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BOGOTA, Colombia (CNN) -- A key rebel commander and fugitive from a U.S. drug trafficking indictment was killed over the weekend in an air attack on a guerrilla encampment, the Colombian military said Monday. Alleged cocaine trafficker and FARC rebel Tomas Medina Caracas in an Interpol photo. Tomas Medina Caracas, known popularly as "El Negro Acacio," was a member of the high command of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia and, according to Colombian and U.S. officials, helped manage the group's extensive cocaine trafficking network. He had been in the cross-hairs of the U.S. Justice Department since 2002. He was charged with conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States and manufacturing and distributing cocaine within Colombia to fund the FARC's 42-year insurgency against the government. U.S. officials alleged Medina Caracas managed the rebel group's sales of cocaine to international drug traffickers, who in turn smuggled it into the United States. He was also indicted in the United States along with two other FARC commanders in November 2002 on charges of conspiring to kidnap two U.S. oil workers from neighboring Venezuela in 1997 and holding one of them for nine months until a $1 million ransom was paid. Officials said the army's Rapid Response Force, backed by elements of the Colombian Air Force, tracked Medina Caracas down at a FARC camp in the jungle in the south of the country. "After a bombardment, the troops occupied the camp, and they've found 14 dead rebels so far, along with rifles, pistols, communications equipment and ... four GPS systems," Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said at a news conference. "The death of 'El Negro Acacio' was confirmed by various sources, including members of FARC itself." Medina Caracas commanded FARC's 16th Front in the southern departments of Vichada and Guainia. Established in 1964 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party, FARC is Colombia's oldest, largest, most capable and best-equipped Marxist rebel group, according to the U.S. Department of State. E-mail to a friend . Journalist Fernando Ramos contributed to this report.
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Tomas Medina Caracas was a fugitive from a U.S. drug trafficking indictment .
"El Negro Acacio" allegedly helped manage extensive cocaine network .
U.S. Justice Department indicted him in 2002 .
Colombian military: He was killed in an attack on a guerrilla encampment .
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(CNN) -- Police and FBI agents are investigating the discovery of an empty rocket launcher tube on the front lawn of a Jersey City, New Jersey, home, FBI spokesman Sean Quinn said. Niranjan Desai discovered the 20-year-old AT4 anti-tank rocket launcher tube, a one-time-use device, lying on her lawn Friday morning, police said. The launcher has been turned over to U.S. Army officials at the 754th Ordnance Company, an explosive ordnance disposal unit, at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, Army officials said. The launcher "is no longer operable and not considered to be a hazard to public safety," police said, adding there was no indication the launcher had been fired recently. Army officials said they could not determine if the launcher had been fired, but indicated they should know once they find out where it came from. The nearest military base, Fort Dix, is more than 70 miles from Jersey City. The Joint Terrorism Task Force division of the FBI and Jersey City police are investigating the origin of the rocket launcher and the circumstance that led to its appearance on residential property. "Al Qaeda doesn't leave a rocket launcher on the lawn of middle-aged ladies," said Paul Cruickshank of New York University Law School's Center on Law and Security. A neighbor, Joe Quinn, said the object lying on Desai's lawn looked military, was brown, had a handle and strap, and "both ends were open, like you could shoot something with it." Quinn also said the device had a picture of a soldier on it and was 3 to 4 feet long. An Army official said the device is basically a shoulder-fired, direct-fire weapon used against ground targets -- a modern-day bazooka -- and it is not wire-guided. According to the Web site Globalsecurity.org, a loaded M136 AT4 anti-tank weapon has a 40-inch-long fiberglass-wrapped tube and weighs just 4 pounds. Its 84 millimeter shaped-charge missile can penetrate 14 inches of armor from a maximum of 985 feet. It is used once and discarded. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Carol Cratty, Dugald McConnell, and Mike Mount contributed to this report.
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Empty anti-tank weapon turns up in front of New Jersey home .
Device handed over to Army ordnance disposal unit .
Weapon not capable of being reloaded, experts say .
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BREMEN, Germany -- Carlos Alberto, who scored in FC Porto's Champions League final victory against Monaco in 2004, has joined Bundesliga club Werder Bremen for a club record fee of 7.8 million euros ($10.7 million). Carlos Alberto enjoyed success at FC Porto under Jose Mourinho. "I'm here to win titles with Werder," the 22-year-old said after his first training session with his new club. "I like Bremen and would only have wanted to come here." Carlos Alberto started his career with Fluminense, and helped them to lift the Campeonato Carioca in 2002. In January 2004 he moved on to FC Porto, who were coached by José Mourinho, and the club won the Portuguese title as well as the Champions League. Early in 2005, he moved to Corinthians, where he impressed as they won the Brasileirão,but in 2006 Corinthians had a poor season and Carlos Alberto found himself at odds with manager, Emerson Leão. Their poor relationship came to a climax at a Copa Sul-Americana game against Club Atlético Lanús, and Carlos Alberto declared that he would not play for Corinthians again while Leão remained as manager. Since January this year he has been on loan with his first club Fluminense. Bundesliga champions VfB Stuttgart said on Sunday that they would sign a loan agreement with Real Zaragoza on Monday for Ewerthon, the third top Brazilian player to join the German league in three days. A VfB spokesman said Ewerthon, who played in the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund from 2001 to 2005, was expected to join the club for their pre-season training in Austria on Monday. On Friday, Ailton returned to Germany where he was the league's top scorer in 2004, signing a one-year deal with Duisburg on a transfer from Red Star Belgrade. E-mail to a friend .
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Werder Bremen pay a club record $10.7 million for Carlos Alberto .
The Brazilian midfielder won the Champions League with FC Porto in 2004 .
Since January he has been on loan with his first club, Fluminense .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney will serve as acting president briefly Saturday while President Bush is anesthetized for a routine colonoscopy, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Friday. Bush is scheduled to have the medical procedure, expected to take about 2 1/2 hours, at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, Snow said. Bush's last colonoscopy was in June 2002, and no abnormalities were found, Snow said. The president's doctor had recommended a repeat procedure in about five years. The procedure will be supervised by Dr. Richard Tubb and conducted by a multidisciplinary team from the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, Snow said. A colonoscopy is the most sensitive test for colon cancer, rectal cancer and polyps, small clumps of cells that can become cancerous, according to the Mayo Clinic. Small polyps may be removed during the procedure. Snow said that was the case when Bush had colonoscopies before becoming president. Snow himself is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer that began in his colon and spread to his liver. Snow told reporters he had a chemo session scheduled later Friday. Watch Snow talk about Bush's procedure and his own colon cancer » . "The president wants to encourage everybody to use surveillance," Snow said. The American Cancer Society recommends that people without high-risk factors or symptoms begin getting screened for signs of colorectal cancer at age 50. E-mail to a friend .
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President Bush will have a routine colonoscopy Saturday .
While he's anesthetized, his powers will be transferred to the vice president .
Bush had last colonoscopy in 2002, which found no problems .
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SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- A magnitude 4.2 earthquake shook the San Francisco area Friday at 4:42 a.m. PT (7:42 a.m. ET), the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The quake left about 2,000 customers without power, said David Eisenhower, a spokesman for Pacific Gas and Light. Under the USGS classification, a magnitude 4.2 earthquake is considered "light," which it says usually causes minimal damage. "We had quite a spike in calls, mostly calls of inquiry, none of any injury, none of any damage that was reported," said Capt. Al Casciato of the San Francisco police. "It was fairly mild." Watch police describe concerned calls immediately after the quake » . The quake was centered about two miles east-northeast of Oakland, at a depth of 3.6 miles, the USGS said. Oakland is just east of San Francisco, across San Francisco Bay. An Oakland police dispatcher told CNN the quake set off alarms at people's homes. The shaking lasted about 50 seconds, said CNN meteorologist Chad Myers. According to the USGS, magnitude 4.2 quakes are felt indoors and may break dishes and windows and overturn unstable objects. Pendulum clocks may stop. E-mail to a friend .
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2,000 customers without electricity, power company says .
Magnitude 4.2 quake set off home alarms, says Oakland police dispatcher .
"It was fairly mild," police say, no immediate reports of injuries, damage .
It was centered two miles east-northeast of Oakland, about 3.6 miles deep .
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(CNN) -- At least 14 people were killed and 60 others wounded Thursday when a bomb ripped through a crowd waiting to see Algeria's president in Batna, east of the capital of Algiers, the Algerie Presse Service reported. A wounded person gets first aid shortly after Thursday's attack in Batna, Algeria. The explosion occurred at 5 p.m. about 20 meters (65 feet) from a mosque in Batna, a town about 450 kilometers (280 miles) east of Algiers, security officials in Batna told the state-run news agency. The bomb went off 15 minutes before the expected arrival of President Abdel-Aziz Bouteflika. It wasn't clear if the bomb was caused by a suicide bomber or if it was planted, the officials said. Later Thursday, Algeria's Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni said "a suspect person who was among the crowd attempted to go beyond the security cordon," but the person escaped "immediately after the bomb exploded," the press service reported. Bouteflika made his visit to Batna as planned, adding a stop at a hospital to visit the wounded before he returned to the capital. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing. Algeria faces a continuing Islamic insurgency, according to the CIA. In July, 33 people were killed in apparent suicide bombings in Algiers that were claimed by an al Qaeda-affiliated group. Bouteflika said terrorist acts have nothing in common with the noble values of Islam, the press service reported. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.
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Bomb victims waiting for presidential visit .
Blast went off 15 minutes before president's arrival .
Algeria faces Islamic insurgency .
Al Qaeda-affiliated group claimed July attacks .
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LONDON, England -- Savers at a leading UK mortgage bank lined up for a second day to empty their accounts Saturday, a day after the lender was bailed out by the Bank of England after heavily slashing profit forecasts. Fearful customers line up to withdraw cash from a Northern Rock branch in southeast London on Friday. Long lines formed before counters opened at the Northern Rock building society, one of the UK's top five lenders, as worried customers ignored reassurances from the bank and the government. Customers are believed to have already withdrawn about £1 billion ($2 billion) since the bank's woes were revealed, prompting speculation that the global credit crunch made raising funds through commercial borrowing difficult. Shares in Northern Rock dropped up to 30 percent in Friday trading, with problems spilling over the European banking sector . The British Bankers' Association has urged customers to "calm down," according to the UK Press Association. It said: "Northern Rock is a sound and safe bank and there is absolutely no reason for either mortgage customers or savers to worry." Meanwhile, finance minister Alistair Darling said the Bank of England had stepped in "to create a stable banking system". He said: "People can use their accounts in the usual way, they can carry on making their mortgage payments in the usual way. Northern Rock will be able to carry on its business." Northern Rock chief executive Adam Applegarth said yesterday that the bank had yet to draw on the emergency cash, which he called "a backdrop in case we need to use it", according to PA. E-mail to a friend .
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Savers at leading UK mortgage bank lined up to empty their accounts .
Northern Rock was bailed out by the Bank of England a day earlier .
Reassurances that banks was safe have gone unheeded by many .
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LAGOS, Nigeria (Reuters) -- Nigeria's television survival show has been suspended after a contestant drowned in preparation for the program, said Dutch brewer Heineken's local unit which is sponsoring the show. Anthony Ogadje, 25, and nine other contestants had gone to Shere Hills Lake in Nigeria's hilly Plateau State to prepare for the "Gulder Ultimate Search," which sets a variety of physical challenges for participants. A statement from Nigerian Breweries on Monday said Ogadje died suddenly and he was thought to have drowned. "All attempts to revive him by the attendant medical team and the lifeguards, including his fellow contestants, failed," said Nigerian Breweries, which is majority-owned by the Dutch giant. Broadcasting had been due to start on Thursday. In the show, the weakest contestants are evicted one by one until a winner emerges. The prize money is a big attraction in a country where most people live in extreme poverty and benefit little from Nigeria's oil wealth. The winner was to get 5 million naira (about $39,000) in cash, a four-wheel drive jeep and another 500,000 naira (about $3,900) to buy clothes. The winner could also have expected to become an instant celebrity, attracting sponsorship deals. The Ultimate Search, which started in 2004, gets high ratings. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Anthony Ogadje, 25, reportedly drowned in Shere Hills Lake .
He was preparing for the show, "Gulder Ultimate Search"
Dutch brewer Heineken's local unit sponsors the program .
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LONDON, England -- Chelsea are waiting on the fitness of John Terry ahead of Wednesday's Champions League match with Valencia, but Frank Lampard has been ruled out. John Terry tries out his protective mask during training for Chelsea on Tuesday. Center-back Terry suffered a broken cheekbone during Saturday's 0-0 draw with Fulham, and Chelsea manager Avram Grant will see how he fares during training on Tuesday before making a decision on his availability. Terry trained at Valencia's Mestalla stadium with a face mask on after surgery on Sunday. "John Terry wants to play which is very good. Now we need to wait for training and then we will speak with the medical department and decide," said Grant. Grant has confirmed that Lampard will definitely sit the game out though as the midfielder continues to recover from his thigh injury. Midfielder Michael Essien, who scored a last-minute winner for Chelsea to knock Valencia out of last season's Champions League, has also been battling a leg injury but he took part in training on Tuesday and is expected to play. E-mail to a friend .
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Chelsea are still waiting on the fitness of England captain John Terry .
Terry trained in a face mask ahead of the Champions League tie in Valencia .
The central defender underwent surgery on a broken cheekbone on Sunday .
