Monday, though it will more likely push farther north and slam the New York metropolitan area by Tuesday. Eastern portions of Ohio and Pennsylvania could get snow, while heavy rains are expected to blast the Eastern Seaboard. In Maryland, Gov. Martin O'Malley declared a state of emergency in advance of the storm. "I urge all Marylanders to review their family emergency plans, make sure their emergency supplies like batteries and water are fully stocked and to stay informed," he said. Meanwhile in Connecticut, Avon Town Manager Brandon Robertson recalled the perils of last year's storm, which knocked out 90% of the town's power grid around Halloween. "The town was in pretty tough shape," he said. "I don't think anyone expected the level of devastation." Robertson said he had his first emergency preparedness meeting Friday and that power companies, which were criticized for a slow response last year, have already started to prepare. "We are stronger and better prepared to respond now," said Connecticut Light & Power spokeswoman Theresa Gilbert. Federal authorities warned those in the densely populated area that is the storm's predicted path to fill up on prescriptions, nonperishable foods, cash, bottled water, flashlights, extra batteries and first-aid kits. Farther south, Virginia's National Guard was authorized Friday to bring up to 300 personnel for possible recovery operations. Last year, Hurricane Irene inflicted major damage from North Carolina to New England, though largely spared New York, where Manhattan restaurants and bars hosted hurricane specials and parties. But in neighboring states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the storm had harsher effects, knocking out power for thousands and causing flooding. "While Sandy's exact track is still uncertain, New Jersey has the potential to experience a major impact from high winds, heavy rain, flooding and power outages," said New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. "I encourage all of our families to stay informed, get ready and reach out to those you know who may be isolated or in need of extra assistance during adverse conditions." Floods are considered the most frequent natural hazards in New Jersey and residents across Atlantic County could be seen Friday filling up sandbags in preparation. Meanwhile, utility companies across the region were also in preparation mode in the hopes of reducing the numbers of power outages brought on by a rush of inclement weather. "We're bringing in all of our field people," said Rena Esposito, a spokeswoman for Public Service Electric and Gas Company, New Jersey's largest utility firm. "We're also making arrangements with other utility companies to be able to get support from other states if needed." Last October, a powerful snowstorm left more than a million residents without power across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states. CNN's Eden Pontz contributed to this report .

New York's MTA will start suspending service before sustained winds of 39 mph . Virginia's National Guard authorized to activate to 300 personnel . Early models show the hurricane could make landfall in D.C. region as early as Monday . Forecasters say it will more likely push farther north and hit the New York area by Tuesday .

(CNN) -- Human beings can experience 34,000 different emotional states. But our research shows that in an average working week, most CEOs experience just one dozen emotions across work and home life. Those twelve emotions are mostly negative: Being overwhelmed, frustrated, angry, disappointed, and fearful. When I quizzed 200 western CEOs on the personal pressure they felt in their jobs, a typical response was: "I can't talk to the chairman because in the end he's the one who is going to fire me. I can't talk to my finance director because ultimately I'm going to fire him, and I can't tell my wife because I never see her and when I do, that's the last thing she'll want to talk about." About half confided they find the job intensely lonely and don't know who to turn to for advice. Indeed, Antonio Horta-Osorio's leave of absence from Lloyds Banking Group this month illustrates how the stress of the CEO role can leave individuals ill. Why is it so difficult at CEO level? The day to day pressures of the job are intense. Most CEOs are at the mercy of their diaries, their businesses, the press and their shareholders. With the western economies entering a long, hard winter, and the rising competitiveness of eastern businesses, CEOs in western countries face some of the harshest conditions of their careers. The long term personal toll can also be huge. One typical FTSE100 CEO told me: "I have been married twice and have four kids and one grandchild. I can't remember the first two boys growing up when I was with my first wife. We separated when they were eight and nine. I can't remember them when they were young." Most CEOs respond to this pressure -- and frequent self doubt -- by creating command and control systems. They take all crucial decisions, which are then meant to be executed lower down. The model depends on the CEO being an expert with good answers, typically based on their training as a finance director or deep commercial experience in their market. But the reality is almost all problems are channelled up to the top. So the CEO faces a huge burden. Is life different for CEOs in the east compared to the west? I interviewed a hundred leading Chinese entrepreneurs for my next book, and found the CEOs are constantly near exhaustion. In contrast to western CEOs they are tired not by a hard economic reality but because they have huge dreams. Typically, they have not yet worked out how to manage the hyper-growth their dream and the booming market are creating. This can cause problems because businesses need the driving energy, strategic clarity, commercial grip and inspiration that a great CEO can provide if they are to deliver their full potential for their owners, staff, customers and society. Tired professional managers and exhausted dreamers will not get the best from their businesses. In the current hard economic winter in the west and booming spring of China, inspiration and trust from the top will be vital ingredients in getting the best returns from businesses. How can CEOs learn from different cultures? Being a CEO is a huge and complicated job, and each business needs a bespoke approach. But CEOs can make a start with five steps: . 1. Clarify your dream. Western CEOs should learn from the Chinese. What do you truly dream of building? Rediscover the excitement and thrill that drove you to the top in the first place. 2. Build a fellowship. Most CEOs take too much direct personal control. It stifles those around you and it exhausts you. Learn to build a fellowship you trust and who will deliver for you every time. 3. Rekindle the spirit of your business. Narayana Murthy, founder and chairman Emeritus of Infosys, arguably the most globally successful Indian business of the last 25 years, told me: "To me, leadership is primarily about raising the aspirations of people, making people say that they will walk on water." Use your dream to inspire your teams and businesses. Share it with business partners to help you build trust. 4. Build a personal support system to ground you. Make rules to safeguard your recharge time, reconnect with your partners and kids and stay healthy. 5. Get out of the day to day. The best CEOs work on business as usual by exception, not as the norm. They maintain a tight grip of their business with robust systems and review but do not lurch from day crisis to day crisis. Ultimately, CEOs who are suffering need to find a new way of leading. In this high octane world, they can either work in a new way or burn out.

