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(CNN) -- Back in my day (a day not long ago, as it turns out), you could go down to the local record shop and plunk down your paper-route money for little disks of plastic that were embedded with the latest sounds of your favorite musical performers. A self-admitted tech geek, Chris Pirillo is president of Lockergnome.com, a blogging network. Whether your tastes ran from Al Jarreau to "Weird Al" Yankovic, you could be assured that those purchased disks were yours -- for keeps. You could play 'em over and over until they were scratched beyond repair, you could lend 'em to friends, you could amplify 'em at illicit Charleston dancing parties, you could sell 'em to used record stores or you could store 'em away in a safe deposit box in hopes they'd gain value as collector's items. You could even make precious mix tapes for your soda-sharing sweetheart with songs copied from 'em, though this made recording industry executives more than a little nervous. And it wasn't long before their weaselly whimpers of protest began. As the digital age arrived to usher in more perfect ways to copy and distribute (aka "pirate") what these executives saw as their property, those whimpers turned to howls. They've only grown louder since. So the recording industry has had a good gig going. It's easy to see why its upper crust is miffed at lowly hoi polloi tampering with its bread and butter (or pizza. Or pie. Whatever crust suits your fancy). One can imagine some mad scientist under the employ of said recording industry locked away in an underground bunker somewhere cooking up a scheme so dark, so evil, that its repercussions would completely remap the way media would be controlled -- with consumers being suckered into paying much, much more for much, much less. This scheme would come to be known as DRM. Digital rights management or devious rental misappropriation? That's right. Rental. You see, you don't really buy music for keeps anymore. I mean, how can you when this is the sort of thing that can happen? It's a bit like buying your dream car, driving it around for a while, then being told it's got to be given back to the factory because the dealership where it was purchased no longer has a legal association with the factory. Sorry if you thought you could drive it around until it was worn out beyond repair, if you thought you could lend it to your friends, if you thought you could drive it to the illicit Charleston dancing party, if you thought you could sell it to a used car dealer or if you thought you could store it under a tarp in your garage for the next couple of decades in hopes it would gain value as a collector's item. Being used to the old, tangible business model, you were under the impression that you'd actually bought something. No one told you that you were merely borrowing someone else's property for a while (and paying for the privilege to do so). Like a sharecropper. Like a serf. Like a sucker. And most people do feel like suckers when DRM locks them out of something that they feel they have every right to use, often to the point of attempting to circumnavigate this crappy, unfair system by means that might lead to trouble. I can only conclude that, like bootleggers at the repealing of Prohibition, viruses and spyware acquired in pursuit of overcoming content restrictions wouldn't prosper in a DRM-free world. Really, it's hard to take alarm from DRM-happy organizations such as the MPAA as anything but a double dose of dookie when you find out that 2007 was a record box office year in spite of all the pirates and ne'er-do-wells and whatnot! Who, exactly, is getting plundered? It's no wonder blogger Cory Doctorow finds DRM to be one of the most offensive digital constructs on the planet. It's inevitable. It'll go away or change dramatically. Let's hope sooner rather than later. (

Services that limit when and how you play digital music are ripping off consumers . Digital rights management, or DRM, means you don't really own the music you buy . Pirillo: It's hard to buy a song when I'm told I can only play it X times, on X devices . Pirillo: I prefer subscription music services like Rhapsody or XM satellite radio .

(CNN) -- Barcelona produced a dazzling display of attacking football to rout arch-rivals Real Madrid 6-2 in the Bernabeu and all but secure the Primera Liga title. Messi celebrates his second and Barcelona's fifth in the 6-2 rout at the Bernabeu. Two goals apiece from Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry, with defenders Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique also on target, signaled a humiliating defeat for Real who went into 'El Clasico' with renewed hope of retaining the Spanish title. But a mixture of inspired play and comical defending undermined Juande Ramos' men who had taken the lead as Gonzalo Higuain headed home after 14 minutes. Henry quickly equalized with a clinical finish after Messi's through ball beat the offside trap before an unmarked Puyol headed Barcelona ahead in the 20th minute from a Xavi free-kick. Messi then waltzed through the Real defense after Xavi had cleverly won the ball to put his side 3-1 ahead before the half-time. Sergio Ramos gave Madrid hope in the 56th minute as he headed home an Arjen Robben free-kick, but any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed. Henry raced onto a through ball from the brilliant Xavi for the fourth before Messi made it five with an impudent finish to fox Iker Casillas in the Real goal for his 23rd goal in the league this season. The final humiliation saw Samuel Eto'o charge down the right to cross for Pique who twisted cleverly to beat Casillas for the sixth and his first-ever La Liga goal. It was Barcelona's 100th league goal of the season which has brought them 27 wins from 34 matches. Real fans headed rapidly for the exits as they tried to come to terms with the most goals ever scored by Barcelona in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Their side trail by seven points with only four games remaining with a super-confident Barcelona now heading to the second leg of their Champions League semifinal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The first leg was goalless. Meanwhile, Sevilla took a giant stride towards the Champions League with a 2-0 win at rivals Villarreal in Saturday's late match. Luis Fabiano and Freddy Kanoute were on target as third-placed Sevilla moved four points clear of Valencia and five of Villarreal. In other matches, Numancia gave themselves a chance of staying up with a 2-0 win over Malaga to move off bottom spot, three points from safety.

Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry score two goals each in 6-2 Bernabeu victory . Success leaves Barcelona seven points clear at the top of the Spanish league . Sevilla consolidate third position after a 2-0 win at rivals Villarreal on Saturday .

(CNN) -- Baseball's biggest stars are in New York for Tuesday's All-Star game, as the sport says goodbye to one of its most famous landmarks. Joseph Cornacchia, left, used to play with Babe Ruth when he was a kid, his son Jim says. It's the Yankees' final season at the "House that Ruth Built," and MLB.com reports that 40 Hall of Famers are expected to attend the historic event. We asked CNN.com readers to share their baseball memories and to tell us about meeting their favorite players. iReporter Jim Cornacchia of Rye, New York, says his grandmother taught Babe Ruth to "make a mean batch of chili." He said the legendary slugger would come to Greenwood Lake, New York, during the off season and would visit with his family. iReport.com: Ever met your favorite player? Cornacchia's father, Joseph, who just turned 76, would play wintertime games with "The Babe" as a child, and even built a snowman with him. Patrick Palmer, 43, has been a Yankees fan since he was a kid, even though he grew up in Iowa. "My father was a Yankees fan, and it was just handed down through the generations," he said. Palmer has a baseball signed by about 20 Yankees players and other memorabilia, but said his biggest thrill was meeting relief pitchers Sparky Lyle and Rich "Goose" Gossage. "It was also amazing to shake hands with one of the most feared pitchers of his day, Goose Gossage, and really see what a gentle person he could be," See what Palmer wrote on iReport.com. New Yorker Matthew Friedman said he met Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg last August after singing "God Bless America" before a Peoria Chiefs minor league game. Friedman was in town as part of the Broadway touring production of "Movin' Out." He said he would sing at the game only if he could meet Sandberg, who was managing the Chiefs. "He was such a nice guy," he said. Friedman is a Mets fan, but said the Cubs legend was "the kind of player I thought other players should be." He said it was a meeting he'll never forget, and one he'll tell his children about again, and again, and again. "I have a child on the way," he said. "I can't wait." Meeting a childhood hero was a test of courage for many young fans. iReporter thedeke almost didn't get to shake slugger Roger Maris' hand during a trip to Yankee Stadium as a 10-year-old. "He was only 3 kids from me when he turned and started for the field," he wrote. "Why I said what I did, I will never know, but I actually yelled at Roger saying, 'Roger Maris! Don't you dare walk away with out shaking my hand!' " Maris smiled, walked up to him and "grabbed my hand with both of his and without saying a word he gave me a wink and off he went," thedeke wrote. Phil Miller was a 17-year-old bat boy for the Tacoma Rainiers in 1995 when he got to meet star outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey was playing for the Seattle Mariners at the time and was in the minor leagues while he was recovering from a wrist injury. Chasing fly balls Griffey hit during batting practice is something Miller said he will never forget. "I wish I could freeze time and relive that 15 minutes over and over," he wrote. Miller was nervous about talking to Griffey in the locker room, but he said he broke the ice by asking him about his wife's pregnancy -- news that wasn't out yet. Griffey laughed when he found out his mother-in-law had shared the news with Miller's mom in a Tacoma hair salon, Miller said. Even baseball's most controversial figures provide fond memories. Kenny Lucas met Barry Bonds, the all

Baseball's current and former stars getting ready for All-Star game . iReporters met Ruth, Bonds, Goose Gossage and Sparky Lyle . Got a baseball memory? Share it on iReport.com .

(CNN) -- Be bold! Think big! Barack Obama wants to do just that. An $800 billion economic stimulus plan. Three million jobs. Health care reform. A restructured automobile industry. Obama's popularity with voters will win him influence with political opponents. Obama won the biggest Democratic majority for president in 44 years. His party made big gains in Congress. Democrats now have a majority of nearly 60 percent in both the House and Senate. President Obama's got a mandate. And a majority. What's to stop him? Just this: the U.S. system of government. It is set up to make it difficult to get things done. The Constitution was written 222 years ago by men who didn't trust government. They had just waged a revolution against a king. To the founders of the American republic, strong government meant despotism. So they set up a system with an elaborate separation of powers. The idea was to ensure weak government. The dirty little secret of American government is that it was designed not to work very well. As president after president has discovered, there are innumerable ways opponents can stop measures from getting passed, even if the president's party holds a majority in Congress. The Senate has its own rule that's not in the Constitution requiring a super-majority of 60 Senate votes to control the agenda. A minority of 41 senators can "filibuster'' a measure and prevent it from coming up for a vote. How many votes will Republicans have in the Senate? 41 or 42, depending on the outcome in Minnesota where ballots are still being counted. Presidents often have problems holding their own party together. That's because members of Congress are elected by local constituencies and they are expected to represent local interests. American politicians are independent political entrepreneurs. They are not foot-soldiers of a party. When Bill Clinton first became president, he had a solid Democratic majority in Congress. But he could not get his health care reform plan passed. After an intense advertising campaign by opponents, many Americans were worried that the Clintons were planning a government takeover of the health care system. The Clinton plan failed, and within two years, Democrats lost their majority in Congress. One-party control didn't work any better for George W. Bush. Bush had trouble getting what he wanted -- notably, immigration reform -- from a Republican Congress. Republicans lost their majority in Congress in 2006. But here's another dirty little secret of American government: it often does work. Very well in fact. Under the right conditions, barriers fall away and things get done, sometimes with amazing speed and efficiency. What are the right conditions? An overwhelming sense of public urgency. That sense of urgency certainly existed after 9/11, when Congress quickly passed the Patriot Act. Getting anything big done in American government requires a sense of crisis. That's why politicians in the U.S. are always declaring crises -- a drug crisis, an education crisis, an environmental crisis. Or they're trying to rally the country to fight a war on something -- a war on poverty, a war on crime. If the public urgency is not authentic, however, opponents won't have much trouble stopping things from happening. Obama certainly takes office at a time of crisis, just as Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt did. Like them, he has the opportunity to transform American government. Members of Congress who try to block President Obama's program may find themselves in political trouble. Because there is yet another dirty little secret of American government: the United States is the most populist democracy in the world. Here, the people rule. When the people want something, they will get it, whether it's the death penalty or gun rights or lower taxes. Why doesn't the United States have a metric system or dollar coins like other countries? Because the people won't use them. Obama's popularity is soaring right now. When a president is popular, he has clout. Everyone wants

Three secrets behind the way U.S. government works . It was designed to ensure weak government . In times of crisis usual barriers fall away . If voters want something done, it will get done somehow .

(CNN) -- Being the leader and second-richest person in one of the most beautiful and cultured nations on Earth might sound cushy, but Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is having a rough year. Already the subject of intense criticism over his personal life and management style, Berlusconi took another blow Sunday when a man police are calling "mentally unstable" smacked the Italian prime minister in the face with a souvenir replica of a cathedral. Berlusconi, 73, who was in his hometown of Milan stumping for a political ally, suffered broken teeth and a fractured nose. His alleged assailant, Massimo Tartaglia, is being held by Milanese authorities, who believe he acted alone. As he has done in the past after nonphysical attacks, Berlusconi blamed political opponents. "What I can tell you is that there has been such a buildup of hatred toward the premier, and this is not good," Berlusconi spokesman Paolo Buonaiuti said. "This campaign of hatred has been building quite rapidly recently, and I am not surprised that what happened tonight took place." The prime minister scores highly in polls gauging Italian popular opinion, though he has been tried on various charges 17 times since taking office in 1994. The charges include corruption, false accounting and tax fraud. Berlusconi has said he did nothing wrong and accused magistrates of conducting a witch hunt. He also noted that he has never been convicted. In some cases, he was found guilty but won on appeal. Berlusconi was elected to his third term as premier in April 2008, about two months after his trial on corruption charges was postponed until after the election. His ability to maneuver through political crises has prompted a prominent journalist to liken him to a puppeteer, saying he is popular because he's a skilled populist. Berlusconi is "a man who pulls the most elementary strings of the public opinion -- a public opinion, which in Italy in these times, prefers simple paths," said Giulio Anselmi, chairman of ANSA, Italy's leading news wire. Even by Berlusconi's standards, 2009 has been a tumultuous year, as his second wife has filed for divorce and allegations of corruption and infidelity continue to surface. This month's Rolling Stone Italy cheekily declared him "Rock Star of the Year." Editor Carlo Antonelli released a statement saying the prime minister made rockers Keith Richards and Rod Stewart look like "schoolboys." "This year the choice was unanimous for his obvious merits due to a lifestyle for which the words, rock 'n' roll, fall short," Antonelli's statement said. Watch how Berlusconi was hit at a rally The prime minister's second wife, Veronica Lario, whom he married in 1990, filed for divorce in May after news reports that he attended a birthday party for 18-year-old Neapolitan model Noemi Letizia, with whom he was accused of having an improper relationship. Berlusconi called the allegations "slander" and the girl's family, longtime friends of the prime minister, also deny there was anything improper. Lario, the mother of three of Berlusconi's five children, is asking for about $70 million a year from the prime minister, whom Forbes magazine ranked this year as No. 70 on its list of richest people, with an estimated net worth of $6.5 billion. More allegations followed the divorce filing, including claims that women were paid to attend parties at the prime minister's various homes. Berlusconi denied those allegations, telling the Italian magazine "Chi" he would never pay for sex because it would dampen the "the pleasure of the conquest." In June, he went to court to block the publication of hundreds of photos from his seaside villa in Sardinia, saying they posed "an aggressive intrusion into my private life." A Spanish paper ran some of the photos, showing scantily clad women at Berlusconi's villa and reporting that the premier was the subject of an investigation into whether he used official Italian aircraft to ferry guests to his villa. Berlusconi admitted using government airplanes to ferry guests, but an investigation found no wrongdoing on the premier's

Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi has blamed political opponents for physical, nonphysical attacks . Rolling Stone Italy: PM makes rockers Keith Richards, Rod Stewart look like "schoolboys" Divorce sought, corruption and infidelity alleged as court lifts immunity from prosecution . Spokesman says he's not surprised PM was attacked amid "campaign of hatred"

(CNN) -- Biologist Matt Aresco has been carrying a big burden for years. A biologist says that wherever he can get it, he'll take money to protect turtles from a killer stretch of road. He's made it his mission to save thousands of turtles from near-certain death on one of the worst turtle-killing highways in America, U.S. Route 27 just north of Tallahassee, Florida. The road skirts Lake Jackson, but that didn't stop the turtles from wanting to get to the other side. In three years, Aresco counted nearly 9,000 dead turtles. "There were days when I would find 200 turtles attempting to cross," he told CNN. "It was unreal." But what sounds unreal to some in Washington is the solution to the turtle trouble: $3.4 million in federal stimulus money to build a series of walls and tunnels under the highway so the turtles and other creatures don't have to take on the cars and trucks roaring overhead. U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, highlighted the turtle crossing in a blistering report on what he called the 100 worst projects in the stimulus bill. "They are wasteful projects, and most of us don't want to steal money from our grandkids to do something that's really stupid right now," he said. Members of the turtle contingent in Florida were less than thrilled to be singled out. "You've got 30- to 40-pound box turtles as big as a manhole cover, and 12-foot alligators," said Leon County Commissioner Cliff Thaell. "Now if Sen. Coburn was to drive his SUV speeding down Highway 27 [at] 60 miles per hour tonight and met one of those fellows, he would have an unpleasant encounter." But according to the White House, the stimulus money is all about jobs, not turtles. Thaell said he expected "dozens" of jobs to be created in the construction of the tunnels, but he could not be precise. The jobs that will last only as long as it takes to build the tunnels, and Aresco says he'd rather get the money to help the turtles from other sources. But after years watching the creatures die, and trying to slow the carnage with makeshift fences, he says he'll take the money wherever he can get it.

Biologist wants to end deaths of turtles on highway near Tallahassee, Florida . $3.4 million in federal money sought to build walls, tunnels to protect creatures . Report says the road work is among 100 worst projects in stimulus bill . But project supporters say jobs will be created, creatures and drivers will be safer .

(CNN) -- Bolivian President Evo Morales plans to sign legislation Friday scheduling a May 4 referendum on a new constitution, the Bolivian Information Agency reported. Bolivians celebrate Thursday in La Paz after Congress decides to call for a referendum on a new constitution. The move comes after the Bolivian Congress decided Thursday in a raucous session to let people nationwide vote on the controversial plans. The proposed constitution would strengthen the country's indigenous majority but has faced fierce opposition from nonindigenous Bolivians, including those in four provinces whose governors have declared autonomy. Hundreds jammed streets Thursday outside the congressional building in La Paz to prevent opposition legislators from entering. Video footage broadcast on CNN en Español showed people pushing, shoving and hitting others. Watch as the crowds block the opposition » Congress made its decision to hold a referendum "with a reduced presence of opposition lawmakers," the Bolivian news agency said. Opposition legislators decried the move as "illegal," the agency said, but supporters of Morales welcomed it. "Now it is the Bolivian people who will decide with their vote whether to approve or reject the new constitution," said Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera, according to the Bolivian Information Agency. E-mail to a friend

Bolivian Congress decides to let people vote on new constitution on May 4 . Proposed constitution would strengthen Bolivia's indigenous majority . Bolivian President Evo Morales is set to sign the legislation . Opposition lawmakers with "reduced presence" in Congress decry move as "illegal"

(CNN) -- Brazil's highest court said Wednesday it does not have jurisdiction over who should have custody of a U.S.-born 9-year-old boy -- his Brazilian stepfather or his father in the United States. David Goldman is seeking custody of his son, Sean, who is living with relatives of his deceased mother in Brazil. The high court's ruling sends the ongoing case back to an appeals court in Rio de Janeiro. In the unanimous vote, Brazil's Supreme Federal Court said it could not rule over The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, of which Brazil is a signatory. Brazil is undergoing constitutional reforms and has recently voted on a law that would make all international human rights conventions part of its constitution. Last week, Judge Marco Aurelio, who sits on the Supreme Federal Court, suspended a lower court ruling that custody of Sean Richard Goldman be turned over to the U.S. consulate, which was to have then handed him over to the boy's father, David Goldman, who is a U.S. citizen. Aurelio's decision was based on a conservative party's petition that said the boy's removal from Brazil would cause him psychological harm. But the father responded that his son was suffering psychological harm simply by remaining with his Brazilian relatives, whom Goldman -- a part-time model who captains boats -- accused of turning Sean against him. The case now goes to the Federal Appeals Court in Rio de Janeiro and does not mean the boy will return to his father without further rulings. Goldman said that he and his lawyers would have to study the high court decision, but he expressed optimism about what he had learned. "There seemed to be a lot of good remarks that they want to honor the Hague Convention; they believe in the Hague Convention and they want to return children. Hopefully, they sent that message to the lower federal courts, and they'll hear that message." Watch CNN's Campbell Brown talk with Goldman before latest ruling » He said, "It's not over." The incident began in June 2004, when Goldman's then-wife, Bruna Bianchi Carneiro Ribeiro, took Sean from the family's New Jersey home for what was to have been a two-week vacation in her native Brazil. But instead of returning, she divorced Goldman, married a Brazilian lawyer, and remained in Brazil with the boy. She died there last September giving birth to a daughter. In Rio, Sean attends a private school and lives in a sprawling home with his half-sister and his stepfather. In March, a spokesman for the boy's Brazilian relatives said he did not dispute the father's biological rights, but said other matters needed to be weighed. "The fact of the matter is that, in order to be a parent, you have to be more than a DNA donor," said Helvecio Ribeiro. "Fatherhood is not about making home movies and taking pictures. It's about sacrifice; it's about providing support for your child; it's about being there even when you are not there." He said Goldman had failed to do that and accused him of having "paid not a dime of child support" and made allegations "all over the place about us not allowing him to visit the child that are completely untrue." Goldman responded, "Can you take someone's child to another country and then expect the parent to support you in the abduction of the child?" He said he had been making tireless efforts since his son was "abducted" to have him repatriated, "never, ever stopping." The case has attracted attention from politicians. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has discussed the matter with Brazil's foreign minister. According to the U.S. State Department, some 66 American-born children have been taken by a parent to Brazil, in violation of international treaties. Journalist Helena DeMoura contributed to this story.

Brazil's highest court says it doesn't have jurisdiction in custody case of U.S.-born boy . David Goldman expresses new hope: "There seemed to be a lot of good remarks" Goldman's wife took son Sean to Brazil in 2004; she filed for divorce, later died . Custody case has attracted attention of U.S. politicians, including Hillary Clinton .

(CNN) -- Brazilian authorities on Thursday ruled the death of former world boxing champion Arturo Gatti a suicide, according to local media reports. Arturo Gatti was found dead on July 11 in a rented condo in Brazil, where his family was vacationing. Gatti's death initially had been investigated as a murder. The boxer's widow, Amanda Carina Barbosa Rodrigues, who had been arrested as a suspect, was released from jail Thursday, the newspaper O Diario de Pernambuco reported. Her lawyer, Celio Avelino, argued that it "would have been impossible for her to suspend and hang a man of that size". Gatti was found dead on July 11 in a rented condo in Brazil, where he was taking a vacation with Rodrigues and their young child. Police found strangulation marks on Gatti's neck and a blood-stained purse strap at the scene. The public safety ministry of the northeastern Pernambuco state said investigators determined that Gatti hanged himself in a stairwell, the newspaper O Globo reported. Police official Paulo Alberes said Gatti used the purse strap to end his life, O Diario de Pernambuco reported. The 37-year-old Canadian, who was born in Italy and made his name as a fighter based in New Jersey, was staying in the northeast seaside resort of Porto de Galihnas. Gatti made his reputation in his renowned trilogy of fights against "Irish" Micky Ward, losing the first but triumphing in the other two. He was a former International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-featherweight champion and World Boxing Council (WBC) light-welterweight champ. Gatti retired in 2007 after suffering a knockout defeat by Alfonso Gomez, ending with a record of 40 wins and nine losses, 31 by knockout. He grew up in Montreal, Canada, after leaving Italy at an early age, and returned to the city after his retirement. Gatti's suicide came less than two weeks after another world champion boxer took his own life. On July 1, three-time world boxing champion Alexis Arguello, who was the mayor of the Nicaraguan capital of Managua, was found dead in his home from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was 57. A third boxer, former welterweight champion Vernon Forrest, died last week after being shot multiple times in a neighborhood southwest of downtown Atlanta, Georgia.

Gatti's death initially investigated as a murder . His wife, arrested as suspect, freed on Thursday, newspaper says . Gatti was a junior lightweight champ and a junior welterweight champ .

(CNN) -- Brazilian star Kaka has rejected a world record transfer move to Premier League Manchester City and decided to stay with AC Milan. Kaka opted to stay with AC Milan despite the riches on offer. The 2007 world player of the year was set to earn $750,000 per week with City, who were reported to be willing to pay a staggering $147 million to acquire his services. The devoutly religious Kaka explained his reasons on the club's television station. "I believe I have made the right choice. "To have gone to Manchester City could have been a great project but in the past few days I have prayed a lot to understand what the right team would be and in the end I have decided to remain here. "I don't want anything else, I just want to be well and be happy in the place where people love me." Italian prime minister and Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi originally broke the news that the devoted fans of the Rossoneri wanted to hear. Interviewed on Italian TV's Sky Italia late on Monday night, Berlusconi confirmed that Milan had offered Kaka the chance to "make himself a fortune, but said he has "higher values." Berlusconi continued: "He is staying with us, there are things which are more important than money: we are happy. "When I heard he would prefer to stay, that he didn't think he would be missing a great opportunity and he prefers the values of our flag, the values of closeness and friendship, the warmth and the affection that all the fans have shown him in these days, I said 'hooray' and we hugged. Kaka is staying at Milan." Fans of former European champions Milan had staged a series of protests since City's audacious move for Kaka became public late last week. They intensified after Kaka played in the 1-0 home win over Fiorentina which improved Milan's Serie A title chances as arch-rivals and league leaders Inter Milan slipped up. Have your say: Should Kaka have stayed at AC Milan or taken the money? City, who are being backed by Sheikh Mansour's Abu-Dhabi investment group, finally admitted defeat in a statement on their club Web site www.mfc.co.uk from executive chairman Gary Cook: "Whilst Manchester City Football Club has an obvious interest in world-class players of the quality of Kaka, we owe it to our fans that such a transfer must work on every level; commercially, financially, in terms of results on the field and within Manchester City's broader community." Cook and a City delegation returned to Manchester without ever managing to meet 26-year-old Kaka face to face, dealing instead with Milan officials and his father Bosco Leite. Manager Mark Hughes, who completed the signing of striker Craig Bellamy from West Ham on Monday, will also be hoping to finalize a deal to acquire midfielder Nigel De Jong from Hamburg as he strengthens his squad in the January transfer window. City, who are struggling in 11th in the Premier League and out of the FA Cup, signed Kaka's Brazilian international teammate Robinho from Real Madrid shortly after their new Abu Dhabi owners took over last summer. Robinho has proved an immediate success with 12 goals, but City are aware of the need to attract more world class players to their ranks, hence the ulitmately fruitless attempt to sign Kaka. In a separate development, Robinho moved quickly to deny reports that he had stormed out of City's training camp in Tenerife because they had failed to sign his friend Kaka. "I had made Manchester City aware that I needed to return to Brazil because of a family matter," he told BBC Sport. "I will return to the club and hope to sort this out as soon as possible." He added: "I feel it is important to underline that I did not return to Brazil because of the Kaka deal. "He is one of my good friends and it would have been great to see him at Manchester City -- but it had nothing to do with his decision to stay

AC Milan's Kaka turns down big-money transfer to Manchester City . Brazilian star Kaka was reportedly set to earn $750,000 per week at City . Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi said Kaka had "higher values" than money . Robinho denies reports he left City training camp after a row over Kaka .

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

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

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

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

(CNN) -- Buy a $175,000 package to attend the Oscars and you might buy yourself trouble, lawyers for the Academy Awards warn. The 81st annual Academy Awards will be held on February 22 from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. The advertising of such packages -- including four tickets to the upcoming 81st annual Academy Awards and a hotel stay in Los Angeles, California -- has prompted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to sue an Arizona-based company. The Academy accused the company Experience 6 of selling "black-market" tickets, because tickets to the lavish movie awards show cannot be transferred or sold. Selling tickets could become a security issue that could bring celebrity stalkers or terrorists to the star-studded event, says the lawsuit, which was filed Monday in federal court in the Central District of California. "Security experts have advised the Academy that it must not offer tickets to members of the public and must know identities of the event attendees," the lawsuit says. "In offering such black-market tickets, defendants are misleading the public and the ticket buyers into thinking that purchasers will be welcomed guests, rather than as trespassers, when they arrive for the ceremony." Experience 6 did not return calls from CNN for comment. On Tuesday morning, tickets to the event were still being advertised on the company's Web site. The Oscars will be presented February 22 from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. The Academy Awards broadcast will air on ABC. Hugh Jackman is scheduled to host.

Academy sues Arizona-based company over sales of Oscar packages . Tickets to lavish movie awards show cannot be transferred or sold, Academy says . Package includes four tickets to 81st annual Academy Awards, L.A. hotel stay . Selling tickets could become a security issue, according to lawsuit .