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ROME. Italy -- Italy and Roma striker Francesco Totti has threatened to quit the Italian Players Association, in a row over the starting date of the next Serie A season. Roma striker Totti has complained that the Italian players are never listened to. The row began last month, when the Italian Football League, which is run by the presidents of clubs in the country's top two divisions, voted to start the season on August 26. In doing so, they ignored a request by Italy coach Roberto Donadoni to play the first round of matches midway through the month, to give his players time to gain match-fitness ahead of Euro 2008 qualifiers against France and Ukraine in early September. "I'm ready to leave the Italian Players Association. We are the principal actors, but also the people who are never listened to," Totti was quoted as saying in Italian football magazine Dieci. "This is the moment in which we must make our voice heard. We wanted to start on August 19, to have an extra week's rest at Christmas and allow the national team to come into the big matches in September better prepared. "Those who decided (on August 26) didn't care at all about Donadoni's needs." Serie A is one of the last major European leagues to start next season. The opening round of English Premier League matches is scheduled to start on August 11, while the French Ligue 1 will kick off on August 4. E-mail to a friend .
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Francesco Totti threatens to quit the Italian Players' Association .
The Italy and Roma striker is upset over the early start to the new season .
He says: We are the principal actors, but ... are never listened to."
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Allegations that Blackwater USA -- whose operations were suspended after 20 Iraqi civilians were shot to death last weekend -- was "in any way associated or complicit in unlawful arms activities are baseless," the company asserted Saturday. Blackwater employees patrol Baghdad by air in a February 2005 photograph. Federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that employees of Blackwater illegally purchased weapons and sold them in Iraq, according to U.S. government sources. A U.S. government official has said the U.S. attorney's office in Raleigh, North Carolina, is in the early stages of an investigation that focuses on individual company employees, and not the firm. Blackwater, which is based in Moyock, North Carolina, is a security firm hired by the State Department to guard U.S. staff in Iraq. "The company has no knowledge of any employee improperly exporting weapons," the Blackwater statement said. "When it was uncovered internally that two employees were stealing from the company, Blackwater immediately fired them and invited the ATF to conduct a thorough investigation." Watch a report on Blackwater's response to the allegations » . The first public hint that an investigation was under way came earlier this week in a statement from State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard after he was accused of blocking fraud investigations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Krongard said the State Department has been cooperating with the prosecutors in the Blackwater probe. "In particular, I made one of my best investigators available to help assistant U.S. attorneys in North Carolina in their investigation into alleged smuggling of weapons into Iraq by a contractor," Krongard's statement said. Blackwater resumed normal security operations in Iraq on Friday, the State Department said, after a brief hiatus following the lethal incident last Sunday. The Iraqi government was outraged by the shootings and disputes the U.S. and Blackwater's claim that the guards were responding to an attack. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Elise Labott and Kelli Arena contributed to this report.
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Two employees bought, sold weapons on their own, company says .
Company fired workers, turned them in to ATF, says source .
Feds investigating claims Blackwater employees made illegal arms deals .
Blackwater in spotlight after shootings last weekend that killed 20 Iraqis .
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(CNN) -- A Marine convicted for his role in the death of an Iraqi civilian was sentenced Friday to a reduction in rank and will be discharged. Cpl. Trent D. Thomas was found guilty Wednesday of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit several offenses -- including murder, larceny, housebreaking, kidnapping, and making false official statements -- for his involvement in the April 2006 death in Hamdaniya, Iraq. Thomas will be demoted to the rank of entry-level private and will receive a bad-conduct discharge. The 25-year-old was among seven Marines and a Navy medic who were charged in connection with the death of Hashim Ibrahim Awad, 52. The Marines accused in the case were members of Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. They reported at the time that Awad planned to detonate a roadside bomb targeting their patrol. But several residents of Hamdaniya, including relatives of the victim, gave a different account, prompting a criminal investigation. Prosecutors accuse the group's squad leader, Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins III, of dragging Awad from his home, shooting him in the street and then making it look like he had planned to ambush American troops. Hutchins has pleaded not guilty to murder, conspiracy and other charges in the case. He faces a sentence of life in prison if convicted. Thomas changed his plea from guilty to not guilty in February, arguing that he had merely followed orders. He told his attorneys that after reviewing the evidence against him, he realized "that what happened overseas happened as a result of obedience to orders, and he hasn't done anything wrong," defense attorney Victor Kelley said. Thomas said in January, shortly after entering his guilty plea, that he was "truly sorry" for his role in the killing. He could have been sentenced to life in prison under his original plea. E-mail to a friend .
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Cpl. Trent D. Thomas found guilty this week of conspiracy to commit murder .
Marine gets rank of private, will be discharged for role in death of Iraqi civilian .
Group's leader awaits trial on murder and conspiracy charges .
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MOGADISHU, Somalia (CNN) -- An enraged crowd dragged the body of an Ethiopian soldier through the streets of Somalia's capital Thursday after gun battles with Islamic insurgents killed 19 people, witnesses reported. In a brutal echo of a 1993 battle involving Somali militias in which the bodies of U.S. troops were dragged through the streets, crowds Thursday shouted "God is great" as they pulled the bruised, bullet-riddled corpse through a dusty Mogadishu neighborhood. The body was bound hand and foot with wire and wrapped in a sheet of plastic when insurgents pulled it out of a car and left it with the crowd in the northern Mogadishu neighborhood of Suqa Holaha, witnesses reported. Nine Ethiopians are reportedly part of the 19 dead. Another battle broke out on the city's south side Thursday morning between Ethiopian troops and insurgents armed with heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. The fighting drove hundreds more people from their homes, on top of the tens of thousands aid agencies say have fled in recent weeks. "Ethiopians will launch violent attacks on us, for some of their comrades have been killed today," said Rahma Nor Omar, an elderly woman in the capital. "They will be like wounded animals." Witnesses put the death toll from the day's clashes at 19, including Ethiopian troops, insurgents and civilians. Ethiopian troops arrived in Somalia in December 2006 to help a weak Somali government drive the Islamic Courts Union out of Mogadishu and restore a U.N.-backed transitional government after a decade and a half of near-anarchy. The Islamists responded by launching an insurgency against Somali government and Ethiopian troops that has lasted nearly a year. The United States accused the ICU of harboring suspected al Qaeda figures, including three men wanted in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and raised no objections to Ethiopian presence in Somalia. Washington has long been concerned that Somalia could turn into a safe haven for terrorists, but ICU leaders denied harboring al Qaeda suspects. E-mail to a friend .
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Ethiopian soldier dragged after battle with Islamic insurgents killed 19 people .
The body was bound hand and foot with wire and wrapped in a sheet of plastic .
Incident recalls 1993 dragging of U.S. soldier through streets of Mogadishu .
Washington is concerned Somalia could turn into a safe haven for terrorists .
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PARIS, France (CNN) -- Interpol on Monday took the unprecendented step of making a global appeal for help to identify a man from digitally reconstructed photos taken from the Internet that it said showed him sexually abusing underage boys. This moving image shows how police used software to unscramble the image. (Source: Interpol) The man's face was disguised by digital alteration, but the images were capable of being restored, according to a bulletin from Interpol -- the international police agency based in Lyon, France. Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said the pictures have been on the the Internet for several years, but investigators have been unable to determine the man's identity or nationality. "We have tried all other means to identify and to bring him to justice, but we are now convinced that without the public's help this sexual predator could continue to rape and sexually abuse young children whose ages appear to range from six to early teens," Noble said. He said there is "very good reason to believe that he travels the world in order to sexually abuse and exploit vulnerable children." Interpol has determined the photos were taken in Vietnam and Cambodia. "The decision to make public this man's picture was not one which was taken lightly," said Kristin Kvigne, assistant director of Interpol's Trafficking in Human Beings Unit. The suspect's photo and more information can be seen online at Interpol's Web site. E-mail to a friend .
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Man posted photos on the Internet of himself sexually abusing underage boys .
Computer experts managed to undo digital masking to reveal the man .
Man abused 12 boys in Vietnam and Cambodia .
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5ebd041d89a2ba41b387c30293f0657eef746910
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Reuters is a global information company providing material tailored for professionals in the financial services, media and corporate markets. Its information is trusted and drives decision making across the globe. In October 1851 Paul Julius Reuter, a German-born immigrant, opened an office in the City of London which transmitted stock market quotations between London and Paris via the new Calais-Dover cable. 18 months earlier he had used pigeons to fly stock prices between Aachen and Brussels, a service which operated for a year until the gap in the telegraph link was closed. Reuters, as the agency soon became known, eventually extended its service to other European countries. It also expanded the content to include general and economic news from all around the world. In 1865 Reuters was first in Europe with news of President Lincoln's assassination in the United States. As overland telegraph and undersea cable facilities developed, the business expanded beyond Europe to include the Far East in 1872 and South America in 1874. In 1883 Reuters began to use a "column printer" to transmit messages electrically to London newspapers and in 1923 pioneered the use of radio to transmit news internationally. In 1927 it brought in the teleprinter to distribute news to London newspapers. Today Reuters has over 16,900 staff in over 94 countries across the globe, and is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, with 196 bureaux serving approximately 131 countries. In 2006 Reuters filed over two and a half million news items, including 656,500 alerts, from 209 countries around the world, published in 18 languages. Although Reuters is best known as the world's largest international multimedia news agency, more than 90% of its revenue derives from its financial services business. Some 370,000 financial market professionals working in the equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, money, commodities and energy markets around the world use Reuters products. The company supplies news -- text, graphics, video and pictures -- to media organizations across the globe. It also provides news to businesses outside the financial services sector, as well as direct to consumers. E-mail to a friend .
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Reuters was founded in 1851 by Julius Reuter, transmitting market quotations .
The company was first in Europe with news of President Lincoln's assassination .
Today Reuters has 196 bureaux serving approximately 131 countries.
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(CNN) -- The partnership started as a single shop on Oxford Street in London, opened in 1864 by John Lewis. Today the partnership is an organization with bases throughout the UK, with supermarkets and department stores, employing approximately 67,100 people. All 67,100 permanent staff are Partners who own 26 John Lewis department stores, 183 Waitrose supermarkets, an online and catalogue business, John Lewis Direct a direct services company - Greenbee, three production units and a farm. Every Partner receives the same scale of bonus, based on a fixed percentage of their annual wage. The bonus for 2006 was 18% equivalent to 9 weeks pay, which was rolled out for every employee. Chairman Sir Stuart Hampson retired at the end of March 2007, his successor is Charlie Mayfield. Hampson's salary for January 26, 2006 to January 26, 2007 was $1.66 million which included the partnership bonus of $250,000. John Lewis' consolidated revenue for the last financial year was $11.4 billion. E-mail to a friend .
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John Lewis Partnership began as a shop on London's Oxford street in 1864 .
All 67,100 employees are partners in the organization and own shares .
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e117408ad19cc69e15b1e21b9ae54f10c07223ce
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(CNN) -- The company was founded in 1985 by seven communications industry veterans -- Franklin Antonio, Adelia Coffman, Andrew Cohen, Klein Gilhousen, Irwin Jacobs, Andrew Viterbi and Harvey White. One of Qualcomm's first products was OmniTRACS, introduced in 1988, which is currently the largest satellite-based commercial mobile system for the transportation industry. Today, Qualcomm's patent portfolio includes approximately 6,100 United States patents and patent applications for CDMA and related technologies. More than 130 telecommunications equipment manufacturers worldwide have licensed QUALCOMM's essential CDMA patents. Qualcomm is among the members of the S&P 500 Index, Fortune 500, and a winner of the U.S. Department of Labor's" Secretary of Labor's Opportunity Award." The company has been listed among Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" for nine years in a row and the magazine's list of" Most Admired Companies." Qualcomm's Annual revenue for 2006 was $7.53 billion, with a net income of $2.47 billion. E-mail to a friend .
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The company has become a huge name in communications in just 20 years .
Qualcomm has a portfolio of approximately 6,100 U.S. patents .
Fortune lists the company as one of the 100 best places to work in the U.S.
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PARIS, France -- AC Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka has been named European player of the year, lifting France Football's Ballon d'Or award. Kaka has already claimed all of the game's major prizes. His success comes two years after his fellow countryman, Barcelona's Ronaldinho, claimed the award . The 25-year-old Kaka was a major factor in AC Milan's triumphant Champions League campaign. The runner-up was Manchester United's Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo with Barcelona's Argentinian midfielder Lionel Messi finishing third. "This is very special for me - it culminates an astonishing year for me," Kaka said. "It's the top prize around and the only way to win something like this is to play for a team like AC Milan. It's great to be part of a team that wins." At 25 years old, he has already won all the game's major prizes, individually and collectively. He was part of Brazil's 2002 World Cup winning squad, although he was limited to just 19 minutes as a substitute against Costa Rica. He was top scorer in last season's Champions League, helping Milan to avenge their loss to Liverpool in the 2005 final. He won the Italian domestic title in his first season at Milan having joined from Brazilians Sao Paulo for$ 8.5 million, a sum that Milan president Silvio Berlusconi then described as peanuts. E-mail to a friend .
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Brazilian Kaka is named European player of the year .
The AC Milan player is chosen ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester Utd .
Argentine Lionel Messi of Barcelona finishes third .
