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MOGADISHU, Somalia (CNN) -- Ethiopian troops have not yet begun to withdraw from key positions in the capital of Somalia two days after they were supposed to do so under a peace agreement designed to end years of conflict. Ethiopian troops are yet to leave the Somlai capital despite a peace agreement. The Ethiopians had agreed to withdraw from some bases by Friday under an agreement signed last month by the Somali transitional government and a rebel faction known as the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia. Ethiopia invaded Somalia two years ago to expel Islamic forces who had conquered Mogadishu. Under the deal signed October 26, a cease-fire between the transitional government and the ARS went into effect November 5. The Ethiopians were to withdraw from from key positions in the capital on November 21, and leave the country entirely early in 2009. Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein has said that Ethiopian troops will withdraw as agreed. Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a moderate leader of the rebel ARS, told the local radio station Shabelle Saturday that the Ethiopian troops would pull out on schedule. Insurgents clashed with Somali government forces and their Ethiopian allies Friday, witnesses said, leaving at least 11 fighters dead. The fighting started when armed insurgent fighters attacked the house of a local commissioner in Mogadishu's Wadajir district, sparking heavy fighting between the government troops guarding the house and the insurgents. "I saw 11 men wearing red turbans on the heads dead on the ground," local resident Mohamed Haji Ali told CNN by phone from a house near where the clashes took place. Other residents provided a similar death toll. The commissioner whose house was attacked, Ahmed Da'd, said that his soldiers killed 17 insurgents. He displayed what he said were some of the dead insurgents for the media. It is not clear what will happen if the Ethiopian troops remain in Mogadishu despite the October 26 peace deal. Under that agreement, government and opposition members will form a 10,000-member joint police force to keep order, along with the African Union peacekeeping mission now in place and a U.N. force to be deployed later. Both sides will work toward establishing a unity government in Somalia, which has been riven by 17 years of strife since the collapse of its last fully functional government. Ethiopia invaded Somalia in December 2006 to install the transitional government in Mogadishu after a decade and a half of near-anarchy. The invasion had the blessing of the United States, which accused the Islamic Courts Union -- which captured Mogadishu earlier that year -- of harboring fugitives from al Qaeda. The Islamists responded with a guerrilla campaign against government and Ethiopian troops. Efforts to replace the Ethiopians with an African Union-led peacekeeping mission faltered as the violence worsened, and heavy fighting in Mogadishu and other cities drove hundreds of thousands from their homes. The lawlessness also spilled on to the seas off the Horn of Africa, where international vessels are routinely hijacked by suspected Somali pirates who demand large ransoms. Journalist Abdinasir Mohamed Guled and CNN's Mohammed Amiin and Amir Ahmed contributed to this report.

Ethiopian troops yet begin to withdraw from key positions in Somali capital . Ethiopians had agreed to withdraw from some bases by Friday . They were supposed to do so under a peace agreement designed to end conflict .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- From bedroom creators to big studios, hand-drawn to CGI, animation has charmed and entertained children -- and, increasingly, adults -- for many years. The Screening Room went to Annecy in France to discover the secrets of success in animated films... Annecy has hailed animators like director Tim Burton, seen here receiving a special award at Annecy in 2006. Annecy is the Cannes of animation. The French town, which lies close to the Swiss border just 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Geneva, has hosted the International Animated Film Festival for almost half a century and attracts a younger crowd than many of the major film festivals. With prizes for long and short features, television and student animation, Annecy highlights a wide variety of different types of animation and budgets. One veteran of Annecy is Craig Decker, known as worldwide cult figure "Spike" and co-founder of "Spike and Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation." Beginning 30 years ago as a means of bringing independent animation to new audiences, the touring festival was instrumental in showcasing the early works of legendary animators such as Tim Burton, Pixar's John Lasseter and Aardman's Nick Park, as well as the first episode of "Beavis and Butthead." Spike explained to CNN the challenge of getting animation taken seriously. He said, "Originally we had to deal with the stigma. We showed great films like National Film Board of Canada [pieces], or "Tin Toy" by John Lasseter, works of art, masterpieces that take two to three years to make, and we had to deal with, 'What is it? Cartoons like Bugs Bunny or something like that?' And over the years we've educated the public, and we've put animation in the context of a very cool thing [with] a young, hip, adult audience of 18 and over." Stop-motion classics . One of Spike and Mike's biggest fans, Nick Park, won the Annecy award for Best TV Animation with "Shaun the Sheep," a spin-off from "A Close Shave," one of Aardman's famous Wallace and Gromit short features that grabbed an Oscar. Stop-motion is also close to the heart of director Tim Burton, who employed the technique on "Corpse Bride" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas." He said, "Because it's such an old-fashioned technique, a lot of it truly has to do with finding the right group of animators, the right group of people to build the puppets, because a lot of things are being done by computer now. Very few people are doing this style of animation." Allison Abbate, a producer on "Corpse Bride," added, "Stop motion is an age-old process as far as animation in film-making goes. It hasn't really changed since the days of King Kong - we used new technology in 'Corpse Bride' to bring it into a new century." Appropriate animation . "I think there's room for all types of animation," she continued. "It depends on the story. The story should really decide how you tell it. I think there are stories that are better made in 2-D and CGI and that's what you'd go for." 2-D animation is the mainstay of Japanese anime - a subject so vast it will command its own feature in a subsequent edition of the Screening Room. The film "Paprika" has won worldwide critical praise during the past year as a sophisticated example of the art, whose keenest supporters are sometimes contemptuous of their Hollywood animation counterparts. Asia is becoming an increasingly powerful force in animation, where companies who traditionally provided a cheap source of labor for animation studios are now using their skills to take a leading role in the creative process. UTV Toons is one of several Indian companies forming partnerships with big U.S. production houses to make new animated features. Combination of skills . Animation requires a combination of several skills, as producer Allison Abbate explained. She told CNN that animators face many complex challenges. "Animators have to know how to move things, how things work anatomically in a space, but they also have to know how to act, how to emote and that is what makes animation so different from live action. It is so crafted, one frame at a time." But Spike points out that the rewards animation promises can be very high. "Obviously in features, look at the most successful films," he told CNN. "They're nearly all animated Pixar pieces or, if it's live action, it's the special effects animation that carries the film." And the future? Spike believes animation is going mobile. He said, "Internationally, what's exciting is with new media: with digital; with broadband; with mobile phones. That's where we're going with our stuff." E-mail to a friend .

The International Animated Film Festival in Annecy is the Cannes of animation . Festival highlights the best in animation, from student work to studio shorts . Experts say the future of animation is on mobile devices .

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(CNN) -- Here's a tip for dairy farmers: If you want your cows to produce more milk, get to know them better. Herdsman Paul Nelson of Eachwick Red House Farm, Newcastle, England, with Highlight the cow. So says a study out of Newcastle University in northeast England, published online Wednesday in the academic journal Anthrozoos. The researchers found that farmers who named their cows Betsy or Gertrude or Daisy improved their overall milk yield by almost 500 pints (284 liters) annually. "Just as people respond better to the personal touch, cows also feel happier and more relaxed if they are given a bit more one-to-one attention," Catherine Douglas of the university's School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development said in a news release. "By placing more importance on the individual, such as calling a cow by her name or interacting with the animal more as it grows up, we can not only improve the animal's welfare and her perception of humans, but also increase milk production." Douglas and her colleagues questioned 516 dairy farmers in the United Kingdom. Almost half said they called the cows on their farms by name and reported a higher milk yield. A press statement from the university, touting the study, quoted Dennis Gibb, who co-owns a dairy farm outside of Newcastle, called Eachwick Red House Farm. "We love our cows here at Eachwick, and every one of them has a name," Gibb said. "Collectively, we refer to them as 'our ladies,' but we know every one of them and each one has her own personality."

Study in the U.K. finds cows treated with personal touch increase milk production . Farmers who named their cows got almost 500 more pints annually . Dairy farmer: "We love our cows ... and every one of them has a name" Researchers questioned 516 dairy farmers in the United Kingdom .

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(CNN) -- Personal computer maker Lenovo, expecting to report a loss for the third fiscal quarter ending December 31, announced it would cut 2,500 jobs as part of a restructuring expected to save $300 million. A woman walks past a Lenovo advertisement at a computer shop in Hong Kong. The cuts comprise about 11 percent of the Chinese computer manufacturer's global workforce. "Although the integration of the IBM PC business for the past three years was a success, our last quarter's performance did not meet our expectations," Yang Yuanqing, Lenovo's chairman of the board, said in a statement. "We are taking these actions now to ensure that in an uncertain economy, our business operates as efficiently and effectively as possible, and continues to grow in the future." Hong Kong's Hang Seng index suspended trading of Lenovo shares Wednesday, anticipating the announcement. The trading is to resume Thursday. The job cuts, to occur during the first quarter, will include management and executive positions and also affect finance, human resources and marketing divisions, the company said. In addition, the "resource redeployment plan" included executive compensation reductions of 30 percent to 50 percent, including bonuses, and the consolidation of its China and Asia-Pacific organizations into a single business unit to be called Asia Pacific and Russia . The company, ranked as the world's fourth-largest PC maker, anticipated taking a pre-tax restructuring charge of approximately $150 million. As part of its restructuring, the company said it was relocating call center operations from Toronto, Canada, to Morrisville, North Carolina, the company's North America headquarters in order to "better leverage its investment in real estate and facilities."

Chairman of the board cites last quarter's below-expectations performance . Job cuts to include management and executive positions . Company is ranked as the world's No. 4 PC maker . Lenovo anticipates taking pre-tax restructuring charge of approximately $150 million .

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JUAREZ, Mexico (CNN) -- A deadly trade is occurring along the U.S. border with Mexico, federal officials say -- a flood of guns, heading south, used by drug thugs to kill Mexican cops. Authorities recently seized these .50-caliber bullets, already belted to be fed into a machine gun. In Mexico, guns are difficult to purchase legally. So, officials say, weapons easily purchased in the United States are turning up there. "The same routes that are being used to traffic drugs north -- and the same organizations that have control over those routes -- are the same organizations that bring the money and the cash proceeds south as well as the guns and the ammunition," says Bill Newell, a special agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Police in Mexican border towns fear for their lives, and with good reason. Five high-ranking Mexican police officials have been killed this year in what Mexican officials say is an escalating war between police and drug cartels. In Juarez, Mexico, just across the border from El Paso, Texas, a police commander was gunned down in front of his home. The weapon used to kill Cmdr. Francisco Ledesma Salazar is believed to have been a .50-caliber rifle. The guns are illegal to purchase in Mexico but can be obtained just north of the border at gun shows and gun shops in the United States. ATF special agent Tom Mangan says the .50-caliber rifle has become one of the "guns of choice" for the drug cartels. The weapon fires palm-sized .50-caliber rounds that can cut through just about anything. Mangan showed CNN the power of the rifle on a gun range near Phoenix, Arizona. The weapon, a Barrett, was seized in an ATF raid. A round fired from 100 yards away tore through a car door and both sides of a bulletproof vest like those used by Mexican police. "There's nothing that's going to stop this round," Mangan says. The rifle was intercepted as it was being smuggled into Mexico. Mangan says investigators believe four others already had passed through the border. Watch how the weapons fuel a little-known war » . The ATF has been trying to help Mexican police by cracking down on illegal purchases of guns and ammunition. Operation Gunrunner has led to several arrests and seizures of guns and ammo. But the operation has mainly shown just how big a problem exists, authorities say. One recent seizure in a Yuma, Arizona, storage locker yielded 42 weapons and hundreds of rounds of .50-caliber bullets already belted to be fed into a machine gun-style weapon. The guns confiscated included AK-47 rifles and dozens of Fabrique National pistols. The semiautomatic pistols fire a 5.7-by-28 millimeter round, which is technically a rifle round, according to the ATF. Newell says the round has a special nickname in Mexico. "It's called 'mata policias,' or 'cop killer,' " he says. Mexican authorities along the border recently met with their counterparts in the United States, hoping more cooperation will lead to more arrests of criminals and fewer killings of Mexican police officers. Guillermo Fonseca, Mexico's regional legal attaché for the West Coast, told CNN the violence in his country is "problem number 1" -- and police in his country are outgunned. Officers in Mexico lack heavy firepower, he says. With the presence of large-caliber weapons from the United States, drug cartels and criminals have the advantage in what he says is basically a war. Part of the solution, he says, is for the United States to give Mexico more information about who is selling these guns illegally in the United States. Then Mexico could go after the buyers. "We have access to systems to trace guns that have been smuggled into Mexico, and that has worked very well," Fonseca told CNN. "We need more information about the people who are actually purchasing the guns. We need to prosecute those people, to convict those people. In our opinion, that's the next step we have to take." Last year Mexican police confiscated 10,000 guns and $200 million in raids aimed at cracking down on border violence. Still, local police tread carefully, especially in neighborhoods controlled by the powerful drug cartels. Officer Cesar Quitana patrols a dangerous barrio in Juarez, Mexico. He is armed with an M16 assault rifle -- a weapon that would be no match in a gunfight with drug lords. "I think most of us feel scared just to bring this with us," he says, pointing to the rifle in the front seat of his patrol car. "But this is what we use to defend ourselves." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Orlando Ruiz and Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report.

Firearms difficult to purchase in Mexico are more easily obtained in United States . Drugs and money go north to U.S. while guns go south to Mexico, authorities say . Mexican drug cartels blamed for killings of police officers .

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(CNN) -- Electronics giant Sony launched its eagerly anticipated social-networking site Thursday for PlayStation 3 users. A gamer plays Sony's PlayStation 3. PlayStation Home, which can be downloaded free of charge, will allow PS3 gamers to interact, communicate and share gaming experiences through their own personal "avatars," or three-dimensional virtual representations of themselves. Users will be able to chat to each other in Home Square -- a kind of PlayStation clubhouse -- before heading over to the bowling alley to bowl, play pool or use the gaming arcade. They will also be able to access music and video. Users will eventually be able to customize their avatars and virtual apartments with the latest virtual clothing from designers such as Diesel and furniture maker Ligne Roset. Sony also plans to introduce Red Bull Island, where users can jump into the cockpit of a Red Bull Air Race plane and compete against other Home users. "The idea behind Home is to create a virtual space for PS3 owners to meet up, talk and play games - the easiest way to think of it is as a hybrid of Facebook, Second Life and the prettiest game lobby ever," Tim Clark, editor in chief at Official PlayStation Magazine UK, told the BBC. All you need to download Home is a PlayStation Network account and access to PlayStation Store. Providing you have the latest system software update installed, the Home icon will appear under PlayStation Network on the PS3 Home Menu (XMB). "PlayStation Home is truly a promising network community service on the PlayStation platform, made possible with a combination of the power of PS3 and the PlayStation Network that covers many countries around the globe," said Kazuo Hirai, President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment on the company's Web site.

PlayStation Home can be downloaded free of charge by PS3 users . Users communicate, share gaming experiences through their own avatars . Designed along the lines of 3-D Second Life virtual world .

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Congressman Jared Polis . (D) Colorado: District 02 . Congressman Jason Chaffetz . (R) Utah: District 03 .

Two freshman representatives document their experience for CNN . Rep. Jared Polis is a Democrat representing Colorado's Second district . Rep. Jason Chaffetz is a Republican representing Utah's Third district .

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IP-455 Press Release 8 February 2008 The findings of a Scotland Yard inquiry into how Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto died after being attacked during a political rally in Rawalpindi were presented to the Government of Pakistan today. The bomb explodes near Bhutto's vehicle following a political rally in Rawalpindi. The conclusions of the inquiry were outlined in a detailed report handed over to interim Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz by Detective Superintendent John MacBrayne, accompanied by a senior official from the British High Commission, during a meeting in Islamabad. The text of the executive summary of the report is as follows: . On the 27th December 2007, Mohtarma Benazir BHUTTO, the leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), died as a result of being attacked in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Following discussions between the Prime Minister and President Musharraf, it was agreed that officers from the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) should support the investigation into Ms Bhutto's death. The primary focus of the Scotland Yard team was to assist the Pakistani authorities in establishing the cause and circumstances of Ms Bhutto's death. The wider investigation to establish culpability has remained entirely a matter for the Pakistani authorities. The SO15 team was led by a Detective Superintendent Senior Investigating Officer, and comprised two forensic experts, an expert in analysing and assessing video media and an experienced investigating officer. The team arrived in Pakistan on 4th January 2008 and spent two and a half weeks conducting extensive enquiries. During the course of their work, the team were joined by other specialists from the United Kingdom. The UK team were given extensive support and co-operation by the Pakistani authorities, Ms Bhutto's family, and senior officials from Ms Bhutto's party. The task of establishing exactly what happened was complicated by the lack of an extended and detailed search of the crime scene, the absence of an autopsy, and the absence of recognised body recovery and victim identification processes. Nevertheless, the evidence that is available is sufficient for reliable conclusions to be drawn. Within the overall objective, a particular focus has been placed on establishing the actual cause of death, and whether there were one or more attackers in the immediate vicinity of Ms Bhutto. The cause of death . Considerable reliance has been placed upon the X-rays taken at Rawalpindi General Hospital following Ms Bhutto's death. Given their importance, the x-rays have been independently verified as being of Ms Bhutto by comparison with her dental x-rays. Additionally, a valuable insight was gained from the accounts given by the medical staff involved in her treatment, and from those members of Ms Bhutto's family who washed her body before burial. Ms Bhutto's only apparent injury was a major trauma to the right side of the head. The UK experts all exclude this injury being an entry or exit wound as a result of gunshot. The only X-ray records, taken after her death, were of Ms Bhutto's head. However, the possibility of a bullet wound to her mid or lower trunk can reasonably be excluded. This is based upon the protection afforded by the armoured vehicle in which she was travelling at the time of the attack, and the accounts of her family and hospital staff who examined her. The limited X-ray material, the absence of a full post mortem examination and CT scan, have meant that the UK Home Office pathologist, Dr Nathaniel Cary, who has been consulted in this case, is unable categorically to exclude the possibility of there being a gunshot wound to the upper trunk or neck. However when his findings are put alongside the accounts of those who had close contact with Ms Bhutto's body, the available evidence suggests that there was no gunshot injury. Importantly, Dr Cary excludes the possibility of a bullet to the neck or upper trunk as being a relevant factor in the actual cause of death, when set against the nature and extent of her head injury. In his report Dr Cary states: . • "the only tenable cause for the rapidly fatal head injury in this case is that it occurred as the result of impact due to the effects of the bomb-blast." • "in my opinion Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto died as a result of a severe head injury sustained as a consequence of the bomb-blast and due to head impact somewhere in the escape hatch of the vehicle." Given the severity of the injury to Ms Bhutto's head, the prospect that she inadvertently hit her head whilst ducking down into the vehicle can be excluded as a reasonable possibility. High explosives of the type typically used in this sort of device, detonate at a velocity between 6000 and 9000 metres per second. This means that when considering the explosive quantities and distances involved, such an explosion would generate significantly more force than would be necessary to provoke the consequences as occurred in this case. It is also important to comment upon the construction of the vehicle. It was fitted with B6 grade armour and designed to withstand gunfire and bomb-blast. It is an unfortunate and misleading aspect of this case that the roof escape hatch has frequently been referred to as a sunroof. It is not. It is designed and intended to be used solely as a means of escape. It has a solid lip with a depth of 9cm. Ms Bhutto's injury is entirely consistent with her head impacting upon the lip of the escape hatch. Detailed analysis of the media footage provides supporting evidence. Ms Bhutto's head did not completely disappear from view until 0.6 seconds before the blast. She can be seen moving forward and to the right as she ducked down into the vehicle. Whilst her exact head position at the time of the detonation can never be ascertained, the overwhelming conclusion must be that she did not succeed in getting her head entirely below the lip of the escape hatch when the explosion occurred. How many people were involved in the immediate attack? There has been speculation that two individuals were directly involved in the attack. The suggestion has been that one suspect fired shots, and a second detonated the bomb. All the available evidence points toward the person who fired shots and the person who detonated the explosives being one and the same person. • Body parts from only one individual remain unidentified. Expert opinion provides strong evidence that they originate from the suicide bomber. • Analysis of the media footage places the gunman at the rear of the vehicle and looking down immediately before the explosion. The footage does not show the presence of any other potential bomber. • This footage when considered alongside the findings of the forensic explosive expert, that the bombing suspect was within 1 to 2 metres of the vehicle towards it rear and with no person or other obstruction between him and the vehicle, strongly suggests that the bomber and gunman were at the same position. It is virtually inconceivable that anyone who was where the gunman can clearly be seen on the media footage, could have survived the blast and escaped. The inevitable conclusion is that there was one attacker in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle in which Ms Bhutto was travelling. In essence, all the evidence indicates that one suspect has fired the shots before detonating an improvised explosive device. At the time of the attack this person was standing close to the rear of Ms Bhutto's vehicle. The blast caused a violent collision between her head and the escape hatch area of the vehicle, causing a severe and fatal head injury. John MacBrayne QPM Detective Superintendent Counter Terrorism Command 1st February 2008 E-mail to a friend .

Scotland Yard releases report into assassination of Benazir Bhutto . Only apparent injury was a major trauma to the right side of the head . UK experts all exclude the injury being a wound as a result of gunshot . Injury consistent with her head impacting upon the lip of vehicle escape hatch .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- "There's no doubt" that the deadly attack on India's financial capital last month was planned inside Pakistan, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told CNN on Sunday. People in New Delhi, India, take part in a candlelight vigil for the victims of the Mumbai attacks on Sunday. Her comments to CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" were the most definitive made by a top-ranking U.S. official regarding Pakistan's connection to the November 26-29 attack on Mumbai, in which more than 170 were killed and hundreds of others were wounded. "Well, I think there's no doubt that Pakistani territory was used by probably non-state actors," Rice said. "I don't think that there is compelling evidence of involvement of Pakistani officials. But I do think that Pakistan has a responsibility to act, and it doesn't matter that they're non-state actors." Last week, Rice traveled to the region to try to ease tension between India and Pakistan, both nuclear powers and key allies of the United States. While in New Delhi, India, she called on Pakistan to take responsibility for terrorists operating within its borders. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has said "stateless actors" carried out the attack while Indian authorities say they believe all the attackers were Pakistanis, specifically blaming Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), an Islamic militant group based in Pakistan. U.S. counterterrorism officials say signs point to LeT, and they haven't seen anything to rule it out. However, they have not definitively said the group is responsible. U.S. Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell said during an appearance Tuesday at Harvard University that the Mumbai attacks were carried out by the same group responsible for the parliament attack and a series of bomb explosions aboard trains and at railway stations in Mumbai in 2006 -- though he didn't specifically name LeT. LeT has denied any responsibility for the attacks, but a suspect in custody -- whom India has said was one of 10 gunmen in the attacks -- told interrogators he was trained by LeT, Indian authorities said. India said its forces killed nine gunmen. On Sunday, Rice said LeT and al Qaeda "tend to travel in the same circles," though she declined to directly link either group to the Mumbai attack. But she stressed that Pakistan is obligated to root out terrorists within its borders. "Well, I don't want to go into too much detail here because, obviously, in counterterrorism no one wants to tip the hand of what has happened here and what may happen in the future," Rice said. "The important thing now is to get these perpetrators and to prevent follow-on attacks. And Pakistan's cooperation, Pakistan's action, is absolutely essential to doing that." Asked about possible ties between Pakistan's government and LeT, Rice acknowledged "there have been historic ties -- there's no doubt about that." "But Pakistan is a different place now with a civilian government and an army leadership that is working in concert to try to bring an end to extremism within Pakistan," she said. "We have to remember that Pakistan itself has been suffering at the hands of extremism. So whatever the history here, and there is a history, the important thing is that Pakistan act against those who used Pakistani soil to perpetrate attacks."

Condoleezza Rice: "No doubt" Pakistani territory used by "probably non-state actors" Rice: Pakistan is obligated to root out terrorists within its borders . India has alleged Pakistan-based Islamic militant group linked to Mumbai attacks .

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LONE GROVE, Oklahoma (CNN) -- A scene of devastation emerged Wednesday as circling helicopters broadcast images of housing developments smashed by tornadoes and severe storms that killed at least eight people in south-central Oklahoma Tuesday. Rescue personnel search for potential trapped victims Wednesday in Lone Grove, Oklahoma. Storms ripped roofs off several homes and left twisted metal and other debris scattered across the area. Firefighters and emergency personnel were working with distressed residents. "It just happened really quickly. The sky darkened up and turned really, really green," truck driver Bruce Mundy told CNN from a truck stop in Oklahoma City early Wednesday morning. Watch aerial footage of destruction » . "It was just, like, one after another. As soon as you get calmed down there were more," he said. The storms had moved out of the state Wednesday morning after at least three tornadoes touched down in central and southern Oklahoma Tuesday, the National Weather Service said Wednesday. The one that hit Lone Grove at about 7:30 p.m. had an intensity of EF4 and winds of around 170 mph. The Enhanced Fujita scale measures the intensity of a tornado and its wind speeds based on the type of damage caused and rates it between EF0 and EF5. The first tornado, which hit Edmond between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., had an intensity ranging between EF0 and EF2, the NWS said. The service has not been able to determine an intensity for another tornado that hit near Langston about an hour later. In the aftermath of the storms, authorities acknowledged a heavy task ahead as emergency personnel and private citizens began the cleanup effort. iReport.com: Are you there? Share photos, video . "We're just trying to get stuff in people's hands," store owner Matt Wilson told CNN while handing out pry bars and flashlights to residents at his hardware store in Lone Grove, where heavy damage occurred. "But just about all of Lone Grove is without power." View a map of where tornadoes touched down » . Lone Grove, near the Texas line about 90 miles south of the capital, Oklahoma City, had all of the fatalities and most of the approximately 50 injuries caused by the storms, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. Watch funnel cloud touch down » . Also hit hard by the storms were the towns of Pawnee and Edmond, both north of the capital. Dramatic television footage of one storm showed large funnel clouds that darkened the sky as the storm approached. It mangled homes, snapped trees and crushed cars with debris as it touched down. Watch town where tornado leveled buildings » . "The wind started blowing really hard and then died down," a Lone Grove man told CNN affiliate KOCO-TV. Then, "all heck broke loose. I mean, it just broke loose. The whole house shook." Donetta Singleton, manager of Bill's Fish House in Lone Grove, said one tornado's path took it right past the restaurant. She said the post office was gone and a church was damaged. Lone Grove police said a trailer park was hit. Watch post-tornado damage » . Mercy Memorial Health Center in Ardmore, about eight miles east of Lone Grove, received 46 people with injuries -- seven considered major -- after the storms passed, said Shana Hammond, a hospital spokeswoman. About 6,000 OG&E customers are without power, including nearly 3,500 in Lone Grove, according to a statement released by the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management on Wednesday. CNN's Robyn Sidersky contributed to this report.

NEW: Cleanup begins after tornadoes reaching 170 mph tear through Oklahoma . Storms rip off roofs, scatter sheets of metal, other debris . Hardest hit is Lone Grove, about 90 miles south of the capital, Oklahoma City . Resident says post office is gone and a church is damaged .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Suspected Taliban militants blew up a government-run school Monday in Pakistan's violence-plagued Swat Valley, bringing to 183 the number of schools destroyed since fighting began in the area six months ago, officials said. Students gather outside a destroyed school on January 17 in Kundar in Pakistan's Swat Valley. A day earlier, radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah threatened to kill more than four dozen government officials if they did not appear before him for opposing the Taliban. Local newspapers on Monday printed the list of 50 government officials and tribal elders whom Fazlullah has threatened with death. The boy's high school that was destroyed was located in Mingora, the valley's main city, said Sher Afzal Khan, an education officer for Swat. The attack occurred early Monday and no one was wounded. Swat Valley, located in North West Frontier Province, was once Pakistan's biggest tourist destination. It is situated near the Afghanistan border and about 186 miles (300 km) from the capital city of Islamabad. The valley boasted the country's only ski resort and was a draw for trout-fishing enthusiasts until it was overrun by militants, led by Fazlullah. He has launched a violent and deadly campaign to enforce Taliban-style fundamentalist Islamic laws throughout the province. The militants want to require veils for women and beards for men, and to ban music and television. The central government has long exerted little control in the area, but it launched an intense military offensive in late July to flush out militants. As retaliation for the military presence, the Taliban has carried out a series of deadly bombings, and has said the attacks will continue until the troops pull out. Elsewhere in the North West Frontier Province, a blast killed five people and wounded 15 others Monday morning, officials said. The bomb, planted on a bicycle, went off in the town of Dera Ismail Khan, said Mohammad Riaz of the province's police force. It killed shopkeepers and pedestrians, added the town's police chief, Abdul Rashid. CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report.

Blast targets boy's high school in Mingora, Swat Valley . Monday attack marks 183rd school destroyed in past six months of fighting . Hundreds of people killed in wave of violence across North West Frontier Province .

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BIRMINGHAM, England -- Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele broke the two-mile world record at an international indoor meeting in Birmingham on Saturday. Bekele shaved 0.34 seconds off the record held by Gebrselassie. The reigning Olympic 10,000 meters champion, on the same track where compatriot Haile Gebrselassie achieved the previous fastest time, shaved 0.34 seconds off his fellow Ethiopian's mark with a time of 8 minutes 04.35 seconds. The women's 3,000 meters was won by another Ethiopian, front-running Gelete Burka, in 8:31.94 - the third-fastest time in history. Britain's Commonwealth champion Phillips Idowu warmed-up for next month's World Indoor Championships in Valencia by winning the triple jump with 17.21 meters. Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia set a world indoor record in the women's pole vault by clearing 4 meters 95 centimeters in Donetsk. She beat her own mark of 4.93m which she set last year at the same venue. It is the third consecutive year in which 25-year-old Isinbayeva, who has leaped 5.02 outdoors, broke the indoor mark in Donetsk. E-mail to a friend .

Kenenisa Bekele breaks the world two-mile record in Birmingham . He wins the event in 8 minutes 04.35 seconds. He is 0.34 seconds faster than compatriot Haile Gebrselassie's old record .

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(CNN) -- Christine Beatty, chief of staff for former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, pleaded guilty Monday to charges stemming from their text-messaging sex scandal case and will serve four months in jail, according to the Wayne County prosecutor's office. Under a plea deal, Christine Beatty, shown in August at an arraignment in Detroit, will serve five years probation. Beatty pleaded guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice, according to Maria Miller, the prosecutor's spokeswoman. Charges of perjury and misconduct against Beatty will be dropped as part of the plea arrangement, she said. Beatty agreed to a plea arrangement under which she will serve five years probation -- the first 120 days to be served in jail -- and pay a $100,000 fine, "based on [Beatty's] ability to pay," Miller said. Beatty will begin serving her jail sentence on January 5, when she will be formally sentenced, Miller said. Kym L. Worthy, prosecuting attorney for Wayne County, released a statement saying she is "very pleased that this defendant admitted her guilt." "We live in an age where greed and protecting one's secrets is glorified and accepted," Worthy said. "Now the city of Detroit, the region and the state of Michigan can truly begin to move forward when this ugly chapter in Detroit's history is put to rest." In September, Kilpatrick resigned as mayor and pleaded guilty to two felony obstruction of justice charges stemming from his efforts to cover up his relationship with Beatty. Like Beatty, Kilpatrick was sentenced to five years probation with the first four months to be served in jail. He is serving that sentence in the Wayne County jail. At the time of his sentencing in October, the judge in the case called Kilpatrick "arrogant and defiant," particularly for a televised speech that aired hours after Kilpatrick entered his pleas. "That night, the community expected to hear a message of humility, remorse and apology," Wayne County Circuit Judge David Groner said at Kilpatrick's sentencing. "Instead, we heard an arrogant and defiant man who accused the governor, among others, for his downfall." In addition to his jail and probation sentence, Kilpatrick must also pay the city of Detroit $1 million in restitution, and forfeit any future pension. Initially, Kilpatrick was accused of blocking a criminal investigation into his office and firing a police deputy to cover up an affair with Beatty, then his chief of staff. When that deputy, Gary Brown, filed a whistle-blower suit, Kilpatrick and Beatty denied under oath that an affair had taken place between them. Text messages that contradicted Kilpatrick's and Beatty's denials of an affair were made public in January by the Detroit Free Press, and county prosecutor Worthy charged Kilpatrick and Beatty with multiple counts of perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office. The most serious charges would have carried a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison upon conviction. Beatty resigned her post after the text messages were made public. Kilpatrick initially refused to resign after the scandal broke, and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm called a hearing on whether she should remove him from office at the request of the Detroit City Council. Granholm adjourned those hearings after Kilpatrick pleaded guilty and resigned in September.

Christine Beatty pleads guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice . Chief of staff for former Detroit, Michigan, mayor will serve four months in jail . She gets probation, $100,000 fine; perjury, misconduct charges to be dropped . Charges stemmed from text-messaging sex scandal involving mayor .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Capitol Police arrested a man Friday after an officer spotted a rifle in his car when he stopped the officer to ask for directions two blocks from the Capitol building. Police inspect the suspect's vehicle in Washington on Friday. Christopher Shelton Timmons, 27, has been charged with carrying a deadly weapon, having an unregistered firearm and having unregistered ammunition, Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider said. In addition to the rifle -- an AK-47 -- police found a grenade, a pistol, ammunition, loaded magazines "and several other items of concern to the police" in the Jeep Cherokee he was driving. Authorities said Timmons was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon in March in Albemarle County, Virginia, and served a month in jail. In that incident, Timmons had two grenades in his car, said Albemarle Police Chief John Miller. The pins had been removed and the grenades were filled with powder, authorities said. They had an adhesive on top to close them and a firecracker for a fuse. Law enforcement sources said the grenades were similar to an item found in Timmons vehicle Friday. That device has been taken to the FBI facility in Quantico, Virginia. Members of the joint terrorism task force are involved in the investigation, sources said, but so far no one is suggesting Timmons was planning an attack of some kind. CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena contributed to this report.

Police say suspect had AK-47, grenade, pistol, ammunition in car . Suspect Christopher S. Timmons was recently convicted on weapons charge . Timmons had stopped officer to ask directions .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Consumer advocates Wednesday hailed the settlement of a class-action lawsuit over Sears stoves in which the retailer agreed to install safety brackets for free to prevent the appliances from tipping over or provide other reimbursements. Stoves in danger of tipping over can be fixed for free under terms of a settlement announced Wednesday. According to the court-approved agreement, Sears will notify nearly 4 million customers who may have bought stoves between July 2000 and September 2007 that they either can get anti-tip safety brackets installed for free or receive gift cards or reimbursements of up to $100 to qualifying customers. The brackets keep the appliances bolted to the floor or wall to prevent them from tipping over. Such accidents have caused more than 100 deaths or injuries, mostly from scalding and burns, according to the nonprofit consumer group Public Citizen. The value of the settlement depends on how many customers respond to Sears' offer, but Public Citizen said it could end up costing the retailer more than $545 million. Watch to see if your stove is in danger of tipping » . In addition to paying $17 million in legal fees, Sears will install brackets on all new stoves for free for the next three years. "This agreement by Sears and the lawyers for the consumer is a real deal," said Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen. "This is a fantastic deal for a lawsuit to make this headway and get the protection for the consumer." Sears Holdings Corp. spokesman Chris Brathwaite said the plaintiffs' counsel is overestimating the settlement's monetary value. "The parties dispute many aspects of the case, including the value on this settlement -- which Sears estimates to be a small fraction of what plaintiffs' counsel estimates," Brathwaite said in a statement. Claybrook and other consumer advocates said they would like the Consumer Product Safety Commission to require anti-tip brackets for all stove installations. Installing brackets is now voluntary. Claybrook said the agreement "sets a model for what the Consumer Product Safety Commission should do and should have done. They've known about it for 25 years and done nothing." She said an amendment requiring anti-tip stove devices should be added to Senate legislation intended to beef up the safety commission. Commission spokeswoman Patty Davis disagreed, saying, "The statistics and risk do not support mandatory rule-making at this time. We believe the voluntary standards are working." Brathwaite said customers can visit the Web site http://www.searsrangesettlement.com/ for information. E-mail to a friend .