(CNN) -- California legislators plan to keep trying to find consensus on a controversial proposal that would release at least 27,000 inmates from state prisons. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, and officials tour a prison last week in Chino after a riot there. The California Assembly on Monday delayed a possible vote on the plan. Lawmakers likely will take up the proposal Wednesday or Thursday, said Shannon Murphy, a spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Karen Bass. "When we arrive at a responsible plan that can earn the support of the majority of the Assembly and make sense to the people of California, we will take that bill up on the Assembly floor," Bass, a Los Angeles Democrat, said in a statement. Bass said legislators continue to meet with each other and law enforcement authorities to try to craft a plan that increases public safety, improves the state corrections department and reduces costs. As part of the negotiations, a provision that would set up a 16-member sentencing commission -- which would put new sentencing guidelines in place by 2012 -- was stripped from the bill, Murphy said. But "it's not as if we're giving up on that notion," she said. The sentencing commission is a priority for Bass, she said, but the speaker believes she will have more success if she introduces a separate bill to create it. A panel of three federal judges has ordered California to reduce its prison population by about 40,000 by mid-September. The judges acted on the grounds that overcrowded prisons violate inmates' constitutional rights. The state Senate voted 21-19 Friday to release several thousand inmates early. That vote came after Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, a Sacramento Democrat, assured senators the public would be protected from the most violent offenders. "Of course, we want to keep violent criminals off our streets and out of our communities, and this reform package is a necessary step to do that because it concentrates our incarceration efforts on the violent criminals and ensures that nonviolent offenders have more contact with parole officers," Steinberg said Friday. All 15 Senate Republicans voted against the bill, arguing that it undermines public safety. Democrats control both houses of the California Legislature. "California's prison system is in a state of crisis," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said last week while touring the California Institution for Men in Chino. Some 250 inmates were injured this month at the facility in a riot that officials said was ignited by racial tension. Fifty-five inmates were taken to hospitals with serious injuries, including stab wounds and head trauma. Schwarzenegger said the riot was "a terrible symptom of a much larger problem. ... Our prisons are overcrowded and endangering the staff and the inmates." The governor noted he had signed a budget that mandates $1.2 billion in cuts to the state corrections system. "We must be measured and smart about how we go about and create those reductions," said Schwarzenegger, a Republican. "We must find a way to cut costs and relieve overcrowding but without sacrificing public safety." Steinberg said the bill under debate would save the financially strapped state some $524.5 million. Coupled with budget revisions made in July, the savings would total the entire $1.2 billion, he said. Republicans said the bill would lead to the release of about 27,000 prisoners, while Democrats estimated it would reduce the prison population by 27,300 in the 2009-10 fiscal year and 37,000 during fiscal year 2010-11. But Steinberg said the measure also would reduce the ratio of parolees to parole officers to 45-to-1. Currently, one parole officer is responsible for about 70 parolees, many of whom commit new crimes and return to custody; the state has a 70 percent recidivism rate.

California Assembly delays vote on plan to release at least 27,000 inmates . Provision setting up sentencing panel stripped from bill, spokeswoman says . State Senate voted last week to release several thousand inmates early . Judges order state to reduce prison population by about 40,000 by mid-September .

(CNN) -- Calling law enforcement accounts "absurd," a Michigan attorney sued police Tuesday in the death of 7-year-old girl killed during a raid in Detroit. Attorney Geoffrey Fieger said members of the Detroit Police Special Response Team acted out of line when they conducted a raid on the family home of Aiyana Jones, who was severely burned and then killed by an officer's bullet. She died Sunday. "This type of activity by a police force is unacceptable in America," Fieger said at a news conference in his office. "What is equally unacceptable is the cover-up that has occurred." Fieger filed both state and federal lawsuits alleging gross negligence, a violation of civil rights and a conspiracy to cover up the violation of civil rights. Detroit Assistant Police Chief Ralph Godbee has said that preliminary information indicated that officers approached the house with a search warrant for the girl's uncle in connection with the shooting of a high school student Friday. Godbee said the officer's gun discharged accidentally inside the home after an altercation and physical contact with the girl's grandmother, Mertilla Jones. Jones denied such an altercation Tuesday. Fieger said he plans to file another lawsuit for false arrest and accused the police of covering up their own mistakes by blaming the family. Fieger said videotape of the incident shows that the shooting was not accidental. In an interview Monday, he told CNN affiliate WDIV that a crew was filming the raid for the A&E network's show, "The First 48." The program documents police investigations in the first 48 hours after a homicide. Tuesday, Fieger recounted the events shown on the video that he said led to the girl's death. At times, he had to pause, his voice drowned out by sobbing family members. Fieger said officers tossed a smoke bomb -- described by police as a "flash bang device" to distract occupants -- into the house, severely burning Aiyana, who was on the couch in the front room with her grandmother. She was then struck in the neck by a bullet fired from outside the house, he said. Godbee has said he doesn't know how Fieger saw the video, according to WDIV. "If Mr. Fieger has access to anything that would be evidence in this case, he should, as an officer of the court, get it immediately to the Michigan State Police, which will be investigating," he said in a statement. Fieger said the police and the city owe apologies to the family, especially to Mertilla Jones for trying to blame her for her granddaughter's death. He said officers need to be held to account just as anyone else would. "The people of the city of Detroit have got to believe the police will protect them, and not kill them," Fieger said. "This is an opportunity to come together, not to tear us apart," he said. "Apologize now and we can start the road to healing."

NEW: Attorney recounts events leading to girl's death that he said were caught on video . NEW: Geoffry Fieger says girl was burned by flash device before being struck by bullet . NEW: Fieger calls police accounts of the raid "absurd," claims cover-up . The suits claim gross negligence and conspiracy to cover up a civil rights violation .

(CNN) -- Calling the ruling "huge," New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin on Thursday reacted to a federal judge finding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' failure to maintain a shipping channel led to catastrophic flooding during Hurricane Katrina. Nagin said he hopes the court decision will "open up the floodgates" for others to file lawsuits against the federal government, including his Louisiana city. However, he acknowledged it's likely the federal government will appeal Wednesday's ruling. Department of Justice spokesman Charles Miller said in an e-mail the government is reviewing the decision and has made "no determination as to what future steps it would take in this matter." U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. ruled that the "negligence of the Corps" by failing to maintain the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet waterway "was not policy, but insouciance, myopia and short-sightedness." "For over 40 years, the Corps was aware that the Reach II levee protecting Chalmette and the Lower Ninth Ward was going to be compromised by the continued deterioration of the [waterway]. ... The Corps had an opportunity to take a myriad of actions to alleviate this deterioration or rehabilitate this deterioration and failed to do so. Clearly, the expression 'talk is cheap' applies here." Duval issued the ruling in a lawsuit brought by six plaintiffs affected by the 2005 hurricane, who alleged the Corps of Engineers was liable for damages. The judge ruled against one couple, who lived in New Orleans East, but awarded the others, from the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish, damages ranging from $100,000 to $317,000. Nagin said he had thought the ruling was a long shot. "This was a surprise but a pleasant one," he said. The decision applies not only to the six plaintiffs, attorney Pierce O'Donnell said, but also to some 100,000 homes and businesses in St. Bernard Parish and the Lower Ninth Ward. Under the precedent set by Duval's ruling, they too will be entitled to compensation, O'Donnell said. At a news conference Thursday, Craig Taffaro, president of St. Bernard Parish, said, "It's a bittersweet victory in the sense that yes, we are at the table, yes, we are grateful for the judge's ruling and for the legal team to deliver us to this point, but what a shame that we had to go through such devastation and destruction to get here." At one point a Category 5 hurricane, Katrina had weakened to a Category 3 storm with top sustained winds of 127 mph when it made landfall on the morning of August 29, 2005, between Grand Isle, Louisiana, and the mouth of Mississippi River. Its winds were only slightly diminished when it passed over more populated coastal areas hours later. More than 1,800 people died in the storm, including nearly 1,600 in Louisiana. In New Orleans, the city's levee system failed and widespread flooding occurred. Overall, the storm damage covered more than 90,000 square miles and displaced nearly 300,000 people, causing more than $81 billion in damage. Ivor van Heerden, a researcher who warned of the potential for catastrophic damage from a hurricane, said the ruling is "total vindication for everybody who was involved." "I think he's called a spade a spade," van Heerden told CNN by phone. The former deputy director of the Louisiana State University Hurricane Center said the university fired him because of the investigation he led into the levee failures. The probe put much of the blame for the disaster on the Corps of Engineers. He alleged Thursday that the university blocked him from being an expert witness in the case, but said he "put together a lot of the science" and reviewed the defense's explanation to find the holes. "Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans was a manmade catastrophe with a hurricane trigger," he said. "I saw the suffering of the people in New Orleans. ... Finally there is the potential of compensation." He said he intends to file a lawsuit against LSU, which he said has to pay him through the end of

Judge: Army Corps of Engineers liable for catastrophic flooding during Katrina . New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin says ruling may "open up the floodgates" for more suits . Nagin calls decision "a surprise," says he expects feds to appeal . Plaintiffs awarded damages from Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish .

(CNN) -- Canada announced Wednesday that it will dispatch a warship to Somalia's coast to protect U.N. aid ships from pirate attacks. The Canadian frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec will escort ships carrying food aid to Somalia. "Canada is stepping up to the plate by tasking Ville de Quebec with the role of escorting World Food Programme ships to ensure their safe arrival at designated ports," Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay said in a government news release. The United Nations hunger program praised Canada for answering its call for help, and said it hoped other governments would step forward to take over from Canada once it completes its mission in a few weeks. The HMCS Ville de Quebec is a 440-foot frigate armed with torpedoes, surface-to-air missiles and other weapons, and carries a twin-engine Sea King anti-submarine helicopter. Ville de Quebec, which can travel at speeds greater than 27 knots, will be dispatched after Somalia's transitional government formally authorizes the mission, the government's news release said. WFP asked the world's naval powers in mid-June to help its ships reach the more than 2 million people in need of aid. It put out the request weeks before French, Danish and Dutch warships ended their escort missions, which began in November. Pirate attacks on unescorted ships have been a growing problem in Somalia. Three European freighters were hijacked off the Horn of Africa in June, adding to the 27 other reported attacks this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which tracks piracy. WFP delivers 80 percent of its aid to Somalia by sea, and WFP spokesman Peter Smerdon said that if there are no warships to escort the food supply, the program will have to rely on ground or air travel to deliver the food. But both are dangerous and expensive. The agency said that if there is no assistance from naval powers, piracy will increase, and so will death and malnutrition. Smerdon said that although Somalia's food crisis hasn't yet reached the devastation of the early 1990s, "We're worried it will be."

Canada to send 440-foot frigate to help aid reach ports safely . Mission must be authorized by Somalia's transitional government . 80 percent of U.N.'s food aid to Somalia sent by ship . Heavily armed pirates frequently hijack cargo ships off Horn of Africa .

(CNN) -- Canada's public radio is asking listeners to pick 49 songs that will "best define" the country to the incoming president of its southern neighbor. Canadians are voting on the 49 songs that best define their nation, for President-elect Barack Obama's benefit. Online voting for "49 Songs from North of the 49th Parallel" ends Friday, and CBC Radio 2 will unveil and play the picks on the day of Barack Obama's presidential inauguration Tuesday. "One of the best ways to know Canada is through the depth and breath of our artistic expression," Denise Donion, CBC's executive director, said on the station's web site. Obama's taste in music runs the gamut from old-school R&B to blues and classical. "His playlist could definitely benefit from some Canadian content," the station said. Listeners can pick from 100 songs. They range from classical (Montreal Symphony Orchestra), to classic rock (The Band, Rush), to more contemporary fare (Feist, Arcade Fire). You can check out the entire list at http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/obamasplaylist/

CBC Radio 2 asks listeners to pick 49 songs that best define Canada . They're building playlist so Barack Obama can better understand neighbor to north . Options have wide range: classical, classic rock, contemporary fare .

(CNN) -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Thursday that Canada's governor general has allowed him to suspend Parliament, postponing a no-confidence vote from his opponents that he was likely to lose. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Parliament will resume on January 26. Harper called on his opponents to work with his government on measures to aid the nation's economy when Parliament returns on January 26. "The first order of business will be the presentation of a federal budget," Harper told reporters outside the governor general's residence in Ottawa, Canada. "Those who were elected here to serve the interest of Canada as a whole should work together -- at least to some degree -- on planning an economic plan for Canada." Had Governor General Michaelle Jean -- who represents Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as head of state -- denied Harper's request, Monday's vote would have likely brought down Harper's government, less than two months after his Conservative Party strengthened its minority position in federal elections. The Liberal Party and the leftist New Democratic Party announced plans earlier this week to form a governing coalition with the support of the Bloc Quebecois, which supports independence for French-speaking Quebec. Liberal Party Leader Stephane Dion, the man who would fill Harper's role under the planned coalition, said the coalition would look to replace Harper unless he makes "monumental change." "For the first time in the history of Canada, the prime minister of Canada is running away from the parliament of Canada," said Dion, accusing the premier of placing "partisan politics ahead of the interest of all Canadians." New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton said Harper had used a "maneuver to escape accountability." "He refuses to face the people of Canada through their elected representatives," he said. "The prime minister is choosing to protect his own job rather than focusing on the jobs of Canadians who are being thrown out of work today." The news comes one day after Harper appealed directly to Canadians for support, vowing in a nationally televised address on the economy to halt his opponents, whom he accused of imposing their own agenda on the Canadian people. "Unfortunately, even before the government has brought forward its budget, and only seven weeks after a general election, the opposition wants to overturn the results of that election," said the prime minister, whose Conservative Party strengthened its minority position in federal elections on October 14. iReport.com: Outrage brewing in Canada Harper rejected the idea of a "power-sharing coalition with a separatist party," referring to the Bloc Quebecois, and insisted the country must stand together. "At a time of global economic instability, Canada's government must stand unequivocally for keeping the country together. At a time like this, a coalition with the separatists cannot help Canada," he said Wednesday. "The opposition is attempting to impose this deal without your say, without your consent, and without your vote. This is no time for backroom deals with the separatists; it is the time for Canada's government to focus on the economy and specifically on measures for the upcoming budget. This is a pivotal moment in our history," he said. Harper, 49, has served as prime minister since February 2006.

NEW: Opposition accuses PM Harper of putting his job ahead of Canada's interests . Move postpones opposition parties' plan for no-confidence vote next week . Liberal and New Democratic parties join with Bloc Quebecois to try to unseat Tories . Vote likely would have brought down Canada's Conservative government .

(CNN) -- Census-takers are fanning out across Sudan this week in a landmark headcount meant to determine how to divide power and wealth in the war-weary African nation. A south Sudanese soldier keeps watch, with the threat of civil war still high in the war-torn country. The census is a key component of a 2005 peace agreement that ended a 22-year civil war which killed 2 million people and displaced an estimated 4 million others. The war pitted a government dominated by Arab Muslims in northern Sudan against black Christians and animists in the south. Delays in starting the census were among the reasons cited when southerners withdrew last year from a government of national unity. They rejoined the government two months later, but tension and occasional fighting near the disputed territory of Abyei has threatened to reignite the civil war. "God forbid, that's a distinct possibility," said Andebrhan Giorgis, senior policy adviser for Africa for the International Crisis Group, a non-profit organization that seeks to prevent and resolve crisis. "It's quite worrisome." North-south tensions have worsened even as international attention has focused more on persistent violence in the Darfur region of western Sudan, where roughly 300,000 people have been killed since 2003 in a campaign of killing, rape and displacement that the U.S. calls genocide. Results from the national census, which began Tuesday, will be used to establish electoral districts and determine political representation in a national assembly, Giorgis said. "It's an important milestone," he told CNN on Wednesday. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Sudan also hailed the census as vital, in a statement Tuesday. The census is key to establishing voting districts in advance of national elections scheduled for 2009. It is also critical in determining how oil wealth is to be shared between the north and south, who have a history of animosity and mistrust. It's unclear how census-takers will operate in Darfur - and how accurately they will be able to count the population there, Giorgis said. E-mail to a friend

Census-takers fan out across Sudan this week in a landmark headcount . Count will be used to determine how power is shared in the war-torn country . North-south tensions continue to simmer, threatening the return of civil war .

(CNN) -- Cervelo's Xavier Tondo won the toughest stage of this year's Paris-Nice cycling classic as Alejandro Valverde finished second to ratchet up the pressure on race leader and their fellow Spaniard Alberto Contador. It was the biggest victory of Tondo's fledgling career and reward for a solo break with just under 40km remaining of the 220km ride from Peynier to Tourrettes-super-Loup. The whittled down chasing bunch closed fast in the final kilometers but Tondo had five seconds to spare with Valverde leading the charge to claim six bonus seconds. It left him 14 seconds adrift of reigning Tour de France champion Contador ahead of a difficult final day in the south of France. Young Slovakian Peter Sagan, who claimed his second stage win of the race in dramatic style pm Friday, finished third to retain the green jersey of points leader. Tondo was delighted to win in his debut year for Cervelo, with his main duties this season set to be as a helper for Carlos Sastre in the Giro d'Italia and other major tours. He felt he was ready to challenge on Friday, but suffered bad luck with a mechanical problem, dropping over two minutes to lose his chance for the overall crown. "It gave me a chance to go in the breakaway today and I felt very good on the climb," he told the official Web site www.letour.fr. "It's incredible for me, in my first year with Cervelo. It's my 10th victory as a pro, but in the past I only rode for small teams," he added. Sunday's final leg is a 119km stage based around Nice with several tough climbs where Contador has predicted he will seal his final victory. Meanwhile, last year's winner Michele Scarponi claimed the fourth stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico to take the overall lead. Scarponi was in a small elite group who forged clear about 4km from the finish of the 243-km route from San Gemini to Chieti. He now leads Benoit Vaugrenard of France by 18 seconds in the overall classification.

Spain's Xavier Tondo claims sixth stage of the Paris-Nice cycling classic . Alejandro Valverde finishes second to claim six-second time bonus . Valverde trails race leader Alberto Contador by 14 seconds going into last day .

(CNN) -- Championship leader Mark Webber made it a hat-trick of pole positions as he dominated qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul on Saturday. Webber lapped in one minute 26.295 seconds to occupy first place on the grid ahead of 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren. Webber's Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel was third fastest, with reigning world champion Jenson Button fourth in the second McLaren. Australia's Webber will be chasing a hat-trick of race victories, after wins in Spain and Monaco, in Sunday's 58-lap race, hoping to pull clear of Vettel in the title race. The teammates are currently tied on 78 points, but Webber is ahead on race victories. He said that his team had finally got to grips with the Istanbul Park circuit in time for the crucial qualifying. "It hasn't been the smoothest of weekends for us in terms of getting the running in. Getting ready for 'quali' things started to get a little bit better," he told the post-qualifying press conference. "I was a little bit on the back foot going in to be honest, but I knew if I dug deep it could be OK. And it worked out for us. "I'm a little bit more confident for tomorrow to be honest." The Red Bull team have claimed all seven poles this season and will be looking to extend their lead in the constructors' championship. Mercedes pair Michael Schumacher, in fifth, and Nico Rosberg will share the third row, but it was another disappointing qualifying session for Ferrari in their 800th grand prix. Felipe Massa of Brazil qualified eighth but two-time world champion Fernando Alonso did not make the top 10 for the final session. The Spaniard made a mistake in Q2 and ended up 12th, the second straight time he has made a hash in qualifying after being forced to start from the pit lane in Monaco. Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali was not amused by their showing. "For sure the performance in qualifying was not up to our standard. We don't know why -- and we need to understand. For sure we were expecting much more performance," he told AFP.

Mark Webber on pole for Sunday's Turkey Grand Prix in Istanbul . Webber will occupy the front row of the grid with McLaren's Lewis Hamilton . Webber's Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel claims third fastest . Aussie Webber leads Vettel on races won in title race .

(CNN) -- Chelsea King, 17, was a straight-A student, a high school track star and she loved to volunteer. Now, she's been killed, the latest victim of what you could call "junk justice." When Chelsea went running in a San Diego, California, park, it's doubtful she had any idea that another young female runner had been attacked in that very same park just a couple of months before. That first victim said she feared her attacker was going to rape her. She managed to get away by elbowing the large man in the nose. If there were falling rocks in that park, a warning sign would be up. If a hungry coyote had been spotted scrounging for food, a warning sign would tell you. But there was no warning at all that a human predator, on the hunt for young women, might be in the park. If there had been a sketch of this suspect, or a warning posted, Chelsea might not have gone running alone there. Police said DNA on Chelsea's underwear led them to 30-year-old John Gardner III. They showed his picture to the first runner and she said, "He's the same guy." Now he's been charged with Chelsea's rape and murder. The suspect was a registered sex offender. In 2000, he lured a 13-year-old girl into his home on the pretext of watching the movie "Patch Adams." Once he got her inside, he molested her and beat her to a pulp before she escaped. Before Gardner was sentenced, a psychiatrist warned that he showed no remorse and would likely attack a young girl again. He recommended "the maximum sentence allowed by law." The courts sentenced Gardner to six years; he got out after five. Five years for pummeling a 13-year-old girl in the face and fondling her. That is "junk justice." If Gardner had been prosecuted to the full extent of the law then, he would have been behind bars when Chelsea went for a run on February 25. Her grieving mom spoke directly to this point to Larry King Thursday night..."I mean how many times do our daughters need to be raped before we put these monsters behind bars forever? I just don't -- I don't get it. Change has to be made. And I know that there are people out there that are -- that are trying to, you know, get this change in place. And Brent and I are committed for the rest of our lives to be a part of that." We need to switch our focus from punishment to prevention. Our system only kicks into high gear after the fact. In this case, a warning sign, something that simple, would have cost a fraction of the millions it might take to prosecute and house the killer. A warning sign that a woman had been attacked in the park could have possibly saved Chelsea's life. In California, for every one parole officer there are 70 criminals. Companies like Google, FedEx, and eBay use high-tech systems to track packages and information. We already have the technology in the form of ankle bracelets to track the sex predators so why not use it? Think about this. We can carefully track the delivery of a package across the country but don't keep track of a sex offender who weighs more than 200 pounds. It's time that we demand the most basic freedom of all, and that is freedom from fear. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jane Velez-Mitchell.

Jane Velez-Mitchell: Chelsea King, 17, was straight-A student, track star, volunteer . Velez-Mitchell: Chelsea killed in a park where a young woman had been attacked earlier . Author thinks suspect, a sex offender, should have been in jail longer for crime . She writes: If suspect had been in jail, if a sign warned of earlier attack, Chelsea might be alive .

(CNN) -- Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has lost his position at the top of football's rich list but David Beckham remains the wealthiest player. Abramovich set a trend with his massive cash injection into Premier League Chelsea. Russian billionaire Abramovich has slipped to third place behind Manchester City's new owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Sheikh Mansour, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, has a fortune of £15 billion ($22.04B), according to the Football Rich List, researched and published by FourFourTwo magazine. Abramovich has also been overtaken by Indian industrialist Lakshmi Mittal, who is the joint owner of second-flight English side Queens Park Rangers with Formula One's Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore. Abramovich has seen his fortune cut by over £3 billion to £7 billion ($10.29B) in the global economic downturn, the magazine estimated. Have wealthy owners benefited English football ? His billions gave Chelsea massive spending power to win two successive Premier League titles under Jose Mourinho and accelerated the trend of foreign ownership in English football. Beckham, currently on loan to AC Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy, has personal assets valued at £125 million ($183.66 million), well ahead of Michael Owen (£40 million -- $58.77m) and Wayne Rooney. England head coach Fabio Capello is 73rd on the list, boosted by his own private art collection, with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson at number 78. English football had dominated comparable rich lists for several seasons but many financial experts fear the good times may be coming to an end as the global economic crisis bites.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is knocked off the top of football 'rich-list' Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan heads new list . AC Milan's on-loan England midfielder David Beckham remains richest player .

(CNN) -- Chennai Super Kings won the third staging of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as they beat Mumbai Indians by 22 runs in the final of the Twenty20 tournament on Sunday. Mumbai with home advantage and with an in-form Sachin Tendulkar in their ranks fell well short in their pursuit of the 168 for five wickets posted by Chennai in their allocated overs. Suresh Raina was the star for Chenna with an unbeaten 57 in their knock and a tight spell of bowling including the wicket of lower-order dangerman Harbhajan Singh. He posted a blistering 72-run stand with Chennai and Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (27) but their total still looked only respectable with the likes of Tendulkar and Keith Pollard in the Mumbai ranks. But off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin immediately piled on the pressure with an opening maiden over to Shikhar Dhawan, who fell in the next over to Australia paceman Doug Bollinger as he edged to Dhoni. Tendulkar and Abhishek Nayar (27) shared a 66-run stand but just when they were upping the ante, Nayar was run out and Raina, introduced for the first time in the 12th over, also got rid of Harbhajan in the same over. The killer blow came in the 15th over when left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati had Tendulkar caught for 48 on the boundary and then removed Saurabh Tiwary. With the Indians needing 55 from the last three overs, the crowd were silent until Pollard, who had been mysteriously kept back, smashed Bollinger for two sixes and two fours in the 18th which yielded 22 runs. However, both Rayudu (21) and Pollard fell in the penultimate over from Albie Morkel and the game was up for Mumbai with the final action played out in near silence among the capacity crowd.

Chennai Super Kings win the final of the IPL by beating Mumbai Indians by 22 runs . Suresh Raina hits unbeaten 57 for Chennai and takes key wicket of Harbhajan Singh . Sachin Tendulkar scores 48 in losing effort for Mumbai . It was the third staging of the money-spinning Twenty20 tournament .

(CNN) -- Clashes between Somalia's transitional government and the Al-Shabab militia left 103 people dead and 420 others wounded, Somali officials said Friday. The fighting in Mogadishu between the rebel group and the government has raged for nine days. The fighting in Mogadishu between the rebel group and the government has raged for nine days, said Farhan Ali Mohamud, information minister of the Somali government. Human rights groups deplored the high number of casualties, urging both sides to comply with international law in respect to the civilian population. Thousands of families have fled the capital, Mogadishu, seeking a safer environment in camps south of the city. "The people of Somalia have once again been subjected to unbearable violence," said Pascal Mauchle, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Somalia. "The daily struggle for survival is exhausting their capacity to cope." Humanitarian groups expressed concern, too, that Somalis will not have access to medical care. The international medical agency Doctors Without Borders said it was forced to close an outpatient clinic in Mogadishu to ensure safety for its staff. "With so few medical facilities available in Somalia, it is crucial that people are able to access those that are still functioning," said Alfonso Laguna, head of the agency in the region. The new round of fighting stems from an interpretation of sharia law, or Islamic law, the spokesman said. Somalia's new President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed has recently approved implementing sharia law, but the rebel group wants the country to institute a stricter form. A spokesman for the rebel group said it has recruited many fighters for the battle against the government. "It is not only Somali jihadists that are fighting in Mogadishu against the government. There are also foreign Muslim jihadist brothers who are fighting side by side with us," said Sheikh Hassan Ya'qub, a spokesman for al-Shabaab. Abdiraman Abdi Shakur Warsame, minister of international cooperation for Somalia's transitional government, issued a stern warning to the rebels in an address to a young audience celebrating Somali youth day at the capital. "The government is determined to defend itself from these religious gangs who are covering in the name of Islam and I assure you that in the course of coming days, we will eliminate these elements and some of them will be forced out of the country," Warsame said. The U.S. Embassy in Kenya released a statement about the fighting. "The extremists who are instigating these attacks have no regard for the well-being of Somalis and are undermining the peaceful efforts of the legitimate government to further national reconciliation," the statement said. "The United States is particularly disturbed at reports that foreign fighters and those who rejected dialogue in 2006 are participating in this effort to forcibly remove a legitimate Somali government from power." Journalist Mohamed Amiin Adow contributed to this report.

Government forces are fighting a rebel group in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu . Somali officials say 103 people have been killed, hundreds more wounded . Rebel fighters want a stricter form of sharia law introduced in Somalia . Fighting started in early May, rebels say they're recruiting more supporters .

