Datasets:

girrajjangid

/

mini-platypus

like 0

LONDON, England (CNN) -- -- The World Health Organization has called the swine flu outbreak spreading around the world a "public health emergency of international concern." Swine flu is usually diagnosed only in pigs or people in regular contact with them. Health workers worldwide are racing to prevent what may potentially become a pandemic. An influenza pandemic occurs when a new virus appears against which the human population has no immunity, according to the WHO. Christine Layton, a public health expert who specializes in influenza at research institute RTI International, told CNN the swine flu has "pandemic potential." "Unlike the avian flu that people were concerned about a few years ago, a lot more cases are occurring in a lot more different places," she said. "The mortality rate is lower with swine flu, but it seems to be cropping up in a lot more different places." See photos of the outbreak in Mexico » . Previous influenza pandemics have been deadly. According to current projections, a pandemic today could result in up to 7.4 million deaths worldwide, the WHO says. Since 1900, three pandemics have occurred, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Spanish flu was the worst pandemic of the 20th century. Up to 40 percent of the worldwide population became ill when it occurred in 1918-1919. The WHO estimates the Spanish flu resulted in upwards of 50 million deaths -- or more deaths than those during World War I. A virus as severe as Spanish flu has not been seen since. Although 10 times deadlier than other pandemics, Spanish flu was far less contagious than diseases such as measles or chicken pox, according to Harvard epidemiologists Christina Mills and Marc Lipsitch, who carried out a study in 2004. In 1957, another influenza pandemic surfaced. The 1957 pandemic was known as the Asian flu. Watch Dr. Gupta report from the epicenter of the outbreak » . It was sparked by the H2N2 strain and was first identified in China. There were two waves of illness during this pandemic: The first wave mostly hit children, while the second mostly affected the elderly. It caused about 2 million deaths globally. But the medical community was able to identify that pandemic more quickly because of improvements in scientific technology, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The most recent pandemic occurred in early 1968 when a flu pandemic surfaced in Hong Kong. About 33,800 people died between September 1968 and March 1969 -- making it one of the mildest pandemics of the 20th century. While no pandemics have surfaced since 1968, other pandemic "threats" have occurred in the 20th century, including the 1976 "killer flu" (later named "swine flu") threat in the United States, which led to a mass vaccinations amid fears it was related to the Spanish flu virus. The most recent pandemic threats occurred in 1997 and 1999. Hundreds of people became infected with the avian flu virus, or bird flu, which killed six people and infected hundreds. This virus was different as it moved from chickens to people, rather than moving through pigs first. Around 1.5 million poultry were slaughtered in Hong Kong to contain the threat. The rise of global air travel has raised the ability of disease to spread more rapidly than ever before. Severe acute respiratory syndrome, better known as SARS, was the first severe transmissible disease to hit the globalized world when it hit in 2003. But outbreaks like SARS, which saw the application of control measures like quarantine, travel restrictions and fever checks at airports, have helped the health community better prepare for emergencies. Sources: World Book Online, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services .

WHO raises pandemic alert level to four; level 6 represents global pandemic . Three pandemics have occurred since 1900 . Spanish flu was the worst pandemic of the 20th century .

Trenton, New Jersey (CNN) -- He's baaaaack. The defiant and combative Chris Christie that reporters knew from the past returned in full spring bloom on Friday, now that a report he commissioned cleared him of wrongdoing in the George Washington Bridge lane closure controversy. A few minutes into his first news conference in more than two months, New Jersey's Republican governor flashed his famous cantankerousness at suggestions he was hiding something about the apparently politically motivated traffic jams last September in Fort Lee. "Colorful," he interjected as one journalist asked an extended question. "Can you get to it already?" Later, he cut off a reporter to complain she was wrong about the timing of events in December. "Stop," he said, insisting that "you have to get the facts right if you're going to ask the question." When the journalist persisted, Christie cut in with "excuse me, excuse me" and then moved on by saying "the premise of the question is so infirm I'm not going to answer it." Christie's feisty approach had been missing of late, especially during his previous news conference in January that lasted almost two hours as the governor faced questions about the scandal labeled Bridgegate by Democratic foes. Separate federal and state investigations continue, but the report released this week found no evidence that Christie was involved in possible political retribution against Fort Lee's Democratic mayor for not endorsing his re-election. Christie holds first news conference in two months . Christie called the report exhaustive while critics labeled it a whitewash. Regardless of perspective, it gave Christie renewed vigor to face public questioning on the issue during Friday's news conference that lasted just over an hour. The return of his trademark gruffness provides multiple benefits for Christie, who easily won re-election last year in traditionally Democratic New Jersey and now has possible ambitions for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016. He tightly managed Friday's news conference, basically telling journalists that he didn't care if they liked his answers or not. More importantly, his tough tactics play well among media-hating conservatives he will need to win the Republican nomination two years from now, if he runs. Some on the political right mistrust Christie because of moderate positions on issues such as gay marriage, as well as his public support for President Barack Obama as they toured the damage from Superstorm Sandy days before Obama's reelection in 2012. "Now that he's been self-exonerated, it appears that he's decided to dispense with his faux humility of the past few months," Democratic National Committee spokesman Mo Eleithee said of the governor. One particularly heated exchange involved Bridget Kelly, his former deputy chief of staff whose now-infamous email "Time for some Traffic problems in Fort Lee" propelled what was a little noticed local controversy into an outright political crisis for the governor. Christie said he canned Kelly for lying to him, and he decided against meeting with her before the firing to avoid any perception of coercion or intimidation on the matter. When a reporter persisted on the topic, Christie exploded at the premise of the question. "I don't know whether you can't take notes or you're not listening, but for you to characterize my last answer that I didn't want to ask her because I didn't want to know is so awful that it is beneath the job you hold," he said. Christie saved his best for last, concluding the more than hour-long session by sarcastically telling reporters "it's such a joy and relief to be finally able to come back and interact with you in the kind and gentle way we always have." "I'd love to say I missed you," he added, "but I didn't." CNN's Steve Kastenbaum reported from Trenton for this story, which was written by Tom Cohen in Washington.

New Jersey governor takes on reporters at sometimes heated news conference . Get your facts straight, Christie snaps in response to hostile questions . His trademark gruffness returns with an internal report clearing him in the Fort Lee traffic controversy . Federal and state investigations continue into the possibly politically motivated traffic snarls .

(CNN) -- The British couple arrested in Spain after pulling their cancer-stricken son out of a Southampton Hospital told a judge they will not return to the UK voluntarily, according to a Madrid court where they appeared on Monday. Brett and Naghmeh King remain in a Spanish prison while the judge awaits information from a hospital in Malaga about the medical status of 5-year-old Ashya King, who has brain cancer. His parents can be detained for 72 hours in Spain before the judge has to decide whether they acted illegally when they defied doctors last week, took their son and sparked an international search for the child. Hotel staff members in Malaga, Spain, recognized Ashya and his family from media coverage and contacted police. Ashya was taken to Materno Infantil Hospital in Spain, and that facility was communicating with University Hospital Southampton, where the boy had been removed by his parents, hospital official said. Brett King defended his actions in a YouTube video made shortly before his arrest. He accuses two doctors at the British hospital for not allowing him to seek proton beam treatment outside of Britain, even though he said he was ready to pay for the treatment himself. "We pleaded with them for proton beam treatment. They looked at me straight in the face and said with his cancer, which is called medulloblastoma, it would have no benefit whatsoever." King said he then looked on the Internet and found sites in the United States, France and Switzerland on proton beam treatment that "said the opposite that it would be beneficial for him." The Kings traveled to Malaga with their six children to sell a home they own there, in order to "look for better treatment" for Ashya, said their Spanish lawyer, Juan Isidro Fernandez. The hospital in Southampton issued a statement saying they discussed proton beam radiotherapy with Ashya's parents. "We very much regret that the communication and relationship with the King family had broken down in this way and that for whatever reason they have lost confidence in us," said Dr. Michael Marsh, medical director at University Hospital Southampton. "Our first concern is for Ashya's welfare" Marsh said some tumors respond well to proton beam treatment, but "there are some cases where there isn't the evidence that this is a beneficial treatment," he said. The hospital statement did not give specifics about Ashya's case. The 5-year-old's ordeal has captured the attention of British Prime Minister David Cameron. "I think people up and down the country will understand and be moved by the grave illness from which Ashya is suffering. The priority must be that he receives the most appropriate care," the Prime Minister's official spokesman said. Ashya's brother Naveed posted a video on YouTube explaining how the family cared for the sick child while traveling to Spain. "This video shows information that would help in court to show that Ashya was not neglected whilst not in Hospital," the video caption reads. Only if the Spanish judge decides that the King's acted illegally can the process of extraditing them back to the United Kingdom begin, court officials said. In the United States, only a handful of hospitals offer proton-beam therapy after surgery, including Massachusetts General Hospital, where the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy was treated for brain cancer in 2008. He died just a year after his surgery for malignant glioma. That surgery was followed by six weeks of radiation. Kennedy wrote about his experience in a Newsweek magazine article at the time that he underwent proton-beam therapy. The theory behind proton therapy is that its high-energy particles zone in specifically on the tumor and so do not harm the surrounding healthy tissue as much as the X-ray photons in conventional therapy, said Dr. Donald O'Rourke, associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. CNN's Joyce Joseph and Taylor Phillip contributed to this story .

Parents who took son with brain cancer to Spain refuse to return to UK voluntarily, court says . They took Ashya King, 5, from British hospital without authorization, police say . The father says there was a disagreement over his son's course of treatment . Parents are in prison until judge decides on charges, court says .

(CNN) -- No one expected to find Donna Molnar alive. Donna Molnar's body temperature was 30 degrees Celsius when rescuers found her Monday. Searchers had combed the brutal backcountry of rural Ontario for the housewife from the city of Hamilton, who had left her home three days earlier in the middle of a blizzard to grocery shop. Alongside his search-and-rescue dog Ace, Ray Lau on Monday tramped through the thick, ice-covered brush of a farmer's field, not far from where Molnar's van had been found a day earlier. He kept thinking: Negative-20 winds? This is a search for a body. "Then, oh, all of a sudden, Ace bolted off," said Lau. "He stooped and looked down at the snow and just barked, barked, barked." Lau rushed to his Dutch shepherd's side. "There she was, there was Donna, her face was almost totally covered except for one eye staring back at me!" he said. "That was, 'Wow!' There was a thousand thoughts going through my head. It was over the top." With one ungloved hand near her neck, Molnar, 55, mumbled and tried to scream as Lau yelled to other rescuers. Dressed in a leather coat, sweater, slacks and winter boots, Molnar was carefully extracted from a 3-foot-deep mound of snow that had apparently helped to insulate her. Watch how the rescuers found Molnar » . Then, rescuers got their second shock. "She was lucid, and said, 'Wow. I've been here a long time!' and then she apologized and said, 'I just wanted to take a walk, I'm sorry to have caused you any trouble,' " said Staff Sgt. Mark Cox of the Hamilton Police Department, one of the leaders in the hunt. "And we're all thinking this is incredible, this is really something." "I've been doing search and rescue for seven years, and this is the wildest case I've had in finding someone alive," he said. She was rushed to a hospital and immediately sedated to begin the agonizing steps of hypothermia treatment. "I think the snow must have worked to trap her body heat, and that's what really saved her," Cox said. "This really speaks to what's possible." David Molnar is calling his wife's survival his "Christmas miracle." He wasn't able to speak with her immediately after she was taken to the hospital. But while she was under sedation, he leaned over her and whispered in her ear, "Welcome back, I love you." "My wife, you know, doesn't pump iron. She is strong physically and spiritually," he said. "When people say to me how do I explain how she survived, I said I believe God reached down and cradled her until the rescuers could find her, because there's no rational explanation." In addition to hypothermia, Donna Molnar is being treated for severe frostbite, and her recovery will take months. But his wife's condition was upgraded Wednesday from critical to serious. "That may not sound like a great thing to everyone, but to us, that is the best news we could possibly get on Christmas Eve," David Molnar said. As for Ace, he's still awaiting his reward: a T-bone steak. It's the least that can be done for a dog who, in his own way, paid it forward. "A while ago, Ace was rescued from a home where he didn't belong, and now he got to rescue someone. I can't describe the magnitude of that, what that means to me," Lau said. "He's definitely getting his steak. I'm grocery shopping right now."

Donna Molnar went missing after she left her home to go grocery shopping . Housewife had been buried in snow for 72 hours when a rescue dog found her . She's in serious condition, being treated for hypothermia, severe frostbite . Dog, who had been rescued himself, will be rewarded with a T-bone steak .

(CNN) -- They're a family of two fathers and one daughter. Until recently, they had lived a quiet life in an upper-class neighborhood in the Mexican city of Monterrey. But they're now at the center of a national gay rights debate in Mexico. Their 2-year-old daughter, the couple says, was expelled from a private school in Monterrey for having two fathers. Alex and Pepe were married in Mexico City, where same-sex marriage is legally sanctioned. They asked CNN not to make their last names public to protect their daughter's identity. Alex, a 28-year-old who works in marketing and sales, is the girl's biological father. Pepe is a 39-year-old broker with a degree from the University of Miami. The couple says an administrator at The Hills Institute, which also has a daycare facility, told them they would have to hide the fact that they're a same-sex couple if they wanted the girl to stay at their school. "They were asking me to give up all of my rights as parent at the school," Alex told Telediario Monterrey, a local independent TV station. "I would've had to not participate in school or social activities. I was to not communicate with anybody nor attend together, as a family, Mother's Day or Father's Day celebrations as long as she was attending the school." The couple found the conditions unacceptable and the school called the parents to the school a few days later only to give them the news that girl had been officially expelled. "They saw us through the door's window and locked the door," Pepe told Telediario. "The receptionist went to the back of the office. After waiting for 10 minutes, they sent an employee escorted by a security guard to tell us that the girl had been officially expelled. CNN's calls and e-mail to officials at The Hills Institute so far have gone unanswered. On its website, The Hills Institute says their vision is to become "the best bicultural school in Mexico's educational system." According to Alex and Pepe, the couple attended the school's open house in mid-August. They say they made it clear to school personnel that they were a legally married couple and had legal custody of the child. No issues were raised by the school, the parents said. The girl was expelled September 13. Last week, Alex and Pepe made the decision to file complaints with two agencies in Mexico. The couple filed a complaint with the Nuevo Leon state department of public education claiming that regardless of their family's composition, or whether the school is private or not, it is illegal to deny a child an education in Mexico, based on the Mexican Constitution's anti-discrimination protections. They also filed a complaint with the Mexican agency that protects consumers saying the school has yet to refund their money. Alex says a check the school sent bounced. In a letter to the Nuevo Leon state secretary of education, a spokesman for the LGBT community in Monterrey denounced the girl's dismissal from the school. Mario Alberto Rodriguez wrote that he believes the incident "violates several legal statutes ... in detriment of the rights of the minor." Article 1 of the Mexican Constitution states that "discrimination on the basis of ethnic or national origin, gender, age, disability status, social status, health, religion, political persuasion, sexual orientation, civil status or any other that infringes against human dignity or diminishes rights or liberties of the people is hereby prohibited." The Nuevo Leon state constitution mirrors that prohibition. Alex and Pepe say they decided to go public because they feel it's the only way authorities will do something about their case. "Our daughter has been discriminated against in the most vicious way," Pepe told CNN. As for the little girl, her parents say they're looking for an alternative school while trying to explain to her why she can't see her friends anymore. Journalist Daniela Mendoza contributed to this report.

Alex and Pepe file complaints after their daughter is expelled from a Mexican day school . They say she was kicked out because they refused to hide the fact they are gay . The Mexican constitution's non-discrimination clause applies, they say .

CLEVELAND, Ohio (CNN/WKYC) -- An emergency room physician accused of murdering his wife with cyanide pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, nearly four years after her death. Rosemarie DiPuccio Essa's family say they want "justice for Rosie." A judge set bail for Yazeed Essa at $75 million at a hearing attended by members of his slain wife's family. Police say Rosemarie DiPuccio Essa, 36, weakened by cyanide poisoning, died in a car wreck on February 24, 2005. Yazeed Essa left the United States in March 2005, shortly after being questioned by police about his wife's death. He was indicted by a Cuyahoga County grand jury in February 2007. "This man lied to us," said Dominic DiPuccio, brother of Rosemarie Essa, outside the arraignment courtroom at the Justice Center in Cleveland. "Right after my sister Rosie was murdered," DiPuccio said, "Yazeed Essa swore to us on the heads of his two little children that he had nothing to do with her death. Now we know the truth and can't wait for him to face justice." Choking back tears as they waited for the case to be called, the DiPuccio family said they've been waiting almost four years for Essa to return to Cleveland and face the charge of aggravated murder. Police investigators said Yazeed Essa initially said his wife was taking calcium supplements. But when Essa turned over his wife's pill vial to detectives, tests revealed that several pills contained deadly potassium cyanide rather than calcium. Potassium cyanide, used in electroplating gold and euthanizing insects for collections, looks like sugar and can smell like almonds. It can be dissolved in water and hidden in food or medications. Moments before she died, Rosemarie Essa called a friend on her cell phone and said her husband had insisted she take a calcium pill before leaving home, officials said. A few weeks later, Yazeed Essa went to Beirut, Lebanon, and spent 19 months in the Middle East. He was taken into custody in Nicosia, Cyprus, when officials discovered his identity. He was extradited late last week. Essa "fled the United States because he did not believe he could get a fair trial, since he is an Arab-American," defense attorney Steven Bradley said. "Since the election of Barack Obama as president, Essa now believes the political climate has changed enough that he was willing to return and now get a fair trial," Bradley said. Bradley and his co-counsel, Mark Marein, said they were not shocked that Judge Joan Synenberg set bail at $75 million. "Our client is fully prepared to remain in jail until the time of his trial. He says he is an innocent man." Essa's late wife's family takes a different view. "We have absolutely no doubt that he is a killer," DiPuccio said. "It's been really tough for all of us and we're glad this day has finally come. Maybe we can get some justice for Rosie." Rosemarie Essa's mother, Gigi DiPuccio, held the hands of her husband, Rocco, and said, "I think about my daughter every day." As her eyes filled with tears, she said, "Now we just want to get justice for Rosie and the kids and our family so we can start to heal. We're at the first step right now. We need to get through this and we will as a family." If convicted of aggravated murder, Yazeed Essa faces a life sentence, with parole eligibility after 20 years in prison.

Dr. Yazeed Essa pleads not guilty to wife's cyanide murder . He is being held on $75 million bail as a flight risk . Essa left the country and went to Beirut after being questioned by police . He was arrested in Cyprus and extradited last week, nearly 4 years after wife's death .

London (CNN) -- Spain faces a test of unity over the coming months as regional elections in Catalonia and Galicia threaten to destabilize the debt-ridden nation. With unemployment at a record 25%, borrowing costs spiraling and debt repayments looming, Spain is emerging as the possible next candidate to tap its eurozone peers for financial help. But Spain stands apart from other nations forced to seek aid. As the eurozone's fourth largest economy -- making up around 11% of the currency bloc's gross domestic product -- its financial problems are now being exacerbated by defiance from some of its 17 disparate regions. Catalonia, a semi-autonomous region in the Northeast, represents one fifth of Spain's economy and the protestors are now actively calling for a split from central government. Such agitations -- coming as they are in the midst of the country's debt crisis -- threaten to undermine Rajoy's attempts to pull Spain from its financial mire. Nicholas Spiro, managing director of Spiro Sovereign Strategy told CNN that the sub sovereign debt problems are a "hot button issue." For Rajoy, the push back "accentuates [the problems], making it more likely Spain will be forced to call on the European Stability Mechanism [Europe's permanent bailout fund]," Spiro said. But Antonio Barroso, a Europe analyst at Eurasia Group, told CNN that despite the protests the likelihood of a Catalan separation is "extremely low." According to Barroso, the ruling political party in Catalonia, Convergence and Union (CiU) led by Catalan President Artur Mas, has used the eurozone debt crisis and regional elections set for November 25 to openly call for sovereignty. Barroso said: "It is true that public support for independence has been on the rise. But the Catalan government is implementing very tough financial adjustments and therefore the [Catalan] President, Artur Mas, is capitalizing on nationalist sentiments to shift the burden of responsibility onto the central government." Last week Mas met with the Rajoy in Madrid to try and negotiate a new fiscal arrangement, whereby Catalonia would manage its own taxes and transfer less money to other regions in Spain. But talks stalled. Even as Catalonia -- with its own language and culture -- strives for autonomy, in August, the CiU requested a 5 billion euro ($6.3 billion) bailout from the Spanish government. The request came after Rajoy announced plans for a credit line to be extended to Spain's 17 regions. But, according to Barroso, Catalonia is not Rajoy's main concern. Instead Spain's leader is focusing on regional elections in Galicia in October -- a region in North-western Spain -- where his party is likely to win and where the policies could create a model for the rest of Spain. Barroso said: "The key area for Rajoy is Galicia because his party has an absolute majority. He wants to use Galicia as an example of how his policies are working because it is one of the healthiest region in fiscal terms." Spain has already requested up to a 100 billion euro ($128 billion) aid package for its ailing banks, which are still struggling to grapple with the property collapse in 2008. Pressure from European partners and investor fear over further credit downgrades for Spain could undo the calming effect of European Central Bank President Mario Draghi's announcement on September 6. Draghi said the bank would be willing to purchase sovereign bonds of fiscally-frail countries such as Spain and Italy, if these indebted nations request a bailout. But Barroso noted it was difficult to place a time frame on Spain seeking any external aid. He added: "For Rajoy, he has said 'only if market pressure increases' and you see how yields are going up again. I think market pressure is the ultimate factor that would cause Rajoy to apply."

Catalonia has requested a 5 billion euro ($6.3 billion) bailout from the Spanish government . Galicia and Catalonia will hold regional elections in October and November respectively . Investors are wary that Spain could soon need financial support from European bailout funds .

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- Park Sang Hak and his family jammed 150,000 sheets of paper, dollar bills, DVDs and tiny AM/FM radios inside bags attached to giant inflatable helium balloons. They launched them into the sky where they floated 200 km (124 miles) across the border to North Korea. The message: Kim Jong Il is lying to you. Renewed worldwide pressure on Pyongyang has given urgency to North Korean defectors living in Seoul who hope to reach North Koreans. The balloons are the weapons in breaking Kim Jong Il's spell, say the Fighters for Free North Korea. The group, made up primarily of North Korean defectors, says if North Korea can't get any messages from the outside world, then outside world must deliver those messages in. How? The giant helium balloons carrying the garbage bags of propaganda, which can fly 200 kilometers over the border, straight into the heart of Pyongyang. It's the heart of Kim Jong Il's regime that these defectors hope to strike, by destroying the illusion it has built for its citizens. "My brothers are still living there," said Kwon Young-Hee, who defected to Korea a decade ago. "I will be happy if they can come after reading these messages. North Koreans know nothing about Kim Jong Il except for his power as general and chief of the country. We want them to know the truth." In North Korea, all public discourse, from media to education, is controlled by the military regime. A little radio, says North Korean defector Park Sang-hak, is a big weapon. "I'm sending this off with the hope of reaching my people, who I left behind," said Park, as he watched the balloons lift into the sky heading northward. "If they get these, I hope they will be able to reflect on the true meaning of freedom. The two Koreas halted decades of propaganda warfare under a 2004 reconciliation deal. But ties have soured in the wake of the sinking of the South Korean warship, the Cheonan, last March. It's reinvigorated the propaganda war among North Korean defectors in the south. Kim Seong-Min runs Free North Korea Radio, broadcasting from the third floor of a small office building in the outskirts of Seoul. He may be in South Korea, but the audience, he hopes, is North Korea's citizens, listening from illegal radios. Kim, who fled North Korea a decade ago, says the Cheonan warship sinking should show the international community that negotiations with Pyongyang will never work, and it must try to reach the North Koreans directly. It worked for me, said Kim, who recalls how he heard a story on an illegal radio in North Korea. "Listening to the stories, I thought maybe this is propaganda from the south," he said. The important part, he said, is that he began to question the unquestionable military regime. Just the question led to him fleeing the North. "I want to see it for myself," he said, referring to the free world. While the propaganda war is heating up, people in Seoul say the prospect of an actual war feels remote. South Koreans, long used to the heated battle and rhetoric between the nations, are going about their normal lives. "I don't think war will take place," said Park Kyung-hee, as she shopped with her son in a busy market in downtown Seoul. "Although the Cheonan incident is serious, the country will be safe because we have strong ties with our allies. The north would never invade us." American Mischa Moreau, who has lived in Seoul for three years, said she doesn't feel any sense of danger. "It does not feel like war. The feeling I get from the Korean people here, it's very easygoing and they go on with their life and I do too. It's very comforting."

Bags packed with paper, dollar bills, tiny radios by North Korean defectors . Propaganda bags are carried into North Korea by helium balloons . Balloons intended to circumvent state control of information in North Korea .

Havana, Cuba (CNN) -- Marina Ochoa keeps a handful of photos of her little brother in a faded yellow envelope. She has a black-and-white snapshot of him as a baby and some color portraits of him as a successful banker in Miami, Florida. And then there's one of him as a 7-year-old, about to be airlifted out of Cuba. That was the last time she ever saw him. "I went to the airport to see him off," the Cuban filmmaker said at her Havana home. Her brother Frank was one of 14,000 Cuban children quietly sent to the United States between 1960 and 1962, at the start of Fidel Castro's revolution. Their parents were terrified the new government would strip them of parental authority and ship their kids off to work camps in what was then the Soviet Union, or send them into the countryside on literacy campaigns. Those fears deepened when the state nationalized industries, confiscated private property and closed religious and private schools. "Our parents thought they would soon join my brother or that this government wouldn't last," Ochoa said. "My father thought, 'Americans won't put up with this radical revolution.' " Her parents wanted to send Ochoa, then 11, but she refused to go. The clandestine program came to be known as Operation Peter Pan. It was backed by Washington and coordinated by the Catholic Church, which helped Cuban children get U.S. visas and once in America, find a family or go to foster homes or orphanages. But things didn't play out as expected. To begin with, a CIA-backed invasion failed to topple Castro. With the subsequent Cuban missile crisis, relations between Havana and Washington broke off completely, making travel and even communication almost impossible. Many parents couldn't get U.S. visas, and others couldn't get permission to leave Cuba. Latin pop star Willy Chirino and former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida are perhaps the best-known of the "Peter Pan" kids. The operation inspires mixed feelings. Many Cuban exiles argue that the airlift saved children who might have died trying to escape on rafts or grown up under a repressive regime. Others say the clandestine program put many kids at unnecessary risk, with a few suffering abuse in foster homes and orphanages. Silvia Wilhelm was airlifted out when she was just 14. She didn't come back to Cuba for more than 30 years but now visits frequently and promotes cultural and religious exchanges. "I will always respect my parents' decision, because they made it at a juncture in time that was when their whole world was falling apart," she said. Her parents managed to get coveted U.S. visas a year later and moved to Florida. "I think at the end of the day we were pawns between political powers, two countries." But it took years for other families to be reunited, and 20 percent of the children never saw their parents again. Ochoa's brother Frank drifted from home to home, and his family eventually gave up trying to join him. "He felt so alone that he wrote to my mother, filling pages with the same sentence: Come Mommy. Come Mommy," she said. In 1993, Frank died. He was only in his 30s. "When the bureaucratic hurdles started to ease, it was too late. My brother was already sick. My mother had already died without ever seeing him again," she said. Ochoa started work on a documentary about the exodus a year later. Politics still divide the countries, but many families touched by Operation Peter Pan have started to reach out to people and places they thought they had lost. Last year, President Obama lifted restrictions on allowing Cuban-Americans to visit relatives in Cuba and made it easier for them to send money to relatives.

14,000 Cuban children sent to U.S. at start of Castro's revolution . Mixed feelings remain about Operation Peter Pan . Some families were never reunited . Others have started to reach out again as restrictions are lifted .

Paris, France (CNN) -- A tape of a man claiming to be Osama Bin Laden threatening France appears to be authentic, the French Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Bin Laden warned France to get its troops out of Afghanistan and not to oppress Muslims at home in a tape broadcast by the Al-Jazeera network Wednesday. "If you want to tyrannize and think that it is your right to ban the free women from wearing the burqa, isn't it our right to expel your occupying forces, your men from our lands by striking them by the neck?" the speaker demands, in reference to recently passed French legislation barring women from covering their faces in public. "This message only confirms the reality of the terrorist threat against which the French authorities have taken and continue to take appropriate measures," the ministry said in a statement Thursday. "French authorities are fully mobilized to secure the release of seven hostages kidnapped in Niger on September 16. These statements by Bin Laden will not affect our assessment of the situation of our hostages and obviously will, therefore, not erode our efforts to secure their release. France will continue to fight against terrorism alongside its partners," the ministry said. Five French nationals were kidnapped last month along with a person from Togo and one from Madagascar. A photograph of them was posted September 30 on a website linked to al Qaeda. French authorities are treating the Bin Laden message "very, very seriously," CNN counterterror analyst Paul Cruickshank said. An opposition lawmaker Wednesday urged "contempt towards these terrorists. "All of this is derisory, contemptible. We must take this message for what it is but we must stand together in France, all French, whatever the circumstances and whatever our differences," said Francois Loncle, a Socialist Party member of the foreign relations committee of the National Assembly said on RTL radio. The demands of the speaker on the tape are clear. "The only way to safeguard your nation and maintain your security is to lift all your injustice and its extensions off our people and most importantly to withdraw your forces from Bush's despicable war in Afghanistan," the speaker says. The tape is audio only. The speaker does not appear. CNN was not able to confirm that it is really Osama Bin Laden, the head of al Qaeda. But fake Bin Laden tapes have never been broadcast, U.S. intelligence experts say. "As you kill us, you will be killed. As you imprison us, you will be imprisoned, and as you threaten our security, we will threaten your security and the initiator of the injustice is the true aggressor," the speaker says. The France's terror alert level is red, the second highest, authorities say. It did not change immediately in response to the new tape. Paris has been on edge lately, with the Eiffel Tower having been evacuated twice. Al Qaeda has issued a series of threats against France in the past, and French citizens have been killed by groups in Africa claiming affiliation with Bin Laden's group. Bin Laden is still providing strategic direction to al Qaeda from a base somewhere in Pakistan, Cruickshank said. "He is still involved in actual plotting... signing off on (an) operation, Western intelligence authorities believe," he said. But there have been only two successful attacks on the West since September 11, 2001, he pointed out. Commuter trains in Madrid, Spain, were bombed in March, 2004, killing 191 people. Public transport in London, England, was bombed in July, 2005, killing 52, plus four suicide bombers. France has 3,750 troops in Afghanistan, according to NATO's International Security Assistance Force. French lawmakers approved a ban on full-face veils in September, citing security concerns and saying they violated women's human rights. The ban is scheduled to come into effect in the spring.

NEW: The message only "confirms the terrorist threat," the Foreign Ministry says . Bin Laden threatens France on the tape, which was broadcast Wednesday . He warns Paris to get its troops out of Afghanistan . France must show "contempt" towards the threat, an opposition lawmaker says .

(CNN) -- When Bill Gates testified via videotape in Microsoft's antitrust trial in 1998, he was combative and defensive, as if he couldn't believe how stupid the entire procedure was. He didn't expect the tape to be shown in court. It was, and it was a disaster. Public opinion turned -- instead of a billionaire genius who had built Microsoft into the most valuable tech company in the world, he was a condescending monopolist who didn't have time for the legal system. Amazingly, Gates didn't see it coming. As Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen relates in his recent autobiography, the anti-Microsoft sentiment "cut Bill to the core." Gates told the media that government attorney David Boies was "really out to destroy Microsoft." In his rational engineer's mind, Microsoft was simply a winner. It had beaten its competitors by being smarter and working harder. It seemed deeply unfair for the government to build a case based on the complaints of those competitors and undo everything that Gates had worked so hard for. Flash forward a decade. Google is the new Microsoft. It dominates its industry so completely that a few slight tweaks to its search engine can throw other companies into turmoil by burying them in search results. It's using the incredible cash generated by that business to expand in a million different directions at once, from online video to social networking to mobile phones. The man running Google, co-founder Larry Page, has a lot in common with Gates. Like Gates, Page is often described in otherworldly terms, a near-genius with autistic tendencies like counting the seconds out loud while you're explaining something too slowly to him. Like Gates, he has run his own company for his entire adult life and has had uninterrupted success. Like Gates, he has an engineer's soul and is obsessive about cutting waste -- one of his first acts after taking over as CEO in April was to send an all-hands e-mail describing how to run meetings more efficiently. Like Gates, he is hugely ambitious -- he once suggested that Google hire a million engineers and told early investors that he saw Google as a $100 billion company. That's $100 billion in annual revenue, not just stock value. (It's about one-third of the way there.) And like Gates, Page may have a blind spot about the intersection of business and the Beltway. For instance, when Google paid $3.2 billion to buy display ad firm DoubleClick in 2007, it got a search-engine marketing firm called Performics as part of the deal. Obviously, Google would have to let Performics go -- federal regulators would never let the dominant search company own a search marketing company. Except Page wanted to keep it, just to see how it worked. (Google sold Performics to advertising conglomerate Publicis Groupe in 2008.) Back then, Page had a tempering force in Eric Schmidt, who was the company's CEO and was originally brought in by its investors to provide "adult supervision." But since Page reclaimed the CEO title, the brakes are off. In his first five months, Page has reorganized the company to his liking, cut a bunch of marginal projects like Google Health and mobile app maker Slide, launched a social network to compete with Facebook and bid $12.5 billion to buy Motorola's mobile phone business. Now, antitrust investigators are circling Google -- just like they did with Microsoft. Europe has already launched a formal investigation, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is taking a close look as well. As Google keeps expanding with big, bold moves, Page will find himself thrust into the spotlight like he's never been before. For Google's sake, here's hoping he handles it with more grace than Gates. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Matt Rosoff. Copyright © 2011 Business Insider.

Bill Gates' testimony in antitrust trial turned public opinion against him, Matt Rosoff says . Rosoff says Larry Page of Google is close to being in a similar situation . Page is stretching company from online video to social networking to mobile phones, he says .

(CNN) -- They're young, fabulously wealthy and have blue blood coursing through their veins. Meet the "20 Hottest Young Royals" in the world, compiled by influential fortune tracker, Forbes magazine. Britain's Prince William has been named "Hottest Young Royal" in the world by Forbes magazine. The magazine used the "winning combinations of looks, money, and popularity on the Web" to come up with the list, it says. Only unmarried royals under the age of 35 were considered. The Forbes list proved to be a Royal knockout for British royalty. They came in the top four of hottest young royals in the world. With his piercing blue eyes and lantern jaw, reminiscent of a movie star, Britain's Prince William, perhaps unsurprisingly, came in at Number 1. The magazine describes him as having: "international intrigue and unparalleled media attention," combined with a "graceful public persona." Although his crown slipped somewhat recently when he was accused of abusing his newly-acquired flying skills by "joyriding." Watch who people on the street think is the hottest » . His relationship with girlfriend Kate Middleton is the subject of feverish speculation and an engagement announcement is eagerly anticipated by the British media. Seemingly always languishing in William's shadow, his brother, Prince Harry, placed second on the list. Harry has always been known as the "bad boy prince" because of some rather unroyal behavior, such as brawling with paparazzi outside nightclubs and going to a fancy dress party dressed in Nazi regalia. However, he has latterly re-invented himself as the "Hero prince" after a tour of duty in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban in March. Sound off: Is Prince William the world's hottest young royal? William and Harry's cousins Zara Phillips and Princess Beatrice also came in at No. 3 and 4 respectively. The inclusion in the list should be good news for Princess Beatrice, who recently attracted unkind comments from Britain's newspaper columnists about her curvy figure and her dress sense. The sight of Beatrice, 19, pictured on holiday in a bikini proved too much for Daily Mail newspaper columnist Allison Pearson, who wrote: "Can't someone buy that girl a sarong? For her sake, as well as ours." This led to an angry counterattack from Beatrice's mum, Sarah Ferguson, who thundered at a news conference to promote a reality show: "Touch me, fine, but don't touch my children." The 20 featured on the list represent almost $60 billion in wealth and 15 royal lineages from around the world-- including some rather obscure names that even the most ardent royalist might be hard pushed to recognize. Princess Sikhanyiso of Swaziland anyone? Coming in at Number 20, the eldest daughter of King Mswati III of Swaziland, Africa's last absolute monarch, is currently a speech and drama major at Biola University in California. A controversial princess who raises eyebrows in her homeland with her Western-style clothes and a decision to hold a drinking party to celebrate the end of a chastity decree in 2005 resulted in a beating with a stick. Fourth in line to the Monaco throne, Charlotte Casiraghi, is the only non-Brit to make it into the top 5. A style icon, who is known for her impeccable taste in fashion and her good looks--much like her grandmother, Hollywood icon, Grace Kelly and mother Princess Caroline. Her brother, party prince Andrea Casiraghi, also makes an appearance on the list at Number 10. But it seems even his Hollywood lineage -- as well as his sun-kissed surfer looks were not enough to give William and Harry a run for their money in the pin-up stakes.

Prince William tops list of 'Hottest Royal' list compiled by Forbes magazine . British young royals came in top four spot of the list . Forbes: List based on combinations of looks, money, popularity on the Web .

