At least 29 passengers were killed and 20 others injured as a bus fell into a gorge in northern India Friday, police said.
The wreck occurred in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh state, said Atul Fulzele, the district police chief. Authorities were investigating the cause of the accident, he added.
More than 105,000 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2006, according to World Health Organization report released this year. About half a million people are injured by traffic crashes that year, the report said.
The India government said this year it has launched a campaign to reduce road-crash deaths by 50 per cent by 2012.
source cnn.com
Friday, November 6, 2009
Fort Hood suspect seemed "cool, calm, religious"
A picture began to emerge Thursday of the suspect in the Fort Hood shootings as a mental health professional who worked to help others in high-stress situations.
The gunman was identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, a law enforcement source told CNN. Hasan's office at the base's Darnall Army Medical Center is about a mile from the shootings, where 13 people were killed and 30 were wounded.
Hasan had been telling his family since 2001 that he wanted to get out of the military, said a spokeswoman for his cousin, Nader Hasan. Hasan told his family he had been taunted after the September 11 attacks, the spokeswoman said.
"He was mortified by the idea of having to deploy," his cousin told the New York Times. "He had people telling him on a daily basis the horrors they saw over there."
An owner of a 7-Eleven at Fort Hood said Hasan -- whom he knows as "Major Nidal" -- came in for coffee and hash browns most mornings, including the morning of the shootings. Surveillance video from the store obtained by CNN shows a man who according to the store owner is Hasan at the cashier's counter at about 6:20 a.m. Thursday, about seven hours before the mass shooting. He was carrying a beverage and dressed in traditional Arab garb. Another surveillance video from Tuesday showed the man in scrubs.
"He looked normal," the owner said. "Came in had his hash browns and coffee as you see in the surveillance video."
The owner said he was too busy to chat with Hasan on Thursday, but through brief talks learned the officer's background was Jordanian, though he didn't speak Arabic well. He said Hasan didn't wear a wedding ring and jokingly asked several times whether the owner knew a bride for him.
Hasan would also ask the owner whether he planned to attend Friday prayers. The owner would say he was too busy.
Hasan said he would be deployed to Afghanistan soon, the owner said.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, who had been briefed by a general at the post, told CNN that Hasan was to have been deployed to Iraq and was unhappy about it.
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, who had been briefed by a general at the post, told CNN that Hasan was to have been deployed to Iraq and was unhappy about it.
Staff Sgt. Marc Molano, based at Fort Knox, Kentucky, told CNN Hasan treated him for post-traumatic stress disorder earlier this year at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
"Dr. Hasan provided me with nothing but the best care," Molano said. "He was a very well-mannered, polite psychiatrist, and it's just a shock to know that Dr. Hasan could have done this. It's still kind of hard to believe."
Molano described him as "far and away one of the best psychiatrists I ever dealt with."
A soldier who served two tours in Iraq and is awaiting medical retirement for chronic PTSD and severe mental disorders called Hasan "a soldier's soldier who cared about our mental health."
"Hasan hears nothing but these horror stories from soldiers who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan," the soldier said. "Just hearing it I'm pretty sure would have a profound effect."
Mindy B. Mechanic, an associate professor of psychology at California State University, Fullerton, said listening to horror stories can have an impact, but such as extreme one is unlikely.
The impact on therapists who work with traumatized individuals is known as vicarious traumatization or compassion fatigue, Mechanic said.
"But they don't go out on shooting sprees," she said. "They might get depressed or have some emotional fallout from it, but to go on a shooting spree is not part of what happens to people from having to deal with trauma survivors all the time."
Mechanic, who does not know Hasan, said people don't just snap. "When you start looking back, there are crumbs that suggest everything was not hunky-dory."
A former neighbor of Hasan said he lived in a highrise apartment complex in Silver Spring, Maryland, with another man, apparently his brother, and that the two appeared friendly.
"They had some Arabic signs out there, and I asked them what they meant," said the woman, who asked not to be identified. The other man, who routinely wore a chef's outfit, told her it was a prayer, she said. "They seemed like they were nice people," she said.
The two men moved out three or four months ago, which she noticed because the Muslim prayer had been removed from their door.
"Honestly, they seemed like very cool, calm guys, and religious guys," she said. "It's kind of strange."
According to military records, Hasan was born in Virginia, and a federal official said he was a U.S. citizen of Jordanian descent.
Military records show Hasan received his appointment to the Army as a first lieutenant in June 1997 after graduating from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, with a degree in biochemistry.
Six years later, he graduated from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences' F. Edward Hebert School Of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland. He was an intern, resident and a fellow at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
He was promoted to captain in 2003 and to major in May.
This year Hasan completed a fellowship in disaster and preventive psychiatry and was assigned to Darnall in July.
He had been awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon, but was never deployed outside the United States.
source cnn.com
Four sentenced to hang for killing albino in Tanzania
A court sentenced four people to death in northern Tanzania for the killing of an albino man who was targeted for body parts believed to have special powers, authorities said Friday.
The four were found guilty of killing the 50-year-old albino in the Shinyanga region and sentenced to die by hanging for removing his body parts, said Lucca Haule, assistant commissioner of police.