(CNN) -- Comedian Joan Rivers and real estate mogul Donald Trump -- that's a twosome never known for mincing their words. Joan Rivers appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" Monday night and explained her explosive confrontations. Trump selected Rivers as this season's winner of "The Celebrity Apprentice," and they appeared on "Larry King Live" Monday night, full of their classic candor. Among the topics covered: Rivers' long-running war of words with runner-up Annie Duke, her dust-up and make-up with Clint Black and the "reason" she is against same-sex marriage. And the Donald explains why Rivers had what it took to emerge the winner. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity: Larry King: Donald, was it a tough decision? Donald Trump: Well, it was. Joan fully understands it was a very, very tight race. And Annie [Duke] was terrific and Joan was terrific. In the end, I decided to go with Joan. She displayed tremendous courage. She really took a lot of abuse over the course of 14 weeks. King: Joan, in last night's finale, you beat poker champion Annie Duke. You and Annie were still at each other up until the final moments. Let's take a look. [King shows a video clip from "The Celebrity Apprentice"] Annie Duke: I do not know a boardroom in this country where someone would be allowed to say that someone would spit on the ground and drown their mother in it, where someone would be allowed to call their friends Mafia, where someone would be allowed to say that someone is worse than Hitler. If that happened in a real office... Joan Rivers: You're not worse than Hitler ... Duke: ...in a real boardroom. Rivers: Hitler never had PMS. Duke: This is what I'm saying. If it happened in a real boardroom, she would have to be fired or that would be actionable. Rivers: ... I have run a business for 20 years honorably. I have never fired anybody. I am the Number One jewelry business on television, with honor. [End of video clip] King: Oh, boy. Rivers: Yes, oh boy. Trump: And, Larry, that was the nice part. Watch Larry King's interview with Rivers and Trump » King: Joanny, where did you come up with that 'worse than Hitler' crack? Rivers: Oh, I don't know. You know, you're always saying things. Hitler is the worst villain in the world. So when you really get furious at someone, you say, 'Oh, you're a female Hitler' or something, you know? It's just an expression. But I stand behind it. King: What did she do to you? Rivers: She was very duplicitous ... there was so much mud-slinging, which I'm not going to go into. I was told she said she wished I would die; she said I was a cancer. King: What did you make of that squabble, Donald? Trump: Well, I liked it very much. ... Especially this morning, when the ratings came in, because it was a ratings bonanza last night for NBC. King: What does Joanny get now? Trump: She got $250,000 plus she raised hundreds of thousands more during the course of the 14 weeks. But she gets $250,000. That goes to God's Love We Deliver, which is a great charity in New York. King: What surprised you about this contest? Trump: Well, I was just impressed with the intelligence, with the energy and verve that Joan had. I mean, Joan's energy was beyond everybody else's. And she wasn't necessarily the youngest person on the panel. King: Joan, what surprised you about this experience? Rivers: How it became so much more

Joan Rivers infuriated "Apprentice" rival Annie Duke over comparison to Hitler . Donald Trump says he loved the confrontations -- and the ratings that followed . Rivers says experience of being on "Apprentice" is like "Lord of the Flies" She jokes Clint Black is so chauvinist he wouldn't let his wife have Equal in her coffee .

(CNN) -- Congolese rebels seized a major military camp and a spacious gorilla park in a renewed bout of heavy fighting that sent thousands fleeing, according to the United Nations and park officials. Young gorillas play in Congo's Virunga Park, which was taken over Sunday by rebels fighting army forces. The fighting comes after a tenuous week-old U.N. brokered cease-fire between rebels and government forces fell apart Sunday. Fighting between the rebels under renegade Gen. Laurent Nkunda and Congolese army regulars in the eastern province of North Kivu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo displaced thousands of civilians, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. The rebels also seized the headquarters of Virunga National Park in eastern Congo after intense fighting with the Congolese army, according to a statement by park officials. The rebels have used Virunga Park as a base but have never seized its headquarters before. The 3,000 square mile (7,800 square kilometer) park has a gorilla facility and is home to 200 of the 700 endangered mountain gorillas in existence. "Over 50 rangers were forced to flee into the forests and abandon the park station, in fear of their lives," the park statement said. "They have seized the entire gigantic infrastructure [of the park headquarters] which is stategically very close to the main road heading north into Goma," said park spokeswoman Samantha Newport by phone from Goma, about 40 kilometers from the fighting. "The situation is eastern Congo is very dangerous," she said. "It's the first time they've [rebels] ever had the audacity" to take over the park. Watch as park ranger describes the violence as it explodes behind him » Newport said the rebels have set up roadblocks so the rangers are making their way through woods south to safety. She said the gorillas and other wildlife in the park are in danger of getting caught in the crossfire. A park ranger described the takeover. "When the rebels started approaching the park station we thought we were all going to be killed," said Park Ranger Bareke Sekibibi, 29, who spoke by cell phone from the forest earlier as he fled, according to the park statement. " We are not military combatants, we are park rangers protecting Virunga's wildlife." Although the civil war in the Congo officially ended in 2003, recent fighting in eastern Congo between government forces and rebels has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo have taken the lives of some 5.4 million people since 1998, and that 45,000 people continue to die there every month, according to an International Rescue Committee report in January.

Congolese rebels seize military camp and Virunga Park's gorilla sanctuary . Fighting breaks week-old cease-fire between rebels and government forces . 50 park rangers fled for their lives; very rare mountain gorillas in danger . Congo's war has taken 5.4 million lives since 1998; 45,000 people die every month .

(CNN) -- Congressional auditors have uncovered widespread abuse of techniques used to restrain or discipline special-education students in U.S. schools, with some deaths linked to the practices, a top congressman says. Investigators in Utah say a teacher left Garrett Peck in an isolation cubicle for at least two and a half hours. The findings are among those expected from a Government Accountability Office report scheduled to be released Tuesday. The report documented serious problems with the way children with disabilities are being treated in public schools, including cases of children being held face-down on the ground. The GAO report was prepared for the House Education and Labor Committee, which is considering new laws governing what actions teachers can take to rein in disruptive special-needs students. "I think what we're going to hear from the GAO is that very often, special-need children are subjected to the policies of seclusion and policies of restraint that have turned out to be lethal in a number of circumstances," said Rep. George Miller, D-California, the committee's chairman. In other cases, children as young as 6 have been locked away "for hours at a time," Miller said. "What the GAO is telling us is that that policy is fairly widespread," he said. "The state regulations about how to handle these incidents don't exist in about half the states, and in other states you have kind of a patchwork of regulations." The GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, found that state laws governing the treatment of the more than 6 million children classified as having "special needs" -- conditions including autism and Down syndrome -- are patchy at best. Teachers and school staff frequently lack training in correct restraint methods, and in some cases, where improper restraints led to injuries, teachers often kept their jobs. Only five states keep track of incidents where special-needs students are separated or restrained. Parents contacted by CNN commonly said they were not told their child was being disciplined until he or she began to behave badly at home -- a sign of trouble at school. When confronted with complaints, school systems sometimes sought to minimize or deny the allegations, even after public investigations found the charges to be true. And parents told CNN that when they got into a dispute with the teacher, their child was made to suffer as retribution. Some of the most disturbing reports concerned the use of seclusion rooms. Experts have long recommended that children should only be isolated when they pose an immediate threat to themselves or others. But CNN found that isolation was often used as a punishment by teachers to compel the students to follow instructions. State investigators in Utah found a teacher left 7-year-old Garrett Peck in an isolation cubicle for at least two and a half hours after the teacher said he told her to "shut up." While the boy was in the cubicle, the teacher taunted him by playing his favorite video and telling him what he was missing. His parents, Joshua and Becca Peck, said the child has an attention span of about 10 minutes, and they believe that after the first few minutes, he had no idea why he was in the cubicle. "It was so sad. We felt it was a form of torture for him but he, being autistic, he had no way to express it," Joshua Peck said. "He couldn't tell." And Becca Peck said her son had been left in the cubicle with nothing but a magic marker -- which he used to scrawl all over himself. When she came to school to pick him up, "He was covered in marker -- on his eyelids, on his hair, face, clothes, arms, eyelids -- everywhere." "I started thinking, 'What was he thinking?' Was he thinking, 'Why is my mom letting this person do this to me? Why am I here? I trust no one now.' " In Garrett's case, like others cited by the GAO, the teacher remains on the job. And what frustrates experts is

GAO report uncovers abuse of techniques used to restrain or discipline children . Some deaths of special-needs kids have been linked to the practices, report says . Investigators: Utah boy with autism left in cubicle for at least two and a half hours . Only five states keep track of incidents; many states have no regulations .

(CNN) -- Could humans one day live to be 1,000, and would that be a good thing? CNN's global health show Vital Signs has teamed up with world renowned anti-aging experts to bring you an in-depth discussion on the search for immortality. Vital Signs host and CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta will be joined by best-selling author Dan Buettner who has done extensive studies on the areas in the world people live the longest, healthiest lives, known as Blue Zones, and shares their formula for a long life. The other panelist is geneticist Dr. Aubrey de Grey, best-selling author of "Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime." He believes regenerative medicine could, in a matter of decades, extend life expectancy to 1000 years. This special edition of Vital Signs: The Clinic will be broadcast LIVE on CNN.com and we want you to take part in the conversation. You can do that by using the soundoff comments box below, post on iReport.com or e-mail [email protected]. You can also send questions via Twitter. What would you ask the experts? Do you want to learn how to live until 100 and beyond? Or find out which diets or exercise to follow for living longer? Do you have concerns about how an aging population might impact on resources? The best questions will be featured on the show where the experts will give you tips on how to live longer. Dr. Gupta will also investigate the longevity hot spots around the world and you can tap into the secrets of their success. Watch Vital Signs: The Clinic LIVE on CNN.com on Monday November 30, at 1200 GMT. (0700 ET, 2000 HK, 1300 CET)

Watch a LIVE webcast on CNN.com on November 30, at 1200 GMT . Leading anti-aging experts will share their insights on the search for immortality . Send them your questions via soundoff, ireport and twitter .

(CNN) -- Cristiano Ronaldo is to play in a special benefit match for the victims of the Madeira floods and mudslides which have claimed the lives of at least 42 people. The world's most expensive player has made himself available for a game between Portuguese champions Porto and a joint team from Madeira-based clubs Nacional and Maritimo. No date has yet been set for the match, but Ronaldo has said he will help in "whatever possible way" after the tragic events of the weekend. Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira added: "Porto want to express their condolences for all that has happened and, as a club, do everything necessary to help Madeira." Real Madrid forward Ronaldo was born and grew up in Madeira and has a special football center named after him, which is next to the Nacional stadium. The 24-year-old paid his own tribute after scoring the first goal in Real's 6-2 rout of Villarreal on Sunday, lifting his shirt to reveal a t-shirt bearing the name "Madeira" on the chest. "Nobody can be indifferent to such a tragedy, especially me," Ronaldo told the official Real Madrid Web site, www.realmadrid.com. "I was born and raised on the island. It's given me so much. This is why I want to make myself available to help in whatever possible way. "I would like to help official bodies and organizations to minimize the effects of this great tragedy and to get over them as soon as possible." Former World Player of the Year Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid from Manchester United in the summer for a record $120 million fee.

Cristiano Ronaldo to play in special benefit match for victims of the Madeira floods . Ronaldo will turn out for a joint Nacional-Maritimo team against Portugal champions Porto . Ronaldo was born and grew up on the Portuguese holiday island .

(CNN) -- Cristiano Ronaldo scored a late headed winner as Real Madrid stayed a point behind leaders Barcelona in the Spanish title race after a dramatic 3-2 win over Osasuna on Sunday night. Real had to come from behind twice in the Bernabeu with former World Player of the Year Ronaldo grabbing a double. Trailing by four points after Barcelona's 4-1 win over Villarreal on Saturday, Real made a disastrous start as a poor back pass by Raul Albiol allowed in Carlos Aranda to give Osasuna an early lead. Ronaldo then came to the rescue for the first time as he equalized with a fine strike from just outside the penalty area, but Real were soon behind again as Krisztian Vadocz struck home Osasuna's second. But with time running out in the first half, Marcelo headed Real level again. Osasuna refused to lie down and substitute Masoud Soleimani missed the easiest of several chances for the visitors as Real pushed forward for a winner. The game appeared to be headed for a draw, which would have severely dented Real's title hopes with games running out, until Ronaldo popped up to score an 89th minute goal from a cross by Gonzalo Higuain. A double from Lionel Messi had helped Barca to rebound from their Champions League exit at the hands of Inter Milan to leave them on course to defend their La Liga crown with a fine win over Villarreal. In other action on Sunday, Alvaro Negredo scored two penalties to give Sevilla a 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid to lift them into the fourth and the final Champions League place. The match was a forerunner to the Copa del Rey final later this month. Atletico, who are also in the Europa League final, fell behind to a Luis Fabiano strike after five minutes. Tiago Cardoso equalized for Atletico who were then undone by Negredo's two spot kicks. A double from substitute Nicola Zigic saw Valencia beat Espanyol 2-0 to keep a tight hold on third place. Getafe were held goalless by Valladolid and Tenerife beat Racing Santander 2-1 but remain in the drop zone as Malaga drew 1-1 with Sporting Gijon.

Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice including a late headed winner for Real Madrid . The 3-2 win lifts Real to within a point of leaders Barcelona in La Liga . Sevilla beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 to boost Champions League hopes . Valencis consolidate third place with 2-0 win over Espanyol .

(CNN) -- Cycling legend Lance Armstrong -- a survivor of testicular cancer -- and girlfriend Anna Hansen are expecting a baby, CNN learned on Tuesday through his charitable organization. Cyclist Lance Armstrong has announced he will come out of retirement and race once again in the Tour de France. The baby is due in June. Armstrong was diagnosed in 1996 with testicular cancer that had spread to his brain, lungs and abdomen. He underwent treatment for the disease and was able to return to cycling, eventually winning seven consecutive Tour de France's. The harsh chemotherapy left him unable to have children, although he and then-wife Kristin Richards had three children using sperm the cyclist had donated before the treatment. Armstrong and Hansen, however, are expecting without the use of any artificial fertilization process. "This is a hopeful thing for testicular cancer survivors," CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said. "It means his body healed from the chemotherapy and surgery." Armstrong retired from cycling after his seventh Tour de France win in 2005, and focused his energy on the Lance Armstrong Foundation (livestrong.org), which supports people affected by cancer. Armstrong founded the organization in 1997. The 37-year-old Texan announced in September that he was launching a comeback with the goal of winning the Tour de France in 2009. "After talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden," he wrote on LiveStrong's Web site. He is training for several races leading up to the Tour de France, including Australia's Tour Down Under and the Giro d'Italia.

Seven-times Tour de France winner Armstrong is a survivor of testicular cancer . The 37-year-old Texan already has three children from his marriage . "This is a hopeful thing for all testicular cancer survivors," says Sanjay Gupta .

(CNN) -- Darren Tuck, the man who gave police a tape depicting the rape of a 3-year-old girl, turned himself in Sunday to Nye County, Nevada, authorities. Darren Tuck turned himself in to authorities Sunday. He earlier gave police the tape of the girl. Tuck had recently given police the videotape, saying he found it in the desert, Sheriff Tony De Meo said. Police said he had the tape for at least five months before turning it in. He was being sought on a parole violation for failure to pay child support, but police -- who have said they want to question him further -- had been unable to locate him. Tuck, of Nevada, allegedly showed the tape to others, and faces between 10 years to life in prison for exhibiting pornography and one to six years for possession of child pornography, said De Meo. Tuck's attorney Harry Kuehn said last week on CNN's "Nancy Grace" that Tuck had been "wracked by indecision" as to what to do with the tape once he realized what it was. "You have to consider what kind of concerns my client had," the attorney said. "He's previously dealt with the sheriff's office in Nye County; it was previously unsatisfactory." The four-year-old videotape shows the 3-year-old girl being raped in Las Vegas, Nevada. Last week, she was found safe. Now seven, the girl was found Friday with family in Las Vegas after thousands of tips poured in to police, thanks to an appeal by police to the news media to show the girl's picture. CNN and other news organizations did so until the child was found, and De Meo asked media to stop showing the picture. "The mother has cooperated with us," De Meo said. "We believe that the mother was not aware of anything that went on with this young girl. It was very sad for her to find this out." Authorities have identified Chester A. Stiles, 37, as the suspect in the tape. A resident of Pahrump, Nevada, he remains at-large, De Meo said. Pahrump is about 60 miles west of Las Vegas. Stiles was a distant friend of the girl's family, De Meo said. Someone close to Stiles told investigators Stiles is a "survivalist type" and always carries a weapon, Nye County District Attorney Bob Beckett said. Todd Allen, a Las Vegas resident, told CNN he once lived with the girl from the video and her mother. He said he recognizes his old apartment from scenes in the video. He said he knows the suspect because Allen's mother dated Stiles and the couple spent time together at Allen's apartment. Watch Allen describe Stiles and the girl » Allen said nobody realized the child had been abused. "She's what you'd expect a little girl in elementary school to be like," he said. "You would never know something like that happened. Ever." Allen said he never witnessed Stiles physically assault anyone. "But I have seen him verbally and mentally assault many people," Allen told CNN. "He's good with mind games. He's good at twisting people's realities and manipulating people." De Meo addressed Stiles directly on Saturday: "Turn yourself in to your local law enforcement agency," he said. "Understand this: Law enforcement not only has a long arm, but a long memory. You will not be forgotten by members of this agency or any other law enforcement agency." The FBI is also seeking Stiles on state charges of sexual assault and lewdness with a minor under the age of 14 in a separate matter, De Meo said. E-mail to a friend

Darren Tuck gave police tape depicting the rape of a 3-year-old girl, police say . Tuck said he found the tape in the desert; he showed it to others, police say . Tuck was being sought on a parole violation for failure to pay child support . Police are still seeking another suspect related to the videotape .

(CNN) -- Defending World Cup champion Gregor Schlierenzauer of Austria claimed the second leg of the famous Four Hills ski-jumping tournament at Garmisch on New Year's Day. Schlierenzauer could only finish ninth in the first event at Oberstdorf on Tuesday, but made no mistake with leaps of 136.5 and 137.5m and good style marks for a total of 277.7 points. It gave him a comfortable advantage over fellow Austrian Wolfgang Loitzl, who twice jumped 135m for 272.5 points. Switzerland's double Olympic champion from 2002 in Salt Lake City, Simon Ammann, showed he is running into form for Vancouver next February, after jumping 132 and 143.5m for 272.4 points and third place. Austrian Andreas Kofler, who won at Oberstdorf, maintained the overall lead in the four-event competition as he came in fourth with leaps of 136 and 137m for 271.9 points. Finland's five-time Four Hills champion Janne Ahonen, second at Oberstdorf on his comeback from retirement, finished sixth after jumps of 129.5 and 137m gave him 259.2 points. Kofler leads the standings with a 20-point lead over Loitzl with Ahonen third ahead of the next competition at Innsbruck on Sunday. The Four Hills concludes in Austria, at Bischofshofen on January 6. Ammann still leads the overall World Cup standings with Schlierenzauer closing up in second place and Kofler third. In other pre-Olympic news, leading U.S. snowboarder Kevin Pearce suffered serious injuries in training for the halfpipe event in Utah. Reports said Pearce hit head on the halfpipe while attempting a complex move and was taken to a hospital in Salt Lake City. He was among the favorites for gold at the 2010 Vancouver games having beaten 2006 Olympic gold medallist Shaun White in recent competitions.

Gregor Schlierenzauer wins Garmisch round of Four Hills ski-jumping tournament . Austrian Andreas Kofler, who won at Oberstdorf, maintains the overall standings lead . U.S. snowboarder Kevin Pearce suffers head injuries in training accident for halfpipe event .

(CNN) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama defended himself and his wife Sunday against suggestions that they are insufficiently patriotic. Sen. Barack Obama defended himself and his wife against recent suggestions that they are not patriotic. After a town hall meeting in Lorain, Ohio, a reporter asked Obama about "an attempt by conservatives and Republicans to paint you as unpatriotic." The reporter cited the fact that Obama once failed to put his hand over his heart while singing the national anthem. Obama replied that his choice not to put his hand on his heart is a behavior that "would disqualify about three-quarters of the people who have ever gone to a football game or baseball game." The reporter also noted that the Illinois senator does not wear an American flag lapel pin, has met with former members of the radical anti-Vietnam War group, Weather Underground, and his wife was quoted recently as saying she never felt really proud of the United States until recently. Asked how he would fight the image of being unpatriotic, Obama said, "There's always some nonsense going on in general elections. Right? If it wasn't this, it would be something else. If you recall, first it was my name. Right? That was a problem. And then there was the Muslim e-mail thing and that hasn't worked out so well, and now it's the patriotism thing. "The way I will respond to it is with the truth: that I owe everything I am to this country," he said. The first-term senator from Illinois has been the subject of various debunked rumors since launching his presidential campaign -- allegations that he is a Muslim, that he took his oath of office on a copy of the Quran and that he attended a radical Islamic school while living in Indonesia as a boy. "You will recall that the reason I came to national attention was a speech in which I spoke of my love of this country," said Obama. He and his wife, Michelle, had already explained her comments. "She simply misspoke," he said. "What she was referring to was [that] this was the first time she has been proud of politics in America. Watch what Michelle Obama said » "That's true of a lot of people who have been cynical and disenchanted. And she's spoken about how she has been cynical about American politics for a very long time, but she's proud of how people are participating and getting involved in ways that they haven't in a very long time." About not wearing an American flag lapel pin, Obama said Republicans have no lock on patriotism. "A party that presided over a war in which our troops did not get the body armor they needed, or were sending troops over who were untrained because of poor planning, or are not fulfilling the veterans' benefits that these troops need when they come home, or are undermining our Constitution with warrantless wiretaps that are unnecessary? "That is a debate I am very happy to have. We'll see what the American people think is the true definition of patriotism." Obama did not respond to the question about the Weather Underground, a group whose members bombed the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon during the 1970s. Last week, the New York Sun reported that as an Illinois state senator in 2001, Obama accepted a $200 contribution from William Ayers, a founder of the group who was not convicted for the bombings and now works as a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. But the paper said that, in a statement, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, William Burton, said, "Sen. Obama strongly condemns the violent actions of the Weathermen group, as he does all acts of violence ... But he was an 8-year-old child when Ayers and the Weathermen were active, and any attempt to connect Obama with events of almost 40 years ago is ridiculous." Former first lady Sen. Hillary Clinton has said repeatedly that she is a stronger candidate because she has already shown

Obama responds to question about attempts to paint him as unpatriotic . Obama cited for not wearing American flag lapel pin, among other things . Obama: "There's always some nonsense going on in general elections" Clinton has said she has shown she can withstand conservative attacks .

(CNN) -- Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama on Friday called for an economic plan for working families, saying, "We cannot only have a plan for Wall Street. Sen. Barak Obama speaks at a campaign rally in Coral Gables, Florida, Friday. "We must also help Main Street," he said. While "tough new regulations on financial institutions" are needed, the Illinois senator called for an emergency economic plan for working families. Obama spoke after meeting with his economic advisers in Coral Gables, Florida. Watch Obama call for help for Main Street » Obama on Friday also backed administration and congressional leaders' efforts to develop a "a more stable and permanent solution" to the U.S. financial crisis. Watch Obama talk about how working Americans need help in this economy Obama's statement came after Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox met with congressional leaders to discuss a plan that would allow banks to get rid of bad mortgage-related assets that have been a drag on their balance sheets. "What we're looking at right now is to provide the Treasury and the Federal Reserve with as broad authority as necessary to stabilize markets and maintain credit," Obama said. "We need a more institutional response to create a system that can manage some of the underlying problems with bad mortgages, help homeowners stay in their homes, protect the retirement and savings of working Americans." After meeting with his economic advisors, Obama said his team would not present a detailed economic plan at this time, "given the gravity of this situation, and based on conversations I have had with both Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke." Obama said he would not present his plan until the Treasury and Federal Reserve have presented theirs. "It is critical at this point that the markets and the public have confidence that their work will be unimpeded by partisan wrangling, and that leaders in both parties work in concert to solve the problem at hand," Obama said. Later, Obama held a rally, at the University of Miami, which was disrupted by protesters who held up signs saying "Blacks against Obama" and "Obama endorsed by the KKK." Obama said the protesters could stay and hold up their signs if they stopped shouting, but they were later escorted out after they continued to disrupt the rally. Obama spoke after Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain said Friday morning that he would establish a new agency to deal with the U.S. financial crisis that many experts say is the worst since the Great Depression. Watch McCain blast Washington corruption » That agency, a Mortgage and Financial Institutions trust, would work with the private sector and regulators to identify institutions that are weak and fix them before they go broke. "The underlying principle of the MFI or any approach considered by Congress should be to keep people in their homes and safeguard the life savings of all Americans by protecting our financial system and capital markets," McCain told the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce in Wisconsin. McCain said the agency would be an early intervention program to help financial institutions avoid bankruptcy, expensive bailouts and damage to their customers. Obama, at the rally in Florida, lashed out at McCain's plan. "This morning Sen. McCain gave a speech in which his big solution to this worldwide economic crisis was to blame me for it. "This is a guy who spent nearly three decades in Washington and after spending the entire campaign saying I haven't been in Washington long enough ... he apparently now is willing to assign me responsibility for all of Washington's failure," he said. Wall Street witnessed the federal government take unprecedented steps this week to stabilize the economy, including the takeover of the insurance giant American International Group Inc. in exchange for an $85 billion loan from the Federal Reserve. In his speech, McCain blamed the crisis on "the corruption and manipulation of our home mortgage system" and blasted Congress and the administration for not addressing the problems at the two mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

NEW: Sen. Obama says any recover plan must help workers and homeowners . McCain repeats misleading charge against Obama on taxes . John McCain calls for agency to help weak financial institutions . McCain blasts Barack Obama for not working to fix Freddie Mae, Freddie Mac .

(CNN) -- Despite acknowledgment from the White House a day earlier that a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians is unlikely before a new U.S. president takes office, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday she is confident that ongoing efforts would produce success. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, right, and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speak Thursday. "Carried to its state of conclusion, it will produce a state of Palestine," Rice, referring to negotiations in the wake of last year's U.S. summit on Israel-Palestinian peace in Annapolis, Maryland, said at a joint news conference with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, West Bank. Rice is on her eighth trip to the region since the Annapolis summit. On Thursday, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the Bush administration does not "think that it's likely that it (a peace agreement) would happen before the end of the year." Rice said Friday that she realizes the lack of a peace agreement in the months following the Annapolis summit had caused some concerns that talks had stalled or might fail, but "it's quite the opposite -- the Annapolis process has laid the foundation for the eventual establishment for the state of Palestine." The purpose of her current trip, Rice said, was "to advance the Annapolis process," and while she did not speculate on a timetable for the future of the process or offer specifics on peace talks, she added, "I've seen them move forward a great deal in the past year." Both Israeli and Palestinian officials have expressed doubts about achieving a peace agreement before President Bush leaves office, but until this week U.S. officials had been more optimistic in their public comments. Speaking in Israel on Thursday, Rice blamed part of the inability to secure a deal on recent political changes in Israel, which she noted is "in the midst of elections." With Abbas on Friday, she emphasized that the commitment expressed by Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert when they signed an agreement to work toward a peace deal by the end of 2008 is still strong. "I hope that the tremendous commitment (by both sides) is fully understood," Rice said. While Rice did not discuss any impact a new administration in Washington might have on the process, she said, "The United States really does understand why the Palestinian people want unity." Israel in recent months has seen political upheaval. Olmert resigned in September amid allegations of corruption. Kadima Party leader and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni gave up efforts to form a new coalition government late last month and is seeking to hold early general elections, which could be held in February, Livni's spokesman has said. Olmert will continue to lead as Israel's interim prime minister until a successor assumes power either by forming a coalition in the current Knesset or through general elections. However, it is unclear whether he will be able to strike a deal with the Palestinians before Israel forms its new government. Last month, Rice postponed a trip to a Middle East conference because of the global crisis in financial markets.

Ongoing process will result in Palestinian state, Condoleezza Rice says . Secretary of State Rice meeting with Middle East leaders . Recent political changes in Israel cited as one reason peace deal elusive . Israeli leader has resigned but will stay in office until successor assumes power .

