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The Tennessee Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to modify or overturn a lower court's ruling allowing Mary Winkler, convicted of killing her minister husband, visitation rights with the couple's three daughters. Holding baby Brianna, Mary Winkler stands next to Matthew. In the foreground are Mary Alice and Patricia. Charles and Diane Winkler, parents of slain minister Matthew Winkler, had asked the court to intervene and either revoke Mary Winkler's visitation rights or allow them to proceed only under supervision of a counselor. The children -- Patricia, Mary Alice and Brianna -- have been living with their grandparents since their mother was arrested last year. Winkler has not seen the children in 15 months, said Kay Farese Turner, her attorney. She said her client was "absolutely elated about the news and believes this will be her best Christmas ever." Turner said she believes the visit may come before Christmas. A jury convicted Winkler earlier this year of voluntary manslaughter in the shotgun death of Matthew Winkler -- not the first-degree murder conviction prosecutors had wanted. She said the slaying came after years of abuse, including physical violence and being forced to dress "slutty" for undesirable sex acts. Winkler received a three-year sentence, but a judge required her to serve only 210 days, gave her credit for the five months she had already served and allowed her to serve the remaining 60 days in a mental health facility. She was released in August. At the time of their father's death in March 2006, Patricia was 8, Mary Alice was 6 and Brianna was 1. Charles and Diane Winkler have moved to terminate Mary Winkler's rights and have filed a $2 million wrongful death suit against her for their son's slaying. The termination issue has not been decided in court. Turner said the court may want to determine what, if any, bond Winkler has with her children before making a decision. Attempts by CNN to contact attorneys for the Winklers were not immediately successful Wednesday. In September, a lower court granted Winkler visitation with her daughters pending the outcome of the custody battle. The court specified the visits be supervised by a guardian ad litem appointed to represent the children's interests and supervised by members of the couple Winkler is living with or by her sister. A subsequent appeal by the grandparents was denied, leading to their Supreme Court appeal. The Winklers said if their former daughter-in-law got visitation with the children at all, it should be under the supervision of a professional counselor. At a September hearing, according to court documents, they said the children "exhibit fear and confusion" toward their mother "and her role in their father's death." One expert, in testimony, quoted Patricia as saying her mother had killed her father and, "I don't know if she will kill me. I want to ask her if she would do that to me. It scares me, kind of; if she did, well, I guess I would see my father." The Winklers also said that after telephone calls with their mother, the children experienced "urination accidents, sleeping problems, graphic nightmares and sleepwalking." They said the lower court erred by failing to appoint the guardian ad litem until after the September hearing. Turner, however, said she believes terminating Winkler's parental rights would not be in the children's best interest. "She has a faith rarely seen, and she loves those children," Turner said. After Matthew Winkler's death, Winkler fled with the girls to the Alabama coast, where she was arrested. She said during a September appearance on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" that she never expected to get away with killing her husband, but that she fled to be with her daughters and "have some good times." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Rusty Dornin contributed to this report.

Mary Winkler convicted earlier this year of shooting her husband to death . Winkler served time and was released; the couple had three children . The children live with their grandparents, who oppose visitation . Winkler has not seen her children in 15 months .

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Two Pakistani television networks that transmit from Dubai in United Arab Emirates were ordered off the air Friday at the request of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, officials from the networks said. Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has been under pressure to lift a state of emergency. GEO-TV and ARY Digital offer a variety of programming, including news, entertainment, sports and music. Both networks had been banned from Pakistan's cable television system -- along with other networks, including CNN and BBC -- since Musharraf declared a state of emergency on November 3. This latest action prevents the two Pakistani networks from broadcasting worldwide via satellite. "This was basically our window to the world, GEO President Imran Aslan said. "In Pakistan, we've been shut down since the 3rd." The action was not wholly unexpected, but surprising nevertheless, Aslan said. "We uplink from Dubai, never having had a license to uplink from Pakistan," he said. "Dubai is a media city which seemed to be a haven and a sanctuary." Aslan said network officials have been in discussions with Pakistani government officials and "it seemed very obvious that they were going to do this. We were ready for it to a certain extent." "Eventually they decided to put their feet on the pipe, as it were." The government has made numerous demands of the network, although none of them official, Aslan said. "It's done through intermediaries," he said. "[Dulling] down the content, not having certain anchors, some of the hosts of our programs and talk shows." Musharraf's emergency order put several restrictions on the media, preventing journalists from expressing opinions prejudicial to "the ideology ... or integrity of Pakistan." Journalists are also restricted from covering suicide bombings and militant activity and could face three-year jail terms if they "ridicule" members of the government or armed forces. Almost a dozen journalists have been arrested. Musharraf has denied that his restrictions bar criticism, saying they only ask for responsibility in reporting. But last week, Pakistan expelled three print journalists for using language in an editorial that a Pakistani official called offensive to Musharraf. The editorial criticized Musharraf and the United States and Britain for continuing to support him. While many Pakistani journalists have protested the restrictions, some smaller television channels have complied with the government's restrictions. GEO and ARY have refused. "It seems most of the other channels have kowtowed in order to survive," Aslan said. Musharraf has said the emergency order improves stability and will foster peaceful parliamentary elections, which he has said he would like to see take place before January 9. The exact date will be set by Pakistan's Election Commission. Opposition leaders have accused Musharraf of declaring emergency rule to keep his hold on power and avoid an expected court ruling that would have nullified his election victory in October. E-mail to a friend .

GEO-TV president: "It seemed very obvious that they were going to do this" Order comes on the request of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf . GEO-TV and ARY Digital offer varied programming, including news . Both networks transmit from the United Arab Emirates .

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Four people were killed and several injured after an explosion Wednesday at a chemical plant sent a thick plume of smoke over a section of Jacksonville, authorities said. A thick plume of smoke rises Wednesday at a chemical plant in Jacksonville, Florida. "Literally, it's a hellish inferno. There is no other way to describe it," said Fire Department spokesman Tom Francis. Fourteen people were hospitalized after the blast at the T2 Lab on Faye Road, in an industrial area on the waterfront in north Jacksonville, Francis said. Officials initially ordered an evacuation of nearby businesses, but by 4 p.m. the order had been lifted after tests of the air found no toxicity, Francis said. Firefighters were still battling hot spots, and the effort will be going on for "quite some time," he said. See an I-Report account about the blast » . Six of those injured were transported to Shands Hospital in Jacksonville, hospital spokeswoman Kelly Brockmeier said. A Shands official said the hospital incident command system had been activated -- something done to put the staff in high alert in anticipation of trauma patients. A woman who answered the T2 Lab's 24-hour facility emergency phone said the plant manufactures ecotane, a gasoline additive that reduces tailpipe emissions, according to the laboratory's Web site. See a map of the site of the explosion » . The billowing black smoke could be seen from the city's downtown, said Florida Times-Union reporter Bridget Murphy. Murphy said she talked to several workers as they walked out of the area, and they were "shaken to the core." "They described a hissing noise and then a sound wave," she said. Antonio Padrigan was trying to get in touch with his son, who works in a plant in the area, but was having no luck reaching him on his cell phone. "He was shook up when he called me, but I can't get through to him anymore," Padrigan said. "I don't know if he's in the hospital or what." CNN I-Reporters Jonathan Payne and his son Calvin, 16, shot pictures of the explosion. They felt the blast shake their home, about 15 minutes away, and went to see what was going on. Carlton Higginbotham, 63, was working at home on Townsend Boulevard in Jacksonville when a loud boom shook his house, he said. "It was a gunshot-type explosion; it wasn't a rumble," he said. Higginbotham, an insurance salesman, and his neighbor ran outside and noticed thick smoke billowing from the other side of the St. Johns River, which separates his neighborhood from the site of the blast. "The cloud that came out of it was white, some would say mushroom-shaped," Higginbotham said. "It was followed by dark, dark smoke." E-mail to a friend .

Fire Department spokesman: 14 have been taken to area hospitals . Firefighters still fighting hot spots Wednesday afternoon, official says . "It's a hellish inferno," he tells reporters .

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Nasser al Ansari is the CEO of Qatari Diar, a state-owned real estate investment company. Famous for its purchase of London's Chelsea Barracks, Qatari Diar was established in 2004 by the Qatar Investment Authority, to support Qatar's growing economy and to co-ordinate the country's real estate development priorities. It is now valued at $1 billion with 18 projects underway. Al Ansari is a graduate from the University of Miami and was responsible for high profile projects such as New Doha International Airport and the promotion of private sector investment through public sector privatization. Before being appointed as CEO of Qatari Diar, Al Ansari was at the office of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs as technical advisor. He joins us on MME to talk about the vision for Qatar, how Qatari Diar fits into it and its investments outside Gulf in Morocco, Sudan, Syria, Egypt and Europe. With oil prices hitting $88 this week, John Defterios begins by asking Nasser al Ansari about the differences he sees now compared to the 1970s when oil prices were also high. Any lessons learned? Nasser al Ansari: I believe so. In the 1970s, local government here did not deal in a very sophisticated way with this wealth. But now we are fortunate with a high level of education and the reformations in government policies in this region. We now understand how to utilize this wealth and economical growth. JD: I don't think most people know that you sit on one of the largest natural gas fields in the world and will likely be the largest exporter by 2010. This must give you great cushion to expand the Qatari Diar model. NA: Although we have this and we are fortunate with this, Qatar has adopted a policy to diversify its portfolio from its natural resources to other investment opportunities and one of them is Qatari Diar. We are investing a lot in real estate, not just in Qatar but worldwide. JD: In fact very close in the neighborhood as well. It's almost foreign policy strategy to invest in the poorer countries in the region. Is this to help the neighborhood develop alongside Qatar? NA: I think with the knowledge and know-how that we have gained in this area of expertise, we would like to export it to other countries to help their economical reformations; to try to create business opportunities for their local businessmen and to create job opportunities for the people in that particular country. JD: It's quite a radical departure say from the International Monetary Fund or World Bank giving loans or grants for development. This is turning the world upside down in your region, it is not? NA: Yes, I would like to assure you at Qatari Diar we are not in the business of lending. JD: You want a hard return. NA: We want return but we always think of the people when we are investing in these countries. I mean we want to make sure that the investment we are making is there for the long-term. Qatari Diar has a policy: it's a long-term policy not short-term. JD: Give me some insight on why Qatari Diar feels as comfortable in London with Chelsea Barracks as in Cuba, for example, with some of the projects you're undertaking. What makes you think you can pull that off? NA: I think with the expertise that we have and with the strength that we have, we would like to showcase the strength of the people of Qatar and we want to pull the flag of the state of Qatar even across the Atlantic and we are determined to do so. We are a small country but with big ideas. E-mail to a friend .

Nasser al Ansari is CEO of Qatari Diar, Qatar's state-owned investment group . Its global projects are part of nation's attempt to diversify investment portfolio . Investment also aims to bring expertise and jobs to neighboring countries .

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A day after New Jersey banned executions, newly released figures show that capital punishment dropped this year to a 13-year low. The Supreme Court will hold oral arguments January 7 about the constitutionality of lethal injection protocols. Forty-two people have been put to death this year, according to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), a Washington-based group that opposes the practice. That figure is down 57 percent from what it was in 1999, when 98 inmates were executed. Next year's figures are expected to drop further. The Supreme Court is to hold oral arguments January 7 about whether lethal injection protocols in 36 of the 37 states with the death penalty are constitutional. See how the rates have dropped » . The justices placed a moratorium on executions in late September, when they decided to review a Kentucky case about whether the three-drug lethal "cocktail" of chemicals represents "cruel and unusual punishment," since it may cause excruciating pain to inmates unable to express discomfort. Stays of executions have been issued in several states until the larger constitutional issues are addressed. If the high court finds the procedures unconstitutional, it could take years before death-penalty states would meet legal standards necessary to resume lethal injection. And even if the method is declared acceptable, it would be months before new execution dates could be set. Ten states carried out executions this year. Outside the South, Arizona, South Dakota, Indiana, and Ohio together subjected six men to lethal injection. Learn about states' death penalty policies and statistics » . Texas continues to lead the nation, with 62 percent of executions nationwide this year. Overall, 86 percent this year were in the South. No more executions are scheduled this year. "The death penalty has been in a period of decline for many years," said Richard Dieter, executive director of DPIC. "Two thousand seven will be known as the year executions came to a temporary halt and as the year of concrete legislation reconsidering the death penalty." Death penalty supporters acknowledge that states outside the South have been reluctant to impose the punishment, even in the face of rising big-city crime rates. "I think the main problem is that the death penalty is not being imposed often enough in those urban jurisdictions," said Kent Scheidegger of the Sacramento-based Criminal Justice Legal Foundation. "I think people of the cities are not getting the quality of justice that people elsewhere receive. I think we need to build support for the death penalty and need to impose it more regularly where it is warranted." New Jersey's legislature voted last week to outlaw the death penalty -- the first state to do so in 42 years -- and Gov. Jon Corzine signed the measure into law Monday. At the same time, he commuted the sentences of the eight men on the state's death row. The move was largely symbolic, since no executions have occurred there since 1963. Similar bills in Nebraska, New Mexico and Montana failed this year in the legislature. State lawmakers in Maryland, Colorado, North Carolina, Tennessee and California are also considering abolishing the death penalty, but no bills have been introduced. The Supreme Court on January 4 will decide whether to review an appeal from Louisiana inmate Patrick Kennedy, sentenced to death in 2003 for raping his 8-year-old stepdaughter. The state's high court upheld the punishment as appropriate. The justices in 1976 banned capital punishment for rape, but 19 years later, Louisiana passed a law allowing execution for the sexual violation of a child under 12. State lawmakers distinguished the earlier high court case as pertaining only to "adult women." E-mail to a friend .

Death Penalty Information Center: 42 people have been put to death this year . That's down 57 percent from 1999 level, when 98 inmates were executed . Figure partly due to states questioning the constitutionality of lethal injection . Texas leads the nation in executions this year, according to DPIC .

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Zenit Saint Petersburg have clinched their first Russian title in the post-Soviet Union era with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Ramenskoye on Sunday. Zenit captain Anatoly Timoshuk kisses the Russian Premier League trophy after their victory at Ramenskoye. The win means Zenit finish top of the table with 61 points, two points ahead of second-placed Spartak Moscow, who beat city rivals Dynamo 2-1. CKSA Moscow finished third on 53 points. Zenit went ahead in the 15th minute when Radek Sirl's shot from the edge of the box deflected off a Ramenskoye defender and beat goalkeeper Antonin Kinski. After the interval, the hosts poured forward seeking an equalizer and created several chances -- but Zenit held firm to secure their first championship since 1984 and make a hero out of Dutch coach Dick Advocaat. Nine-times champions Spartak took the lead midway through the first-half. Russian international striker Roman Pavyuchenko netted the opening goal in the 24th minute with a powerful shot from the edge of the six-yard box after a mix- up in the Dynamo defence. Brazilian striker Soares Welliton made it 2-0 seven minutes after halftime, heading home Pavlyuchenko's precise cross. Dynamo reduced the arrears in the 71st minute, when Spartak midfielder Radoslav Kovac scored an own goal. Meanwhile, Rostov and Krasnodar were relegated fronm the Premier League. E-mail to a friend .

Zenit Saint Petersburg clinch the Russian Premier League title on Sunday . They secure the title ahead of Spartak Moscow after a 1-0 win at Ramenskoye . The title success is Zenit's first since 1984 and the first in the post-Soviet era .

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Scottish Premier League leaders Celtic suffered another setback in their bid for a third successive title after being held 1-1 by managerless Hibernian on Saturday. David Murphy's goals have earned Hibernian four points against the Auld Firm this season. Gordon Strachan's team head the table by three points from Glasgow rivals Rangers, who have three games in hand ahead of Sunday's trip to Aberdeen. Visiting Hibernian, whose manager John Collins surprisingly resigned on Thursday citing a lack of financial backing from the Edinburgh side's board, took the lead in the 20th minute through left-back David Murphy. The Englishman played a one-two with Abdessalam Benjelloun before crashing a shot from the edge of the box past goalkeeper Mark Brown and in off the crossbar. Murphy's only other goal this season came in Hibs' 1-0 win at Rangers on October 6. Brown did well to keep out Merouane Zemmama's audacious shot from just inside the Celtic half soon after, and also tipped over Brian Kerr's looping header three minutes after half-time. Substitute Jiri Jarosik rescued Celtic from a first home SPL defeat this season in the 78th minute after being teed up by Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who then headed against the post with two minutes to play. Hibernian held on despite having to play the final few minutes with 10 men, after Benjelloun was stretchered off with their three substitutes already used. The victory lifted the visitors up into fifth place, while Celtic have taken just six points from the last five games. Strachan, who confirmed he is hoping to sign Brazilian defender Coelho next month, said: "We need to cut out the silly mistakes because if you look at some of the goals we have let in away from home this season, they are silly mistakes. "We could have definitely done something with every one of them. I'm happy with the number of chance we've made in the last few weeks, but unhappy with individual mistakes. "It's not been great to look at, and we need to cut it out. We have honest lads walking in to the dressing room and saying, 'That was my fault.' "I said to them, 'It's very commendable lads but we can't keep doing this.' There has been a lot going right for us, but one or two things going wrong. We have to deal with that, and then I will look forward to the rest of the season." Third-placed Motherwell missed the chance to move above Rangers after being beaten 3-0 at home by Falkirk, who climbed to ninth with two goals in the second half to Michael Higdon and then another from Patrick Clegg on 65 minutes. Fourth-placed Dundee United failed to take advantage, losing 2-1 at home to bottom club Gretna -- whose only two wins this season have come against the Tangerines. Kenny Deuchar put the visitors ahead in the 12th minute before striker Noel Hunt leveled on 29, and Nicky Deverdics scored the eventual winner for the Borders outfit three minutes before half-time. Inverness Caledonian Thistle followed up last weekend's shock 3-2 victory against Celtic by also winning at Hearts by the same scoreline. The visitors led through Russell Duncan after 22 minutes and John Rankin made it 2-0 with a 53rd-minute penalty before Christophe Berra pulled one back on 62 and Lithuanian striker Andrius Velicka leveled from the spot (90). However, Graham Bayne scored a dramatic injury-time winner to lift Caley into the top six. In Saturday's other game, second-bottom St Mirren drew 0-0 at home to fellow strugglers Kilmarnock to be left seven points ahead of Gretna. E-mail to a friend .

Scottish league leaders Celtic held 1-1 at home by managerless Hibernian . Celtic now lead by three points, having taken just six from last five games . Second-placed Rangers have three games in hand ahead of trip to Aberdeen .

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If you turn to the Bible -- Isaiah Chapter 35, Verse 8 -- you will see a passage that in part says, "A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness." Churchgoers in six states have held prayer sessions along the side of Interstate 35. Now, is it possible that this "highway" mentioned in Chapter 35 is actually Interstate 35 that runs through six U.S. states, from southern Texas to northern Minnesota? Some Christians have faith that is indeed the case. It was with that interesting belief in mind that we decided to head to Texas, the southernmost state in the I-35 corridor, to do a story about a prayer campaign called "Light the Highway." Churchgoers in all six states recently finished 35 days of praying alongside Interstate 35, but the prayers are still continuing. Some of the faithful believe that in order to fulfill the prophecy of I-35 being the "holy" highway, it needs some intensive prayer first. So we watched as about 25 fervent and enthusiastic Christians prayed on the the interstate's shoulder in Dallas. They chanted loudly and vibrantly, making many people in the neighborhood wonder what was going on. They prayed that adult businesses along the corridor would "see the light" and perhaps close down. They prayed for safety and freedom from crime for people who lived along the interstate. They prayed that all Americans would accept Jesus into their lives. Watch believers offer prayers » . The woman who came up with the concept of "Light the Highway" is a Texas minister named Cindy Jacobs. She says she can't be sure Interstate 35 really is what is mentioned in the Bible but says she received a revelation to start this campaign after "once again reading Isaiah, Chapter 35." Jacobs also points out that perhaps there is a link between the area near this highway and tragedies that have happened in history, such as the bridge collapse on I-35 in Minneapolis last August and the assassination of JFK 44 years ago near I-35 in Dallas. That's why prayer certainly can't hurt, she adds. Now, it's only fair to say most people, the religious and the non-religious alike, don't buy any of this, but none more than the owners of some of the adult businesses along I-35. At an adult go-go club, the owner tells us he resents people trying to impose their will on others. And he says his club holds fundraisers, food drives and toy drives to help the community. But on the side of the road, the prayerful aren't going to change their minds. Holy highways and nude clubs, they believe, are not a combination God has in mind. E-mail to a friend .

Some see connection between the Bible and Interstate 35 . Believers pray by the side of the highway, which runs through six states . I-35 runs from southern Texas to northern Minnesota .

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The price of sin rose Monday in Venezuela where President Hugo Chavez is on a campaign to make Venezuelans cut back on drinking and smoking. "Everyone's shocked," said Leonora Marino, owner of Bodegon Marino in Valencia, Venezuela, west of Caracas. On Monday evening, she was still changing the prices in her store as her customers looked on and complained, she told a reporter. Alcohol is now 10 percent more expensive; cigarettes are 20 percent pricier. "Really, it's difficult to buy at these prices," she said, then joked, "They say they're going to stop eating so that they can continue drinking." The Venezuelan government is placing a higher tax on alcohol and cigarettes in an effort to cut consumption and prevent what it views as the social, economic and moral consequences of drinking and smoking, said Jose Vielma Mora, superintendent of Seniat, the government body that oversees the collection of taxes. Taxes on whiskey, brandy, cognac and other drinks that don't come from cane sugar have been raised $1.79 (3,838 bolivares) per liter, the government-run Bolivarian News Agency said. "It's unfair because, in the end, the consumer is the one who pays," said Fernando Fernandez, a liquor exporter. Chavez has described whiskey as a drink for rich people, not for revolutionaries. "We cannot be spending the international reserves of this country on whiskey," he said. The moves represent the first steps toward transforming each Venezuelan into what Chavez calls "the new man." Chavez has cited the life of revolutionary socialist icon Ernesto "Che" Guevara as an example of how to lead a more pure life. In April, Chavez told a graduating class of medical students in Caracas, Venezuela, that the level of consumption of alcohol in the country represents a threat to public health and ought to make residents feel ashamed, according to an ABN report. "The vice causes much harm, not only to individuals, but to the collective health of the nation," said Chavez, who said the dangers result in an increase in car wrecks and domestic violence. For his part, he has said he drinks too much coffee. Also effective Monday, stores near schools, churches and cultural centers will not be granted licenses to sell alcohol. Taxes on cigarette imports have also increased, from 50 percent to 70 percent of the total price. On the street, some people said they don't understand the motivations for the increase, but predicted their consumption would not change. "The Venezuelan is not going to stop drinking or smoking," said one person. Chavez also plans to increase taxes on luxury items such as Hummers, which are imported privately and at great expense. There is no Hummer dealership in the country. Higher oil prices in recent years have translated into higher consumption in petroleum-rich Venezuela. Last year, car sales increased by about 70 percent, according to the CIA World Factbook. But Chavez, who was in Cuba on Monday visiting communist leader Fidel Castro, said he wants to focus less on material goals for Venezuela's 27 million people, 38 percent of whom live in poverty. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Flor Santamaria contributed to this story.

Venezuelan government hikes taxes on alcohol and cigarettes Monday . Ten percent price increase on alcohol and 20 percent increase on cigarettes . Stores near schools, churches and cultural centers cannot sell alcohol . Chavez plans to increase taxes on luxury goods, including Hummers .

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Obesity is the No. 1 health crisis in the United States, and the nation could be at risk without immediate action, former President Clinton said at CNN's first Fit Nation Summit. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta and former President Clinton lead the discussion at the first Fit Nation Summit. "We need to do something about it for our children, and for our country, because something like this could easily collapse our nation if we don't act now," Clinton said. Clinton and CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, gathered with experts from across the country Wednesday to explore solutions to America's obesity crisis. Two-thirds of adult Americans are overweight or obese; the same is true for one-third of U.S. children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity carries increased risk of myriad health problems, including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. Gupta, Clinton and a panel of experts addressed such proposed solutions as healthy school lunches, elimination of trans fats, the need for healthier food in urban communities and the importance of supporting community-based efforts to fight obesity. Watch Gupta explain the solutions proposed at the Fit Nation Summit » . Clinton, who's been tackling the obesity issue over the past few years with his Alliance for a Healthier Generation, stressed the need to help educate people about the importance of a healthy diet and exercising together. Motivating Americans, especially kids, won't be easy, Clinton said. "They need to be handled with care. Kids need to know it's important, but [fitness] can't be boring," he said. "There's no shame, there's no embarrassment. We have to let them know it's all good, but you have to do it." Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and a strong advocate against trans fats in foods, stressed that the Food and Drug Administration should ban trans fats altogether and stop leaving it up to local and state governments. Trans fats, at one time, thought to be good fat substitutes, over the years have been shown to raise LDL or bad cholesterol in people and lower their HDL, or good cholesterol. "They're just not good for our health, Jacobson said. However, Dr. Robert Eckel, former president of the American Heart Association, warned, "Although we support the removal of trans fats, our biggest concern is what they'll be replaced with. We need to think about that, because there will be a substitute." The panel took questions from an audience of 150 people -- mostly obesity experts or those who work in industries that deal with obesity. Gupta was inspired to launch Fit Nation, an ongoing, multiplatform, grass-roots initiative against obesity. Over the past three years, Gupta and the CNN Medical Unit have crisscrossed the country, asking Americans to take charge of their weight by exercising more and eating healthier. This year, Gupta traveled from Michigan to California asking the public to pledge to add 1 million hours to their collective lives by getting off the couch and exercising. Since he began the tour in April, the campaign has surpassed its goal, with exercise pledges close to four times that amount. Gupta said he hopes that legislators and administrators who can make a difference in policy and perhaps change attitudes about obesity will hear the solutions discussed at the summit. "I''ve covered a lot of stories on obesity," Gupta said. "There's a battle going on, and we need to win the battle. I've talked to people out there and many are just blasé. "This is our opportunity to make them care." E-mail to a friend .

Experts gather at CNN's first Fit Nation Summit to propose obesity solutions . Former President Clinton: Without obesity solution, nation risks "collapse" Motivating youngsters, removing shame, embarrassment called key . Experts: Removing trans fats, finding healthy replacements also critical .

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India's Yuvraj Singh smashed six sixes in one over as England crashed out of cricket's World Twenty20 tournament in South Africa on Wednesday. Yuvraj Singh smashes his sixth successive six off England fast bowler Stuart Broad . Paul Collingwood's side were eliminated at the Super Eights stage after South Africa earlier beat New Zealand by six wickets in Durban. England then lost by 18 runs to the Singh-inspired Indians, who kept their semifinal hopes alive ahead of Thursday's must-win clash with the hosts. Singh reached the fastest 50 in Twenty20 history, needing just 12 deliveries, as India made 218-4. The left-hander's six consecutive sixes in the 19th over bowled by Stuart Broad made him the first player to do so in Twenty20 matches and just the fourth in all senior cricket. South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs performed the feat at the 50-over World Cup in the West Indies earlier this year, while Sir Garfield Sobers and Ravi Shastri achieved it in first-class matches. Singh's innings ended on 58 -- from 16 balls -- when he hit a full-toss from Andrew Flintoff to captain Collingwood at long-on from the penultimate delivery of the final over, in which he also cleared the boundary ropes once. Virender Sehwag top-scored with 68 off 52 balls, putting on 136 for the first wicket with Gautam Gambhir, who hit 58 off 41 deliveries. Broad ended with the embarrassing figures of 0-60 off his four overs, while fellow seamer Chris Tremlett took 2-45. In reply, England battled gamely but could only post 200-6 in their 20 overs. Opener Vikram Solanki top-scored with 43 off 31 balls, and Kevin Pietersen hit 39 off 23 deliveries, but no-one could match the fireworks provided by Singh. Left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan claimed figures of 3-37 off four overs, while Rudra Pratap Singh took 2-28. If India can beat South Africa, it would create a three-way tie and require net run-rates to decide the two teams going through. The Proteas have two wins from two Group E outings after beating New Zealand, who have completed their Super Eights fixtures with two victories and a defeat. South Africa restricted the Black Caps to 153-8 from their 20 overs on Wednesday, then reached the target with five deliveries to spare as Justin Kemp made an unbeaten 89. Kemp was named man of the match after smashing a six off the otherwise economical Mark Gillespie for the winning runs. He belted six sixes and six fours in his 56-ball innings, having come to the crease in the fourth over with South Africa reeling at 17-2. Kemp added 28 in four overs with Gibbs (19) before putting on another 65 in eight overs with Mark Boucher. Boucher departed for 23, caught by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum off Gillespie, who ended with figures of 2-11 off 3.1 overs. The experienced Shaun Pollock then joined Kemp, and struck one six in his unbeaten 16 off 11 deliveries to help guide the Proteas to their second victory. The in-form Craig McMillan top-scored for the Kiwis, hitting an unbeaten 48 off only 25 balls to follow up his blistering 57 in Tuesday's five-run win against England. McCullum had put on 68 for the first wicket with Lou Vincent, scoring 38 before becoming the first of Morne Morkel's four victims. Morkel, who ended with figures of 4-17 off four overs, then removed Ross Taylor (1) two runs later and later bowled the dangerous Jacob Oram for a quickfire 15. He had Shane Bond caught by Boucher, and then almost became the first Twenty20 bowler to claim five wickets when his penultimate delivery -- which clean bowled Gillespie -- was declared a no-ball by umpire Billy Doctrove. E-mail to a friend .

Yuvraj Singh becomes first player to hit six sixes in an over in Twenty20 game . Singh hits 58 in 16 deliveries as India beat England by 18 runs in Durban . England already eliminated from World Twenty20 after South Africa beat NZ .

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The man arrested for the videotaped rape of a toddler in Las Vegas, Nevada, will make his initial appearance in court Friday, a Clark County, Nevada, court official told CNN Tuesday. Authorities have not yet decided if Chester Arthur Stiles will appear in person or via video link. The judge will set a date for the arraignment at that hearing. Stiles, 37, was taken into custody Monday night after a Henderson, Nevada, police officer pulled over the white Buick Century he was driving. A former girlfriend of Stiles' said that, before the arrest, she lived in fear after going to police to identify the suspect after seeing enhanced photos from the videotape on the local news. "I've had my share of nightmares," Elaine Thomas told CNN's Nancy Grace. Thomas said she screamed when she recognized the photos on television and had no choice but to contact police about the man she had thought was a "weapons enthusiast" with only a minor criminal record. Watch Thomas say how she felt when she saw the photos » . "How could I not tell them who that man was? That little girl suffered unimaginable things, and I knew for a fact it was him," Thomas said. The judge in the case will hold an administrative hearing Wednesday, but Stiles will not be present, Clark County court spokesman Michael Sommermeyer said. Stiles was already being sought on an unrelated 2004 charge of felony lewdness with a child under 14, Sommermeyer said, adding that authorities amended that earlier filing on October 4 to include 20 counts related to the videotaped rape, including sexual assault and attempted sexual assault. Jerry T. Donohue, the attorney for the girl's mother, told CNN that the child on the videotape was younger than 3 when the abuse occurred. Henderson Police Officer Mike Dye said he pulled over Stiles' car Monday night because it did not have a license plate and became suspicious when the driver gave him an expired California driver's license with a photo that did not look like him. Dye said he and another officer, Mike Gower, questioned Stiles until he admitted his identity. "He finally told us, 'Hey, I'm Chester Stiles. I'm the guy you're looking for,'" Dye said. "At that time, he said, 'I'm sick of running.'" Dye said Stiles was calm and cooperative. Stiles, a resident of Pahrump, Nevada, was turned over to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police and booked into the jail in Clark County, where he had been sought in connection with the videotape, which shows a girl being sexually assaulted. The girl, who is now 7, was found last month after a nationwide search. The tape was given to authorities by Darren Tuck, who told police he had found it in the desert five months before handing it over. Because of the delay, during which Tuck allegedly showed the tape to others, he faces charges of exhibiting pornography and possession of child pornography. He turned himself in to authorities in Nye County, Nevada, earlier this month. Professionals have evaluated the girl in the videotape since she was found, and she appears to be "healthy and fine and happy," her mother's attorney said this month. The mother had not known her daughter had ever been victimized and was apparently oblivious to efforts to find her until late last month, Donohue said. "A family friend called her and said, 'My God, you need to turn on the TV. I believe that is your daughter,' " Donohue said. Donohue said the mother recognized Stiles, a former animal trainer. The alleged abuse most likely occurred while the mother -- a single woman working six days a week -- was at work, Donohue said. Another former girlfriend of Stiles', Tina Allen, said this month she thinks she is the reason Stiles came in contact with the girl and is "mortified" by the allegations against him. "He said he'd been in the Navy and, you know, I was looking for a strong guy to represent to my sons what I thought they needed to be," Allen said. Allen said she took Stiles to a crowded apartment where her son and daughter lived. Also living in the apartment were a family friend and her daughter, the alleged assault victim. Todd Allen, Tina Allen's son, said he recognized his old apartment from scenes in the video. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Ed Payne contributed to this report.

Suspect's ex-girlfriend: "I've had my share of nightmares" Chester Arthur Stiles to make his initial court appearance Friday . Stiles, 37, arrested following a routine traffic stop . Suspect said "I'm Chester Stiles. ... I'm sick of running," according to officer .

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Eduardo Gonzalez, a petty officer second class with the U.S. Navy, is about to be deployed overseas for a third time. Making his deployment even tougher is the fact his wife may not be around when he comes back. Mildred and Eduardo Gonzalez worry about what would happen to their family if she is deported. His wife faces deportation to Guatemala -- her home country that she hasn't seen since 1989. He also doesn't know what would happen to his young son, Eduardo Jr., if that happens. "I like being in uniform and serving my country, but if she goes back I'm going to have to give it all up and just get out and take care of my son and get a job," he said. "Defending the country that's trying to kick my family out is a thought that always runs through my mind." Gonzalez, who works on helicopters that bring cargo, supplies and military personnel in and out of Iraq, testified before a House Judiciary Committee panel last month, detailing his situation and urging officials to consider some sort of policy to deal with cases like his, where military members' families could be deported while they're defending their country overseas. Watch "they're tearing families apart" » . "I want to serve my country 100 percent. But with this issue in the back of my mind, I feel I can't do that," he testified on September 6. The U.S. military does not have a policy to deal with such cases. Each is handled case-by-case, not by the military, but by immigration authorities. The government doesn't have numbers on how many military members are in predicaments similar to Gonzalez's. Immigration officials also said marrying a U.S. citizen does not mean the spouse is automatically entitled to U.S. citizenship or permanent legal status. Lt. Col. Margaret Stock, a member of the U.S. Army Reserves who teaches immigration law at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, said she believes there should be an overall policy dealing with the potential deportation of family members of active duty military members. "You got to understand. When you're in a combat zone, you need to be focusing all of your energies on fighting the enemy. You can't be worried that your loved ones back home could be shipped off to a foreign country where you're never going to see them again," she said. Stock also said the government is conflicted about how to treat such cases. On the one hand, the government is supposed to be providing military families with assistance, housing and other forms of benefits while their spouses are overseas. On the other hand, the same government is trying to deport the very same people. "What's happening right now is, because of the dysfunction and complexity of our immigration laws, we've got people fighting overseas who are facing the impossible situation of having family members facing deportation back home," she said. In Gonzalez's case, his wife, Mildred, came to the United States with her mother in 1989 when she was 5 years old. They were granted political asylum because of their status as war refugees from Guatemala. In September 2000, Mildred's mother applied for legalization and included her daughter in that application. Her mother was granted legal status in July 2004, according to Gonzalez. However, six weeks earlier, Gonzalez and Mildred got married, canceling Mildred's ability to apply for legal status through her mother because she was no longer an unmarried daughter under the age of 21. As a result, her legal status still remains in jeopardy. A judge in June granted her a one-year extension to remain in the United States. If her legal status does not change by June 8, 2008, she will have 60 days to voluntarily leave the country or face deportation. That's just fine, according to Mark Krikorian, the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which lobbies for tougher laws on illegal immigration. "What you're talking about is amnesty for illegal immigrants who have a relative in the armed forces, and that's just outrageous," he said. "What we're talking about here is letting lawbreakers get away with their actions just because they have a relative in the military. ... There's no justification for that kind of policy." Gonzalez said that type of response is unjustified. "I'm trying to make his country better -- my country better -- and it should be her country too." Gonzalez himself entered the country legally, crossing the Mexican border with his family when he was about 10. He joined the Navy as a so-called "green-card sailor" and became a U.S. citizen in July 2005. The military does accept some immigrants who aren't U.S. citizens. "I understand the laws have to be followed and guidelines and a system must be maintained, but on the other token, there are times when the situation is just out of their reach," Gonzalez said. His wife, Mildred, added, "We didn't come here to break the law. We just want to feel safe and have a home just like everybody else." U.S. Army Sgt. Emmanuel Woko, a member of the Army's 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division who faces his third tour in Iraq, understands just how Gonzalez and his family feel. His wife and children could be sent back to Nigeria. "My heart is bleeding on the thought that my wife could be deported back to Nigeria while I am deployed in Iraq," he said. "I am extremely distressed and distracted by the thought." That's a sentiment echoed by Gonzalez: "We are not asking for anything. We are just asking for our families to stay with us." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Gregg Canes contributed to this report.