Sears agrees to install anti-tip safety brackets on stoves for free . Stoves tipping over blamed for than 100 deaths or injuries . Sears will install brackets for free on new stoves over the next three years . Consumer group says settlement may cost retailer more than $545 million .

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BOGOTA, Colombia (CNN) -- Preliminary DNA tests indicate a 3-year-old foster child is the son of a woman being held captive by leftist rebels, Colombian officials announced Friday. Clara Rojas appears in a video released by the kidnappers in July 2002. "There is a very high probability that Juan David belongs to the family of Clara Gonzalez de Rojas," Mario Iguaran Arana, the country's chief federal prosecutor, said at a news conference. The boy, known as "Emmanuel," has been at the center of a hostage drama that raised hopes the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia would liberate some of their hostages. The rebel group, known as FARC for its Spanish acronym, had agreed to release three hostages as part of a deal brokered by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. FARC said it would release Emmanuel along with his mother, Clara Rojas, and another woman, Consuelo Gonzalez, but the mission to free the captives fell apart December 31, when the rebel group said it could not release the hostages because of Colombian military operations in the area, according to a FARC statement Chavez read on Venezuelan television. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe denied the group's assertion, saying there were no combat operations in the area near the rebels, and he said the rebels could not release the three hostages because they did not have Emmanuel in custody. He raised the possibility that Emmanuel, who was born in captivity to Rojas, was living in a foster home in the Colombian capital of Bogota. Authorities in Colombia suspect the FARC duped child-welfare authorities by presenting the boy as a child in need of foster care in 2005, he said. On Friday, Iguaran Arana said initial DNA results will be checked against tests being done in European labs to verify the child's identity. There was no immediate response from Venezuela after the announcement concerning Emmanuel's DNA. However, a statement on the Venezuelan government's Web site from earlier Friday said the Colombian government had not allowed Venezuela to participate in the DNA testing. Established in 1964 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party, FARC is Colombia's oldest, largest, most capable and best-equipped Marxist rebel group, according to the U.S. Department of State. The United States, the European Union and Colombia classify it as a terrorist group. FARC has justified hostage-taking as a legitimate military tactic in a long-running and complex civil war that also has involved right-wing paramilitary units, government forces and drug traffickers. Fighting has waned, but not stopped, in recent years. Among the group's hostages are three American contractors who were captured when their plane went down in 2003 during a drug-eradication flight, and Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian independent presidential candidate who was kidnapped in 2002. Rojas was kidnapped in 2002 while she managed Betancourt's campaign. Betancourt is perhaps the best-known captive in Colombia, a country plagued by kidnapping. E-mail to a friend .

Colombian government: 3-year-old in foster home was likely born in captivity . Child was at center of hostage release drama . Rebel group had promised to release the boy, his mother, and another woman .

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BOGOTA, Colombia (CNN) -- Colombian President Alvaro Uribe announced Wednesday he is releasing all information on his and his family's income to show he did not invest in or make money from pyramid schemes that have defrauded millions. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe says he's releasing the information to help the government's fight against fraud. Uribe said he is releasing the information because some of the people running the frauds have told potential investors that he and his sons also have invested or are otherwise involved. There also were allegations made in a congressional debate this week that Uribe's sons had been involved with one of the main companies accused of fraud. "There's been slander against the good name of my family that I feel I must defend," a somber and angry-looking Uribe said in a short nationally televised speech. Officials have said the pyramid schemes took in at least $200 million from 3 million people this year. In the past five years, authorities said they believe the businesses took in $1 billion. Uribe said he is releasing the income information, dating to his youth, to help the government's continuing fight against fraud. "I do it in respect to the Colombian people, for transparency and to strengthen the moral authority in order to keep battling all the expressions of the crime," he said. The president also defended his two sons, Tomas and Jeronimo. "They are not involved in corruption," Uribe said. "My sons are not corrupt. My sons are not influence peddlers before the state. My sons do not rely on their father. My sons are not sons of daddy. My sons are not layabouts. My sons are not lazy men with salaries. My sons have chosen to be men of work, honest and serious." Officials last week arrested the head of a Colombian company accused of defrauding millions of investors. David Murcia Guzman, president of a company called DMG, was arrested in Panama and immediately deported to Colombia. Also last week, the Colombian government declared a state of emergency, allowing officials to take over businesses that have used pyramid schemes to steal millions from 3 million investors. The government immediately took over 60 DMG branches and shut the company's doors. Officials said they hope to liquidate some of the company's assets to repay defrauded investors. The emergency decree also stiffened jail time and fines for anyone found guilty of fraud. The government said the businesses defrauded the public by purporting to offer a sure investment. Speaking about the emergency measures last week, Interior Minister Fabio Valencia decried "the Mafia-like mentality" of those "who want to obtain easy money."

Pyramid schemes took in at least $200 million from 3 million this year, officials say . Colombia's leader says people falsely said he and his sons invested in schemes . President Alvaro Uribe: "There's been slander against the good name of my family" Firms defrauded public by purporting to offer a sure investment, government says .

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(CNN) -- It was an odd sight in Ethiopia's capital this week: a standing ovation for Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the man whom Ethiopian forces had removed from power in neighboring Somalia two years ago. Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Somalia's new president, answers questions at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa. He once led the Islamic Courts Union, which ruled much of Somalia in 2006 before it was routed by the Ethiopians. Now, Ahmed is the leader of Somalia's U.N.-backed transitional government -- and two days after his election to the post of president, he was welcomed with open arms at an African Union summit in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa. Two years after the invasion and the guerrilla war it provoked, Somalia has in some ways come full circle. Islamist militias control the country's capital and other key cities; the transitional government is trying to establish a foothold from outside the country; and Ahmed -- commonly known as "Sheikh Sharif" -- is in a position of power. But several analysts who have studied the region say the new government is in a much stronger position to establish itself inside Somalia and restore order to a country that has been mired in chaos for the past two decades. "The ascendancy of Sheikh Sharif provides an opportunity to create an inclusive coalition governing from the center outwards," said John Prendergast, co-chairman of the Enough Project, who studies the Horn of Africa for the Center for American Progress think tank. The transitional government is currently stranded in Djibouti, unable to return to Somalia after its base in Baidoa was seized last week by Al-Shabaab, a radical Islamist militia with ties to al Qaeda. Ahmed now stands at a crossroads between quelling the militia, which once was aligned with the ICU, and including more moderates in his future government, Prendergast said. "The fulcrum for change is in the hands of Sheikh Sharif's government," he said. "If he is able to put together an inclusive government -- even if it's only on paper, even if it's only in Djibouti -- I think it will quickly defuse any fervor of support for Shabaab." See a list of Somalia's key players » . Rise of Al-Shabaab . Al-Shabaab fighters took control of Baidoa hours after the remaining Ethiopian forces withdrew under a June 2008 cease-fire deal. Rashid Abdi, a Somalia analyst for the International Crisis Group, said the loss of Baidoa is "a clear indication that the transitional federal government has lost any grip -- whatever grip it had -- in Somalia." But Prendergast said the radical Islamist militia will most likely lose support among Somalis now that its "rallying cry" of getting the Ethiopian forces out of Somalia is gone. "What the Islamists did was, they wrapped themselves up in the mantle of Somali nationalism and, for the last two years, they have hitched their star to throwing the Ethiopians out," he said. Prendergast predicted that Al-Shabaab fighters "will sustain themselves for awhile and temporarily expand, but I don't envision it to be a long-term prospect at all." Last year, the United States put Al-Shabaab -- which means "The Youth" -- on its list of terrorist groups. Analysts say Al-Shabaab models itself after the Taliban's puritanical Islamic rule. See a timeline of recent events in Somalia » . Stig Jarle Hansen, a Nairobi, Kenya-based expert on Somalia for the Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research, said Al-Shabaab fighters have been trained in Afghanistan, and the group has "clear connections" to al Qaeda. There has been evidence that the group has extended its reach into the United States, as well. The FBI is investigating what appears to be a massive recruitment effort by Al-Shabaab in the United States' Somali communities, particularly in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where more than a dozen young men of Somali descent have gone missing in recent months. One member of Minneapolis' Somali community, Shirwa Ahmed, 27, blew himself up in an apparent suicide bombing in northern Somalia in October. Also, hours before U.S. President Barack Obama took the oath of office in January, the FBI was warned of a possible terrorist attack by Al-Shabaab that was timed to coincide with his inauguration. Prendergast said he expects Al-Shabaab's overseas ties to dry up now that its "clarion call" against Ethiopian forces is no longer valid. "Now that that fight is over, I don't see that money continuing, and I don't see the recruitment from Somalis like places from Minneapolis to continue successfully," he said. And Ken Menkhaus, a Davidson College professor and former adviser to U.N. missions in Somalia in the 1990s, said the militia's efforts to govern the territory it holds in southern Somalia has had mixed results, alienating many Somalis by imposing hardline Islamic law. Al-Shabaab now has to justify its continued presence "on the basis of what it's for -- and what it's for is not very popular among Somalis," Menkhaus said. The group is fraught with internal divisions and has already clashed with other militias over control of key neighborhoods in Mogadishu, he said. But if Al-Shabaab did manage to establish a government, there would be a "genuine fear" that al Qaeda could try to gain a foothold there. "It would guarantee proxy wars and conflicts between Somalis and non-Somalis that would just perpetuate this conflict," Menkhaus said. Military intervention in Somalia? The United States has conducted periodic airstrikes against Islamist leaders since 2006 and has long viewed Somalia as a possible haven for al Qaeda. But military intervention would not only be unpopular, it would only empower Al-Shabaab by handing it back its "raison d'etre," Prendergast said. "You don't immediately confront a group like this -- they are at their high point," he said. "You fight it politically and draw support slowly and patiently ... for clans and organizations in Somalia that don't really want them there. "Area by area, they'll kick them out, unless they make the mistake of sending U.N. troops." Susan Rice, the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told U.S. senators during her confirmation hearing that the situation in Somalia "has the potential to pose a serious and direct threat to our own national security." But she also expressed skepticism about the wisdom of sending in a U.N. peacekeeping mission to replace an existing African Union force, calling instead for more efforts by Somalia's neighbors and the international community to promote national reconciliation. J. Anthony Holmes, director of the Africa program for the Council on Foreign Relations, said there is "little appetite on the ground for sustained engagement" in Somalia. But because of its clan-based society, it is unlikely the country would emerge as "a breeding ground for terrorism," he said. Holmes said U.S. policy should focus more on longer-term issues -- such as addressing humanitarian and economic issues in the impoverished Horn of Africa country, where years of civil war and near-anarchy have left 1 million people displaced and 3 million needing food aid. The U.S. intervention in Somalia in the 1990s, in which Somali militiamen killed 18 American service members during a failed attempt to capture a Mogadishu warlord, had a chilling effect on U.S. policy toward Africa. Author and policy-maker Jared Cohen writes in his book, "One Hundred Days of Silence: America and the Rwanda Genocide" that the "catastrophe in Somalia was the catalyst for this unspoken decision not to intervene in places like Rwanda." As the new Obama administration gets its Africa policy in place, Washington is in a good position to exert some leverage in Somalia, Prendergast said. Previous U.S. counterterrorism efforts worked "at cross-purposes" with efforts to promote long-term stability and provide humanitarian aid, according to Menkhaus. He recommended that Somali leaders be given room to either marginalize or co-opt the opposition on their own. "I personally think that they will, if left to their own devices," Menkhaus said. "But Somalis are never left to their own devices." CNN's David McKenzie and Matt Smith contributed to this report.

Moderate Islamist is new leader of war-torn Somalia . Moderate leader has chance to form inclusive government, analyst says . Radical Islamist group still controls parts of Somalia . With departure of Ethiopian troops, radical Islamists lose rallying cry .

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(CNN) -- The Continental Airlines plane that crashed in Clarence Center, New York, late Thursday is one of several major incidents over the past two months. The wreckage of a Continental Airlines 737 sits off a runway at Denver International Airport in December. • On February 12, Continental Flight 3407 crashed en route to Buffalo, New York, killing 49 people. • On January 27, Empire Airlines Flight 8284 crashed 300 feet short while on approach to a runway at Lubbock International Airport in Texas. The plane was arriving from Fort Worth, Texas. The aircraft was destroyed by the crash and a post-impact fire. Two crew members suffered minor injuries. • On January 15, U.S. Airways Flight 1549 ditched in the Hudson River while en route from LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina. All 155 passengers survived, with few injuries. • On December 20, 2008, Continental Flight 1404 departed the left side of the runway during takeoff from Denver International Airport in Denver. The flight was en route to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. A total of 38 passengers and crew were taken to hospitals, and five were admitted. There were no fatalities. The airplane was substantially damaged and experienced a post-crash fire, which was located on the right side of the aircraft. CNN's Mike Ahlers contributed to this report.

Thursday's deadly plane crash in Buffalo is part of a spate of recent incidents . U.S. Airways Flight 1549 landed in Hudson River on January 15 . Continental Flight 1404 slides off runway during takeoff at Denver International Airport .

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(CNN) -- A high school dropout who stole the identity of a missing South Carolina woman and used it to gain admission to two Ivy League colleges has been arrested, police said Sunday. Esther Reed, who allegedly used a missing woman's ID to get into colleges, was arrested by U.S. Marshals. A fugitive for more than a year, Esther Reed was arrested Saturday by U.S. Marshals in suburban Chicago, said Clark Brazier, a spokesman for the police department in Traveler's Rest, South Carolina. Reed is scheduled to have a bond hearing this week in Illinois. South Carolina authorities are seeking to extradite her on charges of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. Reed assumed the identity of Brooke Henson, who was 20 years old when she disappeared more than eight years ago from Travelers Rest, investigators say. It's unclear how Reed obtained Henson's personal information, but Reed used Henson's identity to take the SAT and GED, and then applied to the schools, said Jon Campbell, a Travelers Rest Police Department investigator who spoke to CNN last year. Officials at Harvard University and Columbia University have acknowledged that a Brooke Henson was enrolled at their schools, but said privacy laws prevent them from discussing details. "There's a little relief that goes with [the news of Reed's arrest]," Brooke's aunt Lisa Henson told CNN Sunday. "But [Brooke] is still missing. I'd like to have some answers. I would love to see [Reed] and look her in the eye and say, 'You're a horrible person.' " Police say they're confident Reed was not involved in Henson's disappearance. Authorities believe Henson was killed by someone who knew her. However, no body has been found and no arrests have been made. Henson's family had heard nothing about their missing relative for years until the summer of 2006, when New York City authorities told police in Travelers Rest that they had found her, alive and well, in Manhattan. The police relayed that message to Henson's family. "I was jumping for joy," said Lisa Henson. "It was incredible." But the family's joy was short-lived when it was revealed that the woman found was actually Reed. An ex-boyfriend told CNN that Reed -- posing as Henson -- often bragged about being a world-class chess player who earned a living playing the game competitively. The man told CNN that he believed her until he challenged her to a game and beat her. Originally from the tiny town of Townsend, Montana, Reed had been reported missing by her family in 1999, around the same time that Henson disappeared. In high school in Montana, Reed earned poor grades. "Esther was the kind of kid who would have been invisible," her English teacher James Therriault said. "If you didn't take pains to notice her presence." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Gary Tuchman and Ashley Fantz contributed to this report.

Police: Esther Reed went missing the same time that Brooke Henson did . Reed assumed Henson's identity, took SAT and GED in her name, police say . Police believe Henson was killed but say Reed was not involved . Columbia University and Harvard confirmed that a Brooke Hanson was enrolled .

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DEKALB, Illinois (CNN) -- Eric Mace says he thought he was giving his daughter good advice by asking her to sit up front in class. Ryanne Mace was 19 when she was killed last year in a shooting rampage at Northern Illinois University. "I'd like you to sit in the front row of every class that you're in and constantly drag information out of these people, and if you don't understand what they're talking about, raise your hand and say, 'I don't get it' until you get it," Mace recalled telling her. His daughter, 19-year-old Ryanne, took that advice. Now, he wishes she would have sat somewhere else. Mace believes that Ryanne was probably one of the first to be killed in the Northern Illinois University shootings a year ago, because she was in the front row in the lecture at Cole Hall. "She was, from what I understand, in the front row of that room and was probably the first one that had shots fired at her after the gentleman that was on stage," Mace said. "It's not an easy thing to carry, but I shouldn't have to carry it, either." Ryanne was Eric and Mary Kay Mace's only child. She was one of five NIU students killed on Valentine's Day last year by Steven Kazmierczak, a former NIU student who was attending graduate school at the University of Illinois in Champaign. "It's difficult. There's always an ache, loneliness and a longing. We're going to miss her every day for the rest of our lives," Mary Kay Mace said. Her husband added, "I go to bed thinking about her. I wake up in the morning thinking about her. Any time that I've a free moment, it will pop up." The Maces said they would like to know more about the police investigation into the shooting and Kazmierczak's history of mental illness. Police records provided to CNN indicate that he had a long history of mental problems, including several suicide attempts. The parents also are angry that he was able to buy guns. Because Kazmierczak had not been in a mental facility for more than five years, he was legally able to purchase those weapons in Illinois -- and on the firearms application form Kazmierczak filled out, he stated that he had never been adjudicated "mentally defective" and had never been "committed to a mental institution." See some of Kazmierczak's mental health records » . "I don't know if they don't report it if he's a juvenile with the mental illness on his record or what. But somewhere along the line, the pertinent information didn't get into the right database, and he could waltz out of a store with a legally purchased weapon," Mary Kay Mace said. "And I don't get that. That is what makes me angry." Now, the Maces have started a scholarship foundation for psychology majors in honor of their daughter. And they hope that what happened a year ago is never forgotten. "I don't want them to forget a single detail about it, because the details aren't going to change just by forgetting about them," Eric Mace said.

Steven Kazmierczak carried out shooting spree at Northern Illinois February 14, 2008 . Father of Ryanne Mace told his daughter to always sit on the front row of class . "There's always an ache, loneliness and a longing," says Ryanne Mace's mother . Parents want to know more details about the shooting and the killer .

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CLARENCE CENTER, New York (CNN) -- President Obama on Friday praised Beverly Eckert, the widow of a September 11 victim and a prominent post-9/11 activist, who was one of the passengers who died in a plane crash outside Buffalo, New York. Sean Rooney and wife Beverly Eckert in an undated photograph. "Beverly lost her husband on 9/11," Obama said, "and became a tireless advocate for the families whose lives were forever changed on that September day." A resident of Stamford, Connecticut, Eckert was the widow of Buffalo native Sean Rooney, who died at the World Trade Center. Obama's words underscored the shock and grief from friends, family and acquaintances over the news that Eckert was aboard the Continental Connection Flight 3407. The turboprop plane crashed Thursday, killing all 49 aboard and one person on the ground. "Tragic events such as these remind us of the fragility of life and the value of every single day. And one person who understood that well was Beverly Eckert, who was on that flight and who I met with just a few days ago," Obama said in brief remarks. Obama met Eckert at a gathering of September 11 victims' families on Friday. Valerie Lucznikowska, a member of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, said she, Eckert and another woman traveled to Washington for the meeting. Lucznikowska said Eckert asked Obama whether the group would have ongoing meetings with his administration. Obama said there would be, even though they wouldn't necessarily be with him. After the 2001 terrorist attacks, Eckert co-founded Voices of September 11, an advocate group for survivors and families. Eckert had a reputation as a strong campaigner of September 11 families, involved in protests leading to more land for a ground zero memorial, working on the September 11 Commission's Family Steering Committee and pushing for a victims' families compensation fund. She was traveling to Buffalo for a celebration of what would have been her husband's 58th birthday. Eckert planned to take part in presenting a scholarship award at Canisius High School that was established in honor of her late husband, who was an alumnus, according to the school's president, John Knight. Obama mentioned the scholarship plans in his remarks Friday. "In keeping with that passionate commitment, she was on her way to Buffalo to mark what would have been her husband's birthday and launch a scholarship in his memory. She was an inspiration to me and to so many others, and I pray that her family finds peace and comfort in the hard days ahead," Obama said. Lucznikowska, whose nephew died in the World Trade Center attacks, said she was "horribly saddened by this news." "I would very much like to honor her. She was truly a wonderful person. She was someone who was trying to make society better." Eckert backed Peaceful Tomorrows' effort to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and end the military commissions there, Lucznikowska said. The group elaborated on this stance in a signed letter to Obama, and Eckert gave a presidential aide a separate letter listing her own concerns, Lucznikowska said. Knight said Canisius High postponed the scholarship presentation, set to occur at noon Friday, for two students entering the high school next fall. He said Eckert also had been active in a capital campaign fundraising effort. "She struck me as a wonderful, beautiful person who clearly wanted to do something to remember her husband in a way that would have an everlasting impact on our community," Knight said. Gordon Felt, president of the Families of Flight 93 Inc., the plane that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, also expressed his grief. "We note with deep sorrow the passing of Beverly Eckert in the Buffalo plane crash. She was a 9/11 family member who brought to light issues of importance to all of us -- and to all Americans. We extend our condolences to her family and to all those who loved her. She will be missed." Jay Winuk, a September 11 organizational leader who lost his brother in the World Trade Center, said that although he did not know Eckert personally, "it is clear that she was a terrific advocate for the 9/11 family community." CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report.

President Obama says Beverly Eckert was "tireless advocate" Eckert was the widow of a September 11 terrorist attack victim . She was on way to Buffalo to mark what would have been husband's 58th birthday . Eckert had co-founded advocacy group for September 11 survivors, families .

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(CNN) -- For five generations, the Meserve/Kunhardt family has been the collector and custodian of some of the most valuable photographs and memorabilia of Abraham Lincoln. Peter W. Kunhardt, left, Philip B. Kunhardt III and Peter W. Kunhardt Jr. co-authored "Looking for Lincoln." In fact, eminent Lincoln historian Harold Holzer said there's only one other family that's contributed more "to our understanding of America's most enduring leader," and that's the Lincolns themselves. "The Kunhardts -- and before them, their ancestor Frederick Hill Meserve -- have been active, and crucial for generations, in preserving Lincoln's image for posterity," Holzer said. "Mr. Meserve literally saved photos from destruction, then cataloged and analyzed them. Later members of the family wrote seminal books incorporating the family-owned archive into the stories of Lincoln's life and death." The family collection was the basis for the new book, "Looking for Lincoln" (Knopf), and for a PBS documentary. One of the book's co-authors, 26-year-old Peter W. Kunhardt Jr., has now joined the family business as assistant director of the Meserve-Kunhardt Foundation. Kunhardt, who recently earned a master's degree in art business and photography, also works on the Gordon Parks Foundation, a division of the Meserve-Kunhardt Foundation, which includes the life's work of the pioneering African-American photographer. Kunhardt spoke with CNN in an interview and follow-up conversations about the extraordinary family history. CNN: Tell us about your family. Peter W. Kunhardt Jr: I'm the fifth generation to be working on Lincoln. My great-great-grandfather was a man by the name of Frederick Hill Meserve. His father, William Neal Meserve, was a soldier in the Civil War who was wounded at the battle of Antietam, and he kept a diary of the entire time he was in war. That diary was illustrated by his son, Frederick Hill Meserve, years after the war through collecting photography. He became one of the leading collectors of 19th-century American photography. ... At that time photography was still quite new. In the late 19th century, the war-weary nation lost its interest in the images of that era. Many glass negatives were thought to be worthless. The emulsion was washed off, and many were used to build greenhouses. Meserve wrote a book in 1911 called "Photographs of Abraham Lincoln." He became obsessed with Lincoln. Lincoln was the first president to be photographed while in office. Meserve's goal in life was to find and catalog all the existing images of Lincoln, of which we now know there were about 120. Each photograph in Meserve's book, which he updated for the next half century, was given an "M" number. Part of our work was to update his numbering system and establish a new national standard. Then his daughter Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt, she became heavily involved with Lincoln scholarship and the collection as well. She was the author of the children's book, "Pat the Bunny," which ... as everyone knows today, it's one of the most popular children's books. She worked with her father on Lincoln publications and continued to collect Lincoln. The collection was passed to Philip Kunhardt Jr., my grandfather, who eventually passed this collection of photographs on to my father and uncle, who were my co-authors in this book, "Looking for Lincoln." My grandfather, father and uncle wrote a book on Lincoln in 1992 called "Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography," using the contents of the collection. Each generation has continued the fascination with the collection but with a special interest in Abraham Lincoln. CNN: What's your involvement now in the collection? Kunhardt: My role is the assistant director of the Meserve-Kunhardt Foundation. The foundation was established in 2002 by my father and uncle in order to preserve our family's collection and make it available to the public. During the past century, the collection had grown so large that we decided it was finally time to place it in public hands. That is why we first formed the Meserve-Kunhardt Foundation. And this year the collection will be moved to the Neuberger Museum of Art at the State University of New York in Purchase, New York, and the Purchase Library at SUNY, where it will be made available to students and scholars. CNN: Was there ever any doubt in your mind that you wanted to go into this field? Kunhardt: I was an art history major at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts. I've always been fascinated with our collection. I was flattered to be asked to help with this project, the Lincoln book. I've been an intern since I was about in fifth grade. I've grown up knowing this collection very well, putting everything in plastic sleeves. Then when we found out that they weren't of archival quality, I had to change them to polyester sleeves. It's really been a family love. We've all grown up with this collection. A great portion of this collection is now housed at the National Portrait Gallery. It was sold after my great-grandmother's death. CNN: What are some of the most valuable parts of the collection? Kunhardt: It includes many gems, like Alexander Gardner's oversized portrait of Lincoln that was taken just before he went to Gettysburg. As a young boy, I remember it hanging on the walls of our home. We also own the bronze life mask of Lincoln cast by Leonard Volk. CNN: Was Lincoln particularly interested in being photographed? Kunhardt: It was his way of reaching out to a wider audience. It was a process that was so slow, he had to sit for long periods of time with a neck brace in order to be photographed because the exposure time was forever. There are pictures where if he moved just slightly, the picture was blurry. Crowd scenes are always blurry because you couldn't make the crowd stay still. CNN: What's the story of the Gordon Parks Foundation? Kunhardt: My grandfather Philip Kunhardt was managing editor of Life magazine. He and Gordon became close personal friends, and shortly before both of them died in 2006, my grandfather showed Gordon how we were preserving our 19th-century collection. After Gordon's death, his estate placed all of his photographs with us, and we formed the Gordon Parks Foundation. CNN: What else are you working on? Kunhardt: Our next book is "Lincoln Life Size," which will be published in September 2009. We're taking the Lincoln photographs and blowing them up to the actual size of Lincoln's face ... and it will include his own reactions to some of the photographs.

Meserve-Kunhardt family has been collecting Lincoln items for five generations . Frederick Hill Meserve began collecting endangered Lincoln photographs . He published groundbreaking work on images of the 16th president . His descendants have carried on and expanded his work .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy arrested nine more suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia Thursday -- the second capture in two days -- after receiving a distress call from an Indian-flagged commercial ship. Suspected pirates are arrested in the Gulf of Aden. According to the Navy announcement, at 4 a.m. local time the Indian-flagged Premdivya sent a distress call to all ships in the area reporting that she had been fired upon by a small skiff, and suspected pirates were attempting to board it. A U.S. Navy helicopter crew was launched from the USS Vella Gulf and fired two warning shots at the small boat to get them to stop. A Navy boarding team was then launched to investigate the skiff's crew and found rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons on board the small craft, according to Navy officials. The suspected pirates were taken aboard the USS Vella Gulf and processed. They'll be moved to a temporary holding facility aboard the larger USNS Lewis and Clark, according to the statement. The Navy is now holding a total of 16 suspected pirates while the U.S. and Kenyan governments work out legal details on how the suspects will be moved to Kenya for prosecution. Last month, the United States and Kenya signed an agreement saying that suspected pirates captured by U.S. ships will be moved to Kenya to be tried for their crimes. The capture Wednesday of seven suspected pirates marks the first time the United States was able to capture and hold pirates since its forces began patrolling the dangerous waters off Somalia. Piracy has become a chronic problem off the Horn of Africa in recent years, with some pirates operating from largely lawless Somalia. Pirates attacked nearly 100 vessels and hijacked as many as 40 in the waters off the coast of Somalia in 2008, according to the International Maritime Bureau. The task force led by the Vella Gulf was set up in January in an effort to clamp down on the attacks in the region, the southern approach to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

Nine suspects arrested off the coast of Somalia . Second arrests in two days . United States, Kenya working out legal details .

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(CNN) -- Japan may withdraw the last of its military mission in Iraq by the end of the year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday. Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force was initially deployed in 2004 to help in reconstruction and left in 2006. Japan's Air Self-Defense Force has been airlifting materials and troops between Kuwait and Iraq since 2006 to support U.S.-led coalition forces. "The political and security situations have improved," and the Iraqi government suggested it wants countries to downsize their presence, Defense Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters, according to the Kyodo news agency. Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said Japan will discuss an official schedule for ending the mission with the United States, the United Nations and Iraq. Withdrawal would mark the end of Japan's military presence in Iraq. The country's Ground Self-Defense Force was initially deployed in 2004 to help in reconstruction and left in 2006. The Japanese Navy continues to take part in refueling missions in support of the U.S.-led coalition in and around Afghanistan. Except for a three-month hiatus, Japan had been refueling coalition warships taking part in interdiction operations against terrorists in the Indian Ocean since 2001. As an officially pacifist nation since losing World War II, Japan's participation in these missions has been controversial.

Japan may withdraw the last of its military mission in Iraq by the end of the year . Japan's military has airlifted materials, troops between Kuwait and Iraq since 2006 . Japanese ground force deployed in Iraq in 2004 to aid reconstruction left in 2006 . Japanese Navy continues refueling missions in support of coalition in Afghanistan .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- A nude photograph of pop singer Madonna was sold for $37,500 Thursday afternoon at a Christie's Art House auction. Christie's auctioned this nude photo of Madonna (partially shown) taken by Lee Friedlander for $37,500. The photo, originally expected to go for between $10,000 and $15,000, was purchased for more than double its original estimated selling price, a Christie's spokesperson confirmed. The 13-inch by 8 5/8-inch framed photograph was purchased by an anonymous bidder over the phone. The full frontal photograph was one of several taken by American photographer Lee Friedlander in 1979. Madonna, then a cash-strapped student, received $25 for the entire photo shoot. Most of the pictures from the shoot were ultimately featured in Playboy magazine in 1985.

Nude photograph of Madonna taken when she was student in 1979 . Lee Friedlander pic sold by Christie's for $37,500 . Anonymous bidder made purchase over the phone .

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(CNN) -- The U.S. Treasury Department will begin selling bonds Wednesday to help the Federal Reserve, which has had to loan out an unprecedented amount of money to businesses because of the credit crisis. CNN's Ali Velshi says the Fed needs access to large amounts of cash to keep Wall Street confident. The Fed announced Tuesday it would authorize the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to lend up to $85 billion over two years to insurance giant American International Group. In return, the government will receive a 79.9 percent stake in the company, which has 74 million clients in 130 countries. The first Treasury auction for the central bank will be for $40 million. The Treasury bills will mature in 35 days, allowing the Fed access to quick cash. But what does this mean to American taxpayers and an ailing U.S. economy? CNN senior business correspondent Ali Velshi breaks it down. Q: What does this mean in layman's terms? A: The Federal Reserve keeps a lot of money in supply to help banks, and basically, when they help them, it means they loan them money. As this credit crisis intensified, the Fed invited more and more banks to come and borrow from it and would accept collateral that was not as high-quality as it would typically accept. The Fed was the lender of last resort for a bank; you paid a premium to borrow money from the Fed, and you had to give them your best collateral. What's happening now is you still pay a premium, but you can go with lower collateral. The thinking behind that is the more banks feel free to go to the Fed to borrow money, the less likely they are to get money at higher interest from other sources and the less likely they are to fail as a result. In other words, if they feel that there is an ability to borrow money from the Fed -- if they absolutely have to to stay afloat -- that facility is there. Well, the number of banks that have taken advantage of this has caused the reserve at the Federal Reserve to go from about $800 billion to, by some estimates, as low as $200 billion. And when they do things like the bailout of AIG, that's where that money comes from. Watch experts discuss what the bailout means for consumers » . So you do the math, and there's some sense that the Fed could run out of money to finance these banks, to give loans. And just the idea that the Fed could run out of that money causes Wall Street to panic because it says, "If four more banks were to fail, the Fed wouldn't have money to bail them out, so we're in a bad situation." So the thinking is: Let's increase the Federal Reserve's reserve, and that's what this auction is. It's the first in a series of auctions -- this one will be for $40 billion -- where the Treasury on behalf of the Federal Reserve issues bonds that they will sell at auction, the way they normally do, and they'll be for 35-day periods. So the Fed gives out those bonds, and in exchange, gets cash and the Fed sits on that cash and uses it for whatever it needs. Q: Why would the government bail out a company like AIG but let Lehman Brothers file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection? A: Speaking frankly, the world can do without another investment firm. If an investment bank fails, any remaining investment bank can hire more people and take their jobs. AIG is not an investment bank. As a principal insurer, it insures consumers, it insures businesses and it insures business ventures, so it's not just that your corner store needs insurance. AIG insures things like rigs and Hollywood movies and those subprime mortgage-backed securities. The utter failure of business that would ensue from a failure of AIG would be catastrophic and would actually leave the government having to pick up a few things along the way. The best analogy I've been able to come up with is to use an automaker. When you think about putting an automaker out of business, you put tire makers out of business, you put seat makers out of business, you put all sorts of things out of business. It's the same thing with AIG. There are tentacles. They're just so connected to so many other parts of the economy that the government deemed it more dangerous and potentially more expensive to the economy to have it fail than to give them this loan. Q: What does this mean to the American taxpayer? A: If AIG gets the financing it needs, the taxpayer is actually doing OK. The government is charging such high interest to AIG, and they've got a guarantee of 80 percent of the company, so this may not be a bad deal for the government, and the interest is high enough to discourage others from coming cap in hand to the government. If you realize that maybe the government will bail you out as a last resort but you're going to pay 12 percent interest on the loan, that's expensive. For a business to be paying 12 percent for their money is very expensive. Q: What sort of interest can an investor expect from something like this? A: When the Federal Reserve loans money out to banks, these are short loans. They've typically been under a month. They can be extended under new emergency rules, but typically speaking, they're all supposed to be "bridge loans," immediate financing while some sort of problem is sorted out. The loan to AIG is a 24-month bridge loan, so obviously these 35-day bonds are not great, but the idea is that money that is borrowed by the Federal Reserve in exchange for a bill is as safe as it gets. That is backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The government can borrow money probably for less than most people can because this gets sold to investors who want safety. It's not a premium. The government's not going to pay a lot of interest on this, but it's a very safe loan. If you're an investor who's looking for a small but absolutely safe return for 35 days, this might be an option for you. Q: These bonds are not available to the individual investor? A: Not at all. It's not something that individuals buy. It's all done commercially. Q: The U.S. government says it will charge AIG roughly 12 percent interest for this rescue loan, but that's not comparable to what an investor would earn by buying these bonds? A: Not at all. I don't know what the rate is and that' s because it's an auction -- it's determined that way. I would be surprised if there's any material spread between that and an equivalent Treasury. If you buy a Treasury, it trades on a daily basis. I'm guessing this is actually more of a straight bond in that you'll buy it and that'll be your rate until you redeem it, but I could be wrong. I don't know the machination of that. It's a safe, safe, safe investment. It's the United States government backing the investment. Q: And by being a safe investment, it dictates a lower return? A: Correct. Q: So the fact that the Fed, by some estimates, is low on cash and having to bail out a weak economy, that doesn't negatively affect the government's bond rating? A: It doesn't have an effect on the rating. The way things happen at these auctions sometimes is that regardless of the good rating, sometimes they're oversubscribed and sometimes they're undersubscribed. It has more to do with the needs of the market. If the market needs the money, they'll sell quickly. It's not the equivalent of printing new money; it's borrowing more money. The government is simply issuing a loan based on its own credit. Q: Is the Treasury auction then a result of the weak economy or is it directly linked to the AIG rescue loan? A: It's directly linked to the moves that the Federal Reserve has taken to shore up financial services, and AIG would be key among those. Q: The government has said the rescue loan is backed by AIG's considerable assets, which total about $1.1 trillion. If reports are correct that the government is planning on selling off many of these assets to get its money back, why does it need to issue these bonds? A: Two separate issues. Regarding AIG, the government gets 80 percent of the assets as collateral. They're not free to sell them. The company has to sell them, and as they do so and repay the government, the 80 percent hold can be diminished. You may not need any of that to cover AIG. The bond issuance here has got more to do with the fact that the reserves that the Fed keeps have dwindled from about $800 billion to an estimate -- and I should tell you that's an outside estimate, not the Fed's estimate -- of about $200 billion, so they are just looking for methodology to increase the reserve. I don't think it's meant to say that the Fed is losing $85 billion of its $200 billion, and that $85 billion is covered. It's a separate transaction. It's the idea that we need to have enough money to keep Wall Street confident that we can move in and rescue a bank if we have to.