(CNN) -- Despite his personal problems, golfer Tiger Woods received another accolade as he was voted PGA player of the year. Wood was chosen for the award by a vote from other professional golfers. "The recognition by [his] peers is one of the highest compliments a PGA Tour member can receive," PGA Commissioner Timothy Finchem said in a press statement Friday. The statement mentioned the six tournaments Woods won in 2009 but made no mention of the infamous car accident and infidelity scandal that pushed the golfer to take an indefinite hiatus from pro golf. Earlier this week, Woods was also voted "Athlete of the Decade" by the Associated Press. Woods' woes started late in November when he crashed his car outside his Florida mansion. Authorities issued a citation for careless driving, and he was given a $164 fine. Woods was not required to talk to police about the wreck and declined to talk with investigators on several occasions. In the week following the crash, Woods apologized for "transgressions" that let his family down. The same day, US Weekly published a report alleging that Woods had an affair with Jaimee Grubbs, a 24-year-old cocktail waitress. US Weekly's report followed a National Enquirer article before the crash that the athlete was having an affair with New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel, an assertion she vigorously denied, according to The New York Post. After that several other women came forward alleging to have had liaisons with Woods. Last week on his Web site, Woods admitted to infidelity and said he was taking a break from golf to focus on his family.

Tiger Woods voted PGA Player of the Year by his peers . Woods won six tournaments in 2009 . Woods recently announced he would take golf hiatus to focus on family after admitting infidelity .

(CNN) -- Despite the rise of the Web and its freewheeling second-by-second ferment, government efforts at control and censorship remain rife across the Middle East and North Africa, a new report said Thursday. "In the Middle East and North Africa, the Internet has offered many people access to information and the outside world that would have been unimaginable a few years ago," according to the International Press Institute's latest report: the IPI Press Review 2009 Focus on the Middle East and North Africa. "However, government control of the media remains tight in almost all [Middle East and North Africa] countries, and censorship and self-censorship are prevalent throughout the region." The Internet has emerged as a challenge to officialdom and its pronouncements and reaction from activists. Journalists say government efforts to stem the flow of information are futile. Communication on the popular social media sites, where people are attempting to elude the strictures of their governments, is playing a cat-and-mouse game with widespread independent reporting in places like Iran and Egypt. But, said Anthony Mills, managing editor of the World Press Freedom Review based in Vienna, Austria, "Overall, things are getting worse." In Iran, authorities cracked down on journalists after protests surfaced when President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner in the June 12 presidential election, a victory that many in Iran say was fixed. "Dozens of journalists have been detained without trial, and several sentenced to long prison sentences," the report said. "As demonstrators took to the streets, a news blackout was imposed on the foreign media. And yet, through social media networks like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, news of a violent government crackdown seeped out." With the rise of the Internet, censorship efforts have emerged in Iran and other places across the region. Iran "also cracked down on online media following the disputed June elections, and arrested online activists in an effort to stop the spread of dissenting information and opinions," according to the report. Egypt, for example, uses a law designed to combat terror for arresting and detaining bloggers. But Abdul Rahman al-Rashed, general manager of the TV network Al-Arabiya, said the resistance to the flood of Internet information from government and other sectors of society is like trying to stop the Nile River from flowing. They can't halt it. "A lot of information is getting through to the average person, in Cairo, in Jeddah and Dubai. Censorship will not stop the free flow of information, in my opinion," he said. Al-Rashed said the business needs of the telecommunications companies, the integral role the Internet plays in business, and the demand from citizens can't be thwarted. He said there might be remote regions where censorship can work because there isn't access to the Internet in such places. Octavia Nasr, CNN senior editor for the Middle East who monitors social media sites, said young people are boldly circumventing the official media censorship across the Middle East with Twitter, Facebook and alternatives. "People are taking matters into their own hands," Nasr said. "Traditional media is not necessarily a driving force." Azza Matar, translator at the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information in Cairo, Egypt, said governments want the Arab world to use the Internet for fun and not interfere with government and serious issues, but people are circumventing the officials with new media. "We're trying to express ourselves and expose the lies," she said. People from different countries prefer different kinds of new media, she said. As for Iranians, who are gearing up for a day of protests Thursday against the regime on the Islamic Revolution's anniversary, she said Iranians prefer Twitter because it can't be blocked and "is faster than blogs in conveying messages for masses." Neziha Rejiba, vice president of the Tunis-based Observatory for the Freedom of Press, Publishing and Creation and editor at Kalima Radio, said that theoretically, the whole world is getting its information online, but

International Press Institute's latest report notes rise of Web as news tool . Governments seek to control news, sometimes by jailing journalists, report says . News still gets out via Internet, social media, despite governments' efforts .

(CNN) -- Didier Drogba is backing his Ivory Coast team to make history by becoming the first African country to reach the final of the World Cup next year. Drogba is contemplating a big challenge by the Ivory Coast in South Africa. The Chelsea striker scored the decisive goal as the Elephants sealed their place in South Africa with a 1-1 draw against Malawi on Saturday, but he is now looking ahead to the finals with relish. "It is going to be a challenge," the 31-year-old told reporters. "To make it to the final will not be easy because there are great teams like Brazil and Germany who have won the World Cup for many years. "But my teammates and I want to make history and want to change the way the world sees African football. Can an African team win the World Cup next year ? "I hope that we'll be the team that is going to go to the final and win the competition." Ivory Coast have joined Ghana as definite qualifiers from Africa, with three other places up for grabs in the final round of matches in November. Drogba is one of several stars in the Ivorian squad with Champions League experience, including Barcelona's Yaya Toure who is anxious to erase memories of their failure to qualify from the group stages in the 2006 finals in Germany. "At the last World Cup we played really well in Germany, but we were unlucky because we were in a very tough group with Argentina and Holland and so went out in the first round," he said. "But I think with this kind of experience, it will be possible at South Africa 2010 to do much better. Perhaps we can make the quarterfinals and then semifinals, this is something we can achieve." Coach Vahid Halilhodzic is also upbeat after seeing his side fight back from a goal down against Malawi to top African Group E. "We are very proud to participate in the World Cup for the second consecutive time and this time it is going to be better," he added.

Didier Drogba targets World Cup glory with African powerhouses Ivory Coast . Drogba scored crucial goal as Ivory Coast clinched qualification for South Africa . Ivory Coast exited in group stages at the World Cup finals in Germany in 2006 .

(CNN) -- Didier Drogba muscled his way through for a late winner to put Chelsea into the FA Cup final with a 2-1 victory over Arsenal at Wembley on Saturday. A bare-chested Drogba is congratulated by Salomon Kalou after scoring the winner at Wembley. The all-London clash rarely hit the heights on a difficult pitch, but Drogba's 84th minute strike gave Guus Hiddink's men a deserved victory and leaves them in contention for three trophies. Dutchman Hiddink, who took temporary charge of the Blues in February and has lost only one match, said Drogba had proved his worth again. "He is proving already he is so dangerous, very strong and physically fit," he told Press Association. "We respect each other very much but also challenge each other without thinking this is a big name." Arsenal went ahead in the 18th minute as Theo Walcott's volley deflected past Petr Cech, but Florent Malouda equalized for Chelsea just after the half hour mark. Chelsea looked the stronger against an Arsenal team missing key defenders and goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and it came as no surprise when Ivory Coast star Drogba scored a typical winner. He latched on to Frank Lampard's hopeful volleyed through ball, shrugged off Mikael Silvestre before rounding Lukasz Fabianksi to roll the ball into an empty net. Ivory Coast international Drogba scored the winning goal against Manchester United in the 2007 FA Cup final and may get the chance to repeat the trick. Quintuple chasing United play Everton in the second semifinal, also at Wembley, on Sunday. Chelsea, who are a still challenging third in the Premier League and semifinals of the Champions League, showed their character after falling behind to Walcott's strike. The England international winger connected with a chipped cross from Kieran Gibbs and his effort took a cruel deflection off Ashley Cole's arm to beat Cech. Arsenal had made a fine start, but without injured central defender William Gallas and with Fabianski showing a lack of authority in goal, Chelsea came back strongly into the game. Malouda went close with a cross shot which eluded Fabianski, but he was not be denied soon afterwards as picked out by Lampard he cut inside Emmanuel Eboue and beat Fabianski at his near post. More slack defending from Denilson allowed Nicolas Anelka time to shoot and his shot hit the post with Fabianski beaten. Walcott looked occasionally dangerous on the flank and twice sent in crosses which might have been converted, but Chelsea looked the more threatening and the teams were spared extra time when Drogba powered through to score. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was left to rue their defensive errors and the performance of his 20-year-old Polish goalkeeper. "He's a great goalkeeper but it was not his greatest day," Wenger said. "Inexperience, yes. It was a game when any mistake could be costly."

Didier Droba winner ends Arsenal's long unbeaten run and puts Chelsea in final . Theo Walcott put Arsenal ahead before Florent Malouda equalized . Manchester United and Everton play in second FA Cup semifinal on Sunday .

(CNN) -- Diego Forlan scored a dramatic extra time winner as Atletico Madrid beat Fulham 2-1 in Hamburg to win the Europa League final on Wednesday night. It was the second of the match for Forlan, who had put Atletico ahead after 32 minutes with Simon Davies equalizing for the English Premier League side six minutes later. Atletico created the better chances in normal and added time with Sergio Aguero a constant threat and it was the Argentine star who set up the winner for his strike partner with four minutes remaining in the second period of extra time. He found space on the left of the Fulham defense and his low cross was diverted past Mark Schwarzer by Forlan's clever touch which took a slight deflection off Brede Hangeland. Fulham, who had upset the odds more than once to reach the final, could not force a second equalizer and it was Atletico, so often in the shadow of their city neighbors Real, who were left to celebrate their second major European club trophy after a gap of 48 years. Fulham manager Roy Hodgson took a chance on the fitness of star striker Bobby Zamora, who is struggling with an Achilles injury that has ended his England World Cup hopes. But it was Atletico who had the best of the early skirmishes and Forlan saw an effort thud against a post. But he was on target just after the half hour mark as an Agueuro scuffed effort fell into his path and he beat Schwarzer to open the scoring. Zamora was clearly less than fully fit, but his burst caused chaos in the Spanish defense and when Zoltan Gera crossed from the right a slight deflection saw the ball fall perfectly into the path of Davies, who volleyed home. Uruguay star Forlan pulled a fine save out of Australian international Schwarzer before halftime but the other side of the break saw Davies nearly add to his tally. Zamora went off to give way to Clint Dempsey and both sides had promising attacking moments as players tired. In extra time, Atletico again looked the more threatening and when Raul Garcia cut the ball into the path of Aguero he looked certain to score but put his effort into the side netting. Penalties loomed until Aguero did superbly to keep control of the ball down the left and his cross found Forlan the more alert to end Fulham's dream.

Diego Forlan scores both goals as Atletico Madrid beat Fulham 2-1 in Europa League final . Simon Davies leveled Forlan's first half strike but he struck again in extra time . Atletico were winning European club trophy for the first time in their history .

(CNN) -- Donald Trump visited "Larry King Live" on Wednesday night to tout his new book, "Think Like a Champion." In a wide-ranging interview, Trump shared his thoughts on how to prosper in this economy, Bernie Madoff, how President Obama is doing, taxes and his daughter's love life. On CNN's "Larry King Live" Wednesday night, Donald Trump said it's a great time for entrepreneurs. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity: Larry King: Why this book? Donald Trump: A lot of people wanted me to do a book right now about these troubled times that we're all in. And it's been sort of interesting. They're great times, as an entrepreneur. I don't think I've ever seen better times as an entrepreneur. But the world is a mess, and the country is a mess. King: Why [is it a] good time for an entrepreneur and not necessarily for others? Trump: Well, this is a time for smart people. This is a time for entrepreneurial people. This is a great time for people like me -- and maybe people like you, Larry, because I know you're a great investor. ... Weren't you involved with [Bernie] Madoff? King: A little bit, yes. You weren't, huh? How did you resist him? Trump: Honestly, I got lucky. He might have duped me like he did a lot of other people. He is a disaster. But now he's where he belongs. King: With troubled times like this for the average guy, is this the time to think like a champion? Watch Larry King's entire interview with Donald Trump » Trump: This is the best time to think like a champion. As an example, the house is being foreclosed. You go see your bank -- maybe you can make a deal, maybe you can't. But you can make a deal with a bank on another house, and much better than the one you're living in. ... They'll do any deal to get rid of their product. They have houses by the thousands. And you go see that bank and you make a deal. King: How do you assess [Barack Obama]? Trump: Well, I really like him. I think that he's working very hard. He's trying to rebuild our reputation throughout the world. The previous administration was a total disaster, a total catastrophe. And, you know, the world looks at us differently than they used to. ... He was handed a pretty bad deck of cards. And I'm not saying I agree with everything he's doing. ... I do agree with what they're doing with the banks. Whether they fund them or nationalize them, it doesn't matter, but you have to keep the banks going. King: Do you assess him as a champion? Trump: Oh, yes, he's a champion. I mean, he won against all odds. When he first announced, people were giving him virtually no chance. And he's just done something that's amazing. King: Is fear harmful in this [economic] situation, Donald, or is it realistic? Trump: Well, I think it's realistic. People are afraid. They're scared. They're losing their jobs. They're losing their homes. And certainly there is a word known as fear, and there's nothing wrong with being fearful. But you have to do something about it. And that's what I write about in the book. You go out. You go to the right place, where there's better employment. You get a trade where they really need people. King: Have you had to lay off people? Because it seems everyone has had to do that. Trump: It's a sad thing, but whether it's "The Apprentice" or not, the fact is you

Trump advises to take advantage of low prices, get seller to do the financing . Trump: Obama rebuilding U.S. reputation; previous administration was a disaster . He's mad about possible higher taxes in New York, says he could move to Florida . Trump likes the guy his daughter is dating, but she's not engaged .

(CNN) -- Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa denied Saturday that a Colombian guerrilla group donated money to his 2006 presidential campaign, asking his country's civil commission to investigate the allegation. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, as pictured in June, says a probe into FARC's claims will clear his name. Colombian media broadcast a 2008 video Friday in which guerrilla leader Víctor Julio Suarez Rojas, better known as Mono Jojoy, said the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia donated money to Correa's campaign. The guerrilla group, known by its Spanish acronym FARC, also has had conversations with Correa's emissaries and has reached "some accords, according to documents that we have," Suarez said in a videotape. Correa denied the allegations and said he wants the nation's civil commission to see "if the Ecuadorian government, if the Alianza PAIS [political party] has received 20 cents from any foreign group, not just from the FARC." The leftist president said that during the campaign, some opponents accused him of receiving money from leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, from drug cartels and from the FARC. "They just don't know what else to say," Correa said. "It is up to you to decide who to believe: the same people as usual or those who endanger their lives to save the country."

President Rafael Correa strongly denies Colombian guerrilla group's claims . Correa calls for investigation to prove FARC did not donate to his 2006 campaign . Leader of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) makes claims in video . Correa: Probe will find if he "received 20 cents from any foreign group, not just FARC"

(CNN) -- Eight people were arrested Tuesday, one on a charge of murder, in connection with the fatal shooting of a woman at a remote Louisiana campsite during what police say was an initiation ceremony for the Ku Klux Klan. Chuck Foster is charged with second-degree murder in the woman's death. The woman, whose identity has not been confirmed, was recruited over the Internet to join the Klan by the suspects, said Capt. George Bonnett of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office. The woman traveled from Oklahoma to Louisiana for the ceremony and was taken to a campsite near Sun, Louisiana, about 60 miles north of New Orleans. On Sunday, the woman asked to be taken from the camp to a nearby town. An argument ensued, and the woman was fatally shot by the group's leader, Bonnett said. Some of the suspects then tried to conceal the killing by burning the woman's personal items, he said. Police received a tip about the killing and found the woman's body hidden under loose brush alongside a road, Bonnett said. The suspects, most of whom were still in the woods near the campsite several miles from where the body was found, were taken into custody without incident, he said. The group's leader, identified as Chuck Foster, 44, was charged with second-degree murder. The others were charged with lesser crimes related to trying to conceal the killing, Bonnett said. Authorities found weapons, several flags and six Klan uniforms in the area, he said. Bonnett said he has not seen any Klan activity in the area in three years he has worked there. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there were seven active Klan organizations in Louisiana in 2007, the last time the civil rights law firm tracked hate groups. None of these organizations was in the Sun area. CNN's Marylynn Ryan contributed to this report.

Suspects recruited Oklahoma woman to join Klan, Louisiana police say . She was shot after demanding to be taken to nearby town, authorities say . Eight suspects are accused of trying to cover up killing . One man is charged with second-degree murder .

(CNN) -- Elvis Presley may have left the building three decades ago, but he raked in more money last year than many living titans of the music industry Singer Elvis Presley tops the Forbes list for the second year in a row, raking in $52 million last year. For the second year in a row, Presley topped the Forbes magazine's list of Top-Earning Dead Celebrities, hauling in $52 million last year. In comparison, the very-much-alive Justin Timberlake earned $44 million while another superstar, Madonna, made $40 million, the magazine reported Tuesday. The 30th anniversary of Presley's death boosted attendance and merchandise sales last year at his Memphis, Tennessee, home, Graceland. A long list of licensing deals, such as a Presley show on satellite radio, added to the earnings. The business magazine has been compiling its annual list of departed celebrities' earnings since 2001. Since 2003, the feature has coincided with Halloween. This year, the top 13 celebrities earned a combined $194 million in the last 12 months. The magazine says it talked to people inside the celebrities' estates and calculated their gross earnings from October 2007 to October 2008. Some celebrities are staples on the list, which is in its eighth year. Cartoonist Charles Schulz, who created Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the assorted cast of "Peanuts" characters, is second on the list. Schulz, who died in 2000, had posthumous earnings last year of $33 million, the magazine reported. He owes his constant presence to a steady revenue stream from the ongoing licensing of his characters, the magazine said. Schulz and Presley join Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel (this year's No. 6), Beatles legend John Lennon (No. 7) and actress Marilyn Monroe (No. 9) as the only entertainers to make the list every year since its inception. Physicist Albert Einstein, best known for his theory of relativity, is fourth on the list. It is his third consecutive year making the Forbes rankings. Though he died in 1955, a franchise bearing his name -- Baby Einstein -- made big bucks last year selling educational books, DVDs, CDs, toys and other products. It plans to expand into the young-adult market this year. Australian actor Heath Ledger, who died of an overdose in January, made his debut on the list in third place. The magazine estimated his earnings at $20 million, thanks to the success of the movie, "The Dark Knight," in which Ledger played the Joker. The movie grossed $991 million worldwide. Paul Newman, who died of lung cancer last month, also made his first appearance on the list, raking in $5 million. "His income still largely stems from residuals from his classic pictures, as well as more recent productions," the magazine said. The legendary actor's line of natural and organic food products, Newman's Own, earned revenues of $120 million last year, but the earnings were not considered in the tally because Newman donated all profits to charity while he was living, the magazine said. Several entertainers from last year's list failed to make this year's cut, including composer, producer and Beatles guitarist George Harrison, rapper/actor Tupac Shakur, "Godfather of Soul" James Brown, and reggae legend Bob Marley.

Presley earned more than Justin Timberlake ($44M), Madonna ($40M) last year . Cartoonist Charles Schulz, author Dr. Seuss still relevant among children . Beatles' John Lennon comes in at No. 7, but George Harrison drops off list . Heath Ledger debuts on list thanks to performance as Joker in "The Dark Knight"

(CNN) -- Emergency teams on Sunday were assessing damage from deadly storms that devastated parts of Missouri, Kentucky and West Virginia this weekend -- even as the threat of more severe weather continued. West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin tours Mingo County to assess damage caused by extensive rain and flooding. The storm that tore through Madison County, Kentucky, on Friday was a category EF-3 tornado, the National Weather Service said Sunday. An EF-3 is the third-strongest category of tornado, with winds of 136 to 165 mph, strong enough to destroy large buildings and lift cars off the ground. At least one person was killed by that storm, with several other serious injuries. A waste water treatment plant was destroyed, two fire departments sustained major roof damage and some manufacturing facilities were damaged, local authorities said. Three people were killed in southern Missouri during high winds, thunderstorms and flash floods. A couple was killed when a tree fell on their car on a highway near Poplar Bluff. A man died of a heart attack near Springfield when winds tossed him and his wife into an open field, officials said. A weekend of storming in West Virginia destroyed as many as 400 buildings and severely damaged an additional 1,000, said Rob Jelacic of the West Virginia Office of Emergency Services. "We are in recovery mode," Jelacic said Sunday. There were no known deaths in West Virginia from the storms. After the storms came floods. On Sunday, parts of the Meramec and Big rivers were rising feet above flood levels, causing residents already hit by the storms to seek higher ground. Forecasters expected the Meramec to crest Monday 4 to 8 feet above flood state in St. Louis County. The big river was expected to crest a half-foot higher on Monday than it did Sunday.

Tornado hits Kentucky with 136 to 165 mph winds, kills one . Three killed in southern Missouri during high winds, thunderstorms, flash floods . Man dies of a heart attack after winds tossed him and his wife into an open field . Storm in West Virginia destroys 400 buildings, severely damaged an 1,000 .

(CNN) -- England international footballer Steven Gerrard was found not guilty of affray by a court in his home city on Friday. England international Steven Gerrard was cleared by a court in Liverpool of affray. The jury at Liverpool Crown Court took a little over an hour to clear Gerrard of charges relating to a fracas in a nightclub bar in the north-western of England city on December 29 of last year. They accepted the Liverpool captain's version that he acted in self defense in punching businessman Marcus McGhee. The 29-year-old was the only one of the seven defendants in the case to be cleared after an incident which was described by judge Henry Globe as an "explosion of violence." Gerrard spoke of his relief outside the court. "Can I just say how pleased I am with today's verdict," he said. "I'm glad to put this case behind me and I am really looking forward to the season ahead and concentrating on my football now. "I would just like to say a big thank you to my legal team and to my friends and family and everyone at Liverpool football club for supporting me." His comments were met with a round of applause from a large group of fans of the Premier League club who had gathered outside the court, before he was ushered away. Gerrard was celebrating in the Lounge Inn in Southport, a suburb of Liverpool, after scoring twice his team's 5-1 win at Newcastle which took them to the top of the Premier League. Video footage, which was available to the court, showed the moment around 2.am in the morning when trouble flared. Gerrard apparently wanted to change the music on the CD player and the 34-year-old McGee said the football star had acted aggressively in trying to grab the device. In the fracas which followed, Gerrard admitted throwing three punches but said only one connected. He claimed, and his version was accepted by the jury, that he believed he was about to be attacked himself. "You did not start the violence, it was started by the violent elbowing of Marcus McGee in the face by one of your friends, John Doran," Globe said. "The victim's consequential actions of reeling backwards and then forwards and your actions in response to that movement forward has to be seen against that background," he added. Five other men have already pleaded guilty to affray and another admitted a lesser charge of threatening behavior. They will be sentenced at a later date.

England football star Steven Gerrard cleared of affray charge by Liverpool court . Gerrard admitted punching 34-year-old businessman Marcus McGhee . Jury accepted his version that he acted in self defense in nightclub brawl .

(CNN) -- English Premier League Fulham produced a superb performance in Switzerland on Wednesday to eliminate opponents Basel from the Europa League with a 3-2 victory. Roy Hodgson's men went into the away game needing victory to leapfrog their opponents and join Group E winners AS Roma in the last 32 of Europe's second-tier club competition. Fulham were led by striker Bobby Zamora, who capped a recent scoring spree with two goals just before halftime. Basel hit back with a disputed penalty before Zoltan Gera put Fulham 3-1 ahead with a neat finish. But a Marco Streller 87th minute strike for the home side set up a nervous finish for the visitors, who survived to reach the knockout stages. Roma beat CSKA Sofia in the group's other match with Alessandro Cerci scornig twice. In Group F, French star Djibril Cisse scored a late double as Panathinaikos booked their passage with a 3-0 home win over Dinamo Bucharest. Ante Rukavina set the Greek giants on their way to the last 32 with a 55th-minute strike. Turkish side Galatasaray won the group but lost 1-0 to Austria's Sturm Graz, who scored through Daniel Beichler. In Group D, Bundesliga Hertha Berlin beat Sporting Lisbon of Portugal 1-0 through Gojko Kacar's second half strike. It meant Dutch side Heerenveen were eliminated despite a 5-0 home victory over FK Ventspils. Second-half goals from Gerard Sibon, who scored twice, Mika Vayrynen, Viktor Elm and Darryl Janmaat gave Heerenveen victory, but Hertha's win spoiled their celebrations. Sporting were already through as group winners. Last season's UEFA Cup finalists Werder Bremen beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 to top Group L, with both guaranteed their spots in Friday's draw. Bremen netted three times in the opening 36 minutes through Claudio Pizarro, Naldo and Markus Rosenberg to complete a comfortable win.

Fulham reach last 32 of Europa League at the expense of Basel with 3-2 win in Switzerland . Greek giants Panathinaikos book place in knockout stage with 3-0 win over Dinamo Bucharest . Hertha Berlin go through with 1-0 win over group winners Sporting Lisbon . Fellow Bundesliga side Werder Bremen top Goup L after 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao .

(CNN) -- Everything will glow -- the balloons, the table cloths, the blue martinis and the party favors. The red carpet will turn blue. Even the female impersonators will be painted -- you guessed it -- blue. The first 50 guests will be given bright blue boas. There will be seven high-definition projection screens, and the winner of the trivia competition will win a massive, crystal-bedazzled Hpnotiq bottle. All-in-all, Edward Gisiger says, it's going to be one great Oscar party. Gisiger is the owner of the Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club in Chicago, Illinois. Every year the Kit Kat throws an elaborate themed party on Oscar night. This year they've chosen to transform the club into "The Land of Avatar," complete with Kit Kat diva Aurora Sexton playing the role of warrior princess Neytiri. "This is one of the best years of Hollywood ever because of 'Avatar,' so there's a real reason to celebrate," Gisiger said. With 10 best picture nominees, there are plenty of themes to choose from. But planning that party can be stressful and time consuming. CNN talked to Gisiger and other party-throwers to provide dos and don'ts for an award-worthy night. Don't wait until Sunday Mary Johnson and her friend Carolyn Mueller in Dayton, Ohio, held a "Julie & Julia" dinner party in December. The pair started prepping their individual ingredients on Tuesday, met on Wednesday to combine portions and baked early on Thursday to get all the dishes ready for Thursday night. "Prepare as much of the food ahead of time so you can enjoy the party," Johnson recommends. "You also don't want to try new recipes out on a party. Choose recipes you feel comfortable with." First season "Top Chef" host and cookbook writer Katie Lee offers the same advice. "It is important to be able to enjoy your party just as much as your guests. Don't keep yourself too occupied in the kitchen so you can join in on the fun. Put out a food and drink buffet to make it easier to serve." Do make it interactive Johnson and Mueller dressed up in old-school aprons, chef hats and pearls. Gisiger says this is a great way to get guests involved in the theme, especially if you offer them prizes for being creative. Lee recommends creating ballot games and trivia to entertain guests in between watching category announcements at the Academy Awards show. Do set the mood Although Gisiger's budget may be a bit bigger than yours, his club's glowing blue atmosphere should inspire you. "I think there are so many things you can do from home. It's just a way of being creative and making it different from others,'" the club owner said. Gisiger suggests having a signature drink that follows the theme of the party, similar to his "Avatar Princess" martini made with vodka, Cognac and pineapple juice -- with a glow stick, of course. Stacy Suzuki attended another "Julie & Julia" party in Hawaii where the host had guests bring a dish from Julia Child's cookbook. The recipes were on display and the dining table was set with lines from France. A French cooking DVD played in the background. "A part-French poodle was running around the house wearing a doggie t-shirt made in Paris," she said. Lee, also the Moet & Chandon spokeswoman, said you can offer your guests the same cocktail the stars are drinking on the red carpet and at the Governor's Ball -- Moet Golden Glamour. Or bring the fashion world to your party by making it black tie optional and place digital cameras around the room to capture paparazzi shots, Lee suggested. Whatever you do, "don't keep the glamour to a minimum." Don't have guests leave empty-handed Suzuki's host created a full menu using all of Julia Child's recipes. When the guests left, the host had copies of the recipes available to take home

With 10 best picture nominees, it's easy to pick a great theme for an Oscar party . Experts say not to wait until the last minute to prepare food or you'll miss the fun . Set the mood with decorations, props and costumes, party hosts suggest .