Sailor's wife could be deported while he's overseas . Sailor: "Defending the country that's trying to kick my family out" is tough . U.S. military doesn't have overall policy to handle such situations . Wife: "We just want to feel safe and have a home just like everybody else"

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Heavy rains and flooding have forced hundreds of thousands of people from homes in southern Mexico's state of Tabasco over the past four days, with nearly as many trapped by the rising waters, state officials said Thursday. Officials say about 300,000 people are still trapped by the worst flooding in the region for 50 years. The Grijalva River pushed over its banks through the state capital of Villahermosa on Thursday, forcing government workers to evacuate and leaving up to 80 percent of the city flooded, Gov. Andres Granier's office told CNN. About 700,000 people have seen their homes flooded, with about 300,000 of those still trapped there, Granier's office reported. One death had been blamed on the floods, which followed weeks of heavy rain in the largely swampy state. Tabasco borders Guatemala to the south and the Gulf of Mexico to the north. The Associated Press reported that thousands of people clung to rooftops, huddled inside waterlogged homes or hunkered down in shelters in an attempt to survive the worst flooding the region has seen in 50 years. Weather forecasters predicted more rain in the coming days. The flooding was not related to Tropical Storm Noel, which was pounding the Caribbean. The Grijalva River, one of two large waterways ringing Villahermosa, has risen 6.5 feet (2 meters) above its "critical" level and gushed into the city's center, according to AP. Authorities said some of the rivers were continuing to rise. President Felipe Calderon visited the area on Wednesday and promised the federal government's full support. Non-governmental organizations throughout the country asked people to donate non-perishable goods or cash, AP said. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

One dead as hundreds of thousands flee rising floodwaters . About 80 percent of the city of Villahermosa is under water . Tabasco and Chiapas states hardest hit . Authorities say 700,000 affected and 300,000 still trapped by flooding .

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The United Nations is calling on NATO to do more to stop the Afghan opium trade after a new survey showed how the drug dominates Afghanistan's economy. Afghan villagers tend to opium poppies in Taliban-controlled Helmand province in April 2007. The report from the U.N.'s Office on Drugs and Crime shows the export value of this year's poppy harvest stood at around $4 billion, a 29 per cent increase over 2006. Despite Afghan security forces' efforts to curb the trade, 660 tons of heroin and morphine were trafficked out of the country in 2007, the report said. Opium is derived from poppies, and the data on cultivation was collected by examining satellite images and by assessments on the ground. The report said opium has accounted for more than half of Afghanistan's gross domestic product in 2007. InvestorWords.com defines GDP as the total market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time, usually a calendar year. According to the U.N. survey, about a quarter of the earnings from opium go to farmers. The rest goes to district officials who collect taxes on the crop, to drug traffickers and to the insurgents and warlords who control the trade. Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, urged NATO to take a more active role in countering the spread of the drug trade, which has increased dramatically since the American-led invasion to remove the hard-line Islamist government of the Taliban in October 2001. "Since drugs are funding the insurgency, NATO has a self-interest in supporting Afghan forces in destroying drug labs, markets and convoys," Costa said in a written statement to coincide with the release of the survey. "Destroy the drug trade and you cut off the Taliban's main funding source." James Appathurai, a NATO spokesman, said coalition forces were equally concerned by the rapid growth in the narcotics trade. "We share the U.N.'s concerns," Appathurai told CNN. "Drugs not only poison people, but they poison economies and governments, and it is in everyone's interest to stop this proliferation." He said NATO forces were providing assistance to Afghan police through training and transport but he said there were no plans to deploy coalition troops to intervene directly. "The issue of whether we can do more is certainly a live discussion for NATO, but at the moment this is a matter for the Afghan government," Appathurai said. Farming of opium poppies has been almost eradicated in the north and west of the country, Appathurai said. However, he said, in the lawless southern provinces and especially in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand, poppy production was going on largely unchecked. According to the report, U.N. observers have noticed a proliferation of heroin labs in neighboring countries and along trafficking routes. Costa said the labs are dependent on precursor chemicals, like acetic anhydride, that must be smuggled into the region. He called for tighter controls in chemical-producing countries and stronger intelligence-sharing between Afghanistan and its neighbors. "Drug trafficking is a transnational threat, and therefore national initiatives have their limitations," the U.N. drug chief said. Appathurai said the most effective way to curb the drug trade was tackling the insurgency head-on. He also said it was important to provide alternative work for poor Afghan farmers to encourage them to give up opium production. "You cannot have eradication in isolation. If we don't give them the support to produce alternative crops, then by wiping out their opium fields, you are only creating enemies for the future," he said. E-mail to a friend .

Study finds opium makes up half of Afghanistan's gross domestic product . Agency pushes NATO forces to attack skyrocketing problem aggressively . Drugs funds insurgency; poppy trade unchecked in Taliban strongholds . U.N. drug chief advocates providing income alternative for poppy farmers .

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David Nalbandian battled back to stun world No. 1 Roger Federer with a 1-6 6-3 6-3 victory in the final of the Madrid Masters on Sunday. David Nalbandian celebrates after upsetting Roger Federer in the Madrid Masters final. The Argentine, ranked 25th in the world, repeated his 2005 upset win over the Swiss star in that year's season-ending Masters Cup -- also an indoor event. Defending champion Federer, playing in his first tournament since winning the U.S. Open six weeks ago, made 38 unforced errors. Nalbandian became only the third player -- and the second this year after Novak Djokovic in Montreal in August -- to beat the world's top-three players en route to winning a title. German legend Boris Becker was the first to perform the feat 13 years ago. Nalbandian ousted second-ranked Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals and then Serbian Djokovic in Saturday's semis. The 25-year-old, who lost in the Madrid final in 2004, claimed his first triumph on the ATP Tour since May, 2006, on clay in Portugal. He spent a year without a coach, but has revived his career since teaming up with Hernan Gumy. "I'm extremely contented to beat the world number one," Nalbandian said. "Roger and I have a long history and I think that influenced the match. "It was an extremely hard first set. But I tightened the teeth and I began to play more strongly. Things came out fine, I played incredible, and that of course that helps." Federer added: "He served well, I was quite surprised with how well he served. "He came back strong and played well in the end. "He was a better player all in all. I was struggling after the first set to play aggressively, for some reason. He played tough and didn't miss any more. I couldn't play way I wanted to. It was a pity, he played a great tournament." E-mail to a friend .

David Nalbandian won Madrid Masters after beating top seed Roger Federer . The Argentine triumphed 1-6 6-3 6-3 against the Swiss defending champion . He became third man to beat world's three top players en route to a title .

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Juan Roman Riquelme scored twice as Argentina beat Bolivia 3-0 to notch a third successive victory in the South American qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup on Saturday. Juan Roman Riquelme celebrates after scoring his first goal in Argentina's win against Bolivia. The midfielder followed up his brace of spectacular free-kicks in the opening 2-0 victory against Chile to help put his country five points clear of second-placed Brazil, who play Peru in Lima on Sunday. Riquelme again shrugged off his lack of club action with Villarreal, where he has fallen out with the Spanish side's management, to net twice in the second spell after Sergio Aguero gave the home side a first-half lead. The 19-year-old scored his first goal at international level five minutes before the interval after starting in a three-man attack with Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi. He headed home after Martin Demichelis nodded a cross from Manchester United striker Tevez back across goal. Riquelme added the second 11 minutes after the break with a dipping free-kick which beat Carlos Arias from 25 yards, having been superbly denied by the keeper's one-handed effort shortly beforehand. And he finished off the scoring in the 73rd minute with a cool sidefoot finish after being set up by Messi to cap off a match in which captain Javier Zanetti made a record-breaking 116th appearance for Argentina. Argentina next travel to Colombia on Tuesday, when winless Bolivia have an away clash with Venezuela. In other South American qualifiers, Colombia beat Venezuela 1-0, and Paraguay routed Ecuador 5-1. Ecuador coach Luis Fernando Suarez, a Colombian, quit after his team's loss saying: "I have taken the irrevocable decision to resign." E-mail to a friend .

Argentina beat Bolivia 3-0 in South American qualifier for 2010 World Cup . Juan Roman Riquelme nets twice as Argentina win third successive match . Ecuador coach Luis Fernando Suarez quits after 5-1 loss against Paraguay .

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Democratic presidential candidates on Wednesday criticized President Bush's plan to withdraw roughly 30,000 troops from Iraq by next summer, with Sen. Hillary Clinton labeling it "too little, too late." Sen. Hillary Clinton listens as Gen. David Petraeus testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee. In an open letter to Bush, Clinton said the troop withdrawal "is simply too little, too late, and unacceptable to this Congress, and to the American people who have made clear their strong desire to bring our troops home, and end this war." Bush on Thursday is expected to endorse the recommendations of Gen. David Petraeus that the troop levels in Iraq be lowered to 130,000 by July, down from the "surge" level of 160,000. "As commander in chief, you have the authority and ability to greatly accelerate the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq, and to bring so many more troops home so much faster," the New York Democrat said. "I strongly urge you to choose this course of action." In an interview Wednesday with CNN, one of Clinton's chief rivals for the 2008 nomination, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, said the president is returning to an earlier, failed policy. "We now are still in the same position as we essentially were in June 2006," he said. "We are in the same levels of violence; we are at the same levels of dysfunctional when it comes to the government in Iraq, and the American people at some point have a right to ask from their leadership in Washington and from the president: When is enough enough?" Watch '08 Dems weigh in on war in Iraq » . Obama presented a new plan for Iraq on Wednesday afternoon in Clinton, Iowa. It calls for an immediate drawdown of combat operations at a pace of one or two brigades every month, to be completed by the end of next year, according to excerpts released before his speech. A brigade comprises between 3,000 and 5,000 soldiers. Obama recommended a new constitutional convention for Iraq, a new regional diplomatic effort and steps to confront the country's humanitarian crisis. "Let me be clear: There is no military solution in Iraq, and there never was. The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq's leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops," Obama said in his speech. Presidential candidate John Edwards, who has been pressing congressional Democrats to take a more confrontational stance against President Bush, called for an immediate withdrawal of 40,000 to 50,000 troops. In a prepared statement, Edwards, a Democrat from North Carolina, said Obama, Clinton and Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia, who recently called for a withdrawal to begin by Christmas, have "a moral responsibility to use every tool available to them, including a filibuster, to force the president to change course." Edwards also called Obama's plan for troop withdrawal a copy of the president's plan . "Sen. Obama would withdraw only one to two combat brigades a month between now and the end of next year," said Edwards, "which for the next several months could essentially mimic the president's own plans to withdraw 30,000 troops by next summer." In a statement, Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Connecticut, said Wednesday that it was useless to debate tactics when "the underlying policy is a complete failure." "I call on my colleagues to do what needs to be done to end our involvement in this civil war and help restore our national security by clearly and directly declaring that they will not support any Iraq measure without a firm, enforceable deadline tied to funding for the completion of redeployment of troops from Iraq," Dodd said. Democrats lack the votes in Congress to force the president to bring the troops home and are seeking a compromise position. Congressional Democratic leaders are meeting with Republican lawmakers, who want a change in war policy but are unwilling to cut funding or set a timeline for withdrawal. Privately, congressional Democrats concede that the next president probably will inherit at least a deployment of 100,000 troops in Iraq. The Democratic presidential candidates, particularly the five in Congress, face pressure from liberal groups such as MoveOn.org demanding that they directly confront the president. Obama said it was unlikely he would vote for any legislation that does not include a definite withdrawal deadline. "You know, we are going to have to evaluate what's available, but it appears clear to me that the president is not willing to compromise, short of Congress forcing him to accept a shorter timetable, and, absent that, we are essentially engaging in a bunch of symbolic action there," Obama told CNN. "What we need is a clear message from the Congress that it is time for us to change course, and it's time for us to do that," he said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's John King, Dana Bash, Scott Anderson and Xuan Thai contributed to this report.

John Edwards calls for immediate withdrawal of 40,000-50,000 troops . Sen. Hillary Clinton says withdrawal of 30,000 troops by July "too little, too late" Sen. Barack Obama calls for an immediate start to troop withdrawals .

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It is an irony of contemporary art-museum management: Sometimes the museum that creates an exhibition doesn't get to premiere it. In a treatment of a Bridgeman Art Library photo, the High shows visitors Jules Arnout's "View of the Grand Gallery." This is the case this week, as Atlanta's High Museum of Art couples its public opening of a second year of Louvre-fueled shows from Paris, France, with an exhibition about influences on the Impressionists. "Inspiring Impressionism" is organized by the Denver Art Museum. It opened Tuesday at the High, to run there through January 2008. With the backing of Northern Trust, the show will then travel to Denver February 23 to May 25, 2008, and then on to the Seattle Art Museum from June 19 to September 21, 2008. Why not start in Denver? That museum this fall is host to pieces seen in the first year of the three-year Louvre Atlanta series of exhibitions. Like priceless dominos falling, these shows roll around the country and the world, globalization dictating galas, super-sensitive custom shipping companies probably among the biggest winners. See a gallery of images from 'Inspiring Impressionism' at the High Museum of Art » . Another unintended effect may be shadowing of one important outing by another. It should be interesting to learn whether showing "Inspiring Impressionism" at the High on the same time frame as the second year of Louvre Atlanta pays off. Do all the boats in Monet's "Autumn on the Seine, Argenteuil" float? Smart museum-goers will see it all. "The Louvre and the Ancient World" and the companion show "The Eye of Josephine," after all, look at some of the oldest treasures in the Louvre's vast holdings. See a gallery of some of the highlights of the Louvre Atlanta shows » . The fit is comfortable, in a way, the Impressionist movement of the turn of the last century finding its main proponents in French artists. The emphasis here, however, is on what older works may have moved and motivated such artists as Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Paul Cézanne. One very distinctive connection from the Louvre Atlanta opener of last year is a section of this new show that looks at the tradition of modern-era artists learning by studying the work of masters at the Louvre, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo's "The Beggar Boy" of around 1650 being one of the most-copied canvases in Western art's modern history. From the outset, visitors to "Inspiring Impressionism" are reminded of the Louvre treasures all around them at the High: The Impressionism show's entry gallery is flanked by a handsome photographic treatment of Louis Jules Arnout's "View of the Grand Gallery at the Louvre" from between 1850 and 1870. In that original painting and color lithograph that followed, Arnout captured the bustle of artists working and visitors promenading in the Louvre's chief exhibition space that runs along the Seine in Paris. In fact, even older-era echoes of this same concept are encountered on looking at Louvre Atlanta's "The Tiber" marble from the first century A.D., you're reminded that Michelangelo himself was aware of that piece, influenced by it, presumably inspired by it. So a surprise symmetry takes shape at the High this fall, as visitors contemplate dialogues between museums (the Louvre, the High, Denver, Seattle), the viewers of art in Europe and the United States, and the artists themselves in France, in the U.S. and elsewhere. High director Michael Shapiro calls these synchronicities "visual evidence of connections." His colleagues Timothy Standring of Denver and Ann Dumas of London, England, have held up their end of this conversational eyeful with timely contributions, glimpses of Old World craft from Titian and Velasquez to Fragonard and Rubens -- and the "moderns" who saw beyond them to a new age of aesthetic debate. Don't miss some of the comments and writings of various artists, used as part of the display of the show at the High. Degas may have said it most honestly: "No art is less spontaneous than mine. What I do is the result of refection and the study of the Old Masters." Joining Northern trust Corporation in funding the exhibition are the National Endowment for the Humanities, and support is also provided by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. E-mail to a friend .

"Inspiring Impressionism" looks at Old Masters, other influences on modern art . Featured are works of Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Cassatt, Morisot . "Inspiring Impressionism" runs through January 31, 2008, at the High Museum . Denver Art Museum and Seattle Art Museum get the show next .

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Serbian central defender Nemanja Vidic has convinced Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson that he should play in Tuesday's Champions League clash away to Dynamo Kiev. Vidic clashes with Roma goalkeeper Gianluca Curci during the UEFA Champions League Group F match. The former Spartak Moscow player sat out Saturday's 4-1 victory at Aston Villa after suffering concussion during the Premier League win over Wigan immediately before the international break. However, he has made a good recovery and will now partner Rio Ferdinand in the heart of the United defense. Injury-plagued French striker Louis Saha definitely misses the tie with a long-term knee problem and fellow casualties Gary Neville and Owen Hargreaves also stayed behind. England striker Wayne Rooney, who scored twice against Villa and was also on target in England's Euro 2008 defeat against Russia in Moscow last week, will partner Carlos Tevez in attack. A third successive victory after 1-0 wins against Sporting Lisbon and Roma would virtually guarantee United a place in the knock-out stage. United flew to Kiev a day earlier than normal, taking their own chefs and dieticians with them. "The travel is always the biggest worry in these situations," said Ferguson. "Ukraine is further away than most other journeys around Europe." Senegal defender Pape Diakhate, Guinea forward Ismael Bangoura and Ukraine midfielder Taras Mykhalyk are expected to return for Dynamo, but former Tottenham forward Serhiy Rebrov is an absentee. Dynamo warmed up for Tuesday night with a 1-0 win over strugglers Zakarpattia on Saturday in the Ukrainian Championship. But Kiev are bottom of Group F after losing their first two games -- 2-0 at Roma and 2-1 at home to Sporting. Glasgow Rangers are without Jean-Claude Darcheville and Brahim Hemdani for their formidable home clash against Barcelona on Tuesday. Darcheville is still struggling with a hamstring problem while Hemdani misses the Group E tie in Glasgow with a groin problem that kept him out of the weekend's 3-0 win against Celtic. UEFA Cup favorites Bayern Munich will probably have to do without midfielder Franck Ribery for their group game against Red Star Belgrade on Thursday. The French international hurt his thigh in Saturday's 2-1 win at Bochum that saw Bayern extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga. E-mail to a friend .

Nemanja Vidic plays in Man United's Champions League tie at Dynamo Kiev . Serbian defender sat out 4-1 win at Aston Villa with after-effects of concussion . United started group campaign with wins against Sporting Lisbon and Roma .

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Some Democrats appear to be wavering on a highly contentious House resolution labeling Turkey's treatment of Armenians in World War I as genocide. A KC-135 tanker lands at Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey in 2003. Turkey, a longtime U.S. ally and NATO partner, was incensed by the resolution calling the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks genocide and threatened to block access to Incirlik Air Base after the resolution passed a House committee vote. The base, in southern Turkey near Syria, is a major resupply center for U.S. operations in Iraq and elsewhere in the Mideast and Asia. The Pentagon is preparing to set up new supply routes for troops in Iraq if Turkey cuts off U.S. access to the strategically important Incirlik, military officials said Tuesday. Ankara acknowledges the killings of Armenians during World War I but vehemently objects to the "genocide" label. The House Foreign Affairs Committee last week adopted the nonbinding resolution. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would bring the measure to a vote of the full House sometime next month. But the Bush administration urged Congress to drop the issue, and some leading Democrats urged Pelosi not to bring it to the floor. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer signaled Tuesday that the vote might be put off. "I said I thought we would bring this up prior to us leaving here," said Hoyer of Maryland. "I have not changed on that, although I would be less than candid to say that there are a number of people who are revisiting their own positions. We will have to determine where everybody is." Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, announced his opposition to the resolution last week. And Democratic Reps. Alcee Hastings of Florida and John Tanner of Tennessee, both members of the U.S. House delegation to NATO, urged Pelosi to reconsider in a letter released Tuesday. "More than half of the cargo flown into Iraq and Afghanistan comes through Incirlik Air Base, and this base would be a key component of any plans for redeployment of our troops in the future," they wrote. Lt. Gen. Carter Ham, the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Pentagon planners are looking at "a broad range of options" to keep food, fuel and ammunition flowing to U.S. troops in Iraq if Turkey blocks Incirlik. "We're confident that we'll find ways to do that," Ham told reporters at the Pentagon. "There's likely to be some increased cost and some other implications for that, and obviously we'd prefer to maintain the access that we have." Defense Secretary Robert Gates echoed lawmakers' concerns last week. "About 70 percent of all air cargo going into Iraq goes through Turkey. ... About a third of the fuel that they consume goes through Turkey or comes from Turkey," Gates said. He also said that 95 percent of the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protective vehicles, or MRAPs, being deployed in Iraq are flown through Turkey. The vehicles are built to withstand roadside bombs. See Incirlik's key location » . The U.S. military issued a "warning order" a few days ago to ensure that alternative air crews, planes, fuel and routes are lined up if Turkey stops or restricts U.S. access to Incirlik, a source said. Jordan and Kuwait are among the alternatives the United States is considering. Some fear pursuit of the resolution would also embolden the Turks to attack Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq which could further complicate Iraqi stability, U.S. officials said. Incirlik offers 10,000- and 9,000-foot runways and 57 hardened aircraft shelters, according Globalsecurity.org, a source of background information about military issues. Globalsecurity said Incirlik has become a hub for cargo shipments to Iraq, taking over for Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany because it is closer to Iraq, reducing the strain on troops and aircraft. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Barbara Starr and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.

Majority Leader says a number of Dems are "revisiting their own positions" Turkey is upset about World War I "genocide" resolution in Congress . House resolution calls killing of Armenians "genocide" Incirlik Air Base is key point for U.S. military supply of Iraq mission .

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Milan goalkeeper Dida has been cleared to play in next month's Champions League match at Shakhtar Donetsk after partially winning his appeal to UEFA against a two-match ban. Dida has had one game of his two-match ban suspended for a year following an appeal to UEFA. Brazilian Dida was also fined 60,000 Swiss francs by European football's ruling body following an incident involving a supporter during the Champions clash against Celtic in Scotland on October 3. The 34-year-old Brazilian was initially banned for two games for his theatrics following a Celtic fan's encroachment onto the pitch during the 2-1 defeat at Celtic Park. "Following Monday's appeals hearing, Dida is suspended for two matches, but one of the matches will now be deferred for a probationary period of one year," said a stement on UEFA's Web site. Dida sits out the home tie against Shakhtar on Wednesday after an inquiry based on Article 5, paragraph 1 of the UEFA disciplinary regulations (Principles of conduct), under which "member associations, clubs, as well as their players, officials and members, shall conduct themselves according to the principles of loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship". However, Dida will only serve the second match of his ban if he commits a similar offense -- a theatrical over-reaction --during the next 12 months, freeing him for the trip to Ukraine. UEFA said that their Appeals Body "took note that Dida expressed his sincere regrets as regards his conduct during the match." AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani was satisfied with UEFA's decision. "I believe it is fair -- I was against the two-game suspension but one seems OK. "Dida has made a mistake but his error did not hinder anyone, not Celtic, nor any player," said Galliani. E-mail to a friend .

Milan goalkeeper Dida is partially successful against two-match UEFA ban . Dida misses Wednesday's home Champions League tie against Shakhtar . Second game of ban suspended for one year freeing him for return in Ukraine .

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Reggae legend Lucky Dube, one of South Africa's most famous musicians, was killed in an attempted car-jacking as he dropped his children off at a relative's house, his record label said Friday. Reggae star Lucky Dube was much loved by his fellow South Africans. Dube, 43, was killed in Johannesburg around 8 p.m. local time Thursday after someone tried to steal his car, Gallo Record Company said in a statement. Police said he was shot. The statement said Dube attempted to escape but died almost instantly from his wounds. Dube was much loved by his fellow South Africans, and his death cast a shadow over festivities ahead of South Africa's highly-anticipated appearance in the rugby World Cup final with England this weekend. News of his death was the headline in many Friday newspapers, knocking the World Cup off the front pages for the first time in days. Callers to talk radio stations suggested the Springboks wear black armbands in remembrance of Dube when they take to the field Saturday in Paris. Gallo Records called the death "senseless and random," and it was not clear whether Dube's attackers knew who he was. South Africa is one of the most dangerous societies in the world. Figures from the South African Police Service show that from April 2006 to March 2007, more than 19,000 South Africans were murdered, more than 52,600 people were raped, and nearly 13,600 people were carjacked. "It's very sad," said Mark Sutherland, London bureau chief for Billboard Magazine. "He's a big loss to the South African music business. (He was) one of their most successful artists and certainly one of their leading reggae artists." Sutherland said Dube was an extremely respected musician who toured extensively around the world. Dube had just returned from a tour of the United States that stretched from California to New York. His record company said Dube leaves "a great void" in the music industry after a 25-year career. Dube recorded 22 albums in Zulu, English and Afrikaans. Born outside Johannesburg in 1964, Dube was named "Lucky" by his mother because he was the first child to be born after several failed pregnancies. Dube started singing in 1982, joining a band playing Mbaqanga, or traditional Zulu music. It was only later that he began recording reggae tracks as a solo singer, but the genre was to dominate and define the remainder of his career. Ivor Haarburger, the chief exectutive of Gallo Music Group, said he was deeply saddened by the loss. "Lucky was not just an extraordinary artist, he was a personal friend," Haarburger said. "It's so sad to lose such a great friend and so tragically." Dube is survived by his wife, Zanele, and his seven children: Bongi, Nonkululeko, Thokozani, Laura, Siyanda, Philani and three-month old Melokuhle. E-mail to a friend . CNN correspondent Robin Curnow contributed to this report.

South African reggae legend Lucky Dube killed in attempted hijacking . Dube, 43, killed Thursday in Johannesburg after hijacker tried to steal his car . Death casts shadow over South Africa's preparations for rugby World Cup final .

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Brendon Pelser said he saw pure terror in the faces of his fellow passengers after an engine fell from a wing as it took off from Cape Town, South Africa, Wednesday. Men were sweating profusely, women were crying. "There was fear on their faces," Pelser said. "Everyone started panicking." But the pilot of Nationwide Airlines' Boeing 737 Flight CE723 was able to fly long enough to dump fuel and make an emergency landing at Cape Town International Airport. Including crew, 100 hundred people were on the plane that departed at 3:50 p.m. on an hourlong flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. No one was injured. The jet had only been in the air about 10 minutes before the engine fell. "We heard something crash and bang, the plane veering left and right. A person on the right side said the engine was missing -- had broken clean off," said Pelser. Watch Pelser describe how the flight crew told passengers to "prepare for the worst" » . "They flew us in very slowly. We were all prepared for the worst. We went into the fetal position, head between the legs," he said. "Then we hit the runway." "I did kind of pray. I didn't want to die. I'm not really ready to die," the 33-year-old said. An object had been sucked into the engine as the nose wheel lifted from the ground and officials are trying to identify it. The engine-to-wing supporting structure is designed to release an engine "when extreme forces are applied," to prevent structural damage to the wing, Nationwide said on its Web site. The airline described the incident as a "catastrophic engine failure." As the nose wheel lifted from the ground, "the captain heard a loud noise immediately followed by a yaw of the aircraft (sideways slippage) to the right," the airline said in a news release. The flight instruments showed the No. 2 engine on the right side had failed, it said. Pelser said he spent the night in Cape Town, then flew back to Johannesburg where he lives, on the same airline. Nationwide said the engine had undergone a major overhaul in March 2005 at "an approved Federal Aviation Authority facility in the U.S.A." and had flown only 3,806 hours since then. "These engines typically achieve 10,000 hours between major overhauls," Nationwide Airlines' press release stated. E-mail to a friend .

Nationwide Airlines pilot dumped fuel until he landed plane Wednesday . An object was sucked into the engine as the nose wheel lifted from the ground . 100, including crew, were on the plane; no one was injured . Plane passenger: "Everyone started panicking"

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Federal Emergency Management Agency officials know the agency's performance in the California wildfires will be watched closely for comparisons to its failures in Hurricane Katrina. A volunteer distributes donated food and supplies to evacueesTuesday at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium. FEMA Director David Paulison promised on Tuesday "a different type of response than the federal government put together for Katrina." Paulison said Katrina "was a wake-up call" and that "this is a new FEMA." President Bush signed a federal disaster declaration Wednesday, freeing up federal funds for families affected by the wildfires in seven counties in Southern California. "I will continue to make sure that our efforts are coordinated, that we are responding to the needs of people, but most importantly I want the people in Southern California to know that Americans all across this land care deeply about them," he said. The action follows an emergency declaration by Bush on Tuesday morning for the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. He said he's "looking forward" to his visit to the region on Thursday. According to a statement from the White House, the federal disaster declaration will allow for federal aid that "can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster." FEMA and other relief and rescue services face significantly different challenges in the fire zone than they did on the Gulf Coast in 2005. For example, the fires aren't covering every square foot of the region, as Katrina did. The devastation in California is intense but not universal. During and immediately after Katrina, the destruction was so complete that relief personnel and supplies -- even the U.S. Army -- could not get within miles of the disaster's epicenter, New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward, for several days. By contrast, roads in Southern California have remained open for residents to get out and help to get in without delay. Residents there are generally more affluent and are able to use their own vehicles to escape, whereas many of Katrina's victims were poor and had no means of transportation. Victims in California are not stranded on rooftops without food or drinkable water, but are able travel the relatively short distances to safe places. One of those safe places is San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium, which is not endangered by the fires. FEMA and other relief agencies are able to stage supplies and meet victims' needs in an organized way. New Orleans' Superdome, on the other hand, sitting in the center of the disaster zone, was severely damaged by hurricane winds and threatened by rising water. What had been a shelter devolved into a trap. Katrina also wiped out the Gulf Coast's communications infrastructure, crippling the coordination of relief efforts -- even for the military. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff acknowledged Tuesday that the government's response machinery had benefited from the Katrina experience. "I think there's no question that [there were] a couple of the lessons from Katrina which we have put into effect here," Chertoff said. "First of all, planning and preparation in advance for these kinds of challenges, so that we have worked together and planned together with the Defense Department and with state authorities well in advance of the crisis. That's been a big help here," Chertoff said . "Second, we have really flooded the zone as quickly as possible by staging assets to deal both with the firefighting issue and with the response issue," Chertoff said. Chertoff said federal officials began discussing over the weekend the need to have FEMA ready, "and as we saw the evacuation issue becoming more prominent, and the number of people seeking shelter becoming more prominent, we sprang into action yesterday. "So we've been monitoring the situation continuously. The president's been on top of it. We've been on top of it. And we're going to continue to stay ahead of this as far as we can." Chertoff said Tuesday that he hadn't waited for the paperwork to be signed before staging assistance. "We have been moving cots, blankets, other supplies into the area of San Diego so that we can handle any necessity for additional sheltering capacity," he said. "We've also moved air assets to be poised to take flight when we do have the opportunity to deal with the fire, once the winds begin to die down." People left homeless by the fires can already go online to apply for federal help at www.fema.gov, Paulison said. Watch Paulison discuss the "new FEMA" » . He denied suggestions similar to those made in the aftermath of Katrina that the federal response was hampered because National Guard equipment was in short supply because of the Iraq War. "I just haven't seen that," he said. The U.S. military has sent aircraft to help fight the fires, including 11 Defense Department helicopters equipped with water buckets and six C-130 aircraft able to drop water and flame retardant. More than 17,000 National Guardsmen have been made available; 550 Marines were ready for deployment from Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego; and 12 Defense Department firefighting teams, were engaged. E-mail to a friend .

FEMA doesn't face utter devastation as in Gulf Coast in 2005 . Victims can escape in own vehicles on open roads . Communications infrastructure remains intact . Agencies learn from Hurricane Katrina mistakes .

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The late Chris Benoit idolized the Dynamite Kid, who was half of a professional wrestling team famous in the 1980s for spectacular high-flying, acrobatic moves. Chris Benoit strangled his wife and suffocated his son before hanging himself in June. The Dynamite Kid and his partner, Davey Boy Smith, were known as the British Bulldogs. They were quick, agile and muscular, and in 1986 they won the World Wrestling Federation tag team championship. Young Benoit dreamed of wrestling like the Dynamite Kid, whose real name is Tom Billington. At the beginning of his career, Benoit adopted the Dynamite nickname and copied his idol's signature moves. In June, Benoit murdered his wife and young son before hanging himself. Investigators found testosterone, painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs in Chris Benoit's body, Georgia's chief medical examiner said a month later. When asked about Benoit's double murder-suicide, Billington told CNN, "It can make you aggressive, the steroids. But personally I wouldn't, you know, kill no bleeding kid, or wife either." Billington now lives in a public housing apartment outside Manchester, England. He has lost the use of his legs. A pin sticks out from one of his toes. Billington blames his wrestling life for doing this to him -- wrestling and the fact that he ignored doctors who told him to stop the punishment to his body. And from the steroids, he said. Billington told CNN that the steroids came from doctors, from friends, even from steroids meant for horses. He took them all, took a terrible pounding in the ring, and like his partner (who died at age 39 in 2002), began taking extensive amounts of painkillers. Benoit's death has refocused a media spotlight on the organization for which he wrestled, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment, and the man who has ruled wrestling for years, Chairman of the Board Vince McMahon. McMahon, appearing with Linda McMahon, his wife and WWE CEO, told CNN: "Nothing from the WWE, under any set of circumstances had anything to do with Chris Benoit murdering his family. How did we know Chris Benoit would turn into a monster." Read a full transcript of the McMahons interview . Vince McMahon defended the organization, saying its drug-testing policy was not just for show. "Our policy stacks up just as well as anyone else's in sport, although again emphasizing we are entertainment, and no one in entertainment, no one has this kind of wellness policy," McMahon said. Critics say McMahon pushes his stars and non-stars, works them too many nights per year and has encouraged the large physiques prevalent in modern wrestling. They say McMahon only looks at his employees as commodities, pawns in a huge business. His businesses are quite successful. About 16 million people a week tune into WWE TV shows. Two of their cable programs -- "Raw" and "Friday Night Smackdown" -- are weekly ratings giants. Pay-per-view specials generate an average of $100 million per year. When asked about the high number of former wrestlers who had died before they turned 50 years old, Vince McMahon said each person in the WWE bore responsibility for their own lives -- especially outside the arena. "If someone passes through our organization, it is not our responsibility for someone's personal activities," he said. He also said there isn't "any organization in the world, be it entertainment or be it sport, that can tell you that they are totally drug-free." Watch as a WWE wrestler says the perception of steroid use is wrong » . The McMahons said the WWE is taking steps toward improving its oversight of its athletes. Since the newest WWE drug screening program began in February 2006, more than 30 of the organization's wrestlers have been suspended, including two since CNN's interview with the McMahons. David Black -- who helped the NFL develop its drug program and now runs tests for the WWE -- says twice that number have tested positive and been given a warning. But Dr. Gary Wadler, a world-renowned expert in the study of drugs and athletes, says the WWE is not doing enough. "It certainly falls far, far short of where it needs to be," he said. "And there is a gold standard, and I measure all these sporting and entertainment activities against this gold standard. And [the WWE is] miles apart." Wadler, a longtime critic of McMahon, was referring to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in Colorado Springs, Colorado. U.S. athletes training for the Olympics are randomly tested and, if caught just once, face a two-year suspension from competition. If caught a second time, they can be banned for life. Black's programs test wrestlers four times a year. The first is a "baseline" test, according to the WWE. Black then tests for "nonmedical" uses, meaning that if an athlete has a prescription, he is cleared. "It's just a loophole that in my mind guts the entire program," said Travis Tygart, who heads the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. McMahon denies that his wrestlers are pushed to use steroids. He says the average wrestler is lighter than in recent years. Watch one of the new WWE stars talk about being "straight edge" » . "There's an expression in our business, that here is where you make your money. It's your face, it's what you do with it," he said. "It's your personality, it's what you do with it. It's your delivery, your elocution. It's storyline, it's things, all those things that are theatrical as well as athletic in the ring." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Drew Griffin contributed to this report.

Vince McMahon: WWE has one of best drug-testing programs . Wrestling boss tells CNN that individuals bear responsibility for actions . Critics say WWE penalties for drug use are not harsh enough . Wrestlers still can get drugs if they have prescriptions from doctors .