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282f1910bd57e50d4401c695ebe75b817de68548
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(CNN) -- BUPA is an international health and care company with bases on three continents and more than eight million customers. BUPA began as The British United Provident Association in 1947 to preserve freedom of choice in health care. It believed that with a National Health Service being introduced a year later, there would still be a need for a complimentary service enabling people from all walks of life to afford the benefits of choice in where, when and by whom they were treated. Led by the growing public demand for health care and a lack of quality private accommodation BUPA initiated the Nuffield Homes Charitable Trust - later renamed Nuffield Hospitals. BUPA's biggest and original business is health insurance in the UK, both for individuals and corporations that want to look after the health of their employees. More than half of the UK's top companies are BUPA customers. The company's UK care homes offer specialist care to residents who include the elderly, the mentally ill, young people with physical or learning disabilities and people with conditions such as Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. BUPA is a leading healthcare company in the UK, Spain, Australia, Ireland, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malta and Saudi Arabia. BUPA International supplies health cover to expatriates in over 180 countries. Sanitas, the BUPA business in Spain, has one million insured customers who have access to a network of 18,000 medical professionals and 450 medical centres. E-mail to a friend .
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BUPA was founded in 1947 in response to plans to establish the NHS .
The company's biggest base is in the UK but has customers in three continents .
BUPA care homes cater for a number of conditions, including Parkinson's .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- The head of Britain's intelligence services has warned that children as young as 15 are becoming involved in terrorist-related activity. Jonathan Evans, the chief of MI5, also said that at least 2,000 people in Britain pose a threat to the country's security because of their support for al Qaeda-inspired terrorism. "As I speak, terrorists are methodically and intentionally targeting young people and children in this country. They are radicalising, indoctrinating and grooming young, vulnerable people to carry out acts of terrorism," he told a gathering of newspaper editors in Manchester. Evans said the figure of 2,000 -- an increase of 400 since November 2006 -- only included those the intelligence services knew about and that the actual number could be double. He said there had been 200 terrorist convictions in Britain since the September 11 attacks. The MI5 head added that over recent years much of the command and inspiration for attack planning in the UK had come from al Qaeda's remaining core leadership in the tribal areas of Pakistan. However, he said in the last 12 months terrorist plots on British soil were increasingly inspired by al Qaeda cadres in other countries, including in Iraq and East Africa. "There is no doubt now that al Qaeda in Iraq aspires to promote terrorist attacks outside Iraq. There is no doubt that there is training activity and terrorist planning in East Africa -- particularly in Somalia -- which is focused on the UK," he told the Society of Editors meeting. According to Evans, there had been "no decrease" in the number of Russian covert intelligence officers operating in Britain since the end of the Cold War. He said that resources that could be devoted to counter-terrorism were instead being used to protect Britain against spying by Russia, China and others. "A number of countries continue to devote considerable time and energy trying to steal our sensitive technology on civilian and military projects and trying to obtain political and economic intelligence at our expense," he said. E-mail to a friend .
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UK intel chief says children as young as 15 involved in terrorist-related activity .
Jonathan Evans: At least 2,000 people in Britain who pose threat to security .
MI5 chief said the actual number could be double that .
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ROME, Italy -- Mauro Camoranesi scored with 13 minutes left to earn Juventus a 1-1 home draw with Serie A leaders Inter Milan on Sunday. Julio Cruz is mobbed by team-mates after giving Inter the lead in their 1-1 draw at Juventus. Camoranesi picked up a headed knock-down from substitute Vincenzo Iaquinta before seeing his shot deflect off defender Walter Samuel to leave goalkeeper Julio Cesar helpless. Inter took a first-half lead when Argentine striker Julio Cruz broke Juve's offside trap and latched onto Brazilian midfielder Cesar's through ball before firing past Gianluigi Buffon. The result means Inter retain their unbeaten record this season, despite injury problems that saw the likes of Patrick Vieira, Francesco Toldo, Marco Materazzi and Dejan Stankovic ruled out. The defending champions are now two points clear of Fiorentina at the top of the table, with Roma a point further behind and Juventus in fourth place. Earlier in the day, Roma missed out on the chance to close the gap on Inter when a late collapse saw them throw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Empoli. First half goals from French winger Ludovic Giuly and Matteo Brighi had put the visiting Romans in charge and for more than an hour they looked set to cruise to victory. But with 23 minutes remaining Ighli Vannucchi reduced the deficit and Sebastian Giovinco snatched an injury time equaliser to deny Luciano Spaletti's injury-depleted team. Siena snatched a share of the spoils from Parma in a 2-2 draw as Daniele Galloppa scored in the last minute while Napoli needed an injury time goal from striker Ezequiel Lavezzi to deny rock-bottom Reggina their first win of the season, forcing them to settle for a 1-1 draw in the south. E-mail to a friend .
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A Mauro Camoranesi goal earns Juventus a 1-1 draw with leaders Inter Milan .
Argentine striker Julio Cruz had given injury-hit Inter the lead in the first half .
The result maintains Inter's unbeaten record and moves them two points clear .
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(CNN) -- One Australian soldier, three civilians and Taliban militants were killed early Friday during heavy fighting in southern Afghanistan, according to information from Australian and NATO officials. Four Australian troops have now died in the conflict in Afghanistan. The incident occurred in Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan province, where Taliban militants killed an Australian commando, the Australian Defence Ministry said. The 26-year-old commando -- Pvt. Luke Worsley of Sydney -- served with the Special Operations Task Group. This is the fourth Australian troop to die in the Afghan conflict. "The action in which Private Worsley died only concluded in the last few hours and was characterized by heavy, close quarter fighting. The SOTG was conducting an operation to clear an identified Taliban bomb making facility in Uruzgan province, when the soldier was hit by small arms fire," Chief of the Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said. NATO's International Security Assistance Force said "a significant number of Taliban insurgents were killed or captured as part of the operation. Taliban insurgents initiated the firefight which lasted several hours." Gen. Carlos Branco, ISAF spokesman, said it is not known how the civilians, two women and a child, died. "However, we do know that the insurgents fired upon ISAF soldiers from the compound in which the Afghan civilians (two women and one child) were found after the fight. ISAF makes all effort to prevent losses of innocent civilian lives." E-mail to a friend .
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Taliban militants kill Australian commando in southern Afghanistan .
He was shot during operation to clear Taliban bomb making facility in Uruzgan .
This is the fourth Australian soldier to die in the conflict in Afghanistan .
Several militants killed and a coalition troop injured in other fighting in southeast .
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(CNN) -- As part of an effort to share the best practices of modern business among organizations across the globe, CNN is talking to some of the world's top executives. In line with this, CNN will be hosting three events looking at modern strategies in today's business arena. The first of these master classes will be based at the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai and will be aired November 10 and 11. One of the guests at the event will be Howard Schultz, chairman of the international coffee shop chain Starbucks. He will be part of a live discussion at the master class and will take questions that you, the CNN audience, put to him. As the head of a coffee empire that now boasts over 12,000 stores and recorded revenues in 2006 of $7.8 billion, Schultz is well equipped to tackle questions on the best ways to succeed in today's business world. The CNN Boardroom Master classes will take place in the homes of the world's largest stock markets -- Shanghai, New York and London. It airs on November10 at 2115 and November 11 at 0115 & 1615 HKT. E-mail to a friend .
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CNN will host three Boardroom Master Classes with business experts .
The first event will feature Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz .
Schultz will take e-mail and video questions from the CNN audience .
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NYON, Switzerland -- Celtic have been fined $50,800 by UEFA and AC Milan's Dida has been banned for two matches after the incident which saw a pitch-invading supporter approach the Brazilian goalkeeper in last week's Champions League match at Celtic Park. Dida's theatrical over-reaction has resulted in UEFA suspending him for two matches. The incident occurred when the Scottish side beat Milan 2-1 in Glasgow. A fan ran onto the field in the 90th minute, soon after the home side scored their winning goal, and made what appeared to be minimal contact with Dida. The Milan goalkeeper turned to chase the supporter before dropping to the ground. He was carried off the field on a stretcher and replaced. Dida's theatrical over-reaction has cost him severely -- but Celtic may choose not to complain about their own punishment, with half of their fine suspended for two years. UEFA did have the power to change the result of the match, although that was always unlikely. UEFA's control and disciplinary body found Celtic guilty of charges of "lack of organisation and improper conduct of supporters", while Dida was found to have breached UEFA's "principles of loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship". Milan have pledged to appeal against the punishment, which as it stands means he will miss the club's Champions League games against Shakhtar Donetsk. "It's a suspension that is absolutely excessive," said Milan lawyer Leandro Cantamessa. "It seems to us a very, very unbalanced sentence. It turns Dida into the protagonist of the incident, whereas the protagonist was someone else, and that's not right from a logical point of view." Celtic acted swiftly to punish the 27-year-old supporter, who turned himself in and has since admitted a breach of the peace in court and will be sentenced next month. The club banned the fan for life from all their matches, home and away. Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell said: "As a club we feel this penalty is proportionate to the incident in question and a fair outcome." E-mail to a friend .
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AC Milan's Brazilian goalkeeper Dida is suspended by UEFA for two matches .
Dida was banned for his over-reacting to being touched by a Celtic supporter .
Celtic have been fined $50,800 for allowing the fan to run onto the field of play .
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(CNN) -- Muddy but unhurt, three University of Texas students emerged from a cramped cave complex in Austin, Texas, after a day-long search Sunday. A rescuer at the entrance to Airman's Cave in Austin, Texas, Sunday. Lt. Matt Cox, an Austin Fire Department spokesman, said the students -- two women and one man -- were reported missing early Sunday after a trip into Airman's Cave, about four miles south of the university's campus. They were found about halfway down the 12,000-foot-long cave, which has few spaces big enough for an adult to stand upright and is explored primarily by experienced spelunkers. The students were located shortly before 5 p.m. (6 p.m. ET), about 30 hours after they entered. Their names were not released Sunday night. A friend called 911 to report them missing at 5 a.m. The group had told friends to call 911 if they were not back by midnight Sunday, according to Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services. Earlier reports that four students were in the cave were incorrect, Cox said. Authorities did not know Sunday evening why the students were in the cave for so long. But Cox said it would have been easy even for experienced cavers to get lost in Airman's, which he compared to the roots of a tree. "There are so many ways to go," he said. E-mail to a friend .
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Three Austin cave explorers are safe and are out of the cave, officials said .
The University of Texas students went into Airman's Cave Saturday .
The 12,000 foot long cave complex has tight twists and turns .
Unclear exactly how the students lost their way, but cave is complex, official said .
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PARIS, France -- France lock Sebastien Chabal has been cited for a dangerous tackle on England's Simon Shaw during Saturday's World Cup semifinal in Paris. Simon Shaw offloads despite being tackled by Raphael Ibanez, left, and Sebastien Chabal. The Sale Sharks forward will face a disciplinary hearing on Monday after his tackle on opposite second-rower Shaw was noted by citing commissioner Dennis Wheelahan. Chabal started the match on the substitutes' bench, but was brought on in the 26th minute to replace the injured Fabien Pelous during hosts France's 14-9 defeat. If he is suspended, then Chabal will miss Friday's third and fourth-place play-off match at the Parc des Princes. Meanwhile, France coach Bernard Laporte said that the defeat was tougher to take than England's 24-7 win in the 2003 semifinals. "In 2003, they were better then us. In fact they were better than everyone," said Laporte, who is leaving his role to take up the post of junior sports minister in the French government. "They were like the New Zealand of this tournament - the favorite, except they went all the way. This time it's harder because yesterday it was 50-50." Meanwhile, England -- seeking to become the first nation to defend the World Cup title -- revealed that star kicker Jonny Wilkinson again had problems with the match balls during the semifinal. The fly-half, who voiced his concerns after struggling with the boot against Australia, rejected a ball before kicking a vital three-pointer against France. "We didn't say it last week but a non-match ball got onto the field in Marseille which Jonny kicked," director of rugby Rob Andrew said. "He didn't think about it while he was kicking it. "The match balls are marked, numbered one to six. Last night they had 'World Cup semi-final England vs France' written on them. On match night, Jonny was vigilant when kicking for goal that they were actually match balls he was kicking. "The practice balls lose pressure and shape. The whole issue last week, the organizers accepted all six match balls should be used by both sides on the Thursday before game." E-mail to a friend .
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France lock Sebastien Chabal cited for a dangerous tackle on Simon Shaw .
Chabal faces disciplinary hearing on Monday after incident against England .
Sale forward will miss the third and fourth-place play-off is he is suspended .
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MOSCOW, Russia -- 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 .
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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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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- 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.
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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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MADRID, Spain -- 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 .
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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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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- 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 .
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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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KIEV, Ukraine -- 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 .
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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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LONDON, England -- 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 .
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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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BARCELONA, England -- 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 .
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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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(CNN) -- 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 .
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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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CARDIFF, Wales -- 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 .
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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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MADRID, Spain -- 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 .
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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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(CNN) -- 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 .
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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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(CNN) -- 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 .
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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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(CNN) -- 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.
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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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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- 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.
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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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(CNN) -- 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.
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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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(CNN) -- 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.
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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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ROME, Italy -- 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 .
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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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LONDON, England -- 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 .
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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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ROME, Italy (CNN) -- 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.
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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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MEMPHIS, Tennessee (CNN) -- 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 .
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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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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- 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 .
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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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ee0b1bc5ee40697c0792e3906000fe8be5be182a
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JENA, Louisiana (CNN) -- 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 .
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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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LONDON, England (CNN) -- 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 .