Research shows CEOs experience a dozen mostly negative emotions during an average week . Many western CEOS find the job intensely lonely, and don't know where to seek advice . Author Steve Tappin says Western CEOs could learn from the Chinese .

(CNN) -- Somalia's Al-Shabaab has brushed aside accusations from Human Rights Watch that the Islamist militia recruits child soldiers, saying that Islam considers people to be adults from the age of 15. "The allegations from Human Rights Watch say that Al-Shabaab recruits young children at the age of 14, 15 and 17 as soldiers. In Islam, a person becomes adult at the age of 15 so he or she must do what all other adults have to do,'' said Abu Musab, the group's military spokesman. ''If the territories of the Muslims are attacked, it is incumbent on the women and children to take up arms to fight the enemies, so we don't care what Human Rights Watch says,'' Abu Musab said, speaking to Alfurqan radio, which supports the group. Islamic scholars consider a boy becomes a man at 15, or even younger if signs of puberty appear before then. Human Rights Watch said this week that children as young as 10 increasingly face horrific abuse in war-torn Somalia as Al-Shabaab targets them to replenish its diminishing ranks of fighters. The Somali insurgent group's recruitment of child soldiers is not new, but the report said the scale of child abductions over the past two years is like nothing documented in the past. Shocking patterns have also emerged of children serving as human shields on the battlefields, according to the Human Rights Watch report released Tuesday. "We're beginning to see more and more instances where children are essentially being used as cannon fodder," Tirana Hassan of Human Rights Watch told CNN. The head of the Somali national army, Gen. Abdulkadir Ali Diini, said Wednesday the government does its best not to recruit children as soldiers. The government has discharged children who are mistakenly recruited, he told journalists in Mogadishu. Human Rights Watch charged in its report that Al-Shabaab fighters abduct young girls and boys from their homes or schools, in some cases taking entire classes. Children can be sent out to recruit other children, according to the organization. One survivor told Human Rights Watch a group of kids asked him to play football at a nearby field. When he arrived, he and others were gathered up and sent to training camps, the survivor told Human Rights Watch. The camps are places where children live in fear, said Hassan, an emergencies researcher for the international human rights group. "They see injured and dead fighters, many of them children, coming back from the battlefield," Hassan added. Recruits are taught to use weapons and to throw hand grenades and are subjected to a myriad of abuses, including rape, assault and forced marriages, according to Hassan. Dozens of recruits, mostly ages 14 to 17, are driven by truckloads to the front line, where they are told to jump out -- only to be mowed down by gunfire while Al-Shabaab fighters launch rockets from behind, according to Hassan. A 15-year-old boy recruited by Al-Shabaab from his school in Mogadishu in 2010 told Human Rights Watch that "out of all my classmates -- about 100 boys -- only two of us escaped, the rest were killed." "The children were cleaned off. The children all died and the bigger soldiers ran away," the youth told Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch also criticized Somalia's transitional government for not ending its use of child soldiers. "Al-Shabaab's horrific abuses do not excuse Somalia's Transitional Federal Government," said Zama Coursen-Neff, the group's deputy children's rights director. "The TFG should live up to its commitments to stop recruiting and using children as soldiers, and punish those who do." The 104-page report, released two days ahead of a Somalia conference hosted by the British government, grimly details countless violations against children based on more than 160 interviews conducted over two years with Somali youngsters who escaped from Al-Shabaab forces as well as parents and teachers who fled to Kenya. "For children of Somalia, nowhere is safe," Coursen-Neff said. On Thursday, senior representatives from more than 40 governments will converge on London in a diplomatic push to find political solutions to restore stability in Somalia. CNN's Jonathan Wald contributed to this report.

Al-Shabaab says Islam considers people to be adults at the age of 15 . The Somalia Islamists are responding to Human Rights Watch criticism . The group says Al-Shabaab is using children as young as 10 as cannon fodder . Somalia's government denies intentionally recruiting child soldiers .