(CNN) -- The second edition of an online al Qaeda magazine has surfaced with frank essays, creatively designed imagery and ominous terror tips such as using a pickup truck as a weapon and shooting up a crowded restaurant in Washington. The magazine is called "Inspire" and intelligence officials believe that an American citizen named Samir Khan, now living in Yemen, is the driving force behind the publication. The latest edition was emerged on the 10th anniversary of the suicide attack on the guided missile destroyer USS Cole -- struck as it refueled in Aden, Yemen. The first edition came out in July. Christopher Boucek, a Yemen expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the timing is no coincidence. "It also comes on the heels of a busy week for al Qaeda in Yemen. They released an hourlong video last week. There was also an attack on a British Convoy in Sanaa [Yemen's capital] last week. And an audiotape was released two days ago. Al Qaeda in Yemen is good at amplifying its message and that shows the organization is still active, that they're still able to function," he said. An article titled "The Ultimate Mowing Machine" calls for using a pickup truck as a "mowing machine, not to mow grass but mow down the enemies of Allah." The article says that such a plan could be implemented in countries where people back the "Israeli occupation of Palestine, the American invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq or countries that had a prominent role in the defamation of Muhammad." It said a four-wheel-drive pickup truck is needed -- "the stronger the better." "To achieve maximum carnage, you need to pick up as much speed as you can while still retaining good control of your vehicle in order to maximize your inertia and be able to strike as many people as possible in your first run," the article says. Another tip in the magazine includes the use of firearms. "For this choose the best location. A random hit at a crowded restaurant in Washington DC at lunch hour, for example, might end up knocking out a few government employees. "Targeting such employees is paramount and the location would also give the operation additional media attention." An idea in the first edition, "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom," is touched on again. "The pressurized cooker should be placed in crowded areas and left to blow up. More than one of these could be planted to explode at the same time. However, keep in mind that the range of the shrapnel in this operation is short range so the pressurized cooker or pipe should be placed close to the intended targets and should not be concealed from them by barriers such as walls." Adam Raisman, senior analyst at SITE Intelligence Group, said the "very well-presented magazine" covers a variety of topics, is meant to reach a wider audience, and tries to be tongue-in-cheek in its presentation. "The magazine has suggestions, ideology it attempts to instill in the reader, and it includes tips for technology," Raisman said. Boucek said the "big takeaway" is that the magazine is focusing on what the individual can do. "The message to the lone actor is to be patient -- that you can do it -- you can participate in this," he said. There are writings in the magazine by Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who U.S. authorities have linked to the failed attempt to blow up a U.S.-bound jetliner in December. Samir Khan wrote an article titled "I Am Proud to be a Traitor to America." There is also recycled material. The latest issue includes recent commentary from Adam Yahiye Gadahn, who is an American, about President Barack Obama. CNN's Joe Sterling and Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report.

NEW: Yemen expert says issue's timing, 10 years after Cole bombing, is no coincidence . NEW: Magazine's ideas, ideology aimed at lone jihadist, Christopher Boucek says . Pickup trucks, pressure cookers envisioned as weapons . Targeting government employees is seen as paramount .

(CNN) -- Finally. That's all that needs to be said about President Barack Obama's decision this week to stop playing footsie with GOP senators and push through the recess appointments for the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and members of the National Labor Relations Board. Republican are in a tizzy, saying he is establishing a bad precedent with the moves. But frankly, they need to shut up. It has been their shameful and callous actions in holding up countless presidential nominees that has led us to this precarious moment in political history. But let's not act like the Democratic senators are standing on firm moral ground. They were also obstructionists during the final few years of President George W. Bush's second term, and they played the same game of hideaway as the Republicans are doing now, even though the GOP has taken stalling to extraordinary heights. As for President Obama, he has played nice for far too long, unwilling to load up the administration with his nominees through the constitutionally protected avenue of recess appointments. It's hilarious to listen to strict constructionist conservatives talk about the U.S. Constitution as a hallowed document, only to hear their chagrin when someone actually follows it. Every president has the right to make recess appointments, and if you hear the GOP critics, you would swear Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush didn't use the power of recess appointments to fill vacancies. But they did, specifically with the National Labor Relations Board, the same group that now has three open slots that the GOP has been blocking President Obama from filling. This is a silly, partisan game that I can't stand. Every president should be able to appoint a team to his liking. Yes, the U.S. Constitution says the U.S. Senate gets to "advise and consent," but it says nothing about holding up appointments in perpetuity. It's shameful when a president makes an appointment and that person goes six months to nearly two years before they get a hearing or an up-and-down vote. The U.S. Senate should be able and willing to move a lot faster when filling vacancies, but the partisan divide keeps that from happening. With President Obama in office, the GOP doesn't want to see what they describe as liberal judges appointed to the federal bench. And when there is a Republican in the White House, Democrats voice their anger at conservative judges being appointed. Folks, that's what happens in elections. There are consequences to winning and losing. President Obama's willingness to take on the Congress directly is a welcome departure from the reach-out-and-touch someone philosophy he operated by the last three years. Look, I get bipartisanship -- we should have folks from both parties acting like grownups and getting along -- but if you look at the overwhelming number of Obama appointees being held up, it's clear that this system is broken. Weakness is nothing to be happy about. And too often, President Obama has operated more on the weak and meek side when dealing with Congress rather than as a strong leader with conviction. This decision, coupled with the far more aggressive tone he has taken with his critics, has led to an increase in his poll numbers, and is the kind of fire in the belly his supporters are happy to see. The fear is that the president will fall back into the mode of walking softly with a big stick. Sorry, when folks are misbehaving, you have to whack them upside the head with that big stick in order for them to get the message. The GOP can crow all day about these appointments. They are likely to lose if they challenge the president in court. Maybe their continuing intransigence will keep President Obama operating with a short fuse, ready to explode on the opposition when warranted. Now that's a change in attitude we can believe in. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland S. Martin.

President Obama filled several key posts through recess appointments . Roland Martin says he had to act because Republicans were stalling his nominees . He says Democrats also were wrong in obstructing appointments by George W. Bush . Martin says Obama's new tough approach is long overdue .

(CNN) -- The discovery of millions of extra ballots proves that President Robert Mugabe intends to rig next week's elections in his favor, Zimbabwe's main opposition party said Sunday. President Robert Mugabe gestures during a pre-election rally in Harare on Saturday. Tendai Biti, secretary general of the Movement for Democratic Change, said that leaked correspondence from the election commission showed it had asked the company that is printing paper ballots to make 9 million. However, the African country has an electorate of 5.7 million registered voters, he said. Also, 600,000 postal paper ballots were requested for soldiers and police officers, Biti said. Postal ballots are usually requested for civil servants serving abroad, and the total number of soldiers and police in Zimbabwe add up to no more than 50,000, he said. "Remember, when they stole this election away from us the last time, they stole it with 350,000 votes," Biti said. "Six hundred thousand is double insurance. They cannot win a free and fair election in this country." The elections are slated for Saturday. Mugabe survived a hotly contested presidential challenge from MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai in 2002 amid widespread accusations of vote rigging. The president's other challenger this time is former Finance Minister Simba Makoni, who recently announced his bid to unseat Mugabe and was promptly booted out of the ruling party. Last week, New York-based Human Rights Watch raised doubts about the elections, saying it was likely to be "deeply flawed." "As the elections near, all indications are that once again the people of Zimbabwe will not be able to freely exercise their civil and political rights and vote for the candidates of their choice," the nongovernmental organization said in a 48-page report. The elections are expected to provide Mugabe with the toughest challenge yet in his nearly 28 years of rule. The report said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was partisan toward the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and had neither the expertise nor the resources to run the elections properly. Watch Mugabe threaten to expel companies under British rule. » . That report brought derision from a Zimbabwean official. "What qualifies them to do what they're doing -- policing the world and Africa in particular?" asked Wilbert Gwashavanhu, political consul at Zimbabwe's embassy in Washington. "Why don't they go to America and oversee how America holds its own elections?" he said. "Come on, give me a break! You can't judge the elections before they are held." No matter the final outcome of the election, the international community may never find out whether the vote proved to be free and fair. Independent news organizations are banned from Zimbabwe, and there are no credible monitors in place. Since 1980, the 84-year-old Mugabe has been the country's only ruler. But his odds of winning this time may be handicapped by Zimbabwe's dire economic situation. The rate of inflation reported in January was 100,000 percent, and food and fuel are in short supply, the Human Rights Watch document said. With more than three in four Zimbabweans unemployed, few could afford such food and fuel anyway. The country's downward economic spiral began in 2000, when Mugabe sanctioned the violent seizure of commercial farms, turning some of the land over to insiders and cronies. For his part, Mugabe remains defiant, blaming his country's economic woes on the West. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report.

Zimbabwe's main opposition party says millions of extra ballot papers printed . Movement for Democratic Change secretary suspects elections will be rigged . President Robert Mugabe expected to face toughest challenge yet Saturday . Mugabe, 84, has ruled the African country for nearly 28 years .

Las Vegas (CNN) -- Mobile technology is no longer limited to laptops, smartphones and tablets. It's seeping into every corner of our lives, including television and movies, cars, the workplace, health care, education and eventually our bodies. This expansion of mobile, and its next generation of highly mobile tech users, were the subject of Monday's Consumer Electronics Show keynote. Delivered by chip maker Qualcomm's chief executive Paul Jacobs, the talk marked the official kickoff of the show, which opens its doors Tuesday morning. The CES keynote address was previously handled by Microsoft, a company whose products are instantly familiar to consumers around the world. Successor Qualcomm isn't a household name, even though it says it has shipped 11 billion chips in its 27 years and its mobile processors power the mobile devices you use everyday. The challenge for Qualcomm on Monday was to illustrate how its technology is relevant to regular consumers. The resulting talk was as scattered and entertaining as its rooster of special guest stars, which included "Sesame Street's" Big Bird, Archbishop Desmond Tutu (via video), filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski, "Star Trek" actress Alice Eve and pop band Maroon 5. But the biggest guest star for this tech audience may have been Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who ran out on stage to giddily show off three new Windows 8 products. 5 fun and odd gadgets from CES . The event kicked off with a skit featuring young actors playing stereotypes of the most annoying people you've ever been stuck behind in a Starbucks line. An OMG-spouting popular girl, a gamer geek who talks like a surfer and a Silicon Valley wannabe entrepreneur. What tied these characters together was the theme of the event: they were all "born mobile." The primarily mobile phenomenon is international. According to Jacobs, 84% of people worldwide say they can't go a day without their mobile device. The smartphone interface is so commonplace, people now want it on their other devices. The Android mobile operating system is already expanding beyond smartphones and tablets to smart TVs, cameras and Google's Project Glass smart glasses. Qualcomm's chips have an even broader reach, appearing in smart TVs, game consoles, home automation devices and even cars. During its keynote Qualcomm showed how its technology can be used to enable wireless charging for electric vehicles. The tech industry assumes that eventually, everything will be connected to the Internet, with cars, household appliances and mobile devices all communicating with each other. The concept, called the "Internet of Things," has been kicking around for many years, but a recent boom in low-cost sensors and popular gadgets like the Nest smart thermostat have led to more gadgets that successfully add Web connectivity. For example, wearable health monitors could be used to notify you or your doctor as soon as something is wrong with your vital signs. Trends to watch at CES . "It's really going to empower us by giving us more information about ourselves and our environment," said Jacobs, who said most people look at their phones 150 times a day. Even in the present, mobile phones are changing people's lives and behaviors. In developing countries, where a phone is many people's first and only device, phones are being used to deliver basic heath care. Augmented reality apps, like those powered by Qualcomm's Vuforia platform, are being used to help children learn to read. Qualcomm also used the keynote to announce two new processors, the Snapdragon 600 and 800. Most people who will benefit from the faster, more energy-efficient chips probably won't know their names. But with this keynote, Qualcomm hopes to make a name for itself as a innovative company powering the mobile tech of the future.

Chip-maker Qualcomm kicked off the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show with a keynote . CEO Paul Jacobs highlighted the expansion of mobile technology beyond smartphones and tablets . The talk featured random guest stars, including Big Bird, Guillermo del Toro and Maroon 5 .

(CNN)Chelsea regained their lead at the top of the English Premier League Saturday with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Newcastle United. Coupled with Manchester City's failure to win at Everton, the result means Jose Mourinho's side are now two points clear in first position having been tied level with City at the beginning of the day. Yet although the London club were ultimately triumphant, they didn't have it all their own way at Stamford Bridge. Newcastle had the best of the first half chances, with Remy Cabella being denied by a fine Petr Cech save and Moussa Sissoko striking a post for the visitors. But it was Chelsea who went into the break 1-0 up thanks to Oscar's strike 43rd minute strike. Quick thinking by Willian picked out Branislav Ivanovic at a corner and the Serbian passed on to Oscar to open the scoring. The Brazilian then turned provider on the hour mark, setting up Diego Costa as the Blues took command of the game. It was a control Chelsea would not relinquish against one of only two sides to beat them season. Costa, Eden Hazard and Loic Remy all went close to adding to the margin of victory before referee Roger East called time. "In the first half, (Newcastle) had some moments when they caused us some problems," Chelsea assistant boss Steve Holland told Sky Sports after the match. "But a much improved performance in the second half (meant) we were good value for the 2-0 win." If Chelsea were eventually comfortable, City were frustrated at Goodison Park -- a venue they have seldom enjoyed visiting in recent years. Star strikers Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko returned to the City squad after injury, however, it was Montenegro international Stevan Jovetic who started up front for the Sky Blues. With the game finely balanced at 0-0, Argentine international Aguero replaced Jovetic just after the hour mark -- and City were soon in the lead. Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho latched on to David Silva's shot-cum-cross to push the ball beyond Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles. But Manuel Pellegrini's men weren't celebrating for long as Scotland striker Steven Naismith leveled for the home side just three minutes later. City brought on Frank Lampard for the remainder of the match but were unable to find the killer goal that would have kept them level with Chelsea. "We missed chances in the first half and we didn't make the goalkeeper work which is a bit frustrating, " said Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart to Sky Sports after the match. "(But) it's a difficult place historically for us to come ... we're going to take the point and move on." Premier League roundup . Elsewhere in the Premier League Saturday, there was victory for Tony Pulis in his first official game in charge of West Bromwich Albion. The Baggies defeated Hull City 1-0 thanks to a second half strike from 21-year-old England striker Saido Berahino. Aston Villa's struggles in front of goal continued in the Midlands derby with Leicester City. Paul Konchesky scored the only goal of the game to give bottom of the table Leicester the win. Andy Carroll gave West Ham an early lead away to Swansea City, however, a second half equalizer from Bafetimbi Gomis ensured the game ended 1-1. Meanwhile, Burnley continued their fine run of form by defeating Queens Park Rangers 2-1 at Turf Moor thanks to first half goals from Scott Arfield and Danny Ings. In the day's early game, a solitary goal from Lazar Markovic was enough to give Champions League chasing Liverpool a welcome three points at 10-man Sunderland. The 20-year-old Serb's early strike was his first league goal for Liverpool since moving from Benfica last year.

Chelsea go clear at top of EPL after 2-0 victory over Newcastle United . Title rivals Manchester City held 1-1 away at Everton . Liverpool, Burnley, Leicester and West Brom all win .

(CNN) -- Roma's hopes of a record-extending 11th successive Italian Serie A victory were thwarted Sunday by a team that hadn't won in six matches. Torino's streak was stretched to seven by the 1-1 draw, which gave Turin rival Juventus a boost in its bid to win a third successive title. The result left league leader Roma three points clear of Juve and Napoli, who both won on Saturday. The capital club, seeking a first title since 2001 under the guidance of new French coach Rudi Garcia, seemed on course for another routine win when Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman fired a 28th-minute opener. But Torino hit back in the 63rd minute through striker Alessio Cerci, whose eighth league goal this season -- the second best behind Fiorentina's Giuseppe Rossi -- moved his team up to 12th place. It was only the second goal scored against Roma in the top flight this season, the other being by Parma in September. The visiting side, which had the only 100% record in the major European leagues, again missed the attacking presence of captain Francesco Totti and Ivory Coast forward Gervinho, both sidelined by injury. Inter Milan reclaimed fourth place with a 3-0 win at Udinese that kept Walter Mazzarri's team above Verona on goal difference. Verona beat Cagliari 2-1, while Roma's seventh-placed city rival Lazio lost ground with a 2-0 home defeat by Genoa. In France, former Roma coach Claudio Ranieri suffered his first Ligue 1 defeat this season with Monaco, which lost 2-0 at Lille. Lille climbed above the principality club into second place behind champion Paris Saint-Germain, which has a two-point advantage following Friday's 4-0 win over Lorient. Nolan Roux scored both goals to inflict Monaco's second successive reverse, having also lost in the League Cup in midweek. In Spain, Atletico Madrid kept the pressure on La Liga leader Barcelona with a 2-0 win at home to fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao. Diego Costa joined Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the scoring charts with his 13th goal this season, while strike partner David Villa added the other -- his sixth since leaving Barca. The victory put Atletico a point behind the unbeaten champion and five clear of third-placed city rival Real Madrid, which struggled to a 3-2 win over bottom club Rayo Vallecano on Saturday. Valencia moved into the top half of the table with a 1-0 win at Getafe, while Malaga climbed clear of the relegation zone with a 3-2 victory at home to third-bottom Real Betis. In England, Tottenham and Everton both failed to claim second place in the Premier League after playing out a goalless draw. Visiting Spurs moved up to fourth, on goal difference behind Liverpool and Chelsea, and five points adrift of London rival Arsenal. It left Everton a point further back in seventh, below Manchester City and Southampton. Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris played the last half an hour after receiving a heavy blow to the head which required nine minutes of injury-time to be added. The France international refused to go off the pitch despite medical advice. "Hugo still doesn't recall everything about the incident," Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas said. "I made the call to keep him on the pitch because of the signs he was giving. The saves he did after the incident proved that right." Promoted Cardiff won the first Welsh derby to be played in the EPL, triumphing 1-0 against Swansea -- whose former defender Steven Caulker headed the only goal.

Italian league leader Roma held to 1-1 draw away to Torino on Sunday . Alessio Cerci's equalizer denies capital club a record-extending 11th Serie A win . Former Roma coach Claudio Ranieri suffers first defeat of season with Monaco . Atletico Madrid keeps pressure on Spanish leader Barcelona with victory .

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Three years ago Tuesday, Leslie Marva Adams, an attractive, 40-year-old hair stylist from Atlanta, Georgia, chatted on the phone with her mother in the morning. Leslie Adams, 40, filed a restraining order against an old boyfriend and disappeared three years ago. It was the last conversation she would have with a family member. On the third anniversary of Adams' disappearance, her family is still waiting for answers. Her daughter, Cierra Burk, 19, clings to the belief that Adams is alive. "We will find her," Burk says. The family became concerned when Adams failed to show up for her sister's birthday party the day after she talked on the phone with her mother. Two days after the missed party, Adams was officially reported missing. At her apartment in suburban Lilburn, police found evidence suggesting foul play -- a 12-inch blood stain near her bed and a .45-caliber bullet casing. Adams' car was parked in her driveway and a handwritten note was found on her door. Investigators soon learned the note was from her sister, Roberta. It said, "Leslie, we're worried about you, please call me as soon as possible." Watch how the mystery began with a missed party » . Adams had been having trouble with her ex-boyfriend, Billy Joe Cook, in the days leading up to her disappearance. She had accused him of stalking her and had filed a restraining order. In the court document, she alleged that Cook had verbally and physically abused her. She said she feared for her life. A temporary restraining order was granted by the court, but Adams vanished before a scheduled hearing on the matter. Phyllis Adams said her daughter told her in their final conversation that she had argued with Cook over the phone on the previous day. According to the temporary restraining order, Cook was not to have any contact with Adams. Police brought Cook in for questioning and learned he had spoken to Adams on the phone twice the day before she last spoke to her family. Although he was questioned extensively, police have not named Cook a suspect. Police say he was very cooperative and there is no evidence suggesting his involvement in her disappearance, although they have not ruled him or anyone else out as a potential suspect or person of interest. Just when they thought the trail had gone cold, police found what could be a lead in the case. In May 2007, clothing was recovered that could belong to the missing hair-dresser. Police found a pair of men's size 8 Reebok sneakers, size 10 capri pants, and a black sweater in the woods along I-85 in Franklin County, 90 miles from Adams' home in Atlanta. They also discovered human bones and a breast implant near the clothing. Police have sent the remains to a DNA testing lab and they have yet to be identified. The results are inconclusive, and police continue to collect DNA samples from Adams family members for future tests. Leslie Marva Adams is an African-American female who stands 5 feet 5 inches, weighs 130 pounds, and has breast implants. Family members fear the remains could be Leslie Adams, but they are still hopeful that she will be found alive and well. Burk, Adams' daughter, says she struggles with her emotions at this time of year. "I still believe she is alive and we will find her, but this time of year is very hard," she said, fighting the tears. "It's my aunt's birthday, the day my mom didn't show up and we never saw her again, so it's hard not to break down." Police and family urge anyone with information on the whereabouts of Leslie Adams to call the Gwinett County Police Department at (770) 513-5300. There is a $25,000 reward for information that helps locate Leslie Adams or leads to the arrest of the person responsible for her disappearance.

Atlanta hair stylist Leslie Marva Adams disappeared three years ago . She failed to show up at her sister's birthday party . Adams had taken out a restraining order against an ex-boyfriend . Police continue with DNA tests to determine if skeletal remains are hers .

Shanghai (CNN) -- Hong Kong's pro-democracy demonstrations have been front-page fodder this past week in international media, which have painted the story as a David-and-Goliath struggle between local Hong Kongers and a powerful but distant authoritarian master in Beijing. But no such headlines have appeared in China, where the story has been buried deep inside most newspapers and TV broadcasts, and is framed in a way that makes it uninteresting and unintelligible to average Chinese. The coverage consists mostly of Beijing's reactions to events with little or no explanation of what actually happened to prompt such response. The result is a hodgepodge of reports condemning the protests, saying that Hong Kong leader C.Y. Leung will never resign, and editorials declaring such protests will never spread to China. It has also been noteworthy for the relative lack of images. From a media perspective, the demonstrations now taking place are a journalist's dream come true, featuring colorful and action-filled images of protesters, police, politicians and conflict that make for great TV viewing and photos . Yet none of those images have found their way into China's official media, almost certainly on direct orders from propaganda officials who worry such pictures could inspire others in China to take similar action. Strict bans on such inflammatory images are quite common in order-obsessed China, even when such protests are pro-Chinese. One such ban was a central feature in domestic coverage of a major territorial dispute with Japan two years ago, with major protests that broke out around China eerily absent from all domestic reports. Old trick . China's media have also resorted to another old trick of covering the conflict using editorials, which offer a backdoor route into the story with little or no broader context. In this case the official Communist Party newspaper People's Daily has taken the lead with a series of forceful editorials repeating that such protests are illegal and adding that such actions will never spread to China. Such editorializing has been a popular tool for stating official views on sensitive subjects since 1949, and was widely used in 2010 when Google got into a high-profile dispute over Beijing's stipulations that it self-censor its China-based search site. That conflict ultimately saw Google withdrawal from the China search market, only to be cast by Chinese media as a cry baby that couldn't compete with local rivals. Beijing has also dusted off its tried-and-true tactic of using key "buzzwords" to control the tone of the story. Two such buzzwords this time have been "illegal," to describe the nature of the Hong Kong demonstrations, and "in accordance with the law," to describe how the China-friendly Leung administration is handling the situation. Finally there's the social media element, which is a new game not only for China but governments throughout the world as they try to harness this powerful force to influence public opinion. Social media . In this case, a number of commentaries have been making the rounds on popular social media platforms like WeChat, playing on themes that criticize the protesters for everything from threatening Hong Kong's prosperity to harboring broader hostility toward all mainland Chinese. These stories by little-known writers could be genuine, but are most likely a variation on another Beijing tactic to control online public opinion in the Internet age. Known by the disparaging moniker of the "Fifty-Cent Party," this loosely defined group's "members" reportedly receive government payment for posing as independent commentators who seed the Internet with opinions favorable to the central government's policies and views. The latest protests in Hong Kong may be providing new challenges for Beijing's leadership from a new generation of democracy-seeking activists on China's periphery. But the tactics being used by China's media are anything but new, with Beijing resorting to a wide range of time-tested reporting tricks in its bid to shape the issue in the realm of domestic public opinion.

Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests have been front-page news except in China . Coverage has been limited, with focus on editorials that lack broader context . Few images of the protests have been shown on Chinese media . Authorities fear pictures could inspire others in China to take similar actions .

(CNN) -- Two new missile production plants opened in Iran on Saturday. The inauguration of the production lines for the anti-helicopter Qaem missile, and the anti-armor Toofan-5 (Hurricane) missile, came three days after Iran test-launched a rocket capable of carrying a satellite, a launch deemed a "provocative act" by Washington. The Defense Ministry told Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency that both missiles have "high penetration and destructive powers." By mass producing and delivering these modern arms, Iran's department of defense aims to increase its ground and air defenses, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. The announcement of new missile production coincided with a 10-day period marking the 31st anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the U.S.-backed shah. "Toofan 5 is one of the most advanced missiles. It has two warheads which can destroy tanks and other armored vehicles," Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi told Fars. The Qaem is a "missile which can destroy targets in the air traveling at low speed and at low altitude, especially assault helicopters," Vahidi added. The laser guided anti-helicopter Qaem rocket is designed to resist enemy actions in electronic warfare. Iran is embroiled in a dispute with the West over its nuclear program and often makes announcements of progress in its military capabilities. The West suspects Iran of trying to build nuclear bombs, but Iran says its program is for peaceful power generation. On Friday, Iran's foreign minister said he believes a solution will be reached over a proposed deal to export uranium for enrichment abroad, a demand of Western nations that worry that Tehran plans to use its program to build nuclear weapons. "The amount of uranium [for export] is negotiable. But I am confident that a solution can be found," Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Iran's state-run Press TV reported. Earlier this week, Iran's atomic energy chief said no deal had been struck to export uranium for enrichment. "The discussions are still being conducted, and we will inform the nation of any final agreements," said Ali Akbar Salehi, director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, on Wednesday according to the state-run Iranian Labour News Agency. Asked what countries in addition to France and Brazil were under consideration, he said it was an Asian country but would not name it. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has told Press TV that Iran would have "no problem" turning over most of its low-enriched uranium to the West for further enrichment. Iranian diplomats had initially accepted the idea, which was proposed by the West, but then rejected a plan put forth by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the atomic watchdog of the United Nations. "In our opinion, there are no issues with the exchange" of 3 percent to 5 percent enriched uranium for 20 percent enriched uranium, Ahmadinejad said. He added that, if the West were to refuse to return the enriched fuel, world opinion would shift. "If they don't live up to their agreement, the international atmosphere will change in our favor," he said. "They [Western countries] can come and build 20 nuclear power plants for us; Russia, France and the United States can come and sign contracts and build the power plants. It serves our interests as well as theirs. Of course if they don't come to do this, we will reach a point to build our own power plants." Mottaki on Friday said Ahmadinejad's comments show that the Islamic republic is "eager" to discuss the proposal. Iran insists its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes.

The West says it suspects Iran is trying to build nuclear bombs . Earlier this week Washington called Iranian rocket test-launch a "provocative act" Iran says that its program is for peaceful power generation . Iranian FM said Friday a solution will be found over uranium enrichment issue .

(CNN) -- When Babatunde Osotimehin last year became the head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) -- the international development agency promoting female rights -- the news didn't go down too well with many women working in the field. After his appointment Osotimehin was told that some female ambassadors at the U.N. were upset that a man had been made head of the agency. But he was determined to put their minds at ease. "We had lunch with them [female ambassadors] and they asked me, 'so, justify this position,'" remembers Osotimehin. "I spoke and after that they stood and said 'OK, we're satisfied with that, from today you are an honorary woman.' I carry that title well." Read: Too many mothers still dying . A tireless advocate of female rights, Osotimehin has had a long career caring for women. He qualified as a doctor in 1972 and went on to teach at the University of Ibadan, in his native Nigeria, before heading Nigeria's National Agency for the Control of AIDS and becoming the country's health minister. Today, as executive director of the UNFPA, Osotimehin, who is also the U.N.'s under-secretary general, is focused on gender equality and reducing poverty, helping hundreds of millions in developing countries. Some 20 months into his new role, Osotimehin says he wants the agency to reach as many women and girls around the world as possible, improving their access to reproductive and educational services. "There are an estimate of 222 million women in the developing world who are in union, who want family planning and they are not getting it," he says, citing a shortage of funding and cultural obstacles among the reasons for the lack of universal access to reproductive services. According to a UNFPA report released last week, meeting the family planning needs of those 222 million women would have resulted in 26 million fewer abortions in the developing world this year. Osotimehin speaks passionately to world leaders about the agency's concerns and works closely with women around the world to make sure they have choices and know their rights. "I think it's a job that actually was made for me and I say that with all sense of responsibility," explains Osotimehin. "The natural thing to do was now to do something that actually gives me a global sense, given all the experience I have and the natural work that I'd been able to establish. "And I think linking back to what I did, practicing or as a minister of the HIV field, it was all about reproductive health to reproductive rights, gender, women's health and I think it just all fits." But above all, Osotimehin, a father of five, says what needs to be changed is the status of women around the world. "I think that for me is where the problem really is -- how we value women and girls in our societies," he says. "I think that we need to do far more than just legislation or policies, we need to confront these issues to make a difference." Watch video: Osotimehin: a global voice for women . Osotimehin credits his mother for imparting the value of equality to him and shaping his views from an an early age. He says: "My mother was an entrepreneur, a mother, a wife, a community leader and she was very strong but she believed in equity of social justice, so I saw her as a role model." Osotimehin adds that whether it's though his current work at the UNFPA or any other posts in the future, he will always fight for women's empowerment. "I truly believe that women will change the world," he says. "I say that with all seriousness -- as a teacher in a medical school, my best students were women. "As physicians they are the best and, really, when you look at different aspects of life, even peace-building, women they build better peace. So, let's give them a chance."

Babatunde Osotimehin is the executive director of U.N. Population Fund . The international development agency promotes health and equal opportunity . Osotimehin wants more women to have access to reproductive health services .

(CNN) -- Stretch out your core, cue the music and get ready to follow the beats. Zumba and other dance workouts are debuting on the list of the top 20 predicted fitness trends for 2012. Lack a little rhythm? Well, there's a trend on the list for just about every person, preference and body part. The trends were selected through an annual survey conducted by the American College of Sports Medicine. The survey was completed by 2,620 fitness professionals worldwide who ranked their selections into a list of 20 trends they believed would be big in 2012. "The survey attempts to show a distinction between fads and trends and is a good representation of what's occurring in the health and fitness industry worldwide," said Walter Thompson, Ph.D., the lead author of the survey and a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. The list serves to educate consumers and have them question the health clubs they attend. Gym-goers need to determine if their club offers the services that have been deemed trendy across the fitness industry in the year ahead, Thompson says. For instance, Zumba, a dance workout, offers classes in more than 110,000 gyms in more than 250 countries. So it probably won't be hard to find a gym that offers these classes. "I think people are waiting to see if we're a fad, but class numbers keep getting bigger and Zumba is becoming more popular, so now, people realize we're here to stay," said Alberto Perlman, CEO and co-founder of Zumba fitness. Zumba's popularity has skyrocketed over the years, and the dance workout was one of the biggest surprises on the list for 2012. "Zumba is liberating and magical, and one of the key ways it has expanded is through word of mouth," Perlman said. Zumba ranked ninth on this year's list. Thompson is curious to see if it will follow Pilates' short run in the top 20 fitness trends. Pilates was ranked in the top 10 for three consecutive years, beginning in 2008, but dropped off in 2011. Of course, there are always trends that are expected to make an appearance on the list each year, such as educated, certified and experienced fitness professionals; strength training; and fitness programs for older adults. Fitness professionals claimed the No. 1 spot on the 2012 list -- and have done so for the past five years. The demand for fitness trainers is expected to boom over the next half-decade. The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics determined that the "... jobs for fitness workers are expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations [through 2018]." "It starts with knowledge, and from that stems all the different ways to get in shape. If you have a certified and educated fitness professional, they can guide you through the other 19 fitness trends," said Brian Attebery, a trainer certified by the National Fitness Professionals Association and the owner of RESULTS Fitness and Nutrition Center in Edmond, Oklahoma. Also returning among the veteran trends is No. 3 on the list: fitness programs for older adults. As baby boomers are aging, more are attempting to keep their youthful physique and energy with frequent gym visits. "The baby boom generation is retiring, and retiring more healthy. They're a lot more active, and many enjoy working out," Thompson said. "And with the economy the way it is, group training was another trend that didn't come as a surprise. These group training sessions are directly related to the economy, and trainers often offer discounts to groups of people." Once the new year rolls in and resolutions to hit the gym go into full effect, this predicted list of fitness trends will certainly come in handy.

Survey predicts the top 20 fitness trends for 2012 . Dance workout Zumba debuts on the list, ranking ninth this year . Certified fitness professionals have taken the No. 1 position for the past five years . Fitness programs for older adults moves to No. 3 as baby boomers hit the gym .

(CNN) -- Not long ago camel milk was an unfancied staple, the preserve of Bedouin herders. However companies in the UAE have recently been positioning camel products as the stuff of luxury. Upscale department stores like London's Selfridge's now stock camel milk chocolate and it might not be long before camel milk ice cream, cheese, hot dogs -- and even camel leather handbags -- follow suit. "Currently, we are exporting our camel milk to Kuwait, Jordan, Malaysia, Austria and the UK, with quite positive outcomes," says Mustasher Al Badry, the deputy general manager at Camelicious, one of the UAE's camel milk producers, and a brand owned by the Emirates Industry for Camel Milk & Products (EICMP). In the last few years, Camelicious' product line has exploded. They recently launched the world's first camel milk cheese, and their herd of camels has grown from a few hundred in 2006 to 4,200 as of today. Their sister company, Al Nassma, Dubai's own luxury brand of camel milk chocolate, recently developed camel milk gelato. "We are pioneers in our field and pretty much anything we do is a 'first-time-ever,'" says Al Badry. Other brands have started to capitalize on local camel-mania. Dubai coffee shop Cafe2Go made international headlines with its "camelccinos" and camel lattes, Italian style drinks made with camel milk. Camel meat also features prominently on the menu, which serves up camel fajitas, hot dogs, burgers and salami. Cafe2Go founder Jassim Al Bastaki also created a sub-brand called Camellos, which will stock Dubai's supermarkets with camel retail products, including meat (an industry first). "I said, OK, let's go global with a camel revolution, and we'll enter as a pioneer of the camel café," says Al Bastaki, who has franchised versions of Cafe2Go in Pakistan, Libya, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Over the hump . Camel is not the easiest product to work with. As a meat, it tends to be lean and tough -- not the most amenable for hot dogs and burgers. The milk is also half the fat of cow's milk -- a quality that makes it ideal for the health conscious but less so when you're concocting a recipe for chocolate. "It's not easy for chocolate producers, because the fat does affect the taste," admits Martin Van Almsick, Al Nassma's general manager. "We did a lot of trial and error in product development. We have really good, very experienced chocolate makers and without them we wouldn't have been able to overcome it, but we're over that hurdle." Al Bastaki noted he had similar obstacles when crafting recipes from camel meat. In the end, he decided to mix the meat with fat from the hump to even out the consistency. Advocates of camel milk tend to cite its many health properties. Al Badry points out that camel milk is not only lower in fat than cow's milk, it's three- to five-times higher in vitamin C and easier to digest -- making it a suitable replacement for the lactose intolerant. This, he notes, is one reason the product has soared in popularity. The advent of camel products was given a boost last year when the European Union agreed to accept camel milk imports from the UAE (meat is still pending). Since then, Cameliscious has expanded its reach considerably. "Camel milk is a product that is widely unknown in the markets we are aiming to enter, but awareness is steadily increasing," says Al Badry. "We are very optimistic that our milk will convince through quality and health benefits. We are paving the way."

Camel milk and meat products have become trendy in the UAE . Shops sell everything from camel hotdogs to camel milk gelato . Camel products are going global; the EU allowed for camel milk trade last year .

(CNN) -- Responding to an increase in reports of sexual assault within the military, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Thursday issued a series of initiatives intended to mitigate the problem, including allowing accusers to be reassigned or transferred. A number of high-profile incidents have involved officers in the Air Force and the Army, as well as midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy. Military chiefs oppose removing commanders from sexual assault probes . In a two-page memo, Hagel directs: . -- that the secretaries of the military departments establish by November 1 a victim's advocacy program to give accusers legal advice and representation throughout the justice process; . -- that a proposal be delivered to Hagel by October 15 to amend the manual for courts-martial so victims can make recommendations on what the penalty should be; . -- that the secretaries of the military departments develop policies by January 1 allowing those accused in a sexual assault case to be reassigned or transferred; . -- that policies prohibiting inappropriate relations between trainers and trainees, and recruiters and recruits, be standardized across all services by November 1; . -- that the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness develop by November 1 a policy requiring status reports of allegations and actions be taken to the first general/flag officer within the chain of command, "without delaying reporting to the relevant military criminal investigation organization"; . -- that secretaries of the military departments mandate by December 1 that judge advocates serve as investigating officers for preliminary hearings on sexual assault charges. -- that the Defense Department's inspector general evaluate closed investigations on a routine basis. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, called the action "a good thing," but predicted it would not solve the problem. "As we have heard over and over again from the victims, and the top military leadership themselves, there is a lack of trust in the system that has a chilling effect on reporting," she said in a written statement. She lambasted the military's record -- 302 prosecutions out of an estimated 26,000 cases -- as insufficient. "It is time for Congress to seize the opportunity, listen to the victims and create an independent, objective and non-biased military justice system worthy of our brave men and women's service." Official: Army suspends 55 sex assault counselors, recruiters . Thursday's directive comes nine days after Hagel issued another memo -- required reading by all military officers and enlistees -- in an apparent effort to clarify comments made last spring by President Barack Obama on pursuing military sexual assault convictions. "Each military justice case must be resolved on its own facts," Hagel writes in the one-page memo, which was obtained by CNN's Chris Lawrence and titled "Integrity of the Military Justice Process." "Those who exercise discretionary authority in the military justice process must exercise their independent judgment, consistent with applicable law and regulation," it continues. "There are no expected or required dispositions, outcomes, or sentences in any military justice case, other than what result from the individual facts and merits of a case and the application to the case of the fundamentals of due process of law." The tone of the memo contrasts with that of Obama's comments at a White House news conference in May, when he addressed the issue of sexual assault in the military. "When you engage in this kind of behavior, that's not patriotic -- it's a crime," Obama told reporters. Those in the military who engage in sexual assault should be "prosecuted, stripped of their positions, court-martialed, fired, dishonorably discharged. Period. It's not acceptable," he continued. Critics described Obama's remarks as unlawful command influence, potentially affecting the right to a fair trial for accused members of the military. Opinion: Soldiers and sex -- can men evolve? CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report .