U.S. Treasury to hold its first bond auction Wednesday, for $40 billion . CNN's Ali Velshi says the Fed needs more money to keep Wall Street confident . AIG has so many "tentacles," allowing it to go under could've been catastrophic . High interest on $85B loan, government stake in AIG could bode well for taxpayers .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- His life has never been easy. Born into poverty and war, his ears and tail were chopped off when he was just a few months old in preparation for dog-fighting. He escaped to find a better life, only to be trapped in lonely, sterile quarantine for six months. Bear plays for the first time out of quarantine after coming to Britain from Afghanistan. But all that changed Monday when Bear the dog stepped out of British quarantine and through the doors of a London animal shelter. "He's absolutely a loving dog," said former British Royal Marine Paul "Penny" Farthing, who helped bring Bear to England. "He just loves people. It's a good thing he was brought back to the U.K. when he was quite young, so he's never gone through having to fend for himself in the street and be made to dogfight." An unknown soldier in Afghanistan first found Bear last year and brought him to a local Afghan animal shelter. The shelter wasn't able to care for Bear, so it contacted Farthing, who now runs a charity for stray and abandoned animals, primarily dogs from Afghanistan. Farthing's Nowzad Dogs is named for the Afghan town where he was based for a few months in 2006. He asked Mayhew International, an arm of London's Mayhew Animal Home, to help find Bear a new home. Mayhew International says Bear is one of the few dogs it has brought back to Britain. Usually it tries to find animals new homes within their own countries. "Although Mayhew International does not encourage people to bring dogs to the U.K. from abroad as a general policy, we made an exception in this case as it was the perfect opportunity to highlight the plight of thousands of stray animals in Afghanistan," the organization said in a statement. Bear's story may be unique, but he is certainly not alone. Mayhew International, which works around the world to educate people about animal welfare, says there are countless dogs in Afghanistan that are homeless or trapped in a life of dogfighting -- an increasingly popular pastime in Afghanistan. "Animal welfare is not looked so highly upon in Afghanistan," said Christopher Sainsbury, Mayhew's international projects officer. "In war-torn areas, people tend to forget the animal welfare side of things. [We want to] make people aware that this is a key side of things that needs to be assessed, needs to be worked on." Bear is a Koochi dog, a large breed common in Afghanistan, according to Dr. Mohammadzai Abduljalil, a Mayhew veterinarian from Afghanistan. While no one knows Bear's exact age, Abduljalil said they believe he is just about a year old. You wouldn't know it by Bear's size. He's already a large dog nearly 3 feet high with large paws to match. Stepping into the Mayhew play area Monday for the first time, Bear made sure to sniff every corner of the room and mark his territory a few times before settling in to play. He had a puppy's curiosity and quickly started playing fetch and tug-of-war with Farthing, wagging enthusiastically the small part of his tail which is left. Bear is lucky. He escaped a violent and uncertain future in Afghanistan. Not so for many other dogs left behind. It is those dogs that Farthing hopes to help with his charity. "They need someone to look after them, so why not me?" Farthing said. It began when the Royal Marines arrived in the war-torn town of Now Zad, in Afghanistan's Helmand province, in October 2006. They found stray dogs wandering the streets, scavenging for food, dodging bullets and seeking shelter from the hot days and cold nights. Many were also being used for dogfighting, with their ears and tails docked to make the fights last longer and give their opponents less to bite. Farthing and other Marines began to feed and care for a few dogs that wandered into their camp. At first they had three dogs, but other strays soon figured out the camp was a source of food and shelter, and before long the Marines found themselves caring for seven dogs and 14 puppies. Time was running out, however. The Marines were due to leave Now Zad in February 2007 and knew they couldn't take the dogs with them. They looked for some way to make sure the dogs would be taken care of after they left. That's when Farthing first contacted Mayhew International. They put him in touch with a small shelter in northern Afghanistan that Mayhew had assisted since its inception, providing advice and veterinary support. The shelter offered to take the dogs on one condition: The Marines had to arrange for the dogs' transfer to Kabul, a difficult and dangerous three days' drive away. Finding a taxi willing to accept dogs was the first hurdle; the second was that the drivers refused to allow the dogs to be transported in Western-style cages, which would give away to the Taliban that the car was carrying foreigners. Instead, the dogs had to be tied with ropes, the Afghan way, and the puppies had to be stashed in small crates -- in this case, a bird cage. "A lot was done on trust," Farthing told CNN. "The Afghans did it as a favor to us. We paid for some of their fuel and their costs, but it was fantastic. It was them helping us out. They didn't have to do it. It shows that the people of Afghanistan and us, we can work together." In the end, most of the dogs made it to Kabul, but not without casualties. Two were left behind for lack of room in the taxi, and two more escaped along the way when a car door was accidentally left open. Three of the largest puppies were stolen, probably for dog fighting. Three dogs and eleven puppies finally made it to the shelter, but nine of the puppies later died due to an outbreak of disease and shortage of vaccines. Sainsbury, of Mayhew International, says the story of the Now Zad dogs and of Bear shows their efforts can help animals, even if it's just one at a time. Mayhew International works with organizations already established in developing countries to plan mass sterilization drives that reduce the number of unwanted animals. They also train veterinary surgeons in modern neutering techniques that are quick and humane. "The way that war makes looking after animal welfare harder is quite clear," Sainsbury said. "Animal welfare gets forgotten and it becomes a back-burner because organizations ... that were working in those war-torn countries will probably be unable to operate any longer. They'll be unable to aid the populations of stray and community animals which would rely on their help originally." Mayhew CEO Caroline Yates said staff have no idea how long it will take for Bear to find a new home. They hope the publicity surrounding his arrival in Britain will encourage people to think about adopting him. Yates said they hope to have him adopted within a month. Said Farthing, "To be able to help just one [dog] is a reward in itself and a huge step to highlighting the undocumented suffering that animals in all war zones are subjected to."

Bear the dog was born into poverty, had ears and tail chopped off for dogfighting . Unknown soldier in Afghanistan first found Bear last year . Royal Marines made preparations with company and locals to transport dogs . Marine: "It shows that the people of Afghanistan and us, we can work together"

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MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- The Russian Orthodox Church enthroned a new leader Sunday at Moscow's spectacular Christ the Savior Cathedral in a ceremony attended by Russian leaders and Christian delegations from around the world. Patriach Kirill is the first new leader of the Russian Orthodox Church since the collapse of communism. Patriarch Kirill, 62, becomes first new leader of the church since the fall of communism, and the first enthroned in the Cathedral since it was rebuilt at the end of the 1990s. Russian first lady Svetlana Medvedeva was the first person to receive the Eucharist from the new Patriarch, Russia's Interfax news agency reported. Russian Orthodox Church leaders chose Kirill Tuesday to replace Patriarch Alexy II, who died in December. Kirill, who became acting head of the church after Alexy died, is seen as a modernizer. He chaired the church's department for external relations starting in 1989. Kirill becomes the 16th Patriarch since the position was created in 1589. The appointment is for life. He met Pope Benedict XVI recently, one of the highest-level meetings between Roman Catholic and Orthodox leaders since the two churches split more than 1,000 years ago. The late Pope John Paul II was repeatedly denied permission to visit Russia. Kirill said before he was elected Tuesday that the Russian Orthodox Church should work with other Christian faiths to support "those partners who are ready to oppose, together with us, the marginalization of religion, to speak out for believers' rights and to build one's life according to one's own principles, to defend the underlying meaning of morality in the life of an individual and society." Alexy, 79, died December 5 after 18 years at the head of the church. He is credited with reviving the denomination after years of communist rule.

Patriarch Kirill becomes first new leader of church since fall of communism . Kirill is seen as a modernizer and has met Pope Benedict XVI . Patriarch Alexy II died December 5 after 18 years as head of the church .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Three Chinese nationals accused of importing thousands of counterfeit luxury handbags in the United States have been arrested in the past two days, federal authorities announced Thursday. Shoppers sort through counterfeit brand name luxury bags and wallets on a Hong Kong street. "This was a sophisticated criminal conspiracy that trafficked millions of dollars of counterfeit goods from China, profiting off the backs of legitimate companies and their hard-working employees," said Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher. Authorities call it one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered, involving about 300,000 bags and wallets with names like Burberry, Gucci and Coach. For customers who bought the knockoffs, it seemed like a deal. They paid a total of about $16 million for what would have been more than $100 million in handbags, purses and wallets in legitimate retail sales. The alleged leaders of the counterfeit operations are three Chinese citizens living in New York. Chong Lam, 49, and Joyce Chan, 39, were arrested there Wednesday. Eric Yuen, 39, was arrested Thursday in Las Vegas, Nevada. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who made the arrests began investigating the alleged scheme five years ago, after raids turned up counterfeit goods. The indictment was secretly returned in Richmond, Virginia, in October. The charges were unsealed when the alleged conspirators were taken into custody. Authorities seized and froze 29 bank accounts and three New York properties. The Chinese defendants will be taken to Richmond, where they will be arraigned at a later date, officials said. E-mail to a friend .

Authorities call it one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered . Official: Scheme profited "off the backs of legitimate companies" Counterfeit operation allegedly involved 300,000 high-end bags and wallets . The alleged leaders are three Chinese citizens living in New York .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush Pentagon tried to find loopholes in the Geneva Conventions for its "ghost detainee" program in Iraq and to delay the release of Guantanamo Bay prisoners to avoid bad press, three human rights groups contend. The Pentagon considered delaying the release of detainees from Guantanamo Bay because of criticism. Pentagon documents discuss CIA and Pentagon detention activities earlier this decade and indicate coordination between agencies in hiding internees from the Red Cross. Amnesty International USA, New York University's Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, and the Center for Constitutional Rights obtained the material through a Freedom of Information Act request and released it Thursday. "It's obvious that Defense officials engaged in legal gymnastics to find ways to keep detainees off the books," said Meg Satterthwaite, faculty director of the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice. "A full accounting of all agencies' responsibilities must now take place to ensure that these abuses don't continue under a different guise." President Obama has signed an order closing the Guantanamo detention facility in Cuba and prohibiting CIA prisons. However, the order allows the CIA to detain people temporarily. It is not known whether the Pentagon or the CIA still holds "ghost detainees," Satterthwaite said, referring to people housed at secret facilities. The Pentagon issued an information paper May 28, 2004, on the "applicability of the Geneva Conventions to 'Ghost Detainees' in Iraq." Its purpose was to clarify the law about such detainees. The Geneva Conventions spell out international humanitarian law and authorize the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit prisoners during armed conflicts. The Pentagon's information paper said that if "absolute military security" requires it, the conventions permit the holding of persons "who participated in activities hostile to the security of the occupying power." Specific examples would be "spies and saboteurs," the paper said. Although the Red Cross must be notified of such detentions, "persons who have committed such acts are considered to have forfeited the rights of communication," the paper said. "Normally the ICRC has the right to go to all places where protected people are detained," the paper said. But, it added, such visits can be denied temporarily "for reasons of imperative military necessity." A February 17, 2006, e-mail showed that a State Department foreign policy adviser urged the Pentagon to consider delaying by a month and a half the release of Guantanamo prisoners who were scheduled to be sent home in order to avoid bad press. This came amid worldwide furor over the Guantanamo detention facility, photos of prisoners being mistreated at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and sharp criticism on the streets and in blogs toward U.S. detention policies. "We may need to definitely think about checking with SouthCom to see if we can hold off on return flights for 45 days or so until things die down," the adviser wrote to Gen. Norton Schwartz, then head of the U.S. Transportation Command. "Otherwise we are likely to have hero's welcomes awaiting the detainees when they arrive, and we will have problems getting overflight and landing clearance for the flights anyway. It would probably be preferable if we could deliver these detainees in something smaller and more discreet than a T tail" -- apparently referring to a large transport plane like the giant C-5 Galaxy. SouthCom is the U.S. Southern Command, the American military command covering Latin American and the Caribbean. Schwartz is now the Air Force chief of staff. The letter appeared to be an e-mail reply to a State Department "hot issues" memo that said the United States was getting "creamed on human rights" and "taking a big hit on the issues of human rights and respect for the rule of law." It pointed to news stories about a U.N. Guantanamo report and coverage highlighting calls from officials to close Guantanamo. It cited criticism of the United States in blogs and discussion boards. "America has lost its prestige," a blogger from Yemen wrote. "Every year the world waits for the annual U.S. State Department report on human rights. Today, it is America that awaits the world's opinion of its human rights policy. From Gitmo, to Abu Ghraib, to secret prisons in Europe, the world accuses America of not respecting human rights." Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Thursday that he had not seen the documents and wasn't aware of the story. He did elaborate on the factors taken into account when transferring detainees from the Guantanamo facility. "It has to do with their threat," Whitman said. "It has to do with ... whether or not we think they have information that is important to our intelligence efforts. "And there are also considerations given to ensure that the [transferred detainees] will be treated appropriately and that in cases where continued detention is necessary, that the appropriate conditions are met for that, too. "It has been U.S. policy not to return detainees if we thought they would be mistreated by their country of origin," he said.

Military tried to justify detention practices, human rights groups say . Groups present Pentagon documents to support accusations . Groups: Pentagon also sought to delay Guantanamo releases to avoid bad press . Communications came amid criticism over Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq .

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(CNN) -- The biggest surprise on a busy night of international football on Wednesday came in Duesseldorf, where Euro 2008 finalists Germany were beaten by Norway for the first time in 73 years. Norway players celebrate Christian Grindheim's (No.16) goal in their shock victory over Germany. Midfielder Christian Grindheim scored from close-range, from Morten Gamst Pedersen's cross, in the 63rd minute to give the visitors a 1-0 victory to stun the 45,000 home supporters on a freezing evening. Not since the 1936 Olympics in Berlin had Germany lost to Norway --the defeat even more suprising as Germany coach Joachim Loew had the luxury of naming a full-strength side, while new Norway coach Egil Olsen was missing seven key players. In Marseille, Lionel Messi scored a brilliant solo goal to give Argentina a 2-0 win over France and give Diego Maradona a second straight win as national coach. The Barcelona striker collected the ball outside the penalty area and ran right through the home defense before expertly slotting the ball past goalkeeper Steve Mandanda. Newcastle winger Jonas Gutierrez had opened the scoring four minutes before the interval with a shot that went inside Mandanda's left-hand post. Meanwhile, Jamel Saihi scored a second-half equalizer to give home side Tunisia a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands in Rades. Montpellier star Saihi netted midway through the second-half with a long-range shot that Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg should have saved. Klaas Jan Huntelaar has given the visitors the lead in the 62nd minute when converting his 11th goal in 19 internationals, after Joris Mathijsen had headed down a long ball from Stijn Schaars. Elsewhere, Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva returned to action for the first time since breaking his leg 12 months ago -- helping Croatia to a 2-1 victory over Romania in Bucharest. Eduardo, who fractured his left fibula and dislocated his ankle against Birmingham in February 2008, replaced Ivica Olic in the 61st minute and set up Niko Kranjcar for a 75th-minute winner. Ciprian Marica gave Romania the lead in the 22nd minute but the visitors levelled just six minutes later when Ivan Rakitic scored with a superb long-range free-kick. Unsettled Chelsea striker Didier Drogba scored an injury-time equalizer to give Ivory Coast a 1-1 draw with Turkey in Izmir. Drogba, who has been out of favor for his club side this season, tapped in a cross from the right in the second minute of injury time in his first match for his country in over a year. Gokhan Unal put the European 2008 semifinalists ahead in the 11th minute with a shot into the top right-hand corner of the net. World Cup host nation South Africa's run of five consecutive victories came to an end when they were beaten 2-0 by Chile in Polokwane.

Germany suffer 1-0 home defeat by Norway in biggest shock on Wednesday . Christian Grindheim scores only goal as Norway win for first time in 73 years . Lionel Messi on target for Argentina in their 2-0 victory over France in Marseille .

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(CNN) -- A commuter airliner that crashed Thursday in upstate New York, killing 50 people, underwent violent pitching and rolling seconds before impact, with passengers experiencing twice the normal force of gravity, a federal investigator said Sunday. Only a few pieces of the Continental Connection Dash 8 turboprop were recognizable after the crash. The plane's final 800-foot fall took five seconds, Steve Chealander of the National Transportation Safety Board said. The aircraft crashed into a home in Clarence Center, New York, near Buffalo, on Thursday night, killing all 49 people aboard. A 61-year-old man in the house died also, but his wife and daughter survived. Final motions of the aircraft were so drastic that the plane's autopilot automatically disengaged and warnings sounded, Chealander said, citing information from the plane's flight data and cockpit voice recorders. Also, a "stick-shaker" device, which noisily vibrates an airplane's controls to warn the pilot of imminent stall, kicked in, he said. The flight crew of Continental Connection Flight 3407, operated by Colgan Air, discussed "significant" ice buildup on the aircraft's windshield and wings before the crash, and icing has become a focus as a possible cause. Follow the plane's path » . Chealander said the plane's de-icing system was turned on 11 minutes after the flight left Newark, New Jersey, for Buffalo, and remained on for the entire flight. He said the pilots were told before departure from Newark that there was "light to moderate icing" in the Buffalo area but that no other pilots had reported problems with their landings at the Buffalo airport. "It was really not a bad-weather day, and they chose to launch [from Newark]," Chealander said of the pilot and the first officer. The plane was on autopilot during its approach to the Buffalo airport, Chealander said. As to questions about whether the autopilot should have been turned off, Chealander said using it even in bad weather situations "is normal." Watch Chealander discuss autopilot options » . "You're encouraged to use the autopilot to help you with the workloads of these high intense weather situations that we fly into all the time," he said. He said the NTSB in the past has recommended to the Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees civil aviation including commercial airlines, that in severe icing conditions, "it might be best to disconnect autopilot so that the pilot might have a better feel" for the aircraft's conditions. However, severe icing is "not what we saw here," Chealander said, adding that the FAA has no such disengagement rule in effect. "To say that they should not have been flying on autopilot is not correct," Chealander said. The pilots' recorded remarks about "significant" icing did not indicate "severe" icing, he said. The NTSB has said problems for the 74-seat Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 occurred when the pilots lowered the landing gear and tried to set the wing flaps to slow the aircraft for landing. Offering more details, Chealander said Sunday that the plane's nose pitched up 31 degrees, then down 45 degrees. The aircraft rolled left 46 degrees then right 105 degrees, or past the 90-degree vertical point, he said. Inside the cabin, he said, conditions went from lower than normal gravitational force to twice the normal force as the plane rocked through the sky. iReport.com: Send your photos, videos from the scene . Chealander said the NTSB's investigation of the crash site indicated that the two propellers on the turboprop aircraft were in place when the crash occurred. "The airplane hadn't lost anything prior to impact. It came down intact," he said. Meanwhile, local authorities working to recover remains of the victims said Sunday that a federal team of more than 40 people using some $2.8 million worth of scientific equipment would begin on Monday to help establish positive identification of the victims. But because of the intensity of the crash and a subsequent fire, "whether we can identify everybody or not remains to be seen," Erie County Health Commission Anthony Billittier said. Authorities had recovered 15 bodies as of Saturday night, but Billittier announced Sunday that numbers of recovered bodies will no longer be released "out of respect for the families."

NTSB: People aboard experienced twice the normal gravitational force before crash . Plane rolled past the vertical point before it crashed into home, NTSB official says . Thursday's crash in upstate New York killed all 49 aboard plane, one in house . Plane's de-icing system was turned on 11 minutes after takeoff, NTSB says .

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BLUE BELL, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Janice McFadden's story hardly stands out. Applications for tuition-free courses have flooded in at Montgomery County Community College. The Pennsylvania woman was laid off in November after working at the same company for nearly 20 years. Now, as she looks for a job, McFadden worries about losing her home and uprooting her 8-year-old daughter. But when McFadden talks about the future, she has found some cause for hope. In January, the 43-year-old enrolled in the tuition assistance program at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. The program offers county residents who have been laid off since September 2008 the opportunity to take 12 college credits -- usually four courses -- for free. McFadden said the program will allow her to reassess her options while she improves her marketability and salary potential. "I have all of the capabilities, but I don't have that piece of paper, which is a requirement for a lot of jobs," said McFadden, who is taking night courses in economics and English composition. "I never thought that I would go back to school, all this time, and I'm glad I did." She is one of more than 1,100 Pennsylvanians taking tuition-free community college courses as they search for a job. Many are concentrating on new job skills, such as computer programming and accounting, to retrofit their résumés so they can compete in a turbulent job market. "The response was incredible," said MCCC President Karen Stout. "The day after we announced the program, our call center lines were clogged up. We had more than 300 calls in the first two or three days, and we had information sessions that had standing-room-only attendance." It's a trend echoed at community colleges across the country. George Boggs, president of the American Association of Community Colleges, said he has heard from 75 college presidents reporting double-digit enrollment increases this semester. "Community colleges are a big part of the solution to this economic downturn," Boggs said. "We are the institutions that are on the ground bringing these individuals into our institutions and preparing them for a new career." Boggs pointed to programs in hard-hit industrial manufacturing states, such as Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, as being particularly geared toward mid-career students. Many community colleges have cut or frozen tuition for laid-off workers, established scholarship programs or offered financial assistance to pay for textbooks and transportation costs. However, the spike in applications has put a burden on some schools that already are struggling to keep tuition low and upgrade their facilities. "Many [community colleges] are reporting that it is the highest-ever enrollment that they have had," Boggs said. "And several are reporting a waiting list of students that they can not accommodate. "It wouldn't surprise me to hear that about a half-million students are being turned away from our community colleges today." At MCCC, enrollment is up 10 percent since spring 2008. But the school has been able to place the new students in courses that aren't at capacity. "We are worried about our bottom line, especially in this economic environment," MCCC President Stout said. "But we do have classes that are scheduled to go that have open seats. So basically, these were empty seats that we're filling with unemployed workers." If unemployment continues to rise -- in Pennsylvania the jobless rate is 6.7 percent -- Stout wants to continue offering tuition-free classes. And even once these mid-career students get back on their feet, she's hoping to see them around campus still. "Our goal is that these students want to come back and be lifelong learners -- that they understand that in today's economy, you have to continue to keep your job skills relevant and up to date," Stout said. "None of us can be complacent about our own learning." Her plan may be working. Much to Janice McFadden's surprise, she has discovered she loves being a student. "I'm looking at it as a wide-open possibility for me. I don't have to stay in the same field that I was in, I can go back to school ... I can be anybody that I want to be now," McFadden said. "I just have to pick what I really like, what I'm good at, and concentrate on that."

Many community colleges have cut or frozen tuition for laid-off workers . Scholarships and other forms of financial assistance have been made available . Applications spike has burdened some schools with already strained resources . Goal is to support lifelong learning, says Pennsylvania community college president .

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(CNN) -- Why do we watch? Bob Greene says athletes like Lebron James show us the difference between ordinary effort and excellence. The question applies not just to Sunday's NBA All-Star Game, although that is the immediate case in point. The outcome of the game is not important -- few people remember who wins the All-Star Game from year to year. The players, while attempting to win, do it with barely concealed smiles on their faces. All-Star weekend is mostly a class reunion for basketball's elite. But all the games, in all the seasons, in all the big-time sports leagues -- what is the real reason we keep on watching? You might think that we'd finally grow weary of caring, with headlines about Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds, with the sports pages often reading like the business pages (contract disputes and stadium bond-issue negotiations and salary arbitration), with police-blotter details sometimes pushing aside the box scores. Why do we watch? The answer may be found in a single sentence written by a man who died at the age of 76 in this still-new year. John Updike, his literary brilliance aside, was prolific almost beyond belief -- he wrote more than 50 books, and hundreds upon hundreds of essays, short stories, articles, poems and works of criticism. All those careful words, year after year, decade after decade. But of all the sentences Updike ever wrote, there is one that I have long encouraged people to carry around with them -- if not literally tucked into their wallets, then somewhere in their heads and in their hearts. In that sentence of Updike's lies the secret to a lot of things -- including the secret that answers: Why do we watch? The sentence appeared in Updike's 1960 nonfiction piece about Ted Williams's last game for the Boston Red Sox. That piece is famous for how Updike explained Williams's refusal to come out of the dugout and acknowledge the cheering, crying fans after his home run in his final at-bat: "Gods do not answer letters." But it is another sentence in the story that explains everything -- not just about sports, but about the lives the rest of us can lead. Referring to Ted Williams, Updike wrote: . "For me, Williams is the classic ballplayer of the game on a hot August weekday, before a small crowd, when the only thing at stake is the tissue-thin difference between a thing done well and a thing done ill." There it is, right there. That tissue-thin difference, when you don't necessarily know anyone is watching -- there is the answer. We all face the choice in our lives every day: to make the extra effort or not, to stay at the desk for the extra fifteen minutes or to go home, to revise the project one more time before handing it in or to settle for something acceptable, if not quite excellent. On fields of play -- baseball diamonds, football fields, a basketball court like the one on which Sunday's All-Star Game will be held -- the tissue-thin difference is there for the world to see. The lights are dazzlingly bright; the television cameras carry the close-ups around the globe. If a player is dogging it, we can tell; if a player is jogging instead of sprinting, it's self-evident; if a player's mind is already at the party that will be held after the final buzzer, we know. Yet once in a while -- we can see it in a player's eyes -- we are rewarded. Once in a while, sometimes when we are least expecting to witness it, it's there: a tiny move, an all-but-imperceptible lunge, an additional thrust, a reach beyond that which should by all reason be reachable. It was true during small and glorious moments in the days when Bob Cousy and Elgin Baylor were on the basketball court; it is true during small and glorious moments today, when Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are on the court. Updike's tissue-thin difference. A thing done well, when the player could have gotten away with a thing done ill. Are the rest of us the same as the players on the court? In most ways, no. We lack their athletic skill, their physical grace, their monetary riches. They hear cheers every working night; we toil in silence. And yet, the one way in which we can be the same, or at least strive to, is in that pursuit of the tissue-thin difference. The thing that makes the best of them different is the thing that offers us, too, the potential to earn that difference -- the effort beyond mere effort, the desire beyond standard-issue desire, the pride so strong that it becomes the definition of pride. Why do we watch? We watch for those moments. They may be fleeting; they may come and go so quickly we're not even certain, for an instant, that we actually saw them. But they're real, and they can be ours. We wait for them. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene.

Bob Greene: What explains why Americans watch sports so intently? He says professional athletes depress us with steroid and scandal stories . Greene: We watch for the greatness the greatest athletes can achieve . He says it reflects the top-flight effort everyone can strive to contribute .

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ROME, Italy (CNN) -- A U.N. report says hunger is on the rise globally and blames higher food prices. Populations within conflict zones such as the Democratic Republic of Congo are particularly vulnerable. The Food and Agriculture Organization has issued preliminary estimates classifying 963 million people as undernourished -- an increase of 40 million people over the past year. "One out of seven people -- about 15 percent -- suffer chronically of not having enough to eat," said Mark Smulders, an FAO economist. The hunger report -- titled "The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2008" -- said the world's financial and economic problems could throw more people into poverty. The number of hungry had been increasing over the years before the rise in food prices, with warfare and political instability continuing to be among the factors causing poverty. The preliminary estimates lack a firm country breakdown, but last year's figures are an accurate measure of where the problems are. About 907 out of 923 million undernourished people in 2007, or 65 percent of the hungry, live in India, China, the war-wracked Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia. Smulders said about 27 percent of the world's hungry live in India and 15 percent in China. The other countries each represent 4 to 5 percent of the world's total. There has been progress in fighting hunger in the Asian nations of Thailand and Vietnam, and in the sub-Saharan African nations of Ghana, Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Mozambique and Malawi, the report said. Food prices have declined from their peak earlier in the year, but they are staying high compared to other years, the agency said. The Food and Agriculture Organization's food price index was 28 percent higher in October than it was two years before. "Prices of major cereals have fallen by over 50 percent from their peaks earlier in 2008 but they remain high compared to previous years," the FAO said. The agency said the "rural and urban poor, landless farmers and female-headed households are the worst hit by high food prices." -- CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report.

U.N. agency says food prices are to blame for an increase in hunger . Food and Agriculture Organization issues estimates 963 million undernourished . It is an increase of 40 million people over the past year .

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(CNN) -- Sen. John McCain said Wednesday that if the financial rescue bill fails in Congress again, "the present crisis will turn into a disaster," and Sen. Barack Obama told lawmakers it's time to "step up to the plate." Both presidential candidates stressed bipartisanship as they called for Congress to act before heading to Washington to vote on the $700 billion financial rescue plan. "We are square in the greatest financial crisis of our lifetimes. And I am pleased to report that today, I will be returning to the floor of the Senate to vote on a bill that marks a decisive step in the right direction," McCain said at a campaign event in Kansas City, Missouri. "Today, with the unity that this crisis demands, Congress will once again work to restore confidence and stability to the American economy," McCain said. Watch what McCain says about the bailout » . The Arizona senator and Republican nominee said there will be time later to assign blame for the situation, "but our duty right now is to fix the problem." Obama also warned that the crisis could turn into a "catastrophe" without swift action from Congress. The Illinois senator and Democratic nominee said he has been reaching out to leaders of both parties to help pass the plan. See bailout tracker » . "To the Democrats and Republicans who have opposed this plan, I say this: Step up to the plate and do what's right for the country, even if it's not popular, because the time to act is now," he said in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Watch Obama speak out about the bailout » . As part of his lobbying efforts, Obama has called members of the Congressional Black Caucus to support the bailout. When the bailout came up for a vote on Monday, caucus members split 21 against and 18 for the bill, CBC spokeswoman Keiana Barrett said. Obama campaign Co-chairman Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Illinois, was one of the CBC members who voted against the bailout but said he would consider switching if more protections for homeowners are added to the bill. Republicans accused Obama of failing to show leadership as the economic crisis unfolded. McCain said last week that he was suspending his campaign to focus on the situation. Democrats accused him of slowing down negotiations, while Republicans said he helped sway some reluctant lawmakers. Although McCain did not mention Obama by name Wednesday, he made what could be seen as a swipe as his opponent. "This is a moment of great testing. At such moments, there are those on both sides of this debate who will act on principle. Of course, there are always some who think first of their own interests, who calculate their own advantage instead of rushing to the aid of their country," McCain said. Meanwhile, Obama blamed the current crisis on greed and irresponsibility in Washington and on Wall Street. "Let me be perfectly clear. The fact that we are in this mess is an outrage. It's an outrage because we did not get here by accident. This was not a normal part of the business cycle. This was not the actions of a few bad apples," he said. After their campaign events, McCain and Obama were both returning to Washington to vote on the bailout package. Obama's running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, was also expected to vote on it. The bailout proposal failed in the U.S. House on Monday. The version going to the Senate adds provisions, including raising the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. cap to $250,000 from $100,000 per account, and will be attached to an existing revenue bill that the House also rejected Monday, according to several Democratic leadership aides. McCain and Obama both support raising the FDIC insurance limit as a way of reviving talks on Capitol Hill. The Senate vote is scheduled for after sundown, in observance of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. After pointing fingers Monday, Obama and McCain have both tried to strike a more bipartisan tone as they work on selling the financial rescue package to voters and reluctant members of Congress. Democratic sources said that they expect bipartisan support for the bill. Because the tax bill must originate in the House, the Senate is attaching the rescue plan to a bill that deals with renewable-energy tax incentives. This would allow the Senate to vote before the House to approve a bailout bill. As the candidates focused on the economic crisis, former President Clinton, who ran his own 1992 campaign on the now commonly used phrase "it's the economy, stupid," stumped for Obama in Orlando and Fort Pierce, Florida. Clinton urged residents there to get out and vote, and he told voters why he thinks Obama is the better candidate. Watch what Clinton says about Obama » . "He's got a better philosophy; he's got better answers; he's got a better understanding and better advisers on these complex economic matters. He's got a better vice presidential partner," Clinton said. He also said he thinks the country needs to get behind the bailout proposal. The rallies marked the first major events Clinton has hosted on Obama's behalf. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux contributed to this report.

NEW: Obama asking Congressional Black Caucus members to vote for bailout . John McCain, Barack Obama call on Congress to act . Obama, McCain, Joe Biden returning to Washington for vote . Former President Clinton campaigns for Obama in Florida .

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(CNN) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross expressed its concern Wednesday over what may have been the improper use of its emblem in the daring rescue last month of 15 hostages in Colombia. What seems to be part of a red cross is seen on a man involved in the rescue in this official image. "We are in contact with the Colombian authorities to ask for further clarifications as to exactly what happened," ICRC Deputy Director of Operations Dominik Stillhart said in a written statement. Video and photographs originally shown to CNN appeared to show one of the hostage rescuers wearing a bib with a red cross on it, and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe admitted July 16 that Colombian military intelligence used a single Red Cross symbol in the rescue mission. The ICRC statement said video aired on Colombian television earlier this week "reveals that a member of the army team involved was wearing a tabard marked with the Red Cross emblem before the operation had even begun, suggesting intentional misuse." Watch where bib appeared in video » . "If authenticated, these images would clearly establish an improper use of the Red Cross emblem, which we deplore," Stillhart said. Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos blasted the leaking of the video as "an act of disloyalty, possibly corruption or even treason," although he defended the right of the media to publish the material once it had been leaked. Speaking at a news conference at a military base in San Jose del Guaviare on Tuesday, Santos said the military had launched an investigation into the leak and said that those responsible would be "severely disciplined." Uribe said in July that the man wearing the bib was a member of the Colombian military intelligence team involved in the rescue who panicked and used the emblem to protect himself. "This officer, upon confessing his mistake to his superiors, said when the (rescue) helicopter was about to land ... he saw so many guerrillas that he went into a state of angst," Uribe said. "He feared for his life and put on the Red Cross bib over his jacket." However, a confidential military source who showed CNN the photographs that included the man wearing the bib said they were taken moments before the mission took off. The use of the "Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Crystal Emblems is governed by the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols." "These emblems may not be used by bodies or persons not entitled to do so under international humanitarian law," the ICRC statement said. Uribe said in July that as the constitutional head of the armed forces, he takes full political responsibility for what he described as a slip-up. He said he has apologized to ICRC officials. Previously, the Colombian president and his top generals had categorically denied that international humanitarian symbols were used in the July 2 rescue mission that duped the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels into handing over prized hostages including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, three U.S. military contractors and 11 Colombian police and soldiers. Learn about some of the freed hostages » . Such a use of the Red Cross emblem could constitute a "war crime" under the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, according to international legal expert Mark Ellis, executive director of the International Bar Association. Such a move could endanger humanitarian workers in the future, he said. "If you use the emblem in a deceitful way, generally the conventions say it would be a breach. (Based on the information as explained to me) the way that the images show the Red Cross emblem being used could be distinguished as a war crime," he said in an interview with CNN on July 16. "Complete and total respect for the Red Cross emblem is essential if the ICRC is to be able to bring assistance and protection to the people worst affected by armed conflicts and other situations of violence," the ICRC's statement said. "As a neutral and impartial humanitarian organization, the ICRC depends on the trust of all the parties to the conflict to be able to carry out its humanitarian work."