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Everyone goes through a rebellious phase. And, if you're lucky, you'll be able to look back on those years and laugh. If you're less lucky, you spent those years on a reality show, so for the rest of time, millions of strangers can look back on them and laugh instead. In modern times, cats frolic among the ruins of ancient Rome. But, hey, it could be worse. You could be responsible for the fall of Western Civilization, just like Justa Grata Honoria, the Roman princess whose wild ways and (literally) naked ambition set off a chain reaction that culminated in the destruction of the Roman Empire. Barely regal . Smart, conniving, and ruthless, Honoria possessed all the attributes befitting a Roman emperor, except for that pesky Y chromosome. As a young girl, she watched as her dimwitted six-year-old brother, Valentinian III, was crowned emperor of the Western Roman Empire, while she was set aside to await a suitable marriage. Hardly content to lead a quiet and chaste life, Honoria rebelled with aplomb, sleeping her way through the royal court while still in her teens. Although her after-hours habits caused quite the scandal, they failed to satiate her need for attention and power, so Honoria set her eyes on the throne. Employing her ample charms, she seduced her brother's royal chamberlain, Eugenius, and together, they plotted to murder Valentinian and seize power. But, alas, their scheme was soon exposed. Eugenius was executed, and Honoria was sent to a convent in Constantinople. Life as a nun was a fate worse than death for Honoria, but even that couldn't quell her ambition. She spent her years at the nunnery plotting one escape attempt after another. Finally, out of sheer desperation, she turned to sources outside the empire. Her savior would have to be powerful enough to defy Valentinian and risk open war with Rome. Only one man fit that description: Attila, king of the Huns. Attila the hubby . Honoria got the barbarian's attention with a mutually beneficial proposal: If Attila would rescue her, she would marry him, and he would get half of the Western Empire as her dowry. Of course, Honoria was in no position to rightfully offer any portion of the Roman Empire. But she was betting that after marrying her, Attila would conquer the whole Empire, and she'd become queen to boot. Attila had secretly been planning a move against Rome for years, and Honoria's letter gave him the perfect opportunity to strike. Wasting no time, he told Valentinian that he planned to marry Honoria, and demanded the dowry he'd been promised. Naturally, Valentinian refused, and Attila used his status as a "wronged husband" to invade Roman territory in 451 C.E. The Hun armies quickly swept through the Empire, destroying everything in their path, and eventually they arrived in Rome. Like all the other cities before it, Rome would also have been annihilated were it not for the famine and disease that devastated the Huns during the invasion. Rome survived Attila's assault with the unlikely help of another nomadic enemy tribe, the Visigoths, but the Western Empire never recovered. Within a generation, the armies of the Goths, Franks, and Huns had overrun the area. The Princess bride . Ultimately, Honoria became neither Roman empress nor a Hun queen. Attila never rescued her, and she was eventually sent back to Rome and left to her brother's justice. Not wanting to cause a scandal by having her executed, and unwilling to send her back into exile where she could scheme again, Valentinian settled on a suitable third option. After years of struggle, Honoria finally suffered the fate she had been dreading all along: She was married off to an elderly Roman senator, and the rest of her life went unrecorded by history. E-mail to a friend . For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved.

Justa Grata Honoria plotted to kill her emperor of Roman Empire . When first plot failed, she offered to marry Attila the Hun . He failed to annihilate Rome, or marry her . She then suffered the fate she dreaded .

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Football dignitaries gathered in Sheffield, northern England, on Wednesday to kick off the 150th birthday celebrations of Sheffield FC -- the sport's oldest club. FIFA chief Blatter was among those in Sheffield to kick off the 150th birthday celebrations of football's oldest club. Guests of honor at a service at Sheffield Cathedral included Sepp Blatter, president of football world governing body FIFA, and Massimo Moratti, president of Italian giants Inter Milan who are scheduled to play a friendly against Sheffield FC next month. Other guests attending a dinner in the club's honor included Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon and England and Manchester United legend Bobby Charlton. Pele -- widely recognized as the greatest footballer ever to play the game -- is also due in town next month to attend Sheffield FC's clash with Inter. Blatter was unveiling a bust of the club's co-founder William Prest -- one of two cricket fans who founded Sheffield FC, then known simply as Sheffield Club, on October 24, 1857 after deciding they needed a new sport to keep them active during the winter. Many more football clubs soon sprung up and by 1862 there were said to be 15 in and around the Sheffield area. The Football Association -- which codified the basic rules of the modern game -- was established in London the following year. Sheffield FC was instrumental in developing set rules for the game. The club studied existing rules and laid down a code of laws, which formed the foundation of the first commonly-accepted set of rules for the sport, according to the Sheffield FC Web site. The team was also responsible for several innovations in the game -- including heading, which was unheard of until 1875, when Sheffield traveled to London for a game. According to the team's Web site, the sight of the Sheffield players using their foreheads in addition to their feet reduced the London crowd to hysterics. Other innovations attributed to the team include the solid crossbar on the goal, corner kicks, free kicks for fouls, and playing a match under floodlights. Despite its celebrated place in the history of the world's most popular sport, Sheffield FC has never played at a professional level. The club currently competes in the Unibond League's First Division South, seven divisions beneath the English Premier League. The city of Sheffield has two professional clubs -- United and Wednesday -- who both currently play in English football's second tier, the Coca-Cola Championship. Sheffield FC's proudest achievement on the pitch came in 1904 when the team beat Ealing 3-1 to win the FA Amateur Cup in front of 6,000 people. But 100 years later in 2004, Blatter presented Sheffield FC with FIFA's "Order of Merit" -- an honor previously awarded only to the nine-time European champions Real Madrid. E-mail to a friend .

FIFA President Sepp Blatter among guests marking Sheffield FC's 150 years . English side Sheffield FC recognized as the oldest football club in the world . Club is one of two to win FIFA's Order of Merit -- the other is Real Madrid .

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Why shoes are called "pumps" and other strange-but-true stories behind the clothes and accessories you know and love. So, how did the trend for pointed-toe shoes start? Manolo who? Long before they ever made an appearance on the TV show "Sex and the City," pointed shoes were favored by Polish nobles, who introduced the fashion to England on a diplomatic visit in the 1300s. The shoes, dubbed "crackowes" or "poulaines" -- after Kraków, Poland -- were so long that a chain running from the toe to the knee was often required to keep them from dragging. In 1363 the English attempted to rein in the look by law, assigning shoe spans to social classes. Commoners could sport footwear with toes of up to six inches, while those in the royal ranks were allowed a full two feet in length. Who invented the sports bra? In 1977 University of Vermont student Lisa Lindahl was running 30 miles a week -- and her bra wasn't holding up. With the help of two classmates, Lindahl sewed together two jock straps and -- presto! -- the sports bra was born. The coeds founded the company Jogbra a year later, garnering eternal gratitude from exercise-loving women everywhere. Almost 40,000 sports bras are now sold annually. Real Simple: Best bras for every figure . Is there a real Mary Jane behind Mary Jane shoes? Not quite: The most widely held theory is that the single-strapped footwear was named for a character in "Buster Brown," a children's comic strip that was popular in the early 1900s. Mary Jane was either Buster Brown's sweetheart or sister, depending on which source you consult. What's the connection between Shakespeare and raincoats? Gabardine, a water-repellent fabric invented by Burberry, got its first mention from Shakespeare. The Bard used the word in The Merchant of Venice to refer to a coarse cloak worn as protection from storms. During World War I, British officers on the front lines kept warm and dry in a uniform coat made of the material -- the original Burberry trench. Who was the first person known to have pierced ears? No one knows who originated the style, but there's evidence that as early as 2500 B.C. Sumerian women wore pierced earrings -- gold half-moon hoops. And guys tired of defending their diamond studs can rest easy: Men have been wearing earrings since ancient Egypt, where the jewelry was introduced in 1500 B.C. Real Simple: Best way to clean jewelry . What was the inspiration for Lilly Pulitzer's colorful printed dresses? Bored Palm Beach socialite Lilly Pulitzer opened a juice stand in 1959 to pass the time, but she found one drawback: The citrus concoctions discolored her clothes. She instructed her dressmaker to create a uniform that would camouflage the bright stains, and the "Lilly" design -- sleeveless cotton shifts in vibrant prints -- was born. The style was an instant hit with customers, who soon began placing more orders for dresses than juice. How did pumps, stilettos, and sneakers get their names? The term pump first popped up in 1550 in England, where male servants sported the style. It is said that the noise they made while wearing the loose-fitting shoes resembled the sound of a water pump. The word sneaker entered the language in the 1870s; the rubber soles made the shoes quiet and therefore "sneaky." The modern usage of stiletto, a Renaissance-era Italian word for an assassin's narrow-bladed knife, made its debut in 1953. The word turned out to be especially appropriate, because the shoes' pointy heels were murder on wooden floors. When did folks start toting around umbrellas? For thousands of years, in such places as Egypt, China, Japan, Mesopotamia, and India, umbrellas were used exclusively to shade the heads of dignitaries from the broiling sun. (When it rained, the well-to-do stayed dry in covered carriages and sedan chairs.) Umbrellas weren't employed in inclement weather until the late 17th and early 18th centuries. And another hundred years passed before advances in manufacturing made them lightweight, portable, and available to average Joes. Have bikinis always been so popular? Hardly! Named for the nuclear-testing site Bikini Atoll, the suits first appeared in 1946, but American women thought them immodest. Not until the 1960s were they accepted, possibly helped by the hit song "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." Were French cuffs really created for the battlefield? It is said that the cuffs were designed to be used as handkerchiefs in combat. But, in fact, French royalty invented the style in the 1500s, when flowing sleeves were the rage; nobles would tie their sleeves back with fasteners. Amusingly, the competitive English tried to take credit for the fashion, which to this day they refer to only as "double cuffs." Have women always carried purses? Once upon a time, ladies stored their essentials in a little waist sack tied under their clothing (sort of an early ancestor of the fanny pack) and accessible through slits in their skirts. Around 1800, thinner, silkier fabrics and slimmer cuts came into vogue, and women could no longer hide the bulging sacks around their midsections. The solution? They began carrying their belongings in small pocketbooks instead. Why is underwear nicknamed "drawers"? In the 16th century, drawers became a common term for both men's and women's underpants. Made of linen, the items were no-frills and looked more or less interchangeable (this being well before Victoria ever had a secret; decorative lace trim started appearing on the garments only in the middle of the 19th century). Most likely, underwear earned this distinctly unsexy epithet because it describes the way that people put on their unmentionables -- drawing them up and over the lower part of the body. Real Simple: Get your lingerie in order E-mail to a friend . Get a FREE TRIAL issue of Real Simple - CLICK HERE ! Copyright 2007 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

Polish diplomats brought pointed shoes to Britain in 1300s . A female runner sewed two jock straps together for first sports bra . Men wore earrings in Egypt in 1500s .

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Ronaldinho has been recalled to the Barcelona squad for Tuesday's Champions League match against Rangers in Glasgow. Ronaldinho was dropped from the Barcelona squad on Saturday for returning late from international duty. The Brazilian was omitted from the squad that lost 3-1 to Villarreal on Saturday after returning late from international duty, but he has been named in an 18-man party for the trip to Scotland. Barca will be without Deco for that match though, after the Portuguese suffered a thigh injury against Villarreal that will keep him sidelined for around five weeks. Also missing are Samuel Eto'o, Yaya Toure, Gianluca Zambrotta, Edmilson and Rafael Marquez as the Catalans travel to Scotland in a battle between the two sides with 100 per cent records in Group E. Barcelona squad: Valdes, Jorquera; Puyol, Thuram, Sylvinho, Oleguer, Abidal, Milito; Iniesta, Ronaldinho, Messi, Xavi, Giovani, Crosas; Henry, Ezquerro, Gudjohnsen, Bojan. E-mail to a friend .

Ronaldinho is recalled to Barca squad to face Rangers in Champions League . The Brazilian was dropped from the squad that lost to Villarreal on Saturday . Midfielder Deco will be out of action for five weeks after suffering a thigh injury .

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At one point in Jared Hutchins' young life, the Beatles were a big problem. The rallies, which draw mostly teens, are one part concert, one part Christian revival. "I had to stop listening to them for a while," said Hutchins, who lives in Cumming, Georgia, and plays the piano, guitar and harmonica. He said the group's world view "had a negative effect on me," and made him irritable and angry. "God owns my life, not the Beatles," he said simply. Although Hutchins said he enjoys a wide range of music -- from Pink Floyd and Arcade Fire to Christian bands such as Hillsong United -- he said he has to be careful of what music he listens to, for the same reason he temporarily turned off the Beatles. Hutchins, a 16-year-old graced with poise and thoughtfulness, is one of many teenagers who say that some part of popular culture, with its ubiquitous references to sex, drugs and violence, has harmed him. Last year, Hutchins and his Christian youth group attended an Acquire the Fire rally in Atlanta, Georgia, he said. Acquire the Fire -- regional rallies held across the country -- and BattleCry -- the larger rallies held this year in only three cities -- are the products of the evangelical Christian organization Teen Mania. Go behind-the-scenes with CNN's Christiane Amanpour at a BattleCry event » . One part concert, one part Christian revival, the rallies seek to "stage a reverse revolution" against secular popular culture. They have the pull of headlining rock concerts, drawing thousands of people regardless of the region of the country, the month of year or the day of the week. The audiences are nearly always predominantly teenagers and young adults. From 2006 to 2007, a total of 127,830 people attended the 34 Acquire the Fire rallies, and 71,414 people attended the three BattleCry events held in San Francisco, California; Detroit, Michigan; and Bristow, Virginia, according to Teen Mania. Watch flags, fireworks and teens at rally . For Hutchins, who said he struggled in his early adolescence to fit in and be cool before having a personal experience with God about four years ago, the organization's message is exactly right. "We don't have to be branded by the culture, we are branded by God," he said. "Be who God created you to be." But the glossy, glamorous appeal of popular culture too often obscures that path to God, Teen Mania followers say. And so, Ron Luce, the 46-year-old founder of the organization, has waged a modern-day crusade against "purveyors of popular culture," whom he has condemned as "the enemy." More than two decades old, Teen Mania estimates it has reached more than 2 million teens with its message "of living completely for Christ." The organization is sprawling. In addition to its live stadium rallies, there are BattleCry shirts and hats, mobile screen savers, books and a television program. There are international mission trips -- Hutchins attended one in Tijuana, Mexico, this summer. There is even a Teen Mania internship, a one-year program called the Honor Academy, based in Lindale, Texas. In the live events, Luce couples the earnest appeal of a young father with a preacher's ability to mobilize a crowd. He weaves disturbing statistics about teenagers amid his gospel. Today's teenagers are in crisis, he says. "We're fighting for those who don't know they have a voice, that are being manipulated by our pop culture indulging in things that, really, they're not mature enough to be thinking about yet," Luce told CNN. "Kids are hurting," he said. And of those who he feels inflict these moral wounds, Luce said, "We call them terrorists, virtue terrorists, that are destroying our kids." "They're raping virgin teenage America on the sidewalk, and everybody's walking by and acting like everything's OK. And it's just not OK." To some, Luce's rhetoric is off-putting, hateful and divisive. Opponents point to his views on homosexuality -- not "in God's plan" -- and abortion -- the "ending of a precious life" -- and say Luce is imposing conservative values on vulnerable teenagers. Explore Americans' views on religion . It is this criticism that Luce and his followers confronted head-on in March at BattleCry San Francisco. There, in arguably the most liberal city in the United States, protesters, armed with megaphones and poster board signs, rallied against BattleCry on the steps of City Hall as the Christian teenagers circled and prayed in a demonstration of their own. "Ron Luce is a liar!" one protester shouted. "Let me hear you say Christian fascist," another yelled. Luce and the youths, some as young as 11, also raised their voices. "God, I ask that as we do this BattleCry, Lord, that you would reveal yourself to the teenagers, God, here, God," Mindy Peterson, shouted. Peterson is a member of Teen Mania's Honor Academy. Afterward, Peterson railed against what she said was the protesters' mischaracterization of BattleCry. "These people think that our war is against other people. They think that our war is against man. And our war isn't. Our war's against ... the pain in teenagers' hearts, like depression, alcoholism. Those things that -- that are, like, tearing our teenagers apart," she said. While much milder in his terms, Hutchins agrees. "We're a generation that is kind of troubled," he said. Luce wants to "rescue the hearts of our generation," he added. And of the critics' contention that the rallies, the organization, the message is neo-conservatism wrapped in Biblical verse? Hutchins smiles, nods patiently. "I don't go because I have a political agenda," he said, adding that his friends don't, either. "Mostly, what we're concerned with is Jesus." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Julie O'Neill and Taylor Gandossy contributed to this report.

Thousands of teens attend Christian rallies each year . Many of the rallies attempt to offer an alternative to secular popular culture . Opponents say these impose conservative values on vulnerable teenagers .

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I was 14 at the time. Lebanon's civil war was in full flood. One afternoon the shells began raining down on our neighborhood in Beirut. A Lebanese woman and her son run through west Beirut in 1989 during fighting between rival forces. We ran from school screaming. Forget the book bags, classmates, homework. Just run. Out of breath, my knees giving way, it seemed to take forever to reach our local shelter -- a dark humid room at the back of our apartment block. The memory of that terrifying afternoon receded -- until recently. After more than a decade of relative peace and reconstruction, the bombings and assassinations have returned to Beirut. Every time I hear of a new explosion, I think of a frightened child sitting in darkness. In 1988, I watched the last throes of Lebanon's civil war firsthand -- and like millions of Lebanese, sad, frustrated and often fearful. See a timeline of Lebanon's recent history » . Now I watch from another continent, but I find those same emotions resurfacing. The conspiracies, the car bombs, the threatening rhetoric and political deadlock are eerily familiar. The actors are like shadows from a long gone past. They are grayer perhaps -- those who have avoided assassination. But the cast in Lebanon's tragedy has changed little in two decades. Then, as now, a presidential election is the setting, and the struggle where religion and clan play the main roles threatens to set Lebanon back 20 years. See bios of Lebanon's major players » . In 1988, the president's term was coming to an end and the warring factions were unable to agree on a new candidate. Militias prevented parliament members from reaching the assembly building. Compromise was nowhere in sight. The West had abandoned Lebanon to the manipulation of its neighbors. Syria had its choice for president; Israel had its own allies -- a foil for growing Muslim radicalism. The country was awash with weapons. In his last act as president, Amin Gemayel named fellow Christian and Army Chief Michel Aoun as prime minister. At a stroke, he shattered the convention that a Muslim hold that position. Muslims refused to serve in the Cabinet and the country ended up with two governments. Aoun famously declared: "I am prime minister and six ministers in one." Aoun's "War of Liberation" against Syria turned into defeat. Then, he turned on fellow Christians of the Lebanese Forces in the "War of Elimination." When that failed, the Syrians drove Aoun to take refuge at the French Embassy. In August 1990, I came to CNN as a World Report panelist. I tried to explain Lebanon's chaos, the bewildering array of factions and the horrors of civil war for ordinary civilians. I had seen people killed in front of me; children orphaned in seconds, parents burying their infants in oversize white coffins. So when I was offered the opportunity to stay at CNN, I gratefully accepted the chance to escape the anarchy. But almost as I left, the civil war was being laid to rest. The various factions had fought each other to a standstill; Arab governments, supported by the West, helped negotiate a new constitutional framework overseen by Syrian influence. Peace came to Lebanon, but it would be five years before I returned. In 1995, I went back and was stunned. I kept looking around for checkpoints manned by militants. I couldn't believe that I could go anywhere without being harassed or kidnapped by one faction or another. No longer did identity -- Christian, Muslim or Druze -- define where Lebanese could go. People mixed freely in chic coffee shops and smoked the hubble-bubble, laughing at the same jokes. It was as if Lebanon's divisions had been wiped away by some magic eraser. Downtown Beirut, once rocked by explosions and pitted with bullet holes, was rocking to Lebanese pop music. The dusty sandbags had given way to boutiques carrying the latest European fashions and deluxe hotels. Lovers had returned to Beirut's Corniche, overlooking the Mediterranean, for romantic strolls at sunset. But the agreement that ended the civil war was more a truce than a real settlement -- and was overseen by a "pax Syriana." As anti-Syrian sentiment grew, so did political tensions. On Valentine's Day 2005, the Corniche was once again rocked by an explosion. Former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed. The symbolism left me speechless. On the day of love, Lebanon was thrown back into its most hateful history. It had been widely expected that Hariri would run for office again and demand the withdrawal of Syrian troops. Suspicion fell on Damascus, which vehemently denied involvement. On March 14, Martyrs' Square became a human sea of demonstrators: Muslims, Druze and Christians alike, demanding the "truth." But Hariri's death also exposed the fault lines that had broken Lebanon a generation previously. Even after it withdrew its troops, Syria still had allies in Lebanon. One was Hezbollah, accused of the suicide attacks that had killed scores of U.S. Marines in Beirut more than 20 years previously. Another was Gen. Michel Aoun; now back from exile, the same Michel Aoun who had defied Syria in 1989, but who now made common cause with Hezbollah against his fellow Christians. Earlier this year I visited Martyrs' Square. The spirit of the Cedar Revolution had evaporated. The place looked like a morgue. Anti-government Hezbollah squatters had brought life there to a standstill. As I passed through, business owners stood silent in the sun and shook their heads at me in despair. I wondered if they sensed my disappointment, my pain at watching Beirut bleed again. Lebanon's political actors now find themselves re-enacting scenes from the final act of the civil war 19 years ago. Once again, the term of the president is approaching its end; there is no agreement on his successor. Suspicion and fear are the political currency of the day. And the questions haunts me: Will the country's brief renaissance that so amazed me in 1995 be snuffed out by the old curse of sectarian rivalries? E-mail to a friend . CNN's Joe Sterling, David Ariosto, Saad Abedine and Tracy Doueiry contributed to this report.

CNN's Octavia Nasr: Will Lebanon's brief renaissance be snuffed out? Nasr says Lebanon's key power players haven't changed since 1980s . Nasr: Current struggle threatens to set Lebanon back 20 years .

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Firefighters in Southern California are facing wind-whipped walls of flame from 15 wildfires that have scorched more than 400,000 acres and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Firefighters battle the Witch fire Tuesday in the Del Dios area of Escondido, California. The blazes have killed one person and injured at least 70 more. Firefighters were aided by resources from Mexico, the state and federal governments and even inmates from California's prisons. San Diego Fire Department Battalion Chief Bruce Cartelli described scenes of "utter devastation" with hundreds of homes lost and "many hundreds" of others damaged. "It's probably the worst significant event in my career of 36 years," he said. "It will not end ... until it reaches the ocean or the winds turn around," Cartelli said. Meteorologists suggested that Santa Ana winds, which have fueled the wildfires with some gusts approaching 100 mph, could die down Wednesday afternoon. "We are still facing some very serious fires," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said after an aerial tour of the affected area. "The weather has made it very difficult for the air assets to get up and fight the fires. ... If the weather cooperates, maybe we can turn the tide tomorrow." Officials have evacuated nearly 350,000 homes in San Diego County alone, where the worst of the fires are blazing. Using U.S. Census Bureau numbers from the 2000 census, that could mean as many as 950,000 were affected by the fires. Watch evacuees shaken, firefighters battling » . In San Diego County, at least half a million residents had been ordered to find refuge in shelters, schools and stadiums as fires pushed into new areas. Among the evacuees as more than 4,000 military personnel from several bases in the area. With the winds pushing them across the area, the fires spread quickly, forcing some residents to flee in the middle of the night. "My wife woke me up like 12 o'clock, screaming and yelling that the flames were coming down," said Johnny Villanueva of Spring Valley, who fled with his wife and daughter to San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium, which is serving as a shelter to more than 12,000 evacuees. "We just loaded up the car really quick and came down here ... slept in our vehicles." His wife, Elizabeth, added, "I saw on the mountain on fire, and said, 'Oh my God, my family. ... Let's go." With Qualcomm Stadium being used by the evacuees, the San Diego Chargers planned to practice at the Arizona Cardinals' stadium in Glendale for next weekend's game. Lake Arrowhead resident Michelle Dresser, who owns a business and was chased from her home by a wildfire last year, said she was waiting until the last minute to leave. She spent the night in her store, partly to help customers and neighbors. "It is crazy. We are surrounded by fire on both sides," she said. Asked by CNN where she would go, she replied, "I have to find someplace to accept two dogs, two cats and a turtle." Watch people staying with pets at refuge » . Animals are allowed in Qualcomm Stadium, a nearby field and Del Mar Fairgrounds and Racetrack. President Bush is scheduled to visit the area on Thursday, the White House said. Chertoff arrived in San Diego Tuesday afternoon for a "first-hand look" at the devastation. "I wanted to see for myself, first of all, how the shelter situation is in San Diego, what the fires look like up close," Chertoff told CNN. The secretary said that the federal response to the wildfires is "phenomenally better" than the response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, "because we have been preparing and planning and training together for the last 2 ½ years." "Unlike in Katrina ... we have now built the process ... and we've rehearsed it, so when we take the field, the team already knows what we need to do," he said. See photos of the fires » . And the scene at Qualcomm Stadium on Tuesday did seem to live up to Chertoff's expectations as volunteers cheerily handed out chairs, food and water. Thirty-four firefighters have been injured, authorities said. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he was "heartbroken" after touring the Lake Arrowhead area, where the Grass Valley and Slide fires have burned 5,000 acres and destroyed more than 200 homes. "This is a tragedy, what is happening in California," he told reporters. The combination of dry terrain, searing heat and hammering winds had created "the perfect storm for fire," the governor said. Schwarzenegger said about 7,000 firefighters were battling the blazes, including 2,300 inmates from California's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said the mayor of Tijuana, Mexico, had sent four fire engines and their crews to help out, and the governor of Baja California had offered help. Chertoff said cots, blankets, water and other supplies have been moved where they are needed, and more are coming. The Federal Emergency Management Agency delivered 25,000 cots to Qualcomm early Tuesday. At least 150 National Guard members are assigned to provide security at the stadium. See where the fires are burning » . Of San Diego County's 10 major fires, the Witch fire in the north, which has grown to 200,000 acres, is the priority because of its significant threat to structures, said Ron Lane, the county's director of emergency services. The Harris fire had burned more than 70,000 acres by mid-morning. In northern Los Angeles County, the Ranch, Buckweed, and Magic fires have charred more than 93,000 acres and fire officials fear they could merge. "We want to keep these fires as small as we can," said Capt. Barry Parker of the Ventura County Fire Department. The 54,500-acre Ranch fire was only two miles away from the 1,200-acre Magic fire. The blazes are straddling the L.A.-Ventura County line. Asked if he had enough resources, Parker said, "We truly don't." "We're using a limited amount of resources to go in and fight these fires," he said. "We've got about 600 people on the Ranch fire; we normally would have about 1,500. "So we have to be absolutely surgical in how we plan and how we tactically use our fire equipment because we just simply don't have enough fire engines in the state of California to battle these blazes." In San Diego County, a utility spokesman said a 500,000-volt transmission line was damaged when the Harris fire expanded, and it will be out of service until at least Wednesday. Other transmission lines have been destroyed. Sanders said Mexico's Federal Electrical Commission was providing power to the area's grid to help make up for the losses. California also received extensive offers of manpower and equipment from the military. A total of 550 Marines were ready for deployment from Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, and 67 Defense Department employees -- 12 firefighting teams -- already were engaged. Eleven Defense Department helicopters equipped with water buckets and more than 17,000 National Guardsmen were available, along with six C-130 aircraft able to drop water and flame retardant on the flames. But aerial attacks on the fires have been limited by the fierce Santa Ana winds. The Red Cross and other groups also were in the wings. They and some other groups were waiting for the flames to die down before bringing in their volunteers. The Red Cross has set up 11 shelters in the area and housed 3,000 people Monday night. More were expected Tuesday. A firefighter at Rancho Bernardo in San Diego County showed distress. "Every one of us out here feels like these homes are our own. We know what it's like to see people's faces when they've lost everything. It's devastating to see so much of this all at once." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Thelma Gutierrez and Dan Simon contributed to this report.

No end "until it reaches the ocean or the winds turn around," official says . Nearly 350,000 homes in San Diego County evacuated; 70 people injured . Flames have charred 700,000 acres, more than 1,000 homes . Not "enough fire engines in the state of California," Ventura County official says .

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If you thought it was difficult managing your own money in 2007, consider the pressure of the task when you're dealing with $1.8 trillion of client assets. Sallie Krawcheck has made Fortune's list of the World's Most Powerful Women every year since 2002 . That's what Sallie Krawcheck does as Chairman and Chief Executive of Citi Global Wealth Management. She joined the banking industry as a research analyst, but quickly rose through the ranks, gaining a reputation for honesty and integrity along the way. Dubbed the "Mrs Clean" of Wall Street, Ms Krawcheck was credited with restoring investors' faith in analyst reports while head of retail brokerage firm Smith Barney. She joined Citigroup in 2002, and spent some time as Chief Financial Officer before taking up her current role in March 2007. Sallie Krawcheck has been a regular entrant on Fortune's list of the World's Most Powerful Women in Business -- in 2007, she made number 12. John Defterios caught up with Ms Krawcheck in Dubai. He asked her for her views on the movement of capital outside the G8 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States). Sallie Krawcheck (SK): I think what's happening right now, it's fascinating because in the United States and in developed Europe we're having a liquidity crunch -- someone might argue a liquidity crisis. And in fact, we are awash with liquidity in the Middle East and in Asia as well, so there's really a bifurcation that's occurring in the world. And if you think about, oil doesn't even have to stay at the 90-plus dollar level it is; even at levels in the 70's, 60's, 50's, 40's, a tremendous amount of liquidity is being generated in these markets which is really being put back into the market. Yes, the investments are going up globally, but the governments here really are investing back in the infrastructure and the economies of this region. And so over time, you're really going to see... I think continue to see... a shift in economic activity on a relative basis from the more developed economies here to the Middle East as well as to Asia. John Defterios (JD): It's coming almost as a perfect storm; we have a sub prime crisis, a 20 percent fall in the dollar in the last two years. In this window of time, is there a danger that the financial capitals build outside of Wall Street and it undermines its role? (SK): I think there is no doubt that New York is losing its status as a financial capital of the world. If you think about some years ago, if you think about the internet bubble for example, where it was New York and California wasn't it? And you look at a whole range of reasons for it, and the sub prime crisis perhaps, the decline of the dollar perhaps. But you have overlapping regulators in the United States, you have very high taxes in the United States, you have a very litigious environment in the United States, and you have the emerging markets coming up, so capital is being raised outside of the United States. These things, some of which are negative for the United States, some of which are positive for the other regions, is accelerating a shift that was underway from New York, to London, to Hong Kong, to Singapore, and potentially to Dubai as well. (JD): Some of the wealth funds are now on the radar of both Wall Street and Capitol Hill in Washington. You can't have your cake and eat it too. You can't say I want some of that liquidity but I only want part of that liquidity. What is the result of that do you think? Can you over-regulate the sovereign funds? (SK): Oh, I think you can over-regulate the sovereign funds. I think the same question can be asked of the private equity funds and the hedge funds as well; where in a lot of countries the regulators have been struggling with the issue of 'here are very important drivers of global markets and global liquidity'. And the concern is if, gee these are going to be important going forward, we want to have these involved in our economy and our markets, but if we regulate this alone that money will skitter away to another market -- to a market outside the United States or Europe for example. (JD): It's fascinating because if you look at Qatar or Egypt or Shanghai, the stock markets have almost had like a one way path; there's been some correction here in the Middle East. But what are we likely to see here, stair steps up the ladder with some corrections along the way, or an implosion because of the rapid gains? (SK): I think you've got to separate the idea of what's going on in the real economies and what's going on in the market places. They move together, but sometimes they separate, they diverge, and they can diverge for a long period of time. If you look at economic growth potential of the Middle East, of Asia, of Latin America, we feel very bullish about this. And I was making the point earlier today, China has been growing at 11 or 12 percent, not for one year or two years, but literally for 30 years. For 30 years it's been growing at that kind of rate and really can continue as far as the eye can see. So, say the same thing for the Middle East, the growth even at a lower oil price can be significant, but can be high single digit or double digit for some foreseeable period going forward. (JD): Is Wall Street, or for that matter, London or any other financial center ready for a woman -- for example in your case, 1.4 trillion dollars of assets... (SK): 1.8 Thank you... (JD): ...to run one of the major money center banks of the world? I'm sure you're feeling this pressure even though you're young by international standards. Are we ready for a woman to take over a money center bank? (SK): Well it looks like the United States may be ready for a woman to take over as President. So I think if we're ready to potentially have a woman run the country, I think we are getting ready as a country, to potentially have a woman run a money center bank. Now, you know, the board wouldn't ask and I wouldn't accept, but if you look across Wall Street, there are a few women who are putting themselves in positions to be successors the next time there are CEO's who move along, and I think it's a very exciting development for the industry and for the country. Have your say. Email us at mme@cnn.com, or send an i-report. E-mail to a friend .

MME speaks with Sallie Krawcheck, boss of Citi Global Wealth Management . Ranked by Fortune magazine as World's 12th Most Powerful Woman in 2007 . Manages client assets worth $1.8 trillion, formerly bank's CFO . Tells MME: "we're very bullish" on economic potential of the Middle East .

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One of the larger fires in Southern California was deliberately started by someone with apparent knowledge of arson, a fire official said Thursday. Firefighter Luke Perisin sets a backfire Wednesday against the Santiago Fire in Live Oak Canyon, California. The Santiago Fire in Orange County was started in two places along a little-traveled road, according to Chief Chip Prather of the county's fire authority. The fire, which has burned more than 25,000 acres, was started in brush just off Santiago Canyon Road, not close to homes. It spread rapidly, indicating the arsonist had some knowledge of winds and other factors. "It is a confirmed arson. There was evidence found at the scene. That is the purpose of our early declaration of it being an arson-caused fire," Prather said. He would not describe the evidence. Watch how the evidence points to arson » . Prather said officials originally thought the fire had three points of origin instead of two. The Santiago Fire's points of origin are considered crime scenes, said Jim Amornino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department. The reward for information leading to an arrest has increased to $250,000 -- $50,000 each from the governor's office, the U.S. agency of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI, Prather said. KFI radio has chipped in another $100,000, the sheriff's department said. The state established a toll-free arson tip line at 800-540-7085. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said anyone convicted of arson would be dealt with harshly. If a suspect is to be found, "it's going to be by a clue from the public," said county Sheriff Mike Corona. About 1,100 firefighters were working on controlling the Santiago Fire, which has destroyed at least 22 structures, according to Orange County Fire Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the fire was only 30 percent contained Thursday morning after being 50 percent contained the day before. Watch the Santiago flames rage » . The motive of the Santiago Fire's arsonist was a mystery to Concepcion. "That's the part that I really can't figure out, to tell you the truth," he told CNN. "That individual knew on Sunday when this fire started that we had, really, the perfect storm, if you will. We had the heavy Santa Ana winds, we had the low relative humidities, we had the high temperatures. "And then for someone to even think about doing something as reprehensible as starting a fire where they knew the fire would grow as rapidly as it would -- traveling about three, 3½ miles in about an hour -- is just really absolutely unconscionable," he said. The smaller Rosa Fire in Riverside County, 100 percent contained at 411 acres Thursday morning, was also probably arson, state officials said. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Fire Department investigators are looking into whether a man who was arrested on suspicion of arson in the San Fernando Valley may have had a role in any of the ongoing blazes, an L.A. police spokeswoman said. Catalino Pineda, 41, was arrested Wednesday, Officer Kate Lopez told CNN. Witnesses told police they saw him lighting a fire on a hillside in the West Hills area of San Fernando -- northwest of Los Angeles -- then walking away, Lopez said. Pineda was already on probation for "making excessive false emergency reports" to police at the time of the arrest, Lopez said. His bail has been set at $75,000, she said. The fire he allegedly set was brought under control, but now authorities want to find out if he had any role in the other wildfires. In San Bernardino County, John Alfred Rund, 48, was arrested Tuesday evening and charged with setting a small fire along a rural roadside near Victorville. Rund was to be arraigned Thursday morning in Victorville. He was being held in lieu of $750,000 bail. The county's district attorney's office on Thursday also filed arson charges against Anthony Riperti, 47, of Redlands. A statement from the office did not say when or where Riperti is accused of setting a fire. He is being held on $250,000 bail and will be arraigned later Thursday. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department also arrested an adult and a juvenile accused by an anonymous tipster of starting a fire in Vista in the northern part of the county. In a written statement, the sheriff's department identified the adult as Gorgonio Nava. The Vista Fire Department extinguished the blaze before it grew out of control, the statement said. Investigators have determined that the Grass Valley Fire in San Bernardino County was not caused by arson, and a preliminary investigation into the cause of the 10,152-acre Slide Fire seems to indicate arson was not a factor, sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Beaver said. E-mail to a friend .

Santiago Fire deliberately started in two places, official says . Santiago Fire grows to 25,000 acres . L.A. authorities investigate man arrested for suspected arson . Blaze has destroyed 22 structures .