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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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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Three Chinese nationals accused of importing thousands of counterfeit luxury handbags in the United States have been arrested in the past two days, federal authorities announced Thursday. Shoppers sort through counterfeit brand name luxury bags and wallets on a Hong Kong street. "This was a sophisticated criminal conspiracy that trafficked millions of dollars of counterfeit goods from China, profiting off the backs of legitimate companies and their hard-working employees," said Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher. Authorities call it one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered, involving about 300,000 bags and wallets with names like Burberry, Gucci and Coach. For customers who bought the knockoffs, it seemed like a deal. They paid a total of about $16 million for what would have been more than $100 million in handbags, purses and wallets in legitimate retail sales. The alleged leaders of the counterfeit operations are three Chinese citizens living in New York. Chong Lam, 49, and Joyce Chan, 39, were arrested there Wednesday. Eric Yuen, 39, was arrested Thursday in Las Vegas, Nevada. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who made the arrests began investigating the alleged scheme five years ago, after raids turned up counterfeit goods. The indictment was secretly returned in Richmond, Virginia, in October. The charges were unsealed when the alleged conspirators were taken into custody. Authorities seized and froze 29 bank accounts and three New York properties. The Chinese defendants will be taken to Richmond, where they will be arraigned at a later date, officials said. E-mail to a friend .
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Authorities call it one of the largest counterfeit operations ever discovered .
Official: Scheme profited "off the backs of legitimate companies"
Counterfeit operation allegedly involved 300,000 high-end bags and wallets .
The alleged leaders are three Chinese citizens living in New York .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- 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 .
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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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94148575d23050ffbedb00bddbd826d7137a4fe4
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(CNN) -- 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 .
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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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44fc3a2bc441a674f1ebdeabae73278977909db4
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(CNN) -- 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 .
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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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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- 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 .
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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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LONDON, England -- A mother is seeking to have the womb of her severely disabled daughter removed to prevent the 15-year-old from feeling the pain and discomfort of menstruation. Doctors in Britain are now taking legal advice to see if they are permitted to carry out the hysterectomy on Katie Thorpe, who suffers from cerebral palsy. But a charity campaigning for the disabled said on Monday the move could infringe human rights and would set a "disturbing precedent." Andy Rickell, executive director of disability charity Scope, told the Press Association: "It is very difficult to see how this kind of invasive surgery, which is not medically necessary and which will be very painful and traumatic, can be in Katie's best interests. "This case raises fundamental ethical issues about the way our society treats disabled people and the respect we have for disabled people's human and reproductive rights. Watch why the surgery is so controversial » . "If this enforced sterilization is approved, it will have disturbing implications for young disabled girls across Britain." Katie's mother Alison Thorpe, who lives in Billericay, southern England, said the operation was in her daughter's best interests. "First of all, this is not about me. If it was about me, I would have given up caring for Katie a long, long while ago," she told GMTV. "It is about quality of life and for Katie to not have the associated problems of menstruation adds to her quality of life. It means she can continue with the quality of life we can give her now. "Katie wouldn't understand menstruation at all. She has no comprehension about what will be happening to her body. All she would feel is the discomfort, the stomach cramps and the headaches, the mood swings, the tears, and wonder what is going on." Thorpe said an operation would be best for Katie, despite the initial pain it would cause. She added: "The short-term pain and discomfort we can manage with painkillers. We will be able to manage that pain much better than menstruation once a month, when Katie cannot tell us 'I'm in pain.'" E-mail to a friend .
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Mother seeks to have womb of severely disabled daughter, 15, removed .
Briton wants to prevent cerebral palsy sufferer feeling pain of menstruation .
UK doctors seek legal advice to see if they can perform hysterectomy .
Charity for disabled says move could infringe human rights .
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(CNN) -- The Chinese government is bracing itself for a rush of people wishing to marry when the summer Olympics kick off on August 8 -- because the number carries a special significance in Chinese culture, the state news agency said Sunday. A traditional Ming-style wedding is held in Nanjing, China, last December. The number "eight" (ba) is considered auspicious by many in China because it sounds like the word for "wealth" and "fortune," the news agency Xinhua said. "We've long been prepared for a stampede of newly-wed couples this year," Guo Xusheng, spokesman with the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, told Xinhua. Every year, many couples choose the 8th of August -- the eighth month of the year -- hoping "eighth of the eighth" luck will rub off on them, the news agency said. Nearly 3,400 couples got hitched on the day last year, some waiting all night outside the marriage registration office in Beijing. This year, the civil affairs bureau is accepting online reservations for marriage registrations for the day. The significance that numbers carry in Chinese culture often dictate various aspects of the people's lives there. And of all the numbers, eight is considered one of the luckiest. Beijing, itself, opted to kick off the Olympic Games at 8 p.m. on 8/8/08. E-mail to a friend .
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China braces for rush of weddings on opening day of Olympics .
Opening day of Beijing Olympics is August 8, 2008 .
The number "8" is considered by many Chinese to carry good fortune .
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LONDON, England -- Nihat Kahveci sent Turkey into the Euro 2008 finals behind defending champions and Group C winners Greece with the only goal in a narrow 1-0 victory over battling Bosnia-Herzegovina. Goalscorer Nihat gets a kiss from team-mate Altintop after Turkey sealed their place with a 1-0 win over Bosnia. The result ended Norway's hopes of snatching qualification despite their 4-1 victory away to Malta with Steffen Iversen scoring a first half hat-trick. Nihat struck at the end of a first half that Fatih Terim's Turkey dominated, yet the hosts were unable to build on that lead and had to endure some tense moments. Just a point had separated the third-placed Scandinavians from Terim's men -- and Turkey needed to win to progress. Nihat led the charge forcing early saves from goalkeeper Adnan Guso and finally making the breakthrough two minutes before half-time. Hamit Altintop found space down the left and crossed for the Villarreal forward who finished from 12 meters. Iversen broke the deadlock in Malta after 25 minutes and fired a second from the penalty spot three minutes later -- completing his treble on the stroke of half-time. Michael Mifsud hit back for Malta after the re-start, but Andre Schembri was red-carded after 67-minutes before Morten Gamst Pedersen's strike wrapped it up all to no avail. Portugal went through from Group A after a goalless home draw against qualification rivals Finland while group winners Poland completed their program with a 2-2 draw away to Serbia E-mail to a friend .
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Nihat Kahveci put Turkey into Euro 2008 with 1-0 win over Bosnia/Herzegovina .
Nihat struck at the end of a first half as Turkey joined holders Greece in finals .
Portugal joined Poland in qualifying from Group A with 0-0 draw with Finland .
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(CNN) -- Richard Roberts, the embattled president of Oral Roberts University and the son of its namesake evangelist founder, stepped down Friday, according to the school's Board of Regents. Richard Roberts and wife Lindsay appear on CNN's "Larry King Live" in October. "I love ORU with all my heart. I love the students, faculty, staff and administration, and I want to see God's best for them," Roberts wrote in his resignation letter. Roberts' decision was effective immediately and came as the school fought a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by three professors who accused him and his wife of misconduct. John Swails, Tim Brooker and Paulita Brooker said they lost their jobs after reporting information indicating that Roberts and his family lavishly spent school money for personal expenses. Roberts and his wife, Lindsay, have denied the allegations. The suit also claimed Oral Roberts University gave a "convicted sexual deviant unrestricted access to students" and evidence in the case had been shredded -- charges the university has denied. In addition, the suit alleged Lindsay Roberts repeatedly spent time with an "underage male" in various situations. She denied any improper behavior, insisting in a statement that she had "never, ever engaged in any sexual behavior with any man outside of my marriage." The Board of Regents, which voted to hire an auditor to look into the claims, will meet early next week to discuss a search process for a new president, according to Friday's statement from Chairman George Pearsons. Roberts announced last month he would step aside temporarily as president, saying he and his family had suffered "heavy damage." The controversy has drawn international attention to the private Christian university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. E-mail to a friend .
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"I love ORU with all my heart," Richard Roberts writes in his resignation letter .
Three professors allege they were fired for revealing misspending .
Roberts and wife deny spending university funds improperly .
Roberts announced last month he was stepping aside temporarily as president .
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(CNN) -- They wore feathers. They wore fancy hats. And of course, they wore fur. Never mind the human -- the dog in haute couture was the fashionistas' focus during Pet Fashion Week. But the models strutting down the runway were of the four-legged variety. The glamorous pooches were accompanied by human models -- but the furry ones were getting all the attention. It was Pet Fashion Week New York and these canines were not wearing the boring plaid raincoats that have sold for years. They were wearing one-of-kind design creations. The show last weekend was aimed at owners of sophisticated canines who may be willing to pay for their pup's own stylist. Booths at the annual event features couture clothing, jewelry and other accessories for the well-dressed doggie -- all part of the $40 billion pet industry. E-mail to a friend .
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Dogs ruled in New York during Pet Fashion Week .
Dazzling couture designs trotted down the runway .
Upscale pet accessories, apparel, and lifestyle items on display .
Design awards encourage pushing the envelope in style .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Josephs and Marys in search of a room at the inn this Christmas are being made an offer they can't refuse. Mary and Joseph ride a donkey to Bethlehem in a performance of the Nativity story near Guildford, England. A British hotel chain is promising free accommodation to couples who share their first names with the couple from the Christian Nativity story. Almost 30 Josephs and Marys had already signed up for the free night's stay at the Travelodge, said Shakila Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the hotel chain. "The 'gift' of a free night's stay is to make up for the hotel industry not having any rooms left on Christmas Eve over 2000 years ago when the original 'Mary and Joseph' had to settle for the night in a stable," the company says on its Web site. The offer is good at any one of the chain's 322 hotels in the United Kingdom, the Web site says. The couples must bring proof of identity and must prove that they are in a long-term relationship. "If you satisfy the criteria, you get a free night in a family room for two adults and two children," Ahmed said. "There's also parking space for a donkey if needed," she joked. Ahmed said the offer, which will run from Christmas Eve to Twelfth Night -- December 24 to January 5 -- had been very well-received. "We've had a lot of interest. I think people like the fact that it resonates with the Nativity story at a time when the actual meaning of Christmas often becomes forgotten in festive overkill," she said. Couples can register their names at a special e-mail address set up by Travelodge, which has hotels across the Britain, Ireland and Spain, Ahmed said. E-mail to a friend .
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Couples who share names with the couple from the Nativity story get free room .
Almost 30 Josephs and Marys have signed up for the free night's stay .
Couples have to bring proof of identity .
They also have to prove that they are in a long-term relationship .
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NAPLES, Italy -- Udinese remained in fifth place in Italy's Serie A after suffering a 3-1 defeat away to Napoli on Saturday, with both teams having a player sent off. Ezequiel Lavezzi inspired Napoli to victory against Udinese, netting twice and setting up the first goal. Ezequiel Lavezzi scored twice in two minutes to end a goal drought lasting two and a half months, netting on 74 and 75 as Napoli moved up to ninth in the table. The Argentine also provided the cross that Udinese defender Cristian Zapata put into his own net to leave the visitors playing catch-up from just the third minute. Pepe leveled the score on nine minutes, and then Napoli played with 10 men from the 36th minute after Paolo Cannavaro was expelled for a last-man foul. But the teams were even in numbers again after Pepe was ejected for a second yellow card on 60 minutes. Udinese are still four points behind fourth-placed Fiorentina and the last Champions League berth. Fiorentina hosts AC Milan, which has 30 points, on Sunday. In Saturday's other match, Fabrizio Miccoli scored the only goal to give Palermo a 1-0 victory over Livorno. Miccoli struck in the 76th minute with a shot from just outside the area with Livorno goalkeeper Marco Amelia partially unsighted by several players. Palermo keeper Alberto Fontana saved a penalty by Francesco Tavano at the end of the first half, and had to make several vital stops in the first opening period. Palermo had lost their last three Serie A matches and dropped down the table, but the win put them one point above Napoli in eighth. In Sunday's other matches, leaders Inter Milan host second-bottom Empoli and second-placed Roma travel to third-bottom Siena. Genoa are at home to Catania, third-placed Juventus host bottom club Cagliari, Sampdoria travel to Lazio, Parma play Atalanta and Reggina face fellow strugglers Torino. E-mail to a friend .
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Udinese stay fifth in Italy's Serie A after suffering a 3-1 defeat away to Napoli .
Ezequiel Lavezzi scored twice in two second-half minutes to end goal drought .
Both teams were reduced to 10 men, with one player sent off in each half .
Fabrizio Miccoli scores only goal to give Palermo a 1-0 victory over Livorno .
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BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- Supporters and opponents of Lebanon's pro-Western government appeared to split seats on Sunday as Lebanese voters went to the polls to replace two ruling-party lawmakers assassinated in recent months. Lebanese women wait in line to cast their votes in Beirut. Voters in Beirut sent pro-government candidate Mohammed al-Amin Itani to parliament to replace Walid Eido, who was killed in a June bombing. Both Eido, a Sunni Muslim, and Itani are members of the bloc led by Saad Hariri -- the son of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, whose 2005 killing triggered Lebanon's current wave of political upheaval. But in Metn, a Maronite Christian suburb east of the capital, anti-government candidate Camille Khouri upset former President Amin Gemayel by a few hundred votes, Lebanese television network LBC reported. Khouri is a member of the Free Patriotic Movement, the anti-government party led by former Lebanese Army Gen. Michel Aoun. Aoun has said he will run for president of Lebanon -- and since the post is chosen by members of parliament, Sunday's results were closely watched. Gemayel was seeking the seat held by his son Pierre, who served as industry minister in the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora before being gunned down in his car in November 2006. He served as president from 1982 to 1988, during the civil war in Lebanon. His brother, Bashir Gemayel, was elected president in 1982 but was assassinated before he could take office. Eido and Gemayel were among several Lebanese political figures killed since the February 2005 killing of the elder Hariri. All were critical of Syria's influence in Lebanon, and their supporters blamed Damascus for their deaths -- allegations the Syrians and their allies in Lebanon denied. Hariri's killing triggered a wave of protests against Syria known as the "Cedar Revolution," which brought Siniora's government to power and forced Syria to withdraw the garrison it kept in Lebanon for three decades. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Nada Husseini contributed to this report.