NEW: Defense minister blasts leak of video from hostage rescue . International committee probing use of symbol by military rescuer . 15 hostages were rescued July 2 from rebel organization FARC . Misuse of emblem could be war crime, legal expert says .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Love hurts, especially for jilted lovers on Valentine's Day. With that in mind, a London tourist attraction is offering visitors the chance to curse former boyfriends, girlfriends or spouses -- and get a discount on the entry price at the same time. "Hex your Ex" is the Valentine's Day promotion at the London Dungeon, a house of horrors that takes visitors through elements of the city's bloody, gruesome, and torturous past. To qualify, visitors must bring a picture of their ex -- or anyone who has shunned them -- then rip it up and throw it in a smoking cauldron, spokeswoman Kate Edwards told CNN. Visitors can then select from a range of curses to inflict on their ex. "If you happen to be single or freshly shunned, this is a way to move on and have a great way of doing it," Edwards said. Hexing your ex will earn you £5 ($7.20) off the entry price. "It's very therapeutic, but it means in times of the credit crunch, you get money off as well," she said. The "curses" are meant to be taken lightly, she said. All were developed by the Dungeon's creative team. "They involve marvelously bad things happening to your ex," she said. "Nothing deadly, obviously. It's obviously tongue-in-cheek."

London tourist attraction offers visitors chance to curse former lovers . Visitors must bring picture of their ex, rip it up and throw it in cauldron . They can then select from a range of curses to inflict on their ex .

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(CNN) -- The Turkish military bombed PKK rebel targets Saturday in northern Iraq in response to clashes that left at least 15 Turkish troops dead, the PKK and the military said Sunday. Members of Turkey's honor guard carry flag-draped coffins of two soldiers killed in clashes with the PKK. The PKK, or Kurdistan Workers' Party, said it sustained no casualties in the operation. The Turkish military said the air operation was conducted on the PKK's "hiding positions" in the Avasin-Basyan area of northern Iraq near the border with Turkey. During the operation, steps were taken to avoid civilian casualties, the Turkish military said. Watch inside the PKK's hidden camps » . The military said the operation was carried out Saturday. The PKK's military wing said the military operation began after Friday's clash and lasted for two days. At least 15 Turkish soldiers were killed and 20 wounded in the clashes, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Saturday. Two others were missing, and the Turkish military said Sunday they were feared dead. The military said 23 PKK members were also killed in the attacks, launched from northern Iraq. In its statement on Sunday, however, the PKK said more than 60 Turkish troops were killed and at least 30 injured. Nine PKK members were killed, the organization said. Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency said the clashes occurred in Semdinli, a town in Turkey's southeastern province of Hakkari. On Tuesday, the Turkish government is scheduled to vote on whether to extend the authority of the Turkish military to launch attacks on PKK positions in northern Iraq. Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh on Saturday condemned the clashes, calling them a "terrorist act" that "creates a serious threat to the security of the border areas and the joint security of Iraq and Turkey." He called on the Turkish government to deal with this "criminal act wisely and with self restraint." "The Iraqi government expresses its support for the measures the Turkish government will take within Turkish territory to guarantee its [Turkey's] security and stability," he said. Saturday night, Iraq's Presidency Council, made up of President Jalal Talabani -- himself a Kurd -- and his two vice-presidents, condemned what it called "a vicious attack against Turkish troops." "What makes the attack more horrific is the fact that it happened during the days of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, where Muslims should be celebrating, rejoicing and befriending each other ... instead of fighting and bloodshed," the council said. It pledged to "continue its joint efforts with the Turkish side to prevent the recurrence of such attacks and to put an end to the illegal presence of all foreign militants in Iraq." The central Iraqi government has labeled the PKK a terrorist organization, banning its activities and shutting its offices in the country two years ago. But the PKK continues to operate in the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq bordering Turkey and Iran. The separatist faction has been fighting for self-rule in southeastern Turkey. In an interview held last month in the group's mountain hideout, the PKK's military commander, Bahoz Erdal, told CNN's Arwa Damon and Yousif Bassil that the PKK is defending Kurdish rights and attacks only military targets. "We are ready for a political solution," Erdal said, adding that the PKK would lay down its arms if Kurds were guaranteed equal rights within Turkey. But the Turkish government told CNN in response that it does not negotiate with "terrorists." In February, Turkish military ground forces launched a weeklong offensive against the rebels in northern Iraq.

Air operation was conducted on the PKK's "hiding positions" PKK, Kurdistan Workers' Party, said it sustained no casualties in the operation . Air attack follows clashes blamed on PKK that killed at least 15 Turkish soldiers . The central Iraqi government has labeled the PKK a terrorist organization .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Democrats' top investigator in Congress reacted angrily Friday to a report that the former Blackwater USA employee accused of killing an Iraqi vice presidential guard was hired by another U.S. contractor weeks later. Rep. Henry Waxman says the State Department is covering up "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq. The report comes alongside Rep. Henry Waxman's warning of a "confrontation" with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over how much Americans should be able to learn about corruption in Iraq. In a sharply worded letter, Waxman demanded Rice turn over a long list of documents related to the contractor, Andrew Moonen. "Serious questions now exist about whether the State Department may have withheld from the U.S. Defense Department facts about this Blackwater contractor's shooting of the Iraqi guard that should have prevented his hiring to work on another contract in support of the Iraq War," wrote Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Moonen is accused of fatally shooting an Iraqi guard and fleeing the scene, according to a Congressional memo describing the investigation report. He was fined, fired and flown home from Iraq, and the company later paid $20,000 in compensation to the victim's family. Moonen returned to the United States within a few days of the incident, his attorney said, but in February he returned to Kuwait working for Combat Support Associates (CSA), a company spokesman said. CNN reported Thursday night that CSA said it was unaware of the December incident when it hired Moonen, because the State Department and Blackwater kept the incident quiet and out of Moonen's personnel records. Waxman wrote it is "hard to reconcile this development" with previous assertions State Department officials have made in recent days. Waxman earlier accused Rice and the State Department of a cover-up of what he called "an epidemic of corruption" in Iraq in general. He branded the State Department's anti-corruption efforts "dysfunctional, under-funded and a low priority." Waxman further blasted the department for trying to keep secret details of corruption in Iraq, especially relating to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "Corruption is increasing in Iraq, and the State Department can't keep us from knowing that -- can't censor that -- just because it might embarrass or hurt our relationship with [al-]Maliki," Waxman said at the House committee hearing. Watch Waxman ask why negative comments must be said behind closed doors » . Deputy Secretary of State Larry Butler repeatedly refused to answer questions from Waxman about Iraqi corruption but offered full disclosure if his testimony would be kept secret. Asked if he believes the Iraqi government has the political will or the capability to root out corruption, Butler responded, "Mr. Chairman, questions which go to the broad nature of our bilateral relationship with Iraq are best answered in a classified setting." But he was more forthcoming when talking about efforts that al-Maliki has taken to improve matters, commending the prime minister for dispatching Iraqi forces to surround a refinery to ensure oil did not end up on the black market. But Waxman appeared unmoved. "Why can you talk about the positive things and not the negative things?" he asked. "Shouldn't we have the whole picture?" "I'd be very pleased to answer those questions in an appropriate setting," Butler replied. Waxman laughed and asked, "An appropriate setting for positive things is a congressional hearing, but for negative things, it must be behind closed doors?" "As you know, this goes to the very heart of diplomatic relations and national security," Butler said. "It goes to the very heart of propaganda," Waxman said, putting funding for anti-corruption activities through June 15, 2006, at $65 million, "or less than 0.003 percent of the total" spent by the Iraqi Relief and Reconstruction Fund. The State Department said details of anti-corruption efforts must be secret to protect investigators and Iraqi allies. In a letter to Rice last week, Waxman called the department's position "ludicrous." Fellow Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth of Kentucky agreed. "It's pretty clear that the administration just wants to muzzle any comments that reflect negatively on the [al-]Maliki government," he said. Earlier, the former head of the Iraqi Commission on Public Integrity, Judge Radhi Hamza al-Radhi, told the hearing that al-Maliki had protected family members from corruption investigations, citing Salam al-Maliki, Iraq's former transportation minister and the prime minister's cousin. Al-Radhi resigned last month and fled Iraq after he and his family were attacked and 31 of his anti-corruption employees were killed. He said corruption has affected "virtually every agency and ministry, including some of the most powerful officials in Iraq." "Corruption has stopped possible advances by the government on the political level, on economic reconstruction, on basic services, amenities and infrastructure and on the rule of law," he told the committee, estimating the total lost to corruption at $18 billion. In Baghdad, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh acknowledged his country is plagued with a "high level" of corruption, but he said officials are trying to rein in the problem. U.S. Comptroller General David Walker, head of the Government Accountability Office, said there appeared to be no U.S. plan for countering the corruption. He urged Congress to consider conditioning future appropriations on such a plan "so we can achieve some results rather than have just more efforts." Waxman questioned whether Iraq's government was "too corrupt to succeed." If so, he added, "We need to ask if we could, in good conscience, continue to ... prop up his regime." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Bob Constantini contributed to this report.

NEW: Rep. Henry Waxman demands documents on Iraq contractor . Waxman accuses State Department of covering up "an epidemic of corruption" State Department says it will provide information if it is kept classified . Ex-Iraqi official estimates the total lost to corruption at $18 billion .

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(CNN) -- Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps will not face criminal charges in connection with a November party at which he was photographed using a bong, a South Carolina sheriff said Monday. Michael Phelps admitted "regrettable behavior" after a photo of him using a bong was published. "We do not believe we have enough evidence to prosecute anyone" who was at the party in Columbia, South Carolina, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott told reporters, adding that authorities are ending their investigation into Phelps. "We had a photo, and we had him saying he was sorry for his inappropriate behavior," Lott said. "That behavior could have been going to a party. ... He never said, 'I smoked marijuana.' He never confessed to that. We didn't have physical evidence. We didn't have enough where we could go arrest him." Phelps, 23, who won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, admitted "regrettable behavior" after a British newspaper published the photograph about two weeks ago. The tabloid News of the World showed Phelps using the bong during what it said was a November party at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Watch the sheriff say he won't prosecute Phelps » . A bong is a device commonly used to smoke marijuana. University police and Columbia police both said they would not pursue charges against Phelps. Lott said he has not spoken to Phelps, but hopes the swimming champion has learned from his mistakes and is willing to share an anti-drug message with children. Phelps said Monday he had learned some "important lessons" from the incident. "I'm glad this matter is put to rest," he said in a written statement. "But there are also some important lessons that I've learned. For me, it's all about recognizing that I used bad judgment and it's a mistake I won't make again. For young people especially -- be careful about the decisions you make. One bad decision can really hurt you and the people you care about. "I really appreciate the support my family and fans have shown me, and now I will move forward and dive back into the pool, having put this whole thing behind me." Watch Phelps acknowledge making 'a mistake' » . Phelps told CNN affiliate WBAL in Baltimore, Maryland, "This is something that I need to learn from, will learn from and have learned from." "I know that a lot of people make mistakes, and the best way to learn from them is changing things," Phelps told WBAL. Lott said the photo that surfaced of Phelps put him and his department in a "no-win situation." If he had ignored it, he said, he would have faced criticism, but he also was criticized for investigating. However, he said, the photo did initiate an investigation into goings-on at the home where the party took place, and some people were arrested on suspicion of drug possession. The home has been the focus of previous drug-related investigations, he said. He defended his investigation, saying, "As a cop, my responsibility is to enforce the law, not to create it or ignore it. Marijuana in the state of South Carolina is illegal."

Michael Phelps won't be charged in connection with bong picture, sheriff says . Sheriff: "We didn't have enough where we could go arrest him" British newspaper published picture of Olympic champion using a bong . Sheriff defends probe, saying he would have been criticized if he hadn't investigated .

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(CNN) -- Police in Zimbabwe Monday failed to bring to court an opposition activist who was scheduled to become a government minister on Friday but was arrested instead. Zimbabwe police officers at Mutare Magistrates Court where Roy Bennett's scheduled appearance was postponed. Roy Bennett of the Movement for Democratic Change was supposed to be sworn in as deputy agriculture minister last week under a power-sharing agreement between the MDC and President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party. Bennett was charged with conspiracy to commit terrorism, sabotage and banditry. Police added another charge, contravening the Immigration Act, on the day he was scheduled to appear in court. They accuse Bennett of attempting to leave the country illegally. His party has decried the charges as "trumped up." His lawyer said Monday's court proceedings were canceled because prosecutors were unable to make it from the capital Harare to the court where the proceeding was to take place, in Mutare, 132 miles (213 km) away. It is unclear why local prosecutors are not being used. Bennett's lawyer Trust Maanda says he hopes his client will appear on Tuesday. "He is doing fine considering the conditions of the cells he is being kept in," Maanda said. "There is no food or running water, sanitation facilities are not working, the cells are overcrowded and there are no blankets." Bennett was arrested on Friday while on his way to South Africa, where he has been living for three years. Bennett, who is also the MDC party's treasurer, was pulled from an aircraft at the airport in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, the MDC said. Police accuse him of funding the acquisition of weapons to commit the crimes he is charged with. Bennett, a white coffee grower, is an old foe of Mugabe's government. His farms were seized during the country's controversial land reform program. He has previously been jailed for assaulting Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa in parliament. The arrest happened the same day that other MDC ministers in the new unity government took their oaths of office. The power-sharing agreement came into effect only after months of on-again, off-again negotiations between Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, and the MDC, led by Morgan Tsvangirai. Under Mugabe's government, the country has gone from being one of the breadbaskets of Africa to dire poverty. A cholera epidemic is raging, much of the population lacks adequate food and water, many public sector workers are on strike, and the country suffers such severe inflation it recently knocked 12 zeroes off its currency. --CNN's Nkepile Mabuse contributed to this report.

Court proceedings against arrested Zimbabwe opposition activist delayed . His lawyers said prosecutors could not make it to the court 132 miles from Harare . Roy Bennett arrested Friday, the day he was due to be made a government minister . Movement for Democratic Change says the conspiracy charges are trumped up .

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(CNN) -- Top Republican lawmakers Sunday called on President Obama to change his political strategy, arguing that the passage of a massive stimulus bill on a party-line vote showed he has failed to deliver the "change" he promised. Sen. John McCain says the Obama administration is off to a "bad beginning." "If this is going to be bipartisanship, the country's screwed," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, told ABC's "This Week." "I know bipartisanship when I see it." Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said Obama was off to "a bad beginning," out of step with the vow of bipartisanship both men made after Obama beat out the Republican presidential nominee for the White House in November. "It was a bad beginning because it wasn't what we promised the American people, what President Obama promised the American people, that we would sit down together," McCain told CNN's "State of the Union With John King." The $787 billion bill made it through Congress with the support of three Republicans -- Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Obama is expected to sign the bill Tuesday in Denver, Colorado. Watch Democratic and GOP analysts debate bipartisanship » . "This is not 'change we can believe in,' " Graham, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, told ABC. He said Democrats "rammed it through the House" after starting out "with the idea, 'We won -- we write the bill.' " But Obama's spokesman insisted the stimulus is a bipartisan success. Speaking to CBS' "Face the Nation," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said, "We're happy that Congress, in a bipartisan way, took steps to make whatever happens in this recession easier to take for the American people." iReport.com: Share your thoughts on the stimulus plan . And on CNN's "State of the Union," Gibbs said, "I think what you saw from this president was an unprecedented effort to reach out to Republicans. Not just in meetings at the White House, but you had the president drive up to Capitol Hill to meet with Republicans where they work." McCain fired back. "Look, I appreciate the fact that the president came over and talked to Republicans," he said. "That's not how you negotiate a result. You sit down together in a room with competing proposals. Almost all of our proposals went down on a party-line vote." When the next major piece of legislation aimed at helping the economy recover reaches Congress, McCain said that he hopes "we will sit down together and conduct truly bipartisan negotiations. This was not a bipartisan bill." iReport.com: McCain's actions "totally reprehensible" McCain added, "Republicans were guilty of this kind of behavior. I'm not saying that we did things different. But Americans want us to do things differently, and they want us to work together." Gibbs described things differently. "This president has always worked in a bipartisan fashion," he told King. "He will continue to reach out to Republicans. John, we hope that Republicans will decide they want to reach back."

Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham say stimulus bill wasn't bipartisan . Spokesman: President made "unprecedented effort to reach out to Republicans" Congress passes $787 billion stimulus bill with support of three Republicans . President Obama expected to sign bill on Tuesday .

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CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (CNN) -- When polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs appeared in a Las Vegas courtroom last August, Kathy Jo Nicholson, a former member of Jeffs' sect, felt fearful even though she was only watching him on television. Nicholson, roughly 13 years of age, is shown here with five of her sisters and two of her mothers. "It devastated me. It elated me. It made me afraid. I looked at this man that was so powerful in my life ... and he was just so thin and pale," she said. Today, as Warren Jeffs sits at Utah's Purgatory Correctional Facility awaiting trial, Nicholson has started talking publicly about her childhood in the church Jeffs led -- the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). She hopes that by sharing her story she will help others struggling with similar issues. "My hope is that they, they'll see it, and it'll mean something," the 36-year-old said. Nicholson recently co-authored an article about leaving her polygamous community for Glamour magazine and is planning to write a book as well. Jeffs, whose approximately 10,000 followers practice polygamy mainly in Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona, is charged in Utah with being an accomplice to rape by arranging the marriage of a 14-year-old girl to her 19-year-old cousin. He faces additional charges in Arizona. Go inside Warren Jeffs' world » . As a child, Nicholson had three mothers and 12 siblings. She considers it a typical FLDS home. At the age of 14, Nicholson started sewing her wedding dress in anticipation of getting married. She knew that at any moment she could be whisked away to meet her husband and that her future likely would include at least two "sister wives." But Nicholson had doubts whether she could live the life before her. "I've always liked a lot of attention. And when it hit me that I could possibly and most likely absolutely would be sharing my husband, I began doubting that I could live that way," she said. That perspective got Nicholson in trouble at Alta Academy, the FLDS-run high school whose headmaster was Warren Jeffs. "He beat the kids there. He humiliated the kids there. And as time went on and I wasn't so devoted to being perfect and sweet, he held me up as an example and humiliated me," she said. Jeffs would force children -- Nicholson included -- to stand on a chair in front of the class and flex their buttocks muscles, according to Nicholson. She doesn't know how he came upon this particular punishment. "As I got more and more rebellious, he would come up behind me while I was in a group and seize me by the back of the neck and lean down and whisper in my ear, 'Are you keeping sweet or do you need to be punished?' " she said. Jeffs wrote a letter to Nicholson's parents saying that he was concerned about her and a friend, because "when around boys, and even younger boys, they would outwardly show their cuteness, seemingly to have the younger boys relate their cute behavior to older boys." After getting caught passing notes to a boy, Nicholson was expelled from Alta Academy. She began working in an FLDS-owned factory full of other youths who openly questioned their religion. It was a common destination for FLDS kids kicked out of high school. At 18, she eloped with a young man from within the community. Their marriage was not accepted by the FLDS or their families because they had gone outside of the church, to a justice of the peace, for the ceremony. So they packed up a U-Haul and headed toward California. "That's when I cried the very most," she said tearfully. "Because I was leaving my family, everything that I had ever known, my friends and God behind. And I was choosing it." That marriage fell apart, but in 2003 Nicholson persuaded her family to allow her brother to come live with her. He never went back. Within months, her birth mother came for a visit and she also never returned to the church. Nicholson feels fortunate she helped two relatives leave the church, but this has not been without consequence. The FLDS no longer permits Nicholson's relatives to communicate with her and she doesn't even know where the rest of her family lives. As glad as Nicholson is to see Jeffs behind bars and awaiting trial, she finds it unsettling to see a man who led the community in which she was raised now reduced to such a pathetic state. Still, she recalls a moment during Jeffs' first court appearance that showed he's not an entirely broken man. "He had the downcast look that he would have when he was very disappointed in somebody, right before he'd start a beating or whatever or give a scolding. ... And then he looked up at the camera and gave this smirk, and that was the smirk that he would give before he damned you straight to hell or gave you the beating of your life or altered a rule that would absolutely devastate your household," Nicholson said. The FLDS broke from the mainline Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, over the practice of polygamy. The Mormon church, which gave up plural marriage more than a century ago, has no ties to Jeffs' group. E-mail to a friend .

Kathy Jo Nicholson grew up in a polygamous home and community . Polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs was the headmaster at her school . Nicholson, who flew from the community, says Jeffs was a harsh disciplinarian .

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KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Sunday that his country would join the strategic review of the U.S.-led war on terrorism. Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, right, meets with Richard Holbrooke in Kabul on February 15, 2009. Speaking at a joint news conference with visiting U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke, Karzai said he is "very, very thankful" that President Barack Obama accepted his proposal to join the review. Holbrooke is visiting Afghanistan after a trip to neighboring Pakistan. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tapped Holbrooke as special representative for the two countries, a signal of how the new administration considers Afghanistan and Pakistan intertwined in any solution to the war in Afghanistan and the terrorist threat along their shared border. At the news conference in Kabul, Holbrooke said Sunday that he conveyed the administration's support of the upcoming elections on August 20, a date recently set by Afghanistan's electoral commission. "President Obama and Secretary Clinton and the United States government were very gratified to hear President Karzai reaffirm his support of the August 20 decision," Holbrooke said. Holbrooke's visit comes as Obama plans to send another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan to fight what he's called the "central front in our enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism." In an interview on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS," which aired Sunday, Karzai said that, with a resurgent Taliban, a still-flourishing drug trade and a border with Pakistan believed to be home base for al Qaeda, his country can't afford for U.S. troops to leave any time soon. "U.S. forces will not be able to leave soon in Afghanistan because the task is not over," Karzai said. "We have to defeat terrorism. We'll have to enable Afghanistan to stand on its own feet. We'll have to enable Afghanistan to be able to defend itself and protect for its security ... "Then, the United States can leave and, at that time, the Afghan people will give them plenty of flowers and gratitude and send them safely back home." At the same time, Karzai said the actions of troops currently in Afghanistan have turned some of the public against them. "It's the question of civilian causalities. It's a question of risk of Afghans. It's the question of home searches," he said. "These activities are seriously undermining the confidence of the Afghan people in the joint struggle we have against terrorism and undermining their hopeful future. "We'll continue to be a friend. We'll continue to be an ally. But Afghanistan deserves respect and a better treatment." While he said he welcomes additional U.S. troops, Karzai suggested they need to work along the Afghan-Pakistan border and in the poppy fields that fuel a drug trade that threatens to turn the nation into a narco-state -- not in the villages where most Afghans live. "We have traveled many years on. What should have happened early on didn't unfortunately happen," Karzai said. "Now, the country is not in the same mood as it was in 2002. And so any addition of troops must have a purposeful objective that the Afghan people would agree with." The Obama administration is conducting several reviews of U.S. policy in Afghanistan, including a review by Gen. David Petraeus, the commander in the region. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said the original mission in Afghanistan was "too broad" and needs to be more "realistic and focused" for the United States to succeed. "If we set ourselves the objective of creating some sort of central Asian Valhalla over there, we will lose, because nobody in the world has that kind of time, patience and money," Gates said during a recent Senate hearing. He called for concrete goals that can be reached in three to five years. Speaking via satellite from Kabul, Karzai called former President George Bush "a great person," but said he can work with Obama -- despite the president's comments as a candidate that Karzai had "not gotten out of the bunker" to improve security and infrastructure in Afghanistan. "President Obama is a great inspiration to the world," he said. "The people of America have proven that they can really be the light holders for change and the will of the people in the world. "And his coming to power by the vote of the American people is a manifestation of that great power of the American people." Karzai also acknowledged corruption in the Afghan government, but defended the work he's done to combat it. "Sure, corruption in the Afghan government is as much there as in any other third world country," he said. "Suddenly this country got so much money coming from the West, suddenly so many Afghans came from all over the world to participate. Suddenly there were projects -- suddenly there were this poverty that turned into some sort form of prosperity for this country," he said. He said a government department has been created to deal with corruption and that corrupt judges, administrators and other officials are dismissed "daily" over corruption charges.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai says his country will help review of war on terrorism . He says U.S. forces shouldn't leave Afghanistan soon since task is not over . Karzai says civilian causalities, home searches have soured public support . Karzai suggested forces should focus on poppy fields that fuel a drug trade .

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(CNN) -- The U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday is searching for two fishermen missing after a commercial fishing vessel went down in remote, treacherous waters off the Aleutian Islands about 1,400 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. The fishing vessel Courageous helps search for missing men in waters off Alaska. Four of the boat's crew members were rescued and five bodies retrieved Wednesday near the Amchitka Pass, a strait that connects the Bering Sea to the Pacific Ocean. The names have been withheld pending the notification of families, a Coast Guard statement said. "What can you say?" said Jeff DeBell, chief financial officer of Katmai Fisheries, which owned the boat. He told The Associated Press, "We are devastated by what has happened. We are elated there have been survivors. We are just terribly saddened by the ones that are dead and are praying that those that are still in the water are alive." The Seattle-based company told the AP the survivors were Capt. Henry Blake and crew members Guy Schroeder, Adam Foster and Harold Attling. The search began at about 1 a.m. Wednesday when the Coast Guard received an emergency signal from the Katmai, a 93-foot fishing vessel that had been battling 50-knot winds and nearly 20-foot waves. The signal originated from a wall-mounted satellite positioning device on the Katmai that reacts when it's touched or splashed with water, Coast Guard Petty Officer Levi Read said. Watch a "Deadliest Catch" captain talk about what may have happened on the rough seas » . At about that time, another vessel, the Blue Balard, sent an e-mail to the Coast Guard saying that it received a message from the Katmai that water was flooding its rear compartment. The message also said that the vessel had lost steering. The Coast Guard tried to e-mail the Balard back but received no response, likely because the seas are remote and Internet access can be spotty, Read said. Rescuers launched a C-130, a long-range surveillance aircraft, and went straight to the scene twice Wednesday morning, Read said. The boat was nowhere in sight, but the C-130 did spot two strobe lights on top of the water, he said. By this time, the weather was treacherous and the sky was darkening, according to Read. The C-130, having found no signs of life, dropped two life rafts and headed back, he said. On the second trip, at 11 a.m., the C-130 and a Jayhawk helicopter found two strobe lights floating in the water, one attached to a survival suit and the other to the emergency device that had first alerted the Coast Guard, Read said. They also found a body, he said. "We knew the person was from the Katmai because the suit he was wearing had the name of the vessel on it," Read said. Roughly five hours later, the Coast Guard spotted four men on a life raft, all wearing survival suits. With the assistance of other vessels, the Courageous and the Patricia Lee, the bodies of four other men were recovered from the water, all wearing survival suits, Read said. The odds of someone surviving the frigid waters off Alaska's Aleutian Islands is minimal, said Read. Crews usually have survival suits that allow water to seep inside but have a mechanism that traps body heat. The search for the two remaining men began at 9:30 a.m. Alaska time Thursday, an hour before sunrise there. "You just couldn't do anything earlier," Read said. "It's darker the farther out you go, and they are really, really out there."

NEW: Survivors identified as Henry Blake, Guy Schroeder, Adam Foster, Harold Attling . Four fishermen rescued after boat goes missing in Alaska waters . Five bodies have been recovered; search is under way for two other fishermen . The Katmai, a 93-foot fish vessel, hasn't been found, officials say .

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(CNN) -- An Islamic militia took over two strategic towns in Somalia Tuesday in a territory grab by the strengthening insurgency, a regional commander told CNN. Islamist fighters from Al-Shabaab group in Somalia display their flag. The al-Shabaab militia seized the cities of Bulo Marer and Quryoley from the U.N.-backed government and its Ethiopian allies. The move gives the group a strategic base in central Somalia, where it also controls Kismayo, the country's third-largest city. Al-Shabaab is an offshoot of an Islamic party that ruled much of the country in the second half of 2006 and aims to impose Islamic sharia law in Somalia. Nur Shekoy Jabril, the commander of government forces in Quryoley, said his troops withdrew from the two towns after they faced being overwhelmed by the al-Shabaab force. He said al-Shabaab forces were moving toward Merka, another major town in the region where the Untied Nations uses an air strip to fly in supplies for the World Food Programme. Somalia, which has not had a functioning government since 1991, is in the throes of an Islamic insurgency which is battling for control of the country and the ouster of Ethiopian forces. A cease-fire between the some of the Islamic fighters and the Somali transitional government takes effect on Wednesday. The agreement was brokered by the United Nations and the African Union and signed late last month in Djibouti. It calls for Ethiopian forces -- who are supporting the transitional government forces -- to withdraw starting on November 21. It is unclear if the cease-fire will hold as it has already been rejected by Al Shabaab. Somalia's lawlessness also spilled onto the seas off the Horn of Africa, where international vessels are routinely hijacked by suspected Somali pirates who demand large ransoms.

The al-Shabaab militia seized the cities of Bulo Marer and Quryoley . The move gives it a strategic base in central Somalia . Al-Shabaab an offshoot of Islamic party that ruled in Somalia for much of 2006 . The group aims to impose Islamic sharia law in Somalia .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- This month on the Screening Room we're turning to the wonderful world of animated films. "Shrek the Third," the latest in Dreamworks' inverted-fairytale franchise . Blockbusters like "Finding Nemo" and Dreamworks' franchise "Shrek" have turned animation into a multi-billion-dollar industry, and a market once dominated by Disney is becoming crowded with competition. This year, Pixar celebrates its 20th anniversary. From "Toy Story" to "Ratatouille," the company has transformed expectations about what's possible with animated film. Pixar's position as a world leader in animated film is largely down to John Lasseter - considered by some to be the Walt Disney for a new generation. From "Toy Story" and "A Bug's Life" to "Monsters, Inc." and "Cars," the Pixar back-catalogue is a testament to his creative genius. And when Pixar merged with Disney he became one of the most powerful players in the movie business. The first Pixar production released since the merger is "Ratatouille," the story of an unlikely alliance between a blundering trainee chef and a gourmet-loving rat. "Ratatouille" director Brad Bird's credits for Pixar include the Oscar-winning feature "The Incredibles," which won critical plaudits for its ground-breaking animation. He told CNN, "I think that one of the nice things about Pixar is that they don't feel like they have discovered the secret formula to making a good movie. They just keep focused on trying to make a movie that they would want to see. We are challenged and surprised every time they work out." But while Pixar and Disney may be the giants of animation they face formidable competition from another box-office monster -- Shrek. The adventures of the world's favorite ogre have generated a total of two billion dollars in takings. Actor Mike Myers, who voices Shrek, told CNN that he thinks the movies' appeal is their unlikely hero. He said, "With 'Shrek,' they took fairytales and turned them on their heads. Everything is inverted. Traditional villains are heroes, traditional heroes are villains. The whole team decided, we're going to look at somebody who has been told he was a villain and we're going to make him a hero. That's when I knew they were on to something." The success of the Shrek franchise, supported by other big budget features such as "Madagascar," has cemented Dreamworks' position as a major force in the animated world. Another successful franchise -- "Ice Age" -- has been a hot seller for 20th Century Fox. And the polar climate has also been kind to Warner Brothers with last year's Oscar-winning "Happy Feet" charming audiences around the world with a tale of dancing penguins, while the Tom Hanks-voiced "The Polar Express" also scored well on its way to becoming a seasonal stocking-filler on DVD. The life-like motion-capture technique used in "The Polar Express" will also feature in Warner's forthcoming release, "Beowulf" featuring Angelina Jolie. But in a market dominated by 3-D CGI animations, one of the big three summer blockbusters this year belongs to a more traditional form of the art. "The Simpsons Movie" is the world's longest-running animated television series, and fans have eagerly awaited its move to the big screen. Creator Matt Groening told the Screening Room, "We've had fans clamoring for a movie for the past 18 years. We've had kids, they've grown up, they've become adults, they've become writers for the Simpsons, so we had to do a movie after all this time." So, will Springfield's most famous inhabitants break all former animation records? Groening and co. will certainly be hoping that the movie gets a box-office "Woo hoo!" from its fans. "Happy Feet" is a Warner Bros. film; Warner Bros., like CNN, is a unit of Time Warner. E-mail to a friend .

Animation is now a multi-billion-dollar industry . Movie franchises like Shrek, Toy Story boost appeal to both adults and kids . Dreamworks, Warner Bros target slice of Disney Pixar's success .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States ambassador to Afghanistan, William Wood, said Friday that changes in communications with Afghan military forces have been made in the aftermath of a disputed U.S. air raid on an Afghan village. Civilians are overcome with emotion outside a home destroyed by a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan. And despite Afghanistan's outrage over the loss of life, he said, the incident has not undermined the nations' relationship. The Afghanistan government has said that as many as 90 civilians -- including many children -- were killed in the August 22 air attack on a village in the Shindand district of Western Afghanistan. The United States had said that only seven civilians died, along with dozens of insurgents. A number of investigations into the incident are under way, including a "senior level" review by the United States. "People who are reviewing our findings have been in Afghanistan for a while, and I don't know when they will complete their review," Wood said at the State Department late Friday. "There is no American involved who doesn't feel a personal sense of pain and regret any time any civilian casualty occurs," he said. "Speaking as an official of the American government, I can say there is no one who works harder than the United States does to minimize such casualties. "I know as a matter of absolute certainty of operations that have been canceled precisely because there was a risk of civilian casualties," he added. "I think there is no question there has been what one Afghan official referred to as 'sort of a bumpy time' over this issue in the last few weeks. I think that it has never threatened the underlying relationship of confidence between our two countries and between our peoples or between our military and the people of Afghanistan. "That said, we are certainly committed to taking the steps necessary to ensure that such casualties are reduced to the absolute minimum and to working closely, even more closely, with the Afghan government to successfully carry out the military mission." The ambassador said the United States has made changes in communication between the U.S. and Afghan forces. "Steps are already not simply under way but have been taken to improve coordination," he said. U.S. and Afghanistan officials have just completed a new round in what is called the United States-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership. A joint U.S.-Afghanistan statement released Thursday referred to the attack. "The United States delegation expressed regret over the loss of any innocent civilian lives incurred during security operations," the statement said. "In response to concerns expressed by the government of Afghanistan, the United States is conducting a senior level review and assessment of the August 22 Shindand operation. In addition, both sides recognize the need for establishing a mutually agreed-upon framework and mechanism to minimize civilian casualties and to maintain the strong support of the Afghan people in fighting terrorism."

U.S. ambassador says bombing led to "bumpy time" Afghan government says August airstrike killed 90 civilians . U.S. says attack killed seven civilians and many insurgents . Incident hasn't threatened nations' relationship, ambassador says .

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(CNN) -- Sudan's government and rebels from its troubled Darfur region signed a confidence-building agreement Tuesday in Qatar, a step toward ending a six-year conflict that has killed about 300,000 people, the emirate's state news agency reported. A member of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) stands guard near the Sudan-Chad border in 2007. Detailed talks between the government and the Justice and Equality Movement are scheduled to begin in two weeks after Tuesday's signing, Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabr al-Thani, Qatar's prime minister, told the SUNA news agency. Roger Middleton, an Africa specialist at the British think-tank Chatham House, said Tuesday's agreement deals mostly with prisoner releases. But he said the two parties' decision to hold further talks "is an important move forward, which there hasn't necessarily been in the past." "It is certainly a step in the right direction," he said. "But a lot more needs to be done if we're going to see a full cessation of fighting in Darfur." Other rebel groups are not included in the pact, and "many, many things" could cause the talks to fail, he said. "It is a start, but it's very fragile, and we mustn't get overexcited just yet," Middleton said. In November, Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir agreed to an immediate, unconditional cease-fire in Darfur, but JEM was not included in the talks. Sudan's Culture Minister Amin Hassan Omar and Jibril Ibrahim, a top rebel official, signed Tuesday's agreement. Qatar has been mediating talks between the two sides in the Darfur conflict, which erupted in 2003 after rebels began an uprising against the Khartoum government. The government launched a brutal counter-insurgency campaign, aided by government-backed Arab militias that went from village to village in Darfur, killing, torturing and raping residents, according to the United Nations, Western governments and human rights organizations. Al-Bashir is under pressure to end the fighting, particularly because he was charged with genocide by the International Criminal Court last year for the government's campaign of violence in Darfur. In the past six years, an estimated 300,000 people have been killed through direct combat, disease or malnutrition, the United Nations says. An additional 2.7 million people fled their homes because of fighting among rebels, government forces and allied militias.