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Conditions that created what California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger dubbed "the perfect storm for fire" eased Wednesday, helping firefighters gain ground against devastating Southern California wildfires. A plane drops fire retardant on the fourth day of a wildfire pushed by winds through Pauma Valley, California. Winds that gusted as much as 101 mph on Sunday dropped to about 30 mph Wednesday evening. Meanwhile, the dry Santa Ana winds that have fanned the flames, changed direction and began blowing inland from the Pacific Ocean, increasing the humidity and easing the burden on almost 8,900 firefighters in the area. But the destruction was taking its toll on the men and women on the front lines of the fires. "It hurts us to have those homes lost. It hurts us to have those injuries. And it is frustrating for us to watch our community be devastated by this," said firefighter Andy Menshek. As conditions improved, officials allowed people to return to communities that had been off-limits because of intense flames and dense smoke. "It was home," said Mark Davis, whose two-story Rancho Bernardo house burned to the ground. "It was us. We had been there 28 years, and it had a lot of our flavor." The change in the weather also meant that firefighting aircraft -- grounded for most of the week by the winds -- could finally fly. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Capt. Scott McLean called the droning sound of aircraft the "sound of joy." "Their drops are hitting their mark because the wind is not there," he said. The rate of burning had slowed significantly by Wednesday. Still, the fire damage increased to 434,543 acres, said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Watch Schwarzenegger give a progress report » . That amounted to 679 square miles, or about 10 times the size of Washington, D.C. By Wednesday evening, the largest fire -- the Witch in northern San Diego County -- was 10 percent contained. It burned about 196,000 acres before combining with the smaller Poomacha blaze. Seven fires among the 22 counted Wednesday were contained. See where the fires are burning » . Others, such as the Buckweed Fire in Los Angeles County, were as much as 94 percent contained. One large fire was a suspected arson. The FBI and the Orange County Fire Authority are investigating the Santiago fire that has burned more than 19,000 acres. All three of its points of origin have been declared crime scenes, said Jim Amornino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department. A $70,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to the arrest of those responsible for setting the fire. The blaze was about 50 percent contained after destroying 17 structures. Watch the raging flames of the Santiago fire » . The smaller Rosa fire in Riverside County, 70 percent contained at just over 400 acres, was also a probably arson, state officials said. As the fire danger eased, residents were allowed to return to several neighborhoods surrounding San Diego: Del Mar Highlands, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Carmel Valley, Chula Vista and Otay Mesa. Helicopters were back in the air over the Lake Arrowhead, California, area after all air activity had been suspended because of extremely smoky skies. In nearby Running Springs, CNN's Ted Rowlands stood in the midst of charred, smoldering rubble strewn with potentially deadly power lines. "It will be a while before these people will come back. When they do come back, unfortunately they'll have this pretty much to look at," he said Wednesday. Watch Rowlands describe a major battle with the flames » . About 500 homes were lost in the mountainous region in San Bernardino County east of Los Angeles. See photos of the fires » . "Yesterday we couldn't be here, because just this little flame and smoldering pieces of wood would be thrown by the intense winds. ... Now you can see the flames just basically burning themselves out," said Rowlands. The fires have already destroyed 1,664 structures -- including 1,436 homes -- and they still threaten 25,000 more, Schwarzenegger said Wednesday. The blazes have killed three people and left 40 hurt, he said. The governor will fly over the area Thursday with President Bush, who signed a major disaster declaration Wednesday. Watch Bush emphasize the need to be responsive » . It'll speed federal dollars to people whose property losses aren't covered by insurance and will help local and state agencies pay for the emergency response. The cost of homes destroyed by the wildfires is likely to top $1 billion in San Diego County alone, an emergency official said. Federal help keeps arriving as officials promise a response based on lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina. People left homeless by the fires can go online to apply for federal help at FEMA.gov, he said. There were 76,000 people staying in the 42 shelters opened in San Diego County Wednesday morning, according to San Diego emergency spokeswoman Lynda Pfieffer. Qualcomm Stadium -- home to the NFL's San Diego Chargers -- housed 11,000 evacuees at the peak of the disaster, but that number dropped to 5,000 Wednesday morning. Watch how evacuees are being taken care of at the stadium » E-mail to a friend . CNN's Kate Bolduan contributed to this report.

Local and federal officials probe suspected arson, offer $70,000 reward . Wind speeds drop, humidity increases after Santa Ana winds change direction . President Bush signs major disaster declaration for Southern California . Home losses will likely top $1 billion in San Diego County, official says .

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A Sudanese court found a British teacher guilty of insulting religion and sentenced her to 15 days in prison Thursday for allowing a teddy bear to be named "Mohammed," British authorities and her lawyer reported. An undated amateur photo of Gillian Gibbons, who has been found guilty of insulting religion. Gillian Gibbons also faces deportation from Sudan after her prison term, her lawyer told CNN. He said that he was "very disappointed" with the verdict and that Gibbons planned to appeal. Gibbons was not convicted of two other charges brought against her -- inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs, her lawyer said. Gibbons, 54, was arrested Sunday after she asked her class of 7-year-olds in Khartoum to name the stuffed animal as part of a school project, the British Foreign Office said. She had faced charges under Article 125 of Sudan's constitution, the law relating to insulting religion and inciting hatred. Although there is no ban in the Quran on images of Allah or the Prophet Mohammed, Islam's founder, likenesses are considered highly offensive by Muslims. Watch latest developments in the case. » . Appearing somber and dazed, Gibbons arrived at the central courthouse in Khartoum for her closed hearing early Thursday. A staff member from the British Embassy in Khartoum and defense lawyers attended the hearing with her. The courthouse was heavily guarded by police, who kept journalists -- and, for a while, even one of her attorneys -- away. Gibbons could have faced a sentence of 40 lashes, a fine, or a jail term of up to a year, according to the Foreign Office, which expressed Britain's dissatisfaction with the verdict. "We are extremely disappointed that the charges against Gillian Gibbons were not dismissed," Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a statement issued shortly after the verdict was announced. "As I said this morning, our clear view is that this is an innocent misunderstanding by a dedicated teacher. Our priority now is to ensure Ms. Gibbons' welfare, and we will continue to provide consular assistance to her. I have called in the Sudanese ambassador, Omer Siddig, this evening to explain the decision and discuss next steps." Watch a report on reactions to the verdict » . The Foreign Office said Gibbons would be given credit for the four days since her arrest, meaning that the she has 11 days remaining on her sentence. Earlier, Miliband had met with Siddig, who was summoned to the Foreign Office in London. "I explained to him that we were very concerned by the case. We believe that this was an innocent misunderstanding," Miliband said in a statement released Thursday after the meeting. "The Sudanese ambassador undertook to ensure our concerns were relayed to Khartoum at the highest level. He also said he would reflect back to Khartoum the real respect for the Islamic religion in this country," the statement added. On the first floor of the courthouse, around 25 police linked arms and forced journalists and British officials away from the court entrance. Police detained some journalists, and confiscated a camera belonging to a freelance CNN cameraman. Four vans filled with riot police were waiting outside the courthouse, but there were no signs of street disturbances or protests. Staff from Gibbons' school, including Robert Boulos, the head of Unity High School, were present. The staff members refused to comment on their colleague's predicament. On Wednesday, Boulos said he was "horrified" when he found out that the complaint about the naming of the bear came from a member of his own staff -- not from a parent, as originally thought. Defense counsel later confirmed that the complaint came from Sarah Khawad, a secretary at the school. Gibbons has been working at the school -- popular with wealthy Sudanese and expatriates -- since August, after leaving her position as deputy head teacher at a primary school in Liverpool, England, this summer, Boulos said. He said Gibbons asked the children to pick their favorite name for the new class mascot, which she was using to aid lessons about animals and their habitats. E-mail to a friend . Journalist Andrew Heavens contributed to this report. Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

British teacher in Sudan found guilty of insulting religion . Gillian Gibbons, 54, arrested after her class named teddy bear "Mohammed" Gibbons was not convicted of two other charges brought against her . UK consular staff, Gibbons' defense team initially refused access to the court .

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The owner of a North Carolina beach house where seven college students died in a weekend fire said Monday that his family's "lives were just changed forever" by the tragedy. Chip Auman said his 18-year-old daughter survived the fire but was hospitalized and in stable condition because of complications from smoke inhalation. "The thought of losing a child is unimaginable to me, and as a father my heart goes out to the families that lost a loved one in this situation," he said. Auman said the situation was "hard to fathom." "There's just no words to describe what we've been going through," he said, asking for prayers for survivors and the families of those who died. "We're numb, we're confused, we're heartbroken." Two college campuses mourned Monday. Six University of South Carolina students and a Clemson University student died in the fire early Sunday morning in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. Six other South Carolina students were able to get out of the house in time. The six were treated and released from nearby Brunswick Community Hospital, but Auman's daughter was hospitalized again in Hartsville, South Carolina. Authorities from the state Bureau of Investigation and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are leading the investigation into the cause of the fire. Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith said the house was "engulfed" in flames when the fire department arrived on the scene, about five minutes after being notified. The flames shot into the sky and ultimately left little more than portions of the framing. Fire officials do not believe foul play was involved. Watch a neighbor's video, fears of fast-burning fire » . Dennis A. Pruitt, the vice president for student affairs for the University of South Carolina, said investigators have said it would be Tuesday or Wednesday before the identities of the victims are confirmed publicly. It could be as much as a month until investigators know the cause of the fire, Pruitt said. The university did not cancel classes on Monday, but Pruitt said arrangements had been made for those who need to go home or stay out of class at the 28,000-student campus. Pruitt said meetings had been held Sunday with members of Delta Delta Delta sorority and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. The South Carolina students were affiliated with those houses, he said, although he stressed that the weekend was not an official Greek function. He also said counselors and ministers were available to help students deal with the loss of their classmates. The university president, Dr. Andrew Sorenson, contacted the families of those who died in the fire to express the condolences and support of the university community. Jay Laura, student president of the USC chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, said the campus would pull together after the tragedy. "If any place can come together to help in the healing process and the aftermath of an event like this, it is South Carolina," Laura said at a Monday afternoon press conference. Fire survivor Tripp Wylie, a 20-year-old South Carolina sophomore, said he jumped out of a third-story window into a canal to escape the flames and was unable to get back in to help his friends. "I could see a buddy of mine off to the left who had gotten out. He was just yelling at me to jump and stuff," Wylie told CNN affiliate WYFF. "The smoke was pouring out, couldn't really breathe, so I had to make a quick decision. [I] just kind of leaned out the window and luckily I jumped far enough to make it into the canal." Neighbors flocked to see the fire as firefighters battled and ultimately got the blaze under control. See the scenes of devastation » . George Smith, who lives across the street from the house, said he heard sirens between 6:30 and 7 a.m. and went outside to see "the whole sky lit up." "The whole house was completely engulfed in flames, up to about 20 feet," he said. "I have never seen [a fire] move so fast." George Smith said the house's occupants were "partying in there yesterday and into the night." After about 10:30 p.m. Saturday they quieted down, he said. Linda Sing said she was walking her dog when she saw the fiery destruction. She noted that firefighters had saved an adjacent house by spraying it down with water. "We knew there were people in there, but we hoped and prayed they'd gotten out," Sing said. "This is the worst thing I've ever seen. We've had hurricanes, but this is worse." Ocean Isle Beach is a popular resort destination along North Carolina's southern coast. The year-round population of the 7-mile-long island is about 425, but it swells to about 25,000 during the summer season, according to the town's Web site. E-mail to a friend .

"Heartbroken" house owner's daughter among six survivors hospitalized . One survivor jumped out of a third-story window into a canal to escape . University of South Carolina mourns deaths of six students .

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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Wednesday he is cutting all ties with Colombia as long as Alvaro Uribe remains its president. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe withdrew his support for the Venezuelan leader's mediation efforts with the FARC. "I say before the world, while President Uribe is president of Colombia, I will not have any type of relation with him or with the government of Colombia," Chavez said in an address broadcast on national television. "I can't, I can't, I can't." Chavez noted that Uribe had asked him to help secure the release of hundreds of hostages being held by the leftist rebel group Armed Revolutionary Front of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN). "I went with my heart in my hand, and I was ready," Chavez told a group of supporters in the southwestern state of Tachira. "I was prepared to go to the most dangerous forest in the country to help." But last Thursday, Uribe ended Chavez's participation, citing his direct communication with Uribe's top general, a move that Uribe said broke protocol. "When we were at the point of succeeding, Uribe comes and, without telling me anything, he didn't even call me on the phone or send me an emissary, just sent me a letter saying he was ending my mission," Chavez said. "That was a kick." Without being specific, Chavez accused Uribe of having lied. "That's real ugly," he said. Chavez also accused Uribe of having bowed to pressure from Washington "to get rid of Chavez." But the firebrand Venezuelan president, who has called U.S. President George W. Bush "the devil," said his arms are open to the Colombian people. E-mail to a friend .

Chavez says Uribe had asked him to help secure the release of hostages . Uribe cited Chavez's direct communication with Uribe's top general as breach . Chavez accuses Uribe of lying . Chavez says his arms are open to the Colombian people .

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When I was 7 years old, my mom took me to the doctor because I had lost a lot of weight, despite a voracious appetite. My family had just moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Pasadena, California, and this visit to the doctor's office was my introduction to a man who would come to have a huge impact on my life. His name was Dr. Robert Deputy, and he was the pediatrician who diagnosed me with diabetes. He spoke to me directly, rather than to my mother, and he asked me questions: Did I feel thirsty? Did I need to urinate during the night? The answer to both questions was yes. He asked for a urine sample and the result was immediate. Dr. Deputy told me and my mother that my body wasn't processing sugar properly. I had diabetes. That is how my 40-year journey with diabetes began. I was checked into a hospital to learn how to test my urine for sugar, give myself injections of insulin, follow a diabetic diet and control my diabetes. I spent several days in the hospital learning how to manage my disease, and then they sent me home. Dr. Deputy would call our house each afternoon to check on me and see how I was doing. Much to my parents' chagrin -- and to my delight -- he wanted me to be self sufficient and responsible for monitoring myself. I refused to let my parents give me injections or test my urine. This demand for self sufficiency turned out to be one of my best life lessons, and not just for managing my diabetes. While some diabetics may feel their disease is a burden, I feel that being diagnosed with diabetes was a blessing in disguise. It forced our family to eat healthily, and it taught me about good nutrition -- something I practice every day. I know carbohydrate counts in most foods, and I understand dietary concepts that most people don't even care about. Being active is also a way to burn off high blood sugar, so when my urine tested positive for glucose, my older sister Robin was in charge of exercising me. We had countless jump-rope contests, bike rides and roller-skating excursions, keeping me and my three sisters active and fit. And I felt like a little mad scientist, using a test tube with drops of water, urine and fizzy tablets to see if there was sugar in my urine. Fortunately, over time, technology improved. First, test strips were developed that could be dipped in urine to reveal whether sugar was present in it. But the truth is, testing urine for sugar was a primitive method. By the time sugar gets into the urine, it's a signal that the body doesn't have enough insulin to process sugar. And the urine test didn't give an actual number for the amount of sugar in the urine. It simply gave a color reading that corresponded with a range of how much sugar was present in the urine. Inaccurate was really an understatement when you talk about urine testing. Home blood glucose testing kits became available in the early 1980s, and they were a huge move toward precise control and management of diabetes. With the kit, the diabetic uses a device to poke a finger and produce a drop of blood. The blood is placed on a test strip that fits into a device that produces a reading of the blood glucose within seconds. While I initially balked at the idea of pricking my finger several times a day, now I can't imagine not doing it in order to monitor what my blood sugar is doing. The 1980s also saw the advent of the insulin pump. This device is the size of a pager and contains a reservoir filled with insulin. The reservoir connects to a tube that infuses the insulin into the body with a tiny plastic shunt. So rather than taking multiple injections to mimic the body's insulin patterns, the pump drips insulin into the body to keep blood sugars constant, then gives extra amounts with meals. Another life-altering development in diabetes, which I have discovered in the last year, is the continuous glucose monitor, or CGM. This is a small device inserted into the tissue -- usually the abdomen, hip or leg -- and it has a tiny sensor that reads the glucose level of the body's fluids. The data is transmitted to a receiver, and patients can see a constant reading of their blood sugar levels. I have participated in clinical trials for three different CGM devices, and I found them all to be quite accurate. Some sensors transmit data directly to an insulin pump, so you can use the reading to adjust and fine-tune the amount of insulin being pumped into the body. The patient still has to test his or her blood sugar to confirm the sensor is properly calibrated, but it's amazing to be able to see constant readings and graphs of what your blood sugar is doing and better manage blood sugars. CGM technology is a step toward the ultimate goal of controlling type I diabetes using what's called a "closed loop system." This means diabetics someday will be able to wear a pump that gathers data from a sensor so precise that the pump can be programmed to act on its own and make adjustments all by itself. The current systems are "open looped," meaning the diabetic controls when the doses are given. The goal is to eventually create a pump that is more like a robotic delivery system, and all the patient has to do is wear it. Once that technology is perfected, this type of device would be implanted, which would be the next best thing to not having diabetes. I mentioned to my sister Robin that I had tracked down Dr. Deputy for this article. She told me something I didn't know when I was 7. Forty years ago, before the advent of all of the cool diabetes technology such as insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors and blood sugar testing, parents were given a fairly grim prediction for how their child would fare. Dr. Deputy told my parents that I would probably only live to the age of 20 or 30, which apparently -- but not surprisingly -- had the whole family freaked out. I spoke with Dr. Deputy, who recently retired from his pediatric practice, and he seemed to remember me. When I asked him about his dismal prognosis for my survival, he said sadly, "At that time, that was what we told parents back then. ... Everything changes with time -- diabetes, leukemia -- technology has changed with the pump and the equipment." I think he was relieved that his prognosis was wrong. I know that I certainly am. In fact, I am hoping to live another 40 years! E-mail to a friend .

CNN Medical Unit assignment manager Ann Curley is a type I diabetic . She learned she had diabetes when she was 7 years old . Testing progressed from fizzy tablets in urine to continuous glucose monitors . With changes in technology have come improvements in prognoses .

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Former Wales and British Lions center Ray Gravell has died of a suspected heart attack aged 56, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has announced. Gravell won 23 caps for Wales and played on the Lions tour of South Africa in 1980. Gravell had been on holiday with his family in the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca at the time. A WRU statement praised Gravell as being "a man who epitomized the passion, flair and dignity of his beloved Welsh nation." Gravell made his debut for Wales against France in 1975, three years after helping his club side Llanelli to their famous win over the touring All Blacks. In all he made 23 appearances for what was then a dominant Wales side, winning Grand Slams in 1976 and 1978, and played all four Tests on the Lions' tour of South Africa in 1980. After retiring as a player in 1985, Gravell became president of Llanelli RFC and the Llanelli Scarlets. He also pursued a career as an actor and a respected rugby broadcaster. Earlier this year, Gravell had his right leg amputated below the knee following complications linked with his diabetes but he had been recovering well. WRU chief executive Roger Lewis said: "We are all in total shock because Ray was so full of life even through the difficult health problems he suffered recently. "He was a wonderful ambassador for rugby and for Wales and a great example of how the game can bring out the best in a man. "As a player, he always gave a huge amount of respect to his opponents but never gave an inch of ground to anyone he faced on the field of play. "It is a measure of the man that he forged rugby friendships which lasted long after his playing days up until the present day." E-mail to a friend .

Former Wales and British Lions center Ray Gravell has died aged 56 . He was on holiday with his family in Mallorca . After retiring he worked as an actor and broadcaster .

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Democratic Sen. Barack Obama kicked off a series of local outreach gospel concerts Friday in Charleston, South Carolina, that unexpectedly came back to bite his campaign. Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is competing for the black vote with Hillary Clinton. The concerts were meant to boost black voters' support for his presidential nominee bid -- the kind of events that would normally fly under the national radar. The ensuing controversy highlighted that Obama's desire to unite disparate voting blocs -- especially religious voters -- under his umbrella of "change" is not without some serious pitfalls. When the campaign announced the lineups for the three-city "Embrace the Change!" gospel tour last week, one name stood out to gay bloggers: Donnie McClurkin. The Grammy-award winning singer is on record as saying homosexuality is a choice, and that he was "once involved with those desires and those thoughts" but was able to get past them through prayer. To say the least, neither of those arguments is very popular in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. John Aravosis, a prominent gay blogger and co-founder of the Web site AmericaBlog, led the charge against the Obama campaign, writing that the Illinois Democrat was "sucking up to anti-gay bigots" and "giving them a stage." When the story bubbled up into the mainstream media, it took the Obama campaign by surprise. Obama's efforts in the Palmetto State have overwhelmingly targeted African-American churchgoers in a bid to win over black voters in South Carolina from rival Sen. Hillary Clinton. The campaign has vigorously promoted the candidate's faith, launching "40 Days of Faith and Family" in September, which used Bible study groups to tap into the black electorate. Campaigners have run three radio ads, one of which called Obama a "Christian family man," that aired on gospel stations across the state. Earlier this month, Obama spoke at an evangelical church in the traditionally conservative city of Greenville, where he demonstrated a casual familiarity with Christian vocabulary, telling the crowd, to much applause, that "I am confident that we can create a kingdom right here on Earth." After that appearance, the Obama campaign told CNN that Republicans no longer had a choke hold on issues of faith and values. "I think that what you're seeing is a breaking down of the sharp divisions that existed maybe during the '90s," Obama said. "At least in politics, the perception was that the Democrats were fearful of talking about faith, and on the other hand you had the Republicans who had a particular brand of faith that oftentimes seemed intolerant or pushed people away." But on Tuesday, Obama was forced to confront the uncomfortable truth that some Christians and gays are a little more than just strange bedfellows, especially among blacks. Obama issued a statement saying, "I strongly disagree with Reverend [Donnie] McClurkin's views and will continue to fight for these rights as president of the United States," and argued that it is important to confront homophobia among religious African Americans. A September poll of African Americans in South Carolina by Winthrop University and ETV showed that 62 percent of those surveyed said that "sex between two adults of the same sex" is "strongly unacceptable." Obama held a conference call Wednesday with Joe Solomonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, and announced that the Rev. Andy Sidden, an openly gay South Carolina pastor, will appear at the same event as McClurkin on Sunday in Columbia. Solomonese was not completely assuaged. "I spoke with Senator Barack Obama today and expressed to him our community's disappointment for his decision to continue to remain associated with Reverend McClurkin, an anti-gay preacher who states the need to 'break the curse of homosexuality,'" he said in a statement. "There is no gospel in Donnie McClurkin's message for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their allies. That's a message that certainly doesn't belong on any presidential candidate's stage." The State newspaper in Columbia reported Friday that Obama organized a conference call Thursday night with gay and lesbian leaders. After the call, the South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement announced it will hold a protest vigil outside Sunday's concert in Columbia. Privately, Obama aides say they believe Obama is a candidate of real, transformational change, and that uproars like the McClurkin controversy are necessary speed bumps on the road to bringing people with opposing viewpoints together to air their differences. Will Obama's refusal to kick McClurkin off the concert bill hurt him? Like many political squabbles, despite the national story, it depends how much the controversy resonates with voters in those crucial early states: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. And in South Carolina, where African Americans make up about half of Democratic primary-goers, voters might not have a problem with McClurkin at all. E-mail to a friend .

Obama holding concerts to win over African-American Christians in S. Carolina . But lineup offends homosexuals, angered by appearance of anti-gay singer . Obama disavows preacher-singer's views, asks gay pastor to appear too .

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Atletico Madrid recovered from their painful recent defeat by Barcelona to crush European rivals Real Zaragoza 4-0 in the Primera Liga on Sunday. Luis Garcia celebrates his first Atletico Madrid goal in their superb 4-0 victory over Real Zaragoza. Luis Garcia's first goal for the club, a double from Argentine Maxi Rodriguez and a Diego Forlan strike clinched a comfortable win as Atletico moved up to sixth in the table. It was also sweet revenge for Atletico as Zaragoza beat them home and away last season to beat them to sixth place and the final UEFA Cup spot. Atletico went ahead in the 10th minute when Forlan picked out a precise pass for Garcia who made no mistake with a calm side-footed finish. Forlan then got on the scoresheet himself with a first-time lob on 34 minutes for his third goal of the season, before Rodriguez stole the show with two more goals. Getafe registered their first win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Murcia. Substitute Kepa, who was later sent off, opened the scoring in the 54th minute and Francisco Casero added a second five minutes later to clinch the points. Elsewhere last season's second division champions Valladolid continue to struggle in the top flight, crashing to a 2-1 defeat against Athletic Bilbao. Artiz Aduriz scored twice for Bilbao after eight and 31 minutes to leave Valladolid second from bottom with promoted Levante, who have a meagre one point, propping up the table. E-mail to a friend .

Atletico Madrid bounce back to form with a superb 4-0 victory over Zaragoza . Maxi Rodriguez scores twice with Luis Garcia and Diego Forlan also on target . Getafe registered their first win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Murcia .

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The company owns The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and the Sands Macau in The People's Republic of China's Special Administrative Region of Macau, as well as Venetian Macau Limited, a developer of additional multiple casino hotel resort properties in Macau. The first phase of the Venetian Casino Resort opened in May 1999, which originally consisted of 3,036 suites though the number of suites was reduced over time to 3,014 based on renovations and remodeling. Since it's opening, the property has received recognition as revolutionizing the Las Vegas hotel industry, and has been honored with architectural and other awards naming it as one the finest hotels in the world. In 2003, The Venetian added the 1,013-suite Venezia tower -- giving The Venetian 4,027 suites, 18 world-class restaurants, and a retail mall with canals, gondolas and singing gondoliers. In May 2004, Las Vegas Sands opened the Sands Macau, located on China's southeastern coast. The Sands Macau includes approximately 163,000 square feet of gaming facilities, luxury suites, specialty restaurants and an International VIP club. In December 2004, in one of the year's most anticipated initial public offerings, Dr. and Mr. Adelson rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange and with it shares of Las Vegas Sands Corp. began trading. The price of the Sands stock rose 61 percent on its opening day, becoming the largest opening day of any American-based initial public offering in the last two years. The Venetian Casino Resort is one of the most productive properties on the Strip, having an occupancy rate of 98.3% and an average daily room rate of $219 during the nine months ended September 30, 2004. E-mail to a friend .

The company owns three major casino complexes, in Las Vegas and Macau . Venetian Casino Resort opened in 1999, originally consisted of 3,036 suites . In May 2004, Las Vegas Sands opened the Sands Macau .

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State Department officials should serve where they are needed -- even in war-torn Iraq, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says that "people need to serve where they are needed." Rice was responding to foreign service officers' objections to the possibility of "directed assignments" in Iraq. The issue has caused an uproar in the State Department, resulting in a contentious town hall-style meeting Wednesday. The new directives would be needed if enough qualified foreign service officers don't step forward to fill open positions at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. If the State Department enforces directed assignments, it will be the first time since the Vietnam War era. One official called the order to serve in Iraq "a potential death sentence" during the town meeting. The State Department already has begun notifying about 200 people considered prime candidates. Those chosen will be given 10 days to respond, according to last week's announcement. Unless they have a valid medical reason to refuse, those who decline could face dismissal, it said. Wednesday's heated meeting was replayed on an internal State Department television channel in Washington several times and talked about widely. Some at the hourlong meeting questioned why they were not told of the policy change directly, learning about it instead from news organizations last week. Watch the diplomats exchange angry words » . "I just have no respect for the whole process because you've demonstrated a lack of respect for your own colleagues," said foreign service officer Jack Croddy. "Thank you for that comment. It's full of inaccuracies, but that's OK," Harry Thomas Jr., director general of the foreign service, shot back. Others pointed out the risks of such assignments, considering the dangers of a war zone, lack of security and regular rocket attacks on U.S. personnel. Rice, who did not attend the meeting, tried to calm things down Friday by underscoring the State Department's attempts to do "everything that we can to try and protect our diplomats." However, she said, "This is one of the highest priority tasks of the United States, and we're going to meet our obligations." Speaking to reporters en route to Turkey and the Mideast, she said, "I don't know if we will have direct assignments or not, but we are one foreign service, and people need to serve where they are needed." The secretary sent out a cable to State Department employees worldwide encouraging them to serve in Iraq. "This year [U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker] has identified the need for additional positions to more effectively accomplish our mission in Iraq," Rice said in the cable. Rice said she has decided to go forward with the identification of officers to serve, "should it prove necessary to direct assignments." "Should others step forward, as some already have, we will fill these new jobs as we have before -- with volunteers. However, regardless of how the jobs may be filled, they must be filled," she said. Rice earlier said reports that the State Department was finding it hard to coax foreign service employees into Iraq "couldn't be further from the truth." The assignments are new positions. Fifteen people have stepped forward to volunteer for Iraq service since the new policy was announced October 26, department spokesman Sean McCormack said. McCormack rejected comments by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, that State Department employees are "nervous Nellies" and that wounded U.S. military veterans should be asked to fill the Iraq vacancies. McCormack said until now the State Department has been successful in filling jobs in Iraq with volunteers. Since 2003, more than 1,500 personnel have volunteered to go to Iraq, he said. But with the expansion of the staff in Iraq this year, 58 spots were left open. "They are serving in dangerous and challenging places," he said. "We have a lot of brave people who are stepping up to the plate in Anbar and Basra and Baghdad and Kabul and a lot of other places that are not necessarily in the headlines." State Department employees have been killed in Iraq, but McCormack could not say how many. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Zain Verjee and Charley Keyes contributed to this report.

Condoleezza Rice responds to foreign service officers' objections on Iraq duty . "Directed assignments" will be enforced if enough officers don't volunteer in Iraq . Rice: Department doing "everything that we can to try and protect our diplomats" One official calls order to serve in Iraq "a potential death sentence"

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Favorable weather and firefighter reinforcements helped ease the fire danger in parts of Southern California Thursday, but the human toll from the disaster was still coming to light. A firefighter watches the Harris Fire. Four bodies were found in a canyon in the path of the blaze Thursday. The number of deaths attributed directly to the fires grew to seven Thursday, after the charred bodies of four people believed to be illegal immigrants were found in a canyon east of San Diego. Seven other deaths are labeled as fire-related: Three elderly people died during evacuations, and four others died after being evacuated. Improving conditions allowed more people to come home Thursday, but new evacuations were ordered in areas where the unrelenting flames marched on. Where residents could return, they often found ash and rubble in place of their homes. "We see pictures from online and on TV, but it's just, it's much different when you see it up front," said Louela Binlac in front of what remained of her Rancho Bernardo home. "The most important thing is that our family is still together, everybody is safe, and eventually we will rebuild again," she said. "Those things you can replace. We are just all grateful that everybody is safe." Rancho Bernardo resident Marilyn Wood said it was "really scary" to come back to the pile of ashes she once called home. Her voice breaking, Wood vowed to rebuild and recounted how she and her husband, Gordon, fled early Monday with only minutes to spare. See photos of the fires » . "(Our house) was burning as we were leaving," she said. President Bush got a firsthand look at the aftermath of the devastating fires Thursday -- 10 still burning across seven counties. He promised federal help for those affected by the fires. Watch Bush tour the damage » . "We're not going to forget you in Washington, D.C.," the president said after touring the area by air and visiting Rancho Bernardo with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Watch a report on Bush as 'comforter-in-chief' » . Bush signed a federal disaster declaration Wednesday, freeing money to help residents rent temporary homes and repair damaged homes and businesses and to help local and state agencies pay for the emergency response. The cost of homes destroyed by the wildfires is likely to top $1 billion in San Diego County alone, an emergency official said. People left homeless by the fires can apply online for federal help at FEMA.gov, said Federal Emergency Management Agency Director David Paulison. Watch a tour of FEMA's command center » . Almost 9,000 firefighters battled the blazes, augmented by reinforcements from dozens of states across the country. Twenty-three fires have scorched 472,478 acres (738 square miles), an area roughly three-quarters of the size of Rhode Island. See where the fires are still burning » . Along with homes and businesses, the flames have destroyed roughly one-third of San Diego County's lucrative avocado crop, along with other croplands, greenhouses and nurseries. A change in the winds -- from a ferocious 100 mph on Sunday to an almost manageable 10 mph on Thursday -- brought welcome relief and allowed a full-bore aerial assault on the fires. Reinforcements from across the country arrived to aid the exhausted firefighters, officials said. While the fires still threatened some 25,000 homes, the burn rate in the region -- a measure made up of factors like wind speed, humidity and available fuel -- was significantly lower Thursday, a spokeswoman at the California Department of Forestry and Protection said. Residents of several communities, including the city of San Diego, were allowed to return home Wednesday and Thursday, but more evacuations were ordered -- the latest covering the communities of Lake Henshaw and Mesa Grande and the La Jolla Indian Reservation in San Diego County. With the shifting fires, some shelters closed as others opened closer to danger. In San Diego, Mayor Jerry Sanders announced that Qualcomm Stadium -- the home of NFL's Chargers that held 11,000 evacuees at the height of the fires but dropped to 750 Wednesday night -- would close to evacuees. "As we transition from a large-scale emergency evacuation center into the recovery process, we have begun assisting all evacuees to find more suitable shelter and housing," Sanders said. "Toward that end, Qualcomm will close as an emergency shelter at noon tomorrow [Friday]." Meanwhile, arson investigations were under way in Orange and Riverside counties in connection with some of the wildfires. Watch how arson investigators look for clues » . The Orange County Sheriff's Department announced a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the 23,000-acre Santiago fire, local officials said. Watch the raging flames of the Santiago Fire » . "For someone to even think about doing something as reprehensible as starting a fire, where they knew that the fire would grow as rapidly as it would, traveling about three, 3½ miles in about an hour, is just, is really absolutely unconscionable," Orange County Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion said on CNN's "American Morning." The FBI and the ATF are assisting Orange County authorities with the investigation. In addition, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection considers the Rosa fire in Riverside County an arson case. That fire burned more than 400 acres before being fully contained. In other arson investigations, two men have been arrested in San Bernardino County, one in San Fernando and an adult and a juvenile in San Diego County. None are believed connected with the major fires burning in the area. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Qualcomm Stadium to close as an emergency shelter at noon Friday . Charred bodies of three men and a woman found near San Diego . More than half of Southern California fires are fully contained . Bush to fire victims: We're not going to forget you in Washington .

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The commander of the nuclear-powered submarine USS Hampton has been relieved of his command amid an inquiry into misconduct by crew members, the U.S. Navy said Friday. The USS Hampton appears in an undated photograph. Cmdr. Michael B. Portland lost his post "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command," the Navy said in a statement. Cmdr. William J. Houston will replace Portland. The crew neither maintained inspection records nor conducted the required inspection of chemical levels associated with the cooling system of the ship's nuclear reactor, Navy officials said. The crew then went back and falsified existing records to make it appear the work had been done. "There is not, and never was, any danger to the crew or the public," the Navy said. Portland's demotion brings to 10 the number of people relieved of duty on the submarine in the wake of the misconduct probe. Six personnel have been punished for forging inspection records for the cooling system, the Navy officials said Monday. Those six -- one officer and five enlisted personnel -- received a "nonjudicial punishment" after other Navy personnel discovered their actions, the officials said. The Navy said Friday that one officer and two enlisted crew members have been temporarily reassigned to Submarine Squadron 11. Portland also will be temporarily reassigned to that squadron. The misconduct was discovered September 17 but not made public until after completion of an initial inquiry. A fact-finding investigation is under way, and further action against Navy crew members is possible, a Navy official said. The Hampton remains in port in San Diego, California. In all, the $900 million vessel's crew includes 13 officers and 116 enlisted personnel. E-mail to a friend .

Navy says it has lost confidence in officer's ability to command . Crew members on sub disciplined for faking inspection records, Navy says . Ten people have been relieved of duty; six received "nonjudicial punishment"

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A bus hopped a highway median and crashed into a pickup truck before being broadsided by an 18-wheeler, Arkansas police said, killing the pickup driver and two bus riders. Two passengers were found dead inside the bus, said Arkansas State Police. Forty people were hurt in Sunday night's crash, which shut down a 13-mile stretch of Interstate-40 east of Forrest City, Arkansas, said state police spokesman Bill Sadler. The bus was westbound en route from Chicago, Illinois, to Dallas, Texas. The driver of the pickup truck -- identified as 30-year-old Danny Okurily of Hot Springs, Arkansas -- died at the scene of the accident, Sadler said. Bus driver Felix Tapia, 28, of Brownsville, Texas, and tractor-trailer driver David Rice, 45, of Mars Hill, North Carolina, suffered minor injuries, according to The Associated Press. Two passengers were also found dead inside the bus, he said. Their names were not released because authorities have not yet notified relatives, Sadler said. Several dozen injured passengers were taken to hospitals in Forrest City, Memphis and West Memphis, said police. The bus, which listed 44 passengers on its manifest, was owned and operated by the Tornado Bus Line, which is based in Dallas, Texas, Sadler said. The crash happened just after 10 p.m. CT about 10 miles east of Forrest City and about 40 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee, Sadler said. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Bus driver, tractor-trailer trucker injured in 3-vehicle crash, AP reports . Bus crossed median, hit pickup truck, then 18-wheeler, killing 3 . All lanes of I-40 closed for 13 miles east of Forrest City, Arkansas . Driver of the pickup truck and two bus passengers killed, police say .