A victim's advocacy program is among the directives issued by the secretary of defense . The accused will be able to be reassigned or transferred . The policies must be standardized across all branches . Obama's remarks in May were criticized as potentially affecting the right to a fair trial .

(CNN) -- Next month, the Vidalia Onion Committee, a Georgia group that promotes the consumption of sweet onions, will roll out 6-foot cardboard cutouts of the ogre Shrek as a tie-in to the latest film in the series, "Shrek Forever After." In turn, the Georgia-based growers group hopes the green guy will turn children on to eating Vidalia onions. "We do like to market to younger audiences and teach them about our product," said Wendy Brannen, the committee's executive director. Although it's not the first time movie advertising has taken to the produce aisle (Disney promoted the DVD release of Peter Pan a few years ago with stickers on fresh tomatoes), it's definitely one of the most prominent displays. It's become almost commonplace to see the latest cartoon character pop up on a cereal box or a Happy Meal, but these characters have been creeping up among fresh fruit and vegetable displays in recent years, which industry officials say is all good if it gets children to eat more produce. In a study published last year by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers at Ohio State University found that adolescents don't meet guidelines for fruit and vegetable consumption, and fruit and juice consumption drops once children turn 6. Popeye and the characters from Disney and Peanuts are among the cartoons that have been featured by produce companies, says Patrick Delaney, communications manager for the United Fresh Produce Association in Washington. And last summer, Sesame Street's Cookie Monster teamed up with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to promote children eating a rainbow of fresh produce. Shrek seemed an obvious choice for the Vidalia campaign, Brannen says, because the ogre compares himself to an onion in the first Shrek film. "Ogres are like onions," Shrek tells Donkey: "Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers." Beginning in late April when Vidalia onions are harvested and up through the movie's May 21 premiere, Shrek cutouts will decorate produce aisles in thousands of stores, Brannen says. Along with taking home kid-friendly recipes, shoppers can enter to win a 50-inch television, a Nintendo Wii game system and a Shrek video game. In the meantime, here are our five favorite produce spokescartoons: . Donald Duck . Imagination Farms tapped Disney's wubbable Donald Duck to tout the wonders of cauliflower to the young generation under its Disney Garden line. Donald's got a big bowl of cauliflower florets that he looks very excited to quack down. Snoopy . Hinkle Produce uses Charlie Brown's beagle to sell young shoppers on the merits of its juicy watermelons. Though there's no special Snoopy plastic wrap, the watermelons come in Snoopy-covered watermelon bins. Cookie Monster . Not content to scarf down cookies, Sesame Street's crumby blue monster joined Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and an animated stalk of broccoli for a public service announcement geared to PBS's youngest viewers on the benefits of eating a wide variety of veggies. Charlie Brown . Well, if you're waiting for the great pumpkin, look no further than Charlie Brown in the produce aisle. Hinkle Produce of Cissna Park, Illinois, puts its pumpkin haul in big orange bins with Charlie, Snoopy and Linus proclaiming, "It's the Great Pumpkin!" Popeye . It could be argued that Popeye has been selling kids on spinach since his inception in 1929. California producer River Ranch Fresh Foods has been using Popeye to tout its array of fresh packaged spinach and salad blends under the Popeye Fresh! label since the mid-2000s.

Vidalia Onion Committee to place cutouts of Shrek in grocery stores . Industry officials say it's good if it means children eat more vegetables . Popeye, Disney characters have also done partnerships with produce companies .

(CNN)Some of the world's most important museums are confirming what we've suspected all along but didn't dare say: selfie sticks are stupid. If ever there was a product that preyed so heavily on our fear of insignificance, it's the selfie stick, or as I like to call it, the narcisstick. But wait, there's already a selfie stick company called exactly that, because it's witty and ironic, right? And not painfully honest. More and more museums in New York are announcing bans on the selfie stick. The Museum of Modern of Art (MoMA) has long removed the sticks from their exhibition halls to prevent damage to the artwork. If you've ever set foot in MoMA you'll know what a difficult experience it can be. Not because it isn't an exceptional art institution that's given the world some of its most mind-expanding exhibitions. But because of other people. The MoMA is one of the world's busiest museums -- add selfie sticks among the crowds and you've got a recipe for disaster. The same situation can be found at many famous tourist landmarks. The Forbidden City in Beijing received 15 million visitors last year, more than any other museum in the world. I used to enjoy walking the palace grounds every time I passed through the capital city -- now that everyone's got a selfie stick, I fear for my life. Am I being melodramatic? Let's just say, like seat belts and extramarital affairs, the selfie stick problem doesn't hit home until someone gets hurt. An increasing number of sites have seen the potential hazard and put a stop to things before a "tragedy" occurs. The Australian Open has banned selfie sticks, outside of designated selfie zones. Use of unauthorized selfie sticks in South Korea could get you fined. Sports and music stadiums around London have banned the stick, as well. Yet the real issue behind the selfie stick is the selfie itself. It's somehow become socially acceptable for us to take the narcissism of adolescence and extend it thorough adulthood, manifested in selfies. I know I sound like a tired curmudgeon who probably doesn't even know what Instagram is and hates Facebook. I'm none of those things and, yes, I do enjoy the occasional guilty pleasure of a selfie, so I can't and won't be a hypocrite about it. (The gallery above should prove that I understand.) When it comes to traveling, though, when it comes to once-in-a-lifetime visits to sacred landmarks and world-class museums or wandering side streets in strange cities, I'd hope that we could all turn the lens away from ourselves. Or simply put the camera away. Travel writer Paul Theroux once told his readers: "I never bring a camera -- because taking pictures, I've found, makes me less observant and interferes with my memory." How much do we rely on photographs to remember our vacations? Does it really matter that we have a formal permanent documentation of every moment of our travels? What if we entirely let go of documenting and just simply experienced? I tried it for a day. It is what I imagine skydiving would be like: terrifying at first, then exhilarating and finally, when I got my mind to stop subconsciously framing every street scene, I became more present than I've ever been on a trip. In any case, selfies are a cliche that have always reminded me of Rowan Atkinson as that sad old buffoon, Mr. Bean, taking self-portraits with his teddy bear in front of Buckingham Palace. Instead of waving a glorified tree branch to take a slightly better version of a cliched shot, let's just move on. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Zoe Li. Hong Kong-based freelancer Zoe Li writes regularly on Chinese art, culture, food and travel.

Museums in New York are imposing a ban on selfie sticks . Selfie sticks are being prohibited in more and more places due to safety concerns . The real issue behind the selfie stick may be the selfie itself .

(CNN) -- The chairman of the club that hosts America's most prestigious golf tournament skirted the prickly issue of women's membership Wednesday, saying it is a private matter. During his annual media session, Billy Payne, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, did not comment specifically on Ginni Rometty, the top executive at IBM and, undoubtedly, one of the corporate world's most powerful women. IBM's sponsorship of the Masters tournament guarantees club membership for its officers, but Rometty is a woman, and the club does not allow women to join. "Well, as has been the case, whenever that question is asked, all issues of membership are now and have historically been subject to the private deliberation of members," Payne said. "That statement remains accurate; it remains my statement." IBM spokesman Ed Barbini told CNN Wednesday that the company would not comment on the controversy. The question of Rometty's membership has again brought the gender controversy to the forefront. Women's rights activist Martha Burk tried to change the exclusionary policy nine years ago when she showed up at the Augusta entrance to lead a series of protests against men-only membership. Her efforts were in vain. Now, she says, "the boys" at Augusta, members and sponsors alike, find themselves in a big bind. "The 'woman problem' is back," she wrote in a column for CNN on Tuesday. Burk says there are only two choices at hand: Augusta can open its doors to women, or IBM can yank its money and force its male executives to resign from the club. "Those are the only two options that are viable that are going to wash with the public," Burk told CNN last week. Augusta's membership -- which includes titans of industry and finance -- has been male-only since the club's opening in 1932. When Burk tried to change things in 2002, Augusta's then-chairman, Hootie Johnson, resisted, saying that gender integration would not come "at the point of a bayonet." In 2006, Burk was among a group of Exxon shareholders who accused the company of violating its discrimination policies by supporting the tournament. Nonmembers can play on the course only when hosted by members. Augusta is famously secretive about its membership, and the club declined to comment on the issue, as did IBM spokesman Chris Andrews. "Augusta is a private club, and their personal membership is an internal matter," he said. IBM, however, has played a role in changing policy before. The company pulled television ads from the PGA Championship when it was played at the whites-only Shoal Creek golf club in Alabama. The club admitted its first African-American in 1990 and now claims former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as a member. Augusta also did not welcome its first black member until 1990, when Gannett television division president Ron Townsend joined the club. On the eve of the 2012 Masters opening Thursday, speculation surfaced that Payne, known to be more progressive than his predecessor, will offer Rometty a membership, but only after the tournament ends and the gender debate dies down. "Sorry, but that dog won't hunt," Burk wrote. "Telling Rometty to be a good girl and wait a little longer with IBM's collusion would be a disaster -- not only for the company's image, but for Rometty's credibility as its leader." More and more people are asking Augusta to man up and get rid of what they say is a discriminatory policy from the past. Payne did not announce any sweeping changes from the hot seat Wednesday. That means that Rometty will probably not show up this year in a green jacket. The question is: Will she ever? CNN's James O'Toole and Leigh Remizowski contributed to this report.

Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne is asked about the men-only membership policy . He says membership is "subject to the private deliberation of members" Ginni Rometty, IBM's top executive, cannot join despite her company's sponsorship . Her status has reignited the gender controversy as the Masters begins .

Washington (CNN) -- A group that's working to keep Democrats in control of the Senate is releasing its first television ad in the contested U.S. Senate race in Alaska between incumbent Sen. Mark Begich and his GOP challenger, Dan Sullivan. The "multi-million dollar" ad buy from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee comes as Begich's campaign faces a slew of negative headlines for releasing a political attack ad that focused on a gruesome 2013 murder and sexual assault case. The DSCC said it was already planning to go up with the new 30-second spot before the recent controversy, and the ad doesn't mention Begich's ad. Rather, it hits Dan Sullivan for opposing Obamacare. In the commercial, an elderly woman whose husband has Alzheimer's disease says Sullivan "supports a plan" to slash Medicare benefits, and his policies would raise prescription drug costs. In the commercial, an elderly woman whose husband has Alzheimer's disease says Sullivan "supports a plan" to slash Medicare benefits, and his policies would raise prescription drug costs. Fact Check: Would repeal of Obamacare hike seniors' drug costs? According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Alaska has the largest growth rate for seniors (age 65 and older); the population for that age group increased by 54% between 2000 and 2010. The ad also hits Sullivan for saying he's open to raising the minimum age for Social Security eligibility. While Sullivan has advocated for reform for younger generations, he has said "we're not going to touch" benefits for seniors who are either receiving Social Security benefits or about to receive them. "But with the younger generation, to phase in reform, there is opportunity," he said last month at the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce GOP debate. CNN rates the race between Sullivan and Begich as one of six toss-up contests in this year's midterm elections. As a Democratic senator in a reliably red state, Begich is considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats up for re-election. Republicans need a net gain of six seats to retake the majority in the Senate. The DSCC also has spent money on ads in Arkansas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Iowa, Colorado and Michigan. The new spot comes as Begich is under hot water after his campaign went up with a Willie Horton-style ad against Sullivan on Friday. The spot accused Sullivan of being soft on crime, focusing on a case in which a man allegedly murdered an elderly couple last year and sexually assaulted the couple's granddaughter, as well as another elderly woman in the home. At the time of the crime, the suspect had just finished a prison sentence of four years for another crime. His sentence should have been longer because his record included a separate felony, but he was only sentenced to four years because of a mistake by the state. Because Sullivan was serving as attorney general at the time of the suspect's sentencing in 2010, Begich's campaign tried to fault Sullivan for letting the suspect go early. However, the mistake that led to the short sentence was made before Sullivan became attorney general. Politifact gave the ad a "Pants on fire" rating, saying the ad "is not only inaccurate, it makes an inflammatory accusation." Shortly after the spot aired, the victims' family called on Begich and Sullivan, who had released his own ad countering the claims, to pull down their spots, saying the publicity could affect the jury pool for the trial scheduled for this month. Sullivan's campaign asked TV stations to stop running the ad Sunday, while Begich's team first said it would alter the ad to remove references to the case. The campaign later pulled down the ad altogether.

The DSCC is spending money against the GOP challenger in Alaska's Senate race . The Democratic incumbent senator is facing criticism for making an ad that focused on a heinous murder . Sen. Mark Begich pulled down the ad after the victims' family got involved . The race in Alaska is close and could determine the balance of power in the Senate .

(CNN) -- Frustrated Australia captain Ricky Ponting was fined for arguing with the umpires as England took complete control of the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne on Monday thanks to Jonathan Trott's century. Ponting, who faces the prospect of becoming the first skipper from his country to loses three Ashes series since 1890, was furious after having a video replay decision turned down. The 36-year-old called for a referral after England batsman Kevin Pietersen was ruled not to have edged a delivery from Ryan Harris to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin. Video replays and sound technology showed no contact with the bat, but Ponting nonetheless remonstrated with umpires Aleem Dar and Tony Hill. Will Australia's one-day cricket reign end in 2011? Match referee Ranjan Madugalle subsequently fined Ponting 40% of his match fee. He could have been banned for the final Test in Sydney, but received a lesser punishment. "Ricky's actions as captain of his country were unacceptable," the Sri Lanka said in a statement. "A captain is expected to set the example and not get involved in a prolonged discussion with the on-field umpires and question their decision. "While pleading guilty to the charge, Ricky understood that the discussion went far too long. He apologized for his action and stated that he has nothing but respect for the umpires and his on-field actions were not intended to show disrespect to Aleem Dar or Tony Hill." It was the latest setback for Ponting, who went into the match nursing a fractured finger which has hampered his fielding, and he failed again with the bat as Australia made just 98 in Sunday's opening sessions. England in total command as Australia collapse at MCG . England resumed on 157-0 but soon lost Alastair Cook as the left-hander added just two runs to his overnight 80 to become the first of Peter Siddle's three victims. Siddle then dismissed captain Andrew Strauss for 69, but Trott and Pietersen added 92 for the third wicket. Pietersen was on 49 when the controversy struck, but although he survived to make his 21st half-century in 70 Tests the South Africa-born player did not last much longer as Siddle trapped him leg before wicket for 51 with a low delivery. Trott also had some luck before reaching 50, having apparently been run out from Ponting's throw before video replays gave him the benefit of the doubt. Australia level Ashes series with emphatic Perth win . Mitchell Johnson continued his revival of form which saw Australia level the series at 1-1 with victory in the last match in Perth, as the left-arm paceman had Paul Collingwood (8) and the in-form Ian Bell (1) caught hooking at short deliveries. Johnson thought he had Matt Prior out as well when the batsman was on just six, but a replay called for by Dar showed that he had bowled a no-ball. Prior then helped Trott add an unbroken 158 for the sixth wicket as England reached stumps on 444-5 for a lead of 346 runs with three days still to play. Trott scored his third century in five Ashes appearances and his fifth in 17 Tests overall as he ended the day on 141, having hit 12 fours off 278 balls faced. Prior, like Trott also born in South Africa, took toll on the Australian bowlers as he smashed 10 fours in his 75 from just 105 deliveries. Victory in Melbourne will mean that England retain the Ashes urn no matter the result in the Sydney finale starting on January 3.

England lead Australia by 346 runs with five first-innings wickets remaining . Australia captain Ricky Ponting fined after arguing with umpires over decision . He faces the prospect of an embarrassing third Ashes series defeat as skipper . Jonathan Trott ends second day unbeaten on 141 after adding 158 with Matt Prior .

Sanford, Florida (CNN) -- George Zimmerman told his lawyers that he whispered "punks," not a racial slur, in the moments before he shot Trayvon Martin, his attorneys told CNN on Thursday. Some people interpreted the police recording of Zimmerman's call to 911 as evidence the fatal shooting was racially motivated. Zimmerman attorneys Hal Ulrig and Craig Sonner told CNN their client told them that he said, "F---ing punks." Forensic audio expert Tom Owen, who analyzed 911 recordings, agreed the garbled word that raised controversy was "punks," not the racial slur some people said they heard . When Owen, chairman emeritus of the American Board of Recorded Evidence, used a computer application to remove cell phone interference, the word became clearer, he said. After discussions with linguists, he said he became convinced that Zimmerman said "punks." He provided CNN with a copy of the newly processed audio. CNN also enhanced the sound of the 911 call, and several members of CNN's editorial staff repeatedly reviewed the tape but could reach no consensus on whether Zimmerman used a slur. Martin's family and supporters say Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, profiled Martin, who was black, as "suspicious" and ignored a police dispatcher's request not to follow him. Martin did not live in Sanford, Florida, but he was there with his father, whose fiancee lives in Zimmerman's neighborhood. Zimmerman, 28, fatally shot Martin, 17, on February 26. The case has triggered a nationwide debate about Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, race and racial profiling. While Zimmerman's attorneys may welcome Owen's analysis of their client's 911 call, they disagree with his conclusions about what is heard on another 911 recording. Zimmerman has said he was yelling for help, according to his family members and his account to authorities, as first reported by The Orlando Sentinel and later confirmed by Sanford police. But Martin's relatives, including his cousin Ronquavis Fulton, have said they are certain the voice heard on the 911 call is Martin's. Owen and another audio expert, Ed Primeau, analyzed the recording for the Sentinel using different techniques, and they said they don't believe it is Zimmerman who is heard yelling in the background of one 911 call. They compared the screams with Zimmerman's voice, as recorded in a 911 call he made minutes earlier describing a "suspicious" black male. "There's a huge chance that this is not Zimmerman's voice," said Primeau, a longtime audio engineer who is listed as an expert in recorded evidence by the American College of Forensic Examiners International. "After 28 years of doing this, I would put my reputation on the line and say this is not George Zimmerman screaming." Owen also said he does not believe the screams came from Zimmerman. He does not have a sample of Martin's voice for comparison, he said. He cited software that is widely used in Europe and has become recently accepted in the United States that examines characteristics such as pitch and the space between spoken words to analyze voices. Using it, he found a 48% likelihood the voice is Zimmerman's. At least 60% is necessary to feel confident that two samples are from the same source, he told CNN on Monday -- meaning it's unlikely it was Zimmerman who can be heard yelling. The experts, both of whom said they have testified in cases involving audio analysis, stressed that they cannot say who was screaming. CNN's Martin Savidge and Tristan Smith contributed to this report.

Zimmerman said, "f---ing punks" in 911 call, his attorneys say . Forensic audio expert Tom Owen agrees the word was "punks," not a racial slur . Owen provided CNN with a copy of the processed audio revealing "punks" comment . Owen also disputes that it was Zimmerman yelling on another 911 recording .

(CNN) -- Shortly after Alabama's rout of Notre Dame there was one word that many on the field seemed not to want to broach. Dynasty. But why not? Alabama's 42 to 14 thrashing of Notre Dame in Monday night's BCS National Championship game was the Crimson Tide's second in a row. It is also Alabama's third national title in the last four years. Isn't this a dynasty, a reporter asked Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, moments after he led his team to the win? "You can call us whatever you want but this was a total team effort," McCarron said. Alabama coach Nick Saban also shied away from the D- word during a news conference after the game. "I don't think words like dynasty are words that I have much interest in. That is for other people to speak about," Saban said. And many on social media were. "I really believe that this is, in my lifetime, the best dynasty that I've ever seen in college football," ESPN personality Kirk Herbstreit tweeted about Alabama. Herbstreit's comment was retweeted thousands of times. In fact, "#Dynasty" was trending in many regions in the United States early Tuesday morning as Crimson Tide fans partied in the streets of Tuscaloosa. With the win, Alabama joins college football royalty. The team joins Nebraska, in the '90s, and Notre Dame, in the '40s, as the only teams to win three championships in four years. When Nebraska did it, they shared the 1997 championship with Michigan. And to add to Alabama's legacy, none of the championship games were really close. In 2010, Alabama stomped Texas 37 to 21. Last year, the Tide blanked LSU 21 to 0. And this year, the championship game felt like it was over at halftime. Game? What game? There's a pretty woman in the stands! The No. 2 Crimson Tide scored on drives of 82, 61 and 80 yards against the top-ranked and undefeated Irish in its first three drives of the game. They drove 71-yards and scored with 31 seconds left in the half to take a dominating 28-0 lead. By that time, despite the fact that half of the game was yet to be played, many of those commenting on Twitter were jokingly wondering if Notre Dame would come out of the locker room for the second half. The Irish did, but it did not get much better for them. In fact, one of the biggest hits of the game on Alabama's quarterback McCarron came from his own teammate, Barrett Jones. The two teammates disagreed on a play call and had to call a timeout to get it cleared up. McCarron got in his lineman's face and Jones pushed him some three yards back, a feat that Notre Dame could never do throughout the game. Notre Dame also couldn't stop Alabama's running game. Crimson Tide runners Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon both ran for more than 100 yards. Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly said his team had a lot to learn from Alabama. "We are not there yet," Kelly said. "Alabama showed us that in the way they played the game. We got a lot of work left to do to get back here." But there was one player from Alabama who was ready to put the crown on. "I think I can use the word dynasty now," said linebacker Nico Johnson, shortly after the confetti fell on the field. "Three titles in four years, that is a dynasty." Bleacher Report coverage of the national title game . CNN's Steve Almasy contributed to this report.

Alabama wins its third BCS title in four years . The team joins two other teams in college football history to complete that feat . "This is, in my lifetime, the best dynasty that I've ever seen in college football," ESPN commentator says .

Aleppo, Syria (CNN) -- They are so used to seeing blood outside Dar alShifa hospital, the magnet of all suffering in Aleppo, that passersby simply walk over it, oblivious. When they mop out the building's tiny reception area, the blood runs in small, dirty streams into the gutters. This is a hospital trying to get by day-to-day while lacking the most basic in supplies. It has itself been hit by shelling: two separate attacks have left its right side punctured with gaping holes in what was once the maternity ward. One afternoon, a rush of the most frail and vulnerable come towards the exhausted doctors; children, some suffering from sheer terror. One is malnourished. They have cuts, bruises -- but more often much worse. The government has, the doctors say, closed the main children's hospital owing to a paperwork issue, so this is where they must come. Baby survives as family dies in Syrian onslaught . Mohamed is aged eight and was hit by shrapnel from regime shelling in his right leg. It shattered his femur. In Europe, surgery would mean he's playing football again within months, but here a list of precarious challenges form. He remains quiet, brave, patient almost, as the doctors work out what to do. The tough natural solution they hit on is a stark reminder of how desperate the task is of getting medical care to the wounded here in rebel-held territory. The government hospital has better equipment, and can probably save Mohamed's leg. So, lifting him on the blankets they use as makeshift stretchers, they take him, bewildered and confused, into a nearby taxi to cross the front lines. His ordeal is far from over. It is perverse to know that only those who hurt him can also heal him. A Syrian family's desperate story . Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose face adorns plastic skeletons used as teaching aids and trash cans inside Dar alShifa, still controls the best hospitals and much of the most precious medical resource: doctors. One medic, terrified enough that he doesn't want his face or voice on camera, is absurdly brave in the risks he takes every day to work in Dar alShifa. During the morning and afternoon, he works in the government hospital. But later, he too crosses the Line to come here. He paints a gruesome picture of caring for the Syrian regime's soldiers. Fifty a day are brought in, he tells me. Some are so wounded the doctors make a decision, he says, that sounds like it is born of mercy and perhaps rebel sympathies. Those soldiers with the worst, perhaps unsurvivable, injuries are given lethal injections. He tells me: "If they found out I was working here, they would kill me." Slain journalist's partner tells of grief . Suddenly, a truck arrives outside and little Ahmad is rushed inside. His right ear is hanging on only by a small thread of skin. Shrapnel -- as indiscriminate when it lands as the means by which it is fired -- hit the back of his head. The doctors work to clean the wound, but, as too often is the case, the lights and power fail. He lies there as a doctor with a head torch tries to pull the shrapnel from his head. The anesthetic they gave is not enough to stop him screaming in pain. But this is not the worst that will befall Ahmad. As he lies there, outside in the back of a truck slumps his father Yahya, lifeless, a hole in his chest from the same shrapnel. "Allahu Akbar" cry the men around his corpse. "God is great." They leave his body in the sidewalk until his brother arrives. Later his family will quickly drive the body away, so Ahmad can learn of his father's death at a more dignified time.

Children have become some of the main casualties during the Syrian civil war . Every hour, medical staff face dilemmas on how to ensure patients can be saved . Doctor: Regime soldiers with worst, perhaps unsurvivable, injuries are given lethal injections . Injured children are carried across front line to ensure better care in government hospitals .

(CNN) -- The European Commission is warning one of its members that stimulus spending, growing debt and a slower than expected recovery has become a volatile cocktail. No, it's not Greece. It's the UK. Whichever party wins Thursday's general election will steer the fortunes of the world's fifth largest economy, an influential global financial center and a deficit that the European Commission forecasts will rise to 12 percent of GDP in 2010 -- even higher than Greece. (Greece's 2009 deficit stands at 13.6 percent -- the commission estimates it will drop to 9.3 percent this year). The elections come as the financial world has been roiled by events in Europe, such as the growing debt crisis of Greece, Spain and Portugal and the massive economic disruption of the Icelandic volcano. Narrow pre-election polls point to a possible hung parliament for the first time in 36 years, which could further add uncertainty to already shaky global markets. The markets didn't react when UK elections were called a month ago, but that may soon change after the polls are closed: For the first time, London traders have been allowed a special election night session to trade bond and sterling futures -- and they're expecting heavy action as banks try to stake out positions, rather than wait for the usual 8 a.m. open on Friday. The UK "is a financial mega-center, so for us as a financial institution we care very much (about the election)," said Julia Coronado, senior economic analyst for BNP Paribas in New York." In the global banking world we are very aware, more than ever, about what's going on in continental Europe, what's going on in the UK, what's going on in China, all of these things are much more interwoven now. "There's clearly two very different views of the world represented in this election, and I think if we look at it from the economics point of view it certainly has implications for the growth potential of the U.K. (and) for the regulatory environment in the UK, so that could impact the financial industry very significantly," Coronado said. So far, the major parties haven't provided many specifics about how they plan to tackle the UK's growing deficit, which crediting ratings agencies have warned may eventually impact its AAA rating. (Greece's credit rating was downgraded to junk status last week, sparking a weeklong decline in global markets). Are the ratings agencies credit worthy? "I'm concerned about (the deficit) in the medium to long term, but in the short term we need to keep this recovery going. What has been driving this is public sector stimulus and the difficulty is we have seen very little action in the private sector," said David Blanchflower, a former UK monetary policy adviser and economics professor at Dartmouth University. "Firms aren't investing and they aren't hiring, and if we pull public sector stimulus away the danger is we drop off a cliff." While the deficit is worrying, market watchers point out that London is no Athens. "We don't have a bad track record. We shouldn't be compared to Greece," said David Buik, of BGC Partners. "This is actually a buoyant economy, in the fullness of time. It's just the fact that the election really has gotten in the way of reality." Some worry that a hung parliament and any resulting coalition government may be fractious and short-lived. The last coalition government in 1974 lasted only seven months before new elections were called. "One benefit I think of actually having a hung parliament is that maybe it rules out the possibility that anybody would do anything stupid," Blanchflower said. "At this moment the status quo is perhaps not a bad thing to be in. CNN's Jim Boulden, Brian Walker, Richard Quest, Kevin Voigt and Max Foster contributed to this report .

Elections hold fate of the world's fifth largest economy and a major financial center . World markets will watch carefully the outcome of election as eurozone troubles escalate . The UK has the largest projected deficit in 2010, according to the European Commission .

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama gave a nod to America's heartland Tuesday, saying in an interview conducted during halftime of an NCAA basketball game in Ohio he wanted to show his British counterpart, David Cameron, a part of America rarely seen by foreign visitors. "I thought it was going to be wonderful for the prime minister to have a chance not only to see a basketball game for first time, but also to come to the great state of Ohio, because sometimes when we have foreign visitors, they only see the coasts, they go to New York, they go to Washington, they go to Los Angeles, but you know the heartland is what it's all about," Obama said. Obama's hat tip to Ohio, and his choice of venue, may not be pure coincidence -- Ohio is historically a key swing state in presidential elections. Cameron and Obama flew together on Air Force One to Dayton, Ohio, to take in an opening game of the NCAA basketball tournament. Obama, well-known as a basketball fan, was treating Cameron to a little March Madness, and the pair conducted the joint television interview at halftime of the game between Western Kentucky and Mississippi Valley State. Asked how he thought the teams were playing, Obama replied candidly. "Both teams are shooting terribly," Obama said. "It may be nerves. These are not teams that normally end up coming to the tournament." Cameron, asked how he was enjoying watching his first basketball game, said he was "enjoying it," and that Obama was explaining the ins-and-outs of the American sport. "He was giving me some tips," Cameron said. "He's going to help me fill out my bracket." Cameron's trip to the United States is intended to demonstrate that ties between the countries remain as close as ever. The White House labeled Cameron's visit -- which started Tuesday and will include meetings with President Barack Obama followed by lunch and dinner at the White House on Wednesday -- an official one, not a state one. That's because the label of state visit is reserved for heads of state, and Cameron is the head of government. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state. However, the White House statement said Cameron would attend a state dinner Wednesday night, the sixth of the Obama administration so far. "The fact that we are hosting the prime minister in the manner that we are demonstrates the nature of the relationship between our two countries; the fact that it is a special relationship," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Tuesday. On Wednesday, Cameron and Obama will hold talks at the White House and address a joint news conference, followed by lunch and, later, the White House dinner with full diplomatic trappings and toasts. Cameron and his wife, Samantha, will leave Washington on Thursday. "The visit will highlight the fundamental importance of the U.S.-U.K. special relationship and the depth of the friendship between the American people and the people of the United Kingdom, as well as the strong personal bond that has developed between the two leaders and their families," a White House statement said. Topics expected to come up at Wednesday's meetings include the coming NATO and G-8 summits, as well as Afghanistan, the Middle East, Iran and the global economy, according to the White House. In a joint op-ed published Tuesday in The Washington Post, Obama and Cameron emphasized the global benefits of the strong alliance between their nations. "The alliance between the United States and Great Britain is a partnership of the heart, bound by the history, traditions and values we share," the two leaders wrote. "But what makes our relationship special -- a unique and essential asset -- is that we join hands across so many endeavors. Put simply, we count on each other and the world counts on our alliance." Troops and citizens of the two countries "have long shown what can be achieved when British and Americans work together, heart and hand, and why this remains an essential relationship -- to our nations and the world," the commentary by Obama and Cameron said. CNN's Stacia Deshishku and Lateef Mungin contributed to this report.

NEW: Prime minister, president take in NCAA basketball tourney game in Ohio . NEW: Obama is "going to help me fill out my bracket," Cameron says . The White House stresses a special relationship with Britain . Cameron and Obama will hold talks Wednesday .

(CNN) -- It's a surfer's paradise -- but Diah Rahayu is out on her own when it comes to professional women's wave-riding in Bali. Unlike many Indonesian girls, she's right at home on the beach. "I think my soul is already in the water. The ocean just calls me, 'Come, come, come.' When I go to the beach, I feel like it's my home," she tells CNN's Human to Hero series. The 20-year-old is Bali's only native female pro surfer. The Indonesian island is a mecca for wave-seekers and beach-loving tourists, but of the locals it's mainly men who mix it up with the visitors. "A lot of my friends say, 'Why do you like surfing? Surfing is dangerous.' It's not dangerous for me. It's very fun," Rahayu says. "Indonesian girls are scared of getting dark skin and don't want to go surfing. And I'm the luckiest one, I love the beach." Born in Seminyak, a coastal town in southern Bali that has been absorbed by the major tourist resort of Kuta, Rahayu has lived by the sea all her life. "So many Australians come and act like bad tourists and make everything dirty," she told Surfing Life website last month. "But no matter what I would never leave Bali, because I can surf amazing waves all-year-round and you can't do that anywhere else." Her dad was a renowned local surfer, but he wasn't so keen when she said she wanted to follow in his footsteps. So the 12-year-old went behind his back and learned from her uncle instead. Two years later, she made a name for herself at a local talent contest and earned a sponsorship deal. The middle of three sisters, Rahayu says surfing has given her an identity. Unlike her father, who had to give up the sport to support the family, she has been able to combine competing with her university studies thanks to funding from Rip Curl -- one of surfing's major brands. "I feel so lucky. No-one from Bali can surf. I don't want to be like any other girls," she says. "I feel great because I can do something different. Everything in my life now is about surfing." Rahayu's major breakthrough came when she won a bronze medal for Indonesia at the 2008 Asian Beach Games, which were held in Bali. "I met the president, had an interview with him and we talked a lot," she recalls. "It was really cool. And my mom and my dad were proud of me, and my name was in every newspaper." The silver medal winner that year was Yasniar Gea. From the island of Nias, off the coast of Sumatra, she has gone on to become the most successful female Indonesian surfer. Rahayu competes against Gea on the Asian Surfing Tour, but says her biggest inspiration comes from women riding on the world stage -- such as leading Australians Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons, and Hawaii's Carissa Moore. Joining them is still a pipe dream; she acknowledges she has yet to pay her dues on the Asian circuit. "I want to win this tour. I want to focus on that -- it's my dream," Rahayu says. "I'm not going to Europe yet, but I will. And I want to go to Australia, maybe next year." But wherever she ends up, there's no place like home -- where already she's inspiring young girls to take up surfing. "It feels so amazing, because now young girls are surfing and then taking pictures with a hashtag, and then just following me," she says. "It's really good to get more girls surfing in Indonesia. I'm just trying to keep encouraging everyone to get in the water and enjoy life."

Diah Rahayu is the only female Balinese surfer on the pro circuit . The 20-year-old hopes to inspire more from her island to compete . Her father was a surfer but had to give up to support the family .

(CNN) -- London is bracing itself for a deluge of sporting egos as the best athletes in the world descend on the British capital for the Olympic Games. But an hour away, in the sleepy town of Newmarket, Suffolk, the biggest diva of all has already landed. When the best sprinter in the world rolls into town, you would expect a hefty entourage to follow. But even Usain Bolt doesn't come with an official traveling party of 150. However, Jamaica's Olympic champion is not Black Caviar. Black Caviar is the epitome of a modern sporting superstar: athletic, invincible, marketable. The only thing out of the ordinary about this athlete is that she is a horse. The world's most popular racehorse has arrived in England to compete at this month's Royal Ascot -- arguably the world's most recognizable race meeting and avidly watched by the Queen of England. The queen of the turf made the long journey off the back of an undefeated career of 21 wins in 21 starts in her native Australia. She has inspired a fanatical following in the sports-mad country, where she has her own Twitter account, Facebook page, blog and shop, where fans can purchase such necessities as Black Caviar's own-brand shampoo (How do you keep your tail so shiny?) As such, the horse has been accorded VIP status for her first trip away from her home country; most "air stables" (the adapted cargo pallets which routinely transport racehorses around the world) accommodate three animals. Sometimes, just two horses travel together, a sort of equine business class. One horse per stall is considered first class. Black Caviar made the 30-hour journey solo, the only horse on the plane. Royal approval: Will unbeatable Black Caviar grace Ascot? Boarding the jet in her now-famous body suit (inspired by the compression suits used by human athletes such as Aussie hurdler Sally Pearson), Black Caviar -- who is affectionately known as "Nelly" -- was accompanied on the flight by her personal track rider and veterinary surgeon to make sure she remained relaxed during transit. The overseas tour has inevitably drawn comparisons with Phar Lap, the legendary New Zealand-born stayer who became one of the earliest stars of the television age when he traveled to the Americas to seek his fortune after dominating Australian racing in the early 1930s. But even Phar Lap never commanded the frenzied attention that accompanies Black Caviar's every move. When she took her first tentative steps off the Singapore Airlines 747 at Heathrow last week she was probably only dimly aware that she had flown into the biggest media circus the racing world has seen since the days when the Francois Boutin-trained Arazi drew crowds of reporters from both sides of the Atlantic when embarking on his three-year-old campaign in Europe in 1992. Black Caviar cannot be said to be unaccustomed to the attention; thousands of fans flock to see the wonder mare every time she races, many dressed in her signature salmon and black silks (the distinctive black dots represent the "caviar" in her name). It's a scene that is likely to be repeated when she makes her English debut in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 23, when a record crowd of 80,000 people is expected to pack the Queen's racecourse. A sizable Australian contingent will be out in force, but for once it won't be the ubiquitous gold and green colors that accompany Australian athletes of every stripe as they exert their sporting dominance around the world, but salmon and black. Get ready, Royal Ascot -- the queen of racing is coming to you.

Black Caviar arrives in England to compete in Royal Ascot next week . Set to make English debut run in Diamond Jubilee Stakes on June 23 . Australian mare has undefeated career statistics of 21 wins from 21 starts . Overseas trip has drawn comparisons with Phar Lap .

LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- A Nigerian militant group claimed Wednesday it sabotaged oil pipelines in the country's oil-rich southern Niger Delta, but the country's military denies the assertion. File image of armed MEND militants in Niger Delta region of Nigeria . The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said in an e-mail message to reporters that the "major Shell and Agip crude trunk lines in Bayelsa state" were struck. "The Agip pipeline which connects the Agip Brass terminal was sabotaged at Nembe creek while the Shell Nembe creek line was done at Asawo village," MEND said. Shell said it is investigating reports of an attack on the Nembe creek pipeline and Agip could not be reached for comment. Rabe Abubakar, spokesman for the Nigerian military's Joint Task Force, said "the militants are telling lies" and "there is no iota of truth in what they are saying." Their claims against the Shell pipeline "are not true," Abubakar said, explaining that explosives were hurled at the pipeline but the explosion was limited and it did not destroy the line. "There was an attempt by them to blow up an Agip pipeline around 3 a.m., but the soldiers protected the place and the militants fled," Abubakar said. Explosives were found on a well and an explosives expert was brought in to remove them, he added. MEND -- which has declared an "all-out war" on the government -- demands that more of Nigeria's oil wealth be reinvested in the region, instead of enriching those whom the militants consider corrupt politicians. But fighting has continued despite Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua's recent call for an amnesty for the militant groups, an offer that stays open until October 4. Under the amnesty proposal, militants must hand in their weapons and take part in government rehabilitation programs. Also on Wednesday, the military said three people were seized for trying to blow up a pipeline at the Forcados River. But MEND said the military "arrested two repentant armed youths who approached them to take advantage of the government's amnesty offer." "We are learning that there are about 11 of such cases currently languishing in detention inside the JTF headquarters in Warri," MEND said. Last month, Amnesty International said that pollution and other environmental impacts from the oil industry in the Niger Delta are creating a "human rights tragedy" in which local people suffer poor health and loss of livelihood. Governments and oil companies are failing to be accountable for the problems, Amnesty said in its report, called "Petroleum, Pollution and Poverty in the Niger Delta." Covering 46,500 square miles (75,000 square km), the Niger Delta is about the same size as the Czech Republic, according to the United Nations Development Programme. An area of rich biological diversity, the region contains the world's third-largest wetland with the most extensive freshwater swamp forest, according to the UNDP. More than half the area contains creeks and small islands, while the rest is rain forest, the UNDP says. At the same time, the Niger Delta produces the oil wealth that accounts for the bulk of Nigeria's foreign earnings, the UNDP says. Earlier this week, MEND said its fighters had blown up an oil pipeline and captured six crew members of a chemical tanker. MEND is now saying it has released the ship and the military says it secured the vessel. It is not clear whether the three Russians, two Filipinos and the Indian seized remain in custody. MEND told CNN that "to their knowledge," the crew is no longer being held hostage. CNN's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report.

Nigerian militant group says it struck Shell and Agip crude trunk lines . Shell said it is investigating reports of an attack on the Nembe creek pipeline . Army spokesman: "No iota of truth in what they (militants) are saying" Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta at war with government .

(CNN)When packing for a vacation on Kepler 16-b, it's good to remember the sunscreen. It does, after all, have two suns. OK, so a long weekend visiting a planet 1,200 trillion miles away, may not be a realistic prospect just yet, but that hasn't stopped scientists at NASA from dreaming. To mark the exciting discovery of a slew of potentially distant habitable worlds by its Kepler space observatory, the U.S. space agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology has created a series of posters advertising imaginary vacations to some of them. Rendered in the retro style of classic travel billboards of the 1920s, '30s and '40s, the posters depict these distant worlds as pleasurable destinations. The image for Kepler 16-b -- previously compared to the fictional "Star Wars" planet of Tatooine because of its dual suns -- shows a space-suited figure basking in the light from the twin orbs overhead. "Relax on Kepler 16-b," the poster says. "The land of two suns ... Where your shadow always has company." Although the planet is depicted as a rocky, terrestrial world, NASA says it could also be a gas giant like Saturn with freezing temperatures that would make it hostile to known lifeforms. A second poster shows an astronaut free-falling to experience the powerful gravity over HD 40307g, a "Super Earth" 44 light years -- or 264 trillion miles -- away. The third depicts Kepler-186f (even further away at 500 light years) with a scene of red trees held back by a white picket fence. The planet has been previously described as "Earth's cousin" because it's similar in size to our own world. Because it orbits a cooler, redder sun there's speculation that if plants did grow here, they'd be a different color to our own vegetation. Where the grass is redder . "Kepler-186f, where the grass is always redder on the other side," the poster's slogan reads. The posters, available to download for free via JPL's website, are the work of the space agency's visual strategists Joby Harris, David Delgado and Dan Goods, who were inspired by the new discoveries being made by Kepler. "I was thinking ... we may be not alone," Delgado tells CNN. "We're entering a new part of our humanity and one of the natural things that came to mind is what would it be like to visit them ... and wouldn't it be fun to make vacation posters. "It felt like a natural fit." Harris, the lead artist, was inspired by the enduring appeal of vintage art deco-style posters. "I remember sitting in meetings with the scientists thinking 'oh my goodness, science fiction is now becoming science non-fiction'," he says. "People gravitate toward those old posters. They hang them on their walls even today and you want to go there. They're a celebration of place. "So we thought we'd produce some of our own and come up with funny tag lines that would get people dreaming about what it would be like to go there." The three posters were released just as NASA announced Kepler's latest discoveries, bringing its planetary tally to more than 1,000 alien worlds since its launch in 2009. According to Delgado, three more posters are in the works, but progress is slow because the theories about what these newly found planets look like can change from day to day. Still, as he points out, the NASA team might not be the only artists at work. "Maybe on one of these other planets, they're making posters about visiting here."

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has produced vintage-style posters advertising trips to new planets . Posters evoke golden age of travel from last century with classic art deco graphics and fonts . Actual travel to newly discovered planets is unlikely for now as they're trillions of miles away .

Madrid (CNN) -- An unprecedented court hearing for Spain's Princess Cristina in a financial corruption scandal, scheduled for April 27, was postponed Friday after a prosecutor filed an appeal, judicial officials said. No new date for the hearing was immediately set, because a three-judge panel must first resolve the conflict between the view of the judge who issued the subpoena that there is sufficient evidence to cite the princess as a suspect, and the prosecutor's view that there is not, the officials said. Princess Cristina is King Juan Carlos' youngest daughter. This is the first time since democracy was restored in Spain in 1975 that a member of King Juan Carlos' immediate family has faced preliminary charges of any kind, in any case, a spokesman for the Royal Household said. On Wednesday, the investigating magistrate, Judge Jose Castro, issued the 18-page order that brought preliminary charges against Princess Cristina in a fraud case centered on her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, the king's son-in-law. Urdangarin has faced preliminary charges for more than a year. He is accused of diverting, for private use, public funds earmarked for his non-profit foundation. He denies any wrongdoing. The scandal already had created unprecedented problems for the popular royal family due to Urdangarin's alleged involvement, but after the princess was also named as a suspect, it became top news at home and abroad. On Friday, prosecutor Pedro Horrach filed his appeal to Castro's local court in Palma de Mallorca, in Spain's Balearic Islands. A higher provincial court in Palma must decide if the princess will remain a suspect in the case. If she does, the princess has chosen two top lawyers, the Royal Household announced on Friday. One is Miquel Roca, a Barcelona-based former politician who helped write Spain's Constitution of 1978. The other is well-known criminal lawyer Jesus Maria Silva. The Royal Household initially said on Wednesday it wouldn't comment on judicial matters, but later in the day announced that it was surprised that the judge -- who last year said in an order that there was insufficient evidence to name the princess as a suspect -- had changed his mind. In his order, the judge said that further investigation since last year had led to the decision to bring preliminary charges against the princess. Castro's order said Princess Cristina should be questioned regarding "the handling and destination of funds obtained" through her husband's foundation and a separate company . The Royal Household also said on Wednesday that it was in "absolute conformity" with the prosecutor's announcement that he would appeal. The main opposition Socialist Party has called on the Royal Household to remain neutral in the legal battle between the judge and prosecutor over the evidence regarding the princess. On Thursday, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo told reporters that the case is hurting the image of Spain. On Friday, the Royal Household made public for the first time that it had quietly asked the government, two months ago, to include the monarchy in a new law on transparency -- regarding financing and other activities -- that is currently being debated and pending approval, a Royal Household senior spokesman said . Urdangarin was given the title of Duke of Palma when he married Princess Cristina in 1997. An adviser to the Royal Household also has been implicated in the scandal. Earlier this year, a judge ordered Urdangarin and a former business associate, Diego Torrres, to deposit a joint bond of €8 million (about $10.8 million) for potential civil damages. If not, the judge would move to embargo the assets of the two men, a court spokeswoman said. No trial has been set in the case. The preliminary charges that have been announced could eventually be dropped, but a filing of indictments would set a trial in motion.

Princess Cristina had been subpoenaed to appear in court April 27 . A prosecutor filed an appeal, saying there is insufficient evidence to cite her . Princess Cristina is King Juan Carlos' youngest daughter . The fraud case centers on her husband, Inaki Urdangarin .

Bali, Indonesia (CNN) -- U.S. President Barack Obama declared his nine-day Asia-Pacific trip a success on Saturday, returning to the trip's domestic impact after focusing for days on the United States' role in the region and its relationship with China. In his weekly address, delivered from Bali, Indonesia,Obama said the trip helped cement trade deals that will support nearly 130,000 jobs. Agreements announced to export Boeing aircraft and G.E. engines to the region could increase U.S. exports by up to $39 billion, he said. "These agreements will help us reach my goal of doubling American exports by 2014 -- a goal we're on pace to meet," he said. Obama was flying back to the United States on Saturday. He was scheduled to be back in Washington early Sunday. The administration advertised the trip, which began with a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in Hawaii, primarily as an effort to shore up to United States' role in the economically important region as a means of helping boost the ailing U.S. economy. Secondarily, White House officials characterized the trip as an effort to demonstrate its commitment to the region and its allies there as the United States winds down its military commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan and China begins to exert its own rising influence. During the trip, Obama announced an agreement to station U.S. Marines in Australia and held face-to-face meetings with Chinese officials and other leaders on economic and security issues, in addition to participating in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations economic summit and the East Asia Summit in Indonesia -- a first for a U.S. president, according to the White House. During the summit, Obama and his counterparts discussed economic issues, disaster response and territorial disputes over the South China Sea, an area critical to maritime shipping and one rich in oil and fish. China has claimed a significant portion of the South China Sea as its own territorial waters, putting it in conflict with other nations that have made claims on portions of the region. Sixteen of 18 leaders present at the meeting spoke out strongly against China's stance in what was a productive, but not confrontational meeting, according to a senior administration official. Premier Wen Jiabao told the group that China wants to see the issue resolved peacefully, according to the official. "I think it was constructive, and one has to believe that the Chinese premier will go back to Beijing with the sense that the center of gravity in the Asia Pacific area is around the adherence to the principle of the rule of law, peaceful resolution, and a constructive, rules-based approach to the resolution of territorial disputes," the official said. Obama later met with the Chinese premier in a hastily-arranged meeting to continue their discussion on economic issues and the territorial dispute. Those talks occurred against the backdrop of Chinese consternation over the United States' increasing assertiveness in the region. An editorial published Friday by the state-controlled Xinhua news agency chided the United States for what it called a willingness to flaunt international rules, even as it insists other countries follow them. It highlighted the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. "Today, when the world is still facing many difficult global challenges, the United States needs to first revisit its double standards on international rules and start observing them itself instead of lecturing China." Xinhua said in the editorial. Obama's last appointment Saturday before leaving for Washington was a meeting with Thailand's first woman prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra. Obama congratulated Shinawatra on her "inspirational" election win, and offered condolences and assistance to those affected by the flooding in Thailand. He also described Thailand as one of America's oldest allies and spoke of the two nations' great friendship. When Shinawatra expressed her regret at not having visited the United States, Obama responded by inviting her to Hawaii.

NEW: President Barack Obama declares Asia-Pacific trip a success . NEW: Obama says deals cemented on the trip will support U.S. jobs and exports . NEW: Obama also meets with Chinese premier over maritime disputes, economic issues . NEW: Obama is scheduled to return to Washington early Sunday .

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Mexican authorities have detained the country's former drug czar on suspicion that he may have accepted $450,000 a month in bribes from drug traffickers, Mexico's attorney general said Friday. Noe Ramirez Mandujano was in charge from 2006 through August of fighting organized crime in Mexico. Noe Ramirez Mandujano was in charge from 2006 until this August of the attorney general's office that specializes in combatting organized crime. Ramirez is accused of meeting with members of a drug cartel while he was in office and agreeing to provide information on investigations in exchange for the bribes, Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora Icaza said at a news conference Friday. The arrest was part of an ongoing investigation called "Operation Limpieza," or "Operation Cleanup," the attorney general said. The operation targets officials who may have passed information to drug cartels. The arrest was announced Thursday night, four days after the house arrest of Ricardo Gutierrez Vargas, the director for International Police Affairs at Mexico's Federal Investigative Agency and the head of Mexico's Interpol office. Authorities say more than 30 officials have been arrested since July in connection with the anti-corruption operation. Interpol, which is based in France, announced Wednesday it is sending a team of investigators to Mexico to investigate the possibility that its communications systems and databases may have been compromised, a prospect raised by the arrest of Gutierrez, the top official working with the agency in Mexico. "A war of master proportions" between authorities and narcotics traffickers and traffickers among themselves has left more than 4,300 dead so far this year, according to the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, an independent research and information organization. By comparison, the council said in a report this week, there were 2,700 drug-related deaths in 2007. "Homegrown drug cartels operating from both within and outside the country are engaging in a vicious turf war to seize control of major trafficking corridors while engaging in almost open warfare against the mobilized forces of the state," the council said about what it calls "narco-fueled crime." Mexican leaders have been trying to tamp down the violence by tightening controls on money-laundering and cracking down on corruption among local and municipal police forces infiltrated by drug traffickers. It may not be enough. "Due to pervasive corruption at the highest levels of the Mexican government, and the almost effortless infiltration of the porous security forces by the cartel, an ultimate victory by the state is far from certain," the Hemispheric Council concludes. Drug trafficking in Mexico is a $20 billion- to $50 billion-a-year industry, as much as the nation earns from tourism or remittances from Mexicans living in the United States, said Robert Pastor, a former National Security adviser to President Jimmy Carter and now a professor of international relations at American University in Washington. He has been studying Latin America for more than four decades. "This is a huge industry with an extraordinary capacity to corrupt and intimidate the country. And they're doing both right now," said Pastor, also a former director of the Carter Center's Latin American and Caribbean Program. The drug cartels are paying some Mexican officials bribes of $150,000 to $450,000 a month, authorities have said. This in a country where the per capita income is $12,500 a year and one of every seven Mexicans lives in poverty, according to the CIA World Factbook.

Noe Ramirez Mandujano arrested, suspected of taking $450,000 a month in bribes . About 30 officials arrested in massive operation investigating collusion with cartels . Report: 4,300 dead this year in war between authorities and narcotics traffickers . Drug cartels pay some officials bribes of $150,000 to $450,000 a month .

(CNN) -- Yemen could turn out like Somalia if the current rate of international investment doesn't increase, the country's deputy finance minister told CNN Monday. "I'm not suggesting a failed state," Jalal Yaqoub said. "What I'm suggesting (is) a state where citizens don't get the right services delivered to them." Yemen sparked an international security alert this weekend when two packages mailed from the poor Arab nation were found to have explosives inside. The bombs could have brought down the planes carrying them, officials said. Yemen has become a major new battleground for al Qaeda, but Yaqoub denied it could become a "failed state" with no effective central government, like Somalia. "I don't think Yemen is a collapsing state. I don't think Yemen is a weak state," he told CNN's Becky Anderson in an interview for "Connect the World." But it needs $45- to $50 billion in investment over the next decade to give people jobs, water, and electricity because "extremism flourishes in an area where people have no jobs and too much time on their hands. "We have ideas. We have plans. We have visions. And we need the support of the international community to make sure that jobs are being created and services delivered to these people and that will certainly help stabilize the country and reduce extremism." Yaqoub said it "would not surprise" him if the United States increased its covert activities in his country in the wake of the foiled bomb plot, but that "as a Yemeni citizen" he did not like the idea of unmanned U.S. drones. The United States is thought to use drones to fire missiles at suspected terrorists in Pakistan, among other locations. It does not officially confirm such strikes. A U.S. official said Monday the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency continues to expand its intelligence operations in Yemen with more operatives and analysts working closely with the Yemen government and other U.S. partners inside the country. The increased focus on Yemen predates the Christmas Day attempt to blow up an airliner over Detroit. There has been no decision on expanding the CIA role to include running a drone campaign in Yemen. The official said the Agency has the capability to do so, but it ultimately is a White House decision to move forward on that front. Regarding the threat of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula compared to al Qaeda Pakistan, the official said "this is not a zero sum game." Al Qaeda Pakistan remains very dangerous even though it is under intense pressure by the United States because of drone missile attacks. The official pointed to the European plot as having its roots in Pakistan. AQAP is an affiliate that has become increasingly more active. The two groups communicate and share ideas. Al Qaeda in Pakistan encourages AQAP to carry out attacks. However, the official said AQAP makes its own tactical decisions, runs its own day to day operations. The official said Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki is clearly playing a more prominent operational role in AQAP, he is part of the senior leadership. It would not be surprising if in the end, al-Awlaki had a role in the cargo bombing plot, but so far there is no direct evidence of that, the official said. Another U.S. official also said it "wouldn't be a surprise if he ends up implicated in this." Both officials said it is still unclear the intent of the cargo plot, this is whether the bombs were to explode in the planes or at the synagogues or had another purpose. The second official said the fact these were "real devices, a real attempt" pretty much discounts any theory that this was merely a trial run by the terrorists -- "it doesn't hold much water anymore." This official said experts are examining the devices to determine how they would have worked and whether they had the capability to work as intended. CNN's Pam Benson contributed to this report .

Yemen's deputy finance minister calls for $45- to $50 billion international investment . He denies his country could become a failed state . Good jobs and infrastructure help fight extremism, he says .

Havana, Cuba (CNN) -- Cuban President Raul Castro replaced two high-level government ministers Monday -- citing errors and incompetence -- in the latest round of replacements at top-level government posts. Sugar Minister Luis Manuel Avila Gonzalez was fired after requesting his release because of admitted shortcomings in his own performance, according to an official statement published Tuesday in the country's state-run newspaper. Orlando Celso Garcia Ramirez will replace him, it said. Transportation Minister Jorge Luis Sierra Cruz was fired due to "errors in the performance of duties," state media reported. He also lost his post as a vice president on a top governing body called the Council of Ministers, it said. Transport Director Maside Cesar Ignacio Arocha replaced Sierra at the Transport Ministry, while Gen. Antonio Enrique Lusson Batlle -- a long-time commander in the Cuban army -- assumed Sierra's post on the Council of Ministers. President Raul Castro, once the world's longest serving defense minister, assumed the presidency in 2006 when his older brother, Fidel Castro, stepped down because of illness -- at first temporarily, and then permanently in 2008. Since then, many analysts have speculated that the younger Castro has worked to consolidate power, replacing top government posts with army brass. "The Cabinet is now substantially different to what it was in 2006, and substantially different to what it was in 2008," when Fidel Castro officially ceded power, said Julia Sweig, senior fellow at Council on Foreign Relations and recent author of "Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know." "Of course this is Castro solidifying control," she said, "but it's also an attempt to impose a culture of governance and efficiency" in leadership positions that "under Fidel were very uneven." Sweig and others contend that recent changes in leadership may be part of broader economic measures intended to streamline Cuba's bloated state sector, which Raul Castro recently said has supported an excess of up to a million workers. Avila's release from Cuba's Sugar Ministry also has raised questions about its broader future. Once a world leader in sugar exportation, Cuba has faced a steady decline since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the accompanying subsidies that once boosted sugar production on the island nation. Widespread speculation suggests the country may eventually close its Sugar Ministry or even open it up to foreign investment in an effort to boost Cuba's cash-strapped economy. "If that pans out, they may be bringing in someone [at the Sugar Ministry] who is more suited to that task," said Cuba analyst Phil Peters from the Lexington Institute in Washington. "It may be aimed at foreign investment," he said, adding that "Brazil and others could really help turn that sector into an energy producer." Later Tuesday morning, Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero announced plans to open up real estate to foreign investment on tourism-related projects, laying out plans for new hotels across the country. The move comes only weeks after Cuba instituted a pilot program of turning over hundreds of state-run barber shops and beauty salons to employees. Since taking office, Castro has allowed such small liberalization measures and tackled corruption, fostering the creation of a comptroller general's office intended to better manage state revenues. Monday's replacements come on the heels of the removal of Rogelio Acevedo, long-time head of the country's airlines and airport. While no official explanation was given for Acevedo's release, it prompted widespread speculation of corruption. In an uncharacteristically critical article published on a state-sanctioned website last month, Cuban columnist Esteban Morales called corruption a greater threat to the island nation than internal dissent, specifically noting Acevedo's dismissal. "Corruption is the real counterrevolution," Morales wrote, cautioning against groups entrenched in the country's Communist system.

Transportation Minister fired for "errors in the performance of duties" Sugar Minister Luis Manuel Avila Gonzalez requested release, admitted shortcomings . Country's airlines and airports chief was replaced in March .

Washington (CNN) -- A shaky video captured only a few moments of William D. Swenson's actions during a brutal, hours-long battle in Afghanistan: Kissing a badly wounded comrade on the forehead as he helped load the soldier into a helicopter. "This may be the first time we bear witness to a small portion of the action" of a Medal of Honor recipient, President Barack Obama said Tuesday as he awarded the now-retired Army captain the nation's highest military honor for his actions in the Ganjgal Valley in 2009. Swenson, 34, of Seattle, is the sixth living recipient from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to earn the honor, and this is only the second time in a half-century that two men from the same battle have been awarded the medal. Swenson, who retired from the Army in 2011, is being awarded the medal for his actions on September 8, 2009, in the Battle of the Ganjgal Valley in Afghanistan's Kunar province. The battle claimed the lives of four American soldiers, 10 Afghan soldiers and an Afghan interpreter. A fifth soldier, Sgt. First Class Kenneth Westbrook -- the man Swenson helped load onto the helicopter -- later died from his wounds. Swenson was working with Afghan security forces in the volatile Kunar province near Pakistan's border when he and his troops came under fire. Obama recounted to an audience of fellow soldiers and families of the fallen how Swenson braved enemy fire again and again to recover the bodies of the dead Americans and Afghans. "In moments like this, Americans like Will remind us of what our country can be at its best, a nation of citizens who look out for one another, who meet our obligations to one another not just when it's easy, but also when it's hard," Obama said. "Maybe, especially when it's hard." Part of Swenson's rescue efforts were recorded by a rescue pilot's helmet camera. In the heat of battle, with bullets flying and dust blocking any clear vision of the surrounding situation, Swenson is seen helping Westbrook, who had been shot in the throat, back to a helicopter. After placing him in the helicopter, Swenson bent down to kiss his forehead before running back to the battle to retrieve other fallen Americans and Afghan fighters. "I was just trying to keep his spirits up. I wanted him to know it was going to be OK. And I wanted him to know that he had done his job, but it was time for him to go," Swenson told CNN recently. The road to this honor has not been easy for Swenson, whose nomination was "lost" for a time, prompting questions from lawmakers and an eventual internal Pentagon investigation. Swenson spoke out after the 2009 battle, criticizing his leadership for failing to provide him with adequate air support after multiple radio requests. The Army later backed up his claims, reprimanding two commanding officers. "What happened that day was a result of clouded judgment," Swenson told CNN's Barbara Starr in a recent interview. "It was a result of clouded judgment on behalf of people who did later receive letters of reprimand." The nomination statement, once found, was nothing short of glowing for Swenson, saying the soldier "braved intense enemy fire, and willfully put his life in danger against the enemy's main effort, multiple times in service of his fallen and wounded comrades, his unit, his country, and his endangered Afghan partners." Army officials confirmed to CNN that Swenson has filed paperwork to return to Army active duty. Dakota Meyer, a Marine, was honored for his actions in the same battle in 2011. After giving military a second try, soldier to receive top honor . Barbara Starr reported from Washington; Chelsea J. Carter reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Leslie Bentz contributed to this report.

William Swenson is the sixth living recipient from the Afghan and Iraq wars . Swenson was honored for his action on September 8, 2009, in the Ganjgal Valley . He braved enemy fire to retrieve the bodies of dead soldiers, Obama says . He criticized his commanders for failing to support soldiers during the battle .

(CNN) -- When Tiger Woods invoked his religious faith during his public apology on Friday, he readily acknowledged that a lot of people would be surprised. "People probably don't realize it," he said, "but I was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years." But Woods said his Buddhist faith would be a key part of his quest to put his life back together after revelations of his marital infidelity, which he admitted for the first time. Buddhist experts said Woods' summation of the tradition's beliefs was accurate -- and that his remarks likely will bring more attention to the faith in a week when its highest profile leader, the Dalai Lama, is visiting the United States. "I have a lot of work to do, and I intend to dedicate myself to doing it," Woods said, reading a statement from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. "Part of following this path for me is Buddhism, which my mother taught me at a young age." "Buddhism teaches that a craving of things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security," he continued. "It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously, I lost track of what I was taught." A handful of Buddhist scholars said Woods' description of Buddhist teaching was spot on. "Woods was quite accurate," said Janet Gyatso, a professor of Buddhist studies at Harvard University. "Craving causes unhappiness. That's a fundamental Buddhist idea." A 1996 Sports Illustrated profile suggested that Woods -- then in his early 20s -- took his faith seriously. He visited a Buddhist temple with his mother each year around his birthday, slept near a mother-of-pearl Buddha from his Thai grandfather, and wore a gold Buddha around his neck, according to the profile. Woods' mother, Kultilda, is a Thai-born Buddhist. "I like Buddhism because it's a whole way of being and living," Tiger Woods told Sports Illustrated. "It's based on discipline and respect and personal responsibility. I like Asian culture better than ours because of that." When allegations of Woods' infidelity began emerging after a November 27 car accident, Fox News Channel host Brit Hume stirred controversy by publicly advising the golf pro to become a Christian. "He's said to be a Buddhist -- I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith," Hume said. "So my message to Tiger would be: Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world." But Buddhist scholars say that forgiveness and redemption are core components of the faith. "You're always beginning again in the Buddhist tradition," said John Kornfield, a prominent Buddhist teacher based in California. "You see that you're causing harm, you repent and ask forgiveness in some formal or informal way, and you start again." Some Buddhism experts said that's what Woods appeared to be trying to do today. Many Buddhists applauded Woods' statement. "The fact that people could see this kind of behavior causes suffering is an incredibly important message for all kinds of people who respect Woods," said Kornfield. Buddhism was in the spotlight this week before Woods' remarks, with the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama -- a Buddhist -- meeting with President Obama in Washington on Thursday. Buddhism is among the world's largest religions, with about 350 million adherents, including about 1.2 million in the United States, according to a 2009 report by Trinity College. The faith began in India about 2,500 years ago.

Woods: "People probably don't realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist" Golf great, addressing controversy on Friday, says he had "drifted" from his faith . "Woods was quite accurate" in his summation of Buddhism, one scholar says . After affairs made news, Fox's Brit Hume publicly urged Woods to embrace Christianity .

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A former death row inmate in Tennessee has been cleared of murder, three years after the Supreme Court raised repeated questions about his conviction. After 22 years on death row, Paul House was released on bail and has now been cleared of murder charges. State prosecutors on Tuesday asked a judge to drop all charges against Paul House, who was convicted of murder and sentenced to die in 1986. Special Judge Jon Blackwood accepted the request. House had been scheduled to be retried next month for the 1985 murder of Carolyn Muncey. He had been on death row for 22 years but was released on bail last year. He has multiple sclerosis and must use a wheelchair. The high court ruled in June 2006 that House was entitled to a new hearing. "Although the issue is closed, we conclude that this is the rare case where -- had the jury heard all the conflicting testimony -- it is more likely than not that no reasonable juror viewing the record as a whole would lack reasonable doubt," wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy for the 5-3 majority. House's appeal was championed by the Innocence Project, affiliated with the Cardozo School of Law in New York. "In the three years since the U.S. Supreme Court stepped into this case and sent it back to the trial court, substantial additional DNA testing and further investigation have shown that he is innocent," said Peter Neufeld, the group's co-director. "Each time a layer of this case was peeled away, it revealed more evidence of Paul House's innocence." Muncey disappeared from her rural Luttrell, Tennessee, home on July 13, 1985. Her body was found a day later, badly beaten and showing signs of a struggle. She had been raped. House, who was on parole at the time as a sex offender, was questioned by police. He denied any involvement in the crime. He was a friend of Muncey's husband, but claimed he was in his own house several miles away the evening of the murder. But prosecutors found a hole in his alibi, discovering that he had left his home the night of the murder and returned about an hour later with unexplained cuts and bruises. Forensic evidence found Muncey's blood on House's jeans, but questions were later raised whether the samples were contaminated en route to an FBI lab for analysis. Subsequent state-of-the art DNA testing conducted after the conviction showed that semen on the victim belonged to her husband, not House. Blood under her fingernails and cigarette butts discovered near the wooded crime scene also did not match the accused. But prosecutors maintain that other evidence points to his guilt. Muncey's family has also continued to believe that House was involved in the crime. In 2005, House told CNN he did not rape or kill Muncey, and he wondered why he was still on death row. "I guess that's the million-dollar question," he said. While maintaining his innocence, he said that lying to police about his whereabouts that night was a big mistake. Kennedy, in his 2006 high court ruling, offered an extensive summary of the facts of the investigation, especially the DNA evidence, which he said might point to "a different suspect." Kennedy said jurors might conclude that Muncey's blood found on House's pants may have inadvertently spilled there during the autopsy or through mishandling by police at the crime scene. District Attorney Paul Phillips wrote in his petition this week that he still believes House could have been convicted again in a new trial, "but the new evidence (including the forensic examinations) raises a reasonable doubt that he acted alone and the possibility that others were involved in the crime." But Phillips noted the "substantial sentence" House has served as another reason for the charges being dropped now.

New evidence prompts judge to drop murder charges against Paul House . House, of Tennessee, spent 22 years on death row for murder of Carolyn Muncey . House, who uses a wheelchair, was released on bail in 2007 . New DNA testing helped raise doubts .

(CNN)FIFA president Sepp Blatter and the head of the Confederation of African Football Issa Hayatou have slammed the "western media" over their reporting of the crowd violence that marred Thursday's Africa Cup of Nations semifinal between Ghana and hosts Equatorial Guinea. Thursday's game saw home fans pelting Ghana's players and supporters with bottles, rocks, broken glass and cutlery after Equatorial Guinea conceded two quick first half goals. The game resumed in the second half but was halted after further violence directed at Ghana's supporters. According to eye witnesses the security situation was sufficiently dire that a helicopter was deployed to hover low over the stadium and scatter the rioting fans. There were reports of further riots in the streets around the stadium. Several Ghanaian supporters were also injured during the violence. One Ghanaian football official described the scene as being like a "warzone." Chaos . "In front of me was utter chaos -- angry, screaming fans. But there were scared, scurrying fans, too," recalled Gary Al Smith, a Ghanaian football journalist who was in the stadium at the time. "I've never played in front of anything like that and I'd like to say sorry on behalf of my team," said Equatorial Guinea's star player Emilio Nsue after the match was restarted and his team had lost 3-0. "It was an odd experience -- one I've never felt before." Yet on the eve of the final, Blatter and Hayatou held a press conference where they blamed western journalists for making the violence sound worse than it was. "When something bad happens in Europe, they say it's an error. When something happens in Africa, they begin talking about corruption," Hayatou said, before adding that he believed "the western media are simply here to perpetuate colonization." Blatter, who will fight a FIFA presidential election in May and is relying on African votes to secure another term of office, later seemed to endorse those remarks. "The media can play a role, must play a role, but they must play a role where the notions of respect and fair play are the basics," Blatter said. "Today the world opens the newspapers, watches television, and sees only murders and killing," he added. "We never talk about princesses marrying any more." Blatter went on to congratulate Equatorial Guinea's hosting of the tournament. The tiny oil rich nation, which has been severely criticized over its human rights record, stepped in at the last moment after Morocco pulled out citing fears about the spread of the Ebola virus. Equatorial Guinea had been fined close to $100,000 over the violence and ordered to pay the expenses of the 36 injured Ghanaian fans. Third place . Saturday saw another potential flashpoint pass without incident. The Democratic Republic of Congo beat Equatorial Guinea on penalties in the third place play off after the two teams played out a 0-0 draw. Before the game several players had suggested that the tie should be played behind closed doors with no supporters. One player, Democratic Republic of Congo defender Gabriel Zakuani, even suggested forfeiting the match altogether. "If they're throwing this at players, Eq Guinea, you can have 3rd place," he tweeted after the incident, alongside a picture of some of the objects that had been thrown from the stands. "I love football but prefer to live. #AFCON2015." In the end the match took place under tight security with barely 500 supporters in the stadium. All eyes will now be on Sunday's showpiece final, which will again take place in Bata. Meanwhile, journalists covering the event have reacted incredulously to Hayatou and Blatter's remarks. ."Blatter's got me bang to rights," tweeted British football journalist Jonathan Wilson. "I for one am ashamed I reported the trouble I witnessed in Malabo rather than seeking a marrying princess."

CAF chief Issa Hayatou slams "western media" reports of AFCoN violence . Dozens hurt during rioting at match on Thursday . Final between Ghana and Ivory Coast takes place Sunday .

Sharpes, Florida (CNN) -- For most, jail may well be an unpleasant experience. Some facilities are rough and tough places, serving bad food and filled with a whole host of society's underachievers. Meanwhile, one Florida jail is being sued by one of its inmates who says he's being tortured -- because he has to watch the same movies over and over again. "It's a lot like Chinese water torture," said James Poulin. In an interview with CNN affiliate Central Florida News 13, Poulin said that the Brevard County Detention Center's inmates aren't able to watch regular television and are forced to watch the same movies repeatedly. Movies like wartime epics "Saving Private Ryan," and "Black Hawk Down," and the holiday classic "Polar Express," with its boisterous children on a speeding train. "I hear those little kids screaming through my brain. All night long I can hear them," Poulin said . "I can close my eyes, but I'm still going to hear them over and over and over," he added. Poulin has been at the jail for almost four years now, so it's not too surprising that he's seen a couple of the features more than once. He's been there since early 2007, when he was charged in a DUI crash that killed his female passenger. Poulin should have been at the jail only a short time, but he's filed 15 court motions for continuances, which have delayed his trial. He's also filed six lawsuits against the jail. All the previous lawsuits have been dismissed except one in which he demands access to newspapers and publications. "We're not preventing him from receiving any material," said Commander Susan Jeter of the Brevard County jail. "He just has to get a subscription and pay for it," she told CNN. But magazines and newspapers are taking a back seat to Poulin's complaints in a new lawsuit that he has to watch the same movies again and again. Jeter says that tough economic times have affected the jail's budget, just like they've affected most people's budgets. When the broadcast networks switched over to digital technology, the jail would have been forced to purchase new TV equipment. As a savings move, the jail decided to keep its old TVs and DVD players, thereby losing the ability to get TV channels. "We decided to do things more constructively," said Jeter. Jail officials restructured their program to offer more educational DVDs, as a way to help the inmates. "We try to keep them informed, and provide something that could keep them from getting AIDS or hepatitis....instead of watching Jerry Springer," said Jeter. Jeter says that historical DVDs are often followed by movies about the period. So, movies like "Saving Private Ryan, and "Black Hawk Down," have gotten some play. But that doesn't appear to be good enough for Poulin. It seems he doesn't necessarily have to have his MTV, but he does crave just plain TV. "The jail has the necessary equipment already to go ahead and give us regular TV," he said. "We have a right to the media in jail," he said. Jail officials say that in the time that live TV access has been gone from the jail, inmate-on-inmate violence is way down. "There are families that don't even have cable TV . We can't bring it in for his (Poulin's) benefit, at the taxpayers' expense," said Jeter. "He doesn't have to watch it," she said of the movies programming. "He can go in his room and close the door. He can read a book. No one forces him to watch." "When you have someone here as long as him, he is going to see a rerun."

A Florida jail inmate says watching the jail's few movies over and over is "torture" Jail officials say they don't have cable TV for cost reasons, but they do have movies and DVDs . The inmate wants to take it to court . He's been at the jail nearly four years after filing 15 court motions delaying his trial .

Washington (CNN) -- Nearly 180 Department of Homeland Security weapons were lost -- some falling into the hands of criminals -- after officers left them in restrooms, vehicles and other public places, according to an inspector general report. The officers, with Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, "did not always sufficiently safeguard their firearms and, as a result, lost a significant number of firearms" between fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2008, the report said. In all, 243 firearms were lost in both agencies during that period, according to the January report from Inspector General Richard Skinner. Of those, 36 were lost because of circumstances beyond officers' control -- for instance, ICE lost a firearm during an assault on an officer. Another 28 were lost even though officers had stored them in lockboxes or safes. But 74 percent, or 179 guns, were lost "because officers did not properly secure them," the report said. Following a review of the draft report in December, Homeland Security took steps to implement its recommendations and overhaul its property management policy, according to a response in the report. A department spokeswoman did not immediately return a call from CNN Thursday seeking comment. The report concluded the department did not have specific procedures and policies in place regarding firearms. "Instead, DHS relied on its components to augment its general property management policies and procedures with specific guidance for safeguarding and controlling firearms," it said. "Although some component policies and procedures for safeguarding firearms were sufficient, personnel did not always follow them." The inspector general cited several examples of "inappropriate practices." A customs officer, for instance, left a firearm in an idling vehicle in the parking lot of a convenience store. The vehicle was stolen while the officer was inside. "A local law enforcement officer later recovered the firearm from a suspected gang member and drug smuggler," the report said. In addition, an ICE officer left an M-4 rifle and a shotgun unsecured in a closet at his home. Both weapons were stolen in a burglary and later recovered from a felon, according to the report. Another officer left his firearm in the restroom of a fast-food restaurant, and it was gone when he returned. "Other CBP and ICE officers left firearms in places such as a fast food restaurant parking lot, a bowling alley and a clothing store," the report said. "Although our review focused on CBP and ICE, other components described similar incidents. For example, a TSA officer left a firearm in a lunch box on the front seat of an unlocked vehicle; the officer realized the firearm was stolen when he returned to the vehicle two days later," said the report. "Officers may have prevented many of these losses had they exercised reasonable care when storing their weapons." Of the 179 lost because of laxity, 120 were reported stolen and 59 as lost, the report said. That resulted from the agencies' lack of guidance on a standard method for classifying and reporting lost firearms, as well as "a common perception among officers that reporting a stolen firearm was more acceptable than reporting a lost firearm. "Although CBP and ICE reported 120 firearms as stolen, our analysis showed that these firearms were lost (stolen) because officers left the firearms unsecured," according to the report. "All 179 losses may have been prevented had the officers properly secured their firearms." The department had about 188,500 weapons in its inventory as of last summer, the report said. The majority are assigned to Customs and Border Protection and ICE officers, but others are carried by agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

Customs, ICE officers "did not always sufficiently safeguard their firearms," report says . Of 243 guns, 179 were lost "because officers did not properly secure them" Guns were left in unlocked cars, fast food restaurants, bowling alleys . Homeland Security responds by overhauling property management policy .