(CNN) -- Facing near-record floodwaters, Red River communities in Minnesota and North Dakota raced Tuesday to shore up levees and dikes, officials said. "We're in the full flood fight mode here," Fargo, North Dakota, City Administrator Pat Zavoral said. Last week, warm weather and rain melted snow south of Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota, causing the Red River to swell as it flows north. Upstream, snow and ice have yet to melt, pushing water back toward the two cities. Forecasters predict the river will crest Saturday about 20 feet above flood stage. Last year, the river rose to a record 40.8 feet at Fargo. "We have every contractor we have in the area on a 24-hour shift, preparing dikes, hauling dirt, delivering sandbags," Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker said. "We have never lost a flood fight here in Fargo," he said. "We're going to be optimistic about this for the rest of the week, that we're going to be able to save our community one more time." Volunteers have answered the call to fill 1 million sandbags this week, Zavoral said. "We're putting up temporary clay levees, and we've produced sandbags, and we're delivering them to the low-lying neighborhoods," he said. Early Tuesday, the river level stood at 27.6 feet, according to the National Weather Service. Flood stage is 18 feet, according to the service. "We thought we had a couple more weeks, and with the weather and the quick thaw and the rains we've had recently, it's really made it more difficult and it's really sped up the crest," Fargo police Sgt. Carlos Nestler said. Residents in Fargo and Moorhead are busy building sandbag dikes along the river's edge. Fargo's Kurt Kaye is doing what he did last year, helping friends protect their home from the rising Red River, which runs through their backyard. Like most residents, he said he's resolved to keep the water at bay. "I think everyone is a little tired of it, but they'll get behind it and go," he said. "They need to get it done to save their houses." Zavoral, the city administrator, said Fargo is better prepared this year to deal with a major flood. "We've spent about $10 million putting in permanent flood protection in some of the neighborhoods and bought out about 26 homes in the low-lying areas," he said. City officials have said they believe they'll need about 1 million fewer sandbags than were used last year. Is severe weather happening near you? Share your stories, photos and video Meanwhile, along the Eastern Seaboard, flooding fears eased as a powerful nor'easter pushed into the Atlantic Ocean, though scattered flood warnings were in place from the mid-Atlantic states to Maine. Thousands of customers remained without power in the Northeast after rain and hurricane-force winds whipped the region over the weekend. At least seven deaths were attributed to the storm, five caused by falling trees, authorities said. See a tree on a house in New Jersey Two people died in New Jersey. Authorities from Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and West Virginia said they each had one storm-related death. See photos of storm damage in Connecticut The outages were caused mostly by power lines downed by Saturday's winds, which knocked over trees and utility poles. Winds reached 75 mph at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport -- as strong as a Category 1 hurricane. CNN's Steve Kastenbaum contributed to this report.

Fargo, North Dakota, prepares as Red River rises quickly . Forecasters predict river will crest Saturday about 20 feet above flood stage . At least seven deaths attributed to powerful nor'easter along Eastern Seaboard . Thousands still without power after storm in Northeast .

(CNN) -- Fans around the world have gathered at arenas and record stores, big screens, parks and makeshift shrines, to watch the memorial service of Michael Jackson and pay homage to their idol. A Michael Jackson fan in Berlin watches footage of the memorial concert. As thousands of fans joined Jackson's family and closest friends at Los Angeles Staples Center arena, millions more followed proceedings on television and online. In Germany, at least 8,000 Jackson fans watched events in Los Angeles unfold at a Trauerfeier," (translated as Sadness Party) at Berlin's O2 World arena, reported CNN's Frederik Pleitgen. Fans began arriving at least three hours before the event was due to begin, Pleitgen said. "He [Jackson] connects races, religions and ages," said one fan, "his music connects the world." Many fans were moved to tears when Jackson's daughter Paris Katherine wept as she called the singer "the best father you could ever imagine." Pleitgen added: "A lot of people got very wet eyes." Watch fans gather in Berlin » South African former president Nelson Mandela paid his respects to Jackson in a statement read to the audience at the Los Angeles memorial by singer Smokey Robinson. Watch Smokey Robinson deliver Mandela's message. » "Michael became close to us after he started visiting and performing in South Africa regularly. We grew fond of him and he became a close member of our family. We had great admiration for his talent and that he was able to triumph over tragedy on so many occasions in his life," Mandela said. "We mourn with the millions of families worldwide." In the southern Chinese enclave of Hong Kong, fans carried flowers and Jackson paraphernalia, such as a doll and record, at a memorial. Watch Jackson tributes pour in from around the world » "I cannot accept MJ has already left us, and I think we should come here and do something for him and express our feeling to show that we really miss him," said one man. Hundreds of British fans in London braved torrential rain to watch a giant screen outside the city's O2 Arena, where Jackson was scheduled to play a series of 50 concerts from July 13. Many more fans are expected to converge on the venue next Monday to mark what would have been the first of his concert dates. See images of Jackson fans from around the globe » "I am still in denial," said Jenny Keme, 21. "We're going to stay here to the end of the ceremony even though it's pouring. He had such a gentle soul, that's what I love most about him." Celeste Dixon, 28, added: "He is the King of Pop, not was. No one will ever be worthy of him, he is bigger than life. Without Michael Jackson breaking barriers, Barack Obama would never have made it." Elsewhere in London the cast of musical "Thriller- Live" paid their own tribute during the evening performance at the Lyric Theatre, with cast, crew and audience observing a minute's silence. "Many of them were in tears during it," reported CNN's Phil Black. The theater has become a shrine to Jackson, with devoted followers holding vigils and leaving cards and messages at the building's entrance. In Japan, meanwhile, hundreds of fans gathered at a Tower Records store -- where Jackson twice visited -- in Tokyo to watch his videos on a big screen. Followers were even offered the chance to take a photograph next to a cast of a footprint left by Jackson when he last visited. Watch fans gather in Tokyo » In a bar in New Delhi, the Jackson memorial gathering was small -- only a dozen or so people. On the wall of the bar that usually only plays hard rock, Jackson's music was blasting, candles were lit underneath two framed pictures of Jackson and customers had written messages saying goodbye. The bar manager said: "We all grew up with Michael Jackson. Other generations had The Beatles,

"Sadness Party" held in Berlin, where fans follow service live from Los Angeles . In London, Jackson fans brave torrential downpours and hail to pay tribute . In Japan fans gathered at record store, have photo taken next to cast of footprint . Online fans pay tribute to King of Pop, comment as service progresses .

(CNN) -- Far too many passengers are being stranded on board commercial flights in the United States in delays, an air passengers' rights group said Wednesday. Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Continental Airlines, and US Airways received an overall grade of "F" on the air travel consumer report card. FlyersRights.org, in issuing what it calls an air travel consumer report card, said there were more than 1,200 tarmac strandings -- in which passengers are locked in planes on the runways -- in 2008. Delta Air Lines had the greatest number of tarmac delays longer than three hours. Southwest Airlines was rated the best for handling delays by letting customers get off delayed planes, as well as providing food, water and other items. The longest delay the organization found was a January 2008 Delta flight from Atlanta, Georgia, to Florida, in which passengers waited on the tarmac for more than 10 hours without food and water. "Too many Americans have been locked inside sealed airplanes, trapped in tubes on the tarmac, for three hours or more," said FlyersRights.org Executive Director Kate Hanni. "It's time for Congress to give airline passengers the legal right to get off planes stuck on the ground for three hours or more." Hanni -- who has been lobbying for an airline passengers' bill of rights -- also said America's economic situation has exacerbated the problems consumers face on the airlines because of layoffs. "Airlines are trying to maintain or increase their profit margins," she said. "They have decreased all of their goods and services related to flying." She added that a timely flight is "not just a matter of passenger convenience, it's a matter of public safety." "I wonder if heroic Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger and his crew could have performed as they did after seven, nine or even 12 hours on the tarmac?" Hanni asked, making a reference to the US Airways crew that made an emergency landing in New York's Hudson River in January. Hanni started her organization after she was stranded on the tarmac on an American Airlines flight in Austin, Texas, for more than nine hours in December 2006. Mark Mogel, the group's research director, said FlyersRights.org has about 24,000 members, many of whom donate money, services and lobbying help. The report card is based on government statistics, press reports, airline Web site data, reports on the group's hotline, and eyewitness accounts from January to December of 2008. It surveyed 17 airlines for various kinds of tarmac delays, their menu and contracts of carriage and customer service commitments and issued grades for these separate factors and an overall grade. As for the menu, Mogel specified that the menu grade is based on quantity, not quality. The survey was looking to see whether there would be food on board during a tarmac delay. Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Continental Airlines, and US Airways received an overall grade of "F" and American Airlines received an overall grade of "D." United Airlines, Airtran and American Eagle got a "C." Alaska Airlines, Northwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines got a "B," and Southwest received an "A." Five other airlines -- Atlantic Southeast, Comair, ExpressJet, Mesa and Pinnacle -- didn't get an overall grade because some categories couldn't be completed. "The fact that some airlines have received A's and B's and others D's and F's on this report card also shows that providing decent customer service and avoidance of strandings is both achievable and should not place an undue burden on the airline industry or lead to higher ticket prices," the report's executive summary said. CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report.

FlyersRights.org graded airlines for tarmac strandings, menu, customer service . Delta Air Lines had the most tarmac delays lasting longer than three hours . Delta, JetBlue, Continental, and US Air got overall grades of 'F' Southwest Airlines got an overall 'A'

(CNN) -- Federal investigators are concerned a potential danger persists because of the simultaneous use of intersecting runways at Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the nation's busiest and a gateway to the New York metro area. The alert comes after repeated instances in which planes above the Newark airport flew too close to each other in violation of safety standards. There were four such instances last year and at least four this year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation inspector general. In one case, on January 16, 2008, two Continental planes -- a Boeing B-737 and an Embraer 145 -- missed each other by 600 feet, according to a DOT inspector general's report. "That was very scary. I was there for that one personally in the control tower, and it scared the heck out of everybody up there," said Ray Adams, a Newark air traffic controller. Potential danger arises when approaching planes need to abort their landings, which happens about every 700 flights at Newark, according to a Federal Aviation Administration analysis. In what the FAA calls "go-arounds," the diverted plane approaching Newark has to make a sharp right turn through the flight path of planes landing and taking off from an intersecting runway, allowing little margin for error. "There was a distinct possibility that we could have had a collision with these operations," Adams said. Adams said he raised the safety issue to the FAA but got nowhere. He persisted, taking his complaint to New Jersey's congressional delegation, which organized two meetings last year with FAA officials. In response, Adams said, he was punished, put on paid leave for 11 months, then leave without pay for a month. The FAA said the disciplinary actions had nothing to do with Adams' safety complaints. Adams filed a whistle-blower complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, the agency that investigates whistle-blower complaints. Adams' complaint led DOT Inspector General Calvin Scovel to investigate. Scovel found merit in Adams' concerns, concluding in a report two months ago that "questions about the safety of the runway 22L-11 approach configuration at Newark persist." In response, the FAA promised to use a computer program that helps air traffic controllers stagger aircraft to ensure proper spacing. On November 5, the DOT wrote to the Office of Special Counsel confirming the computer system had been put to use at Newark on October 26. The next day the Office of Special Counsel learned the technology was no longer in use at Newark. "I am outraged," said Rep. Donald Payne, D-New Jersey. "When you put into jeopardy the human lives at risk, it can't get any more serious than that." FAA spokesperson Laura Brown said, "There was no intent to deceive anyone about what we were doing." She added, "FAA safety officers wanted to make absolutely sure employees were fully trained on the equipment." The FAA said it intends to have the computer system fully operational at Newark by mid-December. Last week the Office of Special Counsel raised the matter with President Obama, writing that "we found a substantial likelihood that FAA officials were engaging in conduct that constitutes gross mismanagement and a substantial and specific danger to public safety." Meanwhile, after a year out of the control tower, Adams returned to his regular job Wednesday at Newark air traffic control.

Concerns cited about potential danger of using intersecting runways at Newark . DOT inspector general: Planes above airport flew too close to each other repeatedly . Air traffic controller says he was punished for raising safety issue with FAA . FAA: Computer system that helps controllers stagger aircraft to be in use in December .

(CNN) -- Fifteen employees were fired for improperly accessing medical records of Nadya Suleman, the mother of octuplets, a Kaiser Permanente spokesman said Monday. Nadya Suleman has been the subject of much curiosity since she gave birth to octuplets. "We always provide training on the importance of patient privacy and confidentiality," said Jim Anderson, the hospital spokesman. "We knew from the time she (Nadya Suleman) was admitted to the hospital in December, this case would attract attention. "Numerous training sessions were held to remind people of the need to keep the information confidential." Eight other employees of the Bellflower, California hospital were disciplined for accessing Suleman's files, Anderson said. Anderson said there's no indication that any of the information was distributed outside the hospital to the media. Suleman, a resident La Habra, California, and already a single mother with six young children, gave birth to the octuplets through in-vitro fertilization, fueling controversy. News of her collecting public assistance for some of her children also outraged many taxpayers.

Eight other employees disciplined for accessing Nadya Suleman's files . Kaiser Permanente says training was given emphasizing privacy issues . Spokesman: There's no indication any information was distributed outside hospital . Suleman was mother of six when she gave birth to octuplets .

(CNN) -- Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao says he wants one final bout as a professional and it looks set to be an eagerly-awaited match-up against Floyd Mayweather Jr. later this year. National hero Pacquiao will enter the Philippine parliament after winning a seat in this week's elections, but has one more ambition to fulfil in the ring. "Many fans really want me to fight Floyd Mayweather so I asked my Mama if we can give them one more fight, she said okay," AFP quoted Pacquiao in an interview with broadcaster ABS-CBN. "We spoke yesterday and she said just one last fight, Mayweather." "Pacman" is rated by Ring magazine as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter on the planet after winning an unprecedented seven world titles at different weight divisions. Mayweather is unbeaten in 41 fights and is a huge draw at the box office, earning the nickname "Money" in amassing a fortune on his way to nine world titles in five different weight classes. The two were due to fight earlier this year, but negotiations ended acrimoniously with Pacquiao angered by the insistence of the Mayweather camp for Olympic style pre-fight drugs tests. It appeared to remain a major sticking point, along with Pacquiao's political ambitions and the influence of his mother Dionisia, who reportedly wants her son to retire from the ring. But with leading American promoter Bob Arum pulling the strings, visiting the Philippines to watch Pacquiao campaign for the election, the fight all boxing fans want to see could now be on. The Manila Standard newspaper reported that the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, where Pacquiao had his last fight against Joshua Clottey and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where Mayweather was last in action, had both been booked for November 13.

Manny Pacquiao hints at final professional bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Pacquiao was speaking after winning a seat in the Filipino national parliament . Bout against Mayweather would amass huge sums in box office revenue .

(CNN) -- Five people were killed and 10 critically injured Saturday when a minivan crashed on I-10 near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, state police said. Fifteen people were in the minivan, said Trooper Russell Graham, and only two were wearing seat belts. Among the dead were children as young as 3 years old, he said. "The minivan blew out a tire and the driver lost control," Graham said. The vehicle "sideswiped a box truck and then ran off the road into the left median, overturned multiple times and finally came to rest upright on the eastbound side of I-10," Graham said. The one person in the truck was not injured. The accident shut down I-10 in both directions shortly after 12:15 p.m. (1:15 p.m. ET); one lane in each direction was opened about two hours later. Alcohol and drugs were not suspected factors in the crash, but blood was drawn from the driver -- one of the fatalities -- to confirm, Graham said. The accident came soon after the Louisiana Legislature passed a law requiring riders in every seat to be buckled up. "This is an example of why we implemented that law," Graham said. "It's very frustrating for us to come out here and see children dead," he said.

State police: 15 people were in the minivan, only two in seatbelts . Crash occurred after minivan blew a tire, trooper says . Crash near Baton Rouge shut down I-10 in both directions for about two hours .

(CNN) -- Five people were killed in a boating accident near Jacksonville, Florida, on Sunday evening, a rescue official said. CNN affiliate WJXT shows the scene of the deadly boating accident near Jacksonville, Florida, on Sunday. Twelve people were aboard the boat that crashed into 25-foot tugboat and barge at a dock and boat launch under construction on the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Valley, said Jeremy Robshaw, a spokesman for St. Johns County Fire and Rescue. The remaining seven were hospitalized for serious injuries, he said. The accident happened about 7 p.m. about 20 miles southeast of downtown Jacksonville. Robshaw said rescuers couldn't initially reach the end of the unfinished dock, but laid plywood sheets on the structure to get to crash victims.

Rescue official: 12 people were aboard the boat near Jacksonville, Florida . Boat crashed into tugboat, barge and dock under construction . Five people killed; remaining seven take to hospital with serious injuries . Rescuers had to use plywood panels to reach the passengers .

(CNN) -- Five-time defending champion Roger Federer is bidding to match the record of a controversial tennis legend who dominated the sport in the 1920s but died in disgrace. Tilden dominated tennis in the 1920s with his own trademark style. American Bill Tilden achieved fame and fortune through his tennis exploits and befriended Hollwyood stars such as Charle Chaplin, but he spent over a year in jail in the 1940s on a morals charge, which ruined his reputation before his untimely death in 1953. Tilden won his six straight U.S. Open titles from 1920-1925 - a record since the tournament abolished the challenge system - where the champion automatically qualified for the final - in 1911. Under that system, Richard Sears won the first seven editions of the U.S. Open (then the U.S. National Tennis Championships) in the 1880s. Tilden, who claimed his seventh U.S .Open title in 1929 as well as being twice a losing finalist, goes down in the history books as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. A relatively late starter, Tilden struggled to get into his college tennis team in Pennsylvania, but years of dedicated practice started to bear fruit after the First World War as he reached the U.S. Open finals of 1918 and 1919. He reached his peak in the 1920s, winning his first U.S. Open title and holding the world number one spot for seven straight years. Tilden also led the United States to a record seven straight Davis Cup titles as well as claiming three Wimbledon titles. His famed "cannonball" services worked particularly well on the fast grass surfaces on which the U.S. Open and Wimbledon were staged. Tilden never won the French Open being losing finalist in the last year it was held on grass courts, in 1927, and 1930 on clay. He won the last of his 10 grand slam titles at Wimbledon in 1930 before deserting the amateur ranks for the fledging professional circuit Eventually joined by the likes of Ellsworth Vines, Fred Perry and Don Budge, Tilden remained a star attraction until well into his 40s, filling arenas such as Madison Square Garden in big money matches. But off the court, Tilden was a controversial figure, battling with tennis officials as his amateur status was called into question and being accused of being arrogant and inconsiderate. Tilden, who never married, saw his reputation destroyed in the 1940s when he was found guilty of a morals charge in connection with a minor. He served seven-and-a-half months of a year jail term but was arrested again in 1949 after picking up a 16-year-old male hitchhiker. Tilden served a further 10 months for his probation violation and was shunned by the tennis community. His friendship with Hollywood stars such as Chaplin and a love of the theatrical world saw Tilden pour much of his riches into less than successful Broadway productions. He died a tragic figure in 1953, having a stroke in Los Angeles as he prepared for a trip to play in the U.S. Pro Championships despite his 60 years of age. Tilden was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1959 and in any polls of all-time great tennis players always features in the top order. Federer, who won a record 15th grand slam title at Wimbledon, is top seed at Flushing Meadows, the venue since 1978.

Roger Federer seeking to match the six straight U.S. Open wins of Bill Tilden . Tilden dominated tennis in the 1920s, winning 10 grand slam titles . The American legend served two prison sentences on morals charges in the 1940s . Tilden was shunned by the tennis comminty and died at the age of 60 .

(CNN) -- Flash floods have inundated refugee camps in northern Sri Lanka, endangering more than 16,000 Tamil refugees who only months ago survived cross-fire in the country's two-decade civil war, the United Nations says. In this file photo Tamil civilians are seen at Menik Farm refugee camp on the outskirts of Vavuniya, Sri Lanka. Three days of heavy rains have damaged or destroyed nearly 2,000 shelters housing the refugees in the Vavuniya District and in Menik Farm, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. An internal U.N. memo obtained by CNN painted a dismal picture for the refugees, who have been caught in mud flows and the runoff from flooded latrines. "Due to heavy showers on 14 August 09 ... many tents and toilets were submerged/badly damaged," the memo said. "Reportedly more than 300 families gathered together and marched towards the main access gate of the Zone to protest," the memo continued. "Though ... not violent, they seemed disgruntled and agitated due to the sufferings and expressed their resentment by hooting and making noises." The camps spread across northern Sri Lanka are home to about 280,000 people, who were displaced in the final months of the nation's civil war. The flooding came ahead of Sri Lanka's monsoon season, which typically brings heavy rains to the country's northeast from October till January. "If the rain continues, which is very likely, then the overall situation may go out of control of the management and lead to serious security threat," the memo warned, saying contingency plans are being "discussed and worked out." Human Rights Watch has called for the immediate release of Tamil civilians living in the camps, which are surrounded by barbed wire, saying they are being confined against their will, like criminals. "Those are not detention camps," Lakshman Hulugalle, a Defense Ministry spokesman, said in late July. "They are relief villages. All the basic facilities are being given to the people." Hulugalle said that barbed wire is commonly used to define barriers in Sri Lanka and that military guards were being used out of security concerns. The government fears that rebels are hiding in the camps and is screening people living in them. Sri Lanka declared victory in May in its 25-year battle with the Tamil Tiger rebels, but concerns remain about how the island nation can heal its deep war wounds. The rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -- had waged war for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka since July 1983. As many as 70,000 people were killed in the conflict. Last month the government said it had a 18-day plan to resettle most of the refugees, but added that a lot of work remains to be done to infrastructure and basic services destroyed in the fighting. Human rights activists say, however, that the government is not working fast enough. Human Rights Watch said Sri Lanka's goal now was to resettle only 60 percent of the refugees by year's end.

Refugees caught in mud flows, runoff from flooded latrines, internal U.N. memo says . More than 300 families protest conditions, memo says . Flooding comes ahead of Sri Lanka's monsoon season . Human Rights Watch has called for immediate release of Tamil civilians at camps .

(CNN) -- Following the World Health Organization's announcement that radio frequency emissions from cell phones may increase the risk of some kinds of brain cancer, what do you need to know about the radiation coming from your phone? How can you protect yourself? And should RF emission information be listed on cell phone packaging, and in stores? First things first: The WHO study did not say "cell phones cause brain cancer." Rather, there is some evidence indicating a possible connection -- and while not conclusive, it warrants further study. Consequently, WHO has now categorized radio frequency electromagnetic fields as a "group 2B" possible human carcinogen. Here's how Ed Yong, head of health information at Cancer Research UK, explained it in his detailed analysis of the WHO announcement: "Group 2B means that there is some evidence for a risk but it's not that convincing. This group ends up being a bit of a catch-all category, and includes everything from carpentry to chloroform." Dr. Gupta: Cell phones, brain tumors So it's worth being aware of this classification -- just as you should be mindful of your intake of coffee, another group 2B carcinogen. But this announcement is not a reason to panic. Would labels help? San Francisco has been wrestling with whether to require cell phones to be labeled for their RF emissions. Last year, the city tried to mandate cell phone radiation labeling in stores, originally to take effect February 2011. But according to the San Francisco Chronicle, "implementation was delayed until May 1, then June 15. There now is no proposed start date." The city backtracked on this partly out of concern over a lawsuit filed by the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association -- but also because officials didn't know how to ensure the accuracy of the labels. Scientists aren't sure what's the most realistic, intuitive way to communicate cell phone RF emissions to consumers. Specific absorption rate, a measure of the rate of RF energy that your body absorbs from the phone, is the most commonly cited benchmark. For a phone to be certified by the FCC and sold in the U.S., for example, its maximum SAR level must be less than 1.6 watts per kilogram. But Joel Moskowitz, director of the Center for Family and Community Health at University of California, Berkeley, told the Chronicle that "specific absorption rate isn't a very useful measure because it's the peak reading on a variety of tests conducted on cell phones to measure their radiation, but doesn't indicate the average amount of radiation a user would generally be exposed to." He likened it to a car's gas mileage being reported only based on driving it up a steep hill. Such a measurement could actually make a car shopper avoid a hybrid because it doesn't perform well on hills, even though it would generally consume less gas. CNET recently updated its guide to cell phone radiation levels, which ranks phones according to SAR. Cell phones and radiation: The 10 highest- and lowest-emitting models What cell phone users can do If you are concerned that cell phones might increase your cancer risk, probably the best way to put the WHO announcement to good use is to minimize how much you hold your cell phone next to your head. More tips on minimizing cell phone radiation Your best bet is to use a headset that physically plugs in to your phone, such as earbuds with a microphone attached. Unlike Bluetooth headsets, this entails no additional RF exposure near your head -- although it may take a moment to connect your headset to your phone. While the WHO examined only the possible risk of brain cancer, you can further reduce your cell phone RF exposure by placing your phone a few inches away from your body while using it -- such as in a purse or on the table. Or whenever possible, talk via your phone's speaker function, or send a text message instead of placing a call. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Amy Gahran.

WHO classifies radio frequency electromagnetic fields as a "group 2B" possible carcinogen . Group is catch-all category, and includes everything from carpentry to chloroform . Scientists aren't sure how to communicate cell phone RF emissions to consumers . Specific absorption rate is the most commonly cited benchmark .

(CNN) -- For almost a week, tens of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in daily protests -- handkerchiefs shielding their faces from the pungency of tear gas, fists punching the air, and chants of "Down with the dictator" echoing against buildings. Moussovi supporters rally Wednesday in Tehran, Iran. Released by Fars News Agency of Iran. The massive outpouring is a result of a disputed presidential election that the protesters think coronated the incumbent hard-liner, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, over their candidate, Mir Hossain Moussavi. Context can help put their grievances into perspective: Q. The Iran that we know today is the result of the Islamic Revolution. What is it? A. The Islamic Revolution is the name given to the Iranian revolution of 1979, when the ruling U.S.-supported monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was forced into exile. See timeline of recent Iranian history » The country held a national referendum to become an Islamic republic and approve a new constitution. The constitution was a hybrid of democracy and unelected religious leadership. It appointed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini -- the leader of the revolution -- the supreme leader of the country. Before he died in 1989, he made it known that he wanted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to succeed him. Q. Is it true that the ultimate power in Iran lies with Khamenei? A. Yes. The supreme leader has the final say in all important matters of the country, such as ties with foreign nations or Iran's nuclear aspirations. He appoints the Guardian Council -- the country's election authority. He also appoints key posts in the intelligence services and the armed forces, including the powerful Revolutionary Guard. Additionally, he confirms the president's election. In theory, the supreme leader is appointed by a body of clerics whom voters elect. But in practice, this body -- the Assembly of Experts -- has answered to the supreme leader. Khamenei, 70, was appointed supreme leader for life in 1989. Q. What is the Guardian Council, which has been in the news, saying it will recount some of the votes in the disputed election? A. The unelected Guardian Council is the second-most influential body in Iran politics. It consists of six theologians whom the supreme leader picks and six jurists nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament. The council approves all candidates running for office in the country, and verifies election results. It vetoes bills passed by the parliament if they do not conform to the constitution and Islamic law. In the present crisis, opposition leader Moussavi has had to take his grievance to the Guardian Council. It has agreed to some vote recounts. See galleries of protests in Iran » Q. So, how much power does the president wield? A. It depends on how nicely he plays with the Guardian Council. The president is elected by direct vote to a four-year term, for a maximum of two terms. He is responsible for economic policy and social programs, but most of the larger decisions are made by the supreme leader. In theory, his powers are second to the supreme leader's. But in practice, he is often hamstrung by the Guardian Council. The Guardian Council has worked with hard-liner Ahmadinejad, a 53-year-old former mayor of Tehran who was elected in 2005. But it thwarted reform attempts by his predecessor, Mohammad Khatami. Q. What is the Revolutionary Guard, who said they will take legal action against pro-Moussavi Web sites? A. The guard was initially created to protect the leaders of the revolution. But over the years, it has broadened its scope. Today, it is directly under the control of the supreme leader and enforces the governments' Islamic codes and morality With more than 200,000 members, it is tasked with overseeing the country's crucial interests, including guarding its oil fields and missile arsenals. Q. What is the Basij, who are said to be behind most of the violence against opposition supporters? A. The Basij is a volunteer paramilitary force that takes orders from the Revolutionary Guard. It

Protests have followed disputed presidential election results in Iran . President Ahmadinejad is popular across Iran's rural areas, among Basij militia . Protesters say not out to challenge the Islamic regime, just want fresh vote . Iran previously saw protests, public calls for reform in 1999 and 2000 .