(CNN) -- For the first time in history, slavery can be brought to an end. What's more, we already know how to do it. Even if the cost of ending slavery were astronomical, we should do it -- but in fact the cost is surprisingly low. A number of forces have come together to create a unique moment. On one side there has been a recent rapid growth in the number of slaves worldwide. The population explosion, coupled with natural disasters, epidemic disease, civil war, grinding poverty, and especially government corruption, made millions of people vulnerable to slavery. The result is some 27 million people in slavery today. These are real slaves, controlled by violence, paid nothing, unable to walk away, and making fat profits for criminal slaveholders. Slaves are concentrated in South and Southeast Asia, across North and West Africa, and in South America, but virtually every country has slavery, and the U.S. is estimated to have 40,000 hidden slaves. Around the world, slaves do dirty, dangerous work, everything from agriculture to prostitution, and their lives are brutal and short. The lives of slaves have changed little over the centuries, but the price of slaves has collapsed to an all-time low. For all of history, slaves have been expensive capital investments, costing an average $45,000 in today's dollars. Today the average price of a slave is $90. This means slaves are disposable, so cheap it is not worth giving them medical care when they are sick or injured, and it's easy to just dump them when they are used up. It is an ugly problem, but at the same time, everything has clicked into place to make the end of slavery possible. The current number of slaves, 27 million, is the smallest percentage of the global population ever. The $40 billion they produce each year is the smallest fraction of the global economy ever represented by slave labor. Read more about Kevin Bales at TED.com . Slavery is illegal in every country and denounced in United Nations conventions. There is no support for slavery from moral authorities, religious or political groups. And no industry or economy is dependent on slavery. In fact, if slavery ended tomorrow, consumers wouldn't see any price increases. Slavery has been pushed to the criminal edges of our global society and to the very edge of its own extinction. There is no silver bullet that kills slavery, but over the past ten years an arsenal of effective responses has shown that you can end slavery and make communities slave-proof. One powerful vaccination against slavery is to make sure freed slaves build lives of economic stability. This means education, skill training, micro-finance, and citizenship -- all the things denied American ex-slaves in 1865. Americans are still paying the price for their botched emancipation. Meanwhile, freed slaves given opportunities today generate economic growth through a "freedom dividend." The modern anti-slavery movement is growing rapidly, and freedom is coming to an ever-increasing number of slaves. The end of slavery is possible, but three things have to happen. First, governments have to keep the promises they made when they passed laws against slavery. The laws are on the books, but police are untrained and budgets are woefully inadequate. Second, the public needs to be aware that slavery is all around us, and that it can be brought to an end. Third, resources have to flow to those areas of the world where slavery is rife -- resources from international aid, charities, World Bank and IMF, and businesses. More funding is needed to provide for more anti-slavery workers. When it is done right, the results are spectacular. Take the village of Azad Nagar in northern India. All the families there were hereditary slaves in a stone quarry. All children worked, there was no school, and all women risked regular sexual assault by the slaveholders. A Free the Slaves partner organization sent in a community organizer who helped the families to stand up to their masters and renounce slavery. It was a tense and dangerous tactic, and at one point the slaveholders burnt down many of the huts where the families lived. After a few months, the crisis passed and the villagers embarked on new lives, many of them now running their own quarry. The children went to school and some ex-slaves even ran for elected office. Now in stable lives, it would take an armed invasion to push them back to slavery. If you would like to know more, visit http://www.freetheslaves.net/Page.aspx?pid=183. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Kevin Bales.

For the first time in history, it's possible to end slavery, says Kevin Bales . Economic trends have reduced the value of slaves and limited their usefulness, he says . Bales: Education and skills training for freed slaves is crucial .

(CNN) -- With its winding canals and large public parks sitting alongside a busy port and bustling business district, Hamburg is a city that contradicts itself. But by combining its industrial strength with a commitment to reduce its impact on the environment, Germany's second-largest city is becoming a model for major metropolises around the world. It's already lowered its carbon emissions by 15% since 1990, thanks largely to its efficient public transit system, and it's set a target of reducing its emissions by 40% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. Hamburg's eco-friendly credentials aren't immediately obvious to those visiting the city located on the River Elbe. "It's embedded in their culture," says Anna Shepard from Green Traveller, a website that specializes in helping travelers plan vacations that keep carbon emissions to a minimum. As 2011 European Green Capital, the city is showcasing a number of its initiatives and programs -- yet one more reason for environmentally-minded travelers to visit. WHAT TO SEE & DO . To get the best sense of what the city has to offer, head to the waterways. Alster Lake, located in the city center, is a hub for activities. One of the best ways to truly appreciate it is on a rented canoe or peddle boat. Taking a public ferry is a great way to cruise the River Elbe, says Kim Sawford of Sandemans New Europe Tours, a service which connects travelers with local guides in more than a dozen cities in Europe, including Hamburg. "They come every 15 minutes and take you alongside the harbor, the artificial beaches, stopping off at some little fishing villages just outside the city. It's the best way to see the waterway." Hamburg boasts an abundant amount of green space. More than 16% of the urban area consists of forest, recreation and green spaces. Stroll around Stadtpark, one of the city's largest parks which hosts open-air concerts during the summer. The city is littered with beautiful old buildings such as the Town Hall, however for a glimpse at Hamburg's future, head to the waterside district of HafenCity. Still under development, the ambitious urban project is being designed as a model for counteracting sprawl and promoting sustainable living. GETTING AROUND . It's easy to explore the city center on foot, and Hamburg's public transport system is renowned for being easy to use and accessible, even for the foreign traveler. But if you want to have more freedom when exploring the city, hop on a bike from the city's StradtRAD network. "I always recommend using it, it's the best way to see everything and with dedicated bike lanes, you feel very safe," says Sawford. Bike stations are located throughout Hamburg and can be rented by registering a credit card. WHERE TO EAT . In a city where being green is simply a way of life for residents, several cafes and restaurants pride themselves on using local produce. And unlike other major cities, eating with an environmentally-friendly approach won't cost you the earth. Locals often head to the Sternschanze district, an alternative area known for its graffiti and street art, to grab a coffee and meet friends. Ottensen is full of young professionals enjoying some down time. When the weather is good, the streets are filled with tourists and residents dining al fresco. Shepard recommends Café LilliSu, for what she says is the best organic coffee and cake in town. Mutterland is known for its German specialties. The deli and café bases its delights on traditional dishes. It offers organic bakery goods and regional cheeses and meats, along with homemade soups and salads. WHERE TO STAY . Outside the city center is The Okotel, a stylish hotel built using environmentally safe products. Windows are triple glazed, ventilation is controlled and even the floors are made from untreated wood. The classical Hotel Atlantic is a favorite for visitors who want the convenience of having the city at their door step. "It's very glamorous and old-fashioned," says Shepard. The hotel prides itself on using eco-friendly cleaning products. "We buy them in large sizes and refill them ourselves to avoid additional packaging," says the hotel's Jannika Eibach. The chef focuses on local products to fill his menu, avoiding unnecessarily long food miles, and employees are offered financial incentives to use public transport.