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If someone had asked Kelly Pless to describe herself three years ago, the word "fit" would have never crossed her mind. Kelly Pless weighed 220 pounds at her heaviest. She lost 95 pounds through diet and exercise. For most of her adult life, the 31-year-old graduate student from Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, has struggled with her weight. She started gaining as a teenager and by the time she graduated from high school, she was carrying 215 pounds on her 5' 2" frame. Prom, she says, was a nightmare. "I had to go to three different stores to buy a dress," Pless said. "I had to buy the biggest, also the ugliest, prom dress the store had because it was the only one that would fit." After high school, she lost 50 pounds. But because she hadn't done it in a healthy way, her weight crept back up to 220 pounds. At 28, she started having trouble breathing and doctors told her the weight was to blame. She reached her breaking point. "I remember being heavy and feeling like being fit just wasn't something I could be," said Pless. "I remember feeling like even if I tried, it wasn't something my body was capable of." Despite her doubts, Pless decided to do something. Fortunately she didn't have to look far for inspiration. See before and after weight loss photos from CNN.com I-Reporters » . "My manager at the Kennedy Space Center ran marathons, and he was the same age as my father," she said. Because her own father had diabetes and was in poor health, he seemed much older, she said. Over the next three to four months, she began walking, without any real goal or expectation. Pless believed that if she just focused on eating less and moving more, everything would fall into place. "At first, it was hard to start exercising because I was worried people would make fun of me," Pless said. "But then I just told myself, if that's the worst that could happen ... I just got out there and didn't care." Eventually, she started to run or "shuffle" as she jokingly recalls. She also adopted an "eat to live" philosophy and satisfied her cravings for sweets by eating lots of fruit. "I changed how I felt about food and what it meant to me," said Pless, who occasionally indulges in a bite of birthday cake or a piece of chocolate. "One of the first things I cut out was cakes and cookies. That was my weak spot. After a few months of cutting those things out, I focused more on portion control," said Pless. "I pretty much eat when I'm hungry and don't eat when I'm not and really try to pay attention to when those times are. Make sure I'm not eating out of boredom or [at] social events, I try to make sure I'm not overeating, just because everyone else is." Kelly Pless shares her weight loss secrets » . Pless pays close attention to societal pressure, which she believes is the reason many people overeat. Restaurant servings are about three times bigger than a normal portion size, she says. She makes sure she doesn't overeat when dining out simply because the food is there. "What's hard is to change how you feel about foods that you love or that aren't necessarily good for you, or actually change how you look at food. That was the hardest part for me." Instead of giving in to the temptation or convenience of calorie-laden or fatty foods such as cheeseburgers from the drive-through, Pless asks herself, "What do I really want to eat? Or, what does my body really want right now?" All of the hard work and determination paid off. Pless has lost 95 pounds and kept it off for 1½ years. As a result, she says, she's healthier and more confident. She's also set a new professional goal -- to pursue a doctorate in food and exercise psychology -- so she can help others who are battling obesity and eating disorders. "[The] negative side to weight loss is that people treat people differently. Being fat was a good filter -- I'm automatically treated better by people because I'm thinner. Society is so hard on people who are overweight or obese," said Pless. "Now, those people think I'm funnier or smarter." Pless runs about 40 miles a week while she trains for two marathons she plans to run this winter. The first is in November in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the second is in Miami, Florida, in January. Forty pounds ago, the first thing she wanted to do once she lost the weight was to have a tummy tuck to remove all of the loose skin. But now, she said she can't imagine taking the break from running that recovering from surgery would require. "Running has become a constant for me and does so much more for me than maintain my weight, which is now about 125 pounds," said Pless. If her past is any indication of her future success, Pless will certainly cross the finish line. I-Report: Have you lost weight? Share your story, tips and photos E-mail to a friend .

Kelly Pless started gaining as a teen and weighed 220 pounds at her heaviest . Exercise and an "eat to live" eating philosophy helped her shed 95 pounds . Pless started out walking but now runs 40 miles a week . She is training to run two marathons this winter .

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It was two years late and billions of dollars over budget, but this week the Singapore Airline-owned A380 completed its maiden passenger journey between Singapore and Sydney. Making history: the first double bed on a commercial jet . On board were nearly 500 passengers who had bid thousands of dollars for the historical experience. This was a turning point in aviation history as Airbus' superjumbo became the world's largest aircraft. And the time had finally come for it to receive some admiration. Singapore Airlines' CEO, Chew Choon Seng named the jetliner the "queen of the skies". Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus said he would like to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary on one of its double beds. And CNN's Richard Quest, who was on board the maiden flight, said there was "nothing quite like it". The luxury on board, he said, sets a new standard for air travel. It's the quietest large passenger jet ever built (inside and out), it has a low fuel-burn to reduce fuel use and emissions, it can carry 40 percent more passengers than other large aircraft and in greater comfort. But the feature that has attracted greatest interest on the Singapore Airlines A380 is its ''beyond first class" cabins. Behind the sliding doors of the Singapore Airlines Suites, the well-heeled can luxuriate in a private cabin designed by leading French yacht designer, Jean-Jacques Coste. There's a wide leather seat and alongside that, a standalone bed. This is two meters long with Givenchy duvets and cushions. And for couples traveling, the beds on the middle two suites can be converted into double beds. From bed or chair, travelers can catch a movie on a 23-inch widescreen LCD. Laptops can be plugged into an in-seat power supply and business travelers with just a thumb drive can plug this into a USB ports and access a suite of office tools on Singapore Airlines' in-flight entertainment system. Celebrity chefs including Britain's Gordon Ramsay and Georges Blanc were behind the first class menu that can be eaten off Givenchy tableware. Unlike other airlines, that have considered offering casinos, gyms and showers on their future A380s, Singapore Airlines has opted instead for a configuration that, whilst offering luxury, also makes money. As Chew Choon Seng, CEO of Singapore Airlines reminded reporters last week, the first Boeing 747s soon ditched the lounges and bars on the upper decks in favor of seats that could generate cash. Behind the 12 luxury suites there are 399 economy seats, ranked 10-abreast on the upper and lower decks, as well as 60 business class seats that are the biggest yet at 87 centimeters wide. Singapore Airlines has ordered 19 superjumbos for an estimated price tag of $5.7 billion. The second is due to arrive next February with further deliveries later in 2008. Tickets for the A380's first return commercial flight between Singapore and Sydney were sold at auction on eBay. One passenger paid $100,000 for the experience, with the majority paying between $1,500 and $5,000. The $1.4 million raised has gone to charities in Singapore, Sydney and a global humanitarian organization. From Sunday 28 October, Singapore Airlines will commence its scheduled service between Singapore and Sydney on one of the three daily flights in each direction. The jetliner to be delivered next spring will be used on one of the three daily flights between Singapore and London's Heathrow Airport. It's been a long road to this point for Airbus, but the journey is by no means over. The airline has a tough delivery schedule ahead to fulfil its 185 orders to 15 customers (see figures below). Next year it plans to deliver 13, a further 25 in 2009 and 45 in 2010. Tom Enders, Airbus' CEO doesn't underestimate the scale of challenge ahead. "This is not a piece of cake," he told CNN, "but we have learned our lessons and we are very confident today that we can deliver to our customers." It hasn't just been Airbus that has been frantically preparing for the A380 launch. Airports around the world have had to make changes to runways and gates, as well as buy in new vehicles that can tow the giant aircraft and lift high enough to its upper decks. Seventy airports are now ready, Airbus has said. Singapore's Changi Airport, home to the Singapore Airlines A380 fleet, was the first, and when its new Terminal 3 opens early next year, 19 gates across the three terminals will be A380-ready with aerobridge access to both decks. Heathrow's new Terminal 5 will be able to handle four A380s at one time. British Airways, the Terminal's sole occupant, recently confirmed an order for 12 superjumbos and it now wants BAA to upgrade a satellite building to be built next to Terminal 5 to accommodate them. As Willie Walsh, BA's CEO told CNN, "we want to make sure that development is built with the A380 in mind." But whether the arrival of the A380 sets a standard for future air travel is still undecided. As CNN's Richard Quest points out, while these giant airplanes may be suitable for getting large numbers of people between key destinations quickly, demand could be even higher for the medium-size jets such as Boeing's up-coming 787 Dreamliner. As Richard Quest says, "there's no doubt the A380 will sell, but it is going to take a long time to reach the 420 sales which is the amount Airbus needs to make money." But those worries, he adds, are for another day. Thursday was a day for celebration. SOME KEY FIGURES . Orders . Total: 185 orders (165 firm orders) 15 customers . Emirates: 47 Qantas: 20 Singapore Airlines: 19 Lufthansa: 15 Air France: 12 British Airways: 12 ILFC: 10 Emirates: 8 Virgin Atlantic: 6 Thai Airways: 6 Malaysia Airlines: 6 Qatar: 5 Kingfisher: 5 Korean Air: 5 China Southern: 5 Etihad: 4 . Delivery schedule . 1 in 2007 13 in 2008 25 in 2009 45 in 2010 . The Aircraft . Wingspan: 79.8 meters (747 - 64.4 meters) Length: 73 meters or seven London buses in a row (747 - 70.7 meters) Height: 24.1 meters (747 - 19.4 meters) Internal cabin width: 6.58 meters (747 - 6.1 meters) Seats: 555 (747 - 416) Flight range: 15,000 kilometers (747 - 13,450 kilometers) Wiring: 500 kilometers . Ideal routes . SIN-LHR DXB-LHR SYD-LAX CDG-NRT JFK-NRT . Ticket sales for maiden passenger trip between Singapore and Sydney Top ticket price: US$100,380 The bargain: US$560 for a single economy seat E-mail to a friend .

Singapore Airlines A380 superjumbo completes historic maiden flight . Luxury first class cabins have separate leather seats and double beds . One passenger paid $100,000 for the first Singapore to Sydney trip .

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The illegal export of U.S. military technology to Iran and China poses a growing threat, the Justice Department said Thursday as it announced plans to combat the practice. Iran is the only country still flying the F-14 Tomcat. The department said the United States will tighten monitoring of export licenses and increase export restrictions on technologies that could have both civilian and military applications and could pose a danger to U.S. national security in the hands of terrorists or potential enemies. "China and Iran pose particular U.S. export control concerns," the Justice Department said in a statement issued Thursday. "Recent prosecutions have highlighted illegal exports of stealth missile technology, military aircraft components, naval warship data, night vision equipment, and other restricted technology destined for China or Iran." Representatives of more than a half dozen federal agencies will jointly announce their plans at a Justice Department news conference Thursday. Officials plan to highlight two recent cases. In the past week a Pittsburgh company, SparesGlobal Inc., was sentenced for lying about an illegal export of products that can be used in nuclear reactions and in the nose cones of ballistic missiles. The products ended up in Pakistan after being routed from the United Arab Emirates. In Utah, two men were charged last week with attempting to illegally export restricted components for F-4 and F-14 fighter jets. F-14 components are widely sought by Iran, which is the only military in the world that still flies the jet. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Terry Frieden contributed to this report.

Illegal exports to Iran, China an increasing problem, Justice Department says . Pittsburgh company cited for export of products with nuclear applications . Utah men charged with attempting to illegally export jet fighter parts .

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Behind the state banquet and smiles from Queen Elizabeth and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia's visit to London this week caused a wave of dissent. The UK political elite boycotted events. Demonstrators lined the Mall. The UK foreign secretary pulled out of a meeting with his Saudi counterpart to be with his new adopted son. And just days before he arrived, the Saudi King accused British officials of ignoring information that could have averted the terror attacks in London on July 2005. Whether the politics of the event were a success is open to debate. But this was just part of the story. The Saudis were also in town to cement a strong trading and business relationship that has developed between the two Kingdoms over the last 20 years. Saudi Arabia is the UK's largest trading partner in the Middle East. And behind the USA, the UK is the second largest foreign investor in the Kingdom. UK Trade & Investment has designated Saudi Arabia one of its 17 "High Growth Markets" along with UAE and Qatar in the region. As the nation diversifies its economy away from oil, commercial opportunities for UK thrive in a variety of sectors. Saudi Arabia is currently planning six privately-developed economic cities. The $26.6 billion King Abdullah Economic City -- the largest of these -- will create one million jobs and home to two million residents. The aim, says the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, is to boost the economy by creating a pro-business environment, and attracting investors and fostering investment opportunities. The UK has, since the early 1990s, been one of the top five exporters to Saudi Arabia, behind USA, Germany, China and Japan. In 2007, Saudi Arabian bank SABB predicts that UK exports to the Kingdom will increase by more than 5.5 per cent to reach $2.8 billion. While the balance of trade continues to be favor of the British, Saudi Arabia's exports to Britain are also gaining ground and closing the trade gap. This year, exports to Britain are expected to reach a record high of $2.1 billion, says SABB. And this isn't all about oil. In the 1980s, three quarters of Saudi exports to the UK were from oil, but today the non-oil sector accounts for 59 percent of exports. Products being shipped to the UK include machinery, transport equipment, plastics, non-metallic minerals and, despite the UK's dominance in the sector, chemicals. According to SABB, there are also more than 150 Saudi-British joint ventures underway with a value of around $15 billion. As John Sfakianakis, chief economist from SABB says, state visits such as this are important for bolstering trade talks, past and future. "The biggest deal that will mark their relationship in trade is the purchase of 72 Eurofighter Typhoon Jets that was sealed last week," says Sfakianakis. The contract between the Kingdom and the UK Ministry of Defence via BAE is worth over almost $10 billion for the aircraft alone and a further $19 billion for the deployment, maintenance and training. This comes less than a year after the UK government decided to call off a Serious Fraud Office investigation into defense contracts with Saudi Arabia. This probe related to the sale of weapons by BAE Systems to Saudi Arabia in the 1980s. BAE has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and making payments to Saudi royals to win business. But as Sfakianakis points out, any political sensitivity surrounding the visit is unlikely to harm future trading relationships between the nations. "The relationship is far deeper than that," he says. "Saudi Arabia's economy is booming and the opportunities businessmen see here are immense. Everything else takes a subsidiary part in that." E-mail to a friend .

Saudi Arabia is the UK's largest trading partner in the Middle East . Britain is also the second largest foreign investor in the Kingdom . The UK has been one of the top five exporters to Saudi Arabia since the 1990s . Exports to Britain are expected to reach a record high in the non-oil sector .

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Tens of thousands of Congolese refugees fled camps Tuesday in the Democratic Republic of Congo as rebel troops attacked government forces in the area, the U.N. refugee agency said. Refugees move along a road Tuesday in Mugunga, near Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A press release from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said it didn't appear rebels had targeted the camps, but it reported some were looted after camp residents, classified as internally displaced persons, fled. Roads to Goma, about 10 miles from the camps, were crowded with refugees and local residents fleeing the fighting, the UNHCR reported. Torrential rain made the movement even more difficult. "The main road toward Sake was crowded with people; we had difficulties getting through," UNHCR field safety adviser Pierre Nazroo was quoted as saying in the agency's release. "Internally displaced people are moving from site to site, direction Goma." UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said, "They have been living in extremely difficult conditions anyway. Now they have nothing but what they can carry." Redmond added, "These are people in poor health; they are soaking wet because of the torrential downpours. They need shelter, they need water, they need a lot of assistance so we're going to have to move quickly to get that help to them because a lot of them are already in a weakened state." While the Congolese government accused troops under rebel general Laurent Nkunda of staging the attack, a Nkunda spokesman denied the allegation, according to a report from the Integrated Regional Information Networks, a U.N.-affiliated news service. The spokesman, Bwambale Kakolele, said Rwandan Hutu rebels who also operate in the area were behind the attack, that report said. A spokesman for the U.N. military mission in the Congo said it was uncertain which group attacked the Congo army outpost near the village of Kishangazi, according to the U.N.-affiliated news service. "We think it could have been insurgents close to Nkunda who attacked, but we cannot rule out the [Rwandan rebels]," spokesman Col. Pierre Cherayron was quoted as saying. The UNHCR identified the affected camps as Mugunga I, Mugunga II, Lac Vert and Bulengo, saying about 28,000 had abandoned the first three camps and about 2,000 had left Bulengo. The UNHCR said 375,000 Congolese in North Kivu province have been forced from their homes in the past year. In the past two months alone, 160,000 have fled their homes amid the fighting between renegade troops and government forces, the agency said. North Kivu is in eastern Congo near the borders of Rwanda and Uganda. Congolese President Joseph Kabila has tried to gain a cease-fire with the rebels in the area under Nkunda, but fighting continues as hard-liners among the rebels and in the government have blocked reconciliation efforts, according to the International Crisis Group, an nongovernmental organization looking for solutions to conflicts. E-mail to a friend .

Congo rebels blame Rwandan Hutus for attack, report says . Internally displaced Congolese flee as rebels attack government troops . Torrential rain makes refugee movement difficult . U.N. refugee agency: Some 375,000 have been forced from homes in past year .

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Genarlow Wilson, freed last week from a Georgia prison, said he's glad he rejected a plea deal from prosecutors, even if it would have sprung him from prison months earlier. Genarlow Wilson tells CNN on Sunday that he will be more conservative and alert in the future. The 21-year-old, who served two years of a 10-year sentence for aggravated child molestation, said the prospect of being labeled a sex offender drove him to turn down the deal. He had to think about his 9-year-old sister and having a family of his own one day, he said Sunday. "It might've been lesser time, but then again, I would have nowhere to go because I would have no home," Wilson said during a CNN interview scheduled to air Monday at 8 p.m. "I wouldn't be able to stay with my mother because I have a little sister. You know, when you're a sex offender you can't be around kids. Basically, I can't even have kids myself, you know, so what is the point of life?" he asked. In 2005, a jury found Wilson guilty of aggravated child molestation for having oral sex with a 15-year-old girl at a 2003 New Year's Eve party. Wilson was 17 at the time of the party. Watch Wilson say why he rejected the plea deal » . The conviction carried a 10-year mandatory prison sentence and a sex offender designation. According to Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker, prosecutors in Douglas County, Georgia, offered Wilson a plea deal that would have reduced his sentence, possibly to time served, and would have eventually removed the conviction and sex offender status from his record. Defense attorney B.J. Bernstein said in June that Wilson rejected the deal because he didn't want to plead guilty to a felony with a 15-year sentence. The state Legislature last year amended the law under which Wilson was convicted, making such sexual encounters misdemeanors. However, the Legislature did not make the law retroactive, so it had no effect on Wilson's sentence. Now 21, Wilson was released Friday after the state Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that the young man's sentence "constitutes cruel and unusual punishment." Wilson said Sunday he feels no "negative energy" toward District Attorney David McDade, who fought efforts to have Wilson's sentence reduced. Instead, Wilson said, he is focused on the future and hopes to soon immerse himself in his college studies. He wants to major in sociology, he said, "because I feel like I've been living my major." The new Genarlow Wilson will be more conservative, more alert and more appreciative of the blessings bestowed upon him, he said. "When it seems like you have everything, you know, you feel like you have no worries until it's all gone, and I know what it feels like to be without and I don't want to ever feel like that again," said the former honor student, football star and homecoming king. "I don't ever want to see the inside of a prison or a prison, period." Though he called his sentence "absurd," Wilson said he understands that prosecutors "were doing their job and they felt they were carrying out the law." Wilson also said he knows what he did was foolish. "I was young then. I did some idiotic things in my teen years, but you know, every average teen does," he said. "I don't think any of us made very wise decisions, but I don't think that any of us can go back then and change what happened." E-mail to a friend .

Genarlow Wilson: Accepting plea deal would have left him without a home . Wilson, 21, promises to be more conservative, alert and thankful in future . He plans to study sociology in college -- "I feel like I've been living my major" Wilson served two years in prison after consensual oral sex with teen girl .

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The confirmation of Michael Mukasey as attorney general was all but assured Friday when two key Democratic senators said they will vote in favor of the nominee despite questions about his views on "waterboarding" and the president's power to order electronic surveillance. Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California and Charles Schumer of New York announced they would support the retired federal judge from New York just hours after the chairman of the Judiciary Committee announced his opposition to the nominee. Feinstein and Schumer are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is scheduled to vote on the Mukasey nomination Tuesday. If all the Republican members of the committee also vote for Mukasey, which is expected, his nomination will go before the full Senate. A leading Democrat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Wednesday Mukasey is likely to be confirmed if his nomination passes the Judiciary Committee. Schumer had praised the nomination of Mukasey as a consensus candidate when the president announced Mukasey as his choice to replace former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Gonzales gave up the post in September. "This is an extremely difficult decision," Schumer said. "When an administration so political, so out of touch with the realities of governing and so contemptuous of the rule of law is in charge, we are never left with an ideal choice. Judge Mukasey is not my ideal choice. However, Judge Mukasey, whose integrity and independence is respected even by those who oppose him, is far better than anyone could expect from this administration." A number of Democratic senators, however, have said they will oppose Mukasey because of questions about his views on the interrogation technique called "waterboarding" and the president's power to order electronic surveillance. Waterboarding involves restraining a suspect and using water to produce the sensation of drowning. Mukasey told senators this week that he finds waterboarding "repugnant," but he could not answer whether the technique amounts to torture. While saying "serious questions have been raised about Judge Mukasey's views on torture and on separation of powers," Feinstein said she would support the nominee because the Justice Department needed fresh leadership. "First and foremost, Michael Mukasey is not Alberto Gonzales. Rather, he has forged an independent life path as a practitioner of the law and a federal judge in the Southern District of New York. "I believe that Judge Mukasey is the best we will get and voting him down would only perpetuate acting and recess appointments, allowing the administration to avoid the transparency that confirmation hearings provide and diminish effective oversight by Congress." Just hours before Feinstein and Schumer announced their decisions, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, announced he would vote against the Mukasey nomination. Watch Sen. Leahy explain why he can't support the Mukasey nomination » . "No American should need a classified briefing to determine whether waterboarding is torture," Leahy said. "Waterboarding was used at least as long ago as the Spanish Inquisition. We prosecuted Japanese war criminals for waterboarding after World War II. "I am eager to restore strong leadership and independence to the Department of Justice. I like Michael Mukasey. I wish that I could support his nomination. But I cannot. America needs to be certain and confident of the bedrock principle -- deeply embedded in our laws and our values -- that no one, not even the president, is above the law." President Bush demanded the Senate confirm Mukasey during a speech Thursday at the Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative think tank. "In a time of war, it's vital for the president to have a full national security team in place," the president said. The president has equated asking Mukasey about his opinion of waterboarding with asking him about the CIA-run interrogation program, whose details are classified. Bush said the program does not violate U.S. bans on torture, but added that Mukasey "does not want an uninformed opinion to be taken by our professional interrogators in the field as placing them in legal jeopardy." But Leahy said "Judge Mukasey was not asked to evaluate any secret 'facts and circumstances.' " "He was asked whether waterboarding is illegal. Our law makes torture illegal, and waterboarding is torture, and it is illegal. It is frankly not dependent on any, quote, 'relevant facts and circumstances of the technique's past or proposed use,' " he said, quoting from Mukasey's response to senators on the question. Sources with knowledge of the CIA-run interrogation program have said agents are no longer using waterboarding. But those sources have said waterboarding was used in the interrogation of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, now facing trial before a military tribunal for planning al Qaeda's 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. The practice was used by the Spanish Inquisition, Cambodia's Khmer Rouge and the World War II Japanese military, according to Human Rights Watch. It is specifically banned in U.S. law governing the treatment of prisoners by the U.S. military. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Ted Barrett contributed to this report.

Feinstein, Schumer say they'll vote for attorney general nominee . Michael Mukasey's nomination now expected to pass Judiciary Committee . Sen. Patrick Leahy says he will not vote to confirm Michael Mukasey . Committee scheduled to vote on nomination on Tuesday .

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Nine people were killed and 19 injured after a tour bus carrying people on a ski trip left a highway and rolled over Sunday night in southeastern Utah, a highway patrol spokesman said. The seats of the bus that rolled over are exposed to the snow at the crash site in southeastern Utah on Monday. At least 50 people were on the Arrow Stage Lines bus when it crashed on state Highway 163, about five miles north of Mexican Hat, at 7:30 p.m. (9:30 p.m. ET), said Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Cameron Roden. Troopers reported the road was wet but not icy, he said. The bus was traveling south from Telluride, Colorado, to Phoenix, Arizona, when it left the right side of the highway and rolled over, Roden said. See where the crash occurred » . Police said the bus lost control on a curve, ran off the road and rolled over several times, tumbling 41 feet down an embankment, according to The Associated Press. "When the vehicle was overturning, the roof of the bus split open and multiple occupants of the vehicle were ejected," Roden told the AP. Watch how the crash left the bus a mangled hulk » . Rescue crews took the injured people to hospitals in Utah, Colorado and Arizona, he said. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that ambulances from Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico responded to the accident, and a helicopter from Colorado could not fly to the crash site because of winter storms. Four of the dead were male and five were female, the Utah Highway Patrol said. Most of the passengers were returning home from a weekend ski trip to Telluride, he said. E-mail to a friend . CNN Radio's Barbara Hall contributed to this report. Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Death toll rises to nine as tour bus runs off highway, rolls over . Bus was carrying at least 50 people when it crashed in southeastern Utah . Bus was en route from Telluride, Colorado, to Phoenix, Arizona, after weekend ski trip .

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Banksy is Britain's most wanted artist -- his art sells for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but he continues to use public spaces as his main canvas, while all the time keeping his identity a secret. Banksy's latest piece in East London where a passer-by claims to have taken a photo of the artist. The guerilla artist has been spray painting his stencils around Britain and further afield for over ten years. Last week ten of his original pieces were sold at Bonham's auction house in London for over $1 million, while on the other side of the city Tower Hamlets council authority pledged to remove his graffiti from its streets. From his beginnings as a graffiti artist in Bristol, England, Banksy has become the darling of the art world for his subversive and satirical public art. Depicting things such as riot police with smiley acid-house faces and camera-wielding rats, his work is now sold now by major art galleries. Lazarides Gallery in London is one of the main dealers of his work and describes him as "a media star...but popular long before any of this high-profile activity -- simply because the people love his stuff." While he set out to lampoon the establishment, he has now been wholeheartedly embraced by it. Fans include Hollywood A-listers, including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and Christina Aguilera who bought three of his prints in 2006, including one of Queen Victoria sitting on a woman's face. The recent sales of his work put him on a par with Jean-Michel Basquiat as the best-selling street artist. He is feted by art dealers and artists, including Damien Hirst, but he regularly mocks the art world that is so enthralled by him with ingenious stunts such as hanging his own work in the Tate gallery in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It took the British Museum eight days to discover the "prehistoric" rock painting of a man with a shopping trolley in the British Museum Banksy has hung on a wall. There is often a political message with this work, too. He left an inflatable doll dressed as a Guantanamo prisoner in Disneyland and painted a hole with blue sky on the Palestinian side of the West Bank wall. Despite the huge popularity and exposure of his work, Banksy's identity remains a mystery. As he operates on the fringes of the law with his guerilla art it makes sense, but also adds to his mystique. Some things are know: he's originally from Bristol, is around 30 years old and called Robert or Robin Banks, but it's been reported that even his parents are thought to believe that he makes his living as a painter and decorator. He continues to divide opinion as to whether his work is vandalism or public art. Veteran British art critic Brian Sewell called Banksy, "a complete clown, and what he does has absolutely nothing to do with art." Bristol city council has recognized the popularity and artistic merit of his work by protecting a number of pieces around the city. Other local authorities don't feel the same way. Tower Hamlets and Hackney councils in London have pledged to remove his graffiti from their streets. His latest work painted on a wall in East London -- a man in overalls resting next to a giant flower drawn as a continuation from the double yellow lines on the road -- is thought to be the artist's response. But this latest piece may also have revealed what the artist actually looks like. A passer-by took a photo of what is thought to be the artist at work. A spokesperson for Banksy refused to confirm it was him, but did say it was definitely his work. E-mail to a friend .

British graphic artist's identity remains a mystery despite huge popularity . Feted by the art world and Hollywood celebrities count among his collectors . Despite popularity local authorities have removed his public works .

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The garbage crisis in Naples encompasses the worst Italian clichés, and in particular those of the southern part of this lovely peninsula: mismanagement, political interference, mafia profiteering and the ability of those responsible to deflect the attention and the blame elsewhere. Naples has had problems in finding sites for municipal dumps -- now workers have stopped collecting trash. There is a popular saying here that roughly goes like this: everybody is competent enough (to find a solution) but nobody is responsible (for actually carrying it out). In many parts of the world waste disposal is a business -- and usually it is a good business. Garbage can be transformed into various sources of energy and then sold for a profit. In Naples, garbage is also good business, but in the sense that millions, if not billions, of euros have been wasted -- and nobody really knows how. The problem is as old and ugly as rotten trash. The region's dumps reached full capacity more than a decade ago, and since then a state of emergency has been declared every year. Eight different commissioners have been appointed, but they have all failed to solve the problem. State of emergency means government money: €1.8 billion (more than $2.5 billion) in emergency funds have been devolved to deal with the problem. It is still difficult to find out where or how that money has been spent. Incinerators that were supposed to be built were never finished, either because the companies in charge of constructing them could not finish the job, or else because magistrates stopped the work, pending ongoing criminal investigations into alleged mafia involvement. One Italian newspaper suggested that a good 20% of the money went to pay for the salaries of those in charge of coming up with a solution to the problem. More worrying perhaps, is another suggestion: that the local mafia, known as the Camorra, is taking advantage of the situation. As the crisis has worsened over the years, so the Camorra's profits, estimated now at around €1 billion (roughly $1.45 billion), are alleged to have increased. How does the local mafia make money? The Naples prosecutor in charge of environmental crimes says city government officials use the state of emergency to quickly award contracts which otherwise would have to be checked by complicated anti-racketeering legislation. Once they receive the money, companies linked to the underworld dispose of the waste either in the open or, ironically, at regular city dumps, even if they are overflowing. The mafia clans have now managed to burrow their way so deeply into the system that every attempt to fix the problem has proved futile. But why are citizens protesting now? Well, the government wants to re-open a previously shut dump to dispose of 3,700 tons of waste which is laying in the streets of Naples and surrounding areas. The problem is that when the site was closed years ago, locals were promised that a golf course would be built there. As a result, many residents invested savings to construct apartments and residences in the vicinity -- in some cases just a few yards away from the site. They are now waking up to a mountain of trash instead of 18 holes. A rotten deal indeed. E-mail to a friend .

Rubbish is piling up on the streets of Naples, with municipal dumps full . Many commentators question the role of the local mafia in the award of contracts . More than $2.5B in emergency funds has been spent on the problem over the years . One dump was going to be a golf course -- residents furious it is being re-opened .

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President Vladimir Putin said on Friday security threats had forced Russia to revive the Soviet-era practice of sending bomber aircraft on regular patrols beyond its borders. A Russian strategic bomber flies over an airfield outside Moscow during an air show. Putin said 14 strategic bombers had taken off simultaneously from airfields across Russia in the early hours of Friday on long-range missions. "We have decided to restore flights by Russian strategic aviation on a permanent basis," Putin told reporters after inspecting joint military exercises with China and four Central Asian states in Russia's Ural mountains. "Today, August 17 at 00:00 hours, 14 strategic bombers took to the air from seven airfields across the country, along with support and refueling aircraft ... From today such patrols will be carried out on a regular basis. "We hope our partners will treat this with understanding." At U.S. President George W. Bush's Texas ranch, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said he did not believe the flights posed a threat to the United States. "Militaries around the world engage in a variety of activities, so this is not entirely surprising," he said. But the sorties are likely to add to Western concern about Russia's growing assertiveness. That trend has prompted some U.S. policymakers to draw parallels with the Cold War. Putin caused a stir this year by saying Russian missiles would once again be aimed at targets in Europe if Washington persisted with plans to build a missile defense shield in eastern Europe. Russian diplomats have clashed with the United States and European governments on issues such as Kosovo, energy, and Moscow's treatment of its ex-Soviet neighbors. Western military leaders have said this year that Russian flights near their airspace were becoming more frequent after a long quiet period. One Western defense official called the flights "a little bit of chest-pounding, trying to let people know Russia is back in the game". Putin said that when Russia had cut its flights in 1992, other military powers had not reciprocated. "Flights by other countries' strategic aircraft continue and this creates certain problems for ensuring the security of the Russian Federation," Putin said. That appeared to be a swipe at the U.S. and NATO, whose strategic bombers have continued to fly long-range missions. As Putin spoke to reporters and television cameras, four Russian military helicopters appeared and hovered in the background while Russian tanks trundled behind him, even though the exercises had ended long before. During the Cold War, Russian long-range bombers, which can carry strategic nuclear weapons, played elaborate games of cat-and-mouse with Western air forces. Earlier this month Russian air force generals said bomber crews had flown near the Pacific island of Guam, where the U.S. military has a base, and "exchanged smiles" with U.S. pilots scrambled to track them. The Pentagon said the Russian aircraft had not come close enough to U.S. ships to prompt American aircraft to react. In July, two Russian Tu-95 "Bear" bombers made unusually long sorties over the North Sea, leading Norway and Britain to scramble fighter jets to follow them. Russia's air force said later it was a routine flight. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Russia to send bomber aircraft on long-range flights on a permanent basis . President Vladimir Putin said the move was in response to security threats . The White House says the flights do not pose a threat to the United States .

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1. The Hamburger -- Louis' Lunch, New Haven, Connecticut . This burger did not come from Louis' so ketchup is OK. There are competing claims for the coveted "Inventor of the Hamburger" title, but according to Louis' Lunch (and the Library of Congress, for that matter), this small New Haven restaurant takes the prize. The story goes something like this: One day in 1900, a rushed businessman asked owner Louis Lassen for something quick that he could eat on the run. Lassen cooked up a beef patty, put it between some bread, and sent the man on his way. Pretty modest beginnings for arguably the most popular sandwich of all-time, huh? If you visit Louis' today, you'll find that not much has changed. The Lassen family still owns and operates the restaurant, the burgers are still cooked in ancient gas stoves, and, just like then, there is absolutely no ketchup allowed. 2. The Fried Twinkie -- The ChipShop, Brooklyn, New York . Sometimes what counts isn't being the inventor, it's being the innovator. Take the fried Twinkie, for example. The Twinkie -- in all its indestructible glory-- has been around for ages, but when ChipShop owner Christopher Sell had the brilliant idea to freeze the snack, dip it in batter, and deep-fry it, the Twinkie took gluttony to new heights. Even The New York Times raved about how "something magical" happens when you taste the deep-fried Twinkie's "luscious vanilla flavor." Sell, who was trained in classical French cuisine, didn't start with the Twinkie, though. In his native England, he fried up everything from M&M's to Mars bars. 3. Root Beer Float -- Myers Avenue Red Soda Co., Cripple Creek, Colorado . If you thought what happened up on Cripple Creek only happened in song, you're sorely mistaken. In August of 1893, a failed gold-miner-turned-soda-company-owner named Frank J. Wisner was drinking a bottle of his Myers Avenue Red root beer while looking up at Cow Mountain. Just then, a full moon illuminated the snowcap on the otherwise black mountain, and Wisner had a brilliant idea -- float a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a glass of his root beer. The new drink was christened the "black cow" and became an instant classic. Today, of course, most of us call it a root beer float. 4. Corn Dogs -- Cozy Dog Drive In, Springfield, Illinois . In 1946, Ed Waldmire, Jr., revolutionized the stick-meat world when he debuted the Cozy Dog -- the first corn dog on a stick. At first, he wanted to call his creation the "Crusty Cur," but his wife convinced him to change the name to "Cozy Dog." She felt people wouldn't want to eat something described as "crusty." Good call, Mrs. Waldmire. Shortly after the Cozy Dog's inception, the Cozy Dog Drive In opened alongside old Route 66 and has been serving up corn dogs ever since. 5. The Pizzeria -- Lombardi's, New York City, New York . Pizza has existed in one form or another for a long time, but America got her first true pizzeria when Gennaro Lombardi opened up a small grocery store in New York City's Little Italy. An employee named Anthony "Totonno" Pero started selling pizzas out of the back, and in no time, Lombardi's was concentrating on its burgeoning pizza business instead of plain old groceries. In 1905, the establishment was licensed as a pizzeria, and it's stayed that way ever since. Well, almost. The original restaurant closed in 1984 but reopened down the street 10 years later. On its 100th anniversary in 2005, Lombardi's decided to offer its pizza for the same price it'd been sold for in 1905 -- 5 cents a pie. Needless to say, the line wrapped around the block. 6. Fat Darrell -- R.U. Hungry, New Brunswick, New Jersey . You may not know what the Fat Darrell is, but when you hear what it contains, you'll understand why it's truly a work of inspired genius. Since 1979, Rutgers University has played host to a collection of mobile food vans collectively known as the "Grease Trucks." Originally, they served a sandwich called the Fat Cat, which contained two cheeseburger patties, French fries, lettuce, tomato, and onions. Then one night in 1997, a hungry (and broke) student named Darrell W. Butler convinced one of the vendors to put chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, French fries, and marinara sauce on a sandwich. Strangely, the concoction sounded so appetizing that the next 10 people in line ordered it, and the Fat Darrell became a mainstay at the Grease Trucks. Hey, not any old sandwich gets to be named Maxim magazine's top "Meat Hog" sandwich. 7. Philly Cheesesteak -- Pat's King Of Steaks, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . Philadelphia is known for many things (Ben Franklin, the Liberty Bell, and Rocky, for starters), but fine dining is not really its forte. That's OK, though, because Philly is the home of Pat's King of Steaks, and Pat's King of Steaks is where the Philly cheesesteak was born. One day back in 1932, hot dog stand owners Pasquale (Pat) and Harry Olivieri decided to change things up and make a steak sandwich with onions. A cab driver who ate at Pat's daily insisted on trying the new sandwich, and with the first bite declared, "Hey, forget 'bout those hot dogs, you should sell these!" Cab drivers know fast food about as well as anyone, so the brothers did just what the cabbie suggested. In no time, the modest stand turned into the Pat's that exists today. Controversy remains, however, over who's responsible for putting the cheese in cheesesteak. Pat's claims it was the first to do so (in 1951), but across-the-street rival Joe Vento of Geno's Steaks (opened 1966) insists he added the finishing touches. 8. Onion Rings -- Pig Stand, Dallas, Texas . According to most sources, the onion ring was invented when a careless cook at a Pig Stand location in Dallas accidentally dropped an onion slice in some batter, then pulled it out and tossed it in the fryer for lack of a better destination. Now, you'd think inventing the onion ring would be enough for one restaurant chain, but not Pig Stand. The company also lays claim to opening America's first drive-in, inventing Texas toast, and being one of the first restaurants to advertise using neon signs. Not bad for a little outfit from Texas. 9. Derby Pie -- Melrose Inn, Prospect, Kentucky . A Kentucky favorite, derby pie is a chocolate and pecan tart with a pastry-dough crust -- and that's about all we know about it. Why? Because the recipe is jealously guarded by the Kern family. Melrose Inn manager George Kern created derby pie in the mid-1950s with help from his parents, Walter and Leaudra, and the dessert was such a hit that the family was soon baking the treat full-time. In fact, Mrs. Kern, being the crafty monopolist she was, copyrighted the name, and to this day, you can only get real "Derby-Pie®" through Kern's Kitchen, Inc. Not only that, but a man from New England once handed Leaudra a blank check for the recipe so that his daughter could make the pie at home. She refused.I E-mail to a friend . For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved.