NEW: Sudanese government, Darfur rebel group sign confidence-building deal . NEW: Government, Justice and Equality Movement holding further talks in two weeks . NEW: Analyst calls agreement "first step in the right direction" Around 300,000 people estimated to have died in six-year conflict .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- The first child in Britain known to have been screened as an embryo to ensure she did not carry a cancer gene was born Friday, a spokesman for University College London told CNN. Genetic screening allows lab-fertilized embryos to be tested for genes likely to lead to later health problems. Her embryo was screened in a lab days after conception to check for the BRCA-1 gene, linked to breast and ovarian cancer. People with the gene are known to have a 50-80 percent chance of developing breast or ovarian cancer in their lifetimes. British newspapers have dubbed the girl the "cancer-free" baby. "This little girl will not face the specter of developing this genetic form of breast cancer or ovarian cancer in her adult life," said Paul Serhal, a consultant at University College London Hospital and Medical Director of the Assisted Conception Unit. "The parents will have been spared the risk of inflicting this disease on their daughter. The lasting legacy is the eradication of the transmission of this form of cancer that has blighted these families for generations." Yet not everyone is thrilled with the idea of testing embryos for genes that could cause health problems later in life, a process known as preimplanatation genetic diagnosis. "This is not a cure for breast cancer," said Josephine Quintavalle, co-founder of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, which describes itself as group that focuses on ethical dilemmas related to reproduction. What do you think about testing embryos for gene defects? "This is simply a mechanism for eliminating the birth of anybody (prone to) the disease," she said. "It is basically a search-and-kill mechanism." She opposes the procedure because embryos found to carry disease-causing genes often are discarded. She says that is essentially murder. "They will be destroyed," she said. "They will never be allowed to live." Doctors in Britain and elsewhere increasingly test embryos for genes that are certain to cause illnesses such as cystic fibrosis or Huntington's Disease. What's different about the girl born Friday is that she is the first infant known to have been tested in Britain as an embryo for a gene that is merely likely -- not certain -- to cause disease. In the United States, geneticists are free to test for any condition for which they can develop a probe -- and they're free to look for genes that are certain to cause diseases as well as genes that merely may pose problems later in life. Quintavalle opposes any form of in-vitro fertilization where embryos are "killed," she said. But she is particularly troubled by the idea of screening an embryo for the BRCA-1 gene because carriers of the gene do not always develop the disease, and the disease is not always fatal. "The message we are sending is: 'Better off dead than carrying (a gene linked to) breast cancer,'" she said. "We have gone very much down the proverbial slippery slope." Peter Braude, one of the top British experts on the genetic testing of embryos, said he understands the ethical objections but focuses on the benefits. "There has always been a vociferous group in opposition," he said. But "there are people who can benefit and I think they should be allowed to do so." In fact, he argues that the procedure actually prevents abortions because it takes place on a three-day old embryo in a lab. Only embryos that lack the defective gene are implanted. "I don't think you can equate eight cells in a dish to an embryo or a child," said Braude, head of the department of women's health at the King's College London School of Medicine. For many couples, the alternative to testing an embryo is to conceive a child naturally and test the fetus weeks or months into a pregnancy. Some couples opt for an abortion when such testing reveals a defect. Diagnosing an embryo genetically typically involves fertilizing an egg with a sperm in a lab, testing the resulting embryo and implanting it in the mother if no defects are found. Braude agrees that testing for diseases that may not be fatal -- or may not manifest themselves for decades -- raises thorny ethical questions. "How serious does it have to be before you throw away an embryo?" he asked. "Are you prepared to throw away a 16-week embryo for Huntington's, which will not manifest until age 40?" In Britain, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority determines the conditions for which geneticists can test. It has approved testing for more than 60 conditions since it was established in 1990. The authority approved testing for the BRCA-1 gene in 2008. Dr. Mark Hughes, who founded a genetics clinic in the United States, said he likes the idea of an authority that regulates what tests can be performed -- the system in place in Britain -- but believes that parents who want to test for genetic abnormalities should be allowed to do so. At his Genesis Genetics Institute in Detroit, Michigan, Hughes carries out about two tests a month for BRCA-1 or BRCA-2, a related gene. "The couple is the best one to be making these decisions, because they live with these diseases," he said. "When it hits your family over and over again, many couples are saying: 'Enough of this. Let's prune this out of our family tree forever.'" He rejects the notion that parents will use genetic testing to remove all imperfections from children. "You can get up on your high horse and say people are looking for perfect children, but let's give these families more credit," he said. "They just want one that has a fighting chance of not having a disease." Hughes said he doubts genetic screening will ever be used to test all babies. That's partly because it costs the equivalent of about $11,755 -- 8,000 British pounds -- to screen embryos. It's also because the process is very complex. "It's gotten easier to do now than it was 19 years ago," when Hughes did his first test for cystic fibrosis, he said. "But it has not exploded, not burst onto the medical field like some technologies do. "No one would use these technologies for a trivial reason. It's too much effort," he said. "Not just the money -- it's so many hoops to jump through for a couple that would prefer to make their baby on vacation rather than in a clinic."

"Cancer-free baby" born; baby girl is first in UK to be screened for cancer gene . Embryo was screened to check she didn't carry gene linked to breast, ovarian cancer . Ethicists criticize screening for genes that could cause later health problems . Doctors say cost of screening makes it unlikely all embryos will ever be tested .

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(CNN) -- Legendary singer/songwriter Aretha Franklin sang "My Country 'Tis of Thee" at the inauguration Tuesday. Aretha Franklin says cold weather affected her voice during her performance at the inauguration on Tuesday. CNN's Larry King talks with "The Queen of Soul" about the reality of the nation's first black president, singing at the inauguration and the much-talked-about hat she wore. Larry King: Where'd you get that hat? Aretha Franklin: Well, I bought it at a little millinery that I frequent out in Detroit. King: What was that like for you (Tuesday)? Franklin: Oh. What a tremendous, mammoth morning, evening, the ball, everything, from one event to the other, was just too much. King: How did you find out you were singing? Franklin: My agent called me and he told me that he had received an invitation and a telephone call, asking for my presence and performance at the swearing-in and the inauguration. King: Did you choose the song? Franklin: Yes, I did. King: Is that a tough song to sing? Franklin: No, not at all, but (Tuesday) it was. Mainly because of the temperature outside. I don't have to tell you, it was freezing, if you were there. Some singers it doesn't bother, and others it does. I don't care for it. It affected my voice. Watch Franklin sing at inauguration » . King: You sang at Martin Luther King's funeral. What do you remember about that? Franklin: There were very, very long lines, of course. I recall walking in the street behind the bier, somewhere maybe about 200, 300 feet from the bier, I think. I recall Leontyne Price being there, as well as Eartha Kitt. They shuttled us from one point to the other. The passing of a great man was at hand. King: How did you feel yesterday about seeing a young black man elected president? Franklin: Oh boy, how do you put it into words? There's a love affair going on with the country and Barack. I think it's the age of Barack. People have just fallen head over heels in love with him. His ascent to the presidency was miraculous. But we have to remember that he's not going to work miracles right off the top. It's going to take time. Watch Franklin discuss joy of seeing nation's first black president » . (There's) a lot of problems, and there's a plethora of things to deal with for he and his administration. King: One thing, with your magnificent voice, is it hard to sing outdoors? Franklin: It depends on the temperature. Yesterday, Mother Nature was not very kind to me. I'm going to deal with her when I get home. It, by no means, was my standard. I was not happy with it, but I just feel blessed because it could have been five above zero or five below zero like it is in Detroit. I was still blessed to be able to pretty much just sing the melody, but I wasn't happy with it, of course. King: It was great to listen to. Franklin: I was delighted and thrilled to be there. That was the most important thing, not so much the performance, but just to be there and to see this great man go into office -- the promise of tomorrow coming to pass.

Aretha Franklin: Cold weather affected rendition of "My Country 'Tis of Thee" Franklin on Obama presidency: "It's the age of Barack" Franklin says she bought much-talked-about inauguration hat at Detroit millinery .

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MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- An Indian official said the coordinated terrorist attacks that killed at least 183 people in nine sites across Mumbai this week could have been much worse. An Indian soldier carries his rifle outside the Taj Mahal Hotel on Saturday in Mumbai, India. "We found bullets with them, hand grenades, bombs," R.R. Patil, deputy chief minister of Maharashtra state, said at a news conference. "Based on our investigation, we believe they had planned to kill 5,000 people." Indian authorities also were investigating whether some of the attackers may have gotten away, blending into Mumbai's 18 million residents. Another top official at the news conference pointed to a connection with Pakistan. "Yes, the captured terrorist was Pakistani, as the home minister and others have said," said Vilasrao Deshmukh, chief minister of Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located. "As far as the others, the accomplices, the investigation, the interrogation is under way and the details will become public very soon." Police and soldiers continued their room-by-room sweep of the Taj Mahal Hotel late Saturday to make sure all trapped guests had been evacuated and no gunmen remained hidden. Watch the destruction left at the hotel » . Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari pledged his country's full cooperation with the investigation and vowed to take "the strictest action" if it is found the terrorists were based in Pakistan. Investigators probing the attacks said they found cell phones and a global navigational device on an abandoned boat floating off the coast of Mumbai, CNN's sister station CNN-IBN reported. The television station showed photographs of a phone's log that indicated calls had been placed to Pakistan. The boat, intelligence officials told CNN-IBN, had been hijacked. The captain was found dead, lying face down with his hands bound behind his back. Four crew members were missing. Zardari -- whose wife, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated a year ago -- said he was "as committed as can be" to wiping out the terrorists because they also threaten him and his country. Watch Mumbai's history of violence » . "They may not be the same individuals, but they are definitely the same forces with the same mindset." Zardari said Pakistan's cooperation with Indian investigators will be present "without any hesitation whatsoever." "As the president of Pakistan, let me assure you, if any evidence points to any individual or group in my part of the country, I shall take the strictest of action in light of the evidence and in front of the world." Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, vowed Saturday to take action against any group within its borders if it is found to be involved with the attacks. "The Indian leadership has not blamed the government of Pakistan; please be very clear on that," he said. "What we have said is, if we have information, if they (India) have evidence, they should share it with us. As far as the government of Pakistan is concerned, terrorism is terrorism and we do not qualify it nor do we differentiate between organizations." President Bush, returning to Washington on Saturday from a Thanksgiving break at Camp David, Maryland, extended condolences and support to the Indian people and government. "The killers that struck this week are brutal and violent. But terror will not have the final word," Bush said on the south lawn of the White House. "The people of India are resilient, the people of India are strong. They've built a vibrant, multi-ethnic democracy that can withstand this trial." "As the people of the world's largest democracy recover from these attacks, they can count on the world's oldest democracy to stand by their side," he added. Meanwhile, security forces at the Taj hotel, the site of the terrorists' final stand, carried out a series of controlled explosions Saturday afternoon to defuse explosives they came across as they combed through the 565 rooms of the Victorian structure. Read more about those killed in the terror attacks . J.K. Dutt, director-general of the National Security Guard, told a throng of reporters that security forces had killed three gunmen during the mission to clear the Taj hotel, but officials were not ready to declare the operation over until they finished their room-by-room search. Watch survivor say gunmen were targeting Britons and Americans » . Dutt appealed to guests who may be hiding in their rooms to open their window curtains to signal their presence to security officials. The hotel was secured Saturday morning. Minutes earlier, a fire -- which Dutt said had been set by the terrorists as a diversionary tactic -- swept through the ground floor of the 105-year-old building and coincided with an end to rifle fire. The blaze was quickly brought under control. Learn more about the hotel's history and future » . Meanwhile thousands gathered at the city's largest park, Shivaji Park, to say farewell to Hemant Karkare, the head of Mumbai's antiterrorism squad. Karkare was shot three times by gunmen outside the Cama Hospital, one of nine sites the attackers targeted Wednesday night. He was one of at least 17 police officers who died in the attacks. By Saturday evening the death toll from the attacks reached at least 183, federal officials said. State officials are reviewing the higher toll of 195 they released earlier. An additional 300 people were wounded, including 23 foreigners, said Vandana Pawar, a Mumbai disaster management official. The official death toll does not include the at least 11 gunmen killed. The toll is expected to rise as authorities count the casualties inside the Taj Mahal Hotel, whose burned-out lobby was littered with shards of glass. Watch victim speak about ordeal » . Indian officials found five bodies of hostages who had been held inside the Chabad House, a Jewish community center. The dead included an American rabbi, his Israeli wife, a second American rabbi and two other people. Two gunmen were also killed. At the Oberoi Hotel -- another luxury hotel where gunmen took hostages before they were killed -- 36 people were found dead, according to Bhushan Gagrani, a state official for Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located. "We were in there for 36 hours in our room," said Vinka Clemmett, one of the survivors of the Oberoi attack. "We heard the first explosion ... kind of a big silver tray had dropped on the floor. And then about five minutes later, (we) heard the shooting, and it just went on and on. And my first reaction was, 'Oh, God forgive them,' because I knew that people were being killed. It was just obvious that something terrible was happening." A UK security source told CNN that officials were investigating why two bodies believed to be those of terrorists were found with British identification documents. He said another gunman was captured alive. Watch a timeline of the attacks » . The gunmen were in their 20s and appeared well-trained, a member of the Indian navy's commando unit said. Police say boats took the men to Mumbai's waterfront near the Gateway of India monument, near the Taj hotel. Officials said the men had prepared for months, setting up "control rooms" in the two hotels. Indian authorities said no one had claimed responsibility, although a group calling itself Deccan Mujahideen said in e-mails to Indian news outlets that it was behind the attack. CNN's Andrew Stevens, Mallika Kapur, Harmeet Shah Singh, Saeed Ahmed, Sara Sidner, Alessio Vinci, Reza Sayah and Paula Newton contributed to this report.

NEW: Terrorists armed with grenades, bombs, official says . NEW: India's democracy 'can withstand this trial,' President Bush says . Officials link boat floating off Mumbai to attacks; calls placed to Pakistan . At least 183 killed during attacks, according to federal officials .

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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- The political crisis that has gripped Zimbabwe for nearly a year may be drawing to an end, but a deadly cholera outbreak there is only getting worse. Zimbabweans walk through mounds of garbage. Lack of sanitation and clean water make cholera spread. The newly formed cabinet of Zimbabwe's unity government met for the first time Tuesday, the same day that Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) released a report warning that the epidemic shows no signs of slowing. The outbreak -- one of the world's largest, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) -- is only getting worse, and could be a stepping-stone to other epidemics and health crises, international agencies say. Since August, at least 3,623 people have died and 76,127 people have been infected by cholera, a preventable water-borne bacterial illness that causes severe diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration and can lead to death in a matter of days if not treated. According to a report released Tuesday by Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), new cholera patients were being registered at a rate of one every minute at the beginning of February in Zimbabwe. Unless urgent action is taken, the aid group said, the country could see a worsening of the "massive medical emergency that is spiraling out of control," MSF President Dr. Christophe Fournier told CNN Tuesday after his latest visit to Zimbabwe. MSF says the response from the international community to the crisis has been slow and inadequate, and it called on donors to put aside politics and send help immediately. The cholera epidemic has been left to fester as the Zimbabwean government grappled with questionable elections, opposition charges of fraud, power-sharing talks and the creation of a unity government in the last year. During that time, the country's economy and infrastructure imploded, with sanitation systems and garbage collection becoming virtually non-existent. "The reasons for the (cholera) outbreak are clear: lack of access to clean water, burst and blocked sewage systems, and uncollected refuse overflowing in the streets, all clear symptoms of the breakdown in infrastructure resulting from Zimbabwe's political and economic meltdown," the MSF report said. The disease is contracted "by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on its Web site. "In an epidemic, the source of the contamination is usually the feces of an infected person," the CDC said. "The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water." Making matters worse, flooding from the rainy season -- which began in November -- is spreading the bacteria through swollen streams and rivers. Cholera cases have now been reported in all of the country's provinces, the MSF report said. Exacerbating the epidemic is the current economic crisis, which has caused the health care system to nearly grind to a halt. "I've seen many health services being down like this in my life as an MSF doctor, but only in this country have I seen this kind of collapse of the public health care system in the absence of any conflict," Fournier said. He said most of the country's public hospitals or clinics are either closed or empty, and the ones that are open face critical shortages of drugs and medical equipment. "A huge part of the medical staff is not showing up because they are unpaid and on top of that, the patients, when finally accessing one opened facility, are asked for totally indecent amounts of money only to be seen and then an extra amount of money for their treatment," Fournier added. Many patients can't afford to pay and don't even bother to seek treatment, he said. MSF believes cholera may be just the beginning of a nightmare health crisis in the southern African country. "The current food shortages make us fear of further malnutrition among the most vulnerable, starting with the under (age) five children, where any kind of infectious epidemic can start at any moment after this current cholera epidemic," Fournier explained. MSF currently has more than 500 staff members working in Zimbabwe to battle the outbreak. The organization is calling on the government to remove barriers that are slowing the MSF response to the crisis. "Despite the glaring humanitarian needs, the government of Zimbabwe continues to exert rigid control over aid organizations. MSF faces restrictions in implementing medical assessments and interventions," the group's report said. "The Zimbabwean government must facilitate independent assessments of need, guarantee that aid agencies can work wherever needs are identified and ease bureaucratic restrictions so that programs can be staffed properly and drugs procured quickly," the report said. Manuel Lopez, the chief of MSF's mission in Zimbabwe, said the cost of importing medicine is often higher than the cost of the drugs themselves. High fees for visas and work permits for staff are also impeding operations, he said. And it often takes months to get permission for MSF specialists to operate inside the country, Lopez explained, with some eventually being turned down.

Doctors without Borders report says cholera crisis shows no signs of slowing . Aid agencies say it could be lead to other epidemics and health crises . No sanitation or clean water, piles of garbage help spread disease . Epidemic has been left to fester due to Zimbabwe political wrangling .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Eight police personnel were killed in an early-morning attack Saturday on a police security checkpoint in Pakistan's Punjab province, a police official said. The attack happened at 3:30 a.m. Saturday (2230 GMT Friday). Some personnel were asleep in the checkpost guard quarters and others were standing guard when unknown militants attacked the checkpost from their vehicle, a police official from the Mianwali district of the province said. All the men were killed by gunfire. The attackers then blew up the checkpost with explosives, the police official said. The checkpoint was part of the NATO supply routes transporting goods from the port city of Karachi through Pakistan's northwestern region and tribal areas into Afghanistan. Police told CNN that an attack a few days ago also targeted a checkpoint in the Mianwali district. Rocket fire damaged the top level of building but no one was killed in the attack.

Early-morning attack results in death of eight police personnel . All men killed by gunfire -- attackers then blew up checkpost with explosives . The checkpoint was part of the NATO supply routes .

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HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Bamboo, woven into the shape of human stomachs. Red, sky blue and orange pencil shavings glued onto a large canvas form a woman's traditional hair clip. A collage of magazine clippings, drawings and found materials depict Cambodia's tumultuous modern history. Leang Seckon's "Prison Guard" depicts Duch, who is facing a genocide tribunal starting Tuesday. These are a few of the offerings on hand in Hong Kong at one of the first large international exhibitions of artists from Cambodia. The work by 14 artists varies in practice-- video, photography, collage, wood shavings, paper, bamboo and painting-- as well as in themes, from reflecting on the Southeast Asian nation's genocidal Khmer Rouge regime to the emerging modern Cambodia, with traffic lights and all. "Every artist in this show is referencing ancient tradition and recent history," said Phnom Penh-based curator Erin Gleeson, noting the wall-size depiction in folded paper of the serpent Naga (which in Cambodian culture represents the people's mythical birth) to a collage of 20th-century Cambodia and its six different regime changes. "The show is looking at the present -- 'Forever Until Now' is the title -- and it is this lineage of the past, you see that in the show, and then you see artists that arrive at the present," she added. The show opens Friday and runs through March 22 at 10 Chancery Lane Gallery. Gallery owner and director Katie de Tilly said she believed it was important the artists get international exposure. " ... it's really at the beginning of their art emergence. Obviously, they've had a very hard history," she said. "This is really the beginning of contemporary Cambodians who are expressing very original ideas in their artworks and I think that that's what makes it very unique and to show to the rest of the world." Cambodia, which lost an estimated one-quarter of its population or at least 1.7 million people -- including an estimated 90 percent of its artists -- under the 1970s Khmer Rouge regime, has a small but growing artistic community: there are some 50 practicing artists out of its 14 million people, Gleeson said. The genocide and ensuing war, which only ended in the last decade or so, stifled the development of the arts in one of the world's poorest countries. "The legacy of that is now in every facet of a developing society," said Gleeson, who noted the country had no art books when she arrived in 2002 on a fellowship to teach art history. "There's an absence of infrastructure for them, there's an absence of materials, there is no art store. ... they are quite inventive about mixing materials to make them of a higher quality or last longer, but in many cases they don't know archival techniques." The harsh weather conditions -- a dusty, hot season and a rainy monsoon -- add to the trying work conditions. "Everything's against them," she added. "Their parents in many cases are coming from a really disadvantaged background, as the majority of the country is economically." Some of the art included in the show looks at the Cambodia of today, such as Leang Seckon's "Three Greens" -- an acrylic painting showing children in school uniform crossing a road with a yellow light, red light and three green lights, along with cows and roosters. The piece shows the changes in a country that recently got stop lights, with animals, people and traffic mingling on the main roads of the capital. Sopheap Pich, a Cambodian-American whose family migrated to the U.S. in 1984, works with bamboo and rattan -- materials often used in Cambodian traditional farming and crafts -- to make sculptures. His work, "Cycle 2," is the joining of the stomachs of an infant and an elderly person that for him brought up ideas of Cambodian traditional village life. "You belong to each other, you help each other out," he said. "But also, if you look at the lines and you see how it's shaped by hand, it's not very perfect, so it's also about struggle... "You could say it's a cycle of trying to hold onto each other, now we are living everywhere in the world, Cambodians are all over the planet," he added. "All this technique and pattern that I am quite obsessed with ... it's about this idea of trying to hold on with very simple means." Chan Dany, a 25-year-old artist who graduated from one of the country's three art schools, creates textured patterns that appear almost like tapestry using pencil shavings in various colors. The works on display in the show are from a series based on Cambodian architectural decor, such as door and window shutter carvings, and include ancient Khmer forms whose shapes are derived from nature. "When I started learning art, the teacher introduced a lot of new ways of making art, new ideas that were very difficult for me, so I had to think a lot," he said through a translator. "So then I looked around at what my classmates were doing and I started to think about what they weren't using for their work, so I started to collect the things that they didn't use when they were making art and started to think about my way of making art using those materials." "I like the first piece I did (using the pencil shaving technique) because I had never done it this way before and since then I kept on making it," he said. The younger artists "seem to be expressing something more fresh," while the work by artists from the older generation is "much more heavy," de Tilly said. Some of the works of the Khmer Rouge period include a painting by Vann Nath, one of seven people to survive the regime's infamous S-21 torture prison. His painting, "Pray for Peace," depicts women wearing traditional Cambodian funeral scarves praying en masse under troubled skies by stormy seas. Another work, Leang's "Prison Guard," tells the life of Duch, a former teacher who ran S-21 and goes on trial Tuesday before a U.N.-backed tribunal on charges that include crimes against humanity. The art scene has been growing slowly in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh over the last few years: Sopheap started a group to promote contemporary Cambodian art practices and two art institutes offer programs apart from the Royal University of Fine Arts. One factor that has also made Cambodian contemporary artists different from their counterparts, for example in neighboring Vietnam, has been the lack of outside influence, such as was the case with Chinese contemporary art 30 years ago, de Tilly said. "Cambodia still is very much influenced by itself and so the development is happening on a slower pace but as well very interesting," she said. "They seem to not have as much international exposure to materials, magazines, publications, so you really do feel -- it was the same just after the Cultural Revolution in China -- that they didn't have exposure to many publications and things, and so their art was developing at that moment in time." " ... it's very interesting to document it and see what's going to happen in the future," she said. Part of the exhibit will be shown at another of the gallery's venues in Hong Kong and will run through April 25.

Fourteen artists, ranging in age and practice, displaying their works . One work depicts Duch, a former Khmer Rouge leader facing genocide tribunal . Cambodia's arts were stunted by the 1970s genocide and civil war . Some 50 artists now practicing their craft in the Southeast Asian country .

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Turkey launched another round of airstrikes against Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq on Sunday, an Iraqi official said. File photo from 2007 of Kurdistan Workers Party fighters at the Mahsun Korkmaz Academy in Northern Iraq. Turkish warplanes and artillery units bombed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) positions in villages near Amadi in Iraq's Duhuk Province, a provincial security official told CNN. The official said the Turkish military operation started at 5:30 p.m. and lasted an hour and a half. There were no reports of casualties. Turkey said it was the sixth time in the past week it attacked the PKK in response to clashes that left at least 15 Turkish troops dead in the Turkey-Iraq border region last weekend. The central Iraqi government has labeled the PKK a terrorist organization, banning its activities and closing its offices in the country two years ago. The United States and the European Union also consider the PKK a terrorist group. It was the second round of Turkish strikes on northern Iraq this weekend. Late Friday and early Saturday, Turkish warplanes hit 31 targets in the Hakurk region of northern Iraq before returning. They "successfully completed the operation [and] safely returned to their bases," the Turkish military said. A spokesman for the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Security Forces said Turkish warplanes and artillery units bombed the region from around 11 p.m. Friday until 1 a.m. Saturday. The spokesman, Jabbar Yawer, said there were no reports of casualties. Turkish artillery shells also hit border villages in the Zakho area, targeting PKK positions for about an hour on Saturday afternoon, Yawer said. Though the Iraqi government opposes the PKK, the organization continues to operate in the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq bordering Turkey and Iran. The separatist faction has been fighting for self-rule in southeastern Turkey. The Iraqi Kurdish Regional Security Forces provide security for Iraq's Kurdish regional government. CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

Turkish military bombs Kurdistan Workers Party positions in Iraq's Duhuk Province . No casualties reported in second Turkish incursion into PKK territory this weekend . Strikes follow clashes last weekend that killed 15 Turkish troops in border region . Iraqi government, United States, European Union consider PKK a terrorist group .

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PHOENIX, Arizona (CNN) -- It was supposed to be just another day at work. Job losses suffered by Linda and Chris Metzger have had a ripple effect on other businesses in their community . In early March 2008, 31-year-old Linda Metzger went to the New York office where she had worked as an assistant vice president in the marketing department at Lehman Brothers for about a year. Only 15 minutes into her work day, Metzger was called into her manager's office, where a representative from human resources was waiting. "They told me that the company was having economic difficulties and that they had to make budget cuts," Metzger said. "They were afraid that they were going to have to let me go and that it was not due to performance." Metzger says that would be her last day at Lehman Brothers. She was given some time to collect her composure, gather her belongings and head home. She was out of a $90,000-a-year job and was getting married in three months. Metzger says it was a chance for her and her fiancé to refocus, relocate and start a new life. Within a few weeks, they both found jobs near Phoenix, Arizona, earning close to what they were making in New York. They bought a home and two new cars and got married. But the good feelings suddenly and dramatically ended in October when Metzger, who was four months pregnant, showed up to work at Lumension, where she was a marketing manager. Metzger says she was called into the office, and it happened again. She was laid off from her second job in less than a year. Watch Linda talk about getting laid off » . "I was so overwhelmed and so shocked that I just immediately burst into tears." She thought about how she and her new husband, who had just moved across the country, were going to be able to afford their new life and all the bills that came with it. A week later, Chris Metzger was called into his manager's office at the job placement agency where he worked. He was told that because of the economy, his office was closing, and he was out of a job. Now he had to break the news to his wife. "I just came home, and she was upstairs," Chris Metzger said. He tried to find the best way to tell his wife that they no longer had an income. "I walked upstairs, I gave her a hug, and I said, 'I lost my job today.' " "I immediately fell to the floor and just started crying," Linda said. Within 10 days, Chris was able to find a new job, but Linda had no such luck. The economy was taking its toll, and very few companies were hiring. They looked at their budget and started to eliminate all the extras, including dining out and gym memberships. Vacations were put on hold; furniture purchases had to wait; fine meals out were now home-cooked meals. The Metzgers' story is playing out all across America as businesses and communities feel the ripple effect of the recession . "When jobs get lost, demand falls for a whole bunch of businesses. You're not going to buy new shoes; you're going to put new soles on them," said Lakshman Achuthan, managing director of the Economic Cycle Research Institute, an independent group that studies recessions. Restaurants where the Metzgers used to dine are now closed. The furniture store where they hoped to fill their home is having a liquidation sale and is closing in three weeks. "You've pulled back from all your spending except paying your mortgage and putting food on the table," Achuthan said. It's a sign of the times. A drive down the Phoenix streets and strip malls are filled with vacant office space . Chris and Linda Metzger are expecting their first child in April. This month, they had to decide between making an expensive COBRA insurance payment or the mortgage payment, and they may have to start asking family for help. Despite her education and work experience, Linda Metzger says she is hoping she can start a genealogy business. She just doesn't feel good about jumping back into the work force after her baby is born. "I am feeling a little burnt -- sorry, very burnt by corporate America."

Phoenix, Arizona, couple lost three jobs in one year . Restaurants, stores where they spent money are closing . Economist says when a job is lost, demand falls for many businesses .

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(CNN) -- The only thing Venus Williams treasures more than winning is a decent nap. Venus Williams knocks Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova out of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships on February 17, 2009. Just before a match, when other top tennis players might be psyching themselves up for a three-set onslaught, the elder of the Williams sisters can be found somewhere private, snoozing. "I'm always sleepy," she told CNN in an interview for this month's edition of "Revealed." "I'm literally taking a nap during the first set and the match before me, so I'm probably the only person that can go to sleep, come out 15 minutes later and start playing." Wary of sending the wrong signals to her rivals, the sixth seed confessed to CNN that she prefers to take her naps in private. "I'm wondering if my competitor is going to see me here, so I try to act like I'm not asleep, but I am asleep, or I try to find a place where I can sleep in and no one will see me," she laughs. The lightning-fast speed of Venus' serve is at complete odds with her personality. She is strong, ambitious and determined, but also surprisingly laid-back for someone whose professional career is about playing harder, longer and faster. "I just always go with the flow," she told CNN. "On the court, that's when I get most intense. In practice, I scream and yell and threaten to throw my racquet but in the match I'm not like that at all." Her younger sister, world number one Serena, sounds almost envious of Venus' ability to keep her emotions in check. "Venus is really, really unusually composed and that's just her style," Serena told CNN. "On the court she's always really focused. She always has this quiet tenacity and she never really shows her emotions which I think is good." The youngest of five sisters, Serena says she continues to draw inspiration from her closest sibling. Venus is just 15 months older than Serena. She set the marker for success in 2002 when she became the first of the sisters to become world number one. Serena first took the title in July of the same year and reclaimed it earlier this month. "She's my bigger sister, she's my older sister, she's a role model for me," Serena said. "I'm always trying to do what she does. If she's going on the right path then I'm going on the right path too. If she's working hard then I want to work hard also. I'm the little sister who wants to be just like the big sister," she added. If they once struggled to find the required ruthlessness to eliminate each other from a competition, it is clearly no longer a problem. Of 18 matches they have contested, each sister has won nine. At the time of writing, there is every chance they will meet again this week in the semi-final of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships. They last clashed at the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha in November 2008 when Venus dispatched Serena in three hard-fought sets before going on to win her first end of season title. Asked after the match about accusations they don't play as hard against each other as they would normal rivals, Venus replied, "You have to play hard against a Williams or you are going home quickly. We try our hardest and I think that everyone knows that by the effort level." Their mother, Oracene Price, told CNN she keeps her advice on the subject simple. "I just tell them to remember they are sisters and how love and how to care for one another is more important than anything," she said. "So, this is just a game and eventually it would be over and you will have to live with each other. So, just go out there and do your best and whoever wins, wins. And whoever loses, better luck next time." Having said that, Price admits she keeps her distance from whoever comes out second best, in any match. "They don't want to be talked to, they don't want you telling them anything, they just want to be left alone and that's what I do," she told CNN. There is no need for tip-toeing today. Venus made fast work of Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, beating the 17-year-old 6-0, 6-1 in less than one hour in the second round of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships. Venus told CNN her ambition this year is to topple Serena to become the world number one. "I think I am in a great position to do that," she said. Watch Venus Williams on Revealed this week at the times below: . ALL TIMES GMT Wednesday, February 18: 0930, 1830 Saturday, February 21: 0830, 1900 Sunday, February 22: 0530, 1830 Monday, February 23: 0400 .

Venus Williams admits she's always sleepy, likes to nap before a match . The sixth seed is playing in the Dubai Tennis Championships this week . Venus aims to topple sister Serena to become world number one in 2009 . Watch Venus Williams on Revealed this week at the times below .

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(CNN) -- The U.S. Senate gave final approval Friday to a $787 billion recovery package that President Obama hopes will help boost an economy in freefall with a combination of government spending and tax cuts and credits. Sen. Sherrod Brown speaks to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at right on the Senate floor Friday. Approved earlier by the House, the plan -- which went through multiple permutations as it bounced back and forth on Capitol Hill over the past week -- now goes to Obama's desk, where he plans to sign it into law by Presidents Day. Spending in the package includes about $120 billion for infrastructure -- new projects repairing bridges, roads, government buildings and the like -- more than $100 billion for education and $30 billion on energy-related projects that Obama says will create "green jobs." More than $212 billion goes to tax breaks for individuals and businesses, and another $267 billion is in direct spending like food stamps and unemployment benefits. The Congressional Budget Office has predicted that the plan will create between 1 million and 3 million jobs. Most individuals will get a $400 tax credit, and couples will get $800. The vote by the Senate took several hours longer than a simple roll call of its 100 members generally would. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, attended a wake for his mother until about 8 p.m. Friday. Voting began about 5:30 p.m. Then, the Senate chamber sat nearly empty until Brown arrived to vote about five hours later. He was flown from Ohio to Washington on a plane provided by the White House, which said no commercial flights were available that would have allowed Brown to cast a vote and return to Ohio in time for his mother's funeral Saturday. As had been the case when the original version of the package passed, the stimulus package garnered no Republican support in the House. The compromise legislation, which was hammered out by House and Senate leaders and White House staff over the past several days, passed in the House on a 246-183 vote. Three Republicans -- Susan Collins and Olympia Snow of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania -- supported it in the Senate. Their support was needed to give the plan the 60 votes needed to keep it from being shut down by Republican parliamentary procedures. All Democrats in the Senate supported the plan. Seven House Democrats opposed it. Although the package was signed off on by leadership Thursday, a written version wasn't available to most lawmakers until about 11 p.m. Some Republicans in the House expressed frustration over how little time they had to read the 1,000-plus-page bill, and others predicted ruin if it passed. Watch the stimulus pass without GOP support » . "Just because Republicans spent too much money after September 11 and lost our way on financial matters doesn't mean the Democratic party should be allowed to wreck our ship of state," said Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tennessee. "This is taking us quickly down the wrong road. Vote no." Watch the GOP say 'Americans deserve better' » . Other lawmakers, however, said they were hopeful the stimulus plan would get the economy back on track. "We know this bill alone will not solve all of our economic woes overnight. We know that the road back to economic stability and prosperity will require hard work over time," said Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colorado. "But this bill is the right size and scope necessary to truly help us turn things around." Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, who returned to Capitol Hill for votes this week, was not present for the final vote because he returned to Florida to continue his recovery from brain cancer. The bill passed the Senate 60-38. Here's how the compromise bill is expected to affect individuals: . Most individuals will get a $400 tax credit, and most couples will get an $800 credit. That amounts to an extra $13 a week in a person's paycheck, starting in June. That's less than what Obama campaigned on: $500 for individuals and $1,000 per couple. Many students will get a $2,500 tuition tax credit. First-time home buyers may qualify for a tax credit of up to $8,000. People who receive Social Security will get a one-time payment of $250. The overall package is estimated to be 35 percent tax cuts and 65 percent spending, Democratic sources said. CNN's Ted Barrett, Dana Bash, Lisa Desjardins, Evan Glass, Mark Preston and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.

Senate approves bill with vote of 60-38 . Sherrod Brown casts deciding vote after being flown from mother's wake . House approves bill 246-183; no Republicans back measure .