Hamburg boasts the title of 2011 European Green Capital . Head to the waterways to get a true sense of the city . HafenCity is an ambitious project designed to contain urban sprawl . Several cafes and restaurants pride themselves on using local produce .

(CNN) -- The French Senate voted late Monday to criminalize any public denial of what new legislation calls the Ottoman Empire's genocide of Armenians, triggering fresh condemnation from modern Turkey. Relations between France and Turkey have already deteriorated since the National Assembly -- the lower house of the French parliament -- voted to approve the bill in December. The Turkish government called Monday's vote "an example of irresponsibility" and vowed to "express our reaction against it in every platform." It is already illegal in France to deny the Holocaust of World War II, a crime punishable by a year in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros ($58,500). The same punishment would be used under the Armenian legislation. Monday night's 127-86 vote sends the legislation to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has indicated he would sign it. Armenia's government hailed the vote, saying France "reaffirmed its pivotal role as a genuine defender of universal human values." But Turkey, one of France's NATO allies, called it "an entirely unfortunate step for French politics." "Politicization of the understanding of justice and history through other people's past and damaging freedom of expression in a tactless manner are first and foremost a loss for France," it in a statement on the vote. "It is obvious that the interpretation of historical events cannot be determined by the attitude of French politicians who see in themselves the right to judge other nations on the basis of one-sided views and declare a judgment on a serious allegation of crime such as genocide, thereby ignoring the principles of international law." The statement added, "Turkey is determined to take every step required against this unjust action, which disregards basic human values and public conscience." The Turkish-Armenian controversy over the killings that took place last century has reverberated wherever diaspora communities representing both groups exist. Armenian groups and many scholars argue that Turks committed genocide starting in 1915, when more than a million ethnic Armenians were massacred in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey officially denies that a genocide took place, saying hundreds of thousands of Armenian Christians and Turkish Muslims died in intercommunal violence around the bloody battlefields of World War I. Before the vote, Sen. Herve Marseille, one of the bill's supporters, argued that since France already recognizes the Ottoman-era killings as genocide, the same standard that applies to Holocaust denial should apply to the Armenian case. "When we contest the Jewish genocide, we can be punished," Marseille said. "And up until now, when we contest the Armenian genocide, there is no punishment. So we can't have a legal punishment for one and not for the other. Everyone is equal in front of the law." But Sen. Jacques Mézard, who opposed the legislation, said freedom of expression was at stake. "It calls into question historical and scientific research. Tomorrow will there be a question of a Vendée genocide?" he asked, referring to a revolt against the French revolutionary government in 1793. "Will we put the Spanish and the United States in the stocks for the massacre of Native Americans? We must reject this text and consign it to history books." After December's vote in the National Assembly, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused France of committing its own "genocide" during its war against Algerian independence in the 1950s and 1960s. Erdogan announced that Turkey was reviewing its ties with France. Ankara recalled its ambassador to Paris for consultations, canceled bilateral visits and wouldn't cooperate with France in joint projects within the European Union. The French Foreign Ministry shot back at Erdogan's comments, saying France "assumes with clarity and transparency its duty to remember the tragedies that have marked its history." And Sarkozy has said that his country doesn't need an OK from another nation to develop its policies. In addition to being NATO allies, Turkey and France have trade ties valued at $13.5 billion, according to Turkish statistics. The genocide debate is also a source of tension between Turkey and the United States, another NATO ally. The White House, for example, annually beats back efforts in Congress to pass a resolution that would formally recognize the 1915 massacre of Armenians as genocide.

NEW: Turkey calls the vote "first and foremost a loss for France" Armenia praises the vote and thanks the French . The French Senate approved the controversial legislation 127-86 . Turkey expressed anger over the bill when it passed the National Assembly in December .