(CNN) -- Former Argentina international defender Fernando Caceres is fighting for his life in a Buenos Aires hospital after being shot in the head during an armed robbery. The 40-year-old Caceres, who played for Argentina in the 1994 World Cup, was gunned down as a gang tried to steal his BMW car in the early hours of Sunday morning. A bullet has reportedly entered his head through his right eye, and he remains in a coma in a grave condition. Caceres was visited by his former Boca Juniors teammate and national coach Diego Maradona, who clearly distressed, told reporters outside the hospital that crime was rife in the Argentine capital. "This is a time bomb, going out is a constant danger," Maradona told television station TyCSports. "This happens every day, nobody does anything and something must be done. "Caceres is in the hands of God and I hope it helps," Maradona added. The attack happened in the Fort Apache area of Buenos Aires, which is where Manchester City star Carlos Tevez grew up, and is notorious for high crime levels. Players from two of his former clubs, Argentinos Juniors and Independiente displayed a banner of support for him ahead of their later match in the Argentine league on Sunday. Caceres won the league title with River Plate in 1991 and the European Cup Winners Cup with Spanish side Real Zaragoza in 1995. He played 24 games for Argentina, helping them to the Copa America in 1993 before appearing at the World Cup finals in the United States a year later. Caceres ended his playing career at his original club of Argentinos Juniors in 2007 and has been coaching at Independiente.

Former Argentina international Fernando Caceres in grave condition in hospital . Caceres shot in the head as gang try to steal his BMW car in Buenos Aires . Argentina football legend Diego Maradona visits Caceres in hospital . 40-year-old Caceres enjoyed a distinquished club and international career .

(CNN) -- Former Italian international star Filippo Inzaghi scored a hat-trick as AC Milan went second in Serie A with a 5-1 win over Torino in the San Siro on Sunday. Beckham and Mathieu Flamini take part in an unusual goal celebration in the San Siro. The legendary goalscorer has now put away nine in the last six matches but it was his combination with England international David Beckham which electrified the Milan fans. Beckham, who had sat out the last two games because of a shoulder injury, set up Inzaghi for his opening two goals in the 13th and 37th minutes from a corner and a clever chip, both headed home. After the interval, Inzaghi completed his hat-trick on the hour mark before Kaka added a penalty for the fourth. Ivan Franceschini pulled one back for Torino in the 80th minute, but Massimo Ambrosini rounded off the Milan scoring in the final minute. The win sees Milan level on points with Juventus but with a better goal difference. They trail leaders Inter by 10 points. In the battle for the fourth and final Champions League qualifying spot, AS Roma beat Lecce 3-2 with captain Francesco Totti scoring twice. Fifth-placed Fiorentina hardly helped their cause with a 3-1 defeat to Udinese, missing the chance to move a place higher after Genoa lost 1-0 at home to Lazio on Saturday. Improving Roma are now three points behind Fiorentina and five adrift of fourth-placed Genoa. Kwadwo Asamoah put Udinese ahead in the 10th minute lead and Gaetano D'Agostino doubled the lead from the penalty spot early in the second half. Dario Dainelli pulled one back for La Viola after 67 minutes but D'Agostino's second sealed three points.

Inzaghi continues impressive scoring streak with another hat-trick . Returning Beckham supplies assists for opening two goals in San Siro . Francesco Totti scores twice as AS Roma beat Lecce 3-2 .

(CNN) -- Former Olympic champion Angel Matos of Cuba faces a life ban after kicking a referee flush in the face during his taekwondo bronze medal match in Beijing. Matos reacted in extraordinary fashion to being disqualified by Chelbat. Matos, who took gold in Sydney in 2000, was winning 3-2, with just over a minute left in the second round, when he fell to the mat after being hit by his opponent, Kazakhstan's Arman Chilmanov. Matos lay down, awaiting medical attention, but was then disqualified by referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden for taking too much injury time. A furious Matos reacted by pushing a judge, then pushed and kicked Chelbat in the face. It left the Swede with blood pouring from his lip while Matos spat on the floor and was then escorted out of the arena. "We didn't expect anything like what you have witnessed to occur," said World Taekwondo Federation secretary general Yang Jin-suk. "I am at a loss for words," he told the Associated Press. Matos' coach, Leudis Gonzalez, is also in hot water for his angry reaction and claiming the Kazakhs had tried to fix the match. "This is an insult to the Olympic vision, an insult to the spirit of taekwondo and, in my opinion, an insult to mankind," Yang added. Although the arena announcer said Matos and his coach were banned effective immediately, Yang said due process must be followed before officially banning the two. It was not the only controversial moment in the four-day taekwondo competition, which was marred by several protests against judging decisions. Earlier Saturday, China's double gold medalist Chen Zhong crashed out in the quarterfinals after initially being declared the winner. She was fighting Britain's Sarah Stevenson, who scored with a clear head kick -- worth two points -- in the final seconds of their bout. That would have put Stevenson ahead and into the semifinals, but the judges ruled Stevenson's kick wasn't solid enough for points, and Chen was declared the winner 1-0. After Britain protested, the result was changed to put Stevenson in the semifinal. She lost that to jeers from the partisan Chinese crowd, but later won a bronze medal match. It was the first time a match result has been overturned since taekwondo became an official Olympic sport.

Cuba's Angel Matos kicks referee in the face during bronze medal match . Matos was furious with Sweden's Chakir Chelbat after being disqualified . Matos and his coach are facing life bans from taekwondo .

(CNN) -- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton landed in North Korea early Tuesday on a mission to negotiate the release of two American journalists imprisoned there since March, according to the country's state news agency and a CNN source. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is shown at an environmental summit in Seoul, South Korea, in May. The North Korean news agency KCNA did not disclose the purpose of the visit in its three-line dispatch. But a source with detailed knowledge of the former president's movements told CNN late Monday that Clinton was going to seek the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, both reporters for California-based Current TV -- media venture launched by Clinton's former vice president, Al Gore. Meeting Clinton were the vice president of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly, Yang Hyong Sop, and Kim Kye Gwan, the vice foreign minister, KCNA reported, adding that "a little girl presented a bouquet to Bill Clinton." The women were arrested while reporting on the border between North Korea and China and sentenced in June to 12 years in prison on charges of entering the country illegally to conduct a smear campaign. Since the United States has no diplomatic relations with North Korea, efforts to resolve the issue so far have been handled through Sweden, which represents U.S. interests in the reclusive communist state. Watch what may lie behind the pick of Bill Clinton » Last month, Clinton's wife -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton -- said the Obama administration had dropped its request for Ling and Lee to be released on humanitarian grounds and instead was seeking amnesty, which implies forgiveness for an offense. This change in language is an important distinction that could move North Korea to release the women without feeling that its legal system has been slighted, according to analyst Mike Chinoy. "I suspect that it was made pretty clear in advance that Bill Clinton would be able to return with these two women otherwise it would be a terrible loss of face for him," said Chinoy, an Edgerton Senior Fellow on Asia at the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles. "The bigger, broader and more important question is what else could be on the agenda. Will Clinton be carrying a letter from Barack Obama for the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il? Will he meet Kim Jong Il?" Clinton's mission comes as the United States and its allies in the region are trying to push North Korea back into stalled nuclear disarmament talks. North Korea conducted a nuclear bomb test, its second, in May, and has conducted several missile tests since then. The United Nations responded by tightening and expanding sanctions on the North. The two nations were on opposite sides in the 1950-1953 Korean War and had no regular contacts before a 1994 crisis over North Korea's nuclear program. North Korea agreed at that time to halt the development of nuclear weapons, but abandoned that accord and withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003. Clinton had considered visiting North Korea in 2000 near the end of his second term as president. His secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, had gone to Pyongyang in early 2000 to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il -- now widely reported to be ill. CNN's Charlie Moore contributed to this report.

NEW: Signs point to Clinton being able to win amnesty for reporters, Chinoy says . Reporters Ling and Lee work for Gore's Current TV . The United States has no diplomatic relations with North Korea . Bill Clinton visit comes amid North Korean impasse over its nuclear program .

(CNN) -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter met Sunday in Damascus, Syria, with Khaled Meshaal, the exiled leader of Hamas' political wing, a Hamas official said. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, left, walks with Jimmy Carter north of Damascus on Sunday, December 14. The five-hour meeting ended late Sunday and covered several issues, including Cpl. Gilad Shalit -- an Israeli soldier held captive by Hamas since June 2006, the official said. Carter previously met with Meshaal in April. In that meeting, the Hamas leader promised Carter that the group would allow Shalit to send a message to his parents, Noam and Aviva. Carter also asked Hamas to release Shalit, Meshaal said after the former president's visit, but the request was rejected. Watch report on Carter's meeting » Hamas said Sunday it will soon release a statement about the latest meeting between Carter and Meshaal. Carter's series of meetings with top Hamas officials in April garnered condemnation from the U.S. and Israeli governments. They criticized him for engaging in diplomacy with a group that both governments consider a terrorist organization. How the incoming Obama administration will receive Carter's meetings with Hamas remains to be seen. During his visit in Syria, Carter also visited the Saint Taqla convent in the city of Maalula, north of Damascus, with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. CNN's Cal Perry contributed to this report in Beirut, Lebanon.

Hamas says five-hour meeting ends late Sunday in Damascus, Syria's capital . Carter's appeal for release of Israeli solider captured in 2006 is rejected . U.S., Israeli governments criticized previous meetings between Carter, Hamas .

(CNN) -- Former champion Maria Sharapova has been seeded for next week's Wimbledon championships. Sharapova powers a forehand during the WTA tournament in Birmingham last week. The Russian has only recently returned to action after a serious shoulder injury, but despite performing solidly in the French Open and reaching the semifinals of the WTA grasscourt event in Birmingham last week, she remained 59th in the rankings. But Wimbledon, who are alone among the grand slams in not sticking entirely with the official rankings of the ATP and WTA in deciding the seedings, have given Sharapova the 24th berth. World number one Dinara Safina of Russia is top seed, followed by Serena Williams and defending champion Venus Williams, who is elevated to third because of her prowess on grass. Rafael Nadal, who remains a slight injury doubt to take his place in the draw, is the top seed in the men's tournament, with the top six spots in the list following the ATP rankings list. The defending champion will test his injured knees by playing in two exhibition matches on grass at the Hurlingham Club in London later this week, organizers announced Wednesday. The Spaniard will play Lleyton Hewitt of Australia on Thursday and Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland on Friday. Five-time champion and pre-tournament favorite Roger Federer is second seed at Wimbledon as he bids to set a record of 15 grand slam wins after his French Open triumph. Home hope Andy Murray, who won the Queen's Club tournament on Sunday, is seeded third with Novak Djokovic of Serbia in fourth. Eighth-ranked Fernando Verdasco of Spain gets the seventh seed spot ahead of Frenchman Gilles Simon. Outside of the top seeds, Marat Safin of Russia has been elevated to 15th from his world ranking of 23. Former world number one Safin reached the semifinals at the All England Club last year. Big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic is lifted to 23rd from 31st. The third grand slam of the year starts next Monday with the all-important draw being made on Friday. In the pre-Wimbledon warmup action on Wednesday, top seed Dinara Safina of Russia beat Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan 6-3 6-3 in the Ordina Open in the Netherlands. But Amelie Mauresmo of France was beaten 7-6 7-6 by Russian Ekaterna Makarova at the WTA tournament in Eastbourne.

Maria Sharapova elevated to 24th seed by as Wimbledon announces seeds . Injury-doubt Rafael Nadal top seed as he defends his Wimbledon crown . Nadal to test his injured knees in exhibition tournament at Hurlingham Club . Dinara Safina reaches third round of the Ordina Open in the Netherlands .

(CNN) -- Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin spoke Friday at a rally for her former running mate, Sen. John McCain, urging voters to support the senator in his re-election bid in Arizona. The rally, in Tucson, Arizona, was their first joint public appearance since McCain conceded the 2008 presidential election. McCain faces a primary challenge from former Rep. J.D. Hayworth and has come under criticism for being too moderate on a variety of issues, including immigration. Several leading Tea Party activists in Arizona have decided not to endorse McCain or Hayworth, criticizing both of their records while serving in Congress. But some national Tea Party members came out this week in support of Hayworth. While several said they were not upset with Palin's endorsement of McCain, a few said they were disappointed. The enthusiastic crowd greeted Palin with shouts of "Sarah, Sarah," as she, her husband, Todd, and McCain took the stage. "Everybody here, supporting John McCain, we are all part of that Tea Party movement," Palin said. "I think he's gonna win this one," she said. "Before there were protests on Main Street and marches on Capitol Hill, there was the maverick of the Senate, fighting for us." Palin railed against the health care legislation, saying that McCain fought against "Obamacare." And McCain, speaking after Palin, said the bill will be repealed. "It is historic that it is also the first time that on a pure partisan basis a major piece of legislation has been passed and it is going to be historic because it is going to be repealed and replaced," he said. "And it is going to be done soon." Palin's remarks at the rally were preceded by an op-ed piece in Friday's Arizona Republic. She wrote that she respected McCain long before she was his running mate, a theme she reiterated in her public appearance. Read the full article "I admired his tireless crusade against the old pork-barrel-spending, earmarking-backroom-dealing ways of D.C. that make a whole lot of us pretty ill," she said. After a town hall meeting on Thursday night attended by about 120 people, Hayworth downplayed the significance of Palin's visit. "I think what we are seeing from the governor is a very understandable level of gratitude. After all, it was John who gave her entrée to the national stage. We all understand gratitude. That is fine," he said. The campaign appearance comes as Palin is being criticized for a fundraising appeal she posted on her Facebook page with what looked like crosshairs marking the districts of House members who voted for health care reform. She asked for donations to her political action committee to help defeat 17 congressmen who voted yes and who are running for re-election. In a Twitter message earlier in the week Palin said "Don't Retreat-Instead, RELOAD!" urging supporters to keep up the fight on the issue. The messages came as members of Congress were reporting threats in retaliation to their votes on health care reform. However, McCain told CNN's "John King, USA" on Thursday that Palin's language was not over the top. "The rhetoric that we use in everyday language about political campaigns -- battleground states, it's going to be a war -- all of those are things that we have used for years and years. They are in the crosshairs." From Arizona, Palin heads to Searchlight, Nevada, to be the keynote speaker Saturday for the kickoff rally of the Tea Party Express cross-country caravan to protest big government spending. CNN's Kevin Bohn contributed to this report.

"Everybody here ... we are all part of that Tea Party movement," Palin says . Sarah Palin, John McCain make first joint appearance since conceding 2008 election . McCain faces primary challenge from former Rep. J.D. Hayworth . Hayworth calls Palin appearance "very understandable level of gratitude"

(CNN) -- Former world number one Justine Henin has ruled herself out of the U.S. Open after sustaining an elbow injury in her Wimbledon exit to Belgian rival Kim Clijsters. It is a shattering blow for Henin, who will also miss her 'Best of Belgium' clash with Clijsters in Brussels on July 8. Henin, who made her comeback to competitive tennis at the start of the year after 18 months in retirement, picked up the injury during her fourth round defeat to Clijsters. Clijsters wins Battle of Belgians at Wimbledon She suffered the injury when falling early in the first set, but bravely played on in a match that lasted three sets. Henin confirmed the news in a statement on her personal website. "Following my fall at Wimbledon....I took several medical examinations which have revealed a ligament partial fracture at the right elbow," it read. "There I regret to announce that I can't unfortunately play in Best of Belgium this July 8. I'll be nevertheless present for this wonderful Belgian event which is important for me. "This injury will keep me away from the courts during a rough period of two months with the consequence the withdrawal of my U.S. round of tournaments, including the US Open." The 28-year-old added that she will undergo further medical examinations to decide on when she returns to the WTA Tour later this season. Aside from missing the final grand slam of the year, Henin's exhibition head to head against Clijsters was set to attract a world record crowd of 40,000 for a tennis match. Organizers say they plan to find a replacement player for Henin, who has been beaten three times by Cljisters since her return to action. Clijsters was later beaten by Vera Zvonareva in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, leaving both of the Belgian stars still searching for their first grand slam title at SW19. The U.S. Open begins on August 30 in New York, where Clijsters will be defending the crown she won in sensational fashion in her comeback year in 2009.

Justine Henin out of U.S. Open and 'Battle of Belgians' with elbow injury . Henin picked up the injury during her Wimbledon defeat to Kim Clijsters . Henin hopes to return to the WTA Tour later in the year .

(CNN) -- Former world number one, Rafael Nadal, has exclusively told CNN his levels of fitness ahead of the U.S. Open are "better than expected," boosting his chances of becoming only the seventh man in history to win a career grand slam with victory at Flushing Meadows. Titans of tennis, Rafael Nadal (left) and Roger Federer (right), will be both keen to capture the U.S. Open title. The Spaniard, who dropped to third-best in the world after being sidelined for over two months with a knee injury, said he was pleased with his physical preparation for the major that starts on August 31. "I'm very happy as I arrive here feeling better than I expected I would a few weeks ago," the 23-year-old said, who came through two warm-up events recently for the hard-court tournament without any further reaction. Watch Nadal's interview with CNN. » "I had a really good time in Cincinnati and a good tournament in Montreal. "But playing in New York is always a special feeling and it's the last major of the season so I hope to have a good event," Nadal said. Nadal, who was knocked out of the U.S. Open at the semifinal stage by Britain's Andy Murray last year, said he considers himself lucky in terms of injuries that have affected his career. "If you're playing at 100 percent, always at the limit, it is normal that you get injuries. I had nearly four years of perfect fitness while playing a lot of matches. Injuries sometimes happen so you have to accept that and try and recover as quickly as possible." But the Majorca-born player admitted it has been difficult to cede ground to his rivals while unable to play and he is keen to prove a point in New York. "Roger has done an unbelievable job - he deserved the 15 grand slams and I can't congratulate him enough. I miss the competition but not the challenge of playing Roger! "The atmosphere in New York is great, the crowd is more educated than many other events, so I like this kind of energy and electricity and I have high expectations of playing well here." Current world number one and defending champions Roger Federer also spoke to CNN about his optimism ahead of the last major event of the calendar. "I feel great, a lot has happened in my personal life, as I have twin babies now, and this is their first trip abroad they're only five weeks old. I won in Cincinnati so things are looking good. "The main threats are Nadal, Murray and (Novak) Djokovic because they have done well here in the past - but we also have players like (Jo-Wilfried) Tsonga and (Juan Martin) Del Potro coming through so I think it could be more wide open than normal." Despite the difficult opponents standing in his way the Swiss still had his eye on capturing his sixth straight title in America and extending his record of 15 grand slam wins. "It would be a dream come true to win six in a row here. It's a dream that I always thought was impossible but I'm only a few matches away now so I'm close," he said.

Rafael Nadal feels fit for U.S. Open after returning from knee injury . Spaniard aims to seal career grand slam with victory at Flushing Meadows . Roger Federer is in good form after winning key hard-court warm up event . Swiss confident of bid to capture sixth successive U.S. Open title .

(CNN) -- Fort Hood, Texas, is -- for all intents and purposes -- a city. With as many as 30,000 residents, it has all the trappings of an American metropolis: malls, softball fields, subdivisions and as many as nine schools. But in other ways, Fort Hood is like no American city. It is a transition point for troops who have served overseas, soldiers who have seen the worst that war has to offer and are returning to life at home. At least 13 people were killed and 30 wounded in shootings on the post Thursday, officials said. The alleged gunman, identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, was wounded. Some of those killed or wounded were at the Readiness Center, a soldier's last stop before deployment, said Army Lt. Gen. Bob Cone. It is also one of the first places a soldier goes after returning from war. Officials: Gunman opens fire at Fort Hood Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, who served at Fort Hood in the late 1990s, said the nearly eight years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq have created difficulties for the U.S. armed forces. "This is a very complex situation, a situation we have not dealt with in the Army before. We have never been at war this long before in modern history," he said. "And many of these soldiers have been deployed multiple times, so this has put a lot of stress on these soldiers and their families. "One of the biggest things on re-entry that the Readiness Center does is to help those soldiers cope with being back home and dealing with the extremes of [post-traumatic stress disorder]," Honore said. It is also where soldiers "do everything from finalizing your next of kin, inspect your immunization record, as well as make a will," he said. Fort Hood is the largest U.S. military installation in the world by size, and on any given day, it is home to 25,000 to 30,000 people, according to an Army spokesman at the Pentagon. The post also houses the families of service members and other civilians. iReport.com: Are you there? Send pics, video "Some of these soldiers have lost some of their closest friends, seen some of the horrific things associated with warfare including these roadside bombs," Honore said. "They've seen and experienced -- many of them -- some very horrific events." Services and programs offered on the post range from helping troops who are leaving the armed services find employment or pursue education to helping soldiers deal with combat-related illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder. One such program, called the Warrior Stress Reset Program, is "designed to help address those common and normal reactions to war experiences," says a military Web site. "It is well documented that participation in a major conflict ... has a way of leaving its mark on the psyche of our soldiers," the Web site reads. The program lasts three weeks and provides counseling and treatment. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said the post has a robust support system for families of deployed troops, which would help troops and civilians there handle Thursday's violence. "The people who are there will surround the families and take care of them, the ones who have had loved ones who were killed," she said. The Army's 1st Cavalry Division and elements of the 4th Infantry Division, as well as the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 13th Corps Support Command, are based at Fort Hood. Fort Hood measures about 340 square miles across and is approximately 160 miles south of Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. CNN's Barbara Starr, Adam Levine, Mike Mount and Chris Lawrence contributed to this report.

General says ongoing wars have put stress on troops and their families . Fort Hood is largest U.S. military installation in the world by size . On any given day, there can be at least 25,000 to 30,000 people . It is also a transition point for troops returning to civilian life .

(CNN) -- Four Boy Scouts who died Wednesday when a tornado swept through a wilderness camp were remembered for the very qualities that had brought them to the camp in the first place. Clockwise from top left: Sam Thomsen, 13; Josh Fennen, 13; Aaron Eilerts, 14; and Ben Petrzilka, 14. Josh Fennen, 13, Sam Thomsen, 13, Ben Petrzilka, 14 , and Aaron Eilerts, 14, were among 93 Boy Scouts who were chosen by their troop leaders to attend leadership training this week at the Little Sioux Scout Ranch outside Omaha, Nebraska. In addition to the deaths, 48 Scouts and staff members were injured. Friends on Thursday described the fallen Scouts as multitalented, dedicated teens whose enthusiasm for life was matched only by their passion for Scouting. Aaron Eilerts' best friend described him as a "kindhearted" person who took his commitment to Boy Scouts very seriously. "He would do anything that you asked him to do," Colby Gochanour, told CNN's Larry King. "He just helped people." As a member of the Humboldt Boy Scout Troop No. 108 in Eagle Grove, Iowa, Aaron used his own money to make pillowcases for hospital patients, Gochanour said. He tried to donate the pillowcases to hospitals during a family vacation to Memphis, where he visited the home of Elvis, one of his heroes, according to a story that was published in the Eagle Grove Eagle last year. Aaron extended the same dedication to making fleece blankets for the Humane Society, according to the Omaha World-Herald. "He embodied everything Scouting stands for," Dawn Sievertsen, principal of Robert Blue Middle School in Eagle Grove, Iowa, told the newspaper. "He would start these projects to earn badges, but took them very seriously and would continue them long after he earned the badge." People who knew Josh Fennen of Omaha said he used many of the skills he learned in Scouting in everyday life. "We'd go hiking. He was a good hiker. He knew what to do, how to start fires and good with pocketknives," Josh's best friend, Jack Cormaci, told affiliate KETV. "He'd always be there when you needed him, always playing outside." Jeff Alfrey, the principal at Andersen Middle School, where Josh recently finished eighth grade, described Josh as inquisitive and confident, with natural leadership qualities, according to the Omaha World-Herald. "He was a good student, a hard worker, and he was always trying to be creative," Alfrey told the newspaper. Sam Thomsen, who was days away from his 14th birthday, divided his time among the Boy Scouts, sports, home-schooling and the Southwest Church of Christ, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Sam's Facebook page, where he last wrote, "Sam is ready for a week in the great outdoors," lists his interests as Jesus, football, video games and the Roadrunners, a basketball team for home-schooled children, according to the newspaper. "He was always just full-board with everything he did, whether it be church or Boy Scouts or sports," Dr. Jim White, pastor of Southwest Church of Christ, told Larry King. "He always had a wonderful, engaging smile on his face." Ben Petrzilka, who just finished seventh grade at Mary Our Queen Catholic School, was remembered as kind and caring. "He always gave it his best effort. It is a very devastating loss to the school," principal Kayleen Wallace told the newspaper. A candlelight vigil was scheduled for Thursday evening at the Durham Scout Center in Omaha, the Boy Scouts said.

Teens who died in tornado said to embody the values of the Boy Scouts . Two 13-year-olds, two 14-year-olds killed; three from Nebraska, one from Iowa . Friends describe fallen Scouts as enthusiastic, hard-working, dedicated . Candlelight vigil set for Thursday night in Omaha .

(CNN) -- Four boys ages 9 to 14 have been charged with sexually assaulting an 8-year old girl, police in Phoenix, Arizona, said Wednesday. The girl was lured into a vacant storage shed by the suspects, who offered her chewing gum, police said at a news conference. The girl was restrained while the boys -- ages 9, 10, 13 and 14 -- sexually assaulted her, police said of the July 16 incident. All the suspects except for the 14-year-old live in the same apartment complex, according to Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill. The 14-year-old has been charged as an adult, Hill said. Detectives said the girl was placed in the custody of Phoenix child protective services after the attack because of her parents' attitude toward her. The girl and the boys charged are all from families that have come to the United States from the West African nation of Liberia, police said.

Police in Phoenix, Arizona, say 8-year-old girl lured to vacant shed with gum . Four boys ages 9 to 14 have been charged with sexually assaulting girl . Girl placed in the custody of Phoenix child protective services .

(CNN) -- Four men gathered in a parking lot were shot and killed Sunday in Mount Airy, North Carolina, and a warrant was issued for a suspect, police said. "We don't feel that this was a random event, if that does help put the community at ease," Mount Airy Police Chief Dale Watson said at a news conference Sunday night. He refused to elaborate or identify the victims except to say, "We do have an idea why they were there." Watson described the victims as "four Hispanic males, all shot," from the surrounding Surry County area. He said two died at the scene while the other two were pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Read local coverage from CNN affiliate WXII The shooting occurred shortly after 2 p.m. ET in the parking lot of a store that sells satellite dish and cable TV equipment in the town, about 50 miles north of Winston-Salem. Watson said an arrest warrant charging four counts of murder was issued for a suspect he identified as Marcos Chavez Gonzalez, 29. He said police believe the suspect fled the Mount Airy area in a pickup. Watson said local and state authorities were searching for the suspect, who was considered "armed and dangerous ... he may be in the possession of an assault rifle."

Four men gathered in a parking lot shot and killed Sunday in Mount Airy . Police Chief Dale Watson: "We don't feel that this was a random event" Arrest warrant issued for a suspect identified as Marcus Chavez Gonzalez, 29 . Watson said all four shooting victims were Hispanic males .

(CNN) -- Four police officers and a suspect were shot in a raid for firearms and narcotics early Thursday in central New Jersey, a local prosecutor's office said. The officers from the Lakewood Police Department's tactical unit were shot upon entering the property and returned fire, hitting suspect Jamie Gonzalez, said Ocean County Deputy Chief Prosecutor Michael Mohel. Gonzalez, 39, received multiple gunshot wounds and is in critical but stable condition, Mohel said. One officer was shot in the face and is being treated at an undisclosed hospital, the deputy chief prosecutor said. He's in serious but stable condition. Another officer was shot in the foot and is in stable condition. The other two officers sustained injuries after receiving gunshots to their bulletproof vests, Mohel said. Their names were not disclosed. The warrant for firearms and narcotics was served at 2:25 a.m. ET in conjunction with federal, state and local authorities. Lakewood is about 70 miles south of New York City. In July, another shootout in New Jersey left one police officer dead. Jersey City police officer Marc DiNardo died after being shot in the face in a raid. He was one of five officers injured in the shootout, and the two suspects involved were killed. CNN's Vanessa Juarez contributed to this report.

Police officers shot in raid for firearms and narcotics in Lakewood, New Jersey . Suspect also wounded after officers return fire, official says . Lakewood is about 70 miles south of New York .