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- A U.S. surveillance ship violated Chinese and international laws during patrols more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) off the Chinese coast over the weekend, China's state-run media reported Tuesday. The Navy says this photo shows two Chinese trawlers forcing the Impeccable to make an emergency stop. "China has lodged serious representations with the United States, as the USNS Impeccable conducted activities in China's special economic zone in the South China Sea," said Ma Zhaoxu, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman. "We demand that the United States put an immediate stop to related activities and take effective measures to prevent similar acts from happening." The response follows the Pentagon's contention Monday that Chinese ships harassed the U.S. vessel on Sunday in the latest of several instances of "increasingly aggressive conduct" in the past week. During the incident, five Chinese vessels "shadowed and aggressively maneuvered in dangerously close proximity to USNS Impeccable, in an apparent coordinated effort to harass the U.S. ocean surveillance ship while it was conducting routine operations in international waters," the Pentagon said in a statement. Ma said that "the U.S. claims are gravely in contravention of the facts and confuse black and white and they are totally unacceptable to China," although he didn't say what China's version of the events were. According to the Pentagon, the Chinese crew members aboard the vessels, two of which were within 50 feet, waved Chinese flags and told the U.S. ship to leave the area. "Because the vessels' intentions were not known, Impeccable sprayed its fire hoses at one of the vessels in order to protect itself," the Pentagon's statement said. "The Chinese crew members disrobed to their underwear and continued closing to within 25 feet." Watch CNN's Chris Lawrence report on the incident » . After the Impeccable alerted the Chinese ships "in a friendly manner" that it was seeking a safe path to depart the area, two of the Chinese ships stopped "directly ahead of USNS Impeccable, forcing Impeccable to conduct an emergency 'all stop' in order to avoid collision," the statement said. "They dropped pieces of wood in the water directly in front of Impeccable's path." A Pentagon spokesman called the incident "one of the most aggressive actions we've seen in some time. We will certainly let Chinese officials know of our displeasure at this reckless and dangerous maneuver." He said the Chinese crew members used poles to try to snag the Impeccable's acoustic equipment in the water. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing lodged a protest over the weekend with the Chinese government, a State Department spokesman said Monday. The Impeccable's crew members are primarily civilians, and the ship is not armed, the spokesman said. The 281.5-foot Impeccable is one of six surveillance ships that perform military survey operations, according to the Navy. It is an oceanographic ship that gathers underwater acoustic data, using sonar. It has a maximum speed of 13 knots -- or about 15 mph -- but it travels 3 knots, or 3.5 mph, when towing its array of monitoring equipment. It carries a crew of 20 mariners, five technicians and as many as 20 Navy personnel. The Chinese ships involved included a navy intelligence collection ship, a Bureau of Maritime Fisheries patrol vessel, a State Oceanographic Administration patrol vessel and two small Chinese-flagged trawlers, the statement said. The Pentagon cited three previous instances of what it described as harassment, the first of which occurred last Wednesday. CNN's Yuli Yang contributed to this report from Beijing.

China says U.S. surveillance ship conducted activities in a "special economic zone" China demands U.S. take measures "to prevent similar acts from happening" Pentagon says Chinese ships harassed USNS Impeccable in international waters . Chinese crew tried to snag Impeccable's equipment in water, Pentagon says .

QUEENS, New York (CNN) -- For Victor Guevares, winning a bid at a raucous foreclosure auction two months ago was just the first step toward achieving his dream of home ownership. And after getting through several obstacles along the way, he finally moved his family into the two-story, three-bedroom house in Queens. Victor Guevares, second from right, bought a home at a raucous foreclosure auction two months ago. The auction process isn't as easy as it looks, Guevares said. "If you're going to an auction, do your research," he told CNN. CNN first met the Guevares family in March when he grabbed a home once worth $527,000 for less than half that price. Guevares had won an auction at USHomeAuction.com's foreclosure sale in New York. Banks and other lenders were unloading foreclosed houses, and many were selling at 50 percent to 60 percent below their highest values. Foreclosures skyrocketed in March and the first quarter of 2009 to their highest levels on record as banks lifted moratoria on filings. Foreclosure filings -- which include default papers, auction sale notices and repossessions -- reached 803,489 in the first quarter, according to a recent report by RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosed properties. Watch Victor Guevares give a quick tour of his new home » . That is a 24 percent jump over a year earlier and a 9 percent increase compared to the previous quarter. Of those first-quarter filings, 341,180 happened in March, a 17 percent increase from February and a 46 percent jump from March 2008. Sitting with his stomach in knots on that March 8 afternoon, Guevares made the opening bid and kept pace until they passed $100,000, then $200,000. Looking shell-shocked, Guevares ended up with the winning bid: $230,000. But he soon realized there was much more to it, after plunking down $7,000 in auction fees and another $5,000 required from every bidder. And still, he couldn't immediately lock in a mortgage at the auction as he had hoped because records showed the home faced a possible code violation. "I had a problem," Guevares said. An inspection cleared that hurdle, and closing day ended happily with Guevares holding the deed to his first house. But he wasn't through yet. Guevares, a married father of two, wanted to have his family moved in by the end of May -- and had his work cut out, since the home was split into two apartments. He broke down a wall, opened up a staircase, put in new floors, repainted and created a sunroom. All that work brought his cost to roughly $280,000 -- about $20,000 less than the estimated value of the home, he said. Guevares spent the past 12 years renting and trying to save for his first home, and believes he came out ahead with the auction win. "I got a great deal on the house. My mortgage is $300 less than what I paid in rent," he said. The backyard is filled with garbage bags filled with debris, but the family was able to move in last week. Guevares' son, 8-year-old Devin, is reveling in his bright green room that has a window to peek out into his yard -- and the neighbor's. "They have a dog named Rocky, just the same as the dog we have," he said. Another perk: no more worrying about being quiet as he did at their apartment. "I can just scream," said Devin.

Victor Guevares won bid at a raucous foreclosure auction two months ago . The auction process isn't as easy as it looks, Guevares says . Guevares spent 12 years renting as he saved for first home . "My mortgage is $300 less than what I paid in rent," says Guevares .

(CNN) -- On Monday, a federal court struck down Alabama's medically unnecessary law that singles out doctors who provide abortions and requires them to secure admitting privileges at a local hospital. The court called the justification for the law "exceedingly weak." As an obstetrician-gynecologist, I couldn't agree more. This decision is an important win for American women and for the practice of medicine. Let me be clear: We all want women to receive safe medical care. But these laws (a number of states have adopted them) do not make women safer. In fact, they have quite the opposite effect, as they will make it harder for women to access medical care, potentially forcing them to seek abortion services later in their pregnancy. These laws also jeopardize women's safety by forcing qualified physicians to stop providing abortions for reasons having nothing whatsoever to do with medical safety. That is why leading medical groups like the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association oppose them. Whether a physician who provides abortions has hospital admitting privileges is not a reflection on the physician's ability to provide quality abortion care. While hospital privileges in theory should be awarded based on physician competency, they in fact are often denied for reasons unrelated to the physician's medical qualifications. For example, to obtain privileges, hospitals often require physicians to admit a certain number of patients each year. But doctors who provide abortions will likely never admit the minimum number of patients because complications are very, very rare. Here's what is important to remember: Abortion is already extremely safe, and for the vast majority of abortions, hospitals do not need to play a role in the patient's care. Abortion has a more than 99% safety record, with a less than 0.3% risk of complications that could merit hospital treatment. More than 90% of abortions in the United States are performed in outpatient settings and almost all the complications that do arise can be treated on an outpatient basis. It's one of the safest medical procedures performed in the United States today, period. In the exceedingly rare event of a complication, women's health centers have procedures in place to ensure that a woman gets the care she needs. Admitting privileges -- or lack thereof -- don't have any effect on a woman's ability to receive emergency care if she needs it. In our modern care delivery model, emergency room physicians, hospitalists and hospital staff are trained to identify and treat all these types of patient situations. Even procedures with much higher rates of complication and mortality, such as colonoscopy, are not subject to these burdensome requirements because it's clear that they are not needed to keep patients safe. These baseless restrictions serve solely to prevent qualified, competent physicians from providing safe abortion care to women who need it. To put it simply, there is no medical reason to treat abortion providers any differently than other medical professionals. As the Alabama court found, the law would have forced all but two health centers in the entire state to stop providing abortions. A similar law in Mississippi would force the last remaining clinic in the state to shut its doors, leaving women in the state with no place to safely end a pregnancy. Similar requirements have devastated women and families in Texas and threaten to close clinics in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Wisconsin. These laws are clearly not motivated by women's safety, but by making access to safe, legal abortion difficult -- even impossible. Monday's court opinion recognizes that a woman is safest when she can make the decision about abortion with her family in consultation with her doctor, free from political interference. It clears one obstacle in the path of women -- and their doctors -- in Alabama. In states across the nation, legislators who truly care about women's safety would do well to work to eliminate unfounded restrictions to abortion, instead of continuing to introduce them.

John Jennings: Court strikes down Alabama law that erects barriers for abortion doctors . He says law purported to protect women, but instead bars them from medical care . Hospital privileges requirement an anti-abortion ruse. Abortion a very safe procedure, he says . Jennings: Legislators who truly care about women's safety will work to prevent these laws .

(CNN) -- "Obama did worse." "Christie's toast." Those are the two main things media commentators, from the right and the left, said about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie this week. Together, they expose the carelessness of the way we talk and think about the people who aspire to the presidency. Start from this point: Many on Christie's staff are implicated in an abuse of power that inflicted harm upon tens of thousands of people. Perhaps the governor didn't know that his staffers had gleefully ordered a traffic disruption on the George Washington Bridge last year. There is no evidence that he did know. On the other hand, these were the people the governor had chosen. This was the culture of the office he led. Opinion: A Chris Christie prosecution would be political dynamite . The phrase "the buck stops here" -- used by the governor at his news conference last week -- doesn't just mean the boss makes the final decision. It means the boss accepts blame for things that go wrong, just as he gains credit from things that go right. It means that "I didn't know" is not an acceptable excuse. But now proceed to this point: Almost everybody who seeks the presidency has demons to slay on his or her way to the office. The long road to the highest office in the land is a contest not only against political rivals but against the flaws of a candidate's own character and temperament. We all have such flaws. In would-be presidents, they tend to be outsized and to carry outsized importance. What we are looking for in a president is not a person without such flaws but a person who has struggled with them and overcome them. When a politician gets into trouble, as Christie has done, pundits suddenly decide that it's their job to mimic crisis managers. They offer advice on what the politician should say, what gestures he should offer, so as to escape blame and deflect criticism. Opinion: Christie's bogus 'stages of grief' But what matters after an episode like the bridge story is not the show of contrition but the real lessons learned. Trouble now can even be a politician's friend, if it jolts him off a path leading to worse trouble later. What Christie faces in the bridge uproar is not a communications challenge but a personal growth challenge. Can this combative politician recruit and run a team that understands better what is acceptable in political combat -- and what is not? At his news conference after the damning bridge e-mails came to light, Christie repeatedly denounced the abuse of conduct as contrary to his personal standards. Can he enforce higher standards in the future? Christie has a style and sensibility that has brought him far as a politician. He's just received a sharp warning that this style and sensibility will take him no further. Conflict is intrinsic to politics -- but conflict governed by rules, written and unwritten. Opinion: Christie's choice -- Be seen as a crook or schnook? Christie's team broke the rules to score revenge against a political opponent. Would a Christie White House govern the country in the same score-settling way? Even people inclined to support Christie are now wondering. His future will depend on convincing people that he's learned his lesson and changed his ways, and the best way to convince people that you have learned a lesson is actually to learn that lesson and actually to change your ways. At the end of his own career, Richard Nixon delivered an eloquent self-assessment of his own failure as president: "Always remember others may hate you, but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself." Unlike Nixon, Christie can benefit from that wisdom at the beginning of a presidential career rather than at its tragic end. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Frum.

David Frum: Chris Christie's team broke rules to gain revenge against opponent . He says question for governor is whether he can learn from this episode . Running for president is a test of character, Frum says; can Christie overcome his flaws? Frum: Ex-President Nixon realized too late that hating his opponents was his undoing .

Madrid (CNN) -- Tens of thousands of protesters amassed in Madrid and other Spanish cities on Saturday to voice their anger over harsh austerity and the way the country's being run in the wake of its financial crisis. In Madrid, demonstrations turned violent and two police officers were injured, Spanish national police said on Twitter. Forty people were arrested. Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Zaragoza were just a handful of the cities where big crowds conducted mass protests, dubbed the "Marea Cuidadana" (Tide of Citizens). Members of workers' unions and civil society groups joined forces to swell their numbers. The crowds were dressed in colored shirts indicating what sector they work in. Ahead of the marches, organizers used the hashtags #MareaCiudadana, #F23 and #YoVoy23F on Twitter to help protesters link up. Read more: Welcome to Madrid, city of protests . Many in Spain have been struggling since the global financial crisis knocked the bottom out of the country's housing market and sparked a major recession that left thousands jobless. The country's unemployment rate stands at 26% -- its highest level ever -- and the situation is even worse for young people, with more than 55% of 16- to 24-year-olds out of work. With no income, many are finding themselves unable to afford the mortgage payments on homes that are no longer worth the prices paid for them. The situation has compelled growing numbers to demonstrate against what they see as the gross unfairness of everyday life in Spain in 2013, where struggling citizens are evicted, even as hundreds of homes lie empty. In recent weeks, allegations of high-level corruption in Spain's ruling conservative Popular Party have added to popular anger over the way the country is being run. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has strongly denied that he or other top conservatives have for years accepted secretive cash payments from the party. Gloria Rodriguez, a 49-year-old high school teacher who marched with fellow educators in the capital, Madrid, told CNN there are "many reasons" to demonstrate against the government. Its cuts, not only to Spain's education budget but also to spending on health, justice and social programs, seem designed to "prevent the state being one that takes care of its citizens," she said. "I feel that people are getting angrier and angrier, not only because of the cuts but because of the latest news about corruption," she said. "However, I also feel that people are getting tired because we go out to the streets and we don't get a reaction." Activist Sofia de Roa, 28, who works as a university press officer in Madrid, struck a similar note. She was one of the founders of Spain's 15-M protest movement, set up by so-called "Indignados" disenchanted with the way the country was being run and upset at a lack of prospects. "It is a shame what the government does; they operate as a totalitarian government with their cuts that are affecting everyone, especially in the public sector. The inequality in this country is horrific," she told CNN. "There are thousands of reasons for coming out to protest today. We are angry and tired. This government doesn't listen to our calls for help. They treat us like idiots. And not only aren't they listening to our protests, they even criminalize our actions," she said. Spain has witnessed frequent public demonstrations since thousands of Spaniards took to the streets in 2011, inspiring the global "Occupy" movement with their protest camp in Madrid's Puerta del Sol. CNN's Laura Perez Maestro reported from Spain and Per Nyberg from London, while Laura Smith-Spark wrote from London. CNN's Al Goodman and Bryony Jones also contributed to this report.

NEW: Two police officers are injured and 40 people are arrested as protests turn violent . "People are getting angrier and angrier" over cuts, says a Madrid teacher . Spain's unemployment rate stands at 26%, its highest level ever . "This government doesn't listen to our calls for help," says activist Sofia de Roa .

(CNN) -- Virginia Johnson, the pioneering sex researcher who was part of the groundbreaking team Masters and Johnson, has died at age 88, her son, Scott Johnson, told CNN on Wednesday. Johnson died Tuesday morning in St. Louis of natural causes, though she had some complications from heart disease, he said. Dr. William Masters and Johnson conducted the first modern research on sexuality and the treatment of sexual dysfunction that paved the way for the sexual revolution. The pair wrote several books, starting with "Human Sexual Response" in 1966, a landmark work discussing the physiology of sex. Their second book, "Human Sexual Inadequacy," published in 1970, detailed how to treat sexual dysfunction. "The first research on 'sexual response' was unique and surprising," Dr. Julia Heiman, director of the Kinsey Institute, said in a statement. "No one had, with a fairly large number of men and women in a laboratory setting, tried to measure a number of physical responses (heart rate, lubrication, blood pressure, penile and vaginal size charges) during sexual stimulation and orgasm. Opinion: The woman who explained the female orgasm . "Then the second book, on 'treatment for sexual dysfunctions,' used a very non-medical approach (no drugs, physical aids, or surgery), incorporating behavioral treatments for sexual dysfunctions in men and women. And doing so within two short weeks of daily treatment," Heiman said. Johnson never had a degree, other than two honorary doctor of science degrees, her son said. She was working at Washington University's medical school in St. Louis when she met Masters, who was looking for a partner to help conduct his experiments and research. The two shared the work but complemented each other's strengths, Scott Johnson said. Masters. who died in 2001 at age 85, knew what made sense from a scientific perspective and Johnson was able to humanize it, helping their hundreds of subjects get comfortable enough to talk about their problems, and knowing how to address those problems without being cold and impersonal, he said. "The combination of the two may have been critical for the research to begin, continue and to have the lasting impact it did," Heiman said. Thomas Maier, author of "Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How to Love," now a Showtime TV series, agrees that without Johnson, the research could not have happened. "She was the one who was able to watch what worked, she was the one who took the background interviews with all the patients," he said. "She put together all of these things and she understood what worked, because she just had a real native genius for understanding what made things click. She was really the brains behind the therapy." Masters and Johnson developed the practice of sensate focus, which helps couples refocus on each other through emotional skills and body awareness. In sensate focus therapy, sex is removed while the couples reconnect through touching and developing a heightened sense of sexual self awareness, says Ian Kerner, a sexuality counselor who blogs about sex for CNN.com's The Chart. Couples gradually develop a keener understanding of what feels good to their partner, he says. Sensate focus is the basis of sex therapy today, said Linda Weiner, a certified sex therapist in St. Louis who spent five months in the Masters and Johnson training program. "It's something she invented based on the relaxation she felt as a child when her mother would trace Virginia's face with her fingers to relax her," Weiner said. The practice helps couples learn "how to relax and deal with anxiety and performance, which they discovered was one of the major factors in sexual problems." Said Kerner: "Their essential work continues to be debated and appreciated and Virginia Johnson's legacy will always remind us of life before the little blue pill -- when couples solved their sexual problems the old-fashioned way: through communication and loving touch." People we've lost in 2013: The lives they lived .

She was part of the groundbreaking team Masters and Johnson . She died Tuesday in St. Louis of natural causes, her son says . The team conducted the first modern research into sexuality .

(CNN) -- The head of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families resigned Tuesday following the deaths of three children the agency was charged with protecting. The resignation of Olga Roche, who has more than three decades in child welfare, comes after state lawmakers and the public called for the embattled commissioner to step down after the deaths of 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver, 4-week-old Aliana Lavigne, and 2-week-old Bailey Irish. "For DCF to move on ... there must be accountability for the tragedies," Gov. Deval Patrick told reporters Tuesday. "That's the only way the agency earns the public's confidence." Patrick, who named Roche acting commissioner in April 2013 and permanently appointed her in October 2013, expressed faith in Roche, but said the controversy over the recent deaths of the two infants and the disappearance of a toddler whose body was later found made it impossible for her to stay. The deaths have sparked outrage. On Monday, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Senate President Therese Murray and Attorney General Martha Coakley all demanded Roche's resignation. "The vast majority of the time, DCF gets it right," Health and Human Services Secretary John Polanowicz told reporters. "Sometimes, no matter how diligent or carefully a family is supervised, a tragedy can happen." Polanowicz said he accepted Roche's resignation "because I believe it is not possible for the agency to move forward in this environment with her at the helm." In a statement, the Massachusetts Human Service Workers Union, SEIU Local 509, said the change at the helm represented a "critical opportunity" to institute reforms and investments in the agency. Members of the union, which represents social workers, investigators, supervisors and more than 17,000 other human service workers and educators throughout the commonwealth, took to the streets last week in a protest demanding the hiring of more social workers. "At DCF, we face a caseload crisis that worsens each day," chapter President Peter MacKinnon said in a statement. "Policy changes and accountability measures are desperately needed. Communication barriers and outdated technology continue to slow our efforts in the field." Erin Deveney, former chief of staff at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, was named interim commissioner. Roche, who did not attend Tuesday's press conference, was not immediately available for comment. Patrick said Roche, despite her experience, "can no longer command the trust of the public or the confidence of her line staff." A day earlier, a visibly angry Patrick described the death of Aliana Lavigne as "intolerable" after learning that social workers misplaced a police officer's faxed complaint about the suspected neglect of the infant, according to CNN affiliate WCVB. Aliana was dead by the time a social worker investigated. "I'm upset as anyone about the loss of these children," Patrick said. "My confidence in the whole organization has been rattled." Police told WCVB that officers filed a written report of suspected abuse or neglect -- known as a 51A -- after a visit to the home of Andrea Lavigne on April 3. But DCF officials said the officers did not follow up with a phone call as required by law. The fax was discovered days later. Police officials insisted officers did what they were supposed to do. Lavigne stopped breathing April 11 while sleeping in her mother's bed, WCVB reported. The case was assigned to a social worker one day before the child's death. Earlier this month, the body of 5-year-old Jeremiah Oliver was found off a highway in central Massachusetts after a seven month search, WCVB reported. His family was under DCF supervision at the time of his disappearance. Authorities said 16-day-old Bailey Irish was brought to the hospital on Saturday morning by her parents, who were under DCF supervision. She was pronounced dead a short time later.

Massachusetts' top child welfare official resigns amid controversy . Olga Roche steps down after deaths of 3 children . Governor Deval Patrick: "There must be accountability for the tragedies"

OXON HILL, Maryland (CNN) -- Crew members of the Maersk Alabama, safely back in the United States after being attacked by pirates last week off Somalia, recounted their ordeal Thursday. Navy personnel recover the lifeboat from which Maersk Alabama Capt. Richard Phillips was rescued Sunday. "They start firing before they climb, with AK-47," crew member Zahid Reza said. "I was scared for my life. I was almost close to that. And they tried to shoot me many times," he said, pointing to his head. "Pointing gun all over. Here, there, in the back." Pirates tried three times to board the U.S.-flagged cargo ship before their fourth attempt was successful, fellow crew member William Rios said, adding that the groups of pirates were different but that he thinks they were working together. Rios said he was working on deck when he was called back to lock down the ship. Then, he said, there were gunshots, and an alarm went off to alert all crew members to wake up and get on deck. "We went to our training," he said, declining to provide details: "If I tell you all what we did, pirates, they would know." Watch the crew praise their captain » . The pirates intended to ask for a $3 million ransom, Reza said. He said he and the ship's chief engineer took one of the pirates hostage. Reza said he persuaded the pirate -- whom he described as a young man, maybe 18 or 19 -- to trust him, pointing out that he is Bangladeshi and the pirate was Somali. "His name is Abdul," Reza said. "I told him, 'Trust me. I am Muslim; you are Muslim.' " He told Abdul he would take him to the engine room to find more crew members. When they got there, the room was dark, he said, and he didn't know the ship's chief engineer was in there. He said the chief engineer jumped the pirate first, then Reza stabbed him with his knife, and the two men tied the pirate's hands and feet. Reza said he intended to kill the youth, but the chief engineer told him, "No, we need him alive." Watch Reza talk about wanting to kill the pirate » . "He was fighting me and chief engineer, to get away from us. A lot of yelling, shouting and screaming." Rios said he went to the lifeboat, where Capt. Richard Phillips was being held, to exchange Abdul for Phillips but was unsuccessful. The captain -- who offered himself as a hostage in exchange for the freedom of his crew -- was rescued by U.S. Navy SEALs on Sunday. The SEALs, on the nearby guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge, fatally shot three pirates and rescued Phillips. A fourth pirate was arrested. "I feel great they got killed," Reza said. "I am happy." He said he was proud of the Navy. Phillips arrived in Mombasa, Kenya, aboard the Bainbridge on Thursday. The crew arrived at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland overnight. Watch crew arrive in U.S. » . Rios said Phillips is "outstanding; he's extraordinary; he's [a] very brave man." Another crew member, John White, said they were "damn lucky to be alive." Rios called for more security in the Gulf of Aden. "Put more military to patrol the waterway for us transporting material back and forth," he said. "... All the countries got to get involved with this." Reza echoed the call. "I think government should get involved," he said. "They should think about our safety, yes. ... This piracy is getting bigger and bigger." CNN's Paul Courson, Virginia Nicolaidis and Dugald McConnell contributed to this report.

NEW: Maersk Alabama crew tell about pirates' takeover of ship . NEW: Crew member says he gained confidence of, tried to kill pirate . NEW: "I feel great they got killed," crew member says of pirates . NEW: Crew calls for international effort to secure shipping lanes .

(CNN) -- Tender, loving vampires? Look elsewhere than FX's "The Strain." The new thriller series, produced by Guillermo del Toro, Carlton Cuse and author Chuck Hogan, wants to make bloodsuckers scary again. "The vampire genre has sort of been overrun by romance," Cuse told reporters on a press call. "We had had our fill of vampires that we're feeling sorry for because they had romantic problems." Instead, "The Strain's" vampires lose their heart, their hair and their genital organs. When these vampires fully transition, there's no mistaking them for the really pale guy in science class. For Cuse, that was the selling point for hopping aboard. "The idea of sort of reimagining the vampires, going back to the roots of what vampires are -- that they are scary, dangerous creatures -- that was something that was incredibly compelling for me; the idea that when you see these things, it's not good." An adaptation of Hogan and del Toro's books, "The Strain," premiering Sunday, July 13, begins with the mysterious deaths of passengers aboard an airplane that lands in New York. All but a few on the flight appear to be dead, and CDC epidemiologist Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll) heads over to investigate with a few colleagues. But the wormy outbreak they're examining is far more ancient and sinister then they realize -- and it isn't long before the horrific outbreak spreads. "I've been obsessed by vampires for a long, long time, since I was a very young kid, and a very strange kid," del Toro said during the press call. "I read about vampire mythology worldwide and I familiarized myself with the Japanese, Filipino, Malaysian and Eastern European variations on the vampire, and many, many others. And I kept very detailed notes as a kid on where to go with the vampire myth in terms of brutality, social structure (and) biology. Some of those notes made it into my first feature, 'Cronos.' Some of them made it in 'Blade II' when I directed that, and most of them made it into 'The Strain.'" In del Toro's world, the undead do not sparkle, do not brood and do not hesitate to take out someone they once loved. In fact, the first thing to go is their heart. "The older that they stay alive, the more they lose their humanity," del Toro explained. "They start literally by losing their heart; their heart is suffocated by a vampire heart that overtakes the functions. This was important metaphorically for me because the beacon that guides these vampires to their victims is love. Love is what makes them seek their victims. They go to the people they love the most. So they turn their instinct that is most innately human into the most inhuman feeding mechanism." With "The Strain" being on FX, hardcore horror fans are likely skeptical that the drama can be as graphic as an R-rated movie would be. Cuse told press that the network gave the producers "the latitude" to tell the story their way -- and critics have taken notice. "'The Strain' is packed with so much macabre imagery and so many clever ideas that it doesn't feel like the resuscitation of a tired genre, but the launch of something new and fun," says HitFix's Alan Sepinwall. Granted, like the show's gross-out billboards, the producers' commitment to "unadulterated" storytelling may not sit well with some viewers. "This is cult-classic, midnight-movie horror, designed in meticulous, mythology-respecting detail for comic-book readers and fangirls and -boys," says Entertainment Weekly. "The show isn't for everyone. But that special someone it is for? She's gonna love it."

FX's new series "The Strain" is a return to scary vampires . Series is produced by Guillermo del Toro, Carlton Cuse and Chuck Hogan . Critics have lauded its debut .

(CNN) -- Pennsylvania parents are suing their son's school, alleging it watched him through his laptop's webcam while he was at home and unaware he was being observed. Michael and Holly Robbins of Penn Valley are suing the Lower Merion School District, its board of directors and the superintendent. The parents allege the district unlawfully used its ability to access a webcam remotely on their son's district-issued laptop computer. The lawsuit seeking class-action status was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The suit said that on November 11, an assistant principal at Harriton High School told the plaintiffs' son that he was caught engaging in "improper behavior" in his home and it was captured in an image via the webcam. According to the Robbinses' complaint, neither they nor their son, Blake, were informed of the school's ability to access the webcam remotely at any time. It is unclear what the boy was doing in his room when the webcam was activated or if any punishment was given out. Doug Young, a spokesman for the Lower Merion School District, said the district would only remotely access a laptop if it were reported to be lost, stolen or missing. Young said if there were such a report, the district first would have to request access from its technology and security department and receive authorization. Then it would use the built-in security feature to take over the laptop and see whatever was in the webcam's field of vision, potentially allowing it to track down the missing computer. Young said parents and students were not explicitly told about this built-in security feature. To receive the laptop, the family had to sign an "acceptable-use" agreement. To take the laptop home, the family also would have to buy insurance for the computer. In an "acceptable-use" agreement, the families are made aware of the school's ability to "monitor" the hardware, he said, but it stops short of explicitly explaining the security feature. He termed that a mistake. Young added that mistakes might be made when combining technology and education in a cutting-edge way. All 2,300 students at the district's two high schools were offered laptops to "enhance opportunities for ongoing collaboration and ensure that all students have 24/7 access to school-based resources," according to a message on the superintendent's Web site, which the suit quoted. Young said the district is proud of the laptop program and the ability to close the technology gap between students who have computers at home and those who don't. But he acknowledged schools will have to take a step back to re-evaluate the policies and procedures surrounding the program. The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania isn't involved in the litigation, but its director, Vic Walczak, criticized the school district's action. "Neither police nor school officials can enter a private home, physically or electronically, without an invitation or a warrant. The school district's clandestine electronic eavesdropping violates constitutional privacy rights, intrudes on parents' right to raise their children and may even be criminal under state and federal wiretapping laws," Walczak said "... George Orwell's '1984' is an overused metaphor, but it applies here in spades. Part of the school officials' punishment should be to retake ninth-grade civics class." Kevin Bankston, a senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation who specializes in electronic privacy, also said the school may have broken federal wire-tapping laws. He called the school district's action "foolish and dangerous," saying the matter could prove to be a warning to other districts. Multiple requests for further comment from the Robbinses' attorney, Mark Haltzman of Lamm Rubenstone LLC, went unanswered.

Pennsylvania parents sue school district, school chief, board over son's laptop . Lawsuit alleges district unlawfully used its ability to access a webcam remotely . Suit: Son accused of engaging in "improper behavior" at home that school-issued webcam captured . District spokesman: School only remotely accesses webcam if laptop reported stolen, lost .

(CNN) -- The mere rumor of a downgrade by the major ratings agencies is enough to send world markets into a tailspin, wiping billions off the values of global stocks. So what do ratings agencies do, and why are they so important? Who are the credit ratings agencies? The "Big Three" are Standard's & Poor's, Moody's Investor Services and Fitch Ratings. All originated in the United States, although Fitch has dual headquarters in New York and London. What do they do? Before you can get a credit card, banks run a credit check on you. Similarly, the ratings agencies run credit checks on companies, countries and financial products. Countries are rated on a sliding scale: Germany for example, has a top rating (AAA) which allows it to borrow cash at cheap interest rates. The lower the rating grade, however, the higher interest payments a nation must pay to attract investors to buy its bonds. Anything that slips to junk status -- as Ireland, Portugal and Greek government bonds are rated -- is considered a "highly speculative" investment. Furthermore, the pool of eligible investors is reduced -- many institutional investors, such as government pension funds, are forbidden to invest in junk-rated bonds. Why do they wield such power? Investors across the world look to credit rating agencies to judge where to place their bets in the market. For governments, the ratings agencies have a lot of power over the popularity of bonds: cash given to governments by investors that, over time, will pay a return on the original investment -- unless the government defaults. What does a debt rating downgrade mean? The decisions of the "Big Three" catalyze market moves in often unpredictable ways, creating a strong ripple effect. In the wake of the Greece downgrade last year, for example, investors across the globe started rethinking investment in other governments' bonds and began selling off more risky investments -- throwing the EU into crisis and depressing the value of the euro. When the U.S. was downgraded from a top rating to a step below best investment grade last August, the market reaction was fierce. At the start of August, the Dow was trading at 12,000; by August 10, days after the downgrade, the Dow dipped below 10,800. There was a similar psychological ripple through the markets after Moody's downgrades of Ireland and Portugal. How are ratings agencies paid? Historically, they were created to give investors an unbiased assessment of investments and investors paid for access to the ratings. In the 1970s, however, credit rating agencies started charging the issuers of new investments fees for ratings. In 1975, U.S. legislators -- fearing a proliferation of unscrupulous ratings agencies -- designated Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch as the only ratings organizations banks and brokers could use to evaluate the credit worthiness of their products. What are the complaints against the firms? Critics complain the agencies have lost their ability to independently judge the risk on certain investments. Credit ratings agencies had a starring role in the financial crisis, after the firms blessed mortgage-backed securities with AAA ratings -- the safest rating possible -- and fed the global mania for these risky investments. Critics also note that the agencies are paid by the very entities they rate, raising questions about their trustworthiness. There are moves afoot in Europe to have more stringent regulation on credit ratings agencies. And the agencies were dealt a blow in a U.S. court last month when a U.S. District Judge James Browning in Albuquerque, New Mexico, rejected "free speech" as an argument in a case against the Big Three credit ratings agencies brought by investors who lost investment in mortgage-backed securities. The ratings agencies often invoke First Amendment right regarding questions about their ratings -- they are simply stating an opinion. It's up to the markets to decide for themselves what to do with that information.

Ratings agency S&P warned in December that 15 eurozone nations may face possible downgrade . The "Big Three" credit ratings agencies catalyzed market reaction during the financial crisis . Critics complain the agencies wield too much unchecked power in world markets .

BRUNSWICK, Georgia (CNN) -- Seven of eight people killed last week in a southeast Georgia mobile home were laid to rest Saturday. The caskets were laid side by side for graveside ceremonies Saturday in Eulonia, Georgia. The funerals at Youngs Island Church in Eulonia, Georgia, were held for Chrissy Toler, 22; Russell D. Toler Sr., 44; Michelle Toler, 15; Michael Toler, 19; Russell D. Toler Jr., 20; Guy Heinze Sr., 45; and Brenda Gail Falagan, 49. The funeral for the eighth victim, Joseph L. West, 30, is to be held at mid-month. Police have arrested Guy Heinze Jr., the son of Guy Heinze Sr., on eight counts of first-degree murder. Seven caskets for the seven victims stood side by side for the burial under sunny skies at a nearby cemetery. More than 200 mourners attended the funeral, including William Heinze, father of one of the victims and grandfather of the man accused of the killings. "I've never seen so much love and support at a funeral," William Heinze told CNN affiliate WJXT. William Heinze also said he doubted that his grandson, Guy Heinze Jr., was responsible for the killings. "We want to know what really happened," he said. "The police may think they know what happened, but we want to really know the truth." Investigators obtained an arrest warrant Friday evening for Guy Heinze Jr., 22, just hours after he had been freed from jail on charges of tampering with evidence and making false statements to a police officer, Police Chief Matt Doering of Glynn County, Georgia said Friday. "I can assure you that this person is responsible," Doering said at a news conference Friday evening. The bodies were discovered a week ago at New Hope Plantation mobile home park, north of the Atlantic coastal city of Brunswick. Seven died in the mobile home, and the eighth died a day later at a hospital. The chief refused to reveal how the victims were killed or the suspected motive. A 3-year-old who was injured was on life support at a Savannah hospital, her grandmother said. A man identified as Guy Heinze Jr. reported the slayings. He told an emergency dispatcher when he called last Saturday, "I was out last night. I got home just now, and everybody's dead. ... My whole family's dead. It looks like they've been beaten to death." Watch report on funerals and arrest from CNN's Sean Callebs » . According to the first arrest warrant, Heinz provided "investigators with false and misleading information about his whereabouts and involvement in the circumstances leading up to him calling 911 to report the deaths of his family members." The arrest warrant also said he removed a shotgun from the residence and hid it in the trunk of his car. The killings have made people in the southeastern Georgia city of more than 16,000 uneasy, a waitress at a restaurant said. "There's still a lot of concern that that many deaths at one time can not have been done by one person," Lucinda Bennett, a waitress at the 4th of May Cafe, said. "There is still a little bit of nervousness in the area over whether they have got everyone that was involved with it." Linda Davis, who works at a barbershop in the city, said everyone is puzzled over the slayings. "You don't go in and kill eight people and nobody hears screams or shots or anything like that with trailers that close together," she said. CNN's Sean Callebs and Lee Garen contributed to this report.

7 of 8 people killed last week in a mobile home were laid to rest Saturday . Other victim will be buried mid-month, and an injured 3-year-old is on life support . Guy Heinze Jr., the son of one of the victims, is charged with murder . Killings have left people in the city of 16,000 uneasy and incredulous .