(CNN) -- Under heavy pressure from the United States and allied governments, WikiLeaks appealed to supporters worldwide to mirror its website Sunday as it continued the process of releasing thousands of sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables. "Wikileaks is currently under heavy attack. In order to make it impossible to ever fully remove Wikileaks from the Internet, we need your help," the site told followers Sunday. The message was followed by instructions on how website operators could set up mirror sites that would distribute the documents as WikiLeaks released them. On the microblogging site Twitter, supporters have rallied by offering their sites or by posting links to other mirrors. In an echo of "Spartacus," the 1960 film classic about a slave revolt against ancient Rome, many adopted the hashtag #imwikileaks. "All the censoring of WikiLeaks is more alarming than the actual content of the leaks. It only further justifies WL's actions," read one widely distributed comment. WikiLeaks, which facilitates the anonymous leaking of secret information, began posting the first of more than 250,000 U.S. State Department documents last week. Since then, the site has been hit with denial-of-service attacks, been kicked off servers in the United States and France, and lost a major revenue source on Friday when the U.S.-based PayPal cut off its account. PayPal said WikiLeaks violated its policy against activities that "encourage, promote, facilitate or instruct others to engage in illegal activity." And a U.S.-based domain name provider shut down WikiLeaks early Friday, but the controversial website announced hours later that it had employed a company in Switzerland and was back up. In addition, Swedish authorities have issued an arrest warrant for the site's founder, Julian Assange, on unrelated allegations of sex crimes, including rape. Assange has denied the accusations, calling them a smear campaign. The Obama administration has condemned the disclosures, arguing that they harm U.S. diplomacy by exposing confidential communications. A variety of U.S. and Western figures have called for Assange to be prosecuted or even killed. "I think the man is a high-tech terrorist," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday. "He has done enormous damage to our country. And I think he needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." But Secretary of State Hillary Clinton managed to make a joke about it at a Washington event Saturday night. Speaking at a dinner for the Kennedy Center Honors, Clinton praised the "full breadth and depth of American artistry and diversity," adding, "I am writing a cable about it, which I'm sure you'll find soon on your closest website." Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, told CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" that the WikiLeaks disclosures were "a gaffe on a large, global scale." But he added, "This is not a crisis. It's not a disaster." "Where I think it creates problems is process-wise, in terms of what people in the future will put down on paper, what people in the future will say," he said. The documents released so far have featured sharp U.S. criticism of the government of Afghanistan, where an American-led coalition has been fighting al Qaeda and the Taliban since 2001; intense mistrust between the United States and Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state where top al Qaeda and Taliban figures are believed to be in hiding; blunt assessments of the extent of corruption in Russia; and unflattering descriptions of allied leaders like Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, whom one 2009 cable described as "a complete mess." The prime suspect in the disclosure is Bradley Manning, a U.S. soldier now awaiting trial in a Virginia stockade. Manning, a private first class who served as an Army intelligence analyst in Iraq, is charged with leaking video of a 2007 helicopter attack in Iraq to WikiLeaks and with illegally transferring classified data. U.S. officials have said Manning was able to access a wide variety of documents through a computer system that was set up to promote information-sharing after the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. But Haass warned against an "overreaction" that will cause American agencies to share too little intelligence. CNN's Elise Labott contributed to this report.

"We need your help," site tells supporters . Clinton joked about WikiLeaks at a Saturday night event . Senate Republican leader calls Assange "a high-tech terrorist"

(CNN) -- The head of one of America's biggest animal protection organizations said Thursday that Michael Vick, who served prison time for his role in a deadly dogfighting operation, should have the opportunity to bring a dog home -- in due time. Humane Society of the United States President Wayne Pacelle told HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell that the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback shouldn't get a pet immediately and should have to meet certain milestones whenever he does. But Pacelle, whose group has worked with Vick in public outreach efforts, said that it would be wrong to close the door to his ever having a dog again. "He's been going through counseling, he's been speaking to kids twice a month, and he needs to interact with animals," said Pacelle. "If he continues to hit these markers, then if his daughter wants a dog two or three years down the line,... I'm saying that we should be open to that possibility." Under the terms of his conviction, Vick is currently barred from owning an animal. But the Newport News, Virginia, native this week told The Grio, a news website focused on an African-American audience, that he would "love to have another dog in the future." "I think it would be a great step in my rehabilitation process," Vick said. "Just to have a pet in my household and show people that I genuinely care, (to show) my love and my passion for animals, I think, would be outstanding." Jim Gorant, the author of the book "The Lost Dogs" about the animals that were killed and those that survived from the ring that Vick belonged to, questions the extent of Vick's love for animals given his conviction. "It's a common thing among dogfighters: In one sentence, they'll talk about how much they love these dogs, and the next sentence they'll talk about how they force them to fight," the author told HLN's Velez-Mitchell. "It's hard to take him at face value, (given) what he's done," added Gorant. "He was arms deep in this process of abusing and killing these animals." The NFL indefinitely suspended Vick in August 2007 after he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation in Virginia. Vick left a Kansas prison in May 2009 to serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement. The Humane Society, which claims support from 11 million people, bills itself on its website as the country's "mainstream force against cruelty, exploitation and neglect" of animals -- including the very kind of dogfighting rings and killings for which Vick was convicted. After being released, Pacelle said that Vick approached the group "to help ... combat that problem." The society president defended his group's partnership with Vick, saying that it has helped spur a new conversation about the reality of dogfighting. Pacelle said that the quarterback has personally talked with thousands of children regarding an issue he first learned about as an adolescent, helping start a dialogue that's led to animal protection clubs popping up at several inner-city schools. "What he did is terrible, there's no question about that," Pacelle said. "But this is an issue of protecting animals in the future. And endlessly flogging Michael Vick is not going to save one animal. But putting him to work in communities to save animals and educate people about the problem of dogfighting -- especially with at-risk kids -- is the way to help the problem." "Thousands now are being reached," he added. "We've never had a conversation with them before." Vick's off-the-field past has done little to diminish his popularity on the field. According to NFL.com, he currently ranks first in fan voting for the 2011 Pro Bowl -- above all other players, at all other positions. Still, Vick has acknowledged publicly that his rehabilitation is not yet complete. And as much as Vick might potentially save some dogs by making the public more aware of fighting rings, Pacelle said that having him interact with dogs should benefit Vick personally. The Humane Society plans for public interactions at first, during which he might even attend "end dogfighting classes" with others. "Animals have a healing quality to them," Pacelle said.

Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle says he's open to Michael Vick having a dog . The star quarterback was sentenced to 23 months for his role in a dogfighting ring . The author of a book about Vick's dogs doubts his sincerity about loving animals . Pacelle says Vick would benefit, adding, "Animals have a healing quality to them"

(CNN) -- A grand jury has indicted star NFL running back Adrian Peterson on a felony charge of injury to a child, spurring the Montgomery County, Texas, Sheriff's Office to issue a warrant for his arrest. Authorities didn't divulge details Friday about what led to the charge. But Peterson's lawyer said the "charged conduct involves using a switch to spank his son" -- explaining that his client did so while doling out discipline "much like "he experienced as a child growing up in east Texas." Rusty Hardin said "Adrian never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury." Rather, Hardin characterized the former NFL MVP as "a loving father who used his judgment as a parent to discipline his son." Peterson will travel to Houston and will then "post bond as soon as it can be arranged," according to Hardin. "(Peterson) will continue to insist on his innocence of any intended wrongdoing," the lawyer said. Hardin claims that his client has "cooperated fully with authorities and voluntarily testified before the grand jury for several hours." "Adrian will address the charges with the same respect and responsiveness he has brought to this inquiry from its beginning," the lawyer said. Right after news broke of the indictment, the Vikings released a statement saying they were "in the process of gathering information regarding the legal situation." The team came back a short time later to announce that its offensive catalyst has been deactivated for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots. According to Texas law, a person can be convicted of an injury to a child offense if they are proven to have caused bodily or mental injury "intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence" or causing such harm by omission. A child, by this definition, must be 14 years old or younger. Peterson's indictment prompted a flurry of reaction on Twitter. Some defended him and criticized authorities for pressing charges, saying that such forms of discipline are common and acceptable. "Adrian Peterson was indicted in TX for swatting his son with a switch! Who knew that was illegal, cuz my mama would b in jail!" tweeted comedian D.L. Hughley. Others came down hard on the Vikings star, including one man who was "sickened." "Anyone who defends this is a coward," one person tweeted. 2-year-old son allegedly killed by another man . The alleged criminal offense took place in Montgomery County, which is north of Houston. The 29-year-old Peterson grew up in Palestine, Texas, which is 150 miles north of Houston and 100 miles southeast of Dallas. A running back for the Vikings since 2007, he rushed for 75 yards in his team's season-opening 34-6 rout of the St. Louis Rams. In 2012, he was named the league's most valuable player when he ran for 2,097 yards, just nine yards short of the single-season mark, the NFL said. For all his exploits on the field, Peterson has dealt with heartache and headaches. That includes the death of his brother in 2007, a day before he participated in the NFL's skill testing event for potential draft picks. And last year, Peterson's 2-year-old son died after allegedly being abused by another man. Authorities in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, found that child unresponsive, and later determined he'd suffered injuries to his head consistent with abuse. Joseph Robert Patterson, the boyfriend of the boy's mother, was arrested and eventually charged with murder. Patterson has denied the charge and said the boy choked on strawberry fruit snacks, the Argus Leader of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, reported. News of Peterson's indictment casts another shadow over the NFL, which is reeling from the fallout over then-Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Ric allegedly punching his then-fiancee Janay Palmer in a casino elevator. A New Jersey grand jury indicted Rice for third-degree aggravated assault; he pleaded not guilty and entered a pretrial intervention program for first-time offenders that could clear him if he successfully completes the requirements. CNN's Michael Martinez and Jill Martin contributed to this report.

NEW: A variety of Twitter reaction to charges . Peterson's attorney says the charge stemmed from "using a switch to spank his son" "Adrian ... deeply regrets the unintentional injury," the lawyer Rusty Hardin adds . Peterson was the NFL MVP in 2012; his 2-year-old son died last year .