Famous American foods created across United States . Connecticut diner claims creation of the hamburger . Onion rings were courtesy of cook at Pig Stand in Texas . Fat Darrell came from "Grease Trucks" at Rutgers University .

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Authorities in Azerbaijan recently uncovered a radical Islamic terror plot against the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Baku, prompting the facility to close its doors to the public Monday, Azerbaijan and U.S. officials told CNN. The Bibi Heybat Mosque, just outside the capital Baku. As a precaution, Britain also shut its embassy in Baku to the public on Monday "following security concerns nearby," Britain's Foreign Office said. The terror plot was unraveled after a weekend raid outside Baku that netted several suspected members of the radical group, two U.S. officials who asked not to be identified and a spokesman for Azerbaijan's National Security Ministry told CNN. U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack stressed that the details "are still unfolding," and the threat "may or may not be" linked to the Saturday raid. "There were some specific and credible threat information concerning the embassy and plans by militants to in some way do harm to individuals in and around the U.S. Embassy there," McCormack said, noting that no specific individuals were targeted. Several days ago, an Azerbaijani army officer who had connections to a radical Islamic group seized four assault rifles, a machine gun and 20 hand grenades from his military unit and hid them in the outskirts of Baku, the ministry spokesman and U.S. officials said. Government security forces tracked down the group and arrested several members during a sweep on Saturday in the village of Mastaga, about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Baku, the spokesman said. One suspected member of the militant group resisted arrest and was killed in the sweep, the spokesman said. Several others are still at large, he added. He said the terror plot also targeted Azerbaijani government buildings. The U.S. Embassy in Baku issued a warden message warning Americans in Azerbaijan to take precautions. "While there is no information at this time that other American or Western interests in Azerbaijan are being targeted, the U.S. Embassy encourages Americans to maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to bolster their own personal security," it said. Azerbaijan is a former Soviet republic that borders the Caspian Sea, and lies just north of Iran. McCormack said U.S. authorities are working closely with their counterparts in Baku and will determine when normal embassy operations will resume. He said he expects the embassy to limit its operations on Tuesday, as well. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Igor Malakhov in Moscow, Zain Verjee in Washington and Roger Clark in London contributed to this report .

Authorities uncover a radical Islamic terror plot against the U.S. embassy in Baku . The United States has reduced its embassy's operations . Britain also shut its embassy in Baku to the public on Monday .

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The crew members of a North Korean freighter regained control of their ship from pirates who hijacked the vessel off Somalia, but not without a deadly fight, the U.S. Navy reported Tuesday. The USS James E. Williams ordered pirates to give up their weapons, the Navy says. When the battle aboard the Dai Hong Dan was over, two pirates were dead and five were captured, the Navy said. Three wounded crew members from the cargo ship were being treated aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams. The captured pirates were being held aboard the North Korean vessel, the Navy said. The bandits had seized the ship's bridge, while the crew kept control of the steering gear and engines, the Navy said. The Koreans moved against the attackers after the Williams -- responding to reports of the hijacking -- ordered the pirates to give up their weapons, according to the Navy. When the crew members stormed the bridge, the deadly battle began. After the crew regained control, Navy sailors boarded the Dai Hong Dan to help with the injured. North Korea and the United States have no diplomatic relations. Watch why the U.S. helped the North Koreans » . The incident took place about 70 miles northeast of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, the Navy said. It is the second incident of piracy reported in recent days. A second U.S. Navy destroyer was searching waters off Somalia for pirates who hijacked a Japanese-owned ship, military officials said. Over the weekend, gunmen aboard two skiffs hijacked the Panamanian-flagged Golden Nori off the Socotra archipelago near the Horn of Africa, said Andrew Mwangura, a spokesman for the Kenyan-based Seafarers' Assistance Program. The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke has been pursuing the pirates after entering Somali waters with the permission of the troubled transitional government in Mogadishu, U.S. officials said Monday. In recent years, warships have stayed outside the 12-mile limit when chasing pirates. Two military officials familiar with the details confirmed the ongoing operation. The Navy's pursuit of the pirates began Sunday night when the Golden Nori radioed for help. The Burke's sister ship, the USS Porter, opened fire and sank the pirate skiffs tied to the Golden Nori's stern before the Burke took over shadowing the hijacked vessel. When the shots were fired, it was not known the ship was filled with highly flammable benzene. U.S. military officials indicate there is a great deal of concern about the cargo because it is so sensitive. Benzene, which U.S. authorities have declared a known human carcinogen, is used as a solvent and to make plastics and synthetic fabrics. Four other ships in the region remain in pirate hands, the Navy said. U.S. and NATO warships have been patrolling off the Horn of Africa for years in an effort to crack down on piracy off Somalia, where a U.N.-backed transitional government is struggling to restore order after 15 years of near-anarchy. See how piracy is worse than 2006 » . On Monday, the head of the transitional government resigned as his administration -- backed by Ethiopian troops -- battled insurgents from the Islamic movement that seized control of Mogadishu in 2006. Hospital officials reported 30 dead in three days of clashes on the city's south side. In June, the ship USS Carter Hall fired warning shots in an attempt to stop a hijacked Danish cargo ship off Somalia, but the American vessel turned away when the pirated ship entered Somali waters. In May, a U.S. Navy advisory warned merchant ships to stay at least 200 miles off the Somali coast. But the U.S. Maritime Administration said pirates sometimes issue false distress calls to lure ships closer to shore. See the warning area » . The pirates often are armed with automatic rifles and shoulder-fired rockets, according to a recent warning from the agency. "To date, vessels that increase speed and take evasive maneuvers avoid boarding, while those that slow down are boarded, taken to the Somali coastline and released after successful ransom payment, often after protracted negotiations of as much as 11 weeks," the warning advised. The agency issued a new warning to sailors in the Gulf of Aden, between Somalia and Yemen, after Sunday's hijacking. E-mail to a friend . CNN correspondents Barbara Starr at the Pentagon and Christian Purefoy in Nairobi contributed to this report.

North Korean crew recaptures hijacked vessel . Navy says two pirates killed, five captured; three from crew injured . USS Arleigh Burke enters Somali territorial waters to pursue other pirates . Pirates aboard hijacked Golden Nori carrying highly flammable benzene .

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Debra Lafave, the former Florida middle school teacher convicted of having sex with a student, violated her probation by hugging a young co-worker, a Florida judge found Thursday. Debra Lafave was arrested after talking with a teenager. She is not allowed to have contact with anyone under 18. But the judge did not send Lafave to jail, saying the violation was "not willful and substantial." "Please don't come back," he scolded. Dressed in a tailored, black pantsuit, Lafave said she had "innocent" physical contact with a female co-worker she knew as under age 18. Watch Lafave in the courtroom » . At the time, she and the 17-year-old hostess worked at Danny Boy's, a small restaurant in the Tampa, Florida, area. Lafave, 27, pleaded guilty in November 2005 to having sex with a 14-year-old boy and was sentenced to three years under house arrest and seven years of probation. Lafave was required to register as a sex offender and ordered not to have any contact with minors. A tracking device she carries as part of her probation went off in court, prompting the prosecutor to observe, "I think she's accounted for." Lafave acknowledged she was aware that hugs and other forms of physical contact -- as well as conversations about sex -- with minors violated terms of her probation. She referred to the sexually explicit conversations at work as just "girl talk." Lafave denied talking about her sex life with co-workers. "I don't speak that way about my personal life," she said. But she added that her co-workers spoke freely about sex in a "small group setting." While other co-workers socialized outside work, Lafave said, the 17-year-old was not included in those outings. Asked why she hugged the young co-worker, Lafave explained it was a small restaurant with a casual atmosphere where co-workers felt like family. The contact came, she said, "out of my good nature, that's the way it worked." The contacts that led to Thursday's probation violation hearing first surfaced during two polygraph tests administered as part of Lafave's court-ordered supervision. She received a verbal reprimand a year ago, according to testimony. When the behavior continued, her probation officer asked a judge to find her in violation. She was ordered to quit the restaurant job and now works as a receptionist in her mother's beauty shop. In the past, Lafave has said she suffers from bipolar disorder and is receiving treatment. E-mail to a friend .

Judge finds former teacher in violation of probation in student sex case . But judge spares Debra Lafave from jail, warns her "don't come back" Lafave's probation forbids her to have contact with anyone under 18 .

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It all boils down to this. It doesn't really matter all that much what hot, nubile French maverick has set the fashion world on fire. Or which Milanese visionary has a new fabric technique discovered during a life-changing trip to Angkor Wat that's sure to bring back sixties minimalism with a twist. Or that so-and-so has signed a deal to develop boutique spa hotels around the globe in former monasteries. Because, in the end, he's Ralph Lauren, and we're not. Ralph Lauren has his eye on China and Japan. For four decades no other designer has had a greater impact, not only on the way American men and women dress but also on the way they imagine, seek and indulge in the Good Life, than the former tie salesman from the Bronx. "Those ties were handmade, by the way," recalls Lauren. "Back then, ties, even designer ones, didn't sell for more than $5 apiece. Mine were $12 to $15. Such luxury in something so simple was revolutionary." And ironic. Because while no other designer logo exemplifies aspiration in the home of the free and the brave like the mallet-wielding guy on the pony, Lauren originally named his company Polo because "it was the sport of kings. It was glamorous, sexy and international." See his designs » . In the beginning a few people questioned if it was named after Marco Polo -- but today the fact that virtually none of Lauren's millions of devoted customers has ever even seen a polo match is immaterial. Lauren instinctively caught something that was in the air before any of his competitors had a chance to grab it -- the desire, not just to be a success but to look like one before you'd even achieved your goal. What's more, Lauren made it look as easy as Fred Astaire dancing down a staircase. "What matters the most to me are clothes that are consistent and accessible," says the designer. "When I look at the people I've admired over the years, the ultimate stars, like Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant and Astaire, the ones who last the longest are the ones whose style has a consistency, whose naturalness is part of their excitement. And when you think of the blur of all the brands that are out there, the ones you believe in and the ones you remember, like Chanel and Armani, are the ones that stand for something. Fashion is about establishing an image that consumers can adapt to their own individuality. And it's an image that can change, that can evolve. It doesn't reinvent itself every two years." However, with a media that is insatiable for the new, the now and the next, being steadfast doesn't always make for good copy. "The spotlight is always going to search for the newcomer," Lauren admits. "And that's fine. But the key to longevity is to keep doing what you do better than anyone else. We work real hard at that. It's about getting your message out to the consumer. It's about getting their trust, but also getting them excited, again and again. My clothes -- the clothes we make for the runway -- aren't concepts. They go into stores. Our stores. Thankfully, we have lots of them," says Lauren. "What I rely on is people walking into my store saying, 'I want your clothes.'" Well, if all of Lauren's customers shouted that together, he would go deaf faster than he could pull on one of his classic pullovers. Lauren's effortless luxury is all over the red carpet, on ski slopes and boats, at Wimbledon and elsewhere. It furnishes living rooms and graces dinner tables. It's on the bed, in the bed and under the bed -- and now sits on coffee tables, thanks to the tome Ralph Lauren (Rizzoli), celebrating his 40-years-and-growing career. But far from giving his customary over-the-head wave and riding off into his Colorado-ranch sunset, the designer is going even more global. "Americans have a real inferiority about their own style. We've brought sportswear to the world, and yet we have a long way to go." Already in Milan, London, Paris and Moscow, Lauren has more stores planned for China, Japan ... oh, everywhere. "There aren't enough Americans out there," he says. Who better to start with than Ralph? Just as long as he doesn't let on that most of us still can't play a lick of polo. E-mail to a friend . Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2007 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

Ralph Lauren began as tie salesman from the Bronx . First design: Wide ties when others were narrow . Has designed high fashion for four decades . Goal: Glamorous clothing that is "consistent and accessible"

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A man named as a suspect in the fatal shooting of a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, police officer last week was captured at a shelter in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said at a news conference. Miami Police Chief John Timoney said he had been alerted by Philadelphia police that the suspect, John Lewis, had taken a Miami-bound bus from Philadelphia. Acting on information from Miami Rescue Mission, officers went to a homeless shelter where they found Lewis, "who was pretty easy to spot as he's 6 feet, 270 pounds," Timoney said. He was apprehended "unarmed and without incident," the Miami chief said. Timoney said it didn't appear that anyone in Miami was helping Lewis, according to CNN affiliate WPVI. Miami Police Officer Gil Gonzalez said Lewis "had a Bible and was praying when we went to get him. He had a look of guilt, a look of shock." Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street said people at the shelter recognized Lewis from televised photos of the suspect. Lewis is suspected in the October 31 shooting of Philadelphia Police Officer Chuck Cassidy. Cassidy was shot in the head when he inadvertently walked into a robbery in progress at a Dunkin' Donuts. He died the next day. Investigators told WPVI that Lewis was spotted on security video boarding a bus to Miami on Saturday night. Cassidy was one of three Philadelphia police officers shot in a four-day period last week. Mariano Santiago was shot in the shoulder late last Tuesday as he approached a vehicle. He is in fair condition. Officer Sandra VanHinkle was shot early last Sunday and is out of the hospital and doing well, police say. Former co-workers of Lewis who spoke to WPVI said they were surprised by the allegations against him. "He was so nice," Kiani Clark told the station. "He was really nice. He didn't seem like the type that would hurt a fly." The Associated Press reported that Lewis had been arrested in 2005 on drug charges, which were withdrawn after he completed a treatment program. He was arrested again in June on drug charges, and that case is still pending, the AP reported. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Aurore Ankarcrona contributed to this report. Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tip leads police to John Lewis at homeless shelter in Miami . Lewis is suspected in fatal shooting of Philadelphia Ofc. Charles Cassidy . Cassidy walked in on doughnut shop robbery last week and was shot, police say . Philadelphia police alerted Miami counterparts that Lewis was headed that way .

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One of the bigger difficulties any first-time buyer faces is purchasing a car that doesn't scream "first-time" to friends, relatives and co-workers, or indeed to the buyer each time they step into an ill-chosen purchase. A "shark" that races down roads. To break from the boring econobox, here are some of the more sculpted and stylish cars available for about $20,000 that will hold their looks for a long time and give a little bit of joy to a first-time owner. Hyundai Tiburon . If you didn't know already, Tiburon means "shark" in Spanish, and it's not hard to see how Hyundai's sporty coupe can stalk the unwary first-time buyer and snare them quickly. Like an instantly recognizable dorsal fin, the Tiburon in its third incarnation is perhaps the purest low-slung sportster that won't bust a first-time buyer's wallet, though it may chew a hole in the seat of their pants as they're pushed back into those tight-hugging bucket seats. The startling Hyundai-designed looks boast a touch of Italian styling uncommon for its bracket. Mazda MazdaSpeed3 . A bona-fide pocket rocket, any first-time buyer can put a fair distance between themselves and the pack in the MazdaSpeed3, part of the Asian carmaker's strategy to wrestle performance compact coupe sales from European carmakers. This one isn't overbearingly dripped in trim or wings, but don't let any youngster tell you it doesn't have what it takes to make their peers jealous. The MazdaSpeed3 will storm from standing to a mile a minute in under six seconds and is said to hit 155 mph. Its secret is torque negation in the low gears -- and perhaps its 263 horses under the hood. Another hidden gem is its seven-speaker Bose stereo. Pontiac G5 GT Coupe . Much like the fantastic Chevy Cobalt SS, its younger sister Pontiac G5 GT boasts highly sprung motoring at a price that appeals to the first-time buyer's wallet. The G5 GT has been tweaked just slightly from its sister SS -- like the difference between Ashlee and Jessica Simpson -- boasting a less horizontal grille and more sculpted valance. Both are reasonably stylish from the back and side and both leaving plenty room for aftermarket add-ons. A new grille entirely, like a Phantom, may just be what you need to set it off against the crowd. The GT's inline-four 2.4-liter 173-hp engine -- 25hp over the base -- drives the front wheels to hit 0-60 mph in 7.5 seconds. Gas mileage is good and customer satisfaction ratings are off the hook. Ford Mustang V6 . A revamped chassis is the key to why Ford's Mustang has become an outstanding product at a price that's hard to beat. A tweak to the iconic lines for last year included a smaller back window and a longer, craggier front end. Some might of course call us heretics for picking a V6 over the famous eight-cylinder included in the GT package but, to be honest, the V6 performs admirably, pushes out 210hp and emits a low-down growl that sounds wonderful. And it's still a Mustang. Civic Coupe . A Civic hatch was my second car (after a very short-lived VW Rabbit). The coupe tested earlier this year brought back fond memories of the Civic's surprisingly roomy front cabin, its enjoyable handling and maneuverability, first-class economy and its sporty elongated hood and swooping back end. Standard features include a 350-watt premium sound system, a touch-screen satellite-navigation system whose screen flips to reveal the CD player, and a slot for a computer memory card. It's also got a funky dash that spectrally lights at night -- what fun. Scion xB . On the heels of its 2004 release, Toyota's hipster Scion brand has remodeled its boxy wonder this year, this time boasting more than a design nod to its parent company's FJ Cruiser. Wide rear pillars, wraparound headlights and bumper define the second-generation variant, which comes dripping with gadgetry inside, as well as leaving plenty of room for after-market customization. This one turns heads while allowing you to pack five adults in relative comfort. Other notable features include a central console that fits in a DVD player alongside a backlit GPS sat-nav system that lights up in any one of 10 colors. Honda Fit . A co-worker bought one of these after crashing her old and very badly beaten up Saturn on a left turn into oncoming traffic. Ouch. So it technically wasn't her first car, but for many buyers, it will be. Energetic, filled with flair and boasting a vertical fold the length of its bonnet, the Fit looks the part as well as being colossally roomy inside for what you expect. You don't get a third row of seats in there but, with the back row folded flat, it almost lends you to believe it can become a camper. Other great touches include an mp3 input jack and reclining rear-seat headrests, while gas mileage is, as expected, very good indeed. E-mail to a friend .

Tiburon is low-slung sportster that won't bust first-time buyer's wallet . Pontiac G5 GT boasts highly sprung motoring . Toyota's hipster Scion comes dripping with gadgetry inside .

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President Bush blasted the Democratic-controlled Congress on Tuesday for having "the worst record in 20 years." "Congress is not getting its work done," Bush said, flanked by members of the Republican House leadership. "The House of Representatives has wasted valuable time on a constant stream of investigations, and the Senate has wasted valuable time on an endless series of failed votes to pull our troops out of Iraq." Bush criticized Congress for not being able to send "a single appropriations bill" to him. "They haven't seen a bill they could not solve without shoving a tax hike into it," he said. Democrats quickly fired back. Jim Manley, senior aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, said, "Taking advice from President Bush about fiscal responsibility and getting things done for the American people is like taking hunting lessons from Dick Cheney. Neither is a very good idea." Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Illinois, issued a statement saying, "President Bush's rally this morning reminds us that congressional Republicans remain ready and willing to rubber-stamp the Bush agenda: No to children's health care; no to a new direction in Iraq; and no to investing in America's future. The White House and congressional Republicans want to continue the status quo." Bush said the Senate was "wasting valuable time" by taking up the children's health insurance bill, which he had earlier vetoed. Watch Bush describe what he thinks Congress is doing wrong » . House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, issued a statement calling Bush "the biggest obstacle" to extending health coverage to "10 million low-income, working-class American children." Hoyer said GOP House leaders need to "stop posing for pictures, and sit down with Democrats and Republicans in Congress who are working together to extend coverage to our children." The State Children's Health Insurance Program measure passed in the House last week would expand the program by nearly $35 billion over five years, the same as the measure Bush vetoed on October 3. Bush had proposed adding $5 billion to the program, and said the version he vetoed would have encouraged families to leave the private insurance market for the federally funded, state-run program. Democratic leaders said the new version addresses Republican objections by tightening restrictions on illegal immigrants receiving SCHIP benefits; capping the income levels of families that qualify for the program; and preventing adults from receiving benefits. The program currently covers about 6 million children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, the federal health insurance program for the poor, but who can't afford private insurance. Democrats want to extend the program to another 4 million, paying for it with a 61-cent-per-pack increase in the federal tax on cigarettes. Bush said Congress knows the current version of the children's health bill "does not have a chance," to get enough votes to override another veto. Hoyer accused Bush of breaking a promise he made in 2004 to extend coverage under the SCHIP program. "Now, Congress must do what the president said he would do," he said in his statement. The Senate could vote on the bill as early as Tuesday. Bush also threatened to veto a "three-bill pileup." "There are now reports that Congressional leaders may be considering combining the Veterans and Department of Defense appropriations bills, and then add a bloated labor, health and education spending bill to both of them," he said. "Congress should pass each bill one at a time in a fiscally responsible manner," he said. Bush also urged Congress to send him a "clean defense appropriations bill and a war supplemental bill." "They ought to get me a bill that funds among other things bullets and body armor," he said. Bush also criticized Congress for trying to "hold hostage" funding for troops. "It would be irresponsible to not give our troops the resources they need to get their job done because Congress was unable to get its job done," he said. Hoyer's release said Bush's comments on appropriations bills and fiscal responsibility "ring hollow." "The fact is, this administration has pursued the most fiscally irresponsible policies in American history, turning record surpluses into record deficits and adding more than $3 trillion to the national debt," he said. "Democrats are the party of fiscal responsibility today because we believe our government must pay for the things it purchases and not force our children to pay our bills. The fight over 2008 appropriations bills is not a fight over spending. It is a fight over priorities." E-mail to a friend .

Bush: Senate "wasting valuable time" with children's health insurance bill . Congress "holding hostage" funds for troops, Bush says . Bush accuses Congress of gridlock, failing to promote anyone's agenda . Democrats fire back, saying Bush's words "ring hollow"

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Sniper Lee Boyd Malvo said in a letter to CNN that he is still "grappling with shame, guilt, remorse and my own healing if that will ever be possible." And a social worker who has worked extensively with him said he draws self-portraits that often show him with a tear running down his cheek. A self-portrait drawn by sniper Lee Boyd Malvo. Many of his drawings show him with a tear running down his cheek. Malvo, 22, spends 23 hours a day inside his cell at Virginia's toughest prison, a maximum-security compound called Red Onion, not far from the Kentucky border. He's serving a life sentence. According to social worker Carmeta Albarus-Lindo, Malvo is a changed person since he and John Allen Muhammad terrorized the Washington area five years ago this month in attacks that left 10 dead over a 23-day period. "The most I can do is to continue to be there, because that is his greatest fear -- that, you know, another parental figure would abandon him because that was what he'd been exposed to all his life," said Albarus-Lindo, who has spent hundreds of hours with Malvo since his arrest and conviction. Read the letter » . She said one of those "parental" figures was Muhammad, who met Malvo in the Caribbean nearly two years before the deadly shooting spree began in 2002. Muhammad became the teenager's surrogate father, convincing him that violence was the only way to correct perceived injustices to African-Americans, Albarus-Lindo said. He ordered Malvo to go to bed each night and to memorize passages from "The Art of War," an ancient Chinese text on battlefield strategy. According to Albarus-Lindo, Malvo was "brainwashed" into aiding Muhammad in the murders. However, prosecutors have said Malvo, even at 17, knew what he was doing. "I thought he was coldblooded," said Paul Ebert, commonwealth attorney for Prince William County, Virginia, of the first time he met Malvo. "He was a person who had chosen a life of crime." And when a Virginia jury spared Malvo's life, some investigators said they were horrified. "That was the hardest day of my career," said April Carroll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco. "I felt that day we had failed when Malvo was not sentenced to death." Some of the victims' families said they are content that Malvo did not receive the death penalty. Vicki Buchanan Snyder, whose brother James "Sonny" Buchanan was shot in the back while mowing a patch of lawn at a Maryland auto dealership, said she was "satisfied" with the jury's verdict. As for Malvo, Albarus-Lindo said he will "never forgive himself for what has happened." When she first began seeing him, he still called Muhammad "Dad." It took months, she said, before he stopped. In the interim, Albarus-Lindo said, he took college correspondence courses and began to draw. Muhammad is at a Virginia prison called Sussex One. In a DVD made last year inside prison and obtained exclusively by CNN, he said he is "still fighting" on death row. He wants to "correct," he said, some "inaccurate statements" made by the news media about his relationship with Malvo. He wasn't specific about what he meant. Watch Muhammad on death row » . Muhammad's ex-wife, Mildred, said she believed that she was the real target of the snipers from the beginning. She and her children live in suburban Washington, and she runs a Web site called Afterthetrauma.org, devoted to the victims of domestic abuse. Mildred Muhammad said she feels her ex-husband wanted to kill her as revenge because she was able to gain custody of their three children. As for his relationship with Malvo, she said she too is convinced that John Allen Muhammad brainwashed the younger man. "That boy was a victim before he even knew it," she said. "His life was over when he said, 'Hi.' " E-mail to a friend .

Social worker says sniper Lee Boyd Malvo is a changed person. Ten people were killed in Washington-area sniper attacks in 2002 . In a letter to CNN, Malvo writes he's still "grappling with shame, guilt, remorse"

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Italy national coach Roberto Donadoni has left Cristiano Lucarelli in his squad for next Saturday's crucial Euro 2008 qualifier in Scotland. Lucarelli keeps his place in the Italian squad after scoring twice against South Africa. The Shakhtar Donetsk striker is in fine form and has been rewarded for his inspiring performance in last month's friendly against South Africa, when he scored twice in the world champions' victory. While Donadoni has again left out veteran forwards Filippo Inzaghi and Alessandro Del Piero, he has handed Juventus striker and Italy under-21 international Raffaele Palladino his first call-up to the senior squad. Donadoni's squad is also boosted by the return from suspension of captain Fabio Cannavaro, . Italy go into the clash in Glasgow third in Group B, two points behind leaders France and one point below Scotland. Italy end their qualifying campaign by taking on bottom side the Faroe Islands in Modena on November 21. Italy squad: . Goalkeepers: Marco Amelia (Livorno), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Gianluca Curci (Roma) Defenders: Andrea Barzagli (Palermo), Daniele Bonera (AC Milan), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Fabio Grosso (Lyon), Massimo Oddo (AC Milan), Christian Panucci (Roma), Gianluca Zambrotta (Barcelona) Midfielders: Massimo Ambrosini (AC Milan), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Simone Perrotta (Roma), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan) Strikers: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (AC Milan), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Cristiano Lucarelli (Shakhtar Donetsk), Raffaele Palladino (Juventus), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Luca Toni (Bayern Munich) E-mail to a friend .

Striker Cristiano Lucarelli keeps his place in Italy's squad to face Scotland . Lucarelli impressed by scoring twice in the recent victory over South Africa . Juventus striker Raffaele Palladino earns his first call-up to the senior squad .

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Erik Prince, the chairman and CEO of Blackwater USA, appeared Tuesday before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Erik Prince, CEO and chairman of Blackwater USA, is sworn in Tuesday at a congressional hearing. The committee convened amid an FBI investigation into a September 16 shootout involving Blackwater personnel that resulted in the deaths of Iraqi civilians. Following is a transcript of Prince's opening statement: . Chairman [Henry] Waxman, [D-California], Congressman [Thomas] Davis, [R-Virginia], members of the committee, my name is Eric Prince, and I am the chairman and CEO of the Prince Group and Blackwater USA. Blackwater's a team of dedicated professionals who provide training to America's military and law enforcement communities and risk their lives to protect Americans in harm's way overseas. Under the direction and oversight of the United States government, Blackwater provides an opportunity for military and law enforcement veterans with a record of honorable service to continue their support to the United States. Words alone cannot express the respect I have for these brave men and women who defend -- who volunteer to defend U.S. personnel facilities and diplomatic missions. I am proud to be there to represent them today. After almost five years in active service as a U.S. Navy SEAL, I founded Blackwater in 1997. I wanted to offer the military and law enforcement communities assistance by providing expert instruction and world-class training venues. Ten years later, Blackwater trains approximately 500 members of the United States military and law enforcement agencies every day. After 9/11, when the U.S. began its stabilization efforts in Afghanistan and then Iraq, the United States government called upon Blackwater to fill a need for protective services in hostile areas. Blackwater responded immediately. We are extremely proud of answering that call in supporting our country. Blackwater personnel supporting our overseas missions are all military and law enforcement veterans, many of whom have recent military deployments. No individual ever protected by Blackwater has ever been killed or seriously injured. There is no better evidence of the skill and dedication of these men. At the same time, 30 brave men have made the ultimate sacrifice while working for Blackwater and its affiliates. Numerous others have been wounded and permanently maimed. The entire Blackwater family mourns the loss of these brave lives. Our thoughts and our prayers are with their families. The areas of Iraq in which we operate are particularly dangerous and challenging. Blackwater personnel are subject to regular attacks by terrorists and other nefarious forces within Iraq. We're the targets of the same ruthless enemies that have killed more than 3,800 American military personnel and thousands of innocent Iraqis. Any incident where Americans are attacked serves as a reminder of the hostile environment in which our professionals work to keep American officials and dignitaries safe, including visiting members of Congress. In doing so, more American service members are available to fight the enemy. Blackwater shares the committee's interest in ensuring the accountability and oversight of contract personnel supporting U.S. operations. The company's personnel are already accountable under and subject to numerous statutes, treaties and regulations of the United States. Blackwater looks forward to working with Congress and the executive branch to ensure that any necessary improvements to these laws and policies are implemented. The worldwide personnel protection services contract, which has been provided to this committee, was competitively awarded and details almost every aspect of operation and contract performance, including the hiring, vetting guidelines, background checks, screening, training standards, rules of force and conduct standards. In Iraq, Blackwater reports to the embassy's regional security officer, or RSO. All Blackwater movements and operations are directed by the RSO. In conjunction with internal company procedures and controls, the RSO ensures that Blackwater complies with all relevant contractual terms and conditions, as well as any applicable laws and regulations. We have approximately 1,000 professionals serving today in Iraq as part of our nation's total force. Blackwater does not engage in offensive or military missions but performs only defensive security functions. My understanding of the September 16 incident is that the Department of State and the FBI are conducting a full investigation, but those results are not yet available. We at Blackwater welcome the FBI review announced yesterday, and we will cooperate fully and look forward to receiving their conclusions. I just want to put some other things in perspective. A recent report from the Department of State stated that in 2007 Blackwater conducted 1,873 security details for diplomatic visits to the red zone, areas outside the Green Zone in Iraq, and there have been only 56 incidences in which weapons were discharged, or less than 3 percent of all movements. In 2006, Blackwater conducted over 6,500 diplomatic movements in the Red Zone. Weapons were discharged in less than 1 percent of those missions. To the extent there is any loss of innocent life, ever, let me be clear that I consider that tragic. Every life, whether American or Iraqi, is precious. I stress to the committee and to the American public, however, that I believe we acted appropriately at all times. I am prepared to answer your questions. E-mail to a friend .

Erik Prince, CEO of Blackwater USA, testifies before House panel . Hearings held amid an FBI probe into a shootout involving Blackwater personnel . Prince: "I believe we acted appropriately at all times"

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UEFA has punished Benfica midfielder Augustin Binya with a six-match European ban following his horror tackle on Celtic's Scott Brown last week. Augustin Binya, right, lunges towards Celtic midfielder Scott Brown during Benfica's 1-0 defeat in Glasgow. The Cameroon international was sent off for the challenge in his side's 1-0 defeat in the Champions League match in Glasgow last Wednesday. Scotland international Brown avoided injury, but claimed Binya had tried to break his leg with the tackle in the 85th minute -- and demanded that Europe's governing body take further action. Binya, 24, apologized for the challenge -- described by officiating referee Martin Hansson of Sweden as one of the worst he had ever seen -- on the day after the match. But UEFA's control and disciplinary body announced their sanction on Friday morning, having deliberated on the case on Thursday. In a statement on uefa.com, Binya's challenge was described as one which "seriously endangered the physical health of the opposing player". Benfica can appeal against the ban, which rules Binya out of the Portuguese club's remaining Group D matches against AC Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk. If unsuccessful, he will also miss any matches in the knockout stages of the Champions League or UEFA Cup. The suspension will also carry over to future seasons if, as seems likely, Benfica finish bottom of Group D and bow out of Europe for this campaign. Brown, who has been passed fit for Scotland's Euro 2008 qualifier against Italy, said straight after the Benfica match: "He obviously tried to do me as hard as possible." It is the second time that UEFA has had to intervene following an incident involving Celtic this season. AC Milan keeper Dida was handed a two-match ban, subsequently reduced to one on appeal, after collapsing theatrically when a fan of the Scottish club invaded the pitch and lightly slapped the Brazilian in the face. Celtic were fined $50,000 and barred the supporter for life. E-mail to a friend .

UEFA has punished Benfica midfielder Augustin Binya with a six-match ban . The Cameroon international was sent off for bad tackle on Celtic's Scott Brown . Brown was lucky to escape injury in incident during Champions League match .

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With the election of the next president a year away, Sen. Hillary Clinton remains the person to beat, a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday suggests. As the countdown begins to November 4, 2008, the New York Democrat continues to dominate the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, and comes out ahead when voters are asked whether they prefer her or the GOP front-runner, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. But Clinton's path to the White House is in no way certain. Clinton was criticized for her performance during a debate last week, and her rivals for the Democratic nomination have stepped up attacks that she has equivocated on her position on Iraq, Iran and other major issues. The Republican presidential candidates have also stepped up their attacks on the Democratic front-runner, with each suggesting that he has the best chance of stopping Clinton. The attacks may be working. The CNN/Opinion Research polls suggests that Clinton's support has slipped from its height one month ago. Watch CNN's Bill Schneider on the latest poll numbers » . "Clinton's strength is about where it was throughout the summer, indicating that she has lost the support she gained last month but that Obama has not yet cut into her core constituency," CNN political director Keating Holland said. Clinton is the top choice of 44 percent of the likely Democratic voters interviewed for the poll. Her closest rival, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, was the top choice of 25 percent, and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina has 14 percent. All other Democratic candidates were in single digits. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was backed by 4 percent, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware by 3 percent, Sen. Christopher Dodd by 2 percent, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich by 2 percent and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel was at 1 percent. The poll involved 467 interviews conducted on November 2-4 with Democrats or independents who lean Democratic. The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. View the poll results » . In an October CNN/Opinion Research poll, Clinton was supported by 51 percent of Democratic voters and had a 30 point lead over Obama. During last week's Democratic debate, Clinton received heavy criticism from her fellow Democratic presidential rivals, who are desperate to shake up the presidential race just months before the first voting occurs in the Iowa Caucus in early January. Edwards was particularly aggressive during the debate, criticizing Clinton for her stance on Iraq, Iran and Social Security. "The American people ... deserve a president of the United States that they know will tell them the truth and won't say one thing one time and something different at a different time," Edwards said. Edwards has also accused Clinton of being a "corporate Democrat" too willing to defend a "corrupt" Washington establishement. "We desperately need in the next president someone that recognizes we have a system in Washington that's become broken, corruption has crept into it, and we have to tell the truth about that," Edwards said Monday. "If you defend that system, I don't believe you can bring about the change that America needs." In the Republican presidential race, Giuliani continues to be the leading candidate, with the backing of 28 percent of the Republican primary voters polled. Former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee was backed by 19 percent. Sen. John McCain of Arizona was the top pick of 16 percent, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had 11 percent. Of the remaining Republican candidates, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee received 10 percent, Texas Rep. Ron Paul 5 percent, California Rep. Duncan Hunter 4 percent and Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo 3 percent. The poll involved telephone interviews with 397 Republicans or independents who lean Republican. The poll's margin of error was 5 percentage points. In a head-to-head matchup of the two front-runners, Clinton leads Giuliani 51 percent to 45 percent. That lead has increased since October, when Clinton led Giuliani 49 percent to 47 percent. "The overall political environment seems to favor the Democrats, partly because Democratic voters are more enthusiastic about the coming election and partly because the public is in a sour mood, which is usually not a good sign for the incumbent party," Holland said. Only 42 percent of Americans think things are going well, while 58 percent think things are going badly, the poll found. "The public is not just pessimistic about the country -- Americans are angry," Holland said. "More than eight in 10 say they are angry about the way things are going in the country." Clinton's lead over Giuliani would be greater if a third-party candidate entered the race who believes abortion should be illegal in all circumstances, the poll found. In a three-way race, Clinton would get the support of 48 percent of voters, Giuliani 32 percent and the third-party candidate 18 percent. The poll's margin of error was plus-or-minus 3 percent. "My analysis of it is that [a third-party candidate] is more of an attempt to keep the nomination from me," Giuliani said. "You know it is a tactic, and a legitimate one. People have to think about that and consider it.'' The lack of enthusiasm for Giuliani, particularly by social conservatives, could spell trouble for the GOP next year if he becomes the nominee, Holland said. "Only 27 percent of Republicans say they would feel enthusiastic if Giuliani won the GOP nod, and the remaining GOP candidates fare even worse," he said. E-mail to a friend .