(CNN) -- The bodies of six men -- including a California educator -- were found Thursday in the north-central Mexican state of Durango, hours after they had been abducted from a nearby restaurant, the man's relatives said Friday. "He was needlessly and senselessly murdered," said Carlos Salcedo, 37, about his brother, Augustin Roberto "Bobby" Salcedo, of El Monte, east of Los Angeles. Bobby Salcedo, 33, had traveled with his wife to visit her family in Gomez Palacio, his brother said. They were eating in a restaurant Wednesday night when armed men barged in, forced everyone onto the floor and abducted all six men who were in the party, Carlos Salcedo told CNN in a telephone interview. At 7 a.m. Thursday, police notified his sister-in-law that they had found her husband's body in a local ravine with bullet wounds to the head and chest, he said. "All indications are that this was just random, a violent act, just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," he told reporters in El Monte. "What we really want to do is just shed a light on this incident and the senseless, violent acts that are happening across the border from us and really just put a spotlight on this and make sure that we find justice." "He was a brilliant, a bright star for our community, and he as taken from us," said El Monte Mayor Andre Quintero of Salcedo, who served on the city school district board. "He was stolen from us and now we need to hold them accountable for what they did." A man who answered the phone at Gomez Palacio's Secretariat of Protection and Roads said no one was available Friday to discuss the matter. Violence in Mexico has been heightened in recent years by drug-related disputes. The country ended 2009 with a record number of drug-related deaths, exceeding the record tally reached in 2008, unofficial counts indicate. The government has not released official figures, but national media say 7,600 Mexicans lost their lives in the war on drugs in 2009. Mexican President Felipe Calderon said earlier this year that 6,500 Mexicans died in drug violence in 2008. The vast majority of the deaths have been among criminals, not civilians, Calderon and other Mexican officials have said repeatedly. Though the family has received no official word about whether the killing was related to drugs, "We imagine it had something to do with it," Salcedo's sister, Griselda, said in a telephone interview. The siblings' father was a Mexican laborer in the 1950s who emigrated to the United States with his wife and made home in East Los Angeles. As their family grew, "education was a number one priority," Carlos Salcedo said. "Every single one of us went to university and graduated -- a bachelor's and four master's." Roberto Salcedo, who was in the middle of his dissertation on educational leadership, took that a step further and was a doctoral candidate at UCLA, served on the El Monte elementary school board and worked as assistant principal at El Monte High School. Carlos Salcedo served on the high school board. When the soccer team of a high school where Roberto Salcedo had worked won a regional championship, "he raised money to get them all championship rings" at $500 apiece for 30 players, Carlos Salcedo said. Among his younger brother's legacy are former students who have gone on to become teachers in the school district, he said. And his focus on education has left an even stronger imprint on at least one former student. "Somebody had posted on his Facebook, 'I'm going to finish my Ph.D. in your honor,' " Salcedo said.

NEW: Body of Augustin Roberto Salcedo found in Durango with bullet wounds to head, chest . Salcedo, 33, was abducted from restaurant with five other men during trip to visit relatives . Brother tells reporters that killing appears to be case of being in wrong place at wrong time .

(CNN) -- There is a growing interest among U.S. foreign policy officials and scholars in deterring Iran; that is, in tolerating a nuclear armed Iran but keeping it at bay by threatening it in kind should it use its nuclear weapons. Although the Obama administration has not embraced this position, some observers believe this is the direction it is headed. One indication comes from Thomas Donilon, the national security adviser. In a speech late last year, he remarked, "We will continue to build a regional defense architecture that prevents Iran from threatening its neighbors. We will continue to deepen Iran's isolation, regionally and globally." And a recent report sponsored by the U.S. Air Force outlines a strategy for deterrence that includes expanding the United States' regional nuclear presence and improving American missile defense capabilities. As one expert puts it, "Deterrence against a nuclear Iran should not be terribly difficult." For deterrence to work, the leaders of the nations that command nuclear arms must be rational. The champions of deterrence claim to demonstrate that Iran's leaders are not insane by showing that they react in sensible ways to changes in the world around them. For instance, after the U.S. military easily wiped out Saddam Hussein's army in Iraq and President George W. Bush told Iran it was on the very short list of members in the "Axis of Evil," Iran made a very conciliatory offer regarding its nuclear program. In short, proponents of deterrence argue that leaders and governments in fact do respond to changes with reason and logic. However, there's another type of decision-making process that sociologists have known about. It's nonrational behavior, such as when people act in response to deeply held beliefs that cannot be proven or disproven. People have long shown they are willing to kill or be killed for their beliefs, and that God commanded them to act in a particular manner. They may respond to facts and pressures, but only as long as those factors affect the ways they implement their beliefs -- but not the beliefs themselves. Thus, a religiously fanatical Iranian leader who believes that God commanded him to wipe out Tel Aviv may calculate whether to use missiles or bombers and in what season to attack, but not whether to heed God's command to destroy the infidels. An example of nonrational thinking is summed up best in these words: "[Iran's] religious zealotry causes it to exaggerate the significance of issues that are, objectively speaking, only tangentially related to its interests. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for instance, has no direct bearing on Iran's security, but much of the regime sees it as fundamental to Iranian interests and even to Iran's identity as a Muslim nation." Even rational heads of states have shown themselves in the past to be fully capable of making gross miscalculations that cost them their lives, regimes and all they were fighting for. Hitler would fall in that category. Similarly, the Japanese, when they attacked Pearl Harbor, believed they would be able at least to drive the United States out of their part of the world. Saddam Hussein believed the United States would not invade Iraq in 2003, but he was dead wrong. History is littered with numerous other, though less grand, miscalculations, from Lord Cardigan's Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War to Pickett's Charge in the American Civil War. In short, it might be possible to deter Iran, but no one can assume that we can safely rely on the rationality of Iran's leaders and their decisions and reactions to the events around them. No one can predict if they will unleash forces on Saudi Arabia or Israel -- perhaps not even the Iranians themselves. Follow CNN Opinion on Twitter . Join the conversation on Facebook . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Amitai Etzioni.

Amitai Etzioni: There is growing interest among U.S. officials, scholars in deterring Iran . For deterrence to work, leaders of nations with nuclear arms must be rational, he says . Etzioni: even rational heads of states have made gross miscalculations . He says no one can assume that we can safely rely on the rationality of Iran's leaders .

(CNN) -- Some tennis players say they look deep into draws. Others claim they simply look at their next opponent. But one thing everyone agrees on is that draws can make all the difference. Take Wimbledon, for example. When organizers went against the world rankings and named Novak Djokovic as the top seed instead of Rafael Nadal, who was pushed down to No. 2, it helped the former. Nadal's early path was filled with hard-hitting, dangerous players and the Spaniard suffered yet another upset at the All England Club, losing to Australia's Nick Kyrgios in the fourth round. Djokovic, meanwhile, had a less bumpy road to the second week and he stepped up his game in the final to top Roger Federer. Federer, of course, wasn't such an easy draw for Djokovic, especially on grass. The two took part in a five-set classic and without an injured Nadal at the U.S. Open, they'll be expected to meet in the final again in New York in a little over two weeks, despite a recent wobble from Djokovic. As the top two seeds, they were placed on opposite sides of the draw Thursday, with Djokovic appearing to land in the more difficult half. He could face 2012 champion Andy Murray or resurgent Rogers Cup winner Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals and either Stan Wawrinka or the big-serving Milos Raonic in the last four. Wawrinka upset Djokovic on the hard courts of the Australian Open in January and stretched Djokovic to five sets at the U.S. Open last year. Djokovic, like Murray, isn't in great form, having slumped at warm-up tournaments. Federer, going for an 18th major, might meet huge servers in the second and third rounds, Sam Groth and Ivo Karlovic, and the highest seed in his quarter is the man who has been compared to the Swiss, Grigor Dimitrov. In his half lie fourth seed David Ferrer -- Federer is 16-0 against the highest-ranked Spaniard at the tournament in Nadal's absence -- and Tomas Berdych. Although Berdych has ousted Federer in two of their last three encounters, one at the U.S. Open in 2012, he enters the event in poor form and confronts feisty Aussie Lleyton Hewitt in the first round. In the women's draw, Ana Ivanovic surfaced in the same quarter as Serena Williams, who is trying to reach a grand slam quarterfinal for the first time this season. Williams crashed out early in Melbourne, Paris and London, but she beat Ivanovic to win the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati last weekend. Also in her half are Wimbledon finalists Petra Kvitova and Eugenie Bouchard. Both have struggled since leaving the grass, yet in Bouchard's case that might be due to injury. Whoever emerges from the fourth quarter will be the favorite to reach the final, and the leading contenders are Simona Halep, Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams. Sharapova trumped Halep in the French Open final and won another bruising contest in Cincinnati last week. Venus Williams is an elder stateswoman at 34 but her first-round foe, Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm, is even older at nearly 44. The last time they met at a major, Venus Williams prevailed 8-6 in the third set at Wimbledon in 2011.

Roger Federer plays his first-round match at the U.S. Open against Marinko Matosevic . World No. 1 Novak Djokovic begins against a young Argentine, Diego Schwartzman . Serena Williams starts against Taylor Townsend and is in Ana Ivanovic's quarter . Wimbledon finalists Petra Kvitova and Eugenie Bouchard could meet in the last eight .

(CNN) -- The world of social media burst with excitement Friday as millions took to Twitter, Facebook and other sites to join a virtual wedding party for Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. At the peak, there were 300 tweets per second using the Royal Wedding hashtag, according to Tweetminster, a news platform which monitors activity on Twitter. As Catherine stepped out of her car for the ceremony, nearly 9.4% of all tweets worldwide mentioned the word "wedding," according to Trendistic, which also monitors Twitter trends. "I wish Kate & Willem the very best in their marriage! :)," Mark Kwakernaak of Rotterdam in the Netherlands posted on Twitter. For Americans, the royal nuptials meant a pre-dawn start to the day. For some, it conjured a bit of nostalgia. "Yes, I set my alarm to wake up early to watch the #RoyalWedding," said Renee Nicole, who tweeted from northern Colorado. "I remember watching Prince Charles & Princess Diana's wedding, with my Mom." Much of the Internet buzz surrounded what gown Catherine would wear down the aisle. "I just can't wait to see the DRESS!" Stephanie Golangelo tweeted from Cleveland. "More than anything, I wanna see Kate's dress!" echoed Mary Pranica of Minneapolis. Celebrities also joined in the online excitement. Victoria Beckham, a guest at the wedding with her footballer husband David, wrote on Twitter Thursday night: "London looks beautiful!!! We are so proud to be British!" "London's looking delightful today! Flags at the ready!" wrote Harry Potter actor Tom Felton. Television personality Joan Rivers joked: "I just read that the Royal Wedding is likely to have 2 billion viewers! Many of them will be air-traffic controllers watching at work." British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver wrote: "Royal wedding day !! national day off!! have a great day today guys, I hope it includes family, friends, bad dancing food and a little drink." Former Spice Girl Mel B -- now living in Los Angeles -- said she was "getting sooo excited about the wedding, up at 5am to comment about it." "Wake up Kath-eters!" comedienne Kathy Griffin wrote. "Wanna hear ur thoughts on all things royal wedding." "Congrats to William and Kate ...and Kate's sister," wrote Justin Bieber, who is currently on tour in Sydney, Australia. The wedding proved to be a bit of downer for those thinking they had a shot at one of the world's most eligible bachelors, while others decided to look at the bright side. "Ladies, CALM DOWN u can still MARRY HARRY :)," Aditya Pratama of Jakarta, Indonesia, said on Twitter. Lauren Demitry of Buffalo, New York, took a similar approach. "That's okay. I rather marry Harry anyways," she said. While the Twitter feed for the royal wedding surged with dozens of comments a minute, not all of them were -- shall we say -- for family reading. "Who gives a damn about the #RoyalWedding seriously?" was a frequently repeated post that can be shared. Many marveled at the universal appeal of the event held at Westminster Abbey. "Even my brother is keeping up with the #RoyalWedding more than me," tweeted Liana Borja of Guam. As the wedding drew near, a "Runaway Bride" theme appeared. In the 1999 movie, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, a woman left a string of fiances at the alter. "Speak now or forever hold your peace... 'Kate, damn it - run!'" Jo Garfein of northern California suggested on Twitter. "Now THAT would make the #RoyalWedding more interesting."

NEW: There were 300 tweets per second using the Royal Wedding hashtag at the peak of the excitement . Tweets chronicle and comment on the royal wedding . Twitter posts marvel at and poke fun of the nuptials . Internet postings come from around the world .

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, expressed regret Monday after more than two dozen civilians were killed in a NATO airstrike. Twenty-seven civilians died and 14 others were wounded in the incident Sunday in the central Daikondi province, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry. Ground forces at the scene found women and children among the casualties, the Afghan government and NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a joint statement. The U.S military told CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr they "accept" the Afghan government's death toll. ISAF said it had ordered an immediate investigation into the incident, while the Afghan cabinet called the attack "unjustifiable." "We are extremely saddened by the tragic loss of innocent lives," said McChrystal, who spoke to President Hamid Karzai Sunday evening to express his sorrow and regret over the incident. "I have made it clear to our forces that we are here to protect the Afghan people, and inadvertently killing or injuring civilians undermines their trust and confidence in our mission. We will re-double our efforts to regain that trust." Commanders ordered the daylight NATO airstrike because they had specific intelligence that a group of Taliban in vehicles was heading towards coalition forces on the ground, according to a senior U.S. military official. "Air assets picked up the movement of the vehicles and after an extensive overhead monitoring, the ground force commander ordered the strike," said the official, who declined to be identified because of ongoing investigations. The source would not discuss what activities the convoy took that led to suspicions it contained insurgents other than its location. The convoy of three vehicles was traveling to Kandahar province when it was struck, said Zemeri Bashary, the spokesman for the interior ministry. NATO confirmed its forces fired on the vehicles, believing that they were carrying insurgents. In a statement published in Pashtun and Dari, the Afghan cabinet said it condemned "the repeated killing of civilians by NATO." An English version of the statement did not include that sentence. Civilian casualties at the hands of U.S. and NATO troops have strained relations between Afghanistan and the United States. In the last two weeks alone, more than 50 Afghan civilians are believed to have been killed in more than half a dozen U.S. and NATO military operations. The coalition is also investigating reports that several Afghan policemen were accidentally killed in an airstrike in eastern Afghanistan on February 18. McChrystal has made avoiding civilian casualties a top priority, and he has apologized to the Afghan government for recent incidents. The numbers have dropped in recent months since McChrystal took over as U.S. commander. The U.S. military official said McChrystal is updating a directive issued to troops last summer aimed at reducing civilian casualties. The official said the intent now is to "make it more precise and understandable by the most junior member of the force." Some forces have complained the directive has led to overly restrictive rules on conducting operations. Meanwhile, an influential Afghan tribal leader was among 14 people killed in a suicide attack on a meeting of tribal elders on Monday in Nangarhar province's Khogyani district, Afghan police said according to Agence France-Presse. Haji Zaman Ghamsharik was credited with bringing relative stability to Nangarhar compared to other provinces in Afghanistan's volatile eastern border region. Elsewhere, an insurgent rocket struck a car in Kapisa province Monday and killed one civilian, officials said. Five others were wounded in the attack. Earlier, Afghan officials had blamed the attack on a NATO ground-to-ground missile but later corrected the account. CNN's Ben Wedeman contributed to this report .

U.S. commander in Afghanistan expresses regret over NATO airstrike . Gen. McChrystal says "extremely saddened by tragic loss of innocent lives" 27 civilians died, 14 wounded in attack, Afghan Interior Ministry says . Afghanistan calls attack "unjustifiable"; ISAF launches investigation .

(CNN) -- Lawyers for George Zimmerman, the Florida man charged with murder in the death of teenager Trayvon Martin, said Monday that they are appealing a judge's decision not to step aside in the controversial case. In a one-sentence order issued August 1, Seminole County Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester said that defense lawyers' July request that he recuse himself was "legally insufficient." The same team announced Monday on a website they've set up that they'd since filed a petition for writ of prohibition asking Florida's fifth district appeals court to try to remove Lester from the case. The office of lawyer Mark O'Mara later confirmed to CNN that the appeal was filed Monday. "Right now, of course, he is still the trial judge on the case, (and) we're still moving forward with whatever we have to do or need to do," O'Mara said of Lester on Monday, according to CNN affiliate WESH. "But the appellate court will handle what's called this extraordinary writ as quickly as they can." Judge in Zimmerman case says he won't step aside . On April 20, weeks after the February 26 shooting and nine days after charges were issued, Lester set a $150,000 bond for Zimmerman. But the judge revoked that bond in June, after learning that Zimmerman and his wife, Shellie, had misrepresented their financial situation during a court hearing, including failing to disclose more than $150,000 in donations from the public. In his order last month, Lester said that the new $1 million bail order was not a punishment but an amount that assured the court that Zimmerman would not abscond. In his ruling, Lester wrote about the first bond hearing and noted an undisclosed second passport kept in Zimmerman's safe deposit box. "Notably, together with the passport, the money only had to be hidden for a short time for him to leave the country if the defendant made a quick decision to flee," the judge said. "It is entirely reasonable for this court to find that, but for the requirement that he be placed on electronic monitoring, the defendant and his wife would have fled the United States with at least $130,000 of other people's money." Lester wrote that the defendant's plans to flee were "thwarted." Days later, the defense team filed a motion in circuit court saying Zimmerman cannot get a fair trial because Lester used "gratuitous, disparaging" language in his second bail order. Florida prosecutors mistakenly release confidential Zimmerman case documents . "Mr. Zimmerman has lost faith in the objectivity of this court and has a reasonable, well-founded fear that he will not receive a fair trial by this court," his lawyers said in the document. Zimmerman's attorneys particularly took issue with two of the judge's comments: "Under any definition, the defendant has flouted the system," citing the definition of flout, and "The defendant has tried to manipulate the system when he has been presented the opportunity to do so." The 28-year-old Zimmerman is free after posting the more recent $1 million bond. He's charged with second-degree murder in the death of Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old black teen who was shot and killed while walking through Zimmerman's Sanford, Florida, neighborhood. Zimmerman says he shot Martin in self-defense during a struggle, but prosecutors say he ignored a 911 dispatcher's advice not to follow the teen. Zimmerman's wife pleads not guilty on perjury charge . CNN's Marylynn Ryan contributed to this report.

George Zimmerman is charged with murder in the death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin . A judge revoked his $150,000 bond after saying Zimmerman and his wife lied about finances . Zimmerman's defense wanted the judge out for his "gratuitous, disparaging" language . The judge denied the defense request that he step down, calling it "legally insufficient"

London (CNN) -- Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger poked fun at the Monty Python stars on Monday ahead of the comedy troupe's reunion concerts this week as "a bunch of wrinkly old men trying to relive their youth and make a load of money." Appearing in a video shown at the Monty Python Live (mostly) news conference at a central London theater, Jagger is asked by his assistant if he wants tickets for the shows. The singer, who is watching the World Cup football on TV with bandmate Charlie Watts, replies: "Who wants to see that again? It was funny in the 60s." He adds: "The best one died years ago. Maybe back in the 70s it was fantastic -- it was the funniest thing. We've seen it all before. I mean they've put it all up on YouTube." Jagger's assistant then runs through the playlist for the next Stones concert: "Start with something everyone knows like 'Let's Spend The Night Together,' then 'Get Off My Cloud,' then hit 'Satisfaction.'" His assistant then suggests: "Dead Parrot Sketch." To which, Jagger replies, straight-faced: "Yeah, 'Dead Parrot Sketch.'" The five surviving members of Monty Python -- Graham Chapman died in 1989 -- will perform together live for the first time since 1980 this week, putting on 10 shows at the O2 arena in southeast London. The first shows sold out in a matter of minutes when they were announced last November, and tickets for extra performances will go on sale on Tuesday morning. The comedians say the extravagantly choreographed performances will be their last. The very last show, on July 20, will be broadcast live in more than 2,000 cinemas around the world, and on TV. At Monday's news conference, however, the stars -- all now in their 70s -- joked that they would reform every 33 years. Python member Eric Idle, who is directing the shows, said they would perform many of of their best-known sketches such as the "Lumberjack Song," "Dead Parrot" and "The "Spanish Inquisition," as well as new material. "Our motto has been 'leave them wanting less,'" he joked. Echoing Jagger's comments in the preceding film clip, Idle agreed there were similarities between pop bands reforming and themselves. "(The fans) want to hear 'Let's Spend The Night Together,'" Idle said. "So it would be folly to try to write better things than our best old work." Michael Palin said the final live shows were taking place in England, "where it started," and is part of "saying goodbye publicly" to fans. Idle added that, the day before the run opens, there was a "weight of expectation" on their shoulders. The Pythons admitted they had reunited mainly for the money, but said they were enjoying working together again. And with "nothing more to be done" to prepare for the shows, the mood now was one of excitement, he added. Idle, Chapman, Palin, Terry Gilliam, John Cleese and Terry Jones became comedic legends with the creation of Monty Python's Flying Circus in October 1969. They produced 45 TV episodes for the BBC and five films together before going their separate ways in 1983. The shows mostly consisted of a string of often incoherent sketches, only occasionally with conventional punchlines and loosely tied together by Gilliam's stream-of-consciousness animations. Although the TV show ran for only four seasons, it proved a massive cult hit when it was shown in the United States beginning in 1974 -- just as the show was winding up on the other side of the Atlantic.

Mick Jagger pokes fun at Monty Python stars before this week's reunion tour begins . Surviving members are performing together live for the first time since 1980 . Python members say they will perform all of the best-known sketches at the O2 .

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- There's a bit of a trend brewing this summer concert season -- put together a couple of big-name acts for a nationwide tour, then record a song together to promote the event. Members of Styx, REO Speedwagon and Journey in 2003. Styx and REO have teamed up for a song and tour. It started with classic rockers REO Speedwagon and Styx, with their "Can't Stop Rockin' " tour and single of the same name. Now Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire are getting on the bandwagon. The two horn-heavy bands have recorded three songs especially for their joint 30-city summer tour. It's part of a charity campaign to benefit food banks across the country -- "Three Songs for Three Cans or Three Dollars." Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire team up on the new song "You." The bands also take a stab at each other's material, with Chicago recording Earth, Wind & Fire's "I Can't Let You Go" and Earth, Wind & Fire covering Chicago's "Wishing You Were Here." "The fact that the artists and bands, in this case, are touring together builds excitement with the possibility of the live performance that is exclusive to the tour," said Bruce Burch of the University of Georgia's Music Business School. It's "sort of a 'once in a lifetime' type of attraction that helps to sell concert tickets, merchandise and, hopefully, CDs and downloads." Concertgoers who contribute three cans of food or donate at least $3 will get a download card to access the tunes. People who don't make the shows will be able to donate online and download the songs at www.ewfandchicago.com. The Web site is expected to launch in early June. "This is a dream come true," said Earth, Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey, who came up with the three-songs promotion. "We want to invite everyone to help us do our small part to help feed America," added Chicago's trumpeter Lee Loughnane. Artists jamming together on stage is nothing new, and occasionally the songs are released as singles -- U2 and B.B. King's "When Love Comes to Town," from the 1988 album and film "Rattle and Hum," for example. Of course, duets promoting two hot artists or bands are hardly new either. Remember Josh Groban and Charlotte Church on "The Prayer" or "Almost Paradise" by Ann Wilson of Heart and Mike Reno of Loverboy from the "Footloose" soundtrack? "Hip-hop artists have been using duets for some time to reach audiences of both artists," Burch said. In some cases, more than two artists collaborate. "Even before that, country artists used this means to reach a larger audience for both artists," he said, noting the collaborations between George Jones and Tammy Wynette, and Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. The new songs for the 2009 tours flip conventional wisdom. For decades, groups have recorded albums, then gone on tour to promote them. Specifically recording songs to promote a tour featuring a pairing of acts is a new idea -- and possibly one whose time has come, given the re-emergence of singles in the digital download age. Of course, it all depends on the success of the song. In the case of REO Speedwagon and Styx, they've scored a hit with their new tune. It's been riding near the top of the classic rock charts -- the biggest original hit by either band in years. "The jam ... is just plain, old-school, rock 'n' roll fun," REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin said on the band's Web site. Should other bands follow suit and score hits, it might prompt other classic pop artists to join forces not only on tour, but in the studio as well.

REO Speedwagon and Styx have combined for hit and tour . Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire recorded three songs for joint tour . Combining forces not new, but way it's being used may be .

(CNN) -- A Dutch entrepreneur is hoping to construct the biggest indoor golf center in the world in the Netherlands which he believes will revolutionize the sport's leisure industry. The vast 18,000 square-meter bubble will house a plethora of golf practice facilities, including chipping greens, bunkers and water hazards. The latest golf simulators will offer the choice of the top golf courses in the world, plus a rooftop 34-bay driving range with the latest high-tech swing analysis. Add in a golf shop of over 1,000 square meters, a fitness and health center and a five-star hotel, restaurants and business conference facilities and the scale of the project becomes clear. The drawback is the €50 million ($66.59 million) price tag and a prominent site big enough to house a complex bigger than a major football stadium in a densely populated country. But Standing, who has patented the term Indoor Golf Arena and hopes to franchise the concept, is unabashed even during a global recession. "Traditional real estate developments and housing offices are suffering and investors are looking for alternatives in leisure which are becoming an increasingly attractive proposition," he told CNN. Standing also believes that the Netherlands, which has 350,000 golfers and an annual growth rate of over 10 per cent, not to mention excellent transport links to other parts of continental Europe, is the ideal location. "This is actually meant to put everything that makes golf a way of life under one roof," he said. He told CNN that two sites near The Hague and Rotterdam had been earmarked for the project and said he hoped to begin building in 2012 with "huge interest" among investors from the Middle East. The ambitious project also has the backing of the PGA of Europe and the Dutch golf federation. It is part of a trend which has seen the sport go inside with simulators enabling golfers of all standards to play the world's classic courses without stepping outside and in all weathers. In South Korea, where courses are at a premium and memberships expensive, the numbers of golf cafes with simulators have grown exponentially while London-based operator Urban Golf told CNN it is expanding fast. Virtual screens replace greens . Marketing director David Richter says they have been successful because changes in lifestyle has put leisure time at a premium. "If you just want to have a quick game with friends you don't have to take a whole day out of your diary, you can do it in an hour," he said. Richter also believes that indoor operators have removed the barriers to playing at a traditional club. "You don't need to be a member or have a handicap certificate to play, there's no stuffy dress code or clubhouse rules." But whatever the advantages of indoor golf, will it replace the real thing ? Andy Calton, the Editor in Chief of Today's Golfer, says that simulators and state-of-the-art indoor centers may indeed replace the traditional driving range, but told CNN there was no substitute for the outdoor experience. "These places may well but the future of golf practice but as for being the future of golf, I'm not convinced," he said. "I still think people want to play on a real course and find their ball in real trees!" he added. Standing hopes his venture will boost golf standards in his native Netherlands with top players having access to the latest practice facilities, but also believes the model of traditional golf club membership is eroding as more and more players turn to a green fee-pay-and-play game. In that context, he believes his venture will flourish and he wants to franchise the idea around the world. "Indoor Golf Arena will be the place to be for every golfer," boasts the mission statement on the project's Web site, only time will tell whether the bubble will float or burst.

Planned indoor golf center in the Netherlands would be the biggest of its kind . The center would boast state-of-the-art facilities but carries a price tag of $66 million . Trends point to growing demand for indoor golf faciliteis or "virtual" golf . Traditionalists say golf will remain a predominantly outdoor game .

(CNN) -- Saudi Arabia on Sunday defended its execution of a Sri Lankan maid for the death of an infant in her care and hit back at international criticism of last week's beheading. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia categorically rejects any interference in its affairs or in the provisions of its judiciary under any justifications," a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency read. Human rights groups and the Sri Lankan government had lobbied for leniency in the case of Rizana Nafeek, who was convicted of killing her employers' son in 2005. The family said she strangled the boy, Kayed bin Nayef bin Jazyan al-Otaibi, after being asked to bottle-feed him, but Nafeek said the infant accidentally choked on milk. Read more: Outrage over beheading of Sri Lankan woman by Saudi Arabia . She was executed Wednesday amid condemnation by human rights groups, the European Union and the United Nations. But in Sunday's statement, the Saudis said complaints about her execution "draw on false information about the case and are issued without full knowledge of the circumstances of the case itself." The Saudi statement denied allegations by Nafeek's advocates that she was a minor at the time of the boy's death. Sri Lanka's government said she was only 17 at the time. But the Saudi statement said her official passport showed she was 21 when the boy died. "As it is universally recognized, the passport is an official document issued by her government," the statement said. "Moreover, the legal regulations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia do not allow the recruitment of minors." Saudi Arabia is a signatory to the international Convention on the Rights of the Child, which bars the execution of offenders who were under 18 at the time of their crime. The Saudis said Nafeek had "all rights to have a legal defense," with the Sri Lankan government monitoring the case. And it said Saudi officials "at the highest levels" urged the infant's family members to agree to clemency or a payment of "blood money" in exchange for sparing Nafeek's life, but they refused. Opinion: Saudi execution: Brutal, inhuman and illegal? Nafeek was put to death Wednesday in Dawadmi, a small, dusty town about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Riyadh. Sri Lanka has withdrawn its ambassador to Saudi Arabia in response to the execution, which Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa had twice asked Saudi King Abdullah to stop. "We pointed out to Saudi officials that Rizana came to their country as a housemaid. She was not competent or trained to look after a baby, which she had been assigned to her by her employer," External Affairs Secretary Karunatilaka Amunugama said in a statement released Friday. Human rights groups said Nafeek did not have access to a lawyer during her pretrial interrogation, during which she said she was assaulted and forced to sign a confession under duress. Philip Luther, director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa program, said last week that the case shows the Saudis are "woefully out of step ... with their international obligations regarding the use of the death penalty." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was "dismayed" by the execution, the United Nations said last week. Amnesty says Saudi Arabia executed at least 79 people in 2012. Of those, 27 were non-Saudis -- and most of the foreigners executed in recent years were migrant workers from developing countries, the group said. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz and Jethro Mullen contributed to this report.

Saudi Arabia says Rizana Nafeek had "all rights" before her beheading last week . The Sri Lankan maid was put to death for the 2005 killing of her employers' infant . The Saudis say she was 21 at the time; Sri Lanka says she was 17 . The kingdom "categorically rejects any interference in its affairs," a statement says .

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Famed for keeping people slim, healthy and living longer, the Mediterranean diet has followers all over the world. Cultural treat? Moves are underway to get the Mediterranean diet on UNESCO's world heritage list. However, the diet is being increasingly shunned by people who live in the Med as the convenience of fast food gains popularity. The renowned low-fat, high-fiber diet has "decayed into a moribund state" in its traditional regions, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). So sharp is the decline that governments from the region are scrambling to protect their traditional fare from becoming an "endangered" species. Populations surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, such as Greece, Spain and Italy, tend to eat these foods, and governments there have joined forces to apply for their diet to be placed on the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Heritage list. Those lobbying for UNESCO protection have argued that its inclusion would ''fend off the watered-down clones assailing its integrity worldwide in this age of killer fast food.'' The UNESCO list is famous for including historic and cultural sites but in recent years the UN body has opened its register to include ''intangible heritage," such as endangered languages or vanishing traditions. "The Mediterranean diet is a heritage that should be protected and shared," Paolo de Castro, a former Italian Agriculture minister, said earlier this year. "Science has long recognized the unusual health properties of the diet, which has strengthened and accompanied the common cultural identity of Mediterranean countries," he said, according to Italian news agency ANSA. "The diet is an integral part of the historical and cultural identity of the Mediterranean, and an opportunity for growth for the countries in the area." Originally considered the diet of the poor, who didn't have much money to buy meat, the "Mediterranean diet" is rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, cereals, whole grains, fish and olive oil. Numerous studies have associated it with long life-spans and low rates of cancer, heart disease and other ailments. See a comparison of the old and new diets in Mediterranean countries » . However, some fear that it has become supplanted by supermarket ready-made foods and fast food as people have become more cash-rich and time-poor. "The European diet has become too fat, too salty and too sweet," senior FAO economist Josef Schmidhuber concluded in the group's report on the European Union diet. The FAO's 2008 report ranks Spain as the country with the biggest leap in fat consumption in Europe -- from 25 percent of the diet 40 years ago to 40 percent now. EU and Mediterranean countries with the worst dietary changes are Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Malta, where calorie intake has increased by 30 percent in the last few decades. Three-quarters of the population of Greece is overweight or obese, while in Spain and Italy the number is more than 50 percent. In the U.S., 66 percent of the population fits into this category. Alarmed by the growing health problems associated with obesity, Spain's Health Ministry has launched a series of initiatives to combat obesity. In 2007, it ordered fast-food chain Burger King to remove ads for its Big King XXL, which contains 1,000 calories, and which were aimed at teenagers and young people. A 2001 report by Foodservice Intelligence, a London-based market research firm, found that traditional-style restaurants in Italy and Spain were outnumbered two-to-one by their fast-food counterparts. UNESCO will decide whether to include the Mediterranean diet in its Heritage list late next year. Until then, Spain and other countries in the region undoubtedly will hope they can retain their reputation as a rewarding destination for the gourmet traveler.

Mediterranean diet has declined into a "moribund state" according to the U.N. Fat consumption has increased markedly in Mediterranean countries . Italy, Spain, Greece and Morocco want Med diet to gain UNESCO status .

(CNN) -- When Angelina Jolie revealed she'd had a double mastectomy, she probably had a pretty good idea that her bravery would empower other women to tell their breast cancer stories. What she didn't know was that one of these women co-anchors a national morning news show. On May 14, when Zoraida Sambolin walked into work and heard Jolie's news, she realized this was the right time to tell viewers that five weeks before, she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer and had decided to have a double mastectomy. "Angelina Jolie chose to bear her soul in writing and I chose to follow her lead in front of all our viewers Tuesday," she later wrote in an article on CNN.com. "I am not yet on the other side, but judging by all the e-mails I've received from survivors, I am headed to a place that is stronger, wiser and definitely more empowered." Sambolin, co-host of CNN's "Early Start," is grateful for all the love and support she's received from CNN's viewers and readers. Many asked questions about their own health or the health of someone they love. Sambolin asked me to help answer these questions. I'm worried I might have breast cancer. What are the signs? Breastcancer.org, the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the Mayo Clinic explain the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Angelina Jolie got a test to see if she carried a faulty breast cancer gene. Should I get that test? Read this Empowered Patient column and this CNN article by Dr. Susan Domchek to help you decide. CNN's iReporters have weighed in with their own decisions about breast cancer genetic testing, and this CNNMoney article discusses whether your insurance will cover genetic testing. Like Angelina Jolie, I carry a faulty gene for breast cancer. Should I also get a double mastectomy? Dr. Aaron Carroll writes on CNN.com about the risks and benefits of Jolie's choice. For another woman's perspective, read Allison Gilbert's moving article on CNN.com. My doctor thinks I might have breast cancer. What tests will she use to find out? Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Cancer Society explain the tests doctors use to diagnose breast cancer. I've had a biopsy and read my pathology report, but I don't understand it. Can you help? Breastcancer.org breaks down the information in a pathology report. I was just diagnosed with breast cancer. What's my next step? My Breast Cancer Coach and Susan G. Komen can walk you through this new world you've entered. I thought breast cancer was breast cancer. Now I'm learning I have a certain type of breast cancer. Help -- I'm confused. The Mayo Clinic explains the different types of breast cancer. Sambolin has breast cancer and decided to get a double mastectomy. Actress Christina Applegate made that same choice. I have breast cancer -- should I get a mastectomy? There are a lot of treatment options for breast cancer, and it's not always easy to decide which is best for you. Komen, the American Cancer Society, and the National Breast Cancer Foundation all have treatment guides. If I get a mastectomy, how will surgeons give me new breasts? This CNN.com article explains breast cancer reconstruction options. Should I get involved in a breast cancer study? The American Cancer Society has some guidance. My cancer isn't going away. What should I do? The American Cancer Society has this advice for what to do if breast cancer doesn't go away or if it returns. I'd like to connect with other women with breast cancer. Where can I find them? There are many forums and online communities for women who have breast cancer, such as Previvors and Survivors, the Association of Cancer Online Resources, and Breastcancer.org.

Angelina Jolie revealed this week she's had a double mastectomy . CNN anchor Zoraida Sambolin also revealed she has breast cancer . Sambolin has been asked questions by CNN viewers about breast cancer .

(CNN) -- Lessons learned from previous successful airliner ditchings helped pilot C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger save 155 lives when he put his US Airways A320 jetliner down in the Hudson River, a fellow pilot told CNN. An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 is seen just before it crashes into the sea off the Comoro Islands in 1996. Twenty-three people died when an Overseas National Airways DC-9 ditched off the Caribbean island of St. Croix in 1970, and 123 were killed in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 off the Comoro Islands near Africa in 1996. But Emilio Corsetti, an Airbus 320 pilot and aviation author, said those ditchings were actually successful "because people were able to get out" -- 40 in the 1970 crash and 52 in the 1996 incident. More may have survived if those planes were equipped like the Airbus 320 and if passengers followed standard evacuation procedures, Corsetti told CNN. Watch how to survive a plane crash » . In fact, Corsetti said, the 1970 crash helped lead to a redesign of seat belts. The belts aboard the DC-9 were "metal-to-fabric," Corsetti said, depending upon tension to keep passengers strapped in their seats. "Those things gave out... People were thrown out of their seats 10 rows up," said Corsetti, who has written a book, "35 Miles from Shore," about the 1970 crash. On the Hudson River on Thursday, the impact was like "being inside a car that crashes," passenger Alberto Panero said. Corsetti also said that the DC-9 didn't have life raft capacity for all those aboard. Unlike the A320's escape slides, which helped dozens of passengers get out, the DC-9s rafts could hold only three or four. In the 1996 crash, the Ethiopian Airlines 767 was attempting a water landing off the Grand Comoro Island during a hijacking. The plane had run out of fuel. While it is uncertain whether there was a struggle in the cockpit, video shows the 767 nearing the ocean's surface. As it does, the plane's left engine hits a reef, Corsetti said, sending it into a cartwheel. He said the majority of the 123 who died drowned. They had put on life vests and inflated them before they could get out of the splintered fuselage, he said, and were trapped against the bulkheads as water filled the wreckage. Sullenberger had other advantages, too, Corsetti said. Putting the jetliner down into the placid Hudson River probably helped him keep the plane level. The DC-9 pilot faced 8- to 15-foot seas in the 1970 ditching and the Ethiopian jet was dealing with offshore waves. Watch a pilot describe how plane went down » . The A320 also is equipped with a ditching button, Corsetti said, which closes all valves below the waterline, enabling it to float more easily. No matter the lessons learned from the earlier crashes, US Airways passengers were happy Sullenberger was in the cockpit Thursday. "He's the man! He's absolutely the man!" passenger Vince Spera said. "If you want to talk to a hero, get a hold of him because that is the hero in this whole deal." CNN's Wayne Drash contributed to this report.