(CNN) -- Four years since a 9.0-magnitude earthquake spawned massive walls of water that swept across the Indian Ocean, leaving more than 230,000 dead according to a United Nations estimate, improvements can be seen in many of the devastated areas, humanitarian groups said. Laborers work on a construction site in a fishing village in Indonesia's Aceh on December 21. Hundreds of thousands were left homeless and jobless after the tsunami, and poor and isolated communities were left even worse off. Today, new schools have been constructed, and armies of workers -- many of them volunteers -- have cleared and rebuilt homes and towns, and helped get people back to work. "The tsunami, despite being a horrific event, also provided a lot of opportunities for those countries," said Jonathan Cauldwell, chief of UNICEF's Tsunami Transition Support. "It brought a peace dividend within Banda Aceh (Indonesia) where you still see peace in an area which had long term localized conflict in place. It allowed those areas to be built up as well, to have investments in the infrastructure in the social sectors ...," he added. Agencies such as UNICEF said that while the immediate emergency was over, they remain committed to improving the lives of millions of children across the region. "The lessons of the tsunami will never end. The funding will end, we can complete the construction, we can complete the project, but the intervention never ends ...," Cauldwell said. Oxfam International, which said it will close its response to the tsunami at the end of December, said it has provided housing to tsunami survivors in Aceh, helped restore the livelihoods of people in India and Sri Lanka, and funded the reconstruction of eight tsunami-affected secondary schools. "The money we received allowed us not only to help meet the immediate emergency needs of tsunami-affected populations, but also to try to address the factors that made them vulnerable: not least poverty and a lack of influence over their own lives," Barbara Stocking, chair of the Oxfam International Tsunami Fund Board, said in a statement. "What has been achieved is astounding. Hundreds of thousands of people are now living in better conditions than they were in before the tsunami ...," she added. UNICEF said the basic needs of children affected by the tsunami have been met -- more children are going to school as a result of improved facilities, and better nutrition, post-natal care and other life-saving interventions are helping those countries worst hit transition to developing regular services and programs. But long-term improvement of water and sanitation is critical, the agency said, and so is building new schools that are better able to withstand earthquakes. According to UNICEF and Oxfam, the response to the tsunami and the lessons learned have changed the way they deal with such emergencies. It highlighted the need for better coordination among partners and other organizations, and contributed to reforms in the way humanitarian relief is delivered.

The devastation of the 2004 tsunami stretched across the Indian Ocean . Hundreds of thousands left homeless, and poor and isolated communities worse off . Humanitarian groups have helped rebuild schools, homes, and get people working . Groups say long-term improvement of water and sanitation is critical .

(CNN) -- Four-time Fed Cup champions Russia edged Serbia 3-2 on Sunday to reach the semifinals of this year's competition where they will play the United States. Russia owed their victory to the doubles partnership of Svetlana Kuznetsova and Alisa Kleybanova, who beat Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic 6-1 6-4 in the decisive rubber in Belgrade Earlier in the reverse singles, Kleybanova beat Ivanovic 6-2 6-3 while Jankovic scored her second victory of the weekend as she saw off Kuznetsova 6-3 4-6 6-3 to level the tie. "We are really happy after this hard-fought victory," Kuznetsova told the official Web site www.fedcup.com "We played the crucial doubles like real partners. Alisa was really good although she's a singles player." The United States, missing both the Williams sisters, were still too good for France as they wrapped up a 4-1 win on an indoor clay court at the Stade Couvert Regional de Lievin. Teenage star Melanie Oudin continued her heroics with a second singles victory as she beat Julie Coin 7-6 6-4 to give her side an unassailable 3-0 lead. "I was a little nervous in the beginning," Oudin said. "She definitely stepped up her game when she came out on court and served some really great service games. "There wasn't much I could do in the beginning, besides staying in there with her." France restored some pride with Pauline Parmentier's 6-4 6-4 win over Christina McHale before Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Liezel Huber won the concluding doubles for the U.S. Defending champions Italy are also in the semifinals after a convincing 4-1 win over the Ukraine. Francesca Schiavone came from a set down to beat Kateryna Bondarenko to seal the victory after Flavia Pennetta had downed Alona Bondarenko on straight sets in the first reverse singles on Sunday. They will play the Czech Republic who beat Germany 3-2 thanks to a decisive doubles victory. Lucie Hradecka, who was making her Fed Cup debut as a late replacement for the injured Lucie Safarova, proved the final day star in Brno. In the opening reverse singles she beat Andrea Petkovic 6-1 7-6 to give the home team a 2-1 lead. Anna-Lena Groenefeld beat Petra Kvitova 4-6 6-3 6-2 to draw the Germans level, but Hradecka and Kveta Peschke saw off Groenefeld and Tatjana Malek 6-3 6-2 to seal a deserved passage to the last four.

Four-time Fed Cup champions Russia beat Serbia 3-2 in thrilling tie in Belgrade . Russia will play the United States in semifinals after they beat France 4-1 . Defending champions Italy and the Czech Republic to contest the other semifinal .

(CNN) -- Four-time defending champion Rafael Nadal slid to an astonishing 6-2 6-7 6-4 7-6 defeat to Sweden's Robin Soderling at the French Open on Sunday. Soderling savors his unlikely triumph against Nadal in the French Open fourth round. Soderling, the 23rd seed, was a rank outsider against the world number one who had never lost a match on the clay at Roland Garros and was a short-priced favorite to win a record fifth straight title. But Soderling never looked back after breezing through the first set of their fourth round match and closed out victory as Nadal sent a volley wide after bravely saving a matchpoint in the fourth set tiebreak. The Spaniard tried to look on the positives after his shock defeat. "It's not a tragedy, losing here in Paris," he told the official tournament Web site www.rolandgarros.com "It had to happen one day, and this is an excellent season for me. "Of course it's a bit sad, but I have to overcome this as quickly as possible. No one remembers defeats on the long run. People remember victories. So I have to move forward and try and prepare the best I can." King of clay Nadal had compiled a 31-match winning streak at the French Open and was attempting to win the second grand slam of the year after beating world number two Roger Federer in the final of the Australian Open. Soderling took advantage of a strong serve and big forehands to give Nadal a torrid time in front of a stunned crowd on the Philippe Chatrier court. Defeat for Nadal opens up his side of the draw with world number three Andy Murray a possible beneficiary. Murray, who was seeded to meet Nadal in the semifinals, beat Marin Cilic of Croatia 7-5 7-6 6-1 in their earlier fourth round match. He will play Fernando Gonzalez of Chile for a place in the semifinals. Gonzalez beat Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-2 6-4 6-2 in their fourth round match. Soderling will next play Nikolay Davydenko of Russia as the 10th seed beat eighth-ranked Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-2 6-2 6-4.in the final last 16 match of a dramatic day.

Four-time defending French Open champion Rafael Nadal crashes out . Top seed beaten in four sets by Sweden's Robin Soderling in Paris . Britain's Andy Murray powers into quarterfinals with straight sets win .

(CNN) -- Free elections 20 years ago this week in Poland marked the unraveling of the Soviet bloc of Eastern European nations and the beginning of market reforms. Shipyard workers hold Solidarity trade union flags on the anniversary of free elections in Poland. The events of June 1989 also marked the turning point for companies like KGHM, which has grown into a global player in the world's copper market and one of Poland's largest companies with 18,000 employees. "A lot of changes have happened since that moment, since 1989," said Zbigniew Klich, a development engineer who has worked at a company copper smelter near Lubin for more than 30 years. "This is the Poland of my dreams," Klich said. "Even though I will probably retire in the next few months I feel so fortunate to have seen the last 20 years in my professional career." The financial crisis has had minimal impact on the company so far. "In comparison to other sectors of the Polish economy, the commodity business has been doing quite well," said Jarek Romanowski, sales director of KGHM. Poland's export prowess has led the nation to become one of the great success stories of former communist bloc economies. In 2008, it ranked 22nd in the world with more than $190 billion in exports, ahead of Australia and India, according to the CIA Factbook. The country's economy has grown every year since 1992, and bucked the recessionary trend of other European Union nations by expanding its economy by just under 1 percent in the first quarter of this year. "Poland is not an island and we are very much linked to other EU countries so a lot depends on the performance of the German economy," said Dominik Radziwill, Poland's deputy finance minister. "But even with the current forecasts which are really pessimistic for the German economy, we still think Poland should be doing relatively OK." Leszek Balcerowicz was the country's first Finance Minister after the fall of communism and initiated Poland's free market reforms. "Socialism (was) a very bad system and everybody knew that it was a bad system without any hope for a better life," he said. "Transition to a better system is sometimes difficult but you have to overcome these difficulties on the way to a better regime." One industry that exploded was Poland's once state-run media industry, which now includes eight daily national newspapers plus dozens of television channels and radio stations. "The transformation had many phases in Poland. The state totally withdrew from the press market and step-by-step, private TV stations appeared," said Polish journalist Adam Mischnik. "So, today we have a pluralist media which represents very different tendencies." Janusz Weychert and Mariusz Walter founded the ITI group, a leading private media company in Poland with television stations - including the influential news network TVN24 - as well as a home video, new media and theatrical production operations. "Under one umbrella there's various projects put together," Weychert said. "The advantage it gives us is the free flow of content and information between all the platforms." Communism and absolute media control may have only been twenty years ago - but in Poland today, certainly for the country's youth and the media, it's a lifetime. Maciej Popowicz set up "Nasza-Klasa" - Poland's equivalent to Facebook -- with three friends in 2006. Its success made 25-year-old Popowicz one of Poland's youngest millionaires. He's also too young to remember what life was like under Communism. "I'm very glad that I live in these times because we have so many more opportunities than our older friends so for example, you couldn't manage your own business twenty years ago, now there is an opportunity to do that," Popowicz said. "So you can develop your ideas, create your own firms." But market reforms haven't been kind to the historic shipyards of Gdansk, where the Solidarity Union movement began with union leader and future Polish president, Lech Walesa. Marching with him was

Twenty years after democracy Poland has strongest economy in former Soviet bloc . The country's economy has grown every year since 1992 . By export it ranks 22nd in the world, ahead of Australia and India . Shipyards like Gdansk, home of the democracy movement, struggle to survive .

(CNN) -- French star Franck Ribery scored the only goal of Sunday's match as Bayern Munich went to the top of the Bundesliga with a home win over fourth-placed SV Hamburg. It ended a long wait for the Bavarian giants who have not headed the German standings since winning the title in 2008. Their poor form last season led to the departure of former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann, but his replacement Louis van Gaal has also been under pressure after a slow start to the current campaign. But since the midwinter break, Bayern have returned to winning ways and have been level on points with leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who had a better goal difference. Leverkusen's 0-0 draw at home to Cologne on Saturday extended their unbeaten Bundesliga run to a record 24 games, but left the door ajar for Bayen to take advantage. Their three-point haul on Sunday gives them a two-point cushion at the top but it was not until the 78th minute that they made the breakthrough with a fine goal from Ribery. The influential playmaker left Hamburg goalkeeper Wolfgang Hesl no chance with a fierce shot. Visitors Hamburg were still missing their new signing Ruud van Nistelrooy through injury and could create little up front. In Sunday's other game, Hanover continued their slump with a ninth defeat in a row as defending champions Wolfsburg secured a 1-0 away victory. Bosnian midfielder Zvjezdan Misimovic scored the only goal of the match for Wolfsburg to complete a fine week which saw them progress to the last 16 of the Europa League on Thursday. In the Scottish League, Rangers all but sealed the title with a last-gasp 1-0 win over 10-man Celtic in the Old Firm derby. Rangers' American substitute Maurice Edu struck in injury time to send the defending champions 10 points clear with a game in hand over their nearest rivals. Celtic captain Scott Brown was sent off in the second half but they looked set to hold out for a point until Edu scored with the last kick of the game. In the Spanish Primera, the battle for third place intensified as nine-man Valencia lost 4-1 at Athletico Madrid. David Silva grabbed the opener on 20 minutes but Valencia defender Carlos Marchena was sent off for deliberate handball and Diego Forlan converted the penalty kick. Sergio Aguero and Forlan scored further goals for Atletico after the break before the visitors had Luis Miguel sent off in the 81st minute and Jose Jurado added the fourth. Earlier, Sevilla were held to a goalless draw by Athletic Bilbao and trail Valencia by three points. In Serie A, champions Inter Milan won 3-2 at Udinese and maintained their four-point lead at the top over city rivals AC Milan, who beat Atalanta 3-1 in the San Siro. A double from Brazilian Pato enabled Milan to keep up the pressure on Jose Mourinho's men while third placed AS Roma saw their title hopes slip away in a 2-2 draw at Napoli, having led 2-0.

Franck Ribery goal gives Bayern Munich 1-0 home win over Hamburg to top Bundesliga . Rangers take giant stride towards Scottish title with 1-0 win over arch-rivals Celtic . Nine-man Valencia thrashed 4-1 by Atletico Madrid in Spanish La Liga . Inter Milan and AC Milan record victories in Serie A title countdown .

(CNN) -- From victims of gunshot wounds and domestic violence to common road injuries, Trinite Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti is inundated with trauma cases daily. A mother and child in the recovery room of Trinite Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The stream of patients arriving at the free clinic run by international aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres is virtually uninterrupted. Some arrive in police ambulance or via the Haitian Red Cross; others are dropped off in wheelbarrows, according to Brian Phillip Moller, head of the 60-bed trauma center. Gunfire no longer fills the nights the way it did when he was last in Haiti in 2006, but the workload for aid workers hasn't diminished. Instead hospitals like Trinite are dealing with trauma cases the public health system is incapable of handling, Moller tells CNN. While the security situation in Haiti has improved during the last two years, the public health system remains in disarray, according to Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders. The organization, which offers free care at three clinics in Port-au-Prince, says basic health services are practically non-existent in the capital city, the result of a public health system marred by mismanagement, strikes and shortages of medical personnel and supplies. "The Haitian system is at breakpoint," says Moller. The private health care sector has developed in recent years, but most in poverty-stricken Haiti cannot afford to pay the fees charged for services. MSF is urging the international community to increase pressure on Haiti to improve its health system. The call comes as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Haiti's Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis and representatives of donor countries are set to meet in Washington Tuesday to discuss international assistance for the country. With the public health system underfunded and understaffed, patients often have nowhere to turn but to free clinics. An obstetrics hospital run by MSF in Port-au-Prince manages 40 percent of the childbirth-related emergencies among poor women in the city. At Trinite, doctors treated nearly 18,000 trauma cases last year. The hospital's bed occupation rates are at 100 percent and at times staff have no choice but to refer patients to public health facilities that they know are inadequate. See photos of the health crisis in Haiti » MSF France, which runs the Trinite trauma center, plans to withdraw from Port-au-Prince next year, which could make the situation for Haiti's poorest even more dire. Urban conflict has subsided, reducing the need for a war surgery hospital, Moller says. About one-third of the cases at the hospital are related to road vehicle accidents. The group's mission is to provide urgent care to crisis-hit areas, he says, not cope with everyday trauma. Although the security crisis has abated, violence, is still very much a part of life in Haiti's capital city and poses a major health care challenge. One in five cases admitted to the Trinite are violence related. "Access to adequate health care is a basic human right and it is definitely not being met here in Haiti. The issue needs to be addressed very quickly. People are dying needlessly and will continue to unless this issue is addressed," Moller says.

Medecins Sans Frontieres says public health system in Haiti failing patients . Free clinics offered by the aid organization being overwhelmed . Many in poverty-stricken nation lack access to basic health care . Public health system is underfunded and understaffed, group says .

(CNN) -- Game show host and comedian Howie Mandel's irregular heartbeat scare is over, his publicist said Tuesday. Howie Mandel had an irregular heartbeat, but he did not have a heart attack, his publicist said. "Howie has been released from the hospital and will be back at work tomorrow," said Lewis Kay. "He appreciates everyone's concern." Mandel, 53, checked into a Toronto hospital Monday so doctors could monitor his condition, Kay said. He was in Toronto, filming segments for a new show "Howie Do It." The hour-long prank show debuted on NBC Friday. Mandel is the host of the American version of the game show "Deal or No Deal," which has brought huge ratings for NBC.

NEW: Howie Mandel released from Toronto hospital . Host of "Deal or No Deal" had been admitted with irregular heartbeat . Comedian was in Toronto, Canada, filming segments for a new show, "Howie Do It"

(CNN) -- Get out the coats, boots, and shovels; people in some parts of the country are in for it this winter, according to the Farmer's Almanac. Break out your winter gear -- the Farmers' Almanac is predicting a rough winter for large parts of the U.S. The longtime periodical, published since 1818 and famous for its long-range weather predictions, is out with its annual winter forecast, which says Old Man Winter is really going to hammer folks in the Midwest and upper Great Lakes region with very cold and very snowy conditions. The almanac puts it this way: "A large area of numbingly cold temperatures will predominate from roughly east of the Continental Divide to west of the Appalachians. The coldest temperatures will be over the northern Great Lakes and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. "But acting almost like the bread of a sandwich, to this swath of unseasonable cold will be two regions with temperatures that will average closer to normal -- the West Coast and the East Coast." But don't let your guard down if you live along the East or West coasts. Farmer's Almanac managing editor Sandi Duncan says no one will be immune to the rough weather this winter. "Even the areas that we say are going to be like the bread of the ice-cold sandwich are going to have bouts of stormy conditions. There's no way it's going to be that mild of a winter," she says. Nasty weather is also in the forecast for late in the season as winter moves toward spring. "We're actually predicting a possible blizzard in the northeast to the mid-Atlantic states sometime in February," Duncan says. "And it does look like the cool temperatures to the cold temperatures are going to hang on. And spring does look kind of rainy." The Farmers' Almanac gets pretty specific about that late-season blizzard forecast. According to Duncan, "February 12th-15th looks very stormy with blizzard conditions possible especially in New England but also going down to the mid-Atlantic coast." The periodical says, "While three-quarters of the country is predicted to see near- or below-average precipitation this winter, that doesn't mean there won't be any winter storms! On the contrary, significant snowfalls are forecast for parts of every zone." CNN's Ninette Sosa contributed to this story.

The Farmer's Almanac is out with its annual predictions for winter weather . It says the Great Lakes region and Midwest should expect bitterly cold weather . East, West Coasts should be more seasonable, but winter storms still likely . Looking for relief in the spring? Too bad -- it's expected to be cool and rainy .

(CNN) -- Glasgow Rangers won their 53rd Scottish title and ninth under manager Walter Smith as a 1-0 win over Hibernian on Sunday gave them an unassailable points advantage over city rivals Celtic. Kyle Lafferty scored his third goal in four games to secure the three points for Rangers, who were the defending champions. Earlier, Celtic beat Dundee United 2-0 with Senegalese striker Diomansy Kamara and Robbie Keane, with a last-minute penalty, scoring the goals. It was their fifth straight league win under interim manager Neil Lennon, but Rangers' title triumph was a formality which was confirmed later at Easter Road. Lafferty was on target after 17 minutes as Kenny Miller set him on his way to score with an angled drive. Smith, who won his first seven Scottish titles with Rangers in his first spell at the club, savored the latest victory which has come against the backdrop of financial worries and uncertainty over the future ownership of the famous club. "You always feel grateful for the fact that you've won a trophy and you are in this position, as Rangers teams are a lot of the time," he told gathered reporters. In Bundesliga action on Sunday, Europa League semifinalists Hamburg were thrashed 5-1 at Hoffenheim. Strikers Chinedu Obasi and Vedad Ibisevic both scored twice for the hosts in the rout which followed Hamburg's goalless draw with Fulham in the first leg of their last four Europa clash on Thursday and ahead of next week's return. In Spain's La Liga, Valencia kept their third grip on third place with a 1-0 win over Deportivo la Coruna as David Villa scored a first half penalty. Athletico Madrid warmed up for their Europa League semifinal second leg against Liverpool by beating Tenerife 3-1, with Sergio Aguero scoring their third. Atletico lead Liverpool 1-0 going to Anfield on Thursday. A dramatic late penalty from Daniel Parejo gave Getafe a 4-3 victory over Sevilla in the late match in Spain. Sevilla could have taken advantage of Mallorca's surprise 1-1 draw against Malaga to claim fourth place. Siem de Jong's early double gave Ajax a 2-0 lead after the Dutch Cup final first leg against Feyenoord. The Dutch under-21 midfielder scored in the sixth and seventh minutes at the Amsterdam Arena for Martin Jol's men. Marseille are closing on the French league title as Mathieu Valbuena scored the only goal of the match in a 1-0 win over St Etienne. With just four games remaining they are five points clear of Auxerre, who beat Toulouse 3-0 in an earlier match.

Glasgow Rangers wrap up their 53rd Scottish title with 1-0 win over Hibernian . Europa League semifinalists Hamburg thrashed 5-1 by Hoffenheim in Bundesliga . Valencia consolidate third in Spain with 1-0 win over Deportivo . Ajax take 2-0 lead after first leg of Dutch Cup final against Feyenoord .

(CNN) -- Golf legend Tom Watson says Tiger Woods needs to "clean up his act" and show some humility in public when he returns to the circuit after sorting out his tangled personal life. World number one Woods is taking an "indefinite break" from the circuit after a car crash outside his Florida home on November 27 led to revelations about a string of extramarital affairs. Elder statesman Watson, who came close to winning last year's British Open at Turrnberry, aired candid views on Woods as he prepared to tee up in this week's Dubai Desert Classic. "Tiger has to take ownership of what he has done," said the 60-year-old. "He must get his personal life in order. I think that's what he's trying to do. And when he comes back he has to show some humility to the public," he added. "I would come out and I would do an interview with somebody and say, `You know what? I screwed up. And I admit it. I am going to try to change. I am trying to change. I want my wife and family back." Watson, who dueled with fellow legend Jack Nicklaus at the peak of his career, also criticized Woods for his behavior on the course, upbraiding him for bad language and angry outbursts. "I feel that he has not carried the same stature that other great players that have come along like Jack (Nicklaus), Arnold (Palmer), Byron Nelson, the Hogans, in the sense that there was language and club throwing on the golf course," Watson went on: "I think he needs to clean up his act and show the respect for the game that other people before him have shown." Woods, who has not made a public appearance since the media storm which engulfed him at the end of 2009, has lost a string of endorsements since he admitted to "transgressions" in his personal life. The 14-time major winner has also been a regular at the prestigious tournament in Dubai, which completes the "Gulf swing" on the European Tour. In his absence, Watson is the star attraction after his heroics at Turnberry which saw him beaten in a playoff by fellow American Stewart Cink. Watson, who has already won the Seniors Tour this year, has played down his chances of victory but has been impressed by the condition of the Emirates course. "The rough is very tough," he said. "It is very tough to get the ball on the green from the rough. You have probably only got a one-in-seven or one-in-eight chance to get the green if you drive into the rough." Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy defends the title where he made his big breakthrough last year, with European number one Lee Westwood and Sweden's Henrik Stenson also among the favorites for the $416,000 first prize.

Golf legend Tom Watson says Tiger Woods needs to clean up his act . Watson compares Woods unfavorably with other greats such as Jack Nicklaus . Watson is making a guest appearance at this week's Dubai Desert Classic . Rory McIlroy defends his title which boasts a first prize of $416,000 .

(CNN) -- Golfer Tiger Woods will "apologize for his behavior" Friday when he makes a statement at PGA headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, his agent said. Agent Mark Steinberg said Woods would not answer questions. It will be the golfer's first public appearance since his November 27 car crash outside his home near Orlando, Florida. "Tiger Woods will be speaking to a small group of friends, colleagues and close associates," Steinberg said. " ... Tiger plans to discuss his past and his future and he intends to apologize for his behavior." A statement on Woods' Web site elaborated: "While Tiger feels that what happened is fundamentally a matter between him and his wife, he also recognizes that he has hurt and let down a lot of other people who were close to him. He also let down his fans. He wants to begin the process of making amends, and that's what he's going to discuss." Blog: No apologies Tiger, just be real Steinberg said he didn't know if Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren, would appear with her husband. Woods crashed his black Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant and then a tree just a few days after the National Enquirer reported he was having an affair with a New York nightclub hostess who denied the affair. A day after he paid his $164 traffic ticket, Woods' seemingly perfect world began to crumble under what would eventually become an avalanche of allegations of infidelity threatening his five-year marriage to Nordegren. The couple have two children, Charlie, 1, and Sam, 2. Woods issued an apology for "transgressions" that had let his family down, as several women reported they had affairs with the golfer -- including one woman who allegedly had Woods on a voicemail asking her to take his name off her cell phone because "my wife went through my phone and may be calling you." Several of Woods' major sponsors, including AT&T and Accenture, ended their business relationships with Woods following the crash and the exposure of his marriage troubles. iReport: Share your thoughts on Woods' apology But other companies, including Nike and Pepsi's Gatorade, continue to sponsor Woods, who has taken a break from his professional golfing career. Procter & Gamble's Gillette said it would stop airing commercials featuring the golfer for a while.

NEW: No word on whether Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren, will appear with her husband . Agent: Woods will make statement at PGA headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida . Woods will not answer questions, agent Mark Steinberg says . Woods plans to discuss his future and to apologize for his behavior, Steinberg says .

(CNN) -- Green living is a spiritual calling for a group of Christian women in the upper Midwest. Call it a heavenly approach to being good stewards of the Earth. While most people don't think about sustainable buildings in a spiritual light, the Benedictine Women of Madison, Wisconsin, believe they should. The ecumenical order's new Holy Wisdom Monastery scored the highest number of points ever awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for new construction. Holy Wisdom Monastery is run by three Benedictine sisters. The idea that they wanted to build the most sustainable, cutting-edge, eco-friendly building in the United States is surprising to some; but given the order's mission, it's an obvious fit for the women. "People who know us see it as falling out of our mission. They see it as something they would expect from us," Sister Mary David Walgenbach said. One of the order's core values is "Care for the Earth." "People who don't know us, who come into the building, are surprised by its elegance and simplicity. And they ask the same question: 'Why would a small community of women do such a thing?'" said Walgenbach. "But when we talk to them about who we are and why we think it's important to do this, and, in our day and age, why it's even more important that our religious people think about caring of the Earth, then they're very open to that." Also surprising: the building's sustainability statistics. Holy Wisdom Monastery sits on 130 rural acres, just outside Madison. The original building, once a Catholic high school for girls, was torn down and 99.75 percent of the material was either reused or recycled. Hoffman LLC designed and built the monastery at a cost of $246 per square foot, or just over $7.5 million for demolition through construction. "There's a long list of reasons this building is the greenest in the U.S. right now," said company owner Paul Hoffman. "For one, the building is projected to save at least 60 percent on energy costs alone." That's because the heating and cooling systems are powered by 39 geothermal wells, closed-loop wells sunk deep in the earth. Hoffman says the geothermal wells work so efficiently that on some days, the monastery actually sells energy to the utility, instead of buying it. Photovoltaic lights, which are cells that convert sunlight into electricity, are used in the parking lot. Another set of photovoltaic cells on the monastery's roof generates 15 percent of the building's energy needs. Eventually the monastery hopes to generate all of its own energy from on-site renewable sources. The windows in the monastery are unique. They were specially designed for the building using a new technique. "We used Andersen wood windows and they developed a special highly sustainable window with special glazing," Hoffman said. "So there's absolutely no blinds, shades, or draperies in the building because the glass is the thing that transmits the light, but eliminates the glare, yet grabs the solar heat gains." Hoffman hired the green consulting firm Vertegy, based in St. Louis, Missouri, to help coordinate the many complex aspects involved in constructing a sustainable building and completing the very complicated U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification process. Construction methods for a green building are very different from traditional ones, according to Thomas Taylor, Vertegy's general manager. "The person who designs the structure of the building, the person who designs the mechanical systems like the air conditioning, the people who design the plumbing, and even the outside landscape, they all have to work together," he said. "In recent times in design and construction, they haven't worked together. They've worked kind of in a bubble." Then, Taylor added, "one person brings it all together, puts it on a drawing and then the contractor goes out and builds it."

Benedictine Women in Wisconsin win award for greenest new building in U.S. Monastery features geothermal heating, photovoltaic lights, specially designed windows . Building is projected to save at least 60 percent on energy costs alone . Hoffman LLC designed and built monastery at a cost of just over $7.5 million .