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(CNN) -- The Italian government has approved the creation of a new task force of 500 soldiers who will be deployed to combat the recent wave of Mafia crime in the country. The army has been deployed in major cities aross Italy since the early summer. Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa told the ANSA press agency Tuesday that ''the majority'' of the troops would be sent to the southern city of Naples following the worst ever Camorra massacre last week, that left an Italian and six Africans dead. La Russa said that the 500 troops will be in addition to the 3,000 soldiers deployed alongside police in major Italian cities this summer, ANSA reported. ''The troops could be deployed for three months and (perform) the functions of manning check points,'' he said. This will be the second time since the 1990s that the army has been sent in to combat Mafia crime in southern Italy, ANSA said. Thousands of soldiers were sent to Sicily in 1992 following the murder of anti-Mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. They stayed on the southern island until 1998 in an operation dubbed the Sicilian Vespers. The Casalesi Camorra clan is believed to have been behind Thursday's killings, which began with the shooting of an amusement arcade's 53-year-old Italian owner, known to have had links with the clan, ANSA said. Twenty minutes later, three Ghanaians, two Liberians and a Togo national were shot dead at a shop where local residents often brought clothes for minor adjustments. A third Liberian died in hospital Friday morning. According to ANSA, police said the murders were drug-related but also ''a signal'' that the Casalesi were still strong in the area despite a raft of recent arrests. The Casalesi clan is one of the most feared Camorra gangs. It controls drug trafficking and prostitution in the Caserta region, near Naples.

Defense Minister: Majority of the troops would be sent to Naples area . This follows the murder of six people by local Camorra clan last week . Second time since 1990s that army has been sent in to combat Mafia crime .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani government officials announced Monday an agreement with the Taliban to allow strict Islamic law, or sharia, to be implemented in parts of North West Frontier Province. Delegation members of pro-Taliban leader Soofi Mohammad at a meeting in Peshawar Monday. It marks a major concession by the Pakistani government in its attempt to hold off Taliban militants who have terrorized the region with beheadings, kidnappings, and the destruction of girls' schools. The government will recognize sharia for the entire Malakand Division, which includes the Swat district -- a two-hour drive from Pakistan's capital, Islamabad -- the chief minister of North West Frontier Province Amir Haider Hoti announced Monday in a news conference. Islamic law is already being practiced in the area, where the Taliban have control. Hoti said the people of the region want sharia which will fill the "vacuum" left by a lack of access to Pakistan's judicial system. He said he hoped it would bring peace to the region, where Pakistani forces have battled militants aligned with the Taliban. "Those who chose to take the path of violence because of this decision, I appeal to all of them to work for the sake of peace now," Hoti said. "There is no accounting for the sacrifice of all the people of Swat and the Malakand division. How many children have been orphaned? How many parents have lost their children? How many young people have been martyred? In my mind, I don't think that anyone can take this any more." Watch Pakistan's foreign minister discuss negotiating with the Taliban » . He also stressed that the recognition of Islamic law in the region "isn't something that hasn't happened before." He said previous agreements have been made regarding sharia, but were never implemented. He also said that the Islamic law will not go against basic civil liberties, although he did not explain how the government would make sure that provision would be upheld. Watch the implications of the concessions to the Taliban » . Sharia is defined as Islamic law but is interpreted with wide differences depending on the various sects of both Sunni and Shia Islam. So far, the Pakistani Taliban's interpretation of sharia has included banning girls from school, forcing women inside and outlawing forms of entertainment. The agreement comes amid negotiations between Pakistani provincial officials and Taliban representatives, led by Sufi Mohammed. The Taliban on Sunday declared a 10-day cease-fire in Swat Valley, which Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said was a gesture of good will towards the government. The Taliban's control of Swat is believed to be the deepest advance by militants into Pakistan's settled areas -- meaning areas outside its federally administered tribal region along the border with Afghanistan. The negotiations in North West Frontier Province are the latest attempt by Pakistan's civilian government -- which took power last year -- to achieve peace through diplomacy in areas where Taliban and al Qaeda leaders are believed to have free rein. But analysts as well as critics within the establishment have warned that Pakistan's previous dealings with the Taliban have only given the fundamentalist Islamic militia time to regroup and gain more ground. Khadim Hussain, a professor Bahria University in Islamabad who studies Pakistani politics, said the government has effectively surrendered the areas to the Taliban, thereby setting the stage for two contradictory, parallel states in North West Frontier Province. "If you leave them like that and you give ... a semblance of peace in a particular area, what does that mean?" Hussain said. "It means you're capitulating. It means you're surrendering the state to them. It means your submitting the state authority to them because they are running a parallel state." He said the government's decision amounts to a marriage of convenience made under duress. Swat has been overrun by forces loyal to Maulana Fazlullah's banned hardline Islamic group, Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi (TNSM) which has allied itself with Taliban fighters. TNSM was once led by Sufi Mohammed, Fazlullah's father-in-law who is leading the latest negotiations. Sufi Mohammed was released from jail last year by Pakistani authorities after he agreed to cooperate with the government. He was jailed in 2002 after recruiting thousands of fighters to battle U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Fazlullah took over TNSM during Sufi Mohammed's jail stint and vowed to continue his fight to impose fundamentalist Islamic law in the region. Last May, Pakistan's government announced it reached a peace deal with militants in Swat Valley. In the months that have followed, the Taliban have seized control of the region and carried out a violent campaign against government officials, including local politicians. The head of the Awami National Party -- which represents the region -- was forced to flee to Islamabad amid death threats from the Taliban. Pakistan is under enormous pressure to control the militants within its borders, blamed for launching attacks in neighboring Afghanistan where U.S. and NATO forces are fighting militants. The deal with the Taliban comes on the heels of a visit by U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke, who is now meeting with leaders in neighboring India. He said he is awaiting more details of Monday's agreement, but said it underlines the challenge of dealing with the rise of the Taliban. The United States -- using unmanned drones -- has carried out several airstrikes inside Pakistan on suspected militant targets, including one on Monday that killed at least 15 people, Pakistani sources said. Such airstrikes, which sometimes result in civilian casualties, have aggravated tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan. Pakistan's military operation in the region is unpopular among Pakistanis, but efforts to deal diplomatically with militants have not worked in the past. Pakistan's previous leader, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, reached a cease-fire deal with militants in South Waziristan in 2006 which was widely blamed for giving al Qaeda and Taliban a stronger foothold in the region.

Pakistani Taliban's interpretation of sharia includes banning girls from school . Deal with the Taliban comes after a visit by U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke . Taliban: 10-day cease-fire in Swat Valley is good-will gesture towards government . Critics warn that previous dealings with the Taliban have allowed it to regroup .

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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- India on Wednesday urged Sri Lanka's Tamil rebels to "release" civilians, who it said numbered about 70,000 in Sri Lanka's war zone. A Sri Lankan soldier poses in front of a Tamil Tigers emblem in the rebel group's former military headquarters. India is ready to help evacuate them, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Indian parliament. "Estimates on the number of civilians trapped vary, but 70,000 or so are estimated to be there now. The LTTE were reportedly using them as human shields," he said, referring to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, also known as the Tamil Tigers. "As the conflict enters what may be the final phase of military operations, the LTTE would best serve the interest of the Tamils by immediately releasing all civilians and laying down arms," Mukherjee added. He noted that some civilians had either been caught in cross-fire or "stopped and even killed" by Tamil rebels as they tried to escape. Government troops and the Tamil Tigers are locked in a battle over the rebels' remaining territory in northern Sri Lanka's Vanni region. The rebels have been fighting for an independent homeland for the country's ethnic Tamil minority since 1983. Tens of thousands of people have fled the region as government forces have advanced and rebels have been pushed into a smaller and smaller patch of land. CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report.

India urges Tamil Tiger rebels to allow civilians to leave Sri Lankan war zone . Sri Lankan troops, Tamil fighters locked in battle for control of rebels' territory . India estimates up to 70,000 are trapped in the region by the conflict . Tamil Tigers have been fighting for independent homeland since 1983 .

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LONDON, England -- Britain's Princess Eugenie has been reprimanded by her school after being caught frolicking naked on college grounds, it was reported Saturday. Princess Eugenie is sixth in line to the British throne. The 18-year-old daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson, was apprehended for her involvement in end of term "high jinks" at the exclusive Marlborough College, west of London, the UK Press Association said. A royal source told the Press Association, "It was nothing more than high jinks at the end of term in May. A group of them were reprimanded and that's the end of the matter." The tabloid Sun newspaper reported that a college staff member woke to playful shrieks and found several young women dancing around without clothes. It said there was no suggestion boys were present or that drugs were involved but claimed a pupil said the students had been drinking. Princess Eugenie, the sixth in line to the British throne, is studying art, history of art and English at the $46,000-a-year college, PA said. It said the princess was expected to be among guests celebrating the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday. A spokesman for the princess made no comment about the claims, PA reported.

Britain's Princess Eugenie reprimanded for naked school frolic, reports say . Sixth in line to British throne involved in end of term "high jinks," insiders say . Princess due to attend queen's official birthday celebrations .

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(CNN) -- The owners of a cruise ship that ran aground in Marguerite Bay, Antarctica, are hoping high tide will dislodge the ship Wednesday, a company statement said. The Ocean Nova, seen on a previous voyage, has a total of 106 people on board. Connecticut-based Quark Expeditions said the M/V Ocean Nova became stranded Tuesday in the bay not far from an Argentine research base. Marguerite Bay is about 900 miles south of the tip of South America. The ship is carrying 65 passengers and 41 crew members, Quark Expeditions said. All those aboard the vessel "remain safe and calm," the company statement said. The ship's captain is awaiting high tide to make another attempt to move the vessel. "The midnight operation will occur in daylight, as the ship is below the Antarctic Circle, where the sun never sets during February. We anticipate a positive outcome," Quark Expeditions president Patrick Shaw said. The captain is also waiting for divers from the Spanish naval ship the Hespérides to inspect the hull of the Nova to make sure it's not damaged, the statement said.

All 65 passengers and 41 crew are safe, company reports . MV Ocean Nova stranded in Marguerite Bay, about 900 miles from South America .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Tuba Sahaab looks nothing like a warrior. She is a slight girl of 11, living in a simple home in a suburb of Islamabad. But in Tuba's case, looks are deceiving. "I want to give peace to my nation," Tuba Sahaab says, "I will fight for it." With her pen, Tuba is taking on the swords of the Taliban. She crafts poems telling of the pain and suffering of children just like her; girls banned from school, their books burned, as the hard-core Islamic militants spread their reign of terror across parts of Pakistan. A stanza of one of her poems reads: "Tiny drops of tears, their faces like angels, Washed with blood, they sleep forever with anger." Tuba is not afraid to express her views. Of the Taliban forcing young girls out of the classroom, she says: "This is very shocking to hear that girls can't go to school, they are taking us back to the Stone Age." Less than two hours from Tuba's home, the Taliban have control. The one-time holiday destination of the Swat Valley is now a no-go zone. Curfews are in place at all times. Militants kill with impunity. Human rights activists and people on the ground in Swat Valley speak of a place called "slaughter square" where the Taliban leave the bodies of their victims with notes saying "do not remove for 24 hours." No one touches the corpses out of fear of reprisals. Watch Tuba recite her poetry » . Tuba Sahaab refuses to be silent. As young as she is, she is wise and brave beyond her years. The young school girl is reaching a bigger audience, regularly appearing in the media. On the day we spend with her, Tuba and her mother appear on a talk radio program. Back home, she tells me how she would give her life for her country. "I want to give peace to my nation," she says, "I will fight for it." And Tuba has an inspiration: U.S. President Barack Obama. She prayed for his elections, she says. She sees in him the hope of peace in her own country. Tuba Sahaab has a dream to meet her hero. She can hardly contain her excitement. "I want to go the White Palace and show him my poems, show him what is happening and ask him to come to Pakistan and control it because he is a super power." Meeting and listening to Tuba Sahaab, it is easy to forget she is still a young girl. In her playground at school, Tuba dances and laughs with her friends. She loves writing her short stories (she has already published one book) and shows me a cartoon character she has created called "Tomato Man." Tuba's parents are proud of their daughter. They say they are not afraid even as she speaks out so publicly against the Taliban. Tuba is their only child but as her mother tells me, she is "worth more than seven sons and seven daughters." And Tuba has the dreams of any young child. She tells me she wants to be an astronaut and then one day lead her country. "I will do anything, if my life goes I don't worry, I just want to do something." "I think you will get the chance," I say. "Yes, if someone gives me the chance you will see what I can do." Of that, I have no doubt.

With her pen, 11-year-old Pakistani Tuba Sahaab takes on the swords of the Taliban . She crafts poems on children in Pakistan oppressed by hard-core Islamic militants . Girls have been banned from school, their books burned, as militants spread terror . Refusing to be silent, despite the danger, she regularly speaks out in the media .

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DETROIT, Michigan (CNN) -- It's 7 a.m. at Henry Ford Hospital, and surgeons are preparing to remove a cancerous tumor from a man's kidney. A doctor posts updates on social-networking site Twitter during a recent operation in Detroit. It's potentially a risky surgery, but everything's ready: The doctors and nurses are in the operating room, the surgical instruments are sterilized and ready to go, and the chief resident is furiously Twittering on his laptop. That's right -- last week, for the second known time, surgeons Twittered a surgery by using social-networking site Twitter to give short real-time updates about the procedure. Following the February 9 operation online were other doctors, medical students and the merely curious. Watch surgeons Twittering from the operating room » . "Here's something different: HenryFordNews is live tweeting surgery today, getting some buzz, too," wrote one Twitter participant from Massachusetts. "I find this fascinating!" tweeted another Twitter user from Swansea, United Kingdom. "It's an interesting use of technology, but I can't help but feel a bit 'eeewww!' about this," wrote a third tweeter from New York. Why twitter a surgery? Whether it's new and cool or merely yicky, observers say there's no question that more and more doctors -- and patients -- will be sharing the blow-by-blow of medical procedures on sites like Twitter and Facebook. Dr. Craig Rogers, the lead surgeon in the Henry Ford surgery, said the impetus for his Twittering was to let people know that a tumor can be removed without taking the entire kidney. "We're trying to use this as a way to get the word out," Rogers said. Observers say Twittering about a procedure is a natural outgrowth of the social networking media revolution. "Doing this removes a real communication barrier. It helps make something scary much more comprehendable," said Christopher Parks, co-founder of the Web site changehealthcare.com. "It brings us closer together and makes us more engaged." Four months ago, Park's colleague, Robert Hendrick, tweeted his own varicose vein removal surgery here as it was happening (he was, obviously, under local anesthesia). "It redirected my attention and allowed me to minimize some of the nervousness around what was going on. It felt like I had family and friends there to support me," Hendrick wrote in an e-mail. "I wanted a record for other people who might be interested in the same surgery," added Hendrick, who also posted photos and video of his surgery. "It later allowed me to connect with others with the same issues." As time goes by and the younger generation moves into medicine, expect even more sharing online of private medical procedures, Parks says. "Newer and newer generations are used to putting their life online," he said. "This generation shares everything." "Gosh, this is big" Twitter users -- those "tweeple" -- who kept up with the Henry Ford procedure online got to share some medical drama in real time. (You can read the "Tweetstream" or watch video of the tumor removal on YouTube). As Rogers got closer to the tumor, he realized it was far larger than it had appeared on a CT scan, and he wondered out loud whether he would have to remove the entire kidney -- something he'd been trying to avoid. "Gosh, this is big," he said to his colleagues in the operating room. "Could I have picked a harder case for this?" As Rogers worked away on his robotic machinery, the chief resident, Dr. Raj Laungani, Twittered: "Dr. Rogers is saying because the tumor is so large he may have to do a radical (total) nephrectomy." After conferring with Laungani and others in the operating room, Rogers decided he could remove just part of the kidney. Then came another challenge: In a surgery like this one, doctors have to restrict blood flow to the kidney with clamps while they remove the tumor. Those clamps then have to be removed within 30 minutes so the kidney isn't damaged by the lack of blood. iReport.com: Would you allow your surgeon to "tweet"? "The goal is to keep the clamp time below 30 minutes," Laungani Twittered. "25 minutes left!!!" Approximately 25 minutes later, Laungani shared his relief with all of Twitterville: "Tumor is excised, bleeding is controlled, we are about to come off clamp," he wrote. In the end, Rogers had the last tweet. "The robotic partial nephrectomy was a success," he wrote. "Thank you for joining us today." CNN's Jennifer Pifer-Bixler and Marcy Heard contributed to this article.

For the second known time, surgeons "Twittered" last week during surgery . Doctors used social-networking site Twitter to give updates about the procedure . Following along online were other doctors, medical students and the merely curious . Surgeons hope twittering will help educate other doctors and the public .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Australian pop star Kylie Minogue and the professor who created Dolly the sheep are among the prominent figures who have received awards from Queen Elizabeth II in her annual New Year Honors list. Kylie Minogue battled back to health after suffering from breast cancer. Minogue, 39 , and Prof. Ian Wilmut were appointed to the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the list, which is chosen by the queen on the advise of the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Other award winners included Stuart Rose, the head of the British retailer Marks and Spencer, who was handed a knighthood and "Lord of the Rings" star Ian McKellen. The award of a Companion of Honour for the 68-year-old British actor, who already has a knighthood and has been a longtime campaigner for gay rights, recognized his efforts to promote "equality." The New Year's list recognizes a wide range of people who are thought to have made a positive contribution to British life. The queen hands out a range of honors including knighthoods, life peerages and gallantry awards for those serving in the armed forces and civilians. The list is published in the official newspaper of the British monarchy, the London Gazette. The honor's list usually attracts attention for the high-profile figures honored; previous recipients of knighthoods include the pop stars Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger but anyone can be nominated for an award. This year's list, for example, includes some of the people who took part in the rescue operations following the flooding that affected large parts of England this summer. Capt. Tracy Palmer, from the Salvation Army in the northern English town of Workshop, was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) after she provided shelter for children caught up in the floods. Wilmut, 63, created headlines around the world after he led the team of scientists that created the first mammal produced through genetic cloning in 1996. Kylie Minogue has sold more than 60 million records worldwide in a music career lasting 20 years. The Australian pop diva battled back to health after she was forced to cancel a world tour when she was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. E-mail to a friend .

Kylie Minogue among those named in Queen Elizabeth II's New Year Honors list . The professor who created Dolly the sheep, Ian Wilmut, also honored . Awards recognize those who make a positive contribution to British life . Minogue battled back to health after she was diagnosed with breast cancer .

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CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (CNN) -- U.S. Marines at Camp Lemonier -- the only American military base on the African continent -- spend much of their time vaccinating livestock, repairing schools and giving medical training. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, left, and Rear Adm. James Hart, in Camp Lemonier, December 2007. The camp, just 10 miles north of the Somali border, began as a French Foreign Legion outpost, but the Djibouti government agreed in 2002 to let the U.S. military establish a base for counterterrorism and humanitarian missions in the Horn of Africa. The 1,800 U.S. troops in Djibouti spend just a fraction of their time on military tasks, such as locating and removing land mines. They conduct civil affairs operations in seven East African countries -- seen as an antidote to extremism. "If you get at the basic needs of any individual, if you address the basic needs of people, then you have the opportunity to change their mindset, then you have the opportunity to show them that there is something better than doing extreme acts," said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Roosevelt Barfield, deputy commander of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa. Many of the Marines in Djibouti, a predominantly Muslim country, previously served in Iraq. "In Iraq, you can just go out and pretty much roll around and you do what you got to do and your mind set is a lot different," said Marine Cpl. Chad Armstrong. "Here, this country is a sovereign nation. Their government is established and everything, so there is a lot more working with the governments here." The military role, though, sometimes upstages the humanitarian mission. Periodic airstrikes of suspected al Qaeda terrorist targets in Somalia, often from U.S. warships, has created animosity among ethnic Somalis in the region. The U.S. military presence in Djibouti underscores the growing importance of Africa to the U.S. military. The United States has created a centralized military command for Africa, U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM, which will become fully operational in October. The reluctance of African leaders to host a U.S. military facility, however, has hampered selection of a headquarters location for AFRICOM. Liberia, so far, is the only African country to offer. For now, AFRICOM is based in Stuttgart, Germany.

Camp Lemonier is the only American military base on the African continent . The 1,800 U.S. troops conduct civil affairs operations in seven East African countries . Their humanitarian mission is seen as an antidote to extremism .

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(CNN) -- The peanut processing company at the heart of a national salmonella outbreak, Peanut Corp. of America, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in court Friday in Lynchburg, Virginia. Peanut Corp. of America plants in Georgia and Texas came under scrutiny after the salmonella outbreak. The documents were filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Western District of Virginia. The bankruptcy papers were signed by Stewart Parnell, the president of Peanut Corp., who invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination in refusing to answer questions this week in a congressional hearing. Bacteria found in the company's Blakely, Georgia, peanut processing plant have been blamed for more than 600 cases of salmonella, including nine deaths. Watch how bankruptcy could affect case » . The Texas Health Department on Thursday ordered products from the company's plant in Plainview, Texas, to be recalled after discovering dead rodents, rodent excrement and bird feathers in the plant. Watch what health inspectors found » . A call to the company's telephone number, which was working earlier this week, elicited a recording that said it was no longer in service. "The long and the short of it is that we kicked the tires on reorganizing the company, and, frankly, they're just in a position now where they can't even conduct business," said Andrew S. Goldstein, a lawyer for the company. "They can't operate at all, and this just seemed like the inevitable course." In a written statement, Consumers Union said Friday's declaration shows that Congress needs to strengthen the Food and Drug Administration and hike the penalties it can impose. "It is unacceptable for corporations to put consumers' health at risk and then simply declare bankruptcy and go out of business when they get caught," said Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports. "PCA's declaration of bankruptcy will, among other things, shield it from liability suits filed by consumers who became sick or whose loved ones died as a result of eating PCA's peanut products," she said.

NEW: Consumers Union says filing shows need for stronger FDA . NEW: Move will shield company from liability lawsuits, group says . Bacteria in company plant in Georgia blamed for hundreds of salmonella cases . Products from company plant in Texas recalled after dead rodents found .

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(InStyle.com) -- Ever wonder how actresses like Sienna Miller look stunning 24/7? Good genes, sure. But they also get a little help from their friends . Sienna Miller and favorite hairstylist Adir Abergel: "If I worried what people thought about my look, I'd get it all wrong." Sienna Miller and hairstylist Adir Abergel . Try to talk coifs with Sienna Miller and she'll cut you off at the pass. "I don't even own a hairbrush!" she insists. "I'm really not too attached to my hair." No kidding. She gamely lopped off about 10 inches to play Edie Sedgwick in Factory Girl. But the actress is much less keen to part with her hairstylist Adir Abergel, for whom she has been known to cook dinner at her London home. "Adir gets me," says Miller. "He knows I never like to look too done or polished." Her biggest challenge? "I've got quite a lot of hair, but I like it flat, so Adir squashes it down for me." To create Miller's ideal look, Abergel flatirons her roots and combats bulkiness with Frédéric Fekkai Coiff Finishing cream. "Sienna feels most like herself when her hair is soft and airy versus set and stylized," he says. Still, it takes effort to appear this artfully undone. It may seem like she rolls out of bed looking glamorous, but Miller says it is not that easy: "I'm very much involved in how I want to look." Eve and makeup artist JJ Jacobucci . She dyed her hair platinum as a Philadelphia teenager, rose to fame as a hip-hop biker chick, and cavorted with a tiger -- and later Gwen Stefani -- on MTV. It seems like Eve was born edgy. But until recently the rapper-singer-actress clung religiously to her signature look of cat eyes, dewy skin and pale pink lips, aided by the habitual application of MAC Lipglass in Malibu Barbie (she's also a company spokeswoman). It was on the L.A. set of Eve's candy-colored video for "Tambourine" (the hit single off her fall album Here I Am) that makeup artist JJ Jacobucci motivated the star to test a new image. "JJ recently said to me, 'Thank you for letting me experiment,'" says Eve, referring to a Cyndi Lauper--inspired look that involved electric-blue eye shadow. "I have definitely opened up a lot more." Says Jacobucci: "We were so used to seeing her in nude lips, bronze skin and comfortable colors. I push Eve to get out of that box." The star has lately sported hot-pink lips, chartreuse highlighter on her browbones, and blue mascara with newfound confidence. "At first Eve was like, 'Oh my god,'" says Jacobucci of such intense shades. "I was like, 'Listen, trust me. I'm going to make you look gorgeous.'" Kate Bosworth and hairstylist Renato Campora . During the last three years, hairstylist Renato Campora has seen all shades of actress Kate Bosworth. "When I met her, she had beachy [sandy] highlights," says Campora, who brightened up Bosworth's Blue Crush--era color so she looked "more movie star, like a young Marlene Dietrich." Campora's platinum touch sent his number straight to Bosworth's speed dial. "It's a little secret," she says of his closet coloring abilities (he's known primarily as a haircutter). "I call him months in advance!" Naturally, she also uses him as her stylist -- it was Campora who gave her the sleek bob that solidified her status as a hair icon last year. "She was the first one to have it," he says. "And then everybody did the bob. She was the inspiration." For someone whose biggest struggle is building volume (Bosworth has "baby angel hair," says Campora) the bob was perfect; her hair looked thicker, and it practically styled itself. "I could jump out of the shower, give it a tousle and leave," says Bosworth. Her next experiment? "I want to be a redhead -- a deep, Karen Elson redhead. Just to go there once." Hilary Duff and makeup artist Rachel Goodwin . When Hilary Duff first settled into Rachel Goodwin's makeup chair in 2004, she felt like she had found a soul mate. "It was really instant," says Duff, who fell head over heels for the Chanel artist's ability to create high cheekbones, luxe lashes and pale lips. But never mind the makeovers for movie premières and music videos for her latest album, Dignity; for Goodwin, the real test was meeting Duff's family. "My mom [Susan] did makeup for Neiman Marcus, so she knows what looks good and what doesn't," says Duff. Luckily, Goodwin wowed the 'rents. "That's when I knew it was OK -- when Susan was like, 'This is good work,'" laughs Goodwin, who now pushes the boundaries with blue shadows and white eyeliner. "I have really big eyes," says Duff, "and for the longest time I would use black eyeliner to make them look smaller. Rachel actually made them look bigger by lining them with white. I love how she makes me see myself differently." Now when the two get together, they share more than makeup tricks. "We see each other a couple of times a week for hours," says Duff. "We talk about boys, life and work. We know each other so well. It's like a big therapy session every time." Rachel Weisz and hairstylist Mark Townsend . She may be an Oscar winner, but Rachel Weisz has little in common with her gilded statuette. "In real life I'm very unpolished," says the mother of 17-month-old Henry. "Dressing for the red carpet is fantasy time, but in my day-to-day life, I'm very grungy." This low-maintenance attitude has served her hair well. "It's in great shape," says Matrix hairstylist Mark Townsend. "Rachel's hair matches her personality: It's not overdone, not super-fussed-over. And she's incredibly approachable and sweet." Fearless too: In 2005 the British actress sheared her locks to a half inch to play a dying woman in The Fountain. While growing out her hair, she often donned extensions. But a year later, when Townsend suggested she wear a thicket of curly, waist-length tresses to the Oscars, the eight-months-pregnant star didn't feel so brave. "Are you sure we need this much hair?" Weisz asked. But Townsend soldiered on, confident in his vision. "I wanted fullness in the back to balance out her silhouette," he says of the baby bump/hair bump symmetry. The romantic updo proved lucky -- and prophetic. "Now I'm growing my hair out," she says. "I've come to like it really long and unruly." E-mail to a friend . Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2009 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

Stars get attached to hairstylists, makeup artists they trust . Rachel Weisz: "In real life I'm very unpolished" Hilary Duff: Sitting in Rachel Goodwin's makeup chair is like therapy . Hairstylist Renato Campora gave Kate Bosworth her sleek bob .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Edwin van der Sar claimed the all-time British record for minutes without conceding a goal during Manchester United's 1-0 win over West Ham on Sunday. Triumphant: Edwin van der Sar holds the British goalkeeping record for most time without conceding. The Dutch veteran also took the 30-year-old English record from Steve Death last week. Death's name, with all due respect to the former Reading custodian, is not up there with the game's greats. So who is in Van der Sar's league as football's finest shot-stoppers, the men who rarely get the credit but often cop the flak? Here, Football Fanzone presents a run down of the best goalkeepers in history. Read through our picks and tell us if you disagree or if we've missed anyone in the Sound Off box below. What do you think of van der Sar's inclusion? Lev Yashin (USSR) Yahsin is the only goalkeeper ever to be named European Footballer of the Year, in 1963. Dubbed the Black Spider for his all-black outfit and what seemed like eight limbs, the Russian even invented the concept of the keeper as sweeper. In the days when keepers were not protected by referees as they are today, Yashin's bravery and acrobatics were legendary and 207 clean sheets and 150 penalties saves he made in a 22-year career tell their own story. The best keeper at each World Cup is presented with the Yashin Award. Dino Zoff (Italy) Zoff is one of just two goalkeepers to lift the World Cup having captained Italy to their third crown in 1982. He was already 40 then, making him the oldest World Cup-winning captain too. But the unflappable Zoff's achievements don't end there: he holds the record for the longest playing time without conceding in international tournaments (1,142 minutes) set between 1972 and 1974. And with 112 caps, he ranks third in the Azzurri's all-time list. A true great. Gordon Banks (England) "What a save," so the commentary runs to the finest piece of goalkeeping ever and one of football's most memorable moments. Pele was certain he'd scored after meeting Jairzinho's center, heading powerfully down into the left-hand corner of the net in Brazil's 1-0 1970 World Cup group win over England. But somehow Banks scrambled across, miraculously diving to push the ball up over the bar. Banks might have been immortalized by that stop, but his absence through illness from England's subsequent quarter-final against West Germany was perhaps more telling when his replacement Peter Bonetti was made a scapegoat for the defending champions' defeat. Peter Schmeichel (Denmark) Schmeichel will go down as Sir Alex Ferguson's best signing for Manchester United, certainly pound-for-pound. Bought for just $750,000 in 1991, the imposing Schmeichel would provide United everything a world-class goalkeeper requires -- including the ability to launch a swift counter-attack. He won Euro 92 with Denmark and the Treble with United in 1999, while 13 career goals are not to be sniffed at either. He played on a season too long, maybe, but on his day there were few better. Edwin van der Sar (Holland) At 38, the rangy Van der Sar is in the very twilight of his career -- but what a career it's been. The man from Voorhout holds the record number of caps for Holland, he's won the Champions League twice and is on course to win a third Premier League title in a row with Manchester United this season. All of which makes you wonder how come he spent so long at Fulham? United fans would love to have had Van der Sar way before 2005; he has proved to be the definitive Schmeichel replacement. Iker Casillas (Spain) It's easy to take Casillas' brilliance for granted, but stand back and look at his career and it's clear he's already one of the greats. Real Madrid have always been able to lure the best, yet they've had the agile Casillas as their number-one No.1 since 1999 -- when he was still a teenager. Still only 27, Casillas is contracted to the club until 2017. He's already won two Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles. At international level he came into his own during 2008 by captaining Spain to the European Championship, becoming the first goalkeeper to do so. Ricardo Zamora's legacy is safe hands. Pat Jennings (Northern Ireland) Jennings was a late starter in the position and famously had no official coaching. His international career spanned a record-breaking six World Cups (including qualifying campaigns) across 22 years. By the time he came out of retirement to play for Northern Ireland at Mexico 1986, Jennings was 41 and ended the tournament with 119 caps. He played more than 1,000 games, including crossing the bitter north London divide by playing for Tottenham and Arsenal. The unflappable Jennings' enormous hands were his trademark and the curse of many an attacker. Gianluigi Buffon (Italy) Buffon vies with Casillas and the Czech Republic's Petr Cech to be considered the best goalkeeper around at the moment, but in a country with a long tradition of high-quality No.1s Buffon is up there with the very best. Winning the 2006 Yashin Award was the perfect riposte to his critics after Juventus' dramatic fall from grace owing to match-fixing. Buffon, an imposing figure with no obvious weaknesses, stayed loyal to the Old Lady, who made him the world's most expensive goalkeeper in 2001 when they paid Parma $46.2m for him. He's been worth every cent. Jose Luis Chilavert (Paraguay) If there's one thing a goalkeeper is not expected to do -- other than to make a mistake -- it's score a goal. Given Chilavert netted no fewer than 62 times in his career, including eight for his country, it seems only fair he should be included on this list. Brazil's Rogerio Ceni may have outscored him and Rene Higuita of Colombia might have out-done him on the chutzpah front, but Chilavert's pioneering free-kicks and penalties have made him a legend. Mohamed Al-Deayea (Saudi Arabia) Goalkeepers are known for their longevity and ability to perform into their 40s. That makes Al-Deayea a relative youngster at just 36, but the Saudi Arabian holds the world record for the most number of international appearances. Over a 16-year career for the Middle Eastern country, Al-Deayea racked up a scarcely believable 181 caps.. Having started his career playing handball, Al-Deayea went on to play in three World Cups -- and was even on the receiving end of an 8-0 thumping by eventual finalists Germany at the 2002 tournament. Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico) This one is from the left-field and a little premature for a list containing the best goalkeepers of all time. But much is expected of Ochoa, Mexico's up-and-coming talent. He's already been linked with a move to Manchester United and he is on the radar of a number of Europe's top clubs. Reliant on his amazing reflexes, Ochoa is one of the best shot-stoppers out there and great at on-the-spot improvised saves. Ochoa's already established in the Mexico set-up and is already such a big star already that the American release of the FIFA 09 video game featured him on the front cover. Definitely one to watch.

Edwin van der Sar claims British record for minutes without conceding a goal . CNN picks 11 of the top goalkeepers of all time . Share your thoughts on who should in and who should be out .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States has designated a Kurdish militant group in Turkey as a terrorist organization, the State Department said. Turkish President Abdullah Gul, left, speaks to reporters with President Bush earlier this week in Washington. The group, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, known as TAK, is affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK -- the separatist Kurdish group that has been attacking Turkey from inside northern Iraq. Turkey has responded to the attacks by bombing PKK targets in the predominantly Kurdish area of northern Iraq. The United States, the European Union and Turkey regard the group as a terrorist organization. The United States says TAK is "responsible for multiple terrorist attacks in Turkey, which targeted tourist locations, military sites, and government buildings, resulting in several deaths." The classification of the group as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" subjects the organization and its supporters to financial sanctions. "With this designation, the United States reaffirms its commitment to fight terrorism in cooperation with its NATO ally, Turkey. The United States will continue to work with Turkey, Iraq, and the rest of Europe against the PKK and its support networks and affiliates, such as the TAK. There must be no safe havens for such terrorists," according to a statement from Tom Casey, deputy spokesman of the State Department. The move came after President Bush met Tuesday in Washington with Turkish President Abdullah Gul. The men discussed what Bush called their "common enemy ... the PKK." The PKK has spent two decades fighting for autonomy for Kurds in southeastern Turkey. E-mail to a friend .

U.S. puts Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, or TAK, on list of terrorist groups . TAK is affiliated with Kurdish separatist group PKK . PKK has been attacking Turkey from inside Iraq . Move against TAK comes after Turkish president meets with President Bush .

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(CNN) -- South Africa inflicted the first home series defeat on Australia in almost 16 years as they wrapped up a nine-wicket win over the world's number one ranked Test nation in Melbourne on Tuesday. South African captain Graeme Smith led from the front with 75 as his team wrapped up victory. Captain Graeme Smith hit a fluent 75 as his side successfully passed a modest victory target of 183 on the final day at the MCG to take an unassailable 2-0 lead. It was the South African's first-ever Test series triumph in Australia and victory in the third and final match in Sydney will see them leapfrog the home side at the top of the global rankings. Hashim Amla (30 not out) scored the winning runs shortly after lunch as South Africa became the first team to overcome Australia at home since the West Indies in 1992-93. South Africa were never under any pressure in their run chase and did not lose a wicket until just before lunch when the inspirational Smith was trapped leg before wicket by Nathan Hauritz. Smith had dominated a 121-run opening stand with Neil McKenzie, hitting 10 boundaries. McKenzie struggled to a half century and survived strong lbw shouts from Brett Lee, who was bowling despite an injured foot that will keep him out of the Sydney Test. South Africa's victory was set up by a brilliant maiden Test century from JP Duminy, who shared a stunning 180-run ninth wicket partnership with pace bowler Dale Steyn. It gave the tourists a priceless 65-run lead on first innings before man of the match Steyn worked his magic with the ball as Australia were bowled out on the fourth day for 247 in their second innings. The pugnacious Smith was virtually lost for words in his victory speech. "It has been such a special moment for all of us, it has been an incredible team effort," he said. "I have been smiling non-stop since we hit the winning runs. "To be 2-0 up after this game was something we only dreamt of." South Africa won the first Test in Perth from an unlikely position, chasing 414 for victory for the loss of only four wickets.