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Former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel loses by a few hundred votes .
Candidates will replace legislator Pierre Gemayel and lawmaker Walid Eido .
Both were allies of U.S.-backed Lebanese government and opponents of Syria .
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GLASGOW, Scotland -- Wednesday's Glasgow derby between Celtic and Rangers has been postponed as a mark of respect following the death of Motherwell captain Phil O'Donnell, the Scottish Premier League announced. O'Donnell, left, celebrates Motherwell's Scottish Cup final win against Dundee in May 1991. "These are never easy decisions. But we recognise that as a former player, Phil was part of Celtic's extended football family," said SPL secretary Iain Blair. "After consultation with Rangers we agreed to postpone the Old Firm fixture on the second of January." Motherwell's game against Hibernian on the same day was called off on Saturday night in the hours after O'Donnell, 35, died following his on-field collapse. Gretna's match against St Mirren was also postponed as it was scheduled to take place at Fir Park which has become a shrine to the memory of O'Donnell, but the SPL confirmed that the other three fixtures scheduled for Wednesday will go ahead. Celtic skipper Stephen McManus spoke out in favor of the postponement after he and his team-mates met on Monday morning for the first time since O'Donnell's death. "A number of our squad have very close connections to Phil's family and feel it would be inappropriate to proceed with this match at such a time, following such a tragic event," he said. Rangers manager Walter Smith agreed that the game should not be played. "You cannot think of playing at a time like this," he said. "Obviously it is a very difficult time for everybody, especially Phil O'Donnell's family." Motherwell's home game against Celtic next Sunday had already been postponed by the SPL. E-mail to a friend .
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Glasgow derby between Celtic and Rangers on Wednesday is postponed .
Decision made as a mark of respect after death of ex-player Phil O'Donnell .
Motherwell's home game against Celtic next Sunday was already called off .
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HARYANA, India (CNN) -- In a nation of more than a billion people and millions of unresolved court cases, how do you take care of the backlog? Long distances over questionable roads stop many Indians from making it into courtrooms. Solution: You take the courts to the people. A bell rings. A bailiff yells out the name of the accused. It's another day in the mobile courtroom of Judge Sandeep Singh. His courtroom is a desk plopped down in the middle of a dusty schoolyard in the northern Indian village of Haryana. "It works like any other regular court," Singh said. "The only difference is that instead of people going to the court, the court comes to the village." The mobile court is bused into rural areas to hear both criminal and civil complaints as part of an effort to dig the nation's court system out from under an enormous backlog of cases. With an estimated 300 million unresolved cases languishing in Indian courts, one consultant believes, it could take more than 300 years to clear the docket at the current pace. There's one main reason for the backlog: inconvenience. People often have to travel long distances over questionable roads, using slow modes of transportation. "The witnesses -- definitely, they don't show up -- and even the parties -- they don't show up -- and they send their advocate," Singh said. "But here, people are closer by, so definitely it makes a difference." With distance no longer a problem, more villagers and their attorneys are coming to hearings. Compared to the traditional legal system, the mobile court claims to be both fast and efficient. Singh said he has been able to clear 1,100 cases in just six months time compared to 500 under the traditional court system. E-mail to a friend .
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Indian judges bus mobile courts to rural villages to ease backlog .
Judges say the mobile courts make justice more convenient .
India has an estimated 300 million unresolved court cases .
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55986d11e0d0e5b031567157cf1f157610c65c31
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush's top adviser on homeland security is stepping down after 4½ years on the job, the White House said Monday. Fran Townsend served more than four years as homeland security adviser. Homeland Security Adviser Fran Townsend turned in her letter of resignation to President Bush on November 6 and will be looking for new opportunities outside government. "I'm going to just take another job doing 20-hour days, but this time in the private sector," said Townsend, who has spent 25 years working in law enforcement and government. Bush praised Townsend's work Monday. "Fran has always provided wise counsel on how to best protect the American people from the threat of terrorism," Bush said in a statement. "We are safer today because of her leadership." Townsend's job, as the president's top adviser on fighting terrorism, involved identifying terrorist groups around the globe and assessing their threat, and finding ways to track and cut off their funding. She said that experience should will be useful in the private sector as well. Townsend -- the mother of two, ages 6 and 12 -- said she first will look into public speaking, writing and board work before pursuing opportunities in global risk management for a large multinational corporation or financial institution. Watch how Townsend is planning to use her skills » . She said she's been talking with the president about her planned departure for eight months. Townsend's name had come up during the president's recent search for a new attorney general, but she was not considered. She said not getting the job "had absolutely nothing to do with her decision to leave." She said Bush had wanted her to stay on in his administration. "It was a hard decision as I have loved and will cherish my every minute of service," she said in an e-mail. "My family actually advocated that I remain and has always been supportive of my service so this was entirely my decision." Townsend is part of the search committee to find a replacement by the beginning of next year. The president appoints the senior staff position, and it needs no Senate confirmation. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Suzanne Malveaux contributed to this report.
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Fran Townsend says she'll look for opportunities in the private sector .
Townsend has worked in government and law enforcement for 25 years .
Townsend will be on a panel searching for a replacement .
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PARIS, France (CNN) -- Interpol on Monday took the unprecendented step of making a global appeal for help to identify a man from digitally reconstructed photos taken from the Internet that it said showed him sexually abusing underage boys. This moving image shows how police used software to unscramble the image. (Source: Interpol) The man's face was disguised by digital alteration, but the images were capable of being restored, according to a bulletin from Interpol -- the international police agency based in Lyon, France. Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said the pictures have been on the the Internet for several years, but investigators have been unable to determine the man's identity or nationality. "We have tried all other means to identify and to bring him to justice, but we are now convinced that without the public's help this sexual predator could continue to rape and sexually abuse young children whose ages appear to range from six to early teens," Noble said. He said there is "very good reason to believe that he travels the world in order to sexually abuse and exploit vulnerable children." Interpol has determined the photos were taken in Vietnam and Cambodia. "The decision to make public this man's picture was not one which was taken lightly," said Kristin Kvigne, assistant director of Interpol's Trafficking in Human Beings Unit. The suspect's photo and more information can be seen online at Interpol's Web site. E-mail to a friend .
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Man posted photos on the Internet of himself sexually abusing underage boys .
Computer experts managed to undo digital masking to reveal the man .
Man abused 12 boys in Vietnam and Cambodia .
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d3199d123dedcdbae55b2e9d1f658717c1d5e233
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(CNN) -- Football should be used to teach young people moral lessons, Pope Benedict XVI said during an audience with representatives from the Italian football league and lower division clubs. Pope Benedict XVI is presented with a football by Ancona club officials. Italian football has been tarnished in recent seasons by corruption, match-fixing scandals and crowd trouble, but the pope insisted the sport celebrated positive virtues as well. "The sport of football can be a vehicle of education for the values of honesty, solidarity and fraternity, especially for the younger generation," the pope said, according to Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper. The comments are not the first foray by the Bavarian-born pope -- reputedly a Bayern Munich supporter -- into Italian football. In October, he was presented with a No. 16 shirt by officials of the lower league club Ancona after the Vatican endorsed its campaign to turn itself into a "beacon of morality" by adopting an "innovative, ethical model of practising football," Reuters reported. The code committed Ancona to promoting fair play in a family atmosphere. The club is currently second in Serie C1/B, Italian football's third tier league. "Football should increasingly become a tool for the teaching of life's ethical and spiritual values," the pope said. Pope Benedict XVI's predecessor, Pope John Paul II, was also a keen football fan, reportedly playing in goal during his youth in Poland. All Italian football matches were cancelled on the weekend following his death in 2005. E-mail to a friend .
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Pope says football can teach values of "honesty, solidarity and fraternity"
Sport should be used as a vehicle of education for young people, he says .
Vatican has endorsed lower league club Ancona's adoption of ethical code .
German-born pope is reputed to be a Bayern Munich fan .
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c8f743307d5d1f7f19f1474d68c9390b22f6d076
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(CNN) -- Two tractor-trailer trucks crashed and burst into flames Thursday on a bridge between the United States and Mexico, shutting a key border crossing and killing four people, police said. Police look at the aftermath of a fiery crash on a bridge linking Reynosa, Mexico, and Pharr, Texas. The collision on the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge in Texas triggered a chain-reaction accident with three other vehicles, said Lt. Lupe Salinas with the Pharr Police Department. A pickup flipped off the bridge, killing three people. Another person died in a vehicle that struck one of the tractor-trailers. Six others were injured. Pharr Emergency Management Coordinator Elsa Sanchez told The Associated Press the pickup truck had Texas license plates, and the two 18-wheelers and a minivan involved in the wreck appeared to have Mexican plates. Watch aftermath of fiery crash » . The accident happened around 7:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. ET). The bridge was closed for the rest of the evening. The bridge reopened on Friday morning after Texas Department of Trnasportation engineers inspected it, according to CNN affiliate KRGV. The bridge is normally open from 6 a.m. until midnight and is closed overnight. The 3.2-mile-long bridge connects U.S. 281 in Pharr, Texas, to the city of Reynosa in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, according to the city of Pharr's Web site. On an average day, the site says, 5,800 vehicles cross it. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Ed Payne and Jessica Jordan contributed to this story. Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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NEW: Bridge reopens Friday morning after highway engineers give OK .
Four killed in chain reaction crash that started when two tractor-trailers collided .
Three killed in pickup truck that fell off bridge; 4th victim in car that hit one 18-wheeler .
Crash happened on bridge linking Pharr, Texas, and Reynosa, Mexico .
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5978abfdad91e604840a2dcc993df5ade9448e82
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BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- The wife of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived in Thailand Tuesday morning to face corruption charges, promising to fight the accusations, her attorney said. Pojamarn Shinawatra with her husband Thaksin Shinawatra. According to Pichit Chuenban, Pojamarn Shinawatra was presented with an arrest warrant shortly after arriving at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport and was escorted by authorities to the Supreme Court. "She intends to fight all charges through judicial system," Pichit said. Greeted by about 50 well-wishers, Pojamarn arrived at court accompanied by her three children. She faces charges stemming from a Bangkok land deal and a stock concealment plan that could put her in jail for up to eight years, according to the Thai News Agency. The court released her on 5 million baht (about $168,000) bail and ordered her not to leave the country. On Monday, Thaksin's attorney Noppadon Pattama said the former prime minister would return from exile in mid-April to answer to the same charges his wife faces. He was deposed by a military junta in Sept. 2006 and fled to London. He plans to return after Thailand's new government is in place. In December's parliamentary elections, supporters of Thaksin, the People Power Party, won nearly half the seats in the lower house and will lead the ruling coalition. PPP leader Samak Sundaravej said a new parliament controlled by his party would pass an amnesty law to allow Thaksin's return and amend the constitution to let Thaksin get back into politics. Thaksin said he would not re-enter politics when he returned to Thailand. He said that he and his family had "suffered enough" but that he wanted to face the charges against him and prove his innocence. Thaksin is a 58-year-old telecommunications tycoon who owns the English Premier League Manchester City Football Club. Thaksin's party won two landslide victories before he was deposed. E-mail to a friend .
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Thaksin Shinawatra's wife handed arrest warrant after she returns to Thailand .
Pojamarn Shinawatra faces corruption charges that could imprison her for 20 years .
The case involves Pojamarn's 2003 purchase of some prime Bangkok real estate .
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Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi walks Anjali Rao through the streets of Tokyo. She stunned global cinema audiences with her controversial and Oscar-nominated performance as a lonely deaf girl in the film "Babel." Rinko Kikuchi is one of Japan's hottest young actresses and models, recently working with Karl Lagerfeld as the new face of Channel. Despite her success, she remains an unconventional figure in Japan, at odds with the traditional demure image of the Japanese woman and forging a career on her own terms. Talk Asia follows her on a modelling assignment, discusses how her life has changed since "Babel" and revisits the unique location of one of the film's most important scenes. E-mail to a friend .
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Rinko Kikuchi was Oscar-nominated for her performance in the film "Babel"
She has recently worked with Karl Lagerfeld as the new face of Channel .
She challenges the traditional demure image of the Japanese woman .
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d7783bd2bf5ad92156962380342411c2eb068853
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(CNN) -- This month on Art of Life we feel the need for speed. From the world's first road-legal grand prix bike to a rock legend with a passion for aviation. Monita Rajpal samples the finest in Italian motorbikes . Monita Rajpal meets the boys behind Ducati's motorbikes, Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson explains why flying is his new source of adrenaline, and trance legend Paul Van Dyk takes us round his favorite haunt in the former East Berlin. Ducati: Riding in Style . Ducati has long-been the ultimate name in luxury motorbikes, but just like its racers, the company has had to compete fiercely to defend its title. As a small Italian manufacturer, up against Japanese mega-plants, employing thousands of workers, Ducati's comparatively small family is driven by pride. CNN's Monita Rajpal visits the Bologna factory floor and talks to some of the men behind the company, meets Ducati's Moto GP champion Casey Stoner and takes a test drive of Ducati's Desmosedici racing replica, the world's first road-legal grand prix bike. Watch Monita's trip to the Ducati factory . Bruce Dickinson: Rock star in the sky . A leather-clad, long-haired pilot, donning a t-shirt with blood-spewing skeletons would be a nightmare for many uneasy flyers. Fortunately for passengers on Bruce Dickinson's plane, the lead singer of Iron Maiden has gotten a new wardrobe and a new day job. Art of Life meets up with the rock legend to find out why he has chosen to take to the skies and become a commercial airline pilot. Watch Dickinson take to the skies . Paul Van Dyk: Guides us through Germany . Paul Van Dyk, the legendary trance musician, DJ and producer has made his name well-known, even though his genre of music is typically associated with young ravers and more urban listeners. Watch as Van Dyk takes Art of Life on a tour of his hometown, the former East Berlin, and shows how he has drawn from the city's war-weathered rhythms to gain inspiration for his songs. Watch Van Dyk tour Berlin E-mail to a friend .