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Federal agents found much of the information produced by the Bush administration's top-secret warrantless surveillance program vague and difficult to use, a sweeping review of the program found. Former President Bush claims his administration's surveillance program helped to ward off terrorist attacks. Then-President George Bush and other top administration officials have said the program was a critical tool in preventing terrorist attacks. However, a report Friday by the inspectors general of the CIA, the Justice Department, the Pentagon and other agencies found that some FBI and CIA agents were frustrated by the secrecy surrounding the program. Former CIA chiefs Michael Hayden and Porter Goss told investigators the wiretaps filled a gap in U.S. intelligence. One senior official quoted in the report called the wiretaps, dubbed the "President's Surveillance Program" by the report, "a key resource," while the FBI considered it "one tool of many" in their efforts to head off terrorist plots, the report states. "Even though most PSP leads were determined not to have any connection to terrorism, many of the FBI witnesses believed the mere possibility of the leads producing useful information made investigating the leads worthwhile," the report states. The program was hugely controversial when Bush acknowledged its existence in 2005. Critics said the program violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a 1978 law passed to rein in the wiretapping abuses of the Watergate era. Bush's approval allowed the National Security Agency to intercept communications between people in the United States and overseas who were suspected of having ties to terrorists without getting a court order. He and other officials said the program "prevented attacks and saved lives," as Vice President Dick Cheney put it in a May speech critical of their successors in the Obama administration. But Friday's report found that the intelligence gathered was only a small part of counterterrorism work, and most intelligence officials interviewed for the report had trouble "citing specific instances where PSP reporting had directly contributed to counterterrorism successes." In addition, the CIA "did not implement procedures to assess the usefulness of the product of the PSP, and did not routinely document whether particular PSP reporting had contributed to successful counterterrorism operations," the report states. At another point, it noted that some FBI agents "criticized the PSP-derived information they received for providing insufficient details, and the agents who managed counterterrorism programs at the FBI field offices the DOJ IG visited said the FBI's process for disseminating PSP-derived information failed to adequately prioritize the information for investigation. Meanwhile, CIA officers were unable to make "full use" of the data because too few people had been briefed on the closely held program. "According to one CIA manager, the tight control over access to the PSP prevented some officers who could have made effective use of the program reporting from being read in," the report states. The report also confirmed that the PSP was not limited to the electronic intercepts, referring repeatedly to "other intelligence activities" that remain classified. The report concluded the program was built on a "factually flawed" legal analysis inappropriately provided by a single Justice Department official, John Yoo, in 2001. Yoo did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment, and he was not interviewed for the report. A 2004 review by the Justice Department triggered a dramatic confrontation in 2004 between White House and Justice officials who concluded the program would not pass legal muster. Former Deputy Attorney General James Comey, who took part in that face-off, told investigators that the program's original authorization "involved ignoring an act of Congress, and doing so without full congressional notification." That line drew the ire of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who issued a statement Friday declaring that "no president should be able to operate outside the law." "The House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees will closely examine the findings and recommendations of the classified and unclassified reports, and will conduct appropriate oversight of electronic surveillance activities," the California Democrat said. Sen. Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the report "highlights just how outrageous and damaging the illegal warrantless wiretapping program really was." "This report leaves no doubt that the warrantless wiretapping program was blatantly illegal and an unconstitutional assertion of executive power," Feingold said. "I once again call on the Obama administration and its Justice Department to withdraw the flawed legal memoranda that justified the program and that remain in effect today."

Audit: Info from Bush's surveillance program found to be vague . Program allowed for top-secret, warrantless wiretaps . Bush, other former administration officials have touted program's success . Review concluded program was built on "factually flawed" legal analysis .

Los Angeles (CNN) -- A judge appointed TJ Jackson, the 34-year-old son of Tito Jackson, as temporary guardian of Michael Jackson's three children in the absence of their grandmother, Katherine Jackson. "We have reason to believe that Mrs. Jackson has been held against her will," Katherine Jackson attorney Sandra Ribera told Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff at a hearing Wednesday. Immediately after the hearing however, another attorney for Jackson, Perry Sanders, said he had been told by Randy Jackson that his mother was on her way back to California. Sanders, who later spoke to his client as she was being driven home, said he will file a petition to restore her as custodian as soon as he meets with her. Katherine Jackson was unaware of the controversy swirling around her family for the past week, he said. Jackson family drama an unwanted reality show . Beckloff suspended Katherine Jackson as custodian for Prince, Paris and Prince Michael II, known as Blanket, because she may be "prevented from acting as a guardian because of the acts of third parties." He also ordered "that the children not be removed from California without a court order, by any person." The judge also ordered that Diana Ross, whom Michael Jackson named as backup guardian in his will, and Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of the two oldest children, be given notice of the order. The order will be reconsidered at a hearing next month, and the judge left open the possibility that custody could be returned sooner if Katherine Jackson returns home. Katherine Jackson finally called her home Tuesday night after being out of communication for nine days, her lawyer said. TJ Jackson, whom Katherine Jackson left in charge of the children when she left home on July 15, said he was disturbed by how she sounded. "I've never heard my grandmother talk like that," he said about that phone call. "She wasn't sharp. Her words were slurred. Her choice of vocabulary, I never heard her use those phrases." His lawyer said that "maybe she was trying to speak to him in code." Ribera said one of the children told her it sounded like she was not alone during that call. Sanders said the call was made after he met with Jermaine and Janet Jackson at a spa near Tucson, Arizona, on Tuesday night to resolve the controversy over Katherine Jackson's whereabouts. They did not, however, allow him to meet or talk with her, he said. Katherine Jackson, 82, left the home she shares with Michael Jackson's children on July 15. She had not contacted them before Tuesday, though a Los Angeles County sheriff's investigation concluded she was safe in Arizona. Jackson family feud caught on tape . Katherine Jackson has custody of Michael Jackson's children and a 20% share in her son's huge estate. Her husband, Joe Jackson, and her eight surviving children were completely left out of Michael Jackson's will when the pop star died in 2009. Authorities got involved when her nephew Trent filed a missing person report with the sheriff's office over the weekend. Security camera video obtained by CNN captured a tense scene at the Calabasas, California, home she shares with her three grandchildren. Siblings Janet, Jermaine and Randy Jackson attempted to persuade the older children, Prince and Paris, to leave Katherine Jackson's home with them Monday. Paris and Prince resisted, according to three sources with knowledge of the incident, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. The video shows Janet Jackson apparently trying to take a cell phone away from Paris and scolding her niece for using her phone to write about family issues on Twitter, according to the three sources. Paris, Michael Jackson's 14-year-old daughter, posted a Twitter message at about the same time: "gotta love fam." Meanwhile, 15-year-old Prince is seen walking away from his Uncle Randy into the home's security office. Paris soon followed, and Randy and Janet Jackson appeared to be recording the incident with their cell phones. Minutes later, sheriff's deputies broke up a scuffle involving Randy and Jermaine Jackson and Trent Jackson, who works for their mother, according to several people who witnessed it. No one was arrested, although a battery report was taken and an investigation is ongoing, Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said. The Jackson strife: Family bickering .