Lessons from 1970 DC-9 ditching into Caribbean, 1996 crash off Comoro Islands . DC-9 seat belt failure lead to new design; jet didn't have enough life rafts . Passengers in 1996 crash inflated vests before getting out, were trapped . A320s have a "ditching button" to close valves, allowing jet to float longer .

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The case of Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" on national television -- and subsequent fines against CBS -- will be re-examined at the order of the Supreme Court. Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson perform at the Super Bowl just before the infamous "wardrobe malfunction." The justices Monday sent the case back to a federal appeals court in Philadelphia that had thrown out a $550,000 government fine against the broadcast network and its affiliates for airing the incident during halftime of the 2004 Super Bowl. The pop singer's breast was briefly exposed during a performance with singer Justin Timberlake. After viewer complaints and national media attention, the Federal Communications Commission said the Jackson incident was obscene. In addition to CBS Inc., 20 of its affiliates also were fined. Congress quickly reacted at the time to the visual shocker by increasing the limit on indecency fines tenfold, up to $325,000 per violation per network. And it said each local affiliate that aired such incidents also could be punished by the same amount. But the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded the communications commission had acted "arbitrarily and capriciously." The Supreme Court's action marks the second time in recent days that it has dealt with cases involving broadcast standards. Last week, the justices narrowly upheld the authority of the Federal Communications Commission to punish networks for airing profanity. The government clampdown on obscene images and words began in 2003. Enforcement of the law, as well as fines and sanctions for the incidents, have been put on hold while the cases are being argued. The television networks say their scripted shows no longer air nudity, racy images or expletives, even after 10 p.m., when some potentially vulgar words are permitted. They worry, however, about unplanned, often spontaneous indecent or profane incident at live events, such as awards shows and sporting events. Company officials say such programs are often on a five-second delay, and censors are on hand to bleep any offensive language. But some indecent words can slip through, they admit, and they want to be protected from heavy government fines. Critics call that laughable. "This past summer, CBS edited into a show that had to go through multiple reviews, by multiple people in the organization, the F-word," said Tim Winter, who heads the Parents Television Council, and is supporting the FCC's efforts. His group advocates "responsible" programming, and warns parents about questionable program content. The show in question was "Big Brother 10," a taped series. The Jackson incident was not on a five-second delay. CBS issued a statement Monday afternoon it is confident that the appeals court "will again recognize that the Super Bowl incident, while inappropriate and regrettable, was not and could not have been anticipated by CBS." The issue is an important one "for the entire broadcasting industry," it said, "because it recognizes that there are rare instances, particularly during live programming, when despite best efforts it may not be possible to block unfortunate fleeting material." In the case involving profane language, the high court concluded 5-4 that the communications commission has the authority to sanction broadcast TV networks that air isolated incidents of profanity, known as "fleeting expletives." But the justices in that case refused to decide whether the commission's policy violates the First Amendment guarantee of free speech. It ruled only on their enforcement power. The justices ordered the free-speech aspect to be reviewed again by a federal appeals court. The "wardrobe malfunction" case is FCC v. CBS Corp. (08-653).

U.S. Supreme Court has asked that "wardrobe malfunction" case be re-examined . Janet Jackson inadvertently flashed breast during Super Bowl halftime show in 2004 . CBS and several affiliates were fined; appeals court disagreed with decision . Networks have clamped down on nudity, language; still worry some slips through .

(CNN)The list of canceled Bill Cosby shows has grown this month. Four shows the comedian had scheduled for February have been canceled: February 8 in Boston, February 21 in Pittsburgh and February 22 in Charlotte, North Carolina. No reasons were given for the Pittsburgh and Charlotte cancellations. Cosby said weather concerns led to the Boston cancellation, but the date has not been rescheduled. A fourth show, scheduled for Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson, Mississippi, on Thursday, has been "postponed," Shelia Byrd of the Jackson Mayor's Office told CNN. Gary Bongiovanni, editor-in-chief of Pollstar -- the concert tour publication -- says it's been challenging to keep track. "It seems like they're falling like dominoes, one at a time," he said. "The whole thing has gotten a lot shorter than it was." The concert cancellations are the latest complications for Cosby, who has been the subject of numerous sexual abuse allegations. The current tour, which began last fall, has felt reverberations from the allegations. Twenty-four women have spoken with CNN, have asserted their allegations on camera or in published accounts, or have been the subject of responses from Cosby's attorneys. CNN has not been able to independently confirm Cosby's accusers' allegations. While his attorneys denied the initial accusations, they haven't responded to more recent allegations, including the two newest ones in February. No charges have been filed against Cosby. Nevertheless, some venues have canceled Cosby's shows, including halls in Houston; Las Vegas; Tucson, Arizona; Yakima, Washington; Tarrytown, New York; and Durant, Oklahoma. Reasons have been terse: The Las Vegas show was canceled "by mutual agreement," a representative said at the time, and Tarrytown said it had canceled two shows in consultation with the shows' promoter, according to a note from the venue. "It's a dance that the promoter does with the venue and with Cosby himself," Bongiovanni said of the considerations that go into cancellation decisions. There might be contractual obligations, deposits and even -- given the demonstrators who have shown up at some venues -- concerns about public safety, he says. Cosby's Denver show draws protests . For example, at Cosby's London, Ontario, show, about 100 people came to protest the comedian. "Why would you want to pay to see a rapist?" demonstrator Milena LeDuc asked. Cosby was also heckled at two Canadian shows. However, though not selling out the halls, Cosby has received plenty of support as well. The London venue was about half-full, but the audience was said to be generally appreciative. "I don't believe he's been charged with anything, and at least in this country, you're innocent until proven guilty," Bruce Maslen said, adding that the protesters and hecklers didn't spoil a thing. At his November show in Melbourne, Florida, Cosby received a standing ovation. Bongiovanni observes that, despite the bad publicity, Cosby's tour has been fairly successful. For the calendar year of 2014 -- which includes several months before the accusations went viral -- Pollstar's numbers show that Cosby's tour had $10.8 million in ticket sales over 101 shows. His ticket sales averaged about 2,200 per venue at about $57 each. In other words, not bad. "His shows were selling OK. He's making great money at that sale level," Bongiovanni said. Cosby's website, billcosby.com, no longer lists tour stops, though a list can be found elsewhere on the Internet (including on Pollstar's website). The next scheduled concert is February 27 at Lafayette, Louisiana's, Heymann Performing Arts Center. CNN's Paula Newton contributed to this story.

Three Bill Cosby shows canceled in February, another postponed . Cosby has been on tour since late fall . Cosby has denied or declined to address numerous allegations .

Bamako, Mali (CNN) -- Dioncounda Traore, Mali's interim president, was beaten and rushed to a hospital after hundreds of protesters demanding his resignation stormed the presidential palace Monday. Traore was assaulted and hit over the head when protesters found him inside the palace. The president was later taken to the hospital where he was treated for a wound to his head, hospital staff said. "There were three dead and some injured by gunshot when [Traore's] security shot at people," said Bakary Mariko, a spokesman for the National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy, a group of military officers who mounted a coup in March. April: Traore sworn in as interim president . Protests were expected after the Economic Community of West African States, which has tried to broker a return to civilian rule after the coup, agreed to let Traore remain in charge for a year to oversee the transition. And ECOWAS has warned that followers of Capt. Amadou Sanogo, who led the revolt that deposed President Amadou Toumani Toure, were threatening to derail the agreement. Traore's term as interim president had been set to expire on Tuesday. Groups denouncing him gathered Monday morning in the Place de l'Independence, in the center of Mali's capital, Bamako. Security Clearance: Disaster looms for people of Mali . Traore "is not staying as president of Mali," said Youssouf Kone, the leader of several groups demanding the interim president's resignation. "We will stay until Traore agrees to step down," he added. "We're going to make this the Tahrir Square," referencing the 2011 protests in Egypt. Just before 11 a.m. (7 a.m. ET), a group of protesters parted and moved up the hill in direction of the presidential palace. "We don't want Dioncounda" and "Down with ECOWAS," chanted a couple in the crowd, which remained peaceful at that point. When it reached the palace gates, the spontaneous march had gathered a couple of hundred supporters, some of them shouting slogans in support of the coup leader, Sanogo. According to witnesses, soldiers stood by as the crowd entered the building while others climbed over armored vehicles parked nearby. Some protesters were seen parking motorbikes and bicycles inside the palace. In other parts of town, protesters burned tires and put up posters saying the country will never heal with Traore in power. The group closed of one of the city's bridges, causing the traffic to stand still all over Bamako. The protests reflect longstanding frustrations with Mali's political class. Several of the protesters expressed discontent with Traore, a former labor activist who was the country's parliament speaker before his appointment as interim president in April. "Traore is part the same self-serving political elite that has misruled the country for years," Fadima Sy, one of the protesters in Place de l'Independence, said. Interim Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra went on state television Monday evening to denounce the attack and appealed to local politicians and organizations to stop encouraging the youth to march. Mali had been hailed as a shining example of African democracy before the coup, having experienced more than 20 years of democratic government. Sanogo and his fellow officers ousted Toure on March 22, complaining that he had failed to properly equip soldiers battling a growing insurgency by Tuareg rebels in the country's north. While ECOWAS and other countries pressured Sanogo to relinquish power, Tuareg fighters and Islamic rebels swiftly advanced and now claim control of much of northern Mali.

Demonstrators storm Mali's presidential palace on Monday . Interim President Dioncounda Traore is beaten and taken to a hospital . A spokesman for rebel military officer says 3 people were killed by Traore's bodyguards . Traore was picked to lead an interim government after a March coup .

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Attackers launched assaults across Iraq over the past 24 hours, killing 11 police recruits and six civilians, including a 7-year-old. Iraqi and U.S. troops conduct a joint patrol Monday in the northern city of Mosul during a push against insurgents. Also, the U.S. military said it killed an al Qaeda in Iraq leader in northern Iraq. The violence erupted as a peace agreement was taking hold in Baghdad's Sadr City, for weeks the scene of battles between Iraqi security forces and Shiite militias. A suicide bomber exploded his vest outside the house of an Awakening Council leader, Sheikh Mutleb al-Nadawi, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Baquba in Diyala province, the military command in Diyala said. Al-Nadawi was in the house and escaped injury, but a 7-year-old was killed and two of al-Nadawi's bodyguards were wounded. Awakening Councils are the U.S.-backed Sunni groups that oppose al Qaeda in Iraq. A mortar round landed on a busy outdoor market in Balad Ruz, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Baquba. Three civilians were killed, and nine were wounded. A bomb exploded Tuesday inside a minibus in southeastern Baghdad's Rustumiya district, killing two passengers and wounding five, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said. Insurgents also attacked a minibus filled with police recruits Monday in Baaj, a Nineveh province town near the Syrian border, killing 11 people, according to Mosul police. Iraqi security forces arrested 15 people in connection with the attack. Backed by U.S. soldiers, Iraqi forces have been conducting an offensive against al Qaeda in Iraq in Mosul and the rest of Nineveh province. American-led coalition troops killed a senior al Qaeda in Iraq leader east of Samarra in northern Iraq on Tuesday, the U.S. military said. Meanwhile, the agreement forged to end the weeks of fighting in the capital's Sadr City is taking hold, government officials and witnesses said. Thousands of soldiers and police officers have moved deep inside the restive neighborhood without resistance from Shiite militia members who have been fighting Iraqi and U.S. troops. The troops have been clearing mines and soon will begin the process of confiscating weapons, officials said. No violence has been reported in the area since Monday. Much of the earlier fighting involved the Mehdi Army militia of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and security forces dominated by a rival political party, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq. The latter is the leading party in the government's United Iraqi Alliance bloc. The agreement, hammered out between the United Iraqi Alliance and the Sadrists, is intended to clear the neighborhood of weaponry and outlaws and restore stability to the area. Tahseen al-Sheikhly, civilian spokesman for Baghdad's security plan, said there has been great cooperation among residents, Sadrist supporters and government forces. Gen. Qassim Atta, the military spokesman of Baghdad's security plan, said Tuesday that checkpoints and patrols have been established and coalition forces are ready to help Iraqi troops, but they have not entered Sadr City. Elsewhere in Baghdad, the trial of Saddam Hussein-era officials Tariq Aziz, Ali Hassan al-Majeed -- also known as Chemical Ali -- and six others resumed Tuesday. They are facing charges in connection with the executions of 42 Iraqi merchants in 1992. CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

Attack on Awakening Council official leaves 7-year-old dead . Al Qaeda in Iraq leader is killed, U.S. military says . Minibuses attacked in Baghdad, Nineveh province . Trial of Saddam Hussein-era officials resumes .

(CNN) -- The French Navy said they seized 11 pirates Sunday after they apparently mistook a French military vessel for a commercial ship and made a run at it. A French navy sailor speaks to one of 11 pirates on board the French warship the Nivose after their capture. Two pirate assault boats approached the Nivose "at great speed," Capt. Christophe Prazuck said, but a French helicopter intervened before the attackers had time to fire at the French navy ship. The helicopter fired warning shots, he said. The pirates, who had a mother ship as well as the two assault boats, are being held for questioning on the Nivose, Prazuck said. The vessels were carrying AK-47 rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, but the pirates did not fire, he said. The incident took place about 1,000 km (620 miles) east of Mombasa, Kenya, at 8:30 a.m. local time (0430 GMT) he added. In the past three weeks, the Nivose has intercepted 24 suspected pirates as part of a European Union anti-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia, which has become a piracy hotspot. Over the past year, more than 100 suspected pirates have been picked up, Prazuck said. Of that total, 27 have been released, and more than 70 taken to jail in France, handed to authorities in Somalia or taken to Kenya under an EU agreement with the government in Nairobi. The Nivose seized three other suspected pirates Thursday morning, the French military spokesman said, but released them the next day for lack of evidence. But a day later, the Seychelles coast guard picked up the same three men. They claimed they were fishermen, but had no license to fish in the Seychelles exclusive economic zone, Prazuck said. Pirates seized a ship that was carrying wheat and used vehicles to Mogadishu, Somalia, on Saturday, according to NATO, which also patrols the area. The ship, the Almezaan, now appears to be heading for a Somali village called Harradera, known as a pirate base, Cmdr. Chris Davies told CNN. The ship did not send a distress signal until 4 a.m. Sunday, 18 hours after it was hijacked in the Indian Ocean, he said. No NATO ships were in the area at the time, he added. The Panamanian-flagged ship had a crew of 18 Indians as of April 2008, the last listing for it on the Web site of the International Transport Workers' Federation. Pirates also hijacked a British-owned bulk carrier in the Indian Ocean. The MV Ariana was carrying 35,000 tons of soya about 250 nautical miles (287 miles) northwest of the Seychelles when it was seized around dawn. The crew members are Ukrainians and they are not believed to be harmed, NATO said. It is unclear how many crew members were aboard the vessel and how it came to be attacked. NATO said it was unaware of ransom demands or any threats against those aboard. NATO said a European Union Protection Aircraft has been deployed to monitor and track the MV Ariana, which is making its way toward Somalia -- the epicenter of the pirate industry. Piracy has been soaring off the coast of eastern Africa -- particularly Somalia, which has not had an effective government since 1991. Somali pirates have defied foreign navies patrolling the waters and have collected large ransoms from shipping companies. Ransoms started out in the tens of thousands of dollars and have since climbed into the millions. Journalist Ashleigh Nghiem contributed to this report.

French navy seizes 11 pirates after they threaten navy vessel . In past three weeks, the Nivose has intercepted 24 suspected pirates . Piracy is a major problem in the waters off Somalia . Somalia has not had a stable government in place since 1991 .

(CNN) -- An e-mail exchange released by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's office on Tuesday has revealed a series of potential Republican concessions to a three-week standoff over a budget bill that would restrict the collective bargaining rights of most public workers. The e-mails show a discussion between Walker's deputy chief of staff, Eric Schutt, and Democratic state Sens. Tim Cullen and Bob Jauch in a correspondence that reveals offers and counter-offers between two sides who have remained at an impasse since mid-February. Walker's initial proposal -- which passed the state's assembly on Friday and would exclude police and firefighters -- requires public workers to contribute more to their pension and health care plans, while prohibiting collection of union dues. It would also restrict the collective bargaining power of public-sector unions to be limited to wages, and would be capped to the rate of inflation. Pay raises beyond the inflation index would require a voter referendum. The original bill would also restrict contracts and would mandate annual votes for unions to keep their certification. But in this latest e-mail exchange, dated Sunday, March 6, Walker appears willing to take steps that would curtail the proposal. According to the e-mail, the changes would: . -- Allow unions to bargain for wages beyond inflation rates, without a mandatory voter referendum. -- Permit collective bargaining on certain economic issues, including mandatory overtime, performance bonuses, hazardous duty pay, calendar and classroom size, as well as certification or license payment. Unions and public employers would be required to define the parameters of the negotiations in each case. -- Allow public workers at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Authority to keep their collective bargaining rights. -- Permit public workers to collectively bargain workplace safety issues, while restricting workers from negotiating hours, overtime, sick or family leave, work breaks and vacation. -- Limit collective bargaining agreements to one or two years. -- Require unions to register less than one year after the bill is signed into law, and compel their registration every three years to stay active. The original measure would mandate annual certification. The modifications do not address Walker prohibiting unions from collecting dues, often considered a sticking point in negotiations. Later Tuesday evening, Democratic lawmakers offered an "alternative adjustment bill" in an open letter to Walker and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, identifying three areas where the Wisconsin state budget is facing shortfalls: medical assistance, public defender, private bar and the Department of Corrections. "Recent reports made it clear that Wisconsin is not 'broke,' as you claim," the statement said, referencing Walker's earlier speeches. The Democratic proposal requires "the same level of contributions for pension and health care that Gov. Walker proposed" and would "maintain provisions to restructure Wisconsin's debt, freeing $165 million to be used to cover shortfalls in the current biennium," according to the statement. The statement did not offer specifics in covering the shortfalls. On Monday, Walker dismissed as "ridiculous" a letter from a Democratic state Senate leader, who suggested meeting near the Wisconsin-Illinois border to discuss the budget impasse. Fourteen Democratic senators left Wisconsin for Illinois on February 17 to prevent a vote on a budget bill that ignited fierce opposition from labor leaders and their supporters. Last week, the Senate's Republican majority approved a resolution charging their Democratic colleagues $100 fines daily until they return. On Friday, Walker's office issued notices to unions, warning them of possible layoffs in early April if the budget battle continues. Wisconsin is confronted with a looming $137 million shortfall at the end of the fiscal year, June 30, and faces a $3.6 billion budget gap by 2013. CNN's Ed Lavandera contributed to this report .

E-mail exchange released by governor's office reveal a series of potential concessions . Walker's deputy and Democratic state senators discussed possibilities . Democrats issue "alternative adjustment" in open letter . Wisconsin is confronted with a looming $137 million shortfall at the end of the fiscal year .

(CNN) -- Perhaps the blog VentureBeat put it best: "Twitter appears to have a problem sharing friends." Twitter on Wednesday pulled access to a friend-finding feature that let Tumblr users search for contacts on Twitter who also use that blogging platform, Tumblr said in a statement. Tumblr users still can find friends using Facebook and Google. It's just the latest news in the saga concerning what critics say is Twitter's inability to play nice with its friends on the Internet. The social platform, once known for its openness, has been putting up walls around its service to make it more difficult for other sites and apps to access its data. Twitter largely has been mum on its motives for these changes, but some people have defended the company, saying it has to take control of its data to turn a profit. Twitter founders unveil new blogging tool . "I don't think people understand that Twitter is a start-up that has to make money, not a non-profit-up," New York Times writer Nick Bilton said on Twitter. Tumblr is not happy about the most recent change. "To our dismay, Twitter has restricted our users' ability to 'Find Twitter Friends' on Tumblr," a spokeswoman said in a statement. "Given our history of embracing their platform, this is especially upsetting. "Our syndication feature is responsible for hundreds of millions of tweets, and we eagerly enabled Twitter Cards across 70 million blogs and 30 billion posts as one of Twitter's first partners. While we're delighted by the response to our integrations with Facebook and Gmail, we are truly disappointed by Twitter's decision." In July, Twitter revoked friend-finding access to the photo-sharing app Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. And it restricted the professional network LinkedIn, too. "Consistent with Twitter's evolving platform efforts, Tweets will no longer be displayed on LinkedIn starting later today," LinkedIn wrote in June blog post. "We know many of you value Twitter as an additional way to broadcast professional content beyond your LinkedIn connections. Moving forward, you will still be able to share your updates with your Twitter audience by posting them on LinkedIn." Twitter also announced changes last week to some of the rules governing the way it shares data about its users with other sites. They go into effect in six months. The company, which acquired Tumblr's competitor, Posterous, in March, issued the following statement to CNN via e-mail: "Some folks covering this have pointed to our comment from the Instagram situation. ('We understand that there's great value associated with Twitter's follow graph data, and we can confirm that it is no longer available within Instagram.') We don't have anything to share beyond that." What's next for the Rich Kids of Instagram? Twitter's recent moves have been met with considerable criticism. "This reeks of grade-school drama," Jennifer Van Grove of VentureBeat wrote in reference to the Tumblr friend-finder change. "It's the second instance of Twitter acting like a bully and refusing to share its friends on the social networking playground." Matt Buchanan, the BuzzFeed writer who predicted that Twitter would block Tumblr's friend-find feature, writes that all of these changes are confusing for developers of Twitter apps. Twitter increasingly sees these apps as competition, he writes. "It's easy enough to say that the One Rule to Rule Them All is, 'Don't compete with Twitter.' Which is fine and dandy, because it's all for the greater good of Twitter or whatever. The problem is that it's real easy to be a valuable, contributing member of the ecosystem today and then tomorrow find out that you're now competition waiting to be crushed." The Next Web said, "This is part of Twitter turning the screws on sharing information about the users of its network." Five ways to annoy people on Twitter .

Twitter revokes access to Tumblr sign-in feature . The social platform has been cracking down on its online friends . Blogger: "This reeks of grade-school drama" Tumblr: "We are truly disappointed by Twitter's decision"

(CNN) -- If anyone's going to be the last man on Earth, then Will Smith seems like an ideal candidate. Will Smith plays the survivor of a plague in "I Am Legend." Cool and athletic, focused and unflappable, he's not someone who's going to give up on humanity just because the odds are stacked against him. Even at several billion to one, he's still adamant he can fix this thing. A third movie version of Richard Matheson's classic sci-fi novel "I Am Legend" has been on the table at Warner Bros. for a long time. In the '90s, Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about following in the footsteps of Vincent Price and Charlton Heston (remember "The Omega Man"?). Smith is such a different type, it's odd to think that he's taken over this mantle. In fact, he's scored consistently well in sci-fi, from "Independence Day" through "Men in Black" and "I, Robot," and there's no reason to suppose the tense, scary "I Am Legend" won't continue that impressive box office run, even if the movie itself flags on the last lap. The opening couldn't be sharper. A television news report hails a medical breakthrough -- a viral cure for cancer, no less. Cut to New York three years later: abandoned cars, no one in sight, grass growing waist-high around Times Square. Something has gone very, very wrong. Smith is Robert Neville. The cover of Time on his fridge door pictures a "Soldier. Scientist. Savior?" but that hanging question mark is well chosen, and we divine that his immunity is pure chance. He's not quite alone. Neville patrols Fifth Avenue in his Mustang with Sam, a German Shepherd (also immune to the airborne virus), broadcasting into the void, then returning home to his Washington Square townhouse to put up the shutters before nightfall. That's when the "Dark Seekers" venture out: feral, contaminated people with a rabid appetite for flesh but no pupil dilation reflex to protect them against sunlight. By now, anyone who caught "28 Days Later" or last year's sequel "28 Weeks Later" may be experiencing deja vu -- in fact, if they called this movie "2.8 Years Later" it could pass as the third installment in the series with very little tweaking. Which is not to downplay the special frisson of seeing the Brooklyn Bridge ripped across the middle, for example. Wisely dispensing with the Luddite rhetoric that bogged down "The Omega Man," "I Am Legend" doesn't have much time for Neville the soldier. While Chuck Heston dedicated himself to exterminating the albino hordes, Will Smith starts out firmly on the other end of the kill-or-cure scale. At the same time, the film suggests his self-sufficient scientific rationalism is not enough. By day 1,001 he's on the point of suicide -- which is when the movie gets God in the comely intervention of born-again Alice Braga. If the last half-hour feels thrown together, "Constantine" director Francis Lawrence mostly makes a virtue of the lean script, getting in and out quick, suppressing those inevitable nagging questions (are cockroaches immune?), always stressing Neville's solitary isolation. So often, sci-fi is overproduced, but "I Am Legend" doesn't look like a CGI extravaganza. It looks like an edgy suspense movie shot on the fly in New York City after the fall. And because of that, it's all the more effective. "I Am Legend" is rated PG-13 and runs 100 minutes. For Entertainment Weekly's take, click here. E-mail to a friend .

Three years after a medical breakthrough, something is wrong in New York . Will Smith is cool and unflappable as he takes on flesh-eating mutants . Version of Richard Matheson's sci-fi novel flags at the end but mostly good .

(CNN) -- Patience, it is said, is a virtue. If that's the case, then the scientists involved in the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission have been very virtuous indeed. After all, the men and women involved in the project have waited most of their scientific careers -- through years of planning and construction, not to mention the 10-year journey of the Rosetta spacecraft -- to see the Philae lander land on Comet 67P Churyumov Gerasimenko. And now they can enjoy the fruits of this amazing adventure, which has landed (albeit a little bumpily) and has been returning data. Rosetta was an enormously ambitious and technically risky project. However, overall, it has been a great success so far, with a number of "firsts" for ESA that have not been achieved by any other space agency -- it has chased a comet across the solar system, rendezvoused and then achieved orbit. Landing a probe on the surface like this has been a huge challenge: working in a low gravity environment with poor knowledge of the nature of the comet surface. It was unclear even if it would it be a solid body or a loose collection of material. And there are plenty more challenges ahead. For a start, although data has been collected from the orbiter since August, and the first images are now being received from the lander, it will take many more months and possibly years for Rosetta to realize its full scientific legacy. However, even as the initial excitement over the technical success fades, we will gradually begin to understand the building blocks of the solar system. It is this reality that really speaks to the value of such a project. Comets are pristine material largely unchanged since the planetary system was formed. It is thought that they may be the origin of most of the water found on Earth, and could even have brought complex organic molecules -- the potential raw material for the emergence of life -- to its surface. Just as the Rosetta Stone was the key to unlocking the secrets of Egyptian writing, so the Rosetta space mission will answer some of the fundamental questions about our origins. This potential is being unlocked not by a single-nation space agency, but one that is a collaboration of 20 countries, including European Union, non-EU and several former Soviet Union countries. Yet while it has just celebrated its 50th birthday, the ESA has often operated in the shadow of NASA. For example, the media frequently talk about NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, with little or no acknowledgment of the partnership with ESA. (From a European perspective, it has therefore been particularly welcome to hear the generous acknowledgment of the Rosetta achievements by NASA leaders). All this means that while ESA has had significant successes in the past, the extent of the Rosetta's success represents a timely "coming of age." And, in a world that often seems to be mired in conflict, Rosetta is not just a technical and scientific success, but also a political one. Space research is one of the best examples of peaceful international cooperation and of the ability of humans to do marvelous things when they work together towards a common goal. I am not the only one to have worked on several successful space projects during my career, and to have made many friends around the world as a consequence, often in countries that would have once been regarded as political rivals (or even some that still are). China, a major space power in its own right, is a great example of this -- the ESA and China are currently planning a first joint space science mission as the basis for future collaborations. And this might be the biggest lesson that we can learn from Rosetta -- that as future plans for space research and exploration missions inevitably become more ambitious (and more expensive), the need for agencies to work closely together will increase. If they are smart and forward thinking, then politicians and governments will do what they can to enable this, because if they are successful, we might finally realize the goal of so many of us in the field of achieving truly global cooperation in space, cooperation that will benefit all of humanity.

Rosetta space mission a huge success: Martin Barstow . Project was enormously ambitious and technically risky: Barstow . Mission shows benefit of agencies collaborating, he says .

(CNN) -- Libyans erupted in jubilation Thursday from the very first incomplete reports that ousted leader Moammar Gadhafi was dead. A "cacophony of celebration" could be heard in Tripoli as ships and cars blasted their horns and shots were fired into the air, said CNN's Dan Rivers. "It is very, very loud -- a lot of excitement," Rivers said. "It's a great moment," said Mahmoud Shammam, information minister for Libya's National Transitional Council. "I've been waiting for this moment for decades, and I'm thanking God that I'm alive to see this moment." Video footage showed a Tripoli street where people embraced and jumped in joy and crowds ran alongside vehicles. Other rejoicing people were hanging out of car windows and sunroofs and gathered in the beds of pickup trucks. The sound of cheering could be heard, along with a call to prayer. Outside a hotel, staff including chefs wearing their white hats gathered, dancing and waving Libyan flags. "They're breathing a huge sigh of relief here," Rivers said. Many Libyans were concerned that a free Gadhafi might play a role in destabilizing Libya in the future, he said. In Sirte -- Gadhafi's hometown and the city where he was discovered -- video showed people gathering in celebration, some riding on the tops of cars waving Libyan flags and shooting guns in the air as horns honked. One man, dressed in fatigues and carrying a weapon, ran up and kissed a television camera. Others chanted, danced and waved their hands in the air, some flashing the "peace" sign. Many had suspected Gadhafi was hiding in Sirte after revolutionary forces took Tripoli in August. He had not been seen in public in months. A former regime loyalist who did not want to be identified said in an e-mail to CNN that Gadhafi's death was "good for the Libyan people" because both his supporters and opponents "can see a valid point in his death that they can relate to, although for different reasons." His supporters, he said, can find "remedy for their belief that he was on the right side of history defending his country" from NATO occupation. Gadhafi's death "will end morally and practically the NATO involvement." In addition, he said, "his supporters see him as a martyr, and this gives them (a) sense (of) pride, which provides a psychological remedy" for many of them. His opponents can find justification for their belief that they fought "a liberation battle for a better future, better democratic society, better Libya generally." Gadhafi's death will bring them "the heights of their sense of satisfaction for what they did," he wrote. If Gadhafi had been captured alive, this former regime loyalist wrote, it would have "intensified (supporter's) effort to destabilize society further, for the hope that either they might be able to liberate him, or get one of his sons to power." That, he said, "would bring more destruction and devastation to society in general at all levels; including the death of many people." If the ousted leader had been put on trial, the former loyalist added, it "would have open(ed) many doors of disagreement that might lead to fight(ing), if not mass civil war." Social media sites such as Twitter showed users expressing support for the Libyans and noting that Gadhafi's death would be another victory in a year that has seen the ouster of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and former Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, as well as the death of Osama bin Laden. Those from countries that participated in the so-called Arab Spring issued messages of support for Libyans. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report.

Celebrations erupt in the Libyan cites of Tripoli and Sirte . Drivers, ships sound their horns as celebratory gunshots are fired . Outside a hotel, staffers dance and wave Libyan flags .

(CNN) -- My heart aches for the children, parents and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Like them, I know what it means to have life turned on its head by unprecedented violence. On the morning of April 20, 1999, two senior students walked into Columbine High School and began a shooting spree. Someone pulled the fire alarm and I was able to escape my trigonometry classroom. While I didn't suffer any injury, people I knew and admired were killed. That awful day left a permanent scar on our community in Littleton, Colorado. But the Columbine shooting did not define us. We are defined by the acts of goodness that followed. People in our community bonded and helped each other get through the tragedy. Hundreds of comfort quilts were sewed and handed out to those who were trying to recover from the anguish and pain. Restaurants provided free meals in the days after the shooting. Strangers offered hugs to each other at the Clement Park Memorial for support. No one ever should experience a Columbine moment. No one wants to feel assaulted, offended or hurt by an inexplicable event. But sometimes, those things happen. The way we respond to those moments is crucial in how we build and rebuild our relationships, and more importantly, how we rebuild our lives. There are two ways we can respond to a traumatic experience -- as a victim or a survivor. Early on, I pitifully used Columbine to justify personal failures and shortcomings. Eventually, I realized that I owned the way I reacted to situations and how I engaged with those around me. More than a decade later, I still think about Columbine. I do not dwell on the grotesque details of the day. In quiet meditation, I think of the lives that were taken and the lessons that help me move forward. I appreciate the subtle and profound consequences that our thoughts and actions can have on others. I became slower to anger and quicker to love. The inconsiderate driver or long line at the post office doesn't spoil my day anymore. I share my story to offer hope to those impacted by violence -- those who wonder whether they'll be able to regain the life they once knew. The answer is no. Life won't be the same. But one can, over time, find happiness. When you are able to come out of a tragedy you'll be stronger with a greater capacity to love, more determination to serve others and desire to mend broken family ties. And you'll feel joy that comes from these actions. To those who are wading through a mountain of pain and sorrow right now, please know that it will be OK. Take time to grieve your loss. Talk through your feelings, even if it's no more than ramblings. Live your life in a way that honors the memory of the precious lives that were taken. Push out the anger and fill your mind with a positive outlook. I promise this approach will bring more peace and joy. There may be some people who are angry at God. I was not. In Columbine's aftermath, my faith was an essential part of my healing process. There's a scripture passage that I take comfort in: . Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, the design of your God concerning those things which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. I believe in God and trust that He has a plan for our lives. His added measure of strength always comes at the moment when we've exhausted our best effort. When tragedies like Columbine or Sandy Hook happen, we are reminded of the fragility and precious nature of life. This gives rise to the question, what will you do with the time you have? Choose faith, choose charity, choose hope. Then, life will be livable again. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Liz Carlston.

Liz Carlston: My heart aches for the children and parents at Sandy Hook . Carlston: I went through the Columbine shooting and know the pain . She says life won't be the same for the survivors; it's important to push out the anger . Carlston: Choose faith, choose charity, choose hope; then, life will be livable again .

Tokyo (CNN) -- Japan is prepared to gradually reduce the amount of oil it imports from Iran, Finance Minister Jun Azumi said Thursday, as the United States seeks to muster international support to put fresh pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program. Japan imports 10% of its crude oil from Iran at the moment, Azumi said at a news briefing after meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. The country is ready to decrease that level "in a planned manner," he said. "What I told the secretary is that we have already reduced Iranian oil imports by 40% in the past five years," Azumi said, standing next to Geithner. "The nuclear development issue is an issue that the international community cannot overlook, so we very much understand the U.S. action." The United States is exploring ways to cut off Iran's central bank from the global financial system and reduce the country's oil revenues, Geithner said at the briefing. Washington is in "the initial stages of consulting with allies around the world about how best to achieve those goals," he said, adding that Japan's support was appreciated. "We are working very closely with Europe and Japan and countries around the world to substantially increase the pressure we bring on Iran," Geithner said. The announcement is a plus for Geithner, after his efforts on Iran were rebuffed by senior Chinese officials during his visit to Asian countries this week. "I think 'small victory' is a fair categorization," said Michael Levi, a Council on Foreign Relations' expert on energy policy and national security. From January to September 2011, Iran exported 13% of its crude oil to Japan, according to the International Energy Agency. Levi said Iran is likely to absorb this and find alternatives -- unless those drop out as well. "As long as Iran has a substantial set of potential buyers, it's going to make as much money as it made before," Levi said. Levi said Japan wants to phase out its imports from Iran slowly so it can smoothly transition to other sources. "That same slow speed gives Iran the opportunity to transition to other customers," he said. Geithner had made a similar push for China to reduce its Iranian oil imports. But Beijing said that its imports have nothing to do with Tehran's nuclear program and rejected new U.S. sanctions on foreign financial institutions that conduct business with the Iranian central bank. There was notably little mention of Iran in the comments made by Geithner and Chinese leaders Wednesday. China relies on imports for half of the oil it consumes. Iran exported 22% of its crude oil to China from January to September last year, the IEA said. Japan's government faces a difficult balancing act, trying to meet the needs of its closest ally and at the same time fuel its energy-strained country. Japan has been facing an energy crisis since last March's earthquake and tsunami, which triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. While making the announcement of plans for a gradual decrease in Iranian oil imports, Azumi did not specify how quickly his country would carry out the action. He said that Japan also needed more time to deal with how to reduce non-crude oil imports. Iran threatened in late December to block the Strait of Hormuz if sanctions were imposed on its oil exports. France, Britain and Germany have all proposed such sanctions to punish Iran for lack of cooperation on its nuclear program. Those countries and others believe Tehran may be trying to develop nuclear weapons, but Iran says its nuclear program is solely for civilian energy production. The strait is a critical shipping lane, through which 17 million barrels of oil passed per day in 2011, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency. CNN's Jethro Mullen and Joe Sterling contributed to this report.

Japan imports 10% of its crude oil from Iran . Japan is ready to reduce that amount "in a planned manner," the finance minister says . U.S. Treasury secretary says he appreciates Japan's support of efforts to pressure Tehran . Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz if sanctions are imposed .