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This month Art of Life looks at motorbike, planes, DJs and Rock idols .
Monita visits the Ducati factory in Bologna, meets Moto champ Casey Stoner .
Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson talks about his passion for flying .
DJ Paul Van Dyk takes us on a tour of his favorite parts of Berlin .
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(CNN) -- A search is under way for a pregnant 20-year-old Marine who has been missing from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, since December 14. Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach was eight months pregnant when she went missing on December 14. Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach could give birth at any time, Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown told the Jacksonville, North Carolina, Daily News on Monday. The sheriff's department said Lauterbach's mother said that her daughter, of Montgomery, Ohio, had witnessed an incident at Camp Lejeune and was to testify about it. Sheriff's department officials said evidence causes them to be concerned about Lauterbach's disappearance, WITN reported. The Marine's car was found Monday at Jacksonville's bus station, Brown told the Daily News, and her cell phone had been found at Camp Lejeune's front gate on December 20. Her mother reported her missing on December 19, and told the sheriff's department "that she was very suspicious that something bad may have happened to her daughter," the department said in a news release. Watch Lauterbach's mom say what raised her concerns » . Investigators told the Marine Corps Times that a withdrawal from Lauterbach's bank account was made on December 14 and said there was "suspicious activity" on the account 10 days later. December 14 was also the last time Lauterbach's cell phone was used, authorities told the Marine Corps Times. The Raleigh News and Observer, citing Brown, reported that the woman's mother said her daughter phoned home or her relatives up to 12 times a week and the mother became concerned when she did not hear from her daughter for five days. A Facebook page established to help find Lauterbach says she was last seen December 14 in Jacksonville. "Call mom!!! You know the number," the page says. "All of us love you and we miss you. Please come home!" The page contains pleas for contacts from fellow Marines and friends of Lauterbach in Ohio. Lauterbach is a personnel clerk assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, the Marine Corps said. She joined the service on June 6, 2006. E-mail to a friend .
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Lance corporal due to give birth at any time, sheriff says .
Marine's car found Monday at bus station .
Mother reported Marine missing on December 19 .
Sheriff: Marine was to testify about incident at base, according to mother .
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ROME, Italy -- Seven Manchester United supporters were taken to hospital after violence flared before the 1-1 Champions' League draw against Roma in Italy. Manchester United supporters were segregated inside the Olympic Stadium for the Champions tie. British Embassy officials in Rome said five fans received stab wounds while two others, including a 16-year-old boy, needed treatment for being drunk, the Press Association reported. None of the stab victims is understood to have serious injuries following the clash between the rival fans outside the Stadio Olympico. An embassy spokeswoman said: "Seven Manchester United supporters were taken to hospital after fighting broke out on the Pont Duca d'Aosta bridge which fans cross over the river to get to the stadium. "Five are receiving treatment for stab wounds while two others, one who was a 16-year-old boy, were understood to be drunk. "Their injuries are not thought to be serious and most of them will be discharged in the next couple of hours. One person may be kept in overnight for observation. "The situation in the stadium is now fine and everything is running smoothly." The embassy had warned travelling fans beforehand not to use the Pont Duca d'Aosta bridge because it was habitually used by Roma's notorious Ultras - a following of hardcore fans. Roma coach Luciano Spalletti condemned the latest violence. "It's difficult to give a comment on what has happened," said Spalletti. After watching a video replay of the ugly scenes, Spalletti added: "These people are sick." The trouble marked the second consecutive game between Roma and Manchester United in the Italian capital which has been marred by violence. Eighteen United fans needed hospital treatment in April after clashes on the terraces in Rome and outside the ground. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had hoped tonight's game would pass off peacefully but the British Embassy in Rome had warned supporters faced a "real danger of attack" by the Ultras. The 1,200 British supporters who made the journey were largely shepherded into the stadium two hours before kick-off, with clear segregation in place in the less than capacity crowd. E-mail to a friend .
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Seven Manchester United supporters taken to hospital before game in Rome .
British Embassy officials in Rome said five of the fans received stab wounds .
Embassy spokeswoman said that the injuries were not thought to be serious .
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(CNN) -- The Boeing 777 is the mainstay of many airlines' long-haul fleets and has never been involved in a fatal accident during its service history. British Airways aircrew fly the Royal Standard from the flight deck of the Boeing 777 aircraft. The aircraft first entered service on June 7, 1995, with more than 900 suppliers from 17 countries coming together to provide the more than three million parts needed in its construction, according to the Boeing Web site. Since its inaugural flight, Boeing has extended the 777 family to five commercial passenger models and a freighter version, collectively making more than two million flights. The aircraft seats between 301 and 368 passengers in a three-class configuration and can fly distances up to 17,500 kilometers. The 777 has also won a number of design awards, as well as setting a number of records and firsts. On November 9 and 10, 2005, a Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner set a new world record for distance traveled non-stop by a commercial jetliner. The 777-200LR set a record distance of 21,601 km on a route traveling eastbound from Hong Kong to London Heathrow. The flight lasted 22 hours and 42 minutes. The achievements was recognized by the U.S. National Aeronautics Association, The Federation Aeronautique Internationale and the Guinness Book of Records. The Federation eéronautique Internationale recognized the Boeing 777 in April 1997 for achieving a speed and distance record for airplanes in its size and class. The Boeing Web site claims the 777 set the "Great Circle Distance Without Landing" record, traveling 20,044 km, and it set the record for "Speed Around the World, Eastbound," traveling at an average speed of 889 km per hour. According to Boeing the aircraft reached 500 deliveries by 2005 -- faster than any other twin-aisle commercial airplane in history. Boeing prides itself on the 777's landing gear, which it claims is the largest ever incorporated into a commercial aircraft. Each main landing gear is fitted with six wheels, while the nose gear has two. E-mail to a friend .
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The Boeing 777 aircraft first entered service on June 7, 1995 .
First airplane U.S. (FAA) approved for extended-range twin-engine operations .
Engineers designed, electronically pre-assembled the 777 using computers .
In 2005, a Boeing 777 set a new world record for distance traveled non-stop .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Several Marines who were involved in the November 2004 offensive in Falluja, Iraq, are now the focus of an investigation into allegations that civilians were intentionally killed during the operation, several Pentagon officials have confirmed. Members of the 1st U.S. Marines Expeditionary Force operate in Falluja, Iraq, in November of 2006. No one has been charged in the probe, which is based on what one official told CNN were "credible allegations" from a former Marine. That Marine volunteered the information during an employment polygraph test administered by the U.S. Secret Service. Several sources familiar with the probe say the Naval Criminal Investigative Service is conducting the investigation. The allegations first surfaced on a Web site, defendourmarines.com, posted by Nathaniel Helms, a military journalist who wrote a book about the Marines in Falluja. The Web posting includes an account from a Marine who alleges eight captured Iraqis were gunned down following a firefight. The weeklong anti-insurgent offensive in Falluja began on November 7, 2004. It was called Operation New Dawn, and it sparked intense fighting involving airstrikes and house-to-house searches. There were reports of civilians being killed in the crossfire at that time. The allegations are the latest involving Marines and civilian deaths in Iraq. Seven Marines and a Navy medic were charged with killing an Iraqi civilian in Hamdaniya in April 2006. One Marine will serve eight years in a plea deal; another Marine withdrew his guilty plea, saying he acted under orders. Four Marines were charged with murder in the 2005 killings of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha. Four officers are accused of failing to investigate and report the deaths properly. Haditha was a target of Marine operations to root out insurgents. Both U.S. military law and international law of armed conflict prohibit the killing of unarmed captured prisoners, whether or not they are combatants. E-mail to a friend .
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Several Marines are the focus of 2004 Falluja civilian death investigation .
Allegations from former Marine called "credible"
Sources: Naval Criminal Investigative Services conducting the probe .
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BABAHOYO, Ecuador (CNN) -- At least 10 people have died and thousands have been left homeless after torrential rains inundated large parts of Ecuador, officials said Thursday. A man grabs on to a piece of wood as a boat passes him on a flooded street this week in Puerto Inca, Ecuador. Authorities said the rains, which began a week ago, were the worst in a quarter century. Civil defense officials said more than 10,000 families have been affected. Los Ríos -- north of Guayaquil -- was the hardest hit of nine provinces affected, civil defense officials said. In Los Ríos province, five people died when an ambulance drove into a hole at the side of a street at dawn Thursday. A newborn boy, his parents, a doctor and a driver were killed. Streets also were flooded in the capital of Quito. Watch the scenes of devastation in Ecuador » . On Wednesday, President Rafael Correa declared a state of emergency and ordered 2,000 members of the army and the police to help rescue workers. Correa increased by $25 million the $10 million he already had allocated for the emergency efforts. He also directed another $88 million to municipalities. Once the crisis has eased, an emergency fund will give seed and fertilizer to help farmers whose fields were washed away, Ecuador's government said. There also have been reports of livestock drowning. Cristina Medina, a spokeswoman for the Ecuadorean Red Cross, said provinces most heavily affected were along the Pacific coast, where drinking water was often in short supply. In some towns, high waters forced entire neighborhoods to evacuate, Medina said. E-mail to a friend .
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At least 10 people have died in torrential rains in Ecuador, officials say .
Authorities say the rains are the worst in a quarter century .
Civil defense officials say more than 10,000 families have been affected .
Ecuador's president declares state of emergency, orders army, police to help .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush on Wednesday signed a sweeping energy bill that he said would help the country become "stronger, cleaner and more secure." President Bush on Wednesday signs a bill raising auto fuel economy standards for the first time in decades. The bill -- approved overwhelmingly Tuesday by the House of Representatives -- raises automotive fuel economy standards for the first time in more than three decades, requiring a corporate average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020. It also boosts federal support for alternative fuel research and energy conservation efforts. A Republican filibuster in the Senate removed provisions that Bush objected to that would have eliminated tax breaks for oil companies and a requirement that electric utilities produce a portion of their power from alternative sources. The current fuel-economy standards of 27.5 miles per gallon for passenger cars and 22.2 for light trucks were established in 1975. The new bill sets a single average standard for manufacturers. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said Tuesday's bill was "a great, wonderful first step for an energy revolution that starts in America and ripples throughout the world." But Reid said Democrats would continue pushing to shift federal tax breaks away from fossil-fuel producers and into renewable energy research -- one of the party's top priorities when it took control of Congress in January. House opponents such as Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, complained that the bill will undo many of the efforts made to foster increased production of fossil fuels in an energy bill passed in 2005. "I understand the consequences of elections. I understand there's a new majority," said Barton, the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. "I do not understand how what made sense two years ago doesn't make sense today." Barton called the legislation a "no-energy" bill and "a recipe for recession," arguing its mandated conservation measures would raise prices for fuel, homes and appliances for consumers. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Ed Henry contributed to this report.
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New law raises auto fuel efficiency standards .
Increase to fleet average of 35 miles per gallon is first in 32 years .
Senate majority leader calls bill a "great, wonderful first step"
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(CNN) -- A 12-year-old boy should get a say in whether he gets circumcised, the Oregon Supreme Court has ruled. The court sent the parental custody dispute back to the trial court "to resolve the factual issue whether M agrees or objects to the circumcision." "M" is the child at the center of a long-running custody dispute between James and Lia Boldt, who divorced in 1999. Soon after, the father began studying Judaism and later converted. He also started teaching his son about the faith. By then, James had parental custody and told his ex-wife the boy would convert as well, and that to do so, he would have to have the circumcision procedure. The mother objected, saying the child had been raised in the Russian Orthodox faith while the couple was married. Because the two sides disagreed, and were living in neighboring states, the conflict dissolved into ongoing personal and constitutional dispute. James Boldt said that as a Jew and the primary caregiver, he has a First Amendment right to practice his faith as he sees fit for his child. Lia Boldt countered her son does not want to go through with the circumcision, and that it is an invasive, irreversible, and potentially dangerous medical procedure. The state high court seemed especially reluctant to address the issue, saying normally such disputes "are considered private family matters." But the justices noted "these parties cannot or will not resolve this matter without resort to the courts." So rather than offer a definitive ruling, the justices ordered both sides to go to the actual source of the conflict. "In our view, at age 12, M's attitude regarding circumcision, though not conclusive of the custody issue presented here, is a fact necessary to the determination" of whether the mother can press her objections to the procedure, wrote Chief Justice Paul De Muniz for the six-member panel. "Forcing M at age 12 to undergo circumcision against his will could seriously affect the relationship between M and his father, and could have a pronounced effect on father's capability to properly care for M." There was no initial reaction to the decision from the parents or their attorneys. The case is James Boldt v. Lia Boldt (S054714). E-mail to a friend .
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Case part of parental custody dispute .
Father converted to Judaism after splitting with wife .
Father wanted son to convert after getting custody .
Russian Orthodox mother says son doesn't want procedure .