South Africa beat Australia by nine wickets in second Test in Melbourne . Victory gives the South Africans an unassailable 2-0 lead in their series . South Africa won first Test of the series in Perth by six wickets .

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A leader of the Sons of Iraq anti-al Qaeda group was killed Saturday when a bomb attached to his vehicle exploded, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said. U.S. soldiers arrive on the scene of a suicide bombing Saturday in Kirkuk, Iraq. Two civilians were wounded in the explosion in southern Baghdad's Dora district, the official said. The Sons of Iraq, or Awakening Councils, are mainly composed of former Sunni insurgents who turned against al Qaeda in Iraq. They are considered a major factor in the reduction of violence in Iraq over the past two years and are frequently targeted by al Qaeda. In other violence across Iraq on Saturday: . • At least 19 people were wounded in a bombing at a coffee shop in Baquba, a security official in Diyala province said. The coffee shop is frequented by U.S.-backed anti-al Qaeda fighters. The explosion wounded 17 group members and two civilians, the official said. Baquba is about 35 miles north of Baghdad. • At least seven people, including three Iraqi Army soldiers, were wounded when a roadside bomb struck an army patrol in northern Baghdad's Qahaira neighborhood, the Interior Ministry official said. • At least one police officer was killed and nine people -- seven police and two civilians -- were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest near a police academy in Kirkuk, according to a police official. Kirkuk is located in oil-rich northern Iraq, about 150 miles north of Baghdad. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh and Yousif Bassil contributed to this report.

Bomb attached to vehicle kills a leader of Sons of Iraq . Coffee shop frequented by al Qaeda in Iraq foes also bombed; 19 wounded . Roadside bomb aimed at Iraqi army patrol wounds at least seven . Kirkuk suicide bomber kills police officer, wounds nine people .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Eight men plotted to use bombs disguised in drinks containers to blow up planes heading towards the United States in mid-flight in the name of Islam, a British court heard Tuesday. The eight men deny conspiracy to murder by plotting to blow up transatlantic aircraft. Prosecutors told London's Woolwich Crown Court the men planned to make the explosives from household objects to resemble drinks bottles, batteries and other items to be carried onto aircraft in hand luggage, the UK's Press Association reported. The foiling of the alleged plot in August 2006 triggered the imposition of strict new security measures at international airports around the world, restricting the quantity of liquids passengers can carry on to aircraft. The measures, which led to massive delays and scores of canceled flights when they were imposed overnight, remain in place at many airports. Prosecutor Peter Wright described two of the men, Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 28, and Assad Sarwar, 28, as ringleaders of an Islamic fundamentalist conspiracy, according to PA. "It was an interest that involved inflicting heavy casualties upon an unwitting civilian population all in the name of Islam," he said. "These men were indifferent to the carnage that was likely to ensue if their plans were successful. To them the identities of their victims was an irrelevance by race, color, religion or creed. "What these men intended to bring about together and with others was a violent and deadly statement of intent that would have a truly global impact." Wright said the bombs were to be carried onto flights to the United States by suicide bombers as part of a plot hatched in Britain and Pakistan, according to PA. He said a computer memory stick seized at the time of the defendants' arrests listed details of flights operated by three carriers -- American Airlines, United Airlines and Air Canada -- between August and October 2006. "If each of these flights were successfully blown up the potential for loss of life was considerable," Wright said. Ali, Sarwar and six others including Tanvir Hussain, 27, Ibrahim Savant, 28, Arafat Waheed Khan, 27, Waheed Zaman, 24, Umar Islam, 30, and Donald Stewart-Whyte, 22, deny conspiracy to murder. The trial is expected to last 10 months.

Prosecutors say the men planned to make bombs out of household items . Eight accused of being involved in an Islamic fundamentalist plot . American Airlines, United Airlines and Air Canada were alleged intended targets .

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(CNN) -- The pilot of a tanker that crashed into the San Francisco Bay Bridge in 2007, causing a major oil spill, was under the influence of multiple prescription medications that impaired his judgment, federal officials said in a report Wednesday. The November 2007 crash left a gash in the tanker's side and led to an oil spill that killed more than 2,000 birds. The National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot of the Hong Kong-registered Cosco Busan, was "medically unfit" on November 7, 2007. That, and a master pilot's poor oversight of his performance, were major factors in the crash that dumped 53,000 gallons of oil into the bay, the NTSB said. "How a man who was taking a half-dozen impairing prescription medications got to stand on the bridge of a 68,000-ton ship and give directions to guide the vessel through a foggy bay and under a busy highway bridge is very troubling," said acting NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker. The pilot, John Cota, was charged with criminal negligence in federal court last year. He faces two misdemeanor charges that could result in up to 18 months in prison and $115,000 in fines. The 901-foot ship left Oakland, California, en route to South Korea when Cota gave orders that steered the ship directly toward a support tower on the bridge. While the ship avoided a direct hit, it hit a support system at the tower's base, cutting a 212-foot gash in the ship's side, the NTSB said. The board ruled that Cota and Chinese master pilot Mao Cai Sun never thoroughly discussed a plan before they took off on a foggy night when visibility was less than a quarter-mile. The oil spill killed about 2,500 birds of 50 different species, according to the report. The crash caused more than $70 million in environmental cleanup costs, $2 million in damage to the ship and $1.5 million in damage to the bridge. The report also blamed the ship's operator, Fleet Management Ltd., for not properly training crew members and the U.S. Coast Guard for not providing adequate medical oversight of the pilot. It said the Coast Guard should have revoked the pilot's license, the pilot should have given a meaningful pre-departure briefing about plans for the voyage and the master pilot should have taken a more active role in ensuring the ship's safety. "There was a lack of competence in so many areas that this accident seemed almost inevitable," Rosenker said.

Pilot of tanker that struck San Francisco Bay Bridge "medically unfit," NTSB says . Man was taking "a half-dozen impairing prescription medications," report says . Crash in 2007 caused oil spill that killed about 2,500 birds, NTSB says . Supervisor's poor oversight also cited as factor in NTSB report .

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(CNN) -- Rwandan troops have crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo to prepare for a joint operation with Congolese forces against a Hutu militia, the United Nations said. At least 800,000 people are thought to have died during 100 days of violence in Rwanda in 1994. "We can tell you there are Rwandan soldiers here, but I cannot confirm the numbers," said Madnodje Mounoubai, spokesman for the U.N. mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Rwandans will team up "with the Congolese forces," he said Wednesday. "The Rwandan forces are in a meeting with Congolese forces and the understanding is that in the meeting they are preparing a joint operation against the FDLR," or the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda. The Rwanda News Agency reported that Rwanda has dispatched 1,917 soldiers. Rwanda and Congo traditionally have been on different sides of the conflict in eastern Congo. The struggle pits ethnic Tutsis, supported by Rwanda, against ethnic Hutu, backed by Congo. The conflict is effectively an extension of the Rwandan genocide dating back to the early 1990s, when hundreds of thousands of Rwandans were killed in ethnic battles between minority Tutsi and majority Hutu. According to a statement issued last week by the Rwandan government, the joint military operation is aimed at driving out the FDLR and former members of the Interhamwe militia, "remnants of those who spearheaded the 1994 genocide against Tutsis." Michael Arunga, a Kenya-based spokesman for the World Vision aid organization, said his colleagues in Goma -- a city in eastern Congo -- told him that Rwandan troops arrived Tuesday morning in the village of Ishsha, outside of Goma. Arunga said he had no knowledge of Rwandan troops being in Congo before. A U.N. statement said the FDLR has been involved in clashes since late August mainly in North Kivu, "where the national army, the mainly Tutsi militia -- known as the CNDP -- and other rebel groups ... have fought in shifting alliances, uprooting around 250,000 civilians on top of the 800,000 already displaced by violence in recent years." See photos from Mia Farrow's trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo » . A report by a U.N. Security Council panel last month said Rwanda and Congo were fighting a brutal proxy war for territory and precious natural resources in eastern Congo, and all parties involved in the conflict were using execution, rape and child soldiers as tools of war. The report, filed by a panel of U.N. experts, "found evidence that Rwandan authorities have sent officers and units of the Rwanda Defense Forces" into Congo in support of Congo rebel leader Laurent Nkunda's fighters. CNN's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report.

Rwanda has dispatched some 1,900 soldiers, Rwanda News Agency reports . The neighbors have traditionally been on different sides of the conflict in east Congo . The struggle pits Tutsis, supported by Rwanda, against the Congo-backed Hutu . The conflict is effectively an extension of the Rwandan genocide .

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Twenty-seven million new cancer cases are expected by 2030, according to a report released Tuesday by the World Health Organization's cancer research agency. Rates for breast cancer, shown here under a microscope, have tripled in some Asian countries. That compares to 12 million new cases in 2007, the report found. The group forecast a 1 percent increase globally each year, with emerging economies such as China, Russia and India being hit the hardest. The major culprit: tobacco. "About 1.3 billion people smoke globally, making tobacco the major avoidable cause of death and disease worldwide," the report found. Experts say less developed countries are especially vulnerable, predicting a 38 percent increase in those regions by 2030. Watch more on the report » . Tobacco killed 100 million people in the world last century and will kill a billion in the 21st century, unless changes are made, said John R. Seffrin, chief executive officer at the American Cancer Society, Tuesday. Besides smoking, other causes for the rise in the disease include high-fat diets including fast food and decreased physical activity, reflective of increasingly western lifestyles, the report found. In addition, the rate of breast cancer has doubled or tripled in countries like Japan, Singapore and Korea, according to the report. In Africa, 518,000 people have died from cancer since the start of 2008 -- cervical cancer being the leading cancer killer among women, the report found. But there is good news for some Western nations. Cancer mortality rates are falling in Great Britain and the United States, said Seffrin. Effective cancer treatment in developing countries, experts say, depends on prevention and more data. "Awareness of the global cancer burden pandemic and its causes will help establish and enforce policies, resources and programs to control cancer and tobacco, and to de-stigmatize cancer," according to the WHO report. CNN's Miriam Falco contributed to this report.

Report: 38 percent increase in cancer in developing countries by 2030 . Emerging economies such as China, Russia and India will be hit hardest . Smoking, high-fat diets, decreased physical activity are cited causes .

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(CNN) -- A jury in Canton, Ohio, found former police officer Bobby Cutts Jr. guilty of murdering his pregnant girlfriend, Jessie Marie Davis, and their unborn child. Grasping tissues and moaning, Bobby Cutts Jr. testitfied he never meant to hurt girlfriend Jessie Davis. The jury of six men and six women reached the verdict after more than 21 hours of deliberations. Jurors found Cutts guilty of aggravated murder for the unlawful termination of Davis' pregnancy and the aggravated murder of a child under the age of 13. But the jury found him guilty of a lesser murder count in the death of Davis. Davis was nine months pregnant when she disappeared. She had chosen the name Chloe for her daughter. Jurors found that baby Chloe was killed during the commission of another crime, making Cutts eligible for the death penalty. The penalty phase of the trial is set to begin February 25. Cutts will face a sentence of either 25 years to life with the possibility of parole, 30 years to life with the possibility of parole, life without parole or death. As the verdicts were read, Cutts remained stoic, a stark contrast to his tearful testimony on Monday. Watch the verdicts » . His and Davis' families left the courthouse without comment. Jurors began deliberations late Tuesday afternoon. They had been sequestered, spending nights at a nearby hotel, cut off from exposure to the media and other potential influences. According to testimony, Cutts, 30, rolled Davis' body in a comforter and dumped it in a park, leaving their 2½-year-old son, Blake, alone. Cutts also was found guilty of aggravated burglary, two counts of gross abuse of a corpse and endangering a child, Blake. Cutts sobbed on the witness stand as he admitted killing Davis and their unborn child. But Cutts insisted that their deaths were an accident. "I didn't mean to hurt her," Cutts testified, clasping a handful of tissues. "This isn't real," he said he kept telling himself. Prosecutors discounted Cutts' story, claiming he buckled under the financial pressure of child support, killed the mother of his child and then created a cover story to try to get away with it. On the stand, Cutts said he went to pick up his son Blake and became agitated when Davis, 26, wasn't moving fast enough to get the boy ready. He said he tried to leave her house but she grabbed him to keep him from leaving, and he accidentally elbowed her in the throat. Cutts told the jury he performed CPR on Davis and then tried to revive her with bleach. When he realized Davis was dead, Cutts said he panicked and put her in the back of his truck, so Blake wouldn't have to see his mother. Myisha Ferrell, Cutts' longtime friend, testified for the prosecution that Cutts appeared at her home at 6 a.m. after Davis died. She said she could tell he was distraught. When they left her home in his truck, she found out why. "We drove off and he said something was wrong," she said. "He said, 'Something bad.' " "He said something was wrong with his baby's mother." Ferrell told the jury Cutts started speaking erratically as they drove, then blurted out, "She's in the back." Ferrell admitted she helped dump Davis' body in a field and said Cutts later coached her on what to say to police. Ferrell was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to lying to authorities and complicity to gross abuse of a corpse. During closing arguments, prosecutor Dennis Barr said Cutts strangled and killed Davis and her unborn child because of his mounting debt and child support for what would have been his fourth child. Cutts' own actions following Davis' disappearance were a clear indications of his guilt, he said. "His reaction is the reaction of person who committed a crime and is trying to cover it up," Barr said. Davis disappeared in June and the search for her attracted national attention. At that time, Cutts repeatedly denied he had any involvement. But Cutts eventually led police to her body. "For nine days he kept the location of [Davis' body] a secret and went on about his life, every day knowing that Jessie and Chloe were laying there rotting away, destroying the evidence," Barr said. Prosecutors also reminded the jury of the testimony of one of Cutts' friends, Richard Mitchell, who claimed the former police officer threatened to kill Davis one month before she disappeared. "I'm going to kill that [expletive] and throw her in the woods," Mitchell quoted Cutts as saying. In their closings, Cutts' attorneys acknowledged their client's poor judgment after Davis' death, but said the prosecution had not presented any witnesses to support their claim that Cutts was in financial distress. They urged the jury to find Cutts not guilty on the basis that the prosecution did not prove their case that he intentionally killed Davis. Fernando Mack, a defense lawyer, admitted Cutts' judgment lapsed when he wrapped Davis' body up and went to dispose of it, leaving their toddler alone with the bleach-soaked rug. But he cautioned jurors against deciding Cutts' fate based on an emotional response to ugly facts. "Will it outrage you? Absolutely. But, Blake being left home alone doesn't tell you about aggravated murder." "You don't know what happened in that house," defense attorney Carolyn Ranke said. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Bobby Cutts Jr. guilty of murders of Jessie Davis, unborn child . NEW: Cutts faces the death penalty in death of baby Chloe . Jury deliberated for nearly 22 hours in murder trial of former police officer . "I didn't mean to hurt her," Bobby Cutts Jr. testified .

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JERUSALEM (CNN) -- The Israeli military says it has found a "sketch" detailing "the deployment of explosives and Hamas forces" in the Al-Attara neighborhood in northern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces says this map from Hamas shows positions of booby traps and snipers in Al-Attara. The Israel Defense Forces issued a news release Friday saying paratroopers found a map that "describes the location of explosive devices and firing positions in the middle of the civilian population in the dense neighborhood, which endanger the life of the civilians." "That's what Hamas has been doing throughout the entirety of the operation -- perversely using civilians as human shields," said Brig. Gen. Yuval Halmish, officer-in-chief of Israel's Intelligence Corps. The IDF said the map depicts sniper positions at a mosque entrance and in nearby mosques. It shows "the directions the snipers are aiming," the IDF said. The map "indicates that explosives are planted in the entrances of civilian homes." There are bombs planted throughout the area, including one next to a gas station. "The important point is the disregard for human life in using entrances to civilian homes," Halmish said. "They booby-trapped the entrances of civilian houses with explosives put close to them," he said. "The objective is of course to hit our forces, but a local explosion also damages the houses of the civilians and causes great damage, and likely killing civilians," he said.

Israeli military says Hamas map shows location of explosives . Map pinpoints locations in the middle of civilian neighborhoods, IDF says . Hamas using civilians as "human shields," Israeli intelligence officer says . Map also shows sniper positions at mosque entrance, in nearby mosques, IDF says .

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(CNN) -- Undisturbed tropical forests are absorbing nearly one-fifth of the CO2 released by burning fossil fuels, a new study has found. Trees in undisturbed tropical forests are soaking up more CO2 than people realized. The scientific report published in "Nature" magazine suggests that the world's remaining tropical forests remove 4.8 billion tons of CO2 emissions from the atmosphere each year. This includes a previously unknown carbon sink in Africa, which annually absorbs 1.2 billion tons of CO2. The study was based on taken data on African tropical forests from the past 40 years and has shown that for at least the past few decades each hectare of intact African forest has trapped an extra 0.6 tonnes of carbon per year. The scientists then analyzed the new African data together with South American and Asian findings to assess the total sink in tropical forests. Analysis of these 250,000 tree records reveals that, on average, remaining undisturbed forests are trapping carbon, showing that they are a globally significant carbon sink. "We are receiving a free subsidy from nature," said Dr. Simon Lewis from the University of Leeds, and the lead author of the paper, in a press statement. "Tropical forest trees are absorbing about 18 percent of the CO2 added to the atmosphere each year from burning fossil fuels, substantially buffering the rate of climate change." The study also found that trees of comparable age are gaining girth, though the reasons are unclear. For example, a 20-year-old tree is on average bigger than a 20-year-old tree measured a decade ago. A leading suspect is the extra CO2 in the atmosphere, which may act as a fertilizer.. However, Lewis warns, "Whatever the cause, we cannot rely on this sink forever. Even if we preserve all remaining tropical forest, these trees will not continue getting bigger indefinitely." The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports that each year human activity emits 32 billion tons of CO2, but only 15 billion tons actually remain in the atmosphere adding to climate change. The new research suggests just where some of the "missing" 17 billion tons per year is going. "It's well known that about half of the 'missing' carbon is being dissolved in to the oceans, and that the other half is going somewhere on land in vegetation and soils, but we were not sure precisely where. According to our study about half the total carbon 'land sink' is in tropical forest trees," Lewis said. The protection of tropical forests is likely to become a key theme at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in November in Copenhagen, Denmark. Co-author on the study, Dr. Lee White, Gabon's chief climate change scientist said, "To get an idea of the value of the sink, the removal of nearly 5 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by intact tropical forests, based on realistic prices for a ton of carbon, should be valued at around £13 billion ($18.5 billion) per year. This is a compelling argument for conserving tropical forests." Dr. Lewis added, "Predominantly rich polluting countries should be transferring substantial resources to countries with tropical forests to reduce deforestation rates and promote alternative development pathways."

Nearly 5 billion tonnes of carbon absorbed by undisturbed tropical forests . Study found that trees in forests are getting bigger . New carbon sink discovered in Africa that mops up 1.2 billion tons of CO2 . IPCC says each year humans emit 32 billions tons of CO2 .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- All 18 people aboard a helicopter that crashed off the coast of Scotland have been recovered alive, a Royal Air Force officer told CNN. A Super Puma helicopter, similar to the one in this file photo, went down about 120 miles east of Aberdeen. The Super Puma ditched about 120 miles east of Aberdeen while approaching an offshore platform. "Everyone has been recovered from the water," said James Lyon, assistant controller of the RAF's aeronautical rescue coordination center at RAF Kinloss, Scotland. "We don't know their condition, but we believe there are no major injuries." Five helicopters were scrambled when the Super Puma helicopter ditched. "Some were recovered by helicopter and some by boat from the platform," Lyon told CNN. The RAF was providing helicopter assistance to the Aberdeen Coast Guard in the rescue. Lyon said earlier that rescuers had been picking up emergency signal beacons from the lifejackets of the 18 people. He did not know if the pilot transmitted a mayday before the aircraft ditched. View a map of the crash site » . "We believe it was quite close to the platform it was supposed to be landing on," he added. The area is home to a number of offshore oil rigs. Lyon said he did not know which one the helicopter was heading to or where it was coming from. The RAF received its first report of the crash at 6:43 p.m. (1:43 p.m. Eastern time). Lyon said the Super Puma is regularly used to transport people to and from oil platforms in the North Sea and as far as he was aware it has a good safety record. Weather at the crash site is relatively good, though slight fog is hampering visibility, he said. A spokesman for BP told the UK's Press Association: "The 16 passengers and two crew who were on board have been accounted for and have been rescued. Three people are on the ETAP Platform and a further 15 are on the Caledonian Victory rescue vessel. "The priority of the company is the safety of all personnel involved in this incident and we have implemented our full emergency response procedures."

Royal Air Force says civilian helicopter carrying 18 people ditches in North Sea . RAF officer says all rescued alive, no immediate details of any injuries . Rescue aircraft on the scene, more in the area off Scotland .

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(CNN) -- Japan is grappling with its worst economic crisis since the end of World War II, the nation's economic and fiscal policy minister said Monday. A businessman walks past a homeless man taking a nap at a Tokyo park. The comments from Kaoru Yosano followed news of Japan's gross domestic product falling 12.7 percent in the fourth quarter in 2008. "This is the worst economic crisis in the post-war era," Yosano said at a press conference, according to Japan's Kyodo news agency. The global economic crisis has pummeled Japan, which depends largely on its auto and electronics exports. The slump in exports has led to tens of thousands of layoffs across Japan. "Behind [the contraction in GDP for] the October-December quarter is a terrific downturn in exports," he said, according to Kyodo. "Like other major countries, our country cannot avoid the pains of structural change," Yosano said. To stimulate the economy, the Japanese parliament needs to act quickly on key budget measures, he said, referring to bills related to a second supplementary budget for fiscal 2008 and early passage of the state budget for fiscal 2009. Asked about Japan possibly producing a new economic stimulus plan in the short term, Yosano said wide-ranging discussions would be needed first. "After seeing this level [of GDP], it is our duty to think of various policy options," he added.

Economic and fiscal policy minister says worst economic crisis since end of WWII . Japan's gross domestic product fell 12.7 percent in the fourth quarter in 2008 . A slump in exports has led to tens of thousands of layoffs across Japan .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III was "the right guy at the right time at the right moment" to guide a jet safely onto the surface of the Hudson River, a neighbor and friend said. Chesley Sullenberger is an Air Force veteran who has been with US Airways since 1980. Sullenberger has a cool, calm and collected style -- honed by decades of flight experience and research on safety issues, friend and neighbor John Walberg told the Contra Costa Times newspaper. All 155 passengers and crew aboard Flight 1549 survived. The 57-year-old former Air Force fighter pilot has been flying for more than 40 years, and has been with US Airways since 1980. His two-page resume is packed with achievements and highlights his broad aviation experience. The pilot speaks internationally on airline safety, and collaborates with the Center for Catastrophic Risk Management at the University of California-Berkeley, whose researchers look for ways to avoid air disasters. Watch a pilot applaud Sullenberger's skills » . Passenger Joe Hart praised the plane's crew as "phenomenal, in all respects." "Once the pilot said 'brace for impact,' the flight attendants made sure everybody knew they had to be buckled in and bent over," Hart said. "Then they sat in their chairs, strapped themselves in, and in a regular cadence, until we hit the water, they just continued to chant 'brace, brace, brace' so that nobody would sit up. And that, I think, helped prevent a lot of injuries on impact." CNN affiliate WKOW in Madison, Wisconsin, identified the co-pilot as Jeffrey Skiles, 49. Barbara Skiles told WKOW that, in conversations since the incident, her husband has praised the rescue effort. "He was really grateful and really impressed about the response that they got, how quickly boats were at the side of the airplane," she said. Sullenberger was primed to help passengers aboard the Airbus A320 survive the crisis, said Karlene Roberts, a university professor who co-directs the center. "I can imagine him being sufficiently in charge to get those people out," she said. "He's got that kind of personality, which is to his credit." Watch how passengers call pilot a hero » . Sullenberger's resume is packed with achievements. After graduating from the Air Force Academy in 1973, he had a brief but distinguished Air Force career during which he flew the Vietnam-era F-4 Phantom fighter jet. He was a flight leader and training officer with experience in Europe and the Pacific and at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, where he was the mission commander for Red Flag exercises. The exercises are for advanced aerial combat training, a position delegated to top pilots. Among those who congratulated Sullenberger was Lt. Gen. John Regni, the Air Force Academy superintendent, who graduated with Sullenberger. "He not only showcased unbelievable airmanship, but exemplary character as well," Regni said. "In addition to superb judgment under utmost pressure, by checking his aircraft twice to ensure there were no passengers left behind he epitomized the 'service before self' concept we strive to instill in our cadets," Regni said. Sullenberger is president and CEO of Safety Reliability Methods Inc., a company he founded. The firm provides emergency management, safety strategies and performance monitoring to the aviation industry. He was an instructor and Air Line Pilots Association safety chairman, accident investigator and national technical committee member, according to a biography on the Web site of his company. He participated in several U.S. Air Force and National Transportation Safety Board accident investigations, and worked with NASA scientists on a paper on error and aviation, according to his resume. He was widely praised after Thursday's forced water landing, apparently caused by a "double bird strike," which crippled the plane's engines. "It was an amazing piece of airmanship," said Peter Goelz, a former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board. Even New York's mayor had praise. "It would appear that the pilot did a masterful job of landing the plane in the river and then making sure that everybody got out," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference Thursday. "I had a long conversation with the pilot. He walked the plane twice after everybody else was off and tried to verify that there was nobody else on board -- and assures us there was not." Sullenberger's wife, Lorrie, told CNN that his response wasn't surprising. "This is the Sully I know, she said. "I always knew this is how he would react. So, to me, this is not something unusual. It's the man I know to be the consummate professional." She also told the New York Post on Thursday that her husband "is about performing that airplane to the exact precision to which it is made." "I've said for a long time that he's a pilot's pilot. He loves the art of the airplane," she said standing with the couple's two daughters outside their Danville, California, home on Friday. Watch interview with pilot's wife » . She said her husband, who hadn't spoken to the media as of noon Friday, was doing well. "He's feeling better today. He's a pilot. He's very controlled, very professional," she said. She divulged to CNN that she was stunned to hear the news from her husband after it was all over. "I hadn't been watching the news. I've heard Sully say to people, 'It's rare for an airline pilot to have an incident in their career.' " "When he called me he said, 'There's been an accident.' At first I thought it was something minor, but then he told me the circumstances and my body started shaking and I rushed to get our daughters out of school."

Air Force Academy superintendent praises pilot's character . Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, 57, is former Air Force fighter pilot . Sullenberger has 40 years of flight experience . Sullenberger is frequent speaker on airline safety .

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(AOL Autos) -- How long did it take you to get a taxi last time you tried? If it was longer than 20 minutes, then chances are you live in the sticks or were calling on a busy Friday or Saturday night. Catching a cab can be easy, whether you're in a big city or a crowded sporting event. But seemingly everyone has had difficulty calling or hailing a cab at some stage, on vacation or a business trip or when stranded in a city center after a night out. So what's the best, and quickest, way to get hold of a cab in New York? Or Los Angeles, California? Or at a major sporting event? We find out. Beware the bandit . Basil Enerieze, a taxi driver in Los Angeles, says in general a passenger's situation dictates the quickest way to get a cab. In downtown LA or in a commercial or tourist area, hailing a cab works best, he says, but calling one is the quickest way in suburban areas. Cabbies, he says, prefer fares that are called from a home or business as it gives the taxi company some information about the customer - their phone number, name and residence - in case the fare turns into trouble. Does this mean that taxis are more likely to respond to a call than being hailed? "If they're there and need a ride I stop my cab," Enerieze says. "The biggest problem we face is bandit cabs. Never take a bandit cab," he says. Enerieze says he's seen unlicensed operators in LA since he got his license 15 years ago, and that while they might in some cases be quicker or more available; the risks of hailing one are too great to justify. He says that licensed cabs will be clearly marked with a city insignia, and tells the tale of when he went to the theater in downtown Los Angeles and saw the long lines for a cab and decided, against his better judgment, to hail one of the many unlicensed cabs outside. On the 10-or-so mile drive to his home, he noticed the meter was running too fast. "I said, 'I am a cab driver. I know that your meter is running too fast.' He [the driver] said: 'That's the way it is." And I paid the fare. [But because] it was an illegitimate taxi, I could not phone anyone to complain."AOL Autos: Cheapest family sedans . Bad apples in the big apple . Matthew Daus, the chairman of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, concurs, telling AOL: "I think the number one, most important thing for anyone seeking taxicab or taxicab-like spontaneous service in New York City to understand is that only yellow, medallion taxicabs are legally empowered to solicit or accept street hails from the public. The driver of any other kind of vehicle that is soliciting passengers or responding to your taxi hail is already doing something illegal." AOL Autos: Cheapest luxury cars . He says that in adverse weather conditions or during peak demand hours, customers can be tempted to hop into something that looks like a legitimate limo or black car, but he, too, warns of the risks. "TLC-licensed drivers are drug-tested and have had a criminal background check, and TLC licensed vehicles are inspected three times annually and carry insurance levels well in excess of the state's minimum requirements." AOL Autos: Best car deals this month . "Taxicabs go where the people are. If you are hailing from the street, hail in the direction you are traveling to save turn-around time for both you and your driver. If you have the time to plan ahead, a call or Web site visit to a local livery service, black car or limousine service can quickly and conveniently arrange guaranteed door-to-door pick-up and drop-off. Look for the TLC diamond sticker inside the right-hand side of the windshield."AOL Autos: Best looking 2009 cars . Use your iPhone . Taxi Magic is the latest innovative application to come to your iPhone and allows a user to book a taxi at 25 of the nation's biggest cities - excluding New York - and track the progress of the driver en route, all by pressing the iPhone's touch screen a couple times. Helpfully, while saving you time talking to an operator it also cuts down on the number of calls the operator has to field, speeding up the service for others. The app, which pinpoints your location with GPS and calculates the nearest cab firms, was released by Web site ridecharge.com, which also features online booking and other goodies like taxi expense and receipt tracking and, in partnership with some companies, payment and account options that are always useful on vacation or business trips. AOL Autos: Best 2009 cars for your money . Get seen easier . Late at night sometimes you get the feeling that all the cabs that drive past because cabs haven't seen you, something Stamford, Connecticut. company TaxiLite wants to remedy with its line of pocket-sized bright yellow LED light, which it says can be seen up to three city blocks away. The company says it increases your visibility in crowds and its light can be seen in rain, sleet or snow. In a release last week, TaxiLite President, Howard Lippin, said: "TaxiLite has been very well received by cab drivers in New York City. Drivers have told me that TaxiLite will be a great help to them, especially in identifying fares at night and in bad weather." In the dark and when it's dry, you can also try holding up an iPhone with Exact Magic Software's ingenious flashlight application, which can create a strobe-light effect to catch a driver's attention, and a couple other Apple applications also will let you spell out TAXI in flashing billboard-effect lettering. Sporting events . Larry Meister, manager at the Independent Taxi Operators Association, which represents 350 Boston cabbies, says location is key to quickly getting a cab. He lends no credence to the rumor that patrons carrying luggage tend to get picked up quicker as cabbies know a tip is more likely at Logan International Airport (and usually drivers will go out of their way to earn it by taking the frequently heavy bags from the trunk to the curb). Boston, he says, has hundreds of taxi stands around the city, mostly on main thoroughfares, and he says his organization and others are working to put electronic cab-tracking, wait time and fare calculators in place for a new generation of taxi customers. But how about catching a cab at Boston's famous sporting events, a Red Sox or Celtics game? He chuckled ruefully. "You're talking about the worst time; you're competing against 20,000 other patrons for cabs at the same time. The cabs are out there on Brookline Avenue trying to serve the public, but it's tough. If you leave before the end of the game you might have a shot at getting a cab quicker."

A passenger's situation dictates the quickest way to get a cab . Taxi Magic, an iPhone app, can help you catch a cab easily . Taxis drive past you at night because they can't see you . Leave sporting events before the end of the game to get a cab quicker .

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(CNN) -- Kyrgyzstan's president signed a bill Friday to close an air base that the U.S. military uses as a route for troops and supplies heading into Afghanistan, the president announced on his Web site. Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan serves as a U.S. supply route for troops and supplies into Afghanistan. The news came as two other central Asian nations -- Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -- reportedly agreed to let U.S. cargo pass through their countries on the way to Afghanistan. Such deals, if confirmed, could help fill the void left by the closing of the Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan. The Kyrgyz order became effective on Friday when President Kurmanbek Bakiyev reportedly signed legislation that the parliament in Bishkek backed on Thursday, the Pentagon said. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry on Friday officially notified the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek that a 180-day withdrawal process is under way. Embassy spokeswoman Michelle Yerkin told CNN the United States hopes to retain the base. Officials in Washington and Bishkek signed a deal three years ago allowing the United States to renew the arrangement annually through July 2011. "We do remain in contact with the government of Kyrgyzstan," Yerkin said. "The Manas Air Base continues to operate under existing agreements, as per the coalition's efforts in Afghanistan." U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday the United States will continue to work with Kyrgyzstan on keeping the base open. Watch why Kyrgyzstan wants to close the base » . "I continue to believe that this is not a closed issue and that there remains the potential at least to reopen this issue with the Kyrgyz and perhaps reach a new agreement," Gates said at a NATO meeting in Krakow, Poland. "If we are unable to do that on reasonable terms then, as I have suggested, we are developing alternative methods to get resupply and people into Afghanistan." The Manas Air Base outside Bishkek is the only U.S. base in Central Asia and is a major resupply hub for the war in Afghanistan. Its closing could deal a significant blow to the U.S. military effort there, especially following President Barack Obama's announcement of additional troops to halt a resurgence of the country's former Taliban rulers. The United States pays $17.4 million a year to use Manas, a major logistical and refueling center that supports troops in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said. About 15,000 troops and 500 tons of cargo reportedly move through Manas monthly, it said. The air base currently employs more than 1,000 servicemen, 95 percent of whom are Americans, Russia's Interfax news agency reported. "This is an important facility, it has been an important facility, but it's not irreplaceable and, if necessary, we will find other options," Whitman said. How far is Manas from Afghanistan? View our map » . Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, two other Central Asian nations that border Afghanistan, have agreed to allow U.S. cargo to be transported to Afghanistan through their countries, the Russian news agency Interfax reported Friday. The agency said Rear Adm. Mark Harnitchek, U.S. transportation command director for strategy, policy, programs and logistics, held a meeting with Tajik Foreign Minister Kharokhon Zarifi, after which he said he had also secured Uzbekistan's consent. A Tajik government statement said only that the two sides discussed the issue, but a spokesman for the Tajik foreign ministry told CNN that "practically all issues" to allow U.S. cargo transit through the country have been resolved. If confirmed, success would still depend on how much access the United States would have to those countries for flights and cargo, and even then, it may not totally replace the capacity lost in Kyrgyzstan. U.S. General David Petraeus, who oversees the war in Afghanistan, was in Uzbekistan this week for talks on Afghanistan and other regional issues. A Pentagon spokesman told CNN that his discussions included the regional supply network into Afghanistan. The U.S. military leased a base in Uzbekistan after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. But after Uzbek troops were accused of killing at least 150 people during a demonstration in 2005, the autocratic government of President Islam Karimov came under criticism from Washington and severed most of its military ties with the United States.

Tajikistan, Uzbekistan may allow U.S. military supplies heading to Afhanistan . Kyrgyzstan president completes next step towards closure of U.S. base . The U.S. says it's still working with the country to keep the operation open . The Manas base is used to transport key supplies and troops into Afghanistan .