(CNN) -- Toro Rosso have announced an all-new driver pairing for the 2012 Formula One season with Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne replacing Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari. Both new signings are part of the junior driver program at Toro Rosso's owner and fellow constructor Red Bull, and both featured in practice sessions for their new team during 2011. Australian Ricciardo also drove for Hispania Racing (HRT) in the second half of last season. The 22-year-old said he was delighted to secure his future in the sport. "To be honest, I am still jumping up and down with excitement at the news," he told Toro Rosso's official website. "I can't wait to get to work once testing begins. Pit-lane pioneers: Women in Formula One . "This is a really big deal for me and something I have wanted ever since I was driving for Toro Rosso on Friday mornings at the races in the first part of last season." Like Ricciardo, Vergne, from France, is a former winner of the British Formula 3 Championship. The 20-year-old said he was determined to repay the faith his team had shown in him. "Christmas has come early for me this year! Having driven for them a few times this year and also testing for Red Bull Racing in Abu Dhabi, I definitely feel ready to make the move, even if I know there is a big difference between testing and actually racing. "I enjoyed working with the guys at Toro Rosso this year and I can't wait to be part of the team for real. Sitting on the grid in Melbourne next March cannot come soon enough." Team principal Franz Tost defended the decision to replace Buemi and Alguersuari, saying his new duo had long been primed for their debut seasons with the team. Champion Vettel honored to be part of F1 history . "I must also thank Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari for all their hard work over the past three seasons. They have delivered some excellent performances which have helped the team move forward and develop. "However, one has to remember that when Scuderia Toro Rosso was established in 2005, it was done so with the intention of providing a first step into Formula 1 for the youngsters in the Red Bull Junior Driver programme. "It is therefore part of the team's culture to change its driver line-up from time to time in order to achieve this goal." Elsewhere, Team Lotus officially changed their name to Caterham F1 on Wednesday, with team principal Tony Fernandes eyeing improvements in the 2012 Formula One season. The UK-based outfit's name change officially ends the dispute over the use of the Lotus name in F1, with Renault set to race as Lotus next year. The marque have finished 10th out of 12 teams in each of the two seasons they have competed in since entering the sport in 2010, but are yet to score a world championship point. "The race team must improve and be a true showcase for our group of businesses," Fernandes said in a team press release. "Yes, being in F1 implies that you are already ahead of the pack. However, ultimately we want to be leading that pack. It's not going to happen overnight, but if we set realistic targets, then it's something we will achieve." Elsewhere, Hispania Racing (HRT) announced the departure of team principal Colin Kolles after two seasons with the team. The Romanian joined the Spanish outfit for their F1 debut in 2010, but has seen the team fail to register a point in the either of the last two seasons.

Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne will drive for Toro Rosso in 2012 . The duo replace the 2011 pairing of Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari . Team Lotus officially change their name to Caterham F1 on Wednesday . Hispania Racing Team announce the departure of team principle Colin Kolles .

(CNN) -- The virtual cathedral for one of America's most revered cars will reluctantly fill a monster sinkhole that brought it both pain and gain. The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, also said Saturday it and Chevrolet will restore three of the eight vehicles that the 45-foot-wide hole swallowed in February, but will leave the remains of the five others -- too wrecked to fix -- on display. "We really wanted to preserve a portion of the hole so that guests for years to come could see a little bit of what it was like, but after receiving more detailed pricing, the costs outweighs the benefit," museum Executive Director Wendell Strode said. Why was the hole's filling ever in doubt? Visitor traffic since February jumped 70% compared to the same period last year, as people lined up to see not only the brand's past but also the newly mangled vehicles and gaping earth, museum spokeswoman Katie Frassinelli said. But the board learned that preserving part of the hole would cost $1 million more than it would to fill the whole thing. And the effort required to keep it safe -- eyesores like 35-foot retaining walls and steel beams -- made preservation even less appealing, Frassinelli said. "That's no longer a naturally occurring, interesting sinkhole," she said. Frassinelli said the museum isn't revealing how much the renovation will cost. The project will start sometime after early November. The privately funded, not-for-profit attraction has gone from shock to proudly displaying its own spectacular damage in months. The ground opened at the museum's Skydome section in the early morning of February 12. Surveillance video showed the hole devouring some of the eight cars that it took down. The hole was measured at about 45 feet wide, 60 feet long and up to 30 feet deep. Western Kentucky is cave country, and it turned out a previously undetected cave was under the Skydome, Frassinelli said. Sinkholes pop up regularly in the area, sometimes caused by ground water eroding underground limestone over many years. After experts examined the cave and determined the rest of the facility was safe, the museum reopened -- and started letting visitors view the sinkhole behind plexiglass five days after the incident. By late April, visitors could walk into the Skydome and stand just feet from the hole's edge. The museum also brought up the fallen cars -- some sliced or mashed -- and put them on display as mangled as they were found. But on Saturday the museum announced three cars would be restored, including a 2009 ZR1 prototype known as the Blue Devil, among GM's fastest production cars. Also getting restored: the 1-millionth Corvette produced (a white 1992 convertible), and a 1962 tuxedo black Corvette, which was the oldest to fall. The others were too damaged. But their remains will continued to be displayed -- eventually back in the Skydome, where an exhibit will be dedicated to the sinkhole, the museum said. General Motors will provide nearly $250,000 to help recovery efforts, the museum said. The damage got the attention of gearheads worldwide. Reports estimated the total value of the cars at more than $1 million. Experts call the Corvette the most collected car in America, and General Motors calls it the "world's longest-running, continuously produced passenger car." Since the 'Vette's 1953 debut, more than 1.5 million have rolled off Chevrolet assembly lines. The sleek silhouette has transformed into a pop culture icon across TV, films and advertising. Watch: How the museum has been showcasing the sinkhole . CNN's Thom Patterson contributed to this report.

Museum in Kentucky wanted to preserve 40-foot-wide sinkhole, citing significance and appeal to visitors . But preservation would be more expensive than filling it, board says . Sinkhole swallowed eight Corvettes in February; three are to be restored . The other five, still damaged, will be displayed .

(CNN) -- A 15-year-old Massachusetts boy was indicted Friday on an additional count of aggravated rape in connection with the death of his high school math teacher, authorities said. Philip Chism pleaded not guilty last December to murder, aggravated rape and robbery charges stemming from the killing of Colleen Ritzer, 24, on October 22 in the girls' bathroom of Danvers High School. Police said a box cutter Chism had taken to school was the murder weapon. The Essex County district attorney's office said Friday that it presented a grand jury with additional evidence. The new youthful offender indictment alleges that Chism forcibly had sexual intercourse with the victim. "Aggravated rape is charged when there is serious bodily harm and/or when the rape was committed during the commission of another felonious and assaultive crime," the district attorney's office said in a statement. Denise Regan, Chism's public defender, could not be reached for comment. Chism, who is being held without bail, is set to appear January 30 in Salem Superior Court for a pre-trial conference. According to a police affidavit, a ninth-grade student told investigators that Chism became visibly upset when Ritzer spoke after class on the day of the crime about his home state of Tennessee. When Ritzer noticed that Chism was upset, she changed the subject, said the unidentified student, who described Chism as "talking to himself." The affidavit includes testimony from witnesses as well as a school video surveillance timeline showing Chism and Ritzer in the same area of the school during the teacher's final moments. In the video, Ritzer appears to enter a second-floor girls' restroom -- apparently a faculty restroom was occupied -- and Chism, wearing gloves and red sweatshirt with the hood pulled over his head, appears to enter the restroom about a minute later, according to the affidavit. Shortly after, a female student enters the bathroom and then quickly walks out, according to the court papers. She told investigators she saw the back of a person who appeared to be changing clothes; the person's rear was exposed, with clothes piled on the floor. The video shows Chism leaving the restroom, returning later with a recycling barrel, and again leaving the restroom pulling the barrel -- this time with a black mask on his forehead, the court papers say. He pulls the barrel outside the building and toward the student parking lot. Investigators said the video shows what appear to be blood stains near the bathroom and on Chism's pants. Court papers detail horrifying final moments of teacher's life . After Chism was reported missing by his mother on the evening of October 22, police had his cellular phone company "ping" the location of his phone. The phone was found to be in the vicinity of the Hollywood Hits Theater, where investigators learned the teen had purchased a movie ticket and then left. The affidavit said that, when Chism was spotted by a police officer the next day, he was carrying a knife; a search of his backpack turned up a bloodstained box cutter. Asked where the blood came from, Chism allegedly responded: "The girl." He was also allegedly carrying credit cards and driver's licenses belonging to Ritzer, as well as a pair of woman's underwear. Friends, relatives bewildered by arrest of 'storybook kid' in teacher slaying . The armed robbery indictment alleges that Chism robbed Ritzer of credit cards, an iPhone and her underwear. Police discovered Ritzer's body in a wooded area near the school, covered with leaves and debris in an apparent attempt to conceal it, the court papers said. Her throat was slit. Dressed in pink, hundreds mourn Colleen Ritzer .

Philip Chism, 15, is indicted on additional count of aggravated rape . The Massachusetts teenager is charged with murder in the death of a teacher . The body of algebra teacher Colleen Ritzer was found in a school bathroom in October . A handwritten note saying, "I hate you all," was found near the teacher's body .

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Researchers in the United States are buoyed by the results of a study which has determined that a giant grass could help the country to meet its steep biofuel targets. Stephen Long amid Miscanthus stalks found to outperform other biofuel sources. After successful long-term trials in Europe, a three-year field study of Miscanthus x giganteus by the University of Illinois has revealed that it outperforms traditional biofuel sources, producing more than twice the ethanol per acre than corn or switchgrass, using a quarter of the space. Crop sciences professor and study leader Dr. Stephen Long told CNN that while there probably isn't one magic bullet to fix our climate woes, Miscanthus -- also known as elephant grass -- promises to be one of five or six options that could help the U.S. to reach its target of replacing 30 percent of gasoline use with biofuels by 2030. "I think it's important in the biofuels debate that we don't throw the baby out with the bath water. The idea we use the sun's energy to grow plants and then make fuels from those plants is essentially a good one," Dr. Long said. "It's been tainted by the fact that the easy way to do it is to just use food crops, but society needs to realize there are big opportunities beyond food crops and beyond the use of crop land." Miscanthus, for instance, is able to grow on land too marginal for crop production, so it doesn't have to compete with land for food crops. It also doesn't require major input or fertilization after planting and once established will yield for around 15 years. Yet even with the success of these trials in the U.S. and the earlier European ones, it could be years before the full potential of Miscanthus is realized. This is due in part to the fact that it's much more complex to make cellulosic ethanol -- ethanol made from non-food plants -- than it is to turn simple food starches found in corn or wheat into ethanol. In the United Kingdom, Miscanthus is recognized by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as an energy crop and it's currently being used to co-fire the Drax power station in England's Yorkshire. Even still, Dr. Geraint Evans from the UK's National Non-Food Crops Centre said rather than plants like Miscanthus, wheat grain will be used to meet the UK target of replacing five percent of fuel with renewable sources by 2010. "Miscanthus has the potential to be more efficient, producing between 4,000 and 7,000 liters of fuel per hectare, whereas ethanol made from wheat grain makes about 1900 liters per hectare." "Wheat grain-derived ethanol is what we can do today with the technology we have available today. The technology to use Miscanthus is not yet commercially available," Dr. Evans told CNN. In addition to the technical hitch, Dr. Evans said a further downside is that even though Miscanthus is a low maintenance crop, it can be costly to plant compared to wheat or rapeseed canola and the first yield wouldn't occur for at least three years. In an effort to overcome some of the challenges, Dr. Long now intends to turn his attention to experimenting with the wild Miscanthus used in the U.S. trial. And if the sort of improvements made to corn in the last 50 years are any indication, Miscanthus could be well be used to fuel the future in a matter of years. Is Miscanthus the next big thing in biofuels? Sound off below.

A U.S. study has revealed a giant grass outperforms other biofuel sources . Miscanthus produces more than double the ethanol of corn per acre . It's already used to co-fire the Drax power station in north England . The full potential of Miscanthus as a biofuel may take years to realize .

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama said Wednesday his administration will respond to new Ebola cases "in a much more aggressive way," taking charge of the issue after a second Texas health care worker was diagnosed with the disease. Obama scrapped plans to attend Democratic fund-raisers in New Jersey and Connecticut on Wednesday afternoon so that he could huddle with Cabinet members and officials who are leading the administration's Ebola response. The meeting came amid questions about how two health care workers could have contracted Ebola in a country said to have strict protocols in place -- and with one of those Ebola victims having flown on a commercial jet Monday. Afterward, the President sought to tamp down fears of of an outbreak of the disease within the United States -- saying that he shook hands with, hugged and kissed nurses who'd treated an American doctor who contracted Ebola in Africa, and felt safe. Obama acknowledged that even foolproof plans don't work when local health care providers don't know how to carry them out -- and said his administration will make sure "certain local hospitals that may not have that experience are walked through that process as carefully as possible." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will have "SWAT teams" ready to send to hospitals where future cases are discovered, he said. Obama has spoken with the heads of Japan, Germany, Italy, France and England to prod them to pump more resources into combating the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Doing so, he said, "is an investment in our own public health. It's not simply charity." The heightened attention came as Republicans pummeled the president. Rep. Tom Marino of Pennsylvania said the situation "is beginning to spiral out of control," and said CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden should resign. "The reports my colleagues and I have received are utterly unacceptable and the information provided to the public has been cryptic and in some cases misleading," Marino said. "This has provided a false sense of security to many of our citizens." Sen. John Thune of South Dakota and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania said the United States should ban people who live in or have visited West Africa from entering the country. House Speaker John Boehner said the United States should consider a travel ban "along with any other appropriate actions as doubts about the security of our air travel systems grow." "The administration must be able to assure Americans that we will stop the spread here at home," Boehner, an Ohio Republican, said in a statement. "We will continue to press the administration for better information about what steps will be taken to protect the American people, including our troops, from this deadly virus," he said. "And we will work with the administration on appropriate policy options that will help stop the spread of this horrific disease both here in the United States and around the globe." State-level officials who'd insisted they had the situation under control changed their plans, as well. Texas Gov. Rick Perry -- lambasted by Democrats in his state for leaving on a trade mission to Europe this week -- decided to scrap the last three days of his trip and return to his state Thursday to lead the state's Ebola response in person. Perry said Wednesday that he speaks daily with Dr. Brett Giroir, who heads an infectious disease task force that Perry formed earlier this month, and Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services. Those two are helming the state's efforts. "This is the first time that our nation has had to deal with a threat such as this. Everyone working on this challenge -- from the medical professionals at the bedside to the public health officials addressing containment of the infection -- is working to end the threat posed by this disease," Perry said in a statement. "These individuals are keeping the health and safety of Texans and the needs of the patients as their most critical tasks," he said. "Every relevant agency at the local, state and national levels is working to support these individuals."

President Obama meets with Cabinet members and health officials . He seeks to reassure Americans that an Ebola outbreak in the United States is unlikely . Republicans criticize the White House's response and call for travel bans .

(CNN) -- At first, Miguel Hernandez thought it was a mistake, or worse, a joke. The 19-year-old had been pulled over for failure to use his turn signal, but the fact that he is an undocumented immigrant landed him in a detention center in rural Georgia. Hernandez was certain that deportation proceedings would follow soon, and was mulling over it when a guard brought some news: He was being released. "I was walking and I was thinking, this is a joke. They probably got confused with another guy or something," Hernandez said. More likely, Hernandez was one of hundreds of undocumented immigrants released from detention because of looming budget cuts set to take effect Friday absent congressional action. The package of forced budget cuts, known as sequestration, will mean $85 billion of government-wide cuts. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) decision to move detainees to less costly supervision options was met with backlash from Republicans who accuse the Obama administration of using scare tactics to win a political battle. "It's abhorrent that President Obama is releasing criminals into our communities to promote his political agenda on sequestration," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, said. "By releasing criminal immigrants onto the streets, the administration is needlessly endangering American lives." But the White House had no input on the plan, spokesman Jay Carney said Wednesday. The decision was made by career ICE employees, an administration official told CNN. The move was made because the agency was preparing its year-end budget and had to take budget cuts into consideration, the official said. An exact number of released detainees has not been released; ICE characterized it as "several hundred." The population of immigration detainees is currently about 30,700. Those who have been released are non-criminals or low-risk offenders without serious criminal histories, ICE spokeswoman Barbara Gonzalez said. "Detainees with serious criminal histories are a detention priority and have not been released," she said. Another ICE official reiterated that all of those released remain in deportation proceedings, released on an order of supervision. Some of those released will be on intensive supervision, such as ankle monitors, while others will just have weekly check-ins with an ICE officer, the official said. Hernandez, the young man who was released in Georgia, can't know for sure that he was released because of budget cuts. But he does fit the category of minor offenders, and was released at the same time as dozens of other detainees. Those being released alongside Hernandez on Sunday were confused about what was happening. Some detainees who had bonds as high as $25,000 were being told they were bonded and released. Hernandez said he believes some of those released with him are repeat offenders who have been previously deported. Most were given a paper with a court date, but not Hernandez. He has been waiting for his court date to be mailed to him. Another congressman, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, wrote a letter to ICE Director John Morton demanding accountability. He wants to know exactly how many detainees were released, and where, and the reason for each person's detention. "This decision reflects the lack of resource prioritization within the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is indicative of the department's weak stance on national security," McCaul said. Planning for the detainee release began last Thursday, a senior administration official told CNN. Hernandez said he doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. "I don't know why this affects them -- I'm not a criminal," he said. CNN's Jessica Yellin and Gustavo Valdes contributed to this report.

ICE's decision to release immigrant detainees because of budget cuts is being criticized . Republicans say the move puts the public at risk . White House says it had no input in the decision . An immigrant talks about his release .

(CNN) -- Matt Kuchar took home $1.7 million, the biggest prize in golf, for winning the Players Championship. It lifted him to a career-high fifth in the world rankings, but most importantly his family was there to see it. The American's wife and two young sons raced onto the green after he clinched his fourth PGA Tour victory, and biggest by far. Also at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday were his dad and mom, who live nearby in Ponte Vedra Beach. "It's such an amazing feeling -- playing amongst the game's best, to come out on top, to do it on Mother's Day, staying here with Mom and Dad, with my wife and two kids here ... it really is magical," Kuchar said on the PGA Tour website. Kuchar, a top amateur who has never exploded on the professional scene, is known as one of golf's nice guys, a Mr. Consistent who has made the halfway cut in his past 17 starts and tied for third at the Masters in April. It didn't even bother him that his final-round partner was Kevin Na, the third-round leader who was battling inner demons and heckling from the crowd as he struggled to get around the course in his allotted time. "I feel like I'm so lucky to be doing what I do. I'm out there, I'm enjoying myself, having a good time. The smile is there because I'm having a good time, because I'm loving playing golf," Kuchar rold reporters. "Kevin knows that he's fighting some demons with pulling the trigger, and in trying to help himself, he walks really fast. So he tries to offset his difficulty in actually hitting the ball by walking fast, getting up to his ball and trying to keep a similar pace of play." South Korea-born Na, who is a naturalized American, collapsed with a closing 76 to finish tied for seventh -- five shots behind Kuchar. "I deserve it," Na said of the booing. "I mean, I'm being honest. But is it fair? No. You put an average guy in between those ropes, trust me, they won't even pull it back." Na had little sympathy from Tiger Woods, who suggested penalty strokes for slow players. "Strokes is money. What people don't realize is that one shot is so valuable out here," the 2001 Players champion said after finishing tied for 40th, having closed with 73. TPC Sawgrass is one of the toughest courses on the circuit, and even leading players such as Rory McIlroy struggle there. The U.S. Open champion missed the halfway cut for the third time at the $9.5 million tournament, but retained the No. 1 ranking after Luke Donald finished only sixth despite a closing 66. The Englishman was two shots behind a group of four tied for second, including last weekend's Quail Hollow winner Rickie Fowler, Texas Open champion Ben Curtis, 2007 Masters victor Zach Johnson and Scotland's Martin Laird. But the spoils went to Kuchar, who claimed his first win since The Barclays in 2010 and can now take his place among some legendary names to have triumphed at the Players. "I think one of the things that strikes me is walking every day through the champions' tunnel," he said. "Every player does it. And for me, I can't help but stop and gaze at all the photos going through champions tunnel, and to think I'm going to be a part of that with Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino and Raymond Floyd and Phil Mickelson and David Duval and Tiger Woods, it's all the best of the best. "To feel like I'm going to see my picture up there next year is pretty cool."

American golfer Matt Kuchar climbs up world rankings after winning on Sunday . He finishes two shots clear at the $9.5 million Players Championship in Florida . Final-round playing partner Kevin Na is booed by the crowd for his slow play . Tiger Woods suggests scoring penalty for players who are too slow around course .

(CNN) -- Gasps punctured the air inside Boston Symphony Hall after the conductor interrupted the afternoon performance to announce to the 2,500 people in the audience that President Kennedy had been assassinated. Listening to the moment, which was captured on an audio recording, the emotions are still powerful 50 years later. The weekly Friday concert had started at 2 p.m. "just like normal," recalled Joseph Silverstein, then a 29-year-old violinist in his first year as the concertmaster for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. No one in the concert hall knew that, as they took their seats for the performance, their president had been fatally shot in Dallas. Thirty minutes in, the orchestra broke for a 15-minute intermission. And that, Silverstein recalled, is when this very normal day was shattered. During the intermission, Silverstein remembers huddling around the 24-inch TV in the basement, watching in horror along with 100 other musicians as Walter Cronkite delivered the news of the assassination. There was no time to react. "I was just trying to grasp the reality of it," Silverstein said, adding that he has never publicly shared his memories from that terrible day until now. "We were stunned." The orchestra had to go upstairs to an audience that remained blissfully unaware of the events in Dallas. As the group walked to the concert hall, several orchestra members openly wept, but Silverstein says they still managed to take their seats. The orchestra's music director, Erich Leinsdorf, was going to have to break the news to the audience. Silverstein says the legendary music director was nervous, but his Austrian-tinged English was slow and deliberate while making the announcement, as if delivering the 46 words was just as painful as the initial shock of the president's death. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a press report over the wires. We hope that it is unconfirmed, but we have to doubt it," Leinsdorf told the audience. "The president of the United States has been the victim of an assassination." A rush of gasps and screams filled the cavernous hall. Leinsdorf continued, "We will play the funeral march from Beethoven's Third Symphony." A second swell of gasps as the audience grappled with the news and the announcement that the music would go on. Seated at the end of a row, closest to the audience, Silverstein watched the stunned people react to the news. Some left the hall, but the majority remained. The audience came to their feet, standing for the entire funeral march, rising to honor the memory of their slain leader. The funeral march lasted for 12 minutes, what seemed like an eternity to Silverstein. The orchestra's president of trustees at the time, Henry B. Cabot, a member of Boston's noted Cabot family, walked to the stage. Cabot, who regularly attended the Friday afternoon concerts, told the audience a story about the death of his father, according to Silverstein saying that he had "needed to hear music to help through the tragedy" because of the "solace" music provides. Playing his violin for the remainder of the program, 30 minutes of a very surreal experience, Silverstein could barely concentrate on the music. He remembers gazing out into the audience and looking into the eyes of others in the orchestra, disbelief registering on their faces. Once the program was over, the remaining audience members stood and filed solemnly out of the hall. Not one person applauded. Silverstein himself went home to his mourning family in nearby Brookline. He remembers this event as the first of many blows to the country, as it was followed by the assassinations of Malcolm X, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. The shooting of the president was the "first time anyone of us had been confronted with the situation," he said. It was the day peace was shattered.

This week marks 50 years since JFK was assassinated . Boston symphony-goers learned of his death during a weekly performance . The moment is captured on an audio recording .

(CNN) -- As most parents of adolescents know all too well, text messaging has become the preferred method of communication for American teenagers, with one in three teens sending more than 100 texts a day, a new survey says. The survey by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project illustrates the indispensable role that text messaging, and mobile phones in general, play in the lives of today's teenagers. Three-quarters of 12- to 17-year-olds own cell phones, up from 45 percent in 2004, and daily text messaging to friends has increased rapidly in recent years. The research, made public Tuesday, confirms that teens make and receive far fewer phone calls than text messages. They primarily use their phones for voice calling when communicating with parents, although they prefer text messaging when it comes to communicating with their peers. Although teens make or receive about five calls a day, half of them send a minimum of 50 text messages a day, the survey found. "Texting is so functional and efficient," said Amanda Lenhart, a senior research specialist at Pew, when asked to explain the survey results. "It's convenient and fits into those small spaces in daily life. You're not talking about much, but you're telling people you're connected to them." How do teens manage to send so many text messages while spending the better part of Monday through Friday in the classroom? Forty-three percent of teens who take their phones to school reported sending at least one text message from class a day, despite the fact that many schools have banned cell phones in class. Lenhart said this just goes to show how important text messaging is to teens. "Teenagers have been looking for ways to skirt around rules and defy administrators for millennia, whether it's passing notes in class or passing digital notes in class through cell phones," she said. And teenage girls are doing most of the texting. Girls send and receive about 80 text messages a day, while boys send and receive only 30. This is not a surprising find, according to Pew, as females also use other communicative tools more than males. Girls will text for social reasons more so than boys will, the survey found. For example, 59 percent of girls text their friends multiple times a day "just to say hello," as opposed to 49 percent of boys who do the same. The fact that girls use their cell phones more than boys might be one reason that of the 64 percent of parents who have monitored their teens' cell phones, the vast majority are parents of 12- to 13-year-old girls. "It's a historic relationship. ... Parents tend to regulate girls more than boys for a variety of social and gender reasons," Lenhart said. Teens are using their phones to record and share their daily experiences, Lenhart said. In addition to texting, 83 percent of teens use their mobile phones to take pictures, and 64 percent of teens share their pictures with others. During focus groups, Lenhart said, she asked teens what they liked to take pictures of with their cell phones. The most common answers: their pets, the people in their lives and the funny things they want to share with their friends. Lenhart said the growth of wireless carriers' unlimited texting plans has made it easier for teens to communicate via text message. "It's like the all-you-can-eat plan," she said. Teenagers "don't have to worry about cramming everything into 160 characters anymore. ... It doesn't cost 20 cents to send 'OK' to a friend." The Pew survey was conducted last summer on landline and cell phones, and it included 800 youths ages 12-17, plus one of their parents.

Most teens prefer texting to talking on cell phones, Pew Research Center survey says . Survey: One in three teenagers send more than 100 text messages a day . 43 percent of teens reported sending at least one text message from class a day . Girls use cell phones more than boys do, survey found .

Washington (CNN) -- It might not really matter if President Barack Obama made his case on Syria to the American people. He didn't really ask them for anything in his televised address but to sit tight and watch the graphic videos of chemical weapons on YouTube as the surprise diplomatic track he's now chosen plays out. The question now for Americans on Syria -- rather than whether the United States should launch military strikes after the regime of Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on his own people -- is who they think is a better negotiating partner for Obama: Congress or Vladimir Putin? "All eyes are on the Russian president -- President Putin," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Wednesday. "We all know that he was former head of the KGB. We all know about the KGB. He is president of that very big country and we are all so grateful that even though relations aren't perfect with Russia they are OK." All eyes turn to U.S.-Russia talks . There probably aren't many people in Washington who would use "OK" to describe Obama's relationship with Congress. Whether getting on this diplomatic track was a good idea or not probably has a lot to do with how you view the president and his leadership style already. It's a bit more complicated than a simple choice of who he'd rather negotiate with, but Obama essentially chose Putin. A brief flirtation with Congress suggested lawmakers were more than willing to reject a president's request for the use of force for the first time in recent memory. On the one hand, after going from an imminent strike to seeking congressional authorization to taking a diplomatic route, critics have described him as being about as indecisive as an American president can be. On the other, the Russians and Syrians are at the negotiating table and Syria has promised to join the Chemical Weapons Convention. That's something he tangibly achieved without dropping bombs. 5 questions: Did Obama answer them? How he got there was messy. That's the word his own staffer used. "Messy is fine. Messy means progress," an administration official told CNN's John King as the diplomatic solution was presenting itself. Whether the solution actually pans out remains anyone's guess. But that's OK with most lawmakers, many of whom didn't really want to vote on Syria anyway. Even an unsure diplomatic solution is better than a military one for war-weary members of Congress. "We do have to keep in mind an imperfect application of the Russian proposal is better than anything we can accomplish through the (president's military plan)," said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-California, in a speech on the House floor on Wednesday. Sen. Bob Corker, the Tennessee Republican who favored giving the president authority to launch military strikes, told CNN's Dana Bash that the president is making it hard for Congress to work with him on just about anything. "The president just seems to be very uncomfortable with being commander in chief of this nation," Corker said, although he added that he hopes the new diplomatic track pans out. "He just can't follow through," said Corker, who was clearly frustrated that the president hadn't made a stronger argument to the nation that when an American president draws a red line, no country should be able to cross it without repercussions. Obama will need senators like Corker to work with him now that Syria has been paused on Capitol Hill. Given Americans' continued focus on the economy, this president may be judged more for how he handles the looming two-headed fiscal dragon of government funding and debt ceiling authority. Those issues will fester over the next two weeks until government funding runs out October 1 and the debt limit is reached as soon as October 18. On those matters, he's not going to get any help from Putin. He must figure out how to work with Congress.

Who is a better negotiating partner for Obama -- Congress or Putin? The promise of a deal to remove Syria's chemical weapons was an accomplishment . Even a source in Obama administration described the situation as 'messy' GOP ally on military strikes says Obama 'uncomfortable' in role of commander in chief .

(CNN) -- Prosecutor Gerrie Nel went on the attack again Thursday, trying to discredit a defense witness for Oscar Pistorius on the last day of testimony before the court takes a two-and-a-half week break. Forensics expert Roger Dixon, on the stand for a third day, was grilled over his interpretation of a reconstruction of the scene where double-amputee runner Pistorius killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in February last year. One key line of questioning dealt with the position of a magazine rack within the toilet room where she was shot. Under pressure from Nel, Dixon directly contradicted Pistorius' version of where he saw the magazine rack when he entered the toilet room after shooting Steenkamp. In his own testimony, Pistorius said that when Steenkamp was slumped over the toilet bowl, she wasn't on top of the magazine rack. He said it was off to the side. Nel then showed him a photo of the toilet with the magazine rack standing in a pool of blood -- and Pistorius said it must have been placed there. Dixon directly contradicted this in his testimony Thursday, saying the rack was moved after it was in the pool of blood. The question is important in part because Pistorius contends that police contaminated the crime scene by moving certain key items, including the magazine rack. Pistorius also told the court he opened fire after hearing the sound of movement within the toilet room, which made him believe the door was opening. In retrospect, he concluded that what he heard was the magazine rack moving. In his questioning Thursday, Nel also tried to cast doubt on Dixon's analysis of a mark on the toilet door that the expert says was made by Pistorius kicking it with his prosthesis, and about the expert's ballistics reconstruction. Bullet ricochet . Nel's aim in the murder trial is to prove that Pistorius intentionally shot and killed Steenkamp after a heated argument in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year. The defense team is seeking to cast doubt on that account and prove that the star sprinter shot his girlfriend through the closed toilet door after mistaking her for an intruder. In his testimony Wednesday, Dixon disputed a conclusion by a pathologist on the cause of Steenkamp's back wounds. The pathologist said they were made by a bullet ricochet, while Dixon said they were made by the magazine rack. The autopsy said they were made by a blunt, hard object. Following Dixon's testimony, the court in Pretoria, South Africa, was adjourned until May 5. When the court reconvenes, the next defense witness will be Johan Stander, manager of the Silver Woods Estate where Pistorius lived and the first person the athlete called after he shot Steenkamp. Gripping trial . The trial is scheduled to continue until the middle of May. Judge Thokozile Masipa will decide the verdict in collaboration with two experts called assessors. South Africa does not have jury trials. If Pistorius is found guilty of premeditated murder, he faces 25 years to life in prison. The trial has gripped South Africa and sports fans worldwide who considered Pistorius a symbol of triumph over physical adversity. His disabled lower legs were amputated when he was a baby, but he went on to achieve global fame as the "Blade Runner," winning numerous Paralympic gold medals on the carbon-fiber blades fitted to his prostheses. He also competed against able-bodied runners at the Olympics. Only those in the courtroom saw Pistorius on the stand, because he chose not to testify on camera. His testimony could be heard in an audio feed. INTERACTIVE: Oscar Pistorius on trial: Explore each side's case .

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel seeks to discredit expert defense witness Roger Dixon . On the stand, Dixon contradicts Oscar Pistorius' testimony over position of magazine rack . The prosecution says Pistorius intentionally shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp after a fight . Pistorius denies murder, saying he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder .

(CNN) -- A late Frank Lampard penalty handed Chelsea a vital 2-1 win over English Premier League leaders Manchester United to breath new life into the title race. Alex Ferguson's side had taken the lead in the first half thanks to a thunderous strike from England forward Wayne Rooney but Brazil defender David Luiz drew Chelsea level. Then Russia international Yuri Zhirkov drew a foul from Chris Smalling in the 79th minute and Lampard blasted his spot kick high into the net to hand the defending champions a crucial win. United's misery was compounded in injury time as Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic was sent off after earning a second yellow card and will now miss the trip to Liverpool on Sunday. The real victors were second-placed Arsenal who can close the gap on United at the top of the table to just one point if they win their game in hand. The Gunners still have to play United at home. Chelsea's victory keeps alive their faint title hopes and moves them into the Champions League places in fourth but they still trail United by 12 points. After the game Ferguson took aim at referee Martin Atkinson telling Sky Sports: "It was a bad one to concede the first goal but the penalty kick is so soft, deary me. We played well but we didn't deserve that. That's three years in a row referee's decisions have changed the game." Ferguson also thought Luiz should have been sent off after he blocked Rooney off the ball when he was already on a yellow card: "It's incredible, he'd done Chicarito [Javier Hernandez] off the ball, late, nothing done, ref's in front of it. He does Rooney clear as day and the ref doesn't do anything. That changes the game." Carlo Ancelotti admitted Luiz may have been "lucky" but said United were still "too far ahead" for Chelsea to have any realistic chance of retaining their title. Ancelotti again chose to start $80.5 million striker Fernando Torres ahead of Didier Drogba, who began on the substitutes bench. Chelsea had the first chance as Florent Malouda connected with Ramires' cross but his effort was right at United's veteran Dutch keeper Edwin Van der Sar. Just before the half hour mark United broke the deadlock after Rooney found space outside the area and lashed a low shot into the bottom corner of the net. Chelsea nearly hit back before halftime as Lampard's free kick was parried by Van der Sar but Branislav Ivanovic couldn't convert the rebound. Eight minutes after the interval Chelsea were level as new signing Luiz popped up at the back post to fire a volley inside the post. After half chances at both ends the game was settled from the spot after substitute Zhirkov knocked the ball through Smalling's legs and was tripped. Lampard hammered the ball into the roof of the net emphatically. Two minutes later Zhirkov almost made the game safe as he crashed a volley towards the bottom corner but Vidic managed to divert the ball onto the post and away for a corner. Fabio almost rescued United with a late run into the box but he couldn't reach the ball to apply a finish and Chelsea held out for a confidence-boosting win. Elsewhere, Reading, who play in the second tier of English football, knocked Premier League Everton out of the FA Cup. Matt Mills struck the only goal as he pounced on a rebound to slam a volley into the net on 26 minutes. Reading were thankful to a stunning late save from Alex McCarthy who denied Leon Osman and ensured his side booked a quarterfinal clash with either Manchester City or Aston Villa, who play their fifth round replay on Wednesday.

Chelsea beat Manchester United 2-1 in the English Premier League . Frank Lampard's 79th minute penalty settles a pulsating match . Wayne Rooney had given United the lead before David Luiz equalized . Vidic sent off as United fail to pull away from second-placed Arsenal .

(CNN) -- Former world number one Venus Williams came through an injury scare to defeat Sandra Zahlavova 6-7 6-0 6-4, in the second-round of the Australian Open on Wednesday. The fourth-seed Williams had not lost a set to the Czech in any of their four previous meetings, but Zahlavova remedied that when she claimed the first thanks to a tie break. After falling behind, the 30-year-old Williams required treatment in the locker room after picking up a groin injury and returned with the area heavily strapped to win the final two sets of the match. Williams, who is playing in only her second tournament since the 2010 Wimbledon championships after struggling with a knee injury, recorded her win in three hours and one minute. "I wasn't very happy, to say the least," the American said of her injury on the tournament's website. "I mean, with an injury like that, you just don't know what to expect. I think what keeps me going is knowing that when I'm healthy I play really, really well and knowing that I have so much good tennis in my body keeps me motivated." The seven-time grand slam winner -- who wowed the crowds with another head-turning outfit -- will face Germany's Andrea Petkovic in the third round after the 30th seed also came from behind to defeat Britain's Anne Keothavong 2-6 7-5 6-0. The fashion verve of Venus Williams . Top-seed Caroline Wozniacki and 2004 champion Justine Henin had less complicated second rounds, with both winning in straight sets. World number one Wozniacki dispatched America's Vania King in under an hour with a 6-1 6-0 win. "I was playing aggressively," the Dane told the WTA Tour's website. "I took the balls early and made her run, and had a couple of good net approaches. In general I played solid." Wozniacki will next play Dominika Cibulkova, the Slovakian who beat her in Sydney last week. Cibulkova eliminated Alberta Brianti of Italy 6-1 4-6 6-2. Belgian Henin, seeded 11th, beat British number one Elena Baltacha 6-1 6-3 at the Rod Laver Arena. The 28-year-old Henin has won seven majors and overcame Baltacha in 61 minutes, despite being troubled by an elbow injury. The Australian Open should be in February! Henin's next opponent will be former French and U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. Kuznetsova, 25, ended the hopes of Dutch qualifier Arantxa Rus with a 6-1 6-4 win on Show Court Two . Russia's Maria Sharapova is into the next round after a hard-fought 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 success over Virginie Razzano. Sharapova, a champion at Melbourne Park in 2008, lost the opening three games of the match to her French opponent but bounced back to seal victory in little over two hours. "Looking back, obviously you want to play faster matches with an easier score line," Sharapova, 23, said. "That would be great, but it's also good to play these types of matches where you're put in a situation where you have to find a way to win, especially when your opponent is playing really well." The 14th seed will meet 22-year-old Julia Goerges in the last 32 after the German eliminated 20th-seed Kaia Kanepi 6-4 3-6 6-4.

Venus Williams recovers from one-set down to beat Sandra Zahlavova in Australia . Caroline Wozniacki is also through after a straight-sets win at Australian Open . Justine Henin beats British number one Elena Baltacha in 61 minutes .