(CNN) -- He burst on the music scene in the 1970s with the Commodores and then went on to a major solo career with hits such as "All Night Long" and "Hello." Lionel Richie and his daughter, Nicole, gave their first joint TV interview in six years to CNN's Larry King. She made a name for herself on the TV series "The Simple Life," which followed the exploits of her and fellow socialite Paris Hilton, and in the tabloids. Father-and-daughter Lionel and Nicole Richie have been making news for decades, but rarely together. In their first TV interview together in six years, they talked with CNN's Larry King about their relationship; her time in rehab; Lionel's first grandchild, Harlow; their growing family; and more. The following interview, scheduled to air Thursday night, has been edited for brevity and clarity: Larry King: You did "American Idol." A European tour. A new CD. You ever give thoughts of just cooling it? Lionel Richie: My answer to that is very simple. I don't like fishing. I'm pretty much like you. This is my hobby. King: What's the new album ["Just Go"] about? Lionel Richie: You know what I decided to do on this album? Something different. Instead of controlling, which is what I love to do -- I'm the writer, I'm the arranger, I'm the producer, I'm the singer -- I decided [to] start another way. I just gave up the power completely. There is only one song on this album that I actually wrote, called "Eternity." King: The "American Idol" thing. Was that fun? Why did you do it? Lionel Richie: It's the best fun in the world. Danny [Gokey] was so wonderful. He kept saying, "Suppose I mess up or suppose I sing your line instead of my line," and I said, "You can't mess this one up. And if you feel like you want to sing my part, sing it loud and strong." And of course he nailed it. It was so much fun to watch everybody backstage. The tension of what goes through that show, I don't think I [could] do it. [Nicole Richie joins the interview] King: What is it like to be with her in this setting? Lionel Richie: I'm so proud of her right now. There is such a pride that she has turned this corner. She is an amazing mother. I want the world to know where she is. King: Now you're pregnant with a second child, right? Nicole Richie: Yes, yes I am. King: And the father [Joel Madden] is the same? Nicole Richie: Yes. King: You going to get married? Nicole Richie: Eventually, yes. King: But that's not important or paramount? Nicole Richie: I think for both of us, we are going to do it because we want to, not because that's what you do. King: What kind of grandfather is he? Nicole Richie: Well, he's very animated. He smiles like this all the time, and so he's nothing but fun for Harlow. She absolutely loves him. Watch Nicole Richie talk about her daughter » King: Nicole, you've been through some turbulent times. You've had drug abuse, wild-child behavior. Entered rehab in 2003. How have you come through all of that? Nicole Richie: With the support of my family, really. I've always stayed really close with my mother [Brenda] and my father. I have really great friends. And I just have a really great circle around me who support me no matter what, don't judge me no matter how low I've ever gotten. King: How did you deal with it

Lionel Richie likes father of his grandchild; says Nicole shouldn't rush marriage . Nicole Richie says parents' love and support helped her make it through drug rehab . Nicole on Lionel: "I hate when he says that he wasn't a good dad" How was his "American Idol" appearance? "It's the best fun in the world"

(CNN) -- He burst on the music scene in the 1970s with the Commodores and then went on to a major solo career with hits such as "All Night Long" and "Hello." Lionel Richie and his daughter, Nicole, gave their first joint TV interview in six years to CNN's Larry King. She made a name for herself on the TV series "The Simple Life," which followed the exploits of her and fellow socialite Paris Hilton, and in the tabloids. Father-and-daughter Lionel and Nicole Richie have been making news for decades, but rarely together. In their first TV interview together in six years, they talked with CNN's Larry King about their relationship; her time in rehab; Lionel's first grandchild, Harlow; their growing family; and more. The following interview, scheduled to air Thursday night, has been edited for brevity and clarity: Larry King: You did "American Idol." A European tour. A new CD. You ever give thoughts of just cooling it? Lionel Richie: My answer to that is very simple. I don't like fishing. I'm pretty much like you. This is my hobby. King: What's the new album ["Just Go"] about? Lionel Richie: You know what I decided to do on this album? Something different. Instead of controlling, which is what I love to do -- I'm the writer, I'm the arranger, I'm the producer, I'm the singer -- I decided [to] start another way. I just gave up the power completely. There is only one song on this album that I actually wrote, called "Eternity." King: The "American Idol" thing. Was that fun? Why did you do it? Lionel Richie: It's the best fun in the world. Danny [Gokey] was so wonderful. He kept saying, "Suppose I mess up or suppose I sing your line instead of my line," and I said, "You can't mess this one up. And if you feel like you want to sing my part, sing it loud and strong." And of course he nailed it. It was so much fun to watch everybody backstage. The tension of what goes through that show, I don't think I [could] do it. [Nicole Richie joins the interview] King: What is it like to be with her in this setting? Lionel Richie: I'm so proud of her right now. There is such a pride that she has turned this corner. She is an amazing mother. I want the world to know where she is. King: Now you're pregnant with a second child, right? Nicole Richie: Yes, yes I am. King: And the father [Joel Madden] is the same? Nicole Richie: Yes. King: You going to get married? Nicole Richie: Eventually, yes. King: But that's not important or paramount? Nicole Richie: I think for both of us, we are going to do it because we want to, not because that's what you do. King: What kind of grandfather is he? Nicole Richie: Well, he's very animated. He smiles like this all the time, and so he's nothing but fun for Harlow. She absolutely loves him. Watch Nicole Richie talk about her daughter » King: Nicole, you've been through some turbulent times. You've had drug abuse, wild-child behavior. Entered rehab in 2003. How have you come through all of that? Nicole Richie: With the support of my family, really. I've always stayed really close with my mother [Brenda] and my father. I have really great friends. And I just have a really great circle around me who support me no matter what, don't judge me no matter how low I've ever gotten. King: How did you deal with it

Lionel Richie likes father of his grandchild; says Nicole shouldn't rush marriage . Nicole Richie says parents' love and support helped her make it through drug rehab . Nicole on Lionel: "I hate when he says that he wasn't a good dad" How was his "American Idol" appearance? "It's the best fun in the world"

(CNN) -- Heavy rains and hurricane-force winds that surpassed 70 miles per hour in places toppled trees, left more than half a million people without power, and suspended travel throughout much of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic region Saturday night. Four inches of rain fell in parts of the region, and the National Weather Service extended storm and flood warnings for much of the area into Sunday. "This storm is such a slow mover that it's not going to pull out probably until Monday," said CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. "There's another whole day to get through with heavy rain and strong winds." Some areas will see an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain by Sunday, Jeras said, though winds are expected to die down to a maximum of 30 miles an hour. Power outages darkened much of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. New Jersey's PSE&G electric company said 136,000 customers were without power Saturday night, while Long Island Power Authority said close to 190,000 customers lacked electricity. "The ground is so wet from all the snow we've had this winter, it's helping the trees to topple over, as well as our utility poles," said Long Island Power Authority president and CEO Kevin Law. "The conditions are still too terrible to get crews out there." Law said that some customers will likely go without power until early next week. Con Edison reported 97,000 customers without power in New York City and Westchester County, while other electric companies in the region reported tens of thousands more were in the dark. Amtrak suspended trains between New York and Philadelphia because of issues with overhead wires and power outages. About 10 Amtrak trains were affected. New Jersey Transit stopped train service for the majority of its system, including the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coastline, Raritan Valley, and Atlantic City Rail lines. A New Jersey Transit spokeswoman said many trees have fallen on overhead wires. Boston's Logan International Airport diverted flights due to weather and there were reports of major delays at airports throughout the Northeast. Across the region, trees and utility poles crashed onto houses and cars. Part of a crane collapsed at a construction site in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The New York police department brought in additional 911 operators Saturday to handle the surge in emergency calls.

Four inches of rain and winds topping 70 mph recorded in parts of the Northeast . Storm and flood warnings extended into Sunday for much of the area . Slow-moving storm won't pass "probably until Monday," CNN meteorologist says . Outages darken much of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut .

(CNN) -- Her adopted brood included a Russian immigrant who had lost an eye to cancer and a family whose father was killed by a suicide bomber on a bus. Clara Chaya Hammer, a Jerusalem great, great-grandmother who endeared herself to thousands by making sure the city's needy received a proper meal on the Jewish Sabbath, died in March just shy of her 100th birthday. Known around the world as "The Chicken Lady of Jerusalem," Hammer spearheaded a fund that provided free chicken to her charges every week -- or a substitute, if they happened to be vegetarian. She once quipped, "Just because they're vegetarian, I don't have to punish them." One of Hammer's daughters and great-granddaughters will carry on "The Chicken Lady's" legacy. "We decided in the family we have to continue what she started 30 years ago," said daughter Chana Homnick in Jerusalem. "We're continuing the Clara Hammer Chicken Fund to feed over 250 families." The monthly butcher bill tallies about $10,000. Hammer, a widow and retired Hebrew teacher, made it her job to give the neighborhood butcher plenty of business. It all began when she stood in line at the butcher shop to buy chicken for the Sabbath herself. She noticed a young girl in front of her receiving a plastic bag full of chicken fat and skin. Curious, she asked the butcher: "How many cats or dogs does that family have?" He explained the family had many children and the father was on dialysis. They had run up a tremendous bill, so the butcher just gave them fat and skins for a soup for Friday dinner and a cholent, or stew, for Saturday lunch. Hammer declared: "You give them every week two chickens and a half kilo of turkey, and I will pay for it." Soon the butcher, rabbis, social workers and friends began telling her of other families who needed help, and the fund grew. At first, Hammer's family helped her foot the bill. Then the cause took wing, with donors from around the world sending money. All received a handwritten thank-you card from Hammer and a copy of an article about the effort. For nearly 30 years, Hammer single-handedly ran the operation from her dining-room table. She would have been 100 on May 19. Born in Russia in 1910, she survived a pogrom in the Ukraine and fled with her family to Romania. Enduring hunger, illness and imprisonment, they made their way to Palestine and lived in a tent for three years. With no hospital care available, they were advised to leave for the United States. Her mother, who had contracted tuberculosis, died two years later, when Hammer was 14. Decades later in Israel, Hammer reflected: "I have a tremendous amount of sympathy, what we would call 'rahmanut,' for people who are hungry, thirsty, in pain, have any type of needs." Among her many awards were an honorary "doctorate in kindness" from Yeshiva University at age 98 and the Jerusalem Prize for Good Citizenship at age 90. "My mother did so many wonderful things for so many people. Instead of being called 'The Chicken Lady,' she should be called 'The Mitzvah Lady.' The main thing is she wanted everyone to feel good. She was very special," said Homnick, one of Hammer's three daughters. Other survivors include nine grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren and 24 great, great-grandchildren. Ralph Resnick, a nephew in Los Angeles, California, remembers Hammer as a larger-than-life personality. "I think the ripples of her mitzvah, of her good deed, have emanated far and wide. It's a wonderful lesson of how something like that can start and influence so many people -- and not just the people she helped. It's almost like 'Pay It Forward.' It really happens in real life too. "I wish she had lived to 100."

As a child, Clara Chaya Hammer endured hunger and imprisonment . As an adult, "Chicken Lady of Jerusalem" provided Sabbath meals to thousands in need . Family will continue charity work Hammer single-handedly started 30 years ago .

(CNN) -- Here's a solid bet: At a few minutes after 6 p.m. on Saturday, Chef Jo-Jo Doyle will have goosebumps on his arms, and he'll be in dire need of a nap. The 35-year-old chef will have been at Churchill Downs since 5 a.m., working with his teams to prep, among other Southern treats, 1,892 sheets of Derby Pies, 18,000 barbecue sandwiches, 9,700 pounds of chicken, 11,520 Niman Ranch sausages (including a bourbon version specially made for the event) and 120,000 mint juleps to be served to more than 150,000 guests at the 136th annual Kentucky Derby. This isn't Chef Doyle's first time around the track, though. He's worked in the Churchill Downs' kitchens for four years, and this is his second stint as executive chef. He's learned to pace himself. "It's basically like a family reunion," Doyle told CNN. "The food is coming in waves all day long. There's breakfast, then second breakfast, then first lunch ... we're taking our hats off to Grandma here. You don't know what to do with yourself, so you just keep eating," Doyle said. Behind the scenes, hopefully, things will gallop right along. Read preview of the Kentucky Derby "I thrive on the energy in the kitchen, and I've learned it's like climbing a mountain. We train, test, pace, work and plan," he said. That's especially important this year, with his addition of some innovative new dishes alongside his family's classic succotash recipe and the track's standard barbecue, hot dogs and shrimp salad. The Alabama native collaborates closely with nearby farmers to be able to introduce some fresh -- as in picked 15 to 20 minutes earlier -- new flavors in the form of "living greens," which are sponge-grown lettuces plucked from their roots right before they're served alongside Kentucky blue cheese. And "Oh my goodness!" he raves about local tomatoes from Kentucky Hydro. "Fresh is best. I'm taking what chefs are doing every day. I'm just doing it for thousands and thousands of people." He's also thrilled to be working with meat supplier Niman Ranch, which raises all their animals hormone-free, humanely and sustainably on family farms. Now about those juleps ... The track's staff will go through approximately 475,000 pounds of shaved ice, 7,800 liters of bourbon and 2,250 pounds of mint to quench loads of thirsty racegoers. Doyle notes that everyone has their own method. Some people use simple syrup, and others steep mint on their bourbon. But when the silver cup is in his hand, he'll grab a quantity of fresh Kentucky mint and, "I muddle really well with sugar -- which does a really good job of releasing the oils. And I like crushed ice because it makes it cold quicker." And he's got his crushing method down cold. No "chewy" little bits for him; he takes a couple of cubes in the palm of his hand and strikes them with the back of an ice cream scoop. So when does he finally get a chance to chill out? He'll step out of the kitchen, right before post time and listen to the crowd sing "My Old Kentucky Home." It's his favorite part of the whole day, and he gets goosebumps every time. The moment it's all over, it's back to the races. He assesses the day's performance and begins planning next year's menu, without pausing to take a victory lap. Like he says, "Not everyone gets to be the chef at Churchill Downs." Here are a few of the recipes used by Kentucky Derby fans: Simple Mint Julep Ingredients: 1 tsp sugar, handful of clean mint leaves and additional mint sprig, crushed ice, 3 oz of bourbon Note: Juleps are traditionally served in silver cups because they retain an even chill. If you don't have one, a chilled tumbler will do just fine.

Chef Jo-Jo Doyle has worked at Churchill Downs' kitchen for four years . "The food is coming in waves all day long," Doyle says . Track's staff will go through approximately 475,000 pounds of shaved ice .

(CNN) -- Home favorite Rafael Nadal was watched by a galaxy of football stars as he reached the third round of the Madrid Open with a straight sets win over Ukrainian qualifier Oleksandr Dolgopolov on Wednesday. Real Madrid stars past and present Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul and Zinedine Zidane were courtside at the Caja Magica to see the world number three battle to a 6-4 6-3 win. The second seed, who did not have things all his own way against Dolgopolov, will now face giant U.S. star John Isner, who struggled past Colombian qualifier Santiago Giraldo 1-6 7-6 6-3. Nadal is playing on home clay in his final tournament before the French Open where he hopes to regain the title, won last year by Roger Federer and claim his fifth grand slam triumph at Roland Garros. Earlier, world number five Andy Roddick's preparations for the second grand slam of the year suffered a setback as he was forced to pull out of his match against Spain's Feliciano Lopez with a nasty stomach bug. "I got here, and then on Sunday night through Monday evening I was up with a stomach virus. I was up for 24 hours vomiting, sweating, the whole deal, " Roddick told the official ATP Tour Web site. Roddick has not played since winning the Miami Masters last month and said the illness had come at just the wrong time. "It's very bad timing. I would've taken this virus any time in the last five weeks instead of now, but I guess that's the way it goes sometimes," he said. "Playing well in Paris isn't totally out of the question, it's just going to be a little tough," he added. In the evening session, Britain's Andy Murray, seeded third showed improved form on clay with a 6-3 6-3 win over Juan Ignacio Chela, his fourth straight win over the Argentine. "I was pleased with the win," said Murray. "I served well and was able to move him around the court." Meanwhile, Munich Open winner Mikhail Youzhny made an early exit to Latvian Ernest Gulbis 7-6 6-4 and 15th seed Stanislas Wawrinka set up a third-round showdown with world number one and Swiss compatriot Roger Federer after beating Leonardo Mayer, who was down 6-4 4-2 when he retired.

Rafael Nadal reaches third round of the Madrid Masters with straight sets win . Nadal was watched by Real Madrid football stars as he beat Oleksandr Dolgopolov . World number five Andy Roddick suffers illness scare ahead of French Open . Third seed Andy Murray beats Juan Ignacio Chela in straight sets .

(CNN) -- Honduran prosecutors issued arrest warrants for the country's six top military commanders for abuse of power in connection with the coup that ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya last year. The Honduran high command, including Gen. Romeo Vasquez Velasquez, the country's top military chief, face charges for bursting into Zelaya's residence and transporting the president to neighboring Costa Rica, Attorney General Luis Rubi said. The June 28 coup deepened a political crisis that remains unresolved, despite a new president being elected in November. Rubi himself filed the arrest warrants at the Supreme Court on Wednesday. In addition to abuse of power, the military commanders face charges of illegal expatriation of a citizen. The manner in which Zelaya was ousted was key in how other countries and international bodies interpreted the military action. The de facto government of Roberto Micheletti and his supporters have insisted that Zelaya's removal was a constitutional transfer of power. But the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the European Union and most nations -- including the United States -- condemned the coup and demanded that Zelaya be reinstated immediately The crisis erupted in June when Zelaya -- despite congressional and supreme court decisions calling it illegal -- pushed forward with a plan to hold a referendum that could have led to changing the constitution to allow for additional presidential terms. The Supreme Court signed an arrest warrant for Zelaya but not to send him into exile. Now, the Supreme Court has three days to decide whether to ratify the charges and start a case against the military officers. Armed Forces spokesman Col. Ramiro Archaga said that the military respects the rule of law and are willing to appear before the justice system. The announcement of the arrest warrants came as U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Craig Kelly visited with the key players in the crisis in Honduras. Kelly met with Micheletti Wednesday, though details of the talks were unknown except for a statement from acting Honduran Foreign Minister Carlos Lopez Contreras, saying that calls for Micheletti's resignation were not part of the dialogue. Meanwhile, Zelaya remained holed up inside the Brazilian Embassy in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa. He has been there ever since sneaking back into the country in September. In another development, the Honduran congress was to take up the issue of amnesty for Zelaya and other players in the crisis next week. Journalist Elvin Sandoval contributed to this report.

NEW: Announcement of arrest warrants coincide with U.S. official's visit . Zelaya remains holed up inside the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras . Micheletti's government insists Zelaya's removal was constitutional transfer of power .

(CNN) -- Hondurans will answer two questions Sunday when the troubled Central American nation holds elections: Who will win the presidency, and will voters heed calls for a boycott? The answer to a third question will remain unanswered for a while: Will the international community recognize the newly elected leader even though the vote was held under the stewardship of interim President Roberto Micheletti, who came to power after a coup? "The government needs a strong turnout and limited irregularities in order to claim that the elections are legitimate, especially given that there will not be international observers from the [Organization of American States] or the Carter Center," said Heather Berkman, a Latin America analyst with the Eurasia Group consulting firm. Ousted President Manuel Zelaya has said he will not recognize the election results and has called for a boycott. Many nations also have said they will withhold recognition of the winner in Honduras. In a written statement, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the United States "remains committed to help restore the democratic and constitutional order in Honduras in the wake of the June 28 coup d'etat that removed President Zelaya and led to the suspension of Honduras from the Organization of American States." He called the November 29 elections "another critical step in the restoration of the democratic and constitutional order in Honduras," and noted that the electoral process is conducted "under the stewardship of the multi-party and autonomous Supreme Electoral Tribunal, which was also selected before the coup." Honduran authorities seemed to be preparing for violence. Police and the military have stockpiled 10,000 tear gas canisters and other crowd-control equipment, "triggering fears of an increased risk of excessive and disproportionate use of force by security forces around the presidential elections," said the human rights organization Amnesty International. The Gordian knot of Honduran politics was tied early June 28 when a military-backed coup removed Zelaya from power, shuttling him off in his pajamas to nearby Costa Rica. Congress swore in Micheletti, the Legislature's president, as his replacement a few hours later. The United Nations, OAS, European Union and most nations -- including the United States -- condemned the coup and demanded that Zelaya be reinstated. Five months later, Zelaya is still not in power, holed up instead in the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. The ousted president returned secretly to his country September 21 and obtained refuge at the embassy. It looked like a solution had been reached October 29, when Zelaya and Micheletti agreed to a deal brokered by the United States. The pact said Congress would vote on Zelaya's return to power after consultation with the nation's Supreme Court and other bodies. The vote was supposed to be held within a week but now is set for next week after the elections. The Supreme Court ruled 14-1 this week that Zelaya cannot return to office without facing trial first on charges that he acted unconstitutionally when trying to hold a vote that could have led to the lifting of presidential term limits. The Supreme Court had ruled that the vote was illegal, and Congress had forbidden it. The coup came on the day that vote was supposed to be held. Micheletti stepped down temporarily this week to try to distance himself from Sunday's elections. He said he will resume office Wednesday. The new president is scheduled to be sworn in January 27. In addition to the presidency, at stake in Sunday's election are three vice presidents, 128 members of Congress and mayors and other municipal leaders throughout the nation. Among the five major presidential candidates, Porfirio Lobo Sosa of the opposition National Party is considered the front-runner. Polls last month showed him with a double-digit lead over Elvin Santos of the Liberal Party. Zelaya and Micheletti are Liberal Party members, and their rift has splintered the party. The other three candidates are Bernard Martinez of the Innovation and Unity Party-Social-Democracy, Felicito Avila of the Christian Democrat Party and Cesar Ham of the Democratic Unification Party. A sixth candidate, Carlos Reyes, withdrew this month. Amnesty International said Friday that

NEW: U.S. State Department says elections are "critical step" to restore order . Many nations likely to withhold recognition of newly elected Honduran leader . Ousted President Manuel Zelaya has called for boycott of Sunday's elections . Amnesty International says activists facing threats, intimidation .

(CNN) -- Hours after a security breach forced the closure of a terminal at the Newark, New Jersey, airport Sunday, authorities were still searching for a man who went the wrong way through a checkpoint exit. The incident happened at about 5:20 p.m. at Terminal C, when an individual walked from the public side to the secure "sterile" side for passengers who had cleared screening, according to the Transportation Security Administration. No flights were allowed to leave from Terminal C Sunday evening and thousands of other travelers who had reached the sterile area after going through checkpoints were moved back to the public area to be re-screened, the TSA said. Authorities are reviewing video from airport cameras. They are not sure whether the man was once on the sterile side and went back, or if he never went through screening, TSA spokeswoman Anne Davis said. Watch more about the situation in Newark The incident caused arrival delays and mainly affected Continental Airlines, which is the airport's largest tenant. CNN's Alina Cho, who arrived at the airport Saturday night on a flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, described the hectic scene: "For the people who are hoping to fly out of Newark this evening, there is not a lot of movement." She said many passengers who had already boarded outgoing flights had to get off planes to be re-screened. "I just saw one woman pleading with a gate agent, saying that she had two small children and a heart condition -- that she simply could not take this," Cho said. "But of course, there will be no exceptions." Flying Continental? Important company notice Newark Liberty International Airport, which is about 15 miles from Manhattan, is the second-largest hub for Continental. The airport handles about 35 million passengers a year. CNN's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report.

TSA: Man walks through wrong side of checkpoint exit . Police seek the individual, who walked from the public side to the sterile side . No flights allowed to leave from Terminal C Sunday evening . Incident causes arrival delays and mainly affected Continental Airlines .

(CNN) -- Houston Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada is expected to plead guilty Wednesday in federal court to a count of lying to Congress about his knowledge of Major League Baseball players using performance-enhancing drugs, according to officials familiar with the case. Miguel Tejada, a shortstop for the Houston Astros, has been charged with lying to Congress. In a document filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Tejada is charged in a criminal "information," a document that routinely signals a plea bargain agreement. The document does not directly accuse Tejada of using steroids or other substances. However, the court document says that in 2003 Tejada gave another player more than $5,000 in checks "for substances which he believed to be HGH [human growth hormone]." The document says Tejada lied to congressional investigators when he told them on August 26, 2005, that he had never heard discussions about steroids by other players, and that he never knew of any other player using steroids. After the December 2007 Mitchell Report on steroid use in baseball, which appeared to contradict Tejada, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform asked the Justice Department to investigate whether Tejada "made knowingly false statements to the committee." The investigators concluded he had lied. "Defendant Tejada unlawfully withheld pertinent information from the committee because defendant Tejada before and during his interview with the committee staff, then and there well knew that Player #1 [unidentified], one of his teammates on the Oakland Athletics, had used steroids and HGH," the document says. Tejada played for the Athletics from 1997 to 2003. He is scheduled to appear at 11 a.m. Wednesday before a magistrate judge, indicating the charge against him will be a misdemeanor carrying a maximum sentence of a year in jail. However, a government official familiar with the case said that under sentencing guidelines, Tejada could get from zero to 6 months, which means he may receive probation without jail time. Tejada, who started his MLB career in 1997, hit at least 30 home runs from 2000 through 2004 with the exception of 2003, when he hit 27. He won the American League's most valuable player award in 2002, when he hit a career-best 34 home runs. He matched that total in 2004, his first year with the Baltimore Orioles. He began playing with Houston in 2008. The information came one day after MLB star Alex Rodriguez -- the New York Yankees' third baseman since 2004 -- admitted that he had used a "banned substance" during the 2001-2003 seasons. Sports Illustrated had reported that Rodriguez had tested positive for steroids in 2003, when he was playing for the Texas Rangers.

Court document: Tejada knew teammate used performance-enhancing drugs . Document: Tejada lied in 2005 when he denied knowing of players using steroids . Houston Astros shortstop charged with lying to congressional investigators .

(CNN) -- Houston Rockets team physician Tom Clanton has said the foot injury currently sidelining Chinese center Yao Ming could threaten the seven-foot-six-inch player's career. Yao Ming's entire basketball future could be in danger due to his persistent foot injury. "At this point, the injury has the potential for him missing this next season and could be career-threatening," Clanton told the Houston Chronicle regional newspaper. "One of the things we are trying to get is a consensus opinion on that, to make certain there is no option we are overlooking that would provide an earlier return or would be an option for treatment that he would prefer rather than doing additional surgery," he added. Yao fractured his left foot last month during a semifinal match against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Western Conference semifinals and has been visiting specialists ahead of treatment since then. Clanton continued: "At this stage, he is having no symptoms or physical signs, he has no tenderness, no swelling, no redness. When he came back in, he was feeling like everything was perfect, and he would start rehabilitation and get ready to play. "The findings on the CT were shocking for him and for us. You don't treat a CT scan; you treat a patient. We are looking for every reason to treat this on clinical findings but don't want to put him at risk for a greater fracture," he added. The diagnosis raises doubt over the playing future of one of the biggest stars in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and one of the most famous celebrities to hail from China. Yao is a national hero in his homeland, and the news has prompted a frenzy of postings on the internet, arguing about the why's and wherefore's of his injury. "He is really tired," says one Netizen posting on Sina.com. "He needs to rest, we cannot let the giant fall!" "I wish everything will work out well for Yao Ming," says another teenage basketball fan. "There is always a way to deal with injuries. We should not give up." Some Yao supporters think he should take a long break -- even for the whole season -- and make a comeback later. "I think his injury is very bad," opines Ma Jian, a TV commentator who played for the Chinese national team. "With all the weight training the team have put him through in the past seven years, Yao has gained about 20 kilos in his upper body. But his lower body, especially his feet, did not gain much strength to hold his large frame." The 28-year-old Yao has been a perennial pick for the NBA All-Star teams since moving from the Shanghai Sharks to the Rockets in 2002. Yao also captained the Chinese team as hosts at the 2008 Beijing Games, as well as taking the role of flag-bearer in the opening ceremony. Yao was awarded the honor of "model worker" in 2005 by China's ruling Communist Party. However, despite his popularity, Yao still has his share of detractors. Known as "Yao hei" -- they are people who are out to smear the player. "He is a man made of glass," says one posting on Sina.com. "Should we call him Yao the glass or Yao the porcelain?" asks one rhetorically. Yao is now a multi-millionaire, earning millions of dollars yearly, not just from his NBA team but from lucrative commercial endorsements. Admirers say Yao has done more for improving China's image overseas than any modern-day politician or diplomat. Next to the giant panda, Yao is perhaps China's best known and much loved, icon, in part because exudes a wholesome, feel-good image. "He is such an affable, likeable guy," recalls Colin Pine, who used to serve as his personal translator during his years as an NBA rookie in Houston. His demeanor on and off the court has endeared him to

Houston Rockets physician says Yao Ming injury could "threaten his career" Yao fractured his left foot playing for Houston against the L.A. Lakers in May . The 28-year-old was flag-bearer for China at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games . Yao has been perennial All-Star selection since he moved to the U.S. in 2002 .