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military coalition in Iraq confirmed Tuesday that a business jet -- not a U.S. military aircraft -- was recently forced down in Iran due to an airspace violation. A Falcon business jet is shown in an undated file photo. "The airplane is now being confirmed as a light transport plane with no Americans onboard," Multi-National Forces-Iraq said in a statement issued Tuesday. "From what we have been seeing, it was a Falcon business jet. We have accounted for all our aircraft and none are missing." The U.S. coalition in Iraq had no information on who owned the aircraft, stressing that it was not a registered American plane. Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency initially reported that five American military officials were on board the U.S. aircraft. But other Iranian media reports -- quoting Iranian officials -- said the aircraft was Hungarian and no Americans were on the plane. Iranian officials told Iran's state-run Arabic language channel Al-Alam that the incident happened a week ago and that the plane was carrying humanitarian workers. Fars later changed its Farsi language report, citing other Iranian and Arab media as saying the plane was not an American aircraft . Fars also initially reported that aircraft, which it called a "Falcon fighter," entered Iranian airspace at a low altitude from Turkey to avoid radar detection, despite repeated warnings by the Islamic Republic Air Force. It said the plane also carried three civilians. Washington is monitoring the reports, but White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said "as far as we know (they are) totally bogus." U.S. National Security Council Spokesman Gordon Johndroe also said there is no indication that the reports are accurate. "We're looking into the various and conflicting reports coming from the Iranian 'news' agencies, but do not have any information at this time that would lead us to believe they are correct," he said. Fars said the aircraft, which was en route to Afghanistan, was forced to land at an Iranian airport that it did not name. Fars reported that the eight people aboard were released "after daylong interrogations" that revealed the aircraft had "unintentionally" violated Iran's airspace. Fars said the aircraft was later allowed to continue on to Afghanistan. Two top U.S. military officials told CNN's Barbara Starr that no U.S. military aircraft has been forced down. The U.S. military has an F-16 Fighting Falcon, but it is a one-seat jet fighter aircraft that is used by the U.S. Air Force for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. The Dassault Falcon is a European-made private passenger business jet that resembles a Lear jet. It can seat a crew of two and as many as 10 passengers. It's used for passenger transport, but also has military uses. CNN's Saad Abedine in Baghdad, Iraq; Shirzad Bozorgmehr in Tehran, Iran; Caroline Faraj in Dubai; and Mike Mount in Washington contributed to this report .

NEW: Iran now says aircraft was forced down a week ago . There were no Americans on board the aircraft, U.S. says . Iranians say they forced down plane after it violated Iranian airspace . Iran had claimed aircraft was a U.S. "Falcon fighter"

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ARBIL, Iraq (CNN) -- Two United Arab Emirates based companies announced on Tuesday that they will be investing in the Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan. Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdish Regional Government, called the project "a significant contribution to the Iraqi economy." Four hundred and sixty one million square feet have been officially assigned to "Gas Cities LLC," a joint venture between Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum, both Sharjah-based companies, to establish a new venture: "Kurdistan Gas City." Kurdistan Gas City will include industrial, residential and commercial buildings in an integrated city. The expected initial investment in basic infrastructure is estimated at $3 billion, with further foreign direct investment exceeding $40 billion during the operations phase. Work will start on the project, which is designed to promote private sector investment in a variety of gas-related industries, on September 21. Gas City is structured to hold over 20 varieties of world scale petrochemical and heavy manufacturing plants, and hundreds of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), served by state-of-the-art facilities. Mr Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, said: "Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum have made a significant contribution to the Iraqi economy through their work in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq thus far, we are making significant progress in spurring on economic growth and creating opportunity for our people." Hamid Jafar, Executive Chairman of Dana Gas, explained the importance of this achievement saying: "The Kurdistan Gas City is an enormous step forward in Dana Gas' strategy across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia." The Kurdistan Gas City is projected to generate job opportunities for nearly 200,000 Iraqi citizens in infrastructure, industrial projects, support services and other business activities. This is not the first project for Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, the two companies are committed to a service agreement signed in April 2007 with the Kurdistan Regional Government to build 180 kilometers of natural gas pipeline and two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) plants, which are 80 percent complete. The project is on track and will start pumping 150 million cubic feet of gas per day in the coming weeks, rising to 300 million cubic feet by early 2009. Other companies from the UAE showed similar interest in Kurdistan Region "Damac Properties" one of the major private developers in the regions revealed on June 3 plans for a $16 billion residential, commercial and recreational project.

Emirati companies making significant investments in Kurdistan . Kurdistan Gas City will include industrial, residential and commercial buildings . Work will start on the project on September 21 .

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(CNN) -- Not only is Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the United Arab Emirates, the first female minister of economy in the Gulf, and the first to start a Middle Eastern BB marketplace, but she's also the first minister - anywhere in the world - to launch her own perfume line. Member of Sharjah royal family and one of Forbes' 100 most powerful women, Sheikha Lubna took the post of minister for economy and planning of United Arab Emirates in 2004. Her background is in IT and before the government appointment worked at the Dubai Ports Authority where she gained the "Distinguished Government Employee Award" in 1999 for developing a documentation system that reduced cargo turnaround from one hour to ten minutes. In 2000, Sheikha Lubna founded Tejari, the first Middle Eastern business-to-business marketplace. As a result of Tejari (Arabic for commerce) 70 percent of Dubai's government purchases are made online, while only 30 percent of bureaucrats were web-literate before its launch. One of the cornerstones of Sheikha Lubna's work has been to allow for foreign ownership, so when John Defterios met up with her, he began by asking her about her upcoming strategy. Sheikha Lubna: We are looking with scrutiny at the companies a lot at the moment and we have several sectors. We will evaluate each sector, from the service side, finance, accounting. And any sector that we believe we need further development in terms of economic growth, then we will focus on that: on increasing the acquisition or the ownership of the foreign company. Defterios: If you look at the Middle East, specifically within this Gulf region, it's quite a radical change to open up specific sectors to majority foreign ownership. Is this society in the region ready for this move? Sheikha Lubna: Interestingly, the United Arab Emirates is host to 80 percent of its population coming from outside. We host 200 nationalities, so for us, the contribution to the economy has already started over 15 years ago with the existence of the expatriate community. So in many ways I think the openness is only a natural path: it's an organic path to continue the openness that exists. Foreign direct investment is not your own wealth. When you have your own wealth, you have a tendency to be complacent sometimes, because it's your money and you may not think you need to actually strengthen your infrastructure. However, if you look at foreign direct investment, it mandates you to be much more transparent, you have to be very diligent about your work, and it also creates new knowledge coming into the country and you can create more development through employment. Defterios: It's interesting, you read the front line of the DP World, P&O acquisition and the furor it created in the United States particularly within Congress. What are the lessons, not just from the UAE perspective, but the lessons learned from both sides during that whole process? Sheikha Lubna: First of all, I think it is important to understand, in this global world, there is a circulation of funds and there is excess of wealth that has to go somewhere. Liquidity of markets sometimes means you invest internally or you invest abroad. We've learned a lesson being in the oil crises earlier that you need to diversify your money and look into investment abroad. And we've seen this where the UAE invests in the Far East, Australia, Asia as well as in Europe and the United States. What's more important to understand is that if you're going to lock up your interest in terms of selling either because of protectionism or a particular idea in your mind that I don't want to sell to this particular organization versus another, there are other places. Defterios: That's not a veiled message your saying, that's pretty forthright this comment. Sheikha Lubna: But it's a message to all of us. If today I lock up my investment opportunity here, money will not come to me, money will go somewhere else. When I have investment coming from abroad, it creates confidence in this country that 'I am a global image'. So when I say it, I am not directing this as a message to a particular country. I am saying all countries are equal when it comes to regulation, when it comes to responsibility, when it comes to strategy in terms of attracting foreign funds and wealth coming to the country. So that's really a lesson that's very very critical. Defterios: A number of firsts: the first to start a B2B marketplace; the first female minister within the country, an economy minister; and the first to launch a perfume range as well. What is it all about? Trailblazing, setting examples, being an entrepreneur? How would you describe what you're doing here? Sheikha Lubna: Everybody laughs about the perfume. One, I think the United Arab Emirates, since inception (it's not from today but from the founder late Sheikh Zayed) has always given equal opportunities for women. But it's up to us as women to decide what is it that we can push, and what it is that we can do and not do. In my personal belief you need a bridge, you need a door opener for women. And sometimes women do not want to take the risk. Sometimes they are shy of achieving what they should be achieving. I had the opportunity and I had the trust from the government and the community, so to me, it is setting the example internally for the young women, and men by the way. Be it in technology, or economy or e-commerce. Defterios: And the perfume line is the exclamation point? Sheikha Lubna: A young woman, actually a perfume creator, who sells exclusively to Saks Fifth Avenue in Dubai, decided to create a perfume with my name. So I had two mandates from her. One, I had to smell it, otherwise if it doesn't smell good I'm not going to take it as a name. So one, I had to actually agree to the scent of the perfume. And it's an Arabic perfume by the way. And second, my mandate was that I would only launch it with my name for her, if she gives 20 percent of its sales and revenue to the Friends of Cancer Patients. E-mail to a friend .

Sheikha Lubna was first female minister in the United Arab Emirates . Openness to foreign ownership is the "natural path", she says . If countries "lock up" interest due to protectionism there are other places to go .

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(CNN) -- Jury selection was under way Thursday in the case of a man accused of sexually assaulting a toddler and capturing it on videotape years ago, a crime that triggered a nationwide manhunt and search for the girl when the tape surfaced in 2007. Chester Arthur Stiles faces life imprisonment if convicted of videtaping a sexual assault on a child. Chester Arthur Stiles, 38, faces 22 felony counts in connection with the videotape, including lewdness with a child, sexual assault with a minor and attempted sexual assault with a minor. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Thursday is the third day of jury selection, said Michael Sommermeyer, spokesman for Clark County, Nevada, courts. Some 200 potential jurors were called, according to CNN affiliate KVBC. As of Thursday morning, only seven jurors had passed on to the next stage of selection, Sommermeyer said. Prosecutors hope to seat 15 jurors eventually, Sommermeyer told CNN, meaning they'll want a pool of about 35 to pick from in the final stage. Picking a jury in the case is challenging, according to KVBC, not only because of the media attention the case has drawn, but because of the crimes Stiles is accused of. A questionnaire given to potential jurors has one question addressing the videotape: "As a juror, despite the graphic nature of the videotape, can you promise to remain fair and impartial and objectively evaluate all evidence for returning a verdict?" "One, you let them know what the case involves and they've heard it on the news, it's a little difficult to get over any preconceived notions that they had about the case," defense attorney Stacey Roundtree told KVBC. "However, we do have faith in this community that they want to do the right thing," she said. "Most of the jury trials I've had, the jurors go out of their way to make the right decision. They go out of their way to follow the judge's rules, and we're confident we can have that happen in this case." The tape was given to authorities in September 2007 by a man who said he had found it in the desert five months before. On it, police found images of the small girl being sexually assaulted. After attempting unsuccessfully to find out the girl's identity, authorities turned to the media for help and released a picture of the girl, and the case drew nationwide attention. She was found in October 2007. An attorney for her mother said she was 7 years old and safe and healthy. The rape occurred before the girl's third birthday while she was in the care of a baby sitter her mother had hired, he said. The mother did not know the girl had been victimized. After the girl was found, authorities asked CNN and other news organizations to stop showing her picture. Stiles, a resident of Pahrump, Nevada, was arrested in a traffic stop in October 2007. Police said at the time they pulled Stiles' car over because it had no license plate and became suspicious when the driver displayed an expired California license with a photo that did not match his appearance. "He finally told us, 'Hey, I'm Chester Stiles,'" said Henderson, Nevada, police Officer Mike Dye. "'I'm the guy you're looking for." Stiles told police he was "sick of running," Dye said. The mother of the girl shown on the tape, meanwhile, went on "The Dr. Phil Show" after Stiles' arrest, saying that while she was "relieved," it would have been "better if they found him dead." She said her daughter remembers nothing about the alleged assault. "Nothing that I have seen in my career comes close to what this girl has gone through," Nye County, Nevada, Sheriff Tony DeMeo said during the manhunt for Stiles. The man who turned the tape over to authorities, Darrin Tuck, faced criminal charges because of the delay in turning it over, during which authorities alleged he showed it to others. A judge gave Tuck a one-year suspended sentence and three years of probation in April after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct a public officer, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He initially had faced a felony count of possession of child pornography.

Chester Arthur Stiles faces 22 felony counts in connection with sex tape . Tape showed girl younger than 3 being sexually assaulted . Tape surfaced years after alleged assault . Potential jurors know about case, have strong feelings about it .

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(CNN) -- In Focus: Sovereign Wealth Funds . Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Foreign Trade, U.A.E., talks to CNN about future relations with Washington . What a difference a credit crunch makes. Sovereign Wealth Funds control up to $3 trillion in assets, which could provide essential liquidity during the global slowdown. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown toured the Gulf this week in an attempt to secure more funds from the region. MME takes a look at what the Sovereign Wealth Funds can bring to the table and interviews the top U.S. official overseeing relations with the SWFs, Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt. Facetime: Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Foreign Trade, U.A.E. A new era and a new President for the United States. A historic week with the election of the 44th President of the United States. But what can the region look for in a new U.S. administration? We talk to United Arab Emirates' Minister of Foreign Trade, Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi about future relations between the Middle East and Washington. Watch the show this week at the times (GMT) below: Friday: 0915, 1945 Saturday: 0645 Sunday: 0815 .

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown toured Gulf looking for more funds from the region . Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt on Sovereign Wealth Funds . What can the Middle East look for in the United States' new president? MME talks U.A.E.'s Minister of Foreign Trade about relations with the U.S.

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(InStyle.com) -- From barefoot tomboy to fashion supernova, fearless pop renegade Rihanna lives to bust all the rules. "I love the heavy chain over this pretty dress -- it's exactly the way I would do it," says Rihanna. What are some rules you'd like to crush? The idea of not wearing brown and black together seems so dated. The other day I wore a black T-shirt, black Nobody jeans, a brown leopard-print belt by Dolce & Gabbana, and brown Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, and it looked awesome. Also the rule about not matching your makeup to your outfit. I do that onstage, matching red lipstick to a bright red jacket or neon-pink eye shadow to a pink jumpsuit. And I also love to mix prints. We've had the Meg, the Jennifer, and now people ask for the Rihanna at salons. Will you be switching it up again? The first time I heard people were asking for the Rihanna, it was really flattering and maybe a little strange. It caught me by surprise, but now I feel it's a very cool thing. I don't feel the pressure to change it up again at all. I like it, as they like it. Can you talk about your style obsessions and how your look has evolved over the years? It has evolved without my even noticing it. Lately I'm obsessed with Thierry Mugler... Grace Jones inspires me. She is the most iconic woman ever, in my eyes. She has extraordinary style and she's fearless. I love designer Martin Margiela; Kanye West told me about him. I also like Dsquared, Chloé, Zac Posen... But you weren't always a fashion maven? Growing up in Barbados, you were a tomboy. I wore my brother's clothes, dresses with sneakers, or no shoes at all. I would always get into trouble with my mom. She would say things to scare me like, "You're going to get cut!" But I couldn't help it. I would climb trees, steal mangoes, catch birds--silly things that were fun to us at the time. My cousin and I were the only girls in the group. We would have to stand up for ourselves because the guys didn't want us around. You stood out in Barbados because of your light complexion. Do you remember having trouble fitting in at school? Definitely. It made me angry... For the first six years of school, I would go home traumatized. The harassment continued to my very last day of elementary school. High school was better. I read that your mom owns a boutique and your dad works at a garment factory -- it seems you have the Rihanna fashion line already partly sewn up. [Giggles] Well I am working on that right now. It takes a lot of effort, and I want to be involved with every step of the process. What do you do for kicks in L.A.? I don't go out much. I'm moving into a new four-bedroom home in Los Feliz that I'm excited about. Parts of it will be inspired by India. I love things like canopy beds, printed fabrics and Spanish touches. Then I can stay at home and cook West Indian dishes like callaloo [stewed greens]. But I do want a sports car--as soon as I get my license. Who knew you were so domestic. Wait a minute. You're such a rebel. In the video for "Take a Bow," you drive a car. I have my Barbadian license, just not my American one. How will you celebrate your 21st birthday? Don't scare me! I have till February. I feel like I have so much more to accomplish before I'm 21. No party plans yet. Many showbiz types say, "Don't ever read your own press," but you do, even the online stuff. What's the kookiest thing you've read about yourself? The Grammy thing -- that I brought Jay-Z on stage and Beyoncé was upset, which is so ridiculous. Or the idea that I've had breast implants -- I don't even have much cleavage. It was just the dress! So yes, I read about myself and about everybody else in the gossip pages. It's comedy to me; I laugh about it. The tattoo behind your ear is a Pisces symbol -- two fish swimming head to tail in a circle--which represents life after death. If possible, what would you be reincarnated as? If I had to come back in another form, it would be as my dog, DJ. He gets the best treatment, all the attention in the world, and he's so adorable. Plus, he goes everywhere I can take him. Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2009 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

Rihanna wants to crush the idea of not wearing brown and black together . Her light complexion gave her trouble fitting in at school in Barbados . Singer's new four-bedroom home decor in Los Feliz to be inspired by India . "If I had to come back in another form, it would be as my dog," Rihanna says .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A new national poll indicates that nearly three out of four Americans are scared about the way things are going in the country today. A deputy oversees an eviction in Lafayette, Colorado, last week. Seventy-three percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday say they're very or somewhat scared about the way things are going in the United States. That's six points higher than in an October poll. Nearly eight in 10 say things are going badly in the country, with just 21 percent suggesting that things are going well. The survey also says that three out of four Americans are angry about the way things are going in the country. But three out of four questioned say that things are going well for them personally. The poll was released a day before President Obama gives a prime-time address before a joint session of Congress. "Americans always believe things are better in their own lives than in the rest of the country," said CNN polling director Keating Holland. "But they are realists as well -- they recognize that bad times somewhere else in the U.S. may eventually come to affect them. That's why so many say they are angry and scared, even though they're content with their own personal circumstances. "There is a tiny sliver of good news -- the number of Americans who think things are going very badly has dropped from 40 percent in December to 32 percent now," Holland added. "But since most of those people switched from the very bad category to the pretty bad category, it's wrong to say that the public is more optimistic -- call them a little less pessimistic at best." The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted Wednesday and Thursday, with 1,046 adults questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Nearly eight in 10 say things are going badly in the country . Three of four Americans are angry about the way things are going in the country . But three out of four questioned say that things are going well for them personally .

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(CNN) -- He had a rough life during the Ice Age, walking around with a couple of broken ribs and a possibly cancerous lesion on his jaw before dying at a young age. Assistant lab supervisor Trevor Valle discusses the teeth and lower jaw of Columbian mammoth fossil "Zed." Now, at least 10,000 years later, visitors in Los Angeles can see the remains of "Zed," a Columbian mammoth whose nearly intact skeleton is part of what is being described as a key find by paleontologists at Los Angeles' George C. Page Museum. Zed was discovered at a construction site in the heart of Los Angeles. An earth mover helping to build an underground parking garage near the L.A. County Museum of Art uncovered the mammoth's skull, according to project director Christopher Shaw. "The skull was hit and shaved off ... by a scraper," Shaw told CNN Thursday. "We don't know just how smashed up it is, but it's fairly intact because it's a huge jacket we put it around." The mammoth's fossil was found along with 16 other deposits at the site that paleontologists "tree-boxed" along with the surrounding dirt, creating 23 massive crates weighing between 5 and 53 tons that were then lifted out intact. Zed's remains were encased in a plaster jacket. The construction was being monitored by a consulting firm because the site is so close to the La Brea tar pits -- a site that has yielded between 3 million and 4 million fossilized bones. Construction on the parking garage began in 2006 but it took two more years for all the recovered materials to be handed over to researchers at the Page Museum, who began analyzing the various fossils in June, Shaw said. "It's very exciting for us because each one of these ... could be different ages in the past 10,000 to 45,000 years," Shaw said. John Harris, the head curator of the Page Museum, publicly announced the finding of "a whole new treasure trove of fossils" on Wednesday. He described it as "the most important discovery" for the museum "of the last 90 years." Shaw said the announcement was made to "create interest" in the museum's discovery. Among the most interesting items is likely to be Zed, who is believed to have died in his late 40s. Mammoths are thought to have had an average lifespan of about 60 years. Not all of Zed's remains have been cleaned off and analyzed. "Right now we have opened the plaster jacket of four sections that were excavated, including vertebrae and ribs and pelvis, one tusk and the lower jaw," Shaw said. "It will take another six to 12 months to open everything." Shaw said both of Zed's tusks were found intact, which is very rare. "Previously, we've found mammoths but the tusk material was very poorly preserved," Shaw said. "It's very exciting to us to have these two complete, beautifully preserved tusks." The excitement generated by Zed and the rest of the paleontological find could help boost the Page Museum's attendance and funding, which is key as many museums are seeing their attendance dry up during the recession. "The cleaning of Zed can be viewed inside the museum inside the 'fishbowl' -- a windowed area -- as parts of his bones are being cleaned," Shaw said. "So people come to see us and we've constructed small exhibits. It will attract a lot of people and that will help our funding situation." Researchers hope to have the entire skeleton on display by next year. Shaw said it is unique to have such a major fossil find in the heart of an urban center like Los Angeles. "I've always said we're kind of spoiled here in Rancho La Brea," he said. "It's not like going to the Gobi Desert where you can't take a shower for weeks." While the process of cleaning and analyzing the fossils is very intricate and time consuming, Shaw said it is a rare experience for researchers to come in to work and not know what they will discover that day. "Every day we come to work, we're uncovering things that haven't seen the light of day for 40,000 years," he said. "It's an exciting thing that we're doing just that."

Nearly intact skeleton of mammoth found at Los Angeles construction site . Columbian mammoth's skeleton was unearthed near the La Brea tar pits . Discovery called the museum's most important in almost a century . Both of mammoth's tusks were discovered intact -- a rare occurrence .

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(CNN) -- Though they support some federal action to help their states recover from the recession, several Republican governors said Sunday they plan to turn down a portion of what's offered in the stimulus bill that President Obama signed last week. Gov. Haley Barbour said the stimulus bill would force Mississippi to raise taxes. "If we were to take the unemployment reform package that they have, it would cause us to raise taxes on employment when the money runs out -- and the money will run out in a couple of years," Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. The Republican governors of Idaho, Alaska, Texas, South Carolina and Louisiana expressed similar concerns. But one of their colleagues, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, had a message for them Sunday on ABC's "This Week." When asked about broader complaints from lawmakers such as South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford about the stimulus package leading to more debt, Schwarzenegger responded, "I am more than happy to take his money or [that of] any other governor in this country that doesn't want to take this money. I take it because I think California needs it." Schwarzenegger said he does not foresee a need for a tax hike in the future to sustain the unemployment provisions. In a separate interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Schwarzenegger said the complaints are "partially" right, but that using the money for now "cannot hurt." And another governor, Michigan Democrat Jennifer Granholm, told CNN, "We'll take it." Watch how stimulus package could affect your paycheck » . "South Carolina, I'll take your money. Louisiana, we'll take it," Granholm said in an interview recorded last week and broadcast Sunday on "State of the Union." "We got plenty of work here, plenty of jobs that we would like to create here," Granholm added as she discussed the struggling auto industry and job losses in her state. A leading Democrat, meanwhile, said he does see a potential problem. "I'm not sure that we can, over the long run, cope with the high unemployment compensation standard that this mandates for states," Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, the head of the National Governor's Association, told "Fox News Sunday." "But I don't care. My people are suffering," he added. "They need that extra money. And right now that's paramount in my mind." At issue is a portion of the unemployment assistance stipulated by the stimulus bill, which provides federal dollars to expand unemployment insurance in the states. In exchange for accepting that, states would have to expand the number of people who are given jobless benefits. In Louisiana, for example, that portion of the funds would total nearly $100 million, state officials said. Gov. Bobby Jindal, a rising GOP star, has announced plans to turn it down. "The $100 million we turned down was temporary federal dollars that would require us to change our unemployment laws," he told NBC's "Meet the Press." "That would have actually raised taxes on Louisiana businesses. We as a state would have been responsible for paying for those benefits after the federal money disappeared." The law demands a "permanent" change to state law, Jindal said. Jindal and the other governors do plan to accept other funds offered by the stimulus, including money to increase benefits for those who are receiving them. And even some governors who have expressed disappointment in the stimulus package are not shying away from any of the funding. "I don't like this bill, but it is now the law. ... It's now our responsibility and opportunity to try to implement it," Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty told "Fox News Sunday." Calling his state "a major net subsidizer of the federal government," he said, "We're paying the bill either way -- we're going to take our share of the money." In the end, some governors who would like to turn down a portion of the federal funding may not be able to. The law stipulates that state legislatures can overrule governors. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat, said Americans are making it clear to all governors that they should accept whatever help they can get. "Everywhere across the country, certainly in Massachusetts ... people want their roads repaired, they want their bridges repaired, they want a clean energy strategy ... and real alternatives, and they want us to be candid with them about those needs," he told CNN's "State of the Union."

Governors of Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana, others raise concerns . They worry unemployment assistance compensation is too steep to maintain . Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is for the plan, saying California needs help .

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(CNN) -- Law enforcement officials arrested more than 500 people, and took custody of 48 juveniles in a coordinated 29-city weekend sweep aimed at combating child prostitution, the FBI announced Monday. Task forces made up largely of state and local police officers arrested and booked what authorities said were 464 adult prostitutes, 55 pimps and 55 customers on state charges. While most faced local charges, a senior FBI official said he expected there were would be some federal charges as well. The FBI Monday said 19 searches were conducted, netting a total of $438,000 in cash, plus illegal drugs, cars and computers. The four dozen juveniles were recovered in the third phase of Operation Cross Country, an initiative that seeks to help child prostitutes and crack down on people who control them and patronize them. In the previous coordinated operations, authorities recovered 21 alleged child prostitutes last June and 47 in October. In 2003 the FBI, Department of Justice prosecutors, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children launched what was called the Innocence Lost National Initiative to address what had become a growing problem of children forced into prostitution. Many were young runaways. Officials say the 32 Innocence Lost task forces formed nationwide have now recovered about 670 children in the six years, and seized more than $3 million in cash. The most recent operation involved law enforcement agencies in several states including California, Alaska, Michigan, Georgia, Colorado, Oregon, Alabama, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Illinois, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Minnesota and Arizona.

Police booked 464 adult prostitutes, 55 pimps and 55 customers on state charges . FBI: 19 searches netted $438,000 in cash, plus illegal drugs, cars, computers . Officials say Innocence Lost task forces recovered about 670 children in 6 years .

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(MENTAL FLOSS) -- In the last 2,000 years, commodity shortages, financial speculation, wars, famines, and outright manias have created some pretty strange economic behavior throughout the world. Once worthless Roman coins found in the British town of Snodland are considered quite a treasure. Cake or death? In order to stop rising inflation and devaluation of the currency in third century Rome, Emperor Diocletian instituted fixed prices on most consumer goods. Anyone selling goods at prices higher than those of the emperor was put to death; this led to hoarding of goods. A law was then passed that forbade the hoarding of goods. Penalty? Death. So people just closed their businesses, then another law was passed. You guessed it: shut down your business or fail to follow in your father's business? Death. It's amazing the Roman Empire lasted as long as it did. Mental Floss: Strange things we didn't know were illegal . Gonna barter like it's B.C. 99 . When the Roman Empire collapsed in the 5th century, so did the Roman financial system. Part of the collapse was the disappearance of Roman coinage. Nowhere was this more evident than in England, where, according to archeological evidence, money basically disappeared, driving the British isles straight back to a barter economy. Coinage only came back centuries later when the English were forced to pay protection money (Danegeld) to the Vikings to stop the constant pillaging. 99.9 percent pure . In 15th century Germany, grain shortages -- acceptable -- frequently led to beer shortages -- unacceptable. In response, brewers in towns like Munich and Regensburg used seeds, spices, and rushes to flavor their beers. Showing an uncomfortable foreshadowing of future events, German authorities instituted purity laws stating that only water, barley, and hops could be used in the brewing of beer. The rule, or Reinheitsgebot, is still on the books today. Nothing but the best for France . While the Sun King, Louis XIV, and his building of Versailles typically get all the credit for bankrupting France in the seventeenth century, his Minister of Finance, Jean-Baptiste Colbert deserves some kudos as well. Colbert's tax schemes, deficit spending, and manic obsession with the production of luxury goods -- to the detriment, or outright exclusion of ordinary consumer goods -- emptied the French treasuries, drove the peasantry to starvation, and laid the foundation for the bloodiest revolution of the age. But, let's face it: who wouldn't trade the fate of an entire nation for a really, really well made tapestry? Adjustable rate mortgage, Archduke Ferdinand? In the 1860s, the rulers of the newly-formed Austro-Hungarian Empire encouraged their bankers to be more free with their lending standards. Their goal was to encourage growth in the empire. The result (this is going to sound eerily familiar) was over-speculation in building, massive default on borrowed funds, and economic collapse throughout Central Europe. The worldwide depression reached all the way to the United States and triggered the Panic of 1873. On the bright side, many of the most beautiful buildings in Europe come from this period of "irrational exuberance." Mississippi burning . John Law, a Scottish banker and businessman, took control of a French enterprise called the Mississippi Company in 1717. In just a few years, he turned the company into the main economic force behind the French colonies throughout the world. The share price for the company went from about 500 livres in 1719 to 10,000 livres in 1720. Just one year later though, in a rather Enron-like turnaround, the stock price collapsed, Law fled France, and the French government (as the primary shareholder) was forced to cancel a significant portion of its debt obligations leaving lenders throughout the world ruined. Economists refer to the episode as the "Mississippi Bubble." The Mason-Dixon bottom line . Many have read about the effects of hyperinflation on the German Weimar Republic. From 1920-1923, prices in Germany increased as much as 3.25 million percent. People burned their old currency for warmth, since it was less costly than buying wood. But, few know that the same type of hyperinflation, albeit to a lesser extent, affected the Confederate States of America. From 1861 to 1864, the commodity price index rose as high as 10 percent a month. By the end of the Civil War, the cost of living in dear old Dixie was 92 percent higher than before the war. Mental Floss: The Confederacy's plan to conquer Latin America . Prayer pays . In 1943, due to shortage of raw materials like paper and leather, and an increase in wartime piety, there was an actual Bible shortage in the United States. Tokyo falling . Japan had one of the most meteoric economic rises of the twentieth century. By the late '80s, property values had risen so high that all the land in Japan was worth four times the value of all the property in the United States. The real estate value of Tokyo alone was valued at more than that of all America. By the end of the century, however, the Tokyo stock exchange was off 60 percent of its 1989 high, and property values had fallen as much as 80 percent. Some blame over-speculation, others blame Michael Crichton's novel "Rising Sun." Mental Floss: Leaders who spent their countries into the ground . For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved.

When in Roman history it was illegal to raise prices, hoard goods or close stores . Europe's "irrational exuberance" in 1860s was when great buildings were constructed . Shortages paper and leather led to U.S. bible shortage in 1943 .

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Editor's note: Tara Wall is deputy editor for The Washington Times. Before joining the newspaper, she was a senior adviser for the Republican National Committee and was named a public affairs director in the Department of Health and Human Services by President George W. Bush. Read her columns here. Tara Wall says Eric Holder's "nation of cowards" comment struck the wrong tone. WASHINGTON (CNN) -- First, we're a nation of whiners; now, we're a nation of cowards. The coward comment comes from none other than President Obama's newly minted attorney general, Eric Holder. The remarks were part of a speech Holder delivered for Black History Month. Yet, even in that context, the words came across as arrogant, condescending and not at all becoming a statesman. One dictionary definition of coward is "lacking courage." Stinging words for a country at war, where white and black soldiers are shedding the same color blood. Are they cowards? Ironic too that Holder's remarks come at a time when the nation has just elected its first black president and witnessed the confirmation of its first black attorney general (Holder himself). Forget that more whites than blacks cast their ballots for a black man to lead the nation. So this is how Holder says thanks? Did the attorney general not think about the weight his words would carry? Was he simply trying to be provocative? Is this his way of bringing the races together? Does his position or his color give him the bravado to think that he can get away with calling us cowards? Imagine for a moment if John McCain or George W. Bush uttered those words. The criticism would have known no bounds. i-Report.com: Share your thoughts on Holder's comments . You'll recall, it was just a few months back that a media frenzy erupted when former Sen. Phil Gramm called national leaders (not the nation) a bunch of "whiners." Media pundits and broadcasters blasted Gramm for weeks, until he was forced off McCain's campaign. Gramm's words, while true, were mild in comparison to Holder's. Where is that same outrage and moral condemnation over Holder's loose lips? It's a rhetorical question, of course. And as much as we are constantly reminded of the past "mistakes" this country has made, is there nothing worth celebrating, no times when racial harmony brought racial reconciliation? Little of that made it to Holder's speech. Instead, he chose the celebratory occasion to exact punishment by way of guilt. It makes one wonder, why does every race speech by those on the left have to begin (and end) with repudiation and insult? Why must there be a constant reminder of what went wrong without giving due recognition to what went right? I will acknowledge that the country can always do better when it comes to race, but as much as Republicans are accused of refusing to admit racism exists, assuredly Democrats exploit it for every inch of territory they can garner. They point fingers, threaten and name-call without offering real solutions or substantive conversation. One regular reader of The Washington Times, a Democrat, forwarded me a letter he sent to Holder, telling the attorney general how much he "applauds" his remarks but saying he had one request: "I would like to recommend that your office take the lead in ensuring the appointment of at least one African-American on every committee and task force that is created by the President of the United States and current cabinet Secretary's." How's that for affirmative action on demand? More like affirmative extortion. The writer also stated in closing: "Let us (by "us," he means black folks) take advantage of every opportunity that is before us." I was particularly struck by the words "take advantage." It is a line of thinking and supposed reasoning to justify black Americans getting what's "due." This was just one person's opinion, but it reflects a sentiment shared by many liberals. It also reveals a get-it-all-while-you-can mentality that has nothing to do with parity, equality or justice but rather with guilt trips, paybacks and quotas. This is not how the "case for race" should be made. To be fair, there are some points Holder made with which I do agree (at least in part). "We, average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about race," Holder stated. It is a challenge for each of us, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, to go outside our comfort zone and reach out to someone "different" from ourselves (though I've done it my whole life). It is an observation that, while true, shouldn't just apply to white people. It applies to black folks, too. Yet that's where the discussion of race loses traction among liberals. Holder doesn't really want to "talk" about race, because that would entail not only encouraging blacks to reach out, but it would mean addressing black racism -- which we've seen in the likes of one Rev. Jeremiah Wright -- in addition to white racism (and all racism). Yes, we are sometimes too "socially segregated," as Holder put it, but cowards we are not. And mere rhetoric and rancor does nothing to elevate the discussion. In contrast to Holder's bombastic speech, President Bush's Black History Month speech last year was refreshingly retrospective without being pretentious. While condemning present-day acts of racism (i.e. hanging nooses), Bush also offered a way forward. "We renew our commitment to securing liberty and justice for every American," Bush said, focusing on the present instead of the past: "We honor four Americans who ... are leading the way toward ending racial injustice across our land." Rhetoric aside, what was lacking from Holder's remarks was a way forward. Instead of "hope," Holder offered more hate veiled in subtle anger. Last year, Obama gave a famous speech on race, addressing the controversy about the remarks of his former pastor, Wright, and urging people not to wallow in resentment: . Obama said, "The profound mistake of Rev. Wright's sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It's that he spoke as if our society was static, as if no progress had been made, as if this country -- a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black, Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old -- is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past." Obama's speech sums it all up. Holder's is a contradiction. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tara Wall.

Tara Wall: Eric Holder's remark that we're a "nation of cowards" was wrong . She says he ignores the millions of votes Obama got from white voters . Instead of hope, she says, Holder offered anger and resentment . Obama has urged Americans to focus on the racial progress that's occurred .

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