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(CNN) -- A man who rescued a co-worker from the jaws of a crocodile in northern Australia also accidentally shot him in the process, police said. A mature saltwater crocodile in the the murky waters of the Adelaide River, near Darwin in the Northern Territory. The two men were collecting crocodile eggs by a river bank in Australia's Northern Territory Tuesday when a crocodile grabbed Jason Grant by the lower right arm, a spokeswoman for the area police told CNN. The second man, Zac Fitzgerald, shot the crocodile, causing it to let go of Grant's arm. But a second shot that Fitzgerald fired struck Grant in the upper right arm, said Northern Territory police spokeswoman Katie Fowden. Grant, who is in his late 20s, was flown to a hospital for treatment of both the bullet and the crocodile wounds. His injuries were not life-threatening, Fowden said. The two men are workers at a crocodile farm in Darwin, the capital city of the Northern Territory. They were collecting the eggs legally, police said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report .
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Man rescues co-worker from jaws of crocodile in northern Australia .
He shot crocodile, causing it to let go of man's arm, second shot hit man's arm .
The two were collecting crocodile eggs by a river bank in the Northern Territory .
Wounded man's injuries were not life-threatening .
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SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- Nearly 3 million gallons of sewage spilled into San Francisco Bay when a pump failed at a waste treatment facility, the Marin County Sheriff's Department told CNN on Friday. Attempts are being made to contain Thursday night's 2.7 million-gallon sewage spill. The 2.7 million-gallon spill occurred Thursday night. A pump failed at the South Marin Sanitation District's waste treatment facility in the town of Mill Valley, said Lt. Doug Pittman. The waste was released into Richardson Bay, an inlet of the large bay on the east shore of Marin County, he said. See the spill from the air » . The sewage and storm water was partially treated, according to Greg Renick of the California Office of Emergency Services. In addition to the pump failure, he said, an alarm that would have alerted workers at the facility to the spill also failed. The accidental release occurred between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Thursday, according to a statement from Marin County's emergency operations center. But the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin didn't report it to the state until 11:16 p.m., Renick said. The state Office of Emergency Services notified local offices in the bay area within an hour of receiving the report, he said. The Marin County Department of Environmental Health was conducting tests Friday to determine how far the contamination had spread, Pittman said. Boaters were being warned to avoid the Richardson Bay area, and residents were told to avoid contact with the water. The California Department of Fish and Game has had a boat and personnel on the water since early Friday, and has found no sign of sick or distressed wildlife resulting from the spill, agency spokesman Steve Martarano said. Marin County is just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Chuck Afflerbach contributed to this report .
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NEW: Sewage was partially treated, Office of Emergency Services says .
The 2.7 million-gallon spill occurred Thursday night, Sheriff's Department says .
Pump and alarm failed at Marin County waste treatment facility .
Area being tested; boaters advised to avoid Richardson Bay area .
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• The twins get a check-up (2/26/08) • VIDEO: Nancy Grace introduces on set 2-14-08 • The twins go out for a stroll (2/11/08) • The twins at 3 months (2/4/08) • The twins in January (1/21/08) • VIDEO: First video of Nancy Grace's twins E-mail to a friend .
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Pictures of Nancy Grace's twins .
John David and Lucy Elizabeth were born November 4, 2007 .
Come back to this site for regularly updated pictures!
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(CNN) -- A Texas couple charged with killing the little girl known as "Baby Grace" now face capital murder charges, after a Texas grand jury upgraded the charges on Wednesday. Riley Ann Sawyers was moved from Ohio to Texas by her mother. Prosecutors said they have not decided whether to seek the death penalty against the girl's mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, and Trenor's husband, Royce Clyde Zeigler II. Two-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers was beaten to death and her body was disposed of in Galveston Bay. Riley's body was found October 29 by a fisherman on an uninhabited island in the bay. It was wrapped in black plastic bags and stuffed in a blue, plastic bin. Her identity was not known at first, and police dubbed her "Baby Grace." Police sketches of the child were widely distributed, and Sheryl Sawyers, the girl's paternal grandmother, contacted police from her Ohio home to say the drawing resembled her granddaughter. DNA testing confirmed the child's identity. Trenor, 19, and Zeigler, 24, were initially charged with injury to a child and tampering with evidence. But since the initial charges were filed last month the investigation has continued and police have gathered additional evidence, in addition to confirming Riley's identity, said a statement released Wednesday by Galveston County Criminal District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk. Based on that, the grand jury was asked to upgrade the charges, he said. A three-hour hearing was held Wednesday in which grand jurors heard testimony from five witnesses, including police and FBI investigators and the medical examiner. The grand jury deliberated for only three minutes Wednesday before upgrading the charges, Sistrunk said. Trenor told police Riley had been beaten and thrown across a room and that her head was held under water before she died July 24. She said the couple hid the girl's body in a storage shed for one to two months before putting it in the plastic container and dumping it into the bay. A medical examiner said Riley's skull was fractured in three places that would have been fatal injuries. Trenor and the girl moved to Texas from Ohio in May to be with Zeigler, who Trenor had met online. Sistrunk said the investigation is continuing, and a decision on whether to seek the death penalty will not be made until its conclusion. E-mail to a friend .
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Grand jury upgrades charges against girl's mother and mother's husband .
Presented new evidence, jury took just 3 minutes to vote for tougher charges .
Riley Ann Sawyers, initially known as Baby Grace, was beaten to death .
Prosecutors haven't decided whether to seek death penalty for couple .
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(CNN) -- The Saudi lawyer who represented a woman kidnapped and raped by seven men said his license to practice has been reinstated. A protest appeared in India in November against the Saudi sentence. Lawyer and human rights activist Abdul Rahman al-Lahem told CNN's Nic Robertson that the Justice Ministry has reinstated his license. Al-Lahem had previously told CNN that the Saudi judge revoked his license as punishment for speaking to the media about his client's case, which attracted international attention. His client, an engaged teenager, was raped by seven men who found her alone with a man unrelated to her. She has said she was meeting with the man to retrieve a photograph. The attack took place in Qatif in March 2006. The seven rapists were sentenced to two to nine years in prison but she also was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison for having violated the kingdom's strict Islamic law by being alone with an unrelated man. The woman's sentence provoked outrage in the West and cast light on the treatment of women under Saudi Arabian law. Under Saudi law, women are subject to numerous restrictions, including a strict dress code, a prohibition against driving and a requirement that they get a man's permission to travel or have surgery. In challenging what he said were his suspension and disbarment, al-Lahem said he had received threats on his life from the religious right. Last month, Minister of Justice Abdallah bin Mohammed al-Sheikh, in a phone call to a Saudi Television newscast, said the lawyer's license had never been revoked. "Such decisions are made through institutions in the kingdom," he said. "The punishment of the lawyer or any lawyer does not come from a reaction; it comes from a carefully examined procedure within a special council in the ministry." He said the council charged with deciding law license revocations had not issued any decisions in the case. E-mail to a friend .
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Saudi lawyer Abdul Rahman al-Lahem says his license to practice is reinstated .
Al-Lahem says license revoked because he publicized rape victim's conviction .
Saudi minister last month denied license was ever revoked .
Rape victim was convicted of being alone with an unrelated man .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin Thursday citing an alleged claim of responsibility by al Qaeda for former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination, a DHS official told CNN. An Italian news agency says al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri began planning Bhutto's killing in October. But such a claim has not appeared on radical Islamist Web sites that regularly post such messages from al Qaeda and other militant groups. The source of the claim was apparently Italian news agency, Adnkronos International (AKI), which said that al Qaeda Afghanistan commander and spokesman Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid had telephoned the agency to make the claim. "We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahadeen," AKI quoted Al-Yazid as saying. According to AKI, al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri set the wheels in motion for the assassination in October. One Islamist Web site repeated the claim, but that Web site is not considered a reliable source for Islamist messages by experts in the field. The DHS official said the claim was "an unconfirmed open source claim of responsibility" and the bulletin was sent out at about 6 p.m. to state and local law enforcement agencies. The official characterized the bulletin as "information sharing." Ross Feinstein, spokesman for Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, said the U.S. intelligence community is monitoring the situation and trying to figure out who is responsible for the assassination. "We are not in a position to confirm who may be responsible," Feinstein said. Feinstein said that the intelligence community "obviously analyze(s) open source intelligence," but he would not say whether the community believes the claim has any validity. For now, he said, there is "no conclusion" as to who may be responsible. Earlier, DHS spokesman Russ Knocke said Bhutto's assassination had not prompted "any adjustments to our security posture." "Of course, we continue to closely monitor events as they unfold overseas," he said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report.
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FBI, Department of Homeland Security issue bulletin Thursday .
Bulletin says two al Qaeda associates made claim to news agency .
"We terminated the most precious American asset," associate says .
DHS official says the claim has not been confirmed .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Senate was called to order for 11 seconds on Wednesday as the last political scuffle of the year between the White House and the Democratic-led Congress played out. Democratic senators will hold short "pro forma" sessions over the holiday break to prevent recess appointments. Nearly all the senators left the Capitol for the Christmas holiday last week, but Democrats are keeping the Senate in session to block President Bush from making any recess appointments -- a constitutional mechanism that allows the president, during congressional recesses, to fill top government posts for up to one year without Senate confirmation. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, opened and then immediately gaveled the Senate session to a close. He spent 57 seconds in the chamber. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, announced December 19 that he would keep the Senate open with a series of "pro forma" sessions through mid-January. Talks had just broken down with the White House on a deal that would have allowed the president to make dozens of those appointments if he agreed not to appoint one controversial official, Steven Bradbury, as the permanent head of the influential Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department. Bush declined to accept the Democrats' offer, and Reid refused to approve Bradbury because of concerns about his involvement in crafting legal opinions for the administration on interrogation techniques of terrorism suspects. Similar sessions were conducted over the Thanksgiving recess. Webb also did the duty Friday, but he won't be the only senator tasked with presiding over the shortened sessions. Other Democrats -- including Sens. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Ben Cardin of Maryland and Chuck Schumer of New York -- will share the duty. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Ted Barrett and Vandana Kilaru contributed to this report .
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Democratic senators will hold short "pro forma" sessions over the holiday break .
Sessions usually under one minute long .
Move prevents President Bush from making recess appointments .
Bush refused to withdraw one controversial nominee after Democratic offer .
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(CNN) -- A Vietnamese woman caught cooking a tiger carcass was sentenced to two and a half years in jail, state media reported Thursday. There are reportedly only about 100 tigers, prized by so-called medicine men, left living in Vietnam. A Hanoi court convicted Nguyen Thi Thanh, 41, for "violating regulations protecting rare wild animals." She was arrested last September after police raided a house that she rented in the capital city of Hanoi and found dead tigers, bear arms, monkey bones and elephant tusks. Officers found Thanh and three accomplices cooking tiger carcasses, the Thanh Nien daily reported. The three men received suspended sentences, ranging from 24 to 30 months, the daily said. The woman told police she sold the animals' bone marrow for 6.5 million Vietnamese dong ($400) per gram to traditional medicine men, according to reports at the time. Such medicine men think tiger bones and other parts can cure arthritis and other joint ailments, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Tigers are universally threatened, with only about 100 still living in Vietnam, the World Wildlife Fund said. The southeast Asian country has banned trafficking in endangered animal parts. Last year, the Vietnamese government unearthed 38 cases of illegal trafficking that involved 503 endangered animals, local media said at the time. E-mail to a friend .
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Vietnamese woman caught cooking a tiger carcass jailed for two and a half years .
Nguyen Thi Thanh, 41, convicted for violating regulations protecting rare wild animals .
Police found dead tigers, bear arms, monkey bones and elephant tusks in her flat .
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(CNN) -- A mine exploded Monday on a road in southern Somalia, killing four people -- three members of the medical humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres and a journalist. Ongoing violence in Somalia has devastated the capital Mogadishu. The incident occurred Monday along a road in Kismayo, the group said. Victor Okumu, 51, a Kenyan doctor; Damien Lehalle, 27, a French logistician; and a Somali driver named Billan were the MSF workers who were killed. Another member of the team was slightly wounded, the group said in a posting on its Web site. "The exact circumstances of this fatal incident are not yet clear," the posting said. Also killed was journalist Hassan Kafi Hared, 36. The remote-controlled mine erupted as he was walking to a news conference in Siyad Village in northern Kismayu, said the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). He was working for the government-run Somali National News Agency and a Somali Web site called gedonet.com. He is survived by a wife and three children. "This is a targeted attack and we declare that this brutal killing on the journalist and the aid workers is an attack on the society itself," said NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman, in a news release. "We demand that transitional government and the authorities in Kismayu to identify the culprits of this crime and bring them to justice" he said. The medical humanitarian organization said it was evacuating remaining international members of it staff from Kismayu. Hared is the second journalist to be killed this year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The first, 38-year-old Norwegian reporter Carsten Thomassen, died Jan. 15 in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul. In a written statement, a representative of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said he condemned the killings and "demands a thorough investigation by the authorities." E-mail to a friend .
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Journalist and two doctors were among those killed .
Remote-controlled mine went off in southern Somalia .
Somali driver also died in the attack .
Journalist is the second to die in conflict situation this year .