A lawyer says there's reason to believe "Mrs. Jackson has been held against her will" She was reported missing over the weekend amid a family dispute . The judge appoints TJ Jackson as temporary guardian . "I've never heard my grandmother talk like that," TJ Jackson says about a phone call .

(CNN) -- In a major upset, Evan Lysacek of the United States edged out defending gold medalist Russian Evgeni Plushenko to win the men's figure skating gold medal. It was the first time since the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary -- where Brian Boitano won for the United States -- that any nation other than Russia has won the men's gold medal in the event. In a first for Japan on the men's podium, Daisuke Takahashi of Japan took the bronze. Lysacek, who placed fourth at the Turin Games in 2006, won after the free skate program with a total score of 257.67, which bettered Plushenko's score of 256.36. Takahashi's score of 247.23 came just a little more than half a point better than fourth place finisher Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland. Lysacek's triumph brought to six the number of golds and 18 the number of total medals the United States has, the most of any nation so far. Earlier, Lindsey Vonn crashed out in the slalom section, opening the door for Maria Riesch of Germany to take the gold medal in the super-combined at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. The poster girl of the Winter Games led after the downhill section of the two-discipline event, but chasing down Riesch's combined target time of two minutes 10.08 seconds came unstuck halfway down her slalom run at Whistler Creekside. Vonn's teammate Julia Mancuso added to her silver in the downhill behind Vonn 24 hours previously with another second-placed finish, but over a second behind Riesch. Sweden's Anja Paerson, who suffered a crashing fall in the downhill on Wednesday, was rewarded for her brave decision to compete with a bronze medal after a fine slalom run. Vonn's downhill time of one minute 24.16 seconds left her 0.33 seconds clear of her great friend Riesch, with Mancuso of the United States in third place, and she seemingly had a second gold in two days firmly in her grasp. But the 25-year-old from Minnesota admitted after the downhill section that the shin injury which troubled her in the build-up to the Games was a problem and may present difficulties as she bids for gold in three other disciplines. "It's not good. It's really hurting and I'm just struggling with it," Vonn said. "But there's nothing really I can do. I just have to try to do therapy and try to tough it out today and then tomorrow will be a good day off." Riesch, who was a disappointing eighth on her Olympic debut in the downhill, looked much more assured in her second event and was always set to be the major challenger to Vonn as she has been throughout the World Cup season. Hosts Canada gained their third gold of the Games as Christine Nesbitt powered to victory in the women's 1,000 speed skating event at the Richmond Oval. Nesbitt had just 0.02 seconds in hand over Annette Gerritsen of the Netherlands with another Dutch skater Laurine Van Riessen taking bronze. In other early action on day seven, Norway's Tora Berger upset the favorites to claim her country's 100th gold in the Winter Olympics with victory in the women's 15k individual biathlon. Berger missed just one shot to beat Kazakhstan's Elena Khrustaleva by 20.7 seconds. And the 101st gold was not long coming in the later men's 20km individual event as Emile Hegle Svendsen claimed victory ahead of legendary compatriot Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, who was winning his 10th Olympic medal, including five golds. Bjoerndalen tied for silver with Belarus competitor Sergey Novikov, 9.5 seconds behind Svendsen. In women's snowboarding, the half-pipe crown went to Torah Bright of Australia ahead of American pair Hanna Teter and Kelly Clark after a thrilling competition which set new standards.

NEW: American Evan Lysacek breaks Russia's five Winter Olympic Game-streak . Lindsey Vonn fails in her bid to win second gold of Winter Games in super-combined event . Vonn said after her downhill run that she was being troubled by a shin injury . Christine Nesbitt wins Canada's third gold of Games by claiming 1,000m speed skating crown .