Sen. Clinton supported by 44 percent of Democrats polled, down from October . Rudy Giuliani continues to lead Republican presidential field with 28 percent . Clinton beats Giuliani 51 percent to 45 percent, the poll found . Only 42 percent think things are going well in the U.S., according to the poll .

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Iran should be allowed to pursue its nuclear program for peaceful purposes, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday during the first visit to the country by a Kremlin leader since 1943. Putin, right, is greeted by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad following his arrival in Tehran. Putin, who is in Tehran to attend a summit of Caspian Sea nations, said that he and the other leaders agreed that "peaceful nuclear activities must be allowed" in the region. "The Iranians are cooperating with Russian nuclear agencies and the main objectives are peaceful objectives," he said. Russia is building Iran's first nuclear power plant and has resisted moves by the U.S. and its allies to impose stronger U.N. sanctions against Tehran. On Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates reiterated the Bush administration's stance that "all options" must be kept "on the table" in confronting the threats posed by Iran -- a reference to the option of using military action against the long-time U.S. adversary. "We should have no illusions about the nature of this regime or its leaders -- about their designs for their nuclear program, their willingness to live up to their rhetoric, their intentions for Iraq, or their ambitions in the Gulf region," Gates said in a speech to the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. The leaders of Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan also met Tuesday to reach agreement on issues relating to the sharing and regulating of the Caspian Sea -- the world's largest inland body of water. Speaking afterwards, Putin said that no Caspian nation should offer its territory to third parties intent on military action against other countries in the region -- a reference to rumors that the U.S. planned to use Azerbaijan as a base for a possible attack against Iran, The Associated Press reported. "We are saying that no Caspian nation should offer its territory to third powers for use of force or military aggression against any Caspian state," Putin said. "The Caspian Sea is an inland sea and it only belongs to the Caspian states, therefore only they are entitled to have their ships and military forces here," added Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Putin, defying reports of an assassination plot against him, was greeted by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as he stepped off his plane at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport. During a news conference Monday after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Wiesbaden, Germany, Putin said rumors of an attempt on his life would not stop his plans. "Of course I will travel to Iran," Putin said. "If I reacted to these kinds of rumors every time, I could never leave the house." Iranian officials denied there was an assassination plot against Putin, with a Foreign Ministry spokesman describing rumors of a possible terrorist action during the Putin visit baseless. "Spreading this kind of totally false news lacks any value and cannot damage the trend of the prepared programs," spokesman Mohammadali Hosseini told the Iranian FARS news agency. Hosseini blamed the rumor on Western media, particularly the U.S. media, saying the report was "made up by the enemies of relations between Iran and Russia to create a psychological war." Putin's visit is the first by a leader in the Kremlin to Iran since Joseph Stalin's World War II conference meeting with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. "Putin's trip to Tehran is a show of Russia's independence in global affairs. Putin, who approaches the end of his term, wants to demonstrate that he wouldn't cave in to the U.S. pressure," said Alexander Pikayev, an expert on Iran with Russia's Institute for World Economy and International Relations, in a report carried by AP. Putin's schedule also includes meetings with Ahmadinejad and Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, AP said. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Russian President Putin backs Iran's "peaceful" nuclear program during visit . Putin in Tehran to attend summit of Caspian Sea nations to discuss oil rights . Iran, Russia set to discuss Iranian nuclear program, U.S. push for sanctions . Putin downplay rumors of assassination plot; Iran says claims are "baseless"

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Three French journalists charged in an alleged plot to kidnap African children for adoption in Europe arrived in Paris on Sunday, hours after French President Nicolas Sarkozy held emergency talks in Chad. But 14 other people remained in custody in the African nation, some facing serious charges that could send them to jail for up to 20 years. The journalists were among seven Europeans a Chadian judge released Sunday, including a Spanish flight crew, whom Sarkozy dropped off in a brief stop in Madrid on his way back from Chad. All were arrested last week after workers from Zoe's Ark -- a French-based charity group -- were accused of trying to fly 103 children out of Chad in a kidnapping and adoption operation. Watch a report on how the events unfolded » . Some of the children may never return to their families because it is too difficult to determine their backgrounds, Red Cross spokeswoman Inah Kaloga told CNN on Friday. Those who remain under arrest in Chad are six members of the French charity, four Chadians and four remaining members of the flight crew. Some face kidnapping and fraud charges. Zoe's Ark leader Eric Breteau testified Saturday to a court in the Chadian capital that the three journalists and the flight crew of seven Spaniards and a Belgian were not involved in the alleged plot, court witnesses told CNN. At least some of the flight crew are scheduled to testify before a judge on Monday. The three journalists initially had been charged with complicity in the alleged kidnapping attempt. It's not clear if the charges against them have been dropped. Watch the freed Europeans leave Chad » . In a joint news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on Sunday at Madrid's Torrejon Air Force Base, Sarkozy expressed satisfaction that some of those detained had been released. At the same time, however, he told reporters, "We should respect the sovereignty of Chad." Zapatero thanked Sarkozy for dropping the four Spanish flight crew members off in their home country, and thanked Chadian President Idriss Deby for allowing them to return. After his emergency talks in Chad, Sarkozy stressed the scandal would not affect the strong relations between the two countries or affect the planned deployment of a European force to protect refugees from Sudan's Darfur region who have fled to Chad and the neighboring Central African Republic. Sarkozy also said he hoped the six remaining French nationals -- all from Zoe's Ark -- would face trial in France. The charity says that the children were orphans from the Darfur region -- where the United Nations estimates 200,000 people have been killed in four years of conflict -- and that the group was taking them to host families in France. But after preliminary interviews with the children, aid agencies said Thursday it appeared most of them probably are not orphans and not from Sudan, but instead come from villages on the Chadian side of the border with Sudan. The children are staying in an Abeche orphanage while aid agencies and government officials try to find out where they came from -- a challenge hindered by the number of children, their youth, and the volatile situation in the region. A father of three of the children allegedly kidnapped told a French newspaper he put his children into the charity's care after he was told they would be educated at a school under construction in a nearby town. The Chadian man, who gave his name as Arbab, told Le Parisien on Sunday that workers from Zoe's Ark had visited his village three times. "They never said they would take away our children," he told the newspaper. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Nic Robertson and Al Goodman contributed to this report.

French president returns to France with three released journalists . Journalists are among seven Europeans freed Sunday in child "kidnap" row . There are still 14 other people in custody in Chad . Father: "They never said they would take away our children"

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A sixth U.S. service member died Friday from injuries sustained when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in northeastern Italy on Thursday, the U.S. military in Europe said. The helicopter, carrying 11 U.S. military personnel, crashed Thursday afternoon about 22 miles from Aviano, Italy. Four people were killed and seven were injured in the crash, and two of the injured later died, the U.S. military said. Treviso fire officials said one of the dead was a woman, and said no one on the ground was hurt. The U.S. military said the helicopter was an Army H-60 Black Hawk attached to the 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment. The military was not releasing the names of those killed, pending notification of the victims' families. Police and fire officials said the craft crashed in an open area near the Piave River north of Treviso, between the towns of Maserata Sul Piave and Santa Lucia Di Piave. Watch scenes of the crash site in northern Italy » . The helicopter appeared crumpled and charred in photos from the crash. Italy's ANSA news agency said the helicopter crashed near the bridge of a major highway and the road was closed as a precaution. ANSA said the helicopter had taken off from Aviano Air Base, but fire authorities could not confirm whether it was leaving or returning to the base. The Black Hawk is considered the workhorse of the military's helicopter fleet. It is used in missions in Iraq and Afghanistan to carry troops and equipment. The military has employed Black Hawks for about three decades. The helicopter's first combat mission was about 25 years ago. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Hada Messia and Barbara Starr contributed to this report.

Four killed in crash; two people die later of injuries . Copter took off from Aviano Air Base, news agency reports . Black Hawk helicopter had 11 people aboard .

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Three men have been arrested and charged with murder in the shooting death last week of a University of Memphis football player, Memphis police announced Monday. Police investigating a car crash on September 30 found Taylor Bradford, 21, fatally wounded near the campus residence hall area. He had apparently gotten into his car after being shot, and drove a short distance before crashing into a tree. Bradford -- a 5-foot-11, 300-pound defensive lineman from Nashville -- was pronounced dead at Regional Medical Center. Memphis Police Department Director Larry Godwin said DeeShawn Tate, 21, Victor Trezevant, 21, and Courtney Washington, 22, had been charged with murder in perpetration of attempted aggravated robbery. Homicide investigators developed the case against the three men with the help of a citizen's tip and Crimestoppers, he said. Godwin said the investigation continues, and "we do expect additional arrests in this case." "It was an attempted robbery, aggravated robbery," he said. Bradford "was targeted because of some information that was out there and the fact that they believed he had some cash, or he had something that they wanted." Godwin said none of the three arrested suspects were students at the university, but he would not rule out that other suspects could be students. Shelby County District Attorney General William L. Gibbons said the three suspects would make an initial court appearance as early as Tuesday. He said prosecutors were considering seeking the death penalty in the case, but no decision had been made. "Whether or not it will be would be premature for me to say," Gibbons said. "There are a lot of factors that go into it. We'll make a determination at the appropriate time." Officials at the 21,000-student school said Bradford, a marketing major who lived on campus, was popular with the football team and on the campus as a whole. He had transferred from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and was 36 credit hours short of graduation. E-mail to a friend .

University of Memphis athlete Taylor Bradford, 21, was shot September 30 . Three charged with murder in perpetration of attempted aggravated robbery . After player was shot, he got in his car, drove off and then crashed into a tree . The killing spurred school officials to temporarily lock down the campus .

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A court has ordered pop singer Britney Spears to give up custody of her children effective Wednesday at noon. Kevin Federline and Britney Spears, here during happier times, have two children. Spears' former husband, Kevin Federline, is to retain custody of their two sons "until further order of the court," according to a ruling by Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon. It was not clear what led to Monday's decision awarding Federline full custody. A transcript of the court proceedings was ordered sealed. Last month, a judge ordered Spears, 25, to submit to random drug tests after finding she engaged in "habitual, frequent, and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol." That order, also by Gordon, provided no details and did not name any drugs. The former couple has been embroiled in a bitter custody fight over their sons, Sean Preston and Jayden. The parents had split custody 50-50, but Federline then asked for the arrangements to be shifted to 70-30 in his favor. Watch how Spears became user of -- and prisoner to -- fame » . In addition to ordering the twice-weekly drug tests, Gordon ordered Spears to spend eight hours per week working with a "parenting coach," who was to observe her interactions with her children. Gordon also told both parents to avoid alcohol or "other non-prescription controlled substances" 12 hours before taking custody of the children. He also barred the exes from making "derogatory remarks about the other party and the other party's family or significant other" during the case. And he ordered the parents to go through "joint co-parenting counseling" and barred them from using corporal punishment on the boys. Spears and Federline were married for two years before their divorce became final in July. Monday's order comes amid a career freefall for Spears, whose new album is due to be released November 13. After her September 9 "comeback" performance on the MTV Video Music Awards, critics derided her singing and dancing as lackluster and said she appeared overweight in her sequined two-piece costume. Her former divorce lawyer, Laura Wasser, resigned last month as her legal representative after telling reporters the singer "just wants to be a mom." Spears' management company, the Firm, recently quit after representing the singer for little over a month. E-mail to a friend .

Kevin Federline to take custody of children effective Wednesday noon . Federline and Britney Spears have two children, ages 2 and 1 . Pair were divorced in July .

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Former football star O.J. Simpson walked out of jail late Wednesday after posting $250,000 bail. O.J. Simpson leaves the Clark County Detention Center late Wednesday night. Eighth District Judge Jackie Glass hours earlier doubled Simpson's bail to ensure his appearance at an April 7 trial. Glass said Simpson had violated terms of his previous bail. Glass was adamant that Simpson remain in the Clark County Detention Center until 15 percent of the $250,000 is paid in full -- $37,500 -- after it was revealed in court that Simpson never paid any part of his previous $125,000 bail. "There's no 'get-out-of-jail-free card' today," an angry Glass told Simpson's lawyers. "I don't want him out of the jail until the 15 percent is paid in full." Watch the scolding judge » . The judge scolded Simpson, saying he wasn't taking the matter seriously. "I don't know if it's just arrogance. I don't know if it's ignorance," she chided. Simpson posted bail at about 6:15 p.m. local time (9:15 p.m. ET), according to Las Vegas authorities. Simpson returned to jail in Nevada from his home in Florida January 11 for Wednesday's hearing, after prosecutors alleged he violated the terms of his bail by attempting to contact a co-defendant. The original bail bondsman -- Miguel Pereira of Florida-based You Ring, We Spring -- testified Wednesday that the former football player didn't put any money toward the bail that allowed him to leave jail in September. "Not one cent," he said. The bail bondsman himself paid the 15 percent premium and the $40 filing fee to allow Simpson to leave the detention center, although he said he had a power of attorney for Simpson's Florida home but never filed a lien on it. When questioned by Simpson attorney Yale Galanter, Pereira admitted he had never sent Simpson a bill for the premium. But, he said, he had an understanding with Simpson that he would be paid "after it was all over." Glass described it as "mind-boggling" that Simpson never had to put up any collateral for his first bond and that the bail bondsman never asked for anything. Prosecutors also produced Wednesday a recording of a profanity-laced voice mail message left on Pereira's answering machine in November from Simpson, which he told Pereira to deliver to co-defendant Clarence Stewart. The prosecutor said the message contained "an undercurrent of a threat," and he wanted the bail to be raised to at least $1 million. Galanter did not contest the authenticity of the recording. As part of his bail granted September 19, Simpson was to have no contact whatsoever with victims, witnesses or co-defendants in the case. Glass said the same goes this time. Watch how Simpson wound up in jail » . "When I tell you, Mr. Simpson, there are conditions and there are rules, let me make sure you understand if you violate those rules ... you'll be back, locked up in the Clark County Detention Center; do you understand me?" the judge asked. "I understand 100 percent," said Simpson, dressed in a navy blue jail jumpsuit. "No contact [with others in case], no phone messages to third parties, no emails, no letters -- nothing," Glass added. Galanter said his client "was truly contrite about what has occurred." "He will abide scrupulously by whatever this court decides," the attorney said. Simpson faces trial April 7 on 12 criminal counts, including conspiracy, kidnapping, robbery, burglary, coercion and assault with a deadly weapon. The charges stem from a September 13 incident at a Las Vegas hotel in which he allegedly stole sports memorabilia he said belonged to him from dealers Alfred Beardsley and Bruce Fromong. According to earlier testimony, Beardsley and Fromong were offering more than 600 Simpson-related items for sale, including ties Simpson wore during his criminal trial for the 1994 murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman. Simpson was acquitted in that trial. E-mail to a friend .

Judge doubles bail to $250,000, accuses of "arrogance" or "ignorance" Jailed since Friday, Simpson was required to put down $37,500 in cash to get out . Bail bondsman tells judge O.J. Simpson never paid him . DA says Simpson violated bail terms by leaving message for co-defendant .

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The Air Force is returning F-15E Strike Eagle jets to service over Iraq and Afghanistan after grounding other F-15s, the Air Force said Wednesday. The Air Force grounded models of its F-15 fleet after the crash of an older model F-15C this month. The F-15s were grounded after a crash earlier this month in Missouri of an older model that disintegrated in flight. Each F-15E must pass an inspection of critical parts on the airframe before returning to flying missions, Air Force officials said. All U.S. Air Force 224 E-model aircraft will undergo a one-time inspection of hydraulic system lines, the Air Force statement said. The longerons -- molded, metal strips of the aircraft fuselage that run from front to rear -- will also be inspected, according to the Air Force. The straps and skin panels in and around the environmental control system bay will also be examined, officials said. The Air Force would not say whether the parts being inspected were part of the problem on the aircraft that crashed. The investigation into why that plane fell apart in flight is still ongoing and Air Force officials will not say what happened until the investigation is complete, an Air Force spokesperson said. Air Force officials said the rest of the almost 500 F-15s -- older airframes than the F-15Es -- will remain grounded until the investigation offers a solution to what happened. The E-model aircraft, the youngest and most sophisticated in the F-15 inventory, is heavily used by Central Command for ground support in the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is also used for the homeland security mission over the United States known as Operation Noble Eagle. On November 3, the Air Force grounded all of its F-15s in response to a November 1 crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C in Boss, Missouri. The grounding forced Central Command to use other Air Force, Navy and French fighters to fill the gaps, though Strike Eagles did fly to support troops in battle in Afghanistan as an emergency measure while they were still under grounding orders, according to Central Command reports. The plane that crashed, built in 1980, was one of the older F-15s in the fleet. The F-15E Strike Eagle is an air-to-ground and air-to-air fighter, making it more versatile than other F-15 models, which are used for only air-to-air missions. The Strike Eagle is used in Afghanistan and Iraq in its air-to-ground role, using its advanced sensors to drop bombs on targets. E-mail to a friend .

F-15s grounded after a November 1 crash in Missouri . F-15 is used for ground support in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . All U.S. Air Force 224 E-model aircraft will undergo a one-time inspection .

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Former detainees of Immigration and Customs Enforcement accuse the agency in a lawsuit of forcibly injecting them with psychotropic drugs while trying to shuttle them out of the country during their deportation. Raymond Soeoth, pictured here with his wife, says he was injected with drugs by ICE agents against his will. One of the drugs in question is the potent anti-psychotic drug Haldol, which is often used to treat schizophrenia or other mental illnesses. Doctors say they are required to see patients in person before such drugs are administered. Two immigrants, Raymond Soeoth of Indonesia and Amadou Diouf of Senegal in West Africa, told CNN they were injected with the drugs against their will. Both are plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union against the government. They are seeking an end to the alleged practice and unspecified damages. Watch why the former detainees claim abuse » . Dr. Paul Appelbaum, a professor of psychiatry, law and ethics at Columbia University, reviewed both men's medical records for this report and was stunned by what he discovered. "I'm really shocked to find out that the government has been using physicians and using potent medications in this way," said Appelbaum, who also serves as a member of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. "That is the sort of thing that would be subject to a malpractice claim in the civilian world." The allegations of ICE forcibly drugging deportees were raised last month by Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Connecticut, during the re-nomination hearing of ICE chief Julie Myers. "The information the committee has received from ICE regarding the forced drugging of immigration detainees is extremely troubling, particularly since it appears ICE may have violated its own detention standards," Lieberman spokeswoman Leslie Phillips told CNN in an e-mail. "Senator Lieberman intends to follow up with ICE to ensure that detainees are not drugged unless there is a medical reason to do so." ACLU attorney Ahilan Arulanantham, who is representing Soeoth and Diouf, said, "It would be torture to give a powerful anti-psychotic drug to somebody who isn't even mentally ill. ... But here, it's happening on U.S. soil to an immigrant the government is trying to deport." Responding to Lieberman's written questions, Myers said 1,073 immigration detainees had "medical escorts" for deportation since 2003. From October last year to the end of April this year, she said 56 received psychotropic medications during the removal process. Of those, 33 detainees received medication "because of combative behavior with the imminent risk of danger to others and/or self," she said. "First, I am aware of, and deeply concerned about reports that past practices may not have conformed to ICE detention standards," Myers said. She added no detainee should be "involuntarily medicated without court order," except in emergency situations. But both Soeoth and Diouf say they had not exhibited any combative behavior. Soeoth, a Christian minister from Indonesia, spent 27 months in detention awaiting deportation after his bid for political asylum was rejected. Hours before he was to be sent back home on December 7, 2004, he says guards injected him with a mystery drug that made him groggy for two days. See the document that shows Soeoth was injected . "They pushed me on the bench, they opened my pants, and they just give me injection," he said through broken English. He says he was taken to Los Angeles International Airport while in this drug-induced stupor, but two hours before takeoff, airline security refused to transport him, so ICE agents returned him to his cell at Terminal Island near Los Angeles. Terminal Island, once a federal prison, is a crowded facility along the ocean where hundreds of illegal immigrants await deportation. Soeoth's medical records indicate he was injected with Cogentin and Haldol, even though those same records show he has no history of mental illness. In the records, the government says he was injected with the drug after he said he would kill himself if deported -- a remark Soeoth denies ever making. ICE said in a written statement it couldn't respond to specific allegations due to pending litigation. "Department of Homeland Security law enforcement personnel may not and do not prescribe or administer medication to detainees," the ICE statement said. "Only trained and qualified medical professionals, including officers of the U.S. Public Health Service, may prescribe or administer medication." But, Diouf says, he was injected on the plane right before he was to be deported. He said he even had a federal stay of his deportation -- and the paperwork to prove it -- but his U.S. government escorts wouldn't let him show it to the pilot of the plane preparing to fly him out of the country. See Diouf's stay of deportation document . That's when, he says, "I was wrestled to the ground and injected through my clothes." A government report says he was medicated because he did not follow orders. In both cases, Diouf and Soeoth remain in the United States pending a decision in the case. If they lose, they may land back in the hands of ICE, once again facing deportation. Soeoth says he's traumatized by what happened. "I know this country [is] very generous to immigrants," he says. "What they did to me was very, very bad." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Wayne Drash, Traci Tamura and Gregg Cane contributed to this report.

Detainees file suit against ICE, allege they were injected with drugs . One detainee tells CNN: "What they did to me was very, very bad" ICE says 1,073 detainees have had "medical escorts" since 2003 . Sen. Lieberman vows to investigate further; spokesman calls charges "troubling"

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A young girl shown on video being sexually assaulted was raped while in the care of a baby sitter her mother hired, the mother's attorney said Tuesday. Chester Arthur Stiles, 37, of Nevada is being sought as a suspect in the videotaped rape of a young girl. The mother did not know her daughter had ever been victimized and was apparently oblivious to efforts to find her until last Friday, Jerry T. Donohue said. "A family friend called her and said, 'My God, you need to turn on the TV. I believe that is your daughter,'" he said. Donohue said the mother recognized the suspect, Chester Arthur Stiles, 37, a former animal trainer. The abuse most likely occurred while the mother - a single woman working six days a week - was at work, Donohue said. The attorney said he knows who the baby sitter is, but would not release that information because of the ongoing investigation. Earlier, officials had said the girl, who is now 7, was 3-years-old at the time the video was made. But Donohue said Tuesday, "To my understanding, the abuse occurred before she was 3 years old." The mother of the girl asked that the news media leave the family alone. "I want to ask you, the press, to respect my family's privacy and to not attempt to contact my daughter or myself," the mother said in a written statement read by her attorney. Watch Donohue read the mother's statement » . The mother also said she is cooperating with investigators and that her daughter "is safe and healthy." The girl's videotaped rape set off a nationwide search last week. She was found Friday with family in Las Vegas, Nevada, after thousands of tips poured in. Professionals have since evaluated her and she appears to be "healthy and fine and happy," the lawyer said. The lawyer said neither he nor the mother has watched the videotape. Asked whether the mother is thankful to the news media for having published the girl's picture so that authorities were able to identify her, Donohue said, "Not really ... there's some things maybe you don't want to know." Still, he said, he hopes the man in the tape is brought to justice. "Speaking as a father myself, I wish the guy would dig a hole in the desert and put a gun in his mouth," he said, referring to such an outcome as "Wild-West justice." Meanwhile, the intense manhunt for Stiles continued Tuesday. On Monday, Stiles' former girlfriend, Tina Allen, told CNN she thinks she is the reason Stiles came in contact with the girl and is "mortified" by the allegations against him. Allen said she and Stiles were in an on-again, off-again relationship for 10 years until recently, when she called it off. "He said he'd been in the Navy and, you know, I was looking for a strong guy to represent to my sons what I thought they needed to be," Allen said. Allen said she took Stiles to a crowded apartment where her son and daughter lived. Also living in the apartment were a family friend and her daughter, who allegedly was victimized by Stiles. "I'm disgusted. I'm ashamed, embarrassed, mortified," Allen said of the alleged rape. "I regret every, every step I ever took, I feel bad for the baby." The FBI is also seeking Stiles, a resident of Pahrump, Nevada, in a separate matter involving state charges of sexual assault and lewdness with a minor under the age of 14. Pahrump is about 60 miles west of Las Vegas. A man who said he found the tape in the desert and held it for at least five months before handing it over to authorities turned himself in Sunday to Nye County officials. Darren Tuck, a Nevada resident who allegedly showed the tape to others before giving it to police, faces charges of exhibiting pornography and possession of child pornography. E-mail to a friend .

Mom thinks girl was abused while in the care of a baby sitter, attorney says . Mother had no idea daughter had been abused, attorney says . Girl, now 7, shown being raped on videotape made years ago . Manhunt underway for suspect, Chester Arthur Stiles, 37 .

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Sen. Barack Obama on Thursday criticized a recent vote by Democratic presidential rival Sen. Hillary Clinton as helping to give President Bush a "blank check" to take military action against Iran. Sen. Barack Obama says Sen. Hillary Clinton has shown "flawed" judgment. "We know in the past that the president has used some of the flimsiest excuses to try to move his agenda regardless of what Congress says," Obama said in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. Last month, Clinton voted to support a resolution declaring Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite part of the Iranian military, a foreign terrorist group. (The nonbinding amendment to the Defense Authorization Act passed by a 76-22 vote.) Obama said he would have voted against the measure but didn't because he was campaigning in New Hampshire at the time. He said it was impossible to know when votes will be scheduled in the Senate. "This is a problem" related to running for president, he said. Obama said Clinton also had shown "flawed" judgment during the vote to authorize the Iraq war five years ago. "We know that there was embodied in this legislation, or this resolution sent to the Senate, language that would say our Iraqi troop structures should in part be determined by our desire to deal with Iran," Obama said. "Now if you know that in the past the president has taken a blank check and cashed it, we don't want to repeat that mistake." Clinton on Thursday defended her vote on the resolution during an interview on New Hampshire Public Radio, saying "what I voted on was a nonbinding resolution. It's not an amendment. It's not a law." While Clinton was campaigning Sunday in New Hampton, Iowa, an audience member at a town hall-style meeting pressed her on why she voted for the Iran measure and asked why she hadn't learned from past "mistakes." Calling "the premise of the question" wrong, the senator from New York argued the resolution calls for the terrorist label so that sanctions can be imposed. The sanctions, Clinton said, will in turn "send a clear message to the leadership" and lead to stronger diplomatic efforts. Earlier this month, Clinton also co-sponsored legislation with Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, that would prohibit military operations against Iran without congressional approval. Obama's comments came on the fifth anniversary of the 77-23 Senate vote that authorized the president to use force against Iraq. Obama, then an Illinois state senator, spoke out against the resolution authorizing force at the time. Clinton's 2002 vote shows a clear difference in judgment between the two of them, Obama said. Watch as Obama questions Clinton's judgment » . "I don't think it disqualified her, but I think it speaks to her judgment and it speaks to my judgment," Obama said. "It speaks to how we will make decisions going forward. "I think her judgment was flawed on this issue." Obama said he also will step up efforts to clarify his differences with Clinton, whom many political observers view as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. "There's no doubt we are moving into a different phase of the campaign," Obama said. "The first part of a campaign is to offer some biography and give people a sense of where I've been and what I am about. "In this next phase, we want to make sure that voters understand that on big issues, like the decision to go into the war in Iraq, I had real differences with the other candidates, and that reflects on my judgment." Another leading Democratic candidate, John Edwards, also voted in 2002 to authorize force in Iraq while he was then a senator from North Carolina. He later called his vote a mistake. In a veiled swipe at Clinton, Obama also suggested he could better unite the country and offer "something new, as opposed to looking backward and simply duplicating some of the politics that we've become so accustomed to, that frankly the American people are sick of." Obama would not say whether he would consider Clinton as his running mate should he become the Democratic Party's nominee. "I think Sen. Clinton is a very capable person," he said. "Right now, my goal is to make sure I am the nominee, and she is still the senator from New York." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Scott Anderson and Alexander Mooney contributed to this report.

Sen. Hillary Clinton defends vote on resolution, saying "it's not a law" Sen. Barack Obama: President could use Iran measure to justify military action . Obama says Clinton's vote for resolution shows "flawed" judgment . Differences with Clinton will be clear in "next phase" of campaign, Obama says .

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Charges against Bryant Purvis, one of the six black students accused of being involved in beating a white student, were reduced to second degree aggravated battery during his arraignment Wednesday morning. Bryant Purvis says he is focusing on his studies and practicing basketball. Purvis, who was facing charges of second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy, entered a not guilty plea to the reduced charges in the LaSalle Parish Courthouse in Jena. Charges have now been reduced against at least five of the students in the racially charged "Jena 6" case. Charges against Jesse Ray Beard, who was 14 at the time of the alleged crime, are unavailable because he's a juvenile. Civil rights leaders Martin Luther King III and Al Sharpton led more than 15,000 marchers to Jena -- a town of about 3,000 -- in September to protest how authorities handled the cases against Purvis and five other teens accused of the December 2006 beating of fellow student Justin Barker. After the arraignment, Purvis said he has moved to another town to complete high school. He said he is focusing on his studies and practicing basketball, which he hopes to play in college. Mychal Bell, 17, is the only one of the "Jena 6" teens still in jail. Although he was released in September after his adult criminal conviction for the beating was overturned, he was ordered two weeks later to spend 18 months in a juvenile facility for a probation violation relating to an earlier juvenile conviction. A district judge tossed out Bell's conviction for conspiracy to commit second-degree battery, saying the matter should have been handled in juvenile court. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal in Lake Charles, Louisiana, did the same with Bell's battery conviction in mid-September. Prosecutors originally charged all six black students accused of being involved in beating Barker with second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy. E-mail to a friend .

Charges against Bryant Purvis reduced to second degree aggravated battery . Purvis had faced attempted murder, conspiracy charges . Charges reduced against at least five of six blacks charged in beating . Case of "Jena 6" drew national spotlight during September protest .

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Up to 1,000 human rights campaigners demonstrated Saturday in front of No. 10 Downing Street, the official residence of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, calling on the British government to demand that full democracy be restored in Pakistan. Jemima Khan, center, ex-wife for former Pakistani cricket star Imran Khan, joins protesters in London. Protesters waved placards and chanted in support of the resignation of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, a week after he imposed a state of emergency in the country. The crowd of demonstrators massed behind barriers and included Jemima Khan, the ex-wife of former Pakistani cricket star turned politician Imran Khan. The demonstrators carried placards saying "Free the innocent" and "End Musharraf's Regime" and waved Pakistani flags. Imran Khan, who heads the the Movement for Justice Party, has been under house arrest since the emergency declaration. His ex-wife delivered a petition to a doorman at Downing Street, calling on Britain to use its influence to ensure that all institutions are in place well in advance of Pakistani elections originally scheduled for early next year. The petition also demands that Pakistan restore democracy and the judiciary and calls on Musharraf to release all political prisoners, including lawyers, journalists and opposition politicians. E-mail to a friend .

Human rights campaigners demonstrate in front of No. 10 Downing Street . Protests urged UK government to demand full democracy restored in Pakistan . Cricketer turned politician Imran Khan's ex wife Jemima among protesters .

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After his weekend arrest on gun charges, rapper T.I. will remain in custody until a bond hearing Friday, a federal magistrate said Monday. T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, was arrested without incident in midtown Atlanta. The entertainer, whose real name is Clifford Harris, was arrested Saturday just hours before he was scheduled to perform at the BET Hip Hop Awards. The small court room of Magistrate Judge Alan Baverman was packed with family, supporters and media, but even more people, including the rapper's mother, were turned away because of the overcrowding. Harris, 27, was arrested in a federal sting after his bodyguard-turned-informant delivered three machine guns and two silencers to the hip-hop star, according to a Justice Department statement. Watch a search of the rapper's home » . He was held in federal custody over the weekend. Authorities said that Harris provided the bodyguard $12,000 to buy the weapons, which Harris is not allowed to own because he is a convicted felon. Court documents said Harris was convicted on felony drug charges in 1998, and a federal affidavit said he has been arrested on gun charges in the past. However, one of his attorneys, Dwight Thomas, said he was not aware Harris was a convicted felon and that "a number of people" live in Harris' suburban Atlanta home. Thomas added there were "two sides to every story -- sometimes three" and he was confident the legal system would work in Harris' favor. The entertainer was taken into custody about 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Atlanta, where the BET award show was taped. Harris, the show's top nominee, was up for nine awards, including CD of the year and lyricist of the year. He also was scheduled to perform, along with fellow rap stars Common, Nelly and Kanye West. Harris won two awards. The show went on without the self-proclaimed "King of the South," whose car and home in the Atlanta suburb of College Park were searched after his arrest. Authorities said they found three more firearms in the car in which Harris drove to pick up the machine guns and silencers, "including one loaded gun tucked between the driver's seat where Harris had been sitting and the center console." At his home, authorities found six other guns, five of them loaded, in his bedroom closet. "Machine guns pose a serious danger to the community, which is why they are so carefully regulated," said David Nahmias, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. "The last place machine guns should be is in the hands of a convicted felon, who cannot legally possess any kind of firearm. This convicted felon allegedly was trying to add several machine guns to an already large and entirely illegal arsenal of guns." The sting came after Harris' bodyguard was arrested purchasing the machine guns and silencers from an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent Wednesday, according to the Justice Department statement. The bodyguard then agreed to cooperate with the ATF, the statement said. The guns were not registered on the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by law. The bodyguard -- who has worked for Harris since July -- told authorities he had bought about nine guns for the rap star in the past, the statement said. On Wednesday, authorities said, Harris arranged for the bodyguard to pick up $12,000 in cash from a bank to buy the guns. After his arrest, the bodyguard made phone calls to Harris, which authorities recorded, the statement said. Harris was supposed to meet the bodyguard in a shopping center parking lot in midtown Atlanta to pick up the guns. Authorities arrested Harris there without incident, the Justice Department statement said. Court documents in the case show Harris was convicted on felony drug charges in Cobb County, Georgia, in 1998 and sentenced to seven years' probation. "Harris has additional arrests and at least one probation violation for unlawfully possessing firearms," according to an affidavit. Harris' music is built around the drug culture and is known as "trap musik," the name of Harris' second album. A "trap" is Southern slang for a drug house. Harris soon will appear in the movie "American Gangster," starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. The film is set to open November 2. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Mike Phelan and Catherine Callaway contributed to this report.

T.I. to remain in custody until Friday, when there's a bond hearing . Rapper was arrested Saturday on weapons charges . T.I. won two awards at BET awards show Saturday night .