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LONDON, England -- Cocaine-abusing celebrities are glamorizing the use of narcotics and encouraging more young people to use illegal substances, the United Nations drug control agency has warned. Model Kate Moss faced allegations of cocaine use in 2005 but was never charged for over the claims. The annual report from the International Narcotics Control Board warns that treating stars "leniently" by allowing them to get away with drug crimes undermines faith in the criminal justice system and has a damaging effect on adolescents. "They get more lenient responses by the judiciary and law enforcement, and that is regrettable," Professor Hamid Ghodse, a member of the INCB, told the UK's Press Association Wednesday. "There should not be any difference between a celebrity who is breaking the law and non-celebrities. "Not only does it give the wrong messages to young people, who are quite impressionable, but the wider public becomes cynical about the responses to drug offenders," Ghodse said. Watch Ghodse explain how celebrity offenders are being given an easy ride » . Last month, acclaimed singer Amy Winehouse was questioned by police after a video emerged which appeared to show her smoking crack. Last fall she was arrested and fined in Norway for possessing marijuana. Winehouse was due to appear in a Norwegian courtroom to contest the drug charges at the end of February. The hearing was postponed indefinitely, PA said, after the court approved a request from Winehouse's lawyer. Watch how celebrity drug scandals affect children » . Supermodel Kate Moss also faced cocaine-snorting allegations in 2005. The Crown Prosecution Service later said she would not be charged over the claims. Despite losing modeling contracts in the wake of the revelations, she later won fresh jobs and remains one of the world's top models. Singer Pete Doherty, the former boyfriend of Moss, also has had a well-publicized drug abuse problem but has so far managed to avoid jail time. Earlier this month he was named by music magazine NME as its Hero of the Year. And Paul McCartney and his late wife Linda were open about their marijuana habit. The former Beatle was arrested for possession in 1980 in Japan. After 10 days in jail, he was released without charges. The report found that Britain, along with Spain and Italy, have some of the highest rates of cocaine abuse in the world. The report also expressed concerns on rising opium production in Afghanistan. E-mail to a friend .
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U.N. says celebrity drug use encourages adolescent substance abuse .
Report says leniency towards celebrities hurts criminal justice system .
Report finds Britain, Italy, Spain have among highest rates of cocaine use .
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(CNN) -- A mine exploded Monday on a road in southern Somalia, killing four people -- three members of the medical humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres and a journalist. Ongoing violence in Somalia has devastated the capital Mogadishu. The incident occurred Monday along a road in Kismayo, the group said. Victor Okumu, 51, a Kenyan doctor; Damien Lehalle, 27, a French logistician; and a Somali driver named Billan were the MSF workers who were killed. Another member of the team was slightly wounded, the group said in a posting on its Web site. "The exact circumstances of this fatal incident are not yet clear," the posting said. Also killed was journalist Hassan Kafi Hared, 36. The remote-controlled mine erupted as he was walking to a news conference in Siyad Village in northern Kismayu, said the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). He was working for the government-run Somali National News Agency and a Somali Web site called gedonet.com. He is survived by a wife and three children. "This is a targeted attack and we declare that this brutal killing on the journalist and the aid workers is an attack on the society itself," said NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman, in a news release. "We demand that transitional government and the authorities in Kismayu to identify the culprits of this crime and bring them to justice" he said. The medical humanitarian organization said it was evacuating remaining international members of it staff from Kismayu. Hared is the second journalist to be killed this year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The first, 38-year-old Norwegian reporter Carsten Thomassen, died Jan. 15 in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul. In a written statement, a representative of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said he condemned the killings and "demands a thorough investigation by the authorities." E-mail to a friend .
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Journalist and two doctors were among those killed .
Remote-controlled mine went off in southern Somalia .
Somali driver also died in the attack .
Journalist is the second to die in conflict situation this year .
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eebebdc4fa08a6e927ab958a39d91f888550afec
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(CNN) -- A bus carrying members of a Marine Corps Reserve unit overturned at an Alabama military base Sunday, leaving 23 Marines injured, four of them critically, the military said in a news release. A bus overturned Sunday in Alabama, injuring 23 Marines, the military said. The passengers, members of E Company, Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Division, had been taking part in a training exercise at Fort Rucker, an Army post outside Ozark, Alabama. They were departing the range at 9:20 a.m. when the accident occurred. The unit is made up of reservists from Tallahassee, Florida, and Bessemer, Alabama. The injured were from First and Headquarters Platoons out of Bessemer, a Birmingham suburb. By mid-afternoon, 11 of the injured had been released to their unit from the hospital. Pictures of the wreck were provided to the news media by the military. Ozark is about 175 miles south of Birmingham. E-mail to a friend .
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Bus carrying Marine Corps Reserve unit overturned at Alabama military base .
23 Marines have been injured; four critically, the military says .
E Company, Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Division, was involved .
The accident happened Sunday morning, officials said .
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PARIS, France (CNN) -- As a look, it is about as quintessentially French as it gets. All the same, from the New Year enjoying a cigarette while you sip on your cafe au lait will become a thing of the past. From January 1 it will be illegal in France to smoke in cafes as well as clubs, casinos and hotels. France is extending its ban on smoking to include bars, discotheques, restaurants, hotels, casinos, as well as its fabled cafes. In a country renowned for its fondness for romance, smoking has never quite shaken off its romantic associations with smoky Left Bank cafes and waifish Parisienne beauties clutching on a Gauloises. In spite of the health dangers, about 13.5 million people smoke out of a population of 60 million with around 26 percent of 15 year olds estimated to smoke, according to 2002 figures from the World Health Organization. A smoking ban was first introduced in France in February this year to cover workplaces, schools, airports and hospitals. The new restrictions will only apply to the inside of premises, meaning smokers are still free to light up on the terraces. Even so, enforcing the ban may prove tricky in a country well known for its cafe culture. To soften the blow, the authorities have agreed to an amnesty over the New Year holiday and will not fully enforce the new arrangements until Wednesday. After that time, any smoker caught will face a fine of €450 ($662), while hotel and bar owners who fail to prevent smokers from lighting up on their premises will be fined €750 ($1,100). France has lagged behind many of its European neighbors in bringing in legislation to curb smoking in public places. Ireland became the first European country to introduce a comprehensive smoking ban in 2004. Since then Italy, Spain, Belgium and Britain have followed suit with similar bans. E-mail to a friend .
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Smoking ban in France extended to bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes from Jan 1 .
Smoking ban first introduced in February 2007 for public buildings, workplaces .
About 13.5 million people in France smoke out of a population of 60 million .
Similar bans now exist in Ireland, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Britain .
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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan election officials on Monday disqualified opposition party leader and former former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from participating in January parliamentary elections. Election officials say Nawaz Sharif's previous convictions bar him from standing for reelection. A spokesman for Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League told CNN Monday that Sharif had been barred by the election commission because of a previous criminal conviction. Sharif filed paperwork for his candidacy last week, although he had left open the possibility that he would boycott the election in protest of a state of emergency imposed by President Pervez Musharraf. Sharif, an outspoken critic of Musharraf, who ousted him from power in 1999, had said he wanted to keep all options open. Sharif returned to Pakistan last month, ending seven years in exile in Saudi Arabia. He had first returned in September, but Pakistani authorities deported him within hours of his arrival. Sharif was convicted of terrorism, hijacking and tax evasion after Musharraf seized power in 1999. He was released in 2000 in exchange for agreeing to 10 years of exile in Saudi Arabia. He retained his Pakistani citizenship, but has not been allowed to travel to Pakistan or directly take part in Pakistani politics. Musharraf, who quit as military leader and took office for a third term last week, has pledged to lift the state of emergency by December 16. He was criticized of using the emergency to crack down on political rivals and to purge the judiciary of those likely to block the approval of his reappointment as leader. E-mail to a friend . -- CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report.
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Former Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif has his candidacy papers rejected .
Had submitted nominations papers for Pakistan's parliamentary election .
Returning officer in Lahore upheld ineligibility objections from other candidates .
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PARIS, France -- AC Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka has been named European player of the year, lifting France Football's Ballon d'Or award. Kaka has already claimed all of the game's major prizes. His success comes two years after his fellow countryman, Barcelona's Ronaldinho, claimed the award . The 25-year-old Kaka was a major factor in AC Milan's triumphant Champions League campaign. The runner-up was Manchester United's Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo with Barcelona's Argentinian midfielder Lionel Messi finishing third. "This is very special for me - it culminates an astonishing year for me," Kaka said. "It's the top prize around and the only way to win something like this is to play for a team like AC Milan. It's great to be part of a team that wins." At 25 years old, he has already won all the game's major prizes, individually and collectively. He was part of Brazil's 2002 World Cup winning squad, although he was limited to just 19 minutes as a substitute against Costa Rica. He was top scorer in last season's Champions League, helping Milan to avenge their loss to Liverpool in the 2005 final. He won the Italian domestic title in his first season at Milan having joined from Brazilians Sao Paulo for$ 8.5 million, a sum that Milan president Silvio Berlusconi then described as peanuts. E-mail to a friend .
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Brazilian Kaka is named European player of the year .
The AC Milan player is chosen ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester Utd .
Argentine Lionel Messi of Barcelona finishes third .
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c8ebf6f48257a704202c7b6df238bc1cbfa838d7
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BRUSSELS, Belgium (CNN) -- European leaders agreed Friday to send an 1,800-strong security force to maintain stability in Kosovo, although they stopped short of backing independence for the province. French soldiers at the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo last month. Kosovo is expected to declare independence from Serbia early in the new year. Serbia, however, insists the region should remain autonomous within its borders. Speaking at the end of a one-day summit of European heads in Brussels, Jose Socrates, the Portuguese prime minister currently holding the European Union presidency, said that sending the security mission was a "political decision." The police and security force is expected to be deployed to the Balkan state ahead of an announcement of independence. "This is the clearest signal that the EU could possibly give that it intends to lead on the whole issue of Kosovo's future, its status and its role in the region," Socrates said. According to CNN's Robin Oakley in Brussels, European leaders are trying to balance an obvious readiness to back Kosovan independence with incentives to Serbia, which is seeking membership of the EU. EU leaders are deeply conscious of their failure in the early 1990s to move early enough to prevent the bloodletting in the Balkans over the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, he said. Although most EU leaders support Serbia becoming a member state to boost stability in the Balkans, French President Nicholas Sarkozy said that Serbia's membership is dependent on it recognizing Kosovo's independence and handing over war criminals. Socrates confirmed to CNN that any fast-tracking of Serbia into the EU could only be considered if it agreed to hand over Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb general wanted at the The Hague for suspected war crimes. Two years of negotiations on the future status of Kosovo ended in failure earlier this week, when talks mediated by Europe, the United States and Russia ended without an agreement. The disputed province is dear to the Serbs, Orthodox Christians who regard it as Serbian territory. But it is equally coveted by Kosovo's ethnic Albanians, Muslims who have a 90 percent majority. Since 1999 the United Nations has been running the province with NATO peacekeepers, who still number 16,000. Oakley said the EU mission to Kosovo would help to ease the handover from the U.N. to local authorities. E-mail to a friend .
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European leaders agree to send 1,800-strong security force to Kosovo .
Kosovo expected to declare independence from Serbia in new year .
Serbia insists region should remain autonomous within its borders .
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48e858dcb8dd62aad328f2c5f7fa052893d7304b
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- No charges will be brought against a 10-year-old boy accused of accidentally starting an October wildfire that scorched more than 38,000 acres north of Los Angeles, California, prosecutors announced Tuesday. Firefighters battle the Buckweed Fire October 22, 2007. "There is no evidence of intent on the part of the minor," the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said in a written statement issued Tuesday afternoon. "The district attorney's office is referring the matter to the Department of Children and Family Services for evaluation of the minor's situation to determine if other intervention is necessary." The boy had faced possible charges in juvenile court after admitting to sheriff's deputies that he had started the Buckweed fire by playing with matches, investigators said. The blaze eventually destroyed 21 homes and 42 other structures. The fire started October 21 in the Agua Dulce community north of Los Angeles. It was one of nearly two dozen wind-whipped wildfires that swept across southern California in late October, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from homes near Los Angeles, San Diego and San Bernardino and leaving 14 people dead. E-mail to a friend .
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There is no evidence that the boy intended to set the fire, prosecutors say .
He had faced possible charges in juvenile court after admitting to setting blaze .
The boy was playing with matches; the blaze destroyed 21 homes .
The Buckweed fire started October 21 north of Los Angeles .
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi forces detained the suspected leader of a terrorist cell network believed to be funded by Saddam Hussein's eldest daughter, who is wanted by Iraqi authorities on terrorism charges, the U.S. military announced Monday. Raghad Hussein is currently living in Jordan under the protection of the royal family. The raid happened Sunday in Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. It was carried out by Iraqi forces, advised by U.S. Special Forces, the military said. The network, believed to be funded by Raghad Hussein, has been "linked to a series of attacks on coalition forces" using rocket-propelled grenades and roadside bombs, the military said. "These attacks have claimed the lives of numerous Soldiers and Airmen," a military statement said. Other leaders of the network have been detained in previous raids, the military said. The international police organization Interpol last year issued an alert to authorities across the world that Raghad Hussein is wanted by Iraqi authorities. The Iraqi government has issued an arrest warrant for the 38-year-old daughter of the late Iraqi leader on charges of inciting terrorism and crimes against life and health. Interpol -- based in Lyon, France -- issued a Red Notice in the case. That is a request to police anywhere to help track her down and extradite her to Iraq. She has been living in Jordan under the protection of the royal family. E-mail to a friend .
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Iraqi forces detain the suspected leader of a terrorist cell network .
Cell is believed to be funded by Saddam Hussein's eldest daughter, Raghad .
Raghad, wanted in Iraq on terrorism charges, currently living in Jordan .
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a3906e4f27942e2742d5cc9a3241980e338e0d30
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