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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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National Hurricane Center director Bill Proenza left his position Monday, just days after nearly half of the NHC staff signed a petition calling for his ouster. Hurricane Center Bill Proenza left his job as director Monday. Proenza is still employed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -- a parent organization of the NHC -- but he is currently on leave, said NOAA spokesman Anson Franklin. Deputy Director Ed Rappaport has been temporarily placed in charge. Proenza, 62, became the director in January after the retirement of Max Mayfield. Proenza caused an uproar last month with comments about a key hurricane satellite called QuikSCAT. The satellite is five years beyond its life expectancy and operating on a backup transmitter. Proenza said if it were to fail, forecast tracks could be thrown off by as much as 16 percent. He said Washington reprimanded him for the remarks: "They wanted me to be quiet about it." But one of the center's longtime forecasters said Proenza's comments were misguided. "QuikSCAT is another tool that we use to forecast," Lixion Avila said. "The forecast will not be degraded if we don't have the QuikSCAT." Last week, the Commerce Department launched an unscheduled review of the hurricane center after word of the staff's dissatisfaction started to become public. His staffers on Thursday issued a petition calling for him to step down. Watch how Proenza lost the confidence of his staff » . The petition said the center's "effective functioning" is at stake as the Atlantic hurricane season heads toward its peak. "The undersigned staff ... has concluded that the center needs a new director, and with the heart of the hurricane season fast approaching, urges the Department of Commerce to make this happen as quickly as possible," said the petition, which was signed by twenty-three people, including four of five senior hurricane specialists. Hurricane center staffers told CNN's John Zarella they were unhappy not only about his comments about the QuikSCAT, but also about the environment at the center -- one characterized by closed doors and the public airing of dirty laundry. Proenza on Friday told CNN he had contacted his superiors in Washington about "ways to move forward," but added, "I am not going to resign." Proenza told CNN he did not think the staff should dictate the leadership through "signing petitions." Proenza graduated from Florida State University with a degree in meteorology. He began his career in tropical meteorology in the mid-1960s at NHC and as a meteorologist on the "hurricane hunter" aircraft, according to his biography posted on the agency's Web site. He continued within the National Weather Service for more than 35 years, "receiving numerous performance commendations and awards, including recognition from the NWS Employees' Organization as the NWS manager of the year for his collaborative leadership," the bio said. E-mail to a friend .

National Hurricane Center director Bill Proenza has left his position . Nearly half of the NHC signed a petition calling for him to step down . Proenza came under fire for comments he made about the QuikSCAT satellite . Staff unhappy with environment of closed doors, public bickering .

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More than 1,700 people have died in Bangladesh after a devastating tropical cyclone ripped through the western coast of the country, and the toll is expected to rise, a government spokesman tells CNN. Families stand amid the wreckage caused by the cyclone Friday in southern Bangladesh. Brig. Gen. Qazi Abedus Samad, director of operations for the country's armed forces, told CNN Saturday the toll had reached 1,723, and the figure is expected to rise. As flood waters recede, aid workers say they expect to find scores more bodies when remote villages are finally reached and the counting is done. They face debris-blocked roads, no electricity and almost nonexistent communications. In addition to the dead, another 15,000 people have been injured. Thousands of people have been displaced and many are still missing. Cyclone Sidr, with sustained winds of at least 131 mph (210 kph), made landfall Thursday night along the western coast of Bangladesh near the border with India, unleashing floodwaters. Government spokesman Fahim Munaim told CNN by telephone that the government held an emergency Cabinet meeting Saturday to assess the disaster and discuss recovery issues. He said the extent of the cyclone's damage may be much worse because emergency relief had not been able to reach remote areas. The government has identified the 12 worst districts -- all of them located on the southern coast -- out of the 23 affected by the cyclone, Munaim said. See victims pick up the pieces after the storm » . The Bangladeshi air force, army and navy are working to provide shelter for the many people who have been displaced. Power is still out in much of the country but it is being restored. Watch how the cyclone spawns a large relief effort » . Vince Edwards, national director of the relief agency World Vision in Bangladesh, said the high wind speeds of Cyclone Sidr have laid waste to the all-important rice crop and caused a huge loss of livestock. He said 280,000 families have been rendered homeless by the cyclone, but many have been able to get shelter from family members. World Vision is deploying 135 staffers and 7,000 volunteers to provide food, shelter and other relief. The group is appealing for $1.5 million in further funds to assist some 9.300 families rebuild their homes. In Dhaka -- about 200 miles north of the worst-hit region -- there were power outages, massive traffic jams and spotty phone service, CNN's Cal Perry said from the city. "From an infrastructure perspective, the country absolutely has been brought to its knees," he said. Red Crescent spokeswoman Nabiha Chowdhury told CNN that communication with her agency's teams who have arrived in the stricken area is spotty, but they have resources with them to immediately help people with water purification, which she said was a top priority. Those teams have cash with them to buy relief supplies from local wholesalers, said Chowdhury, who said the latest number of people injured was 15,000 with 1,000 missing. Chowdhury said about 600,000 people had fled, adding that about 2 million people lived along the coast. The U.N. World Food Programme said it has enough high-energy biscuits to feed 400,000 people for several days. Another humanitarian group, Save The Children, appealed for aid from the public. "Many families have lost everything, including their homes and their crops, and they are struggling to survive," said Kelly Stevenson, Save the Children's Bangladesh director. "We are appealing to the U.S. public to support our efforts to assist children and families affected by this disaster. We remain very concerned about possible outbreaks of cholera and severe diarrhea due to the lack of access to clean water," he said in a written statement. The U.S. Department of State pledged Friday pledging "to work with the government and foreign donors to assist in relieving the effects of the disaster." Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the U.S. Mission in Bangladesh, anticipating the storm, pre-positioned 16 Zodiac boats, water treatment systems, water ambulances and food for a more rapid response. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was expected to approve plans to send up to three Navy amphibious warships, with up to 3,500 Marines, to locations off the coast of Bangladesh to assist in relief efforts. E-mail to a friend .

More than 1,700 people dead, toll expected to rise, official says . 15,000 people are injured following Thursday's tropical Cyclone Sidr . U.N. World Food Programme has food for 400,000 people for three days . Power outages, massive traffic jams and poor phone service in Dhaka .

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A man has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly displaying hangman's nooses from the back of a pickup truck during a civil rights march last year in Jena, Louisiana. A photo taken by I-Reporter Casanova Love shows a noose hanging from a pickup in Alexandria, Louisiana. Jeremiah Munsen, 18, of Grant Parish, repeatedly drove slowly past a group of marchers gathered at a bus depot in Alexandria, which is near Jena, as they awaited buses to return them to Tennessee, federal authorities said Thursday. As many as 20,000 marchers had taken part in the huge protests in Jena. Authorities there had been accused of injustice in the handling of racially charged cases, including the hanging of nooses in a tree after a group of black high school students sat in an area where traditionally only white students sat. The noose incident at Jena was the beginning of months of racial tension that included the beating of a white student, allegedly by six black classmates. The black students were prosecuted, but the three white students responsible for the nooses in the tree were not. Munsen and an unnamed conspirator had attached nooses to their pickup on September 20 and driven to Alexandria specifically to threaten and intimidate the marchers, the authorities said. View a series of photos of the truck » . A juvenile passenger was apprehended with Munsen, according to the arresting officer's report. The juvenile told police he and his family are in the Ku Klux Klan and that he had "KKK" tattooed on his chest, the police report said. He also said that he tied the nooses and that brass knuckles found in the truck belonged to him, the report said. "This indictment accuses the defendant [Munsen] of conduct that constitutes a federal civil rights conspiracy violation and a federal hate crime," said U.S. Attorney Donald Washington. Washington and Grace Chung Becker, acting head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, announced the indictment, issued by a grand jury in Shreveport, Louisiana. A photograph of the truck was sent to CNN by I-Reporter Casanova Love, 26, who said he is in the U.S. military. He was visiting his family in Louisiana and said he witnessed the event. Love added, "If the police had not stepped in, I fear what might have happened." E-mail to a friend .

Louisiana resident, 18, faces federal hate-crime, conspiracy charges . Driver allegedly taunted civil rights marchers with nooses on pickup truck . Marchers were protesting handling of several racially charged incidents .

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Rock group R.E.M. debuted a song from its upcoming album Wednesday on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360°" program. R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe says the band was honored to be involved with the "Planet in Peril" project. The song "Until the Day Is Done" also will appear later this month in "Planet in Peril," a four-hour CNN documentary that looks at environmental crises around the world. "With 'Planet in Peril,' Anderson Cooper and his team have done an amazing job capturing global eco-devastation," said R.E.M singer Michael Stipe in a news release. "The images in the film are beautiful, while at the same time heartbreaking and frightening. We are honored to have our song included in this monumental project." This isn't the first time R.E.M. has worked with Cooper. The band premiered its video "Bad Day" on the show in 2002. "Planet in Peril" executive producer Charlie Moore said the group's longstanding commitment to environmental causes made them a natural choice for the project. Watch a trailer for "Planet in Peril" and hear "Until the Day Is Done" » . Moore said they contacted R.E.M. earlier this year to see if the group would be willing to write a song to go with the documentary, and the band happened to be in the studio working on their upcoming album. "We were able to hear some of the stuff they were doing and this particular song fits perfectly for the project," Moore said. He said the group, their management and their record label were eager to be involved. "It's sort of serendipitous that we were able to work something out with them," Moore said. "All the stars were lined up for this to happen, they were in the studio, they were working on a song that fit with the feeling that the pictures portray and they really match up very well. And we like their music, we like their work and are just thrilled that they wanted to be a part of it." "Planet in Peril" features CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and "Animal Planet" host and wildlife biologist Jeff Corwin. The two-part documentary was filmed in 13 countries and focuses on the issues of climate change, deforestation, species loss and overpopulation. CNN will air "Planet in Peril" on October 23 and 24 at 9 p.m. ET. It also will be broadcast on CNN International. In a message on the R.E.M.'s Web site, the group said it had finished recording songs for the new album, which is scheduled to be released next year. The band also is releasing a live CD/DVD on Tuesday with 22-tracks recorded at a 2005 concert in Dublin, Ireland. E-mail to a friend .

R.E.M. song "Until the Day Is Done" debuts on CNN . Song also to be used in documentary "Planet in Peril" Song will be on R.E.M.'s upcoming album . Band releasing live CD/DVD next week .

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Eloisa Tamez said she isn't scared anymore, just determined. "I am not backing down," she said. The U.S. government wants to build a border fence like this one. About 100 landowners are fighting it. Tamez owns three acres of land along the Texas-Mexico border where the Department of Homeland Security would like to build a border fence. The property is a remnant of a 12,000-acre grant from Spain to her family in 1767, before the United States even existed. "It is my history. It is my heritage," Tamez said. This week, the Justice Department began legal action against landowners and municipalities who have refused to give government surveyors access to their land. Tamez expects she will be sued sometime soon, but she is not intimidated. Asked how long she will fight, she said, "As long as I have to." Michael Chertoff, the Secretary of Homeland Security, said the fence will not be stopped by opponents like Tamez. "Can we simply abandon an enterprise because it is a problem for a particular individual?" Chertoff told CNN. "I don't think I can accept that." Watch Chertoff say it's "civic responsibility" to give up land » . Chertoff believes a fence would curb the steady stream of illegal immigrants making their way across the border and lessen the flow of drugs. He also argues it will increase the safety of Border Patrol agents who have faced increasing violence. The government wants to build 700 miles of fence along the Mexican border, including 370 miles of it by the end of this year. About 70 miles of fence is to be built in the Rio Grande Valley by year's end, if the government gets its way. The Rio Grande forms a natural barrier along this stretch of the border, but in some places it is narrow enough to swim across. On the banks of the river there is ample evidence that people do so. Piles of underwear lie discarded by swimmers after they make it across. The swimmers change into dry clothes they have carried across in plastic bags. Then they disappear into the United States. The Border Patrol has stepped up its efforts in the Rio Grande Valley with more lights, and sensors to pick up movement. A levee built along the river has a muddy road on top used by Border Patrol vehicles to patrol the area. Richard Cortez, the mayor of the border town of McAllen, Texas, believes hiring more Border Patrol agents, deepening the Rio Grande, and clearing its banks of tall vegetation would provide better border protection than the fence. Cortez calls the fence "a multibillion-dollar speed bump," which will slow, but not stop, illegal immigration. "It is a false sense of security," he said. "America will not be safe. America will continue to waste resources on something that is not going to work." Cortez and other border mayors who oppose construction of the fence formed a group called the Texas Border Coalition. The coalition wrote to Chertoff asking for further consultations on the fence, but this week the Department of Homeland Security turned them down. While expressing support for open dialogue with residents and officials, David Pagan of U.S. Customs and Border Protection wrote in an e-mail, "We do not plan to suspend work on the construction of fence in order to hold a series of additional consultation meetings." Cortez said his city is contemplating a court test of the law that mandated the construction of the border fence. And so a battle is being waged by about 100 landowners, those like Eloisa Tamez who are standing firm. "I will not allow them to come and survey my land. I have an American-given right to protect my property," she said. E-mail to a friend .

Government wants land for border fence; landowners refuse . Secretary Chertoff says he won't relent "for a particular individual" Eloisa Tamez says her property has been in her family since 1767 . Border town mayor calls the fence "a multibillion-dollar speed bump"

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Some Christian congregations, particularly in lower income, urban areas, are turning to an unlikely source for help -- the Church of Scientology. Rev, Charles Kennedy uses Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's book during a Friday night sermon. Scientologists do not worship God, much less Jesus Christ. The church has seen plenty of controversy and critics consider it a cult. So why are observant Christians embracing some of its teachings? Two pastors who spoke recently with CNN explained that when it comes to religion, they still preach the core beliefs of Christianity. But when it comes to practicing what they preach in a modern world, borrowing from Scientology helps. The Rev. Charles Kennedy, of the Glorious Church of God in Christ, a Pentecostal church in Tampa, Florida, and the Rev. James McLaughlin, of the Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas, are among the theological hybrids. Watch Rev. Kennedy preach » . They say they are not scared off by programs with ties to a church that critics say has aggressive recruiting, secretive ways and rigid theology. As men of God rooted in Christian values, they do not see Scientology as a threat to their faith, but rather as a tool to augment it. Scientology was founded in the 1950s by L. Ron Hubbard, a science fiction writer. Followers are taught that they are immortal spiritual beings called thetans. Although the church says there is a supreme being, its practices do not include worshipping God. "I'm looking for solutions, and the people that I help, they don't ask me who L. Ron Hubbard is," said McLaughlin, who works with addicts. "You know what they say? 'Thank God.' " Critic Rick Ross, a court-certified Scientology expert, sees something more sinister at work. He warned that mainstream acceptance makes it easier for the Scientologists to achieve their ultimate goal -- new recruits. "Their hope is that through these programs, people will become more interested in L. Ron Hubbard, what else Mr. Hubbard had to offer, and this will lead them eventually to Scientology," Ross said. The church has long been in the headlines for practices critics say are little more than cult-like mind control. It is also known for its stable of devout celebrity followers. And according to published reports, Scientology has been recently diversifying its outreach to include other religions and ethnic groups. Kennedy, McLaughlin and a handful of other Christian church leaders -- no one can say how many -- are finding answers to their communities' needs in Scientology's social programs. For Kennedy, it began two years ago when he attended a meeting at the Church of Scientology's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida. He was introduced to a book called "The Way to Happiness" -- Hubbard's 64-page, self-described "common sense guide to better living." In the book, which lays out ways to maintain a temperate lifestyle, Kennedy found a message he believed could help lift his predominantly lower income African-American congregation. He said the book's 21 principles help them with their struggle in an urban environment where there is too much crime and addiction and too little opportunity. Kennedy knew that before he could introduce any Scientology-related text to his congregation, he would have to prove that it did not contradict his Christian beliefs. And so, he found Scripture to match each of the 21 principles. Now Kennedy uses "The Way to Happiness" as a how-to supplement to his sermons. He believes it is easier to understand and clearer to follow than ancient Scriptures taken from the Bible. When asked whether Scientology's values contradict the religion of Jesus Christ, Kennedy replies, "Sometimes yes. Sometimes no." But he says his congregation can relate to "The Way to Happiness." Kennedy admits other pastors have criticized him, but the disapproval is not enough to discourage him. He insists that he has witnessed the changes "The Way to Happiness" has inspired in people. He also maintains that the Scientologists, many of whom he calls friends, are successful at outreach and getting desired results. At Kennedy's C. L. Kennedy Center, free tutoring based on Hubbard's "study tech" philosophies is provided to dozens of children and some adults. Kennedy's daughter, Jimirra, is one of the instructors. She said "study tech" and the Scientology orientation classes she attended helped her graduate from high school and become a poised woman. Though Jimirra Kennedy insists she does not ascribe to the religious side of Scientology, she still considers herself, at least in part, Scientologist. "We say this all the time and I know my father says this, but I am like a Pentecostal Scientologist, that's what we are." Critics like Ross are alarmed by such a blurring of the lines. They consider it a marketing win for Scientology. In Houston, McLaughlin says he is not one to argue with success. Driven by a need to address the rampant drug problem in his community, McLaughlin spent years searching for a solution before he discovered "Narconon," Scientology's nonprofit drug rehab center, in 2001. McLaughlin trained at Narconon and brought the techniques back to his community to launch "First Step Faith Step," a program that combines Hubbard's methods with the teachings of Christianity. He claims a 70- to 80-percent rehabilitation success rate. Kennedy and McLaughlin said they have never lost a member of their congregations to Scientology. "I think that they truly believe that this may help their communities, but in my opinion, they're naïve," Ross said. Scientologists, he added, "have their own agenda." The Church of Scientology would not grant CNN an interview, nor would its representatives answer questions about the Hubbard-based programs. E-mail to a friend .

Christian pastors borrow ideas from Scientology to preach temperate lifestyle . Critics say Scientology is a cult, always looking for recruits . Pastor in Houston, Texas, claims 70 percent success rate with addicts .

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A car bomb attack in Algeria has killed three people and wounded 23, the Algerian Press Service reported. An Algerian policeman stands in front of destroyed buildings in Thenia. The attack occurred Tuesday near an office housing judicial police in the city of Thenia, about 50 km (31 miles) east of the capital of Algiers, the agency said. The blast destroyed about 20 houses, and a commission has been appointed to look after the victims, the press agency said. Islamic extremists in Algeria and other North African countries have struck several times in recent years. An al Qaeda affiliate claimed responsibility last year for the deadliest attack in Algiers in 10 years, a bombing that destroyed the prime minister's headquarters and a police base, killing at least 24 people and wounding more than 220. Al Qaeda also took responsibility for a January 2 bombing that killed four and wounded 20 at a building housing security forces in Naciria, a city about 50 km (31 miles) east of Algiers. E-mail to a friend .

Attack occurred near an office housing judicial police in the city of Thenia . The blast destroyed about 20 houses; 23 also injured . Al Qaeda also took responsibility for a January 2 bombing that killed four .

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Suspended NFL quarterback Michael Vick must adhere to tightened restrictions after he tested positive for marijuana use, a federal judge said Wednesday. Suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick tested positive for marijuana in a September 13 drug test. Vick tested positive for the drug on September 13, a court document from the Eastern District of Virginia shows. As a result, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson ordered Vick to "submit to any method of testing required by the pretrial services officer or the supervising officer for determining whether the defendant is using a prohibited substance." Those methods could include random drug testing, a remote alcohol testing system "and/or any form of prohibited substance screening or testing," the order said. Vick, 27, must participate in substance abuse therapy and mental health counseling "if deemed advisable by the pretrial services officer or supervising officer" at his own expense, the order said. Vick was also ordered to stay home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., "or as directed by the pretrial services officer or supervising officer," the order said. He is to be electronically monitored during that time. The conditions are to apply until Vick's sentencing, which is set for December 10. Read about the federal case against Vick » . "This is a very difficult time for Mr. Vick," said Billy Martin, Vick's lead defense counsel, in a written statement. "He will comply with the court's new conditions regarding release." Vick faces a possible prison term of 12 to 18 months after his August guilty plea to federal conspiracy charges related to dogfighting on his property in Surry County, Virginia. The original terms of the pretrial release, set in July by U.S. Magistrate Dennis W. Dohnal, required that Vick not use narcotic drugs or other controlled substances unless prescribed by a doctor. Vick's guilty plea in the federal case came after three associates -- Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia; and Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton, Virginia -- admitted their roles in the operation and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. On Tuesday, a Virginia grand jury indicted Vick and the three co-defendants on state charges of running a dogfighting ring at the home. See a timeline of the case against Vick » . The Surry County grand jury brought two charges against Vick: one count of unlawfully torturing and killing dogs and one of promoting dogfights. Each is a felony charge that could result in a five-year prison term. Vick will be arraigned October 3 in state court in Virginia. Vick's attorneys say they are fighting the state charges on the grounds that he can't be convicted twice of the same crime. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Eric Fiegel contributed to this report.

Vick's September 13 drug test shows marijuana use . Pretrial release conditions tightened; must stay home from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Virginia grand jury indicts Vick and the three co-defendants on state charges . Vick already faces up to 18 months in prison after federal plea deal .

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Former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr clowned around and marveled at their band's amazing impact in an interview Tuesday on CNN's "Larry King Live." Larry King, left, poses with (l-r) Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono Lennon, Olivia Harrison and Ringo Starr Tuesday in Las Vegas. "We were just kids from Liverpool," McCartney said. "And, yes, it is quite amazing, because as time goes on, it kind of becomes more and more of a phenomenon." McCartney said the early Beatles knew they were a good band and were pretty sure of themselves, but Starr said, "We thought we'd be really big in Liverpool." "I think the most exciting thing is that, you know, we expect people our age to know the music. But actually, a lot of kids know the music," Starr said. "And if anything is left, we have left really good music, and that's the important part, not the moptops or whatever." The pair appeared relaxed in sneakers and almost matching black suits and joked frequently -- often at each other's expense. "They were nothing," Starr said of his former bandmates. "And then I joined and then they got this record deal and look what happened." "No, we were good," McCartney retorted. "You wanted to join us. You begged to join us." "I didn't beg," Starr said. Watch Paul and Ringo talk about the Beatles' magic » . McCartney and Starr were in Las Vegas with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison, to celebrate the anniversary of Cirque du Soleil's "Love," which uses the Beatles' music. Harrison said her husband was friends with Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte and came up with the idea before he died of cancer in 2001. "George was around just long enough to transmit that to all of us," Harrison said. Ono said she wasn't sure at first what her husband would have thought about the project. John Lennon was shot near the couple's New York apartment in 1980. "Now I really know that John would be very happy with this," she said. Neither woman has remarried and they both said it was still sometimes difficult to deal with their losses. "We feel so strongly about our husbands that sometimes it's hard for us, isn't it?" Ono said. "It's hard, you know," Harrison said. "I mean their presence is very powerful and very strong. But the incredible thing about them is that they -- everything they left the world and left us is uplifting and joyful." The Beatles' music received a bit of a facelift for the show and has been remixed in 5.1 surround sound. (An album, "Love," came out last year.) "Paul and I went to listen to the music in 5.1 and we go 'Whoa, listen to that,' " Starr said. "You know you can hear everything now. Things that we buried a lot. It's all very clear, so it's really great to hear it." "Most historic stuff goes down with age, you know?" McCartney added. "Winston Churchill's old papers go brown and crinkly, while our music gets brighter and shinier." "Next year, it will be 10.1," Starr joked. McCartney's latest solo album, "Memory's Almost Full," is No. 3 on the album charts and Starr is scheduled to release a greatest hits album in August. E-mail to a friend .

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr say their music sounds better . The former Beatles talk to CNN's Larry King . Widows of John Lennon and George Harrison also appeared . Harrison, Ono say their husbands still have strong presence .

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Three Palestinians, including two sick children, have died recently while waiting for resettlement from Iraq, the U.N. refugee agency said on Friday. UNHCR goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie visits the Al Waleed refugee camp in August. About 2,000 Palestinian refugees are stranded in camps along the Syrian border and face difficult living conditions, including limited medical care, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said. The agency has appealed for the resettlement of "vulnerable and sick" children in Al Waleed refugee camp at the Iraqi-Syrian border. One of those who died in the camp was a 3-year-old Palestinian boy who was suffering from rickets and pneumonia. He died a few days ago in a Ramadi hospital and then was buried in Al Waleed. The other was a 14-year-old suffering from Hodgkin's disease who died in Baghdad last week. A 50-year-old man who was waiting to be resettled died earlier this month in Al Waleed. The agency says seven people, including three children, have died at the camp since refugees fleeing attackers began arriving at the border in March 2006. About 30 to 40 people arrive at the Al Waleed camp each week, the UNHCR reports. The agency has been pursuing medical resettlement. "UNHCR has helped resettle one family of eight with several sick children from this camp to Norway last August. Another 11 medical cases submitted for resettlement are awaiting approval," the agency said, which is working to identify other medical cases. And it is urging the resettlement of the entire group. "UNHCR has sought solutions for the whole group since last year and has only received positive indications from Sudan and Chile," the agency said. Thousands of Palestinians have lived in Iraq, with some going there when Israel was formed and others born there. The UNHCR notes that some got "preferential treatment" under the regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. But they have been the targets of violence since he was toppled. E-mail to a friend .

U.N. agency appeals for medical resettlement of Palestinians in Iraq camps . About 2,000 Palestinians in camps along Iraq-Syria border . 30 to 40 refugees arrive at border camp each week, UNHCR says .

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U.S. Coast Guard planes and ships were searching Friday for a Japanese balloonist who disappeared off the Alaska coast while flying from Japan to the west coast United States. Missing Japanese balloonist Michio Kanda (R) with Naoki Ishikawa. Friends of balloonist Michio Kanda, who was on a solo flight, last heard from him via satellite phone at 9 a.m. Alaska time (6 p.m. GMT) Thursday, said USCG Petty Officer Levi Read. When he missed three subsequent scheduled calls over the next six hours, they called the Coast Guard, Read said. Read said two Coast Guard C130 Hercules planes conducted searches Thursday 435 miles south of Adak, Alaska, the balloonist's last known position. The searches continued Friday and are ongoing, Read said. Two Coast Guard cutters are also headed for the area, but both are at least a day away, he said. Read said the balloonist, who was heading for Portland, Oregon, is equipped with provisions and a survival suit. Kanda holds the world record for the longest-duration balloon flight, with a time of 50 hours and 38 minutes, according to the World Air Sports Federation. In that January 1997 flight, he and Hirosuke Takezawa flew from the Canadian provionce of Alberta to the U.S. state of Montana, according to the federation. E-mail to a friend .

Balloonist Michio Kanda missing on flight from Japan to U.S. U.S. Coast Guard searching area around his last known position . Kanda holds the world record for the longest-duration balloon flight .

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Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will duel for Super Tuesday votes Thursday night as the Democratic presidential hopefuls face off for the first time together minus former Sen. John Edwards. Thursday's debate is taking place at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The debate -- sponsored by CNN, the Los Angeles Times and Politico -- starts at 8 p.m. ET Thursday on CNN and CNN.com. CNN's Wolf Blitzer is the moderator. The event is the first Democratic debate since Obama's convincing victory Saturday in South Carolina. On Tuesday, Clinton won the Florida primary, a contest her campaign said helped the senator regain momentum even though it awarded no delegates. The forum at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood comes hours after the Obama campaign revealed it had raised $32 million in January from roughly 170,000 new donors. That amount will allow Obama to expand his television ad buys greatly in the 20-plus states holding primaries or caucuses Tuesday. Watch a time-lapse construction of the debate set » . The Clinton campaign would not indicate how much money it had raised in the same time period. Mike Gravel, the other Democratic presidential candidate still in the race, was not invited to participate in the debate because he did not meet certain criteria, including support in national polls. In a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted January 14-17, Gravel received less than 1 percent. Edwards suspended his presidential run Wednesday in New Orleans, Louisiana, but he didn't endorse any candidate despite what aides described as furious lobbying campaigns by Obama and Clinton. Thursday's debate may be slightly more restrained than last week's brutal showdown. Following her South Carolina loss, Clinton has largely steered clear of opportunities to take aim at Obama. Former President Bill Clinton also has avoided criticizing his wife's rival after dominating headlines with his attacks in the days before the South Carolina vote. The economy is likely to dominate Thursday's debate, as both candidates look to appeal to supporters of Edwards and his brand of economic populism. Clinton and Obama have split victories in their parties' early-voting states: Obama has won in Iowa and South Carolina, and Clinton has won in New Hampshire, Nevada, Michigan and Florida. But the Michigan and Florida contests awarded no delegates, and all major Democratic presidential candidates pledged to avoid campaigning in those states following national party penalties against them for moving up their contests so early. Clinton was the only major candidate to appear on the Michigan ballot. Obama is leading Clinton in the number of pledged delegates -- those awarded based on primary or caucus votes. Clinton has the edge when superdelegates are factored in. (Superdelegates are party leaders and elected officials who are not obligated to support a particular candidate. They can change their decisions at any time leading up to the Democratic National Convention in August.) To date, Obama has won an estimated 63 national convention delegates as a result of primary or caucus votes, while Clinton has earned an estimated 48 delegates. Clinton, however, has the overall lead in delegates -- 232 to 158 -- when superdelegates are included. With solid fundraising numbers and a nod from Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts this week, Obama will be making the claim he holds the front-runner title. But Clinton -- who has led in national surveys for much of the race -- will be making her case as well. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Rebecca Sinderbrand contributed to this report.

Debate will be last time top Democrats face off before Super Tuesday contests . Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to go one-on-one for first time together . Ex-Sen. John Edwards suspended presidential campaign Wednesday . Debate will start at 8 ET on Thursday night on CNN and CNN.com .

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A car bomb struck a U.S. Embassy vehicle Tuesday as it traveled along a coastal highway north of Beirut, killing at least three Lebanese civilian bystanders, according to American and Lebanese officials. Lebanese soldiers and Red Cross workers stand near charred cars at the site of the explosion in Beirut. The driver of the embassy vehicle suffered minor injuries, and the sole passenger walked away unscathed, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. Both were Lebanese nationals, he said. An American citizen who happened to be in the area suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the spokesman said. Lebanese internal security forces said three Lebanese civilian bystanders were killed in the explosion in Beirut's Dora area, contradicting earlier reports of four. Twenty-one others -- including the American bystander -- were wounded in the explosion, which was caused by a 15-kilogram (33-pound) bomb placed in a car before the explosion, the security forces said. The United States is outraged by the terrorist attack, said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is traveling with President Bush in Saudi Arabia. "I want on behalf of our country to say to those who were wounded, and certainly to the families of those who were killed, that our condolences are with them," she added. It was not clear whether the blast was caused by a suicide attack or by a remotely detonated car bomb. A communique issued by the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said the embassy vehicle was apparently the intended target of the attack, and identified the driver and passenger as Lebanese security personnel for the embassy. But McCormack cautioned against jumping to any conclusions on the intended target. "We don't yet have a full picture of exactly what happened, who is responsible, who is exactly being targeted," he told reporters during the State Department's daily briefing. "We will see over the next day or two ... where the facts lead us." Citing security concerns, McCormack would also not address unconfirmed reports that the vehicle was part of a convoy for departing U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman. A U.S. Embassy statement said Feltman canceled a farewell ceremony that he was to host Tuesday night "out of respect to the victims of today's terrorist explosion." In addition to the American, an Iraqi and at least three Lebanese were among those wounded in the blast, according to a Western diplomatic source. Video of the scene showed several damaged cars, including at least one that was left a pile of twisted metal. A nearby high-rise building also sustained damage. Mohammed Chatah, senior adviser to Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, pointed out that the attack happened during "a major political crisis" in Lebanon, which has been without a president for nearly eight weeks amid a bitter political feud. "This explosion just exacerbates a difficult situation," Chatah told CNN. Tuesday's blast appears to be the latest in a series of attacks against pro-Western, anti-Syrian targets in the Lebanese capital. Most recently, an explosion in Beirut's Christian suburb of Baabda killed Brig. Gen. Francois Al-Hajj, the head of operations for the Lebanese army, and his bodyguard on December 12. Al-Hajj was believed to be a top candidate to take over as army commander in the event current commander Gen. Michel Suleiman was elected to replace Emile Lahoud as president. Lebanon has been in the midst of a political crisis as pro- and anti-Syrian lawmakers in parliament are locked in a battle to elect a new president. The nation has been without a president since November 23, when the pro-Syrian Lahoud stepped down at the end of his term. In February 2005, the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut sparked widespread protests that led to the ouster of Syrian forces from Lebanon. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Anthony Mills in Beirut and Elise Labott in Washington contributed to this report .

The United States is outraged by the attack, Secretary of State Rice says . Car bomb strikes U.S. Embassy vehicle north of Beirut . Three Lebanese civilians dead, American and Lebanese officials confirm . Driver of the vehicle was slightly injured, and the only passenger was not hurt .

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1. Bobby Murcer's biggest fan . Former New York Yankee Bobby Murcer warms up during Old Timers Day Yankee Stadium on July 7. Our first story has a fairy-tale middle and a horrible ending. In August of '77, Bobby Murcer of the Cubs promised to hit a home run for terminally ill fan Scott Crull. That night, Murcer hit two of them. Pretty amazing, especially when you consider Murcer only hit nine homers the whole next season. But that's not why Crull -- a 12-year-old from Calumet City, Illinois -- makes this list. Broadcasting the game nationally on ABC, Keith Jackson told the country how Murcer had fulfilled the dying boy's last wish. Eyes watered, spines tingled. There was only one problem -- nobody had ever told the boy he was dying. His parents were horrified. Weeks later, Crull passed away. 2. The good luck charmers . Every sport has its own strange traditions. I'd argue hockey's "throwing an octopus on the ice for good luck" is the weirdest. Tossing the eight-tentacled cephalopod was the brainchild of Detroit storeowners Pete & Jerry Cusimano. The date: April 15, 1952. The logic: one tentacle for each of the eight victories it took to win the Stanley Cup. Later that spring, most likely fueled by the good luck octopus, the Red Wings won the title. PETA has objected to this practice, which continues to this day. The Red Wings mascot is not a Red Wing, but Al the Octopus. 3. The John 3:16 guy . Also known as "Rainbow Man," the born-again Rollen Stewart and his John 3:16 signs were fixtures at major events in the 1970s and 80s. He brought his message to the World Series, Super Bowl, Olympics, and World Cup. He was outside Buckingham Palace when Di and Charles wed; he went to see the Pope in Alaska. But he was more religious fanatic than sports fan. According to the Los Angeles Times, Stewart planned to assassinate President Bush and candidate Clinton in 1992. And he's now serving three life sentences for holding a maid hostage at a Los Angeles Hyatt, also in 1992. By the way, chapter three, verse sixteen of the Gospel of John says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This is also printed on cups at the In-N-Out Burger. 4. The All-Star heckler . For 12 years, Maryland lawyer and Washington Bullets fan Robin Ficker was the NBA's most prominent heckler. With season tickets behind the visiting team's bench, his antics were legendary. When he reminded Frank Layden of the Jazz that "USA Today" had rated him Worst Dressed Coach, Layden had to be restrained by security. With the Bulls in town, Ficker loudly read excerpts of Maverick, coach Phil Jackson's sex-laden 1975 autobiography. During the 1993 Suns-Bulls NBA Finals, Charles Barkley (of the Suns) flew Ficker to Phoenix and bought him a ticket behind the Chicago bench. Ficker was ejected in the first quarter. The Bullets became the Wizards in 1997 and moved into the MCI Center the following season. Ficker's new seats were not in shouting distance of the visiting team, forcing him into heckling retirement. Last year he received 9.5% of the vote in a losing bid for Montgomery County Executive. 5. Kim Jong-il . That's right, the world's most feared dictator is a hoops junkie. During a 2000 visit, then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright presented him a basketball signed by Michael Jordan. The Chicago Bulls are the favorite team of Kim Jong-il, who reportedly has a video library with every game Jordan ever played. At 5'3", the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army is roughly the same height as Muggsy Bogues. 6. David Letterman's Stalker . David Letterman's biggest fan was also his biggest headache. When she was arrested for stealing Dave's Porsche in 1988, Margaret Ray told police she was Mrs. Letterman. She was a frequent trespasser on Dave's estate, once camping out on his tennis court. Ray's antics made her a regular monologue target. But the jokes stopped in 1998, when Ray jumped in front of a moving train. The collective guilt spread when we learned she was schizophrenic, as were her two brothers, who also committed suicide. 7. Joe from Saddle River . A die-hard Jets, Mets and Rangers fan, Joe Benigno was a frequent caller to WFAN, New York's all-sports radio station. Benigno won the station's Fan Appreciation Day contest in 1994, earning a chance to guest-host his own show. By 1995, Joe was WFAN's overnight guy, a title he held for almost a decade. In 2004, he was deemed ready for daytime and given the 10 a.m.-1p.m. timeslot. For all the lonely and passionate talk radio callers out there, Joe gives hope. 8. Steffi Graf's biggest fanatic . Deranged and obsessed with seeing Steffi Graf return to the top of the rankings, Gunter Parche stabbed Monica Seles during a 1993 match in one of the most disturbing incidents in sports history. Almost as disturbing was his punishment. Parche received a two-year suspended sentence and was ordered to attend mandatory counseling. Even more shocking, I can't find footage of any of this on YouTube. Also receiving votes: John Hinckley; the fan who started the Pistons-Pacers brawl in 2004; Jeffrey Maier; The Kissing Bandit; "Butch" from Middlebury; Metallica superfan-turned-bass player Jason Newstead; and Steve Bartman. E-mail to a friend . For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved.

"Rainbow Man," or the John 3:16 guy, is in prison . Communist dictator is a hoops fan . From fan to talk radio host . How an all-star heckler lost his seat .

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