So far, seven people have been sentenced to death for the killing of more than 50 Tanzanian albinos, including children, in the past two years, Haule said. Dozens more are awaiting trial.
Albinism is a genetic condition that leads to little or no pigment in the eyes, skin and hair.
Body parts of albinos are sought in some regions of Tanzania and other African countries, where some believe they bring wealth and good luck. Attackers chop off limbs and pluck out organs, selling them to witch doctors.
Killings have gone up in the east African nation, which has an estimated 200,000 albinos, according to the Tanzania Albino Center.
"People believe that albino body parts mixed with traditional medicine can make people rich," said Franck Alphonse, the center's director. "It is a thriving business ... witch doctors are asking business people to bring the body parts of albinos, who are not considered human beings."
Tanzanian government officials said they have mobilized police to help the embattled population, but admit it is hard to quell the attacks.
Most happen in rural areas, where there is not enough police presence, according to the police commissioner.
"We don't have the resources in those places ... it is not easy, but we are trying to map out locations where albinos live so that we can better protect them," he said. "We are hoping the convictions will serve as a lesson for the killers to stop."
The Tanzania Albino Center educates the public and provides albinos with basic services such as shelter, medication to prevent skin cancer, advocacy and awareness. Most albinos are stigmatized and do not go to school, leading to lack of employment and means to protect themselves, according to Alphonse.
He said politicians should go after albino killers more aggressively.
"We want to see justice done to everyone involved in the killings," Alphonse said. "They (police) only pick those who slaughtered albinos, what about those who send these people to kill?"
source cnn.com
Suspect in Fort Hood shootings in stable condition
The suspect in Thursday's deadly shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, is in stable condition, the hospital commander at the base said Friday.
Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a psychiatrist practicing at Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, was shot multiple times and was taken into custody, ending the shooting rampage Thursday afternoon.
The gunman opened fire at a military processing center at Fort Hood, killing one civilian and 12 soldiers, said Col. John Rossi, deputy commanding general at Fort Hood.
Twenty-eight people are still hospitalized and in stable condition, Rossi said at a news conference Friday morning. Hasan is the sole suspect in the shootings, Rossi said.
Authorities are investigating whether any of the killed or wounded were struck accidentally by someone trying to shoot the gunman, Rossi said.
Hasan was reported to have been wearing his uniform when he opened fire, said Col. Steven Braverman, hospital commander at Fort Hood. Braverman said Hasan had received orders to deploy to Afghanistan.
Earlier Friday, officers raided Hasan's apartment, searching for clues as to what caused him to allegedly gun down soldiers he had taken an oath to help, a police spokeswoman said.
The alleged gunman, identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, opened fire at a military processing center at Fort Hood, killing 13 and wounding 30 others, Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said.
Hasan, a psychiatrist practicing at Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, was shot multiple times and was taken into custody, ending the shooting rampage Thursday afternoon, Cone said.
In the nearby town of Killeen, a SWAT team and FBI agents were searching Hasan's apartment to help determine what caused the shooting, which military experts called the worst mass shooting at an American military base, Carol Smith, a Killeen police spokeswoman, said early Friday.
As investigators gathered evidence, details began to emerge about the alleged shooter.
Hasan, 39, is a graduate of Virginia Tech and a psychiatrist licensed in Virginia. He previously worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
A federal official said Hasan is a U.S. citizen of Jordanian descent. Military documents show Hasan was born in Virginia and has never deployed outside the United States.
An owner of a 7-Eleven convenience store in Fort Hood said Hasan, whom he knows as "Major Nidal," came in for coffee and hash browns most mornings, including the morning of the shootings.
Surveillance video from the store obtained by CNN shows a man, who according to the store owner is Hasan, at the cashier's counter at about 6:20 a.m. Thursday carrying a beverage and dressed in traditional Arab garb. That was about seven hours before the mass shooting.
"He looked normal, came in, had his hash browns and coffee as you see in the surveillance video," the owner told CNN.
Other surveillance footage from Tuesday showed him wearing hospital scrubs.
Hasan's first cousin, Nader Hasan, issued a statement late Thursday on behalf of their family, saying they are "shocked and saddened" by the shootings.
"We are filled with grief for the families of today's victims," the statement says. "Our family loves America. We are proud of our country and saddened by today's tragedy. Because this situation is still unfolding, we have nothing else that we are able to share with you at this time."
The shooting occurred in a building called the readiness center, one of the last stops before soldiers deploy and one of the first places soldiers go upon returning to the United States.
Some of the victims were headed to Iraq or Afghanistan, said Col. Benton Danner.
At a news conference earlier in the day, Cone said the shooter had two handguns, one of them a semi-automatic.
"All the casualties took place at the initial incident, that took place at 13:30, at the soldier readiness facility," Cone said, referring in military time to 1:30 p.m.
A witness in a building adjacent to where the shooting happened said soldiers were cutting up their uniforms into homemade bandages as the wounded were brought into the building.
"It was total chaos," the witness said.
Cone noted that a graduation ceremony was being held in an auditorium about 50 yards away from where the shooting took place.
"Thanks to the quick reaction of several soldiers, they were able to close off the doors to that auditorium where there were some 600 people inside," he said.
President Obama called the shootings "tragic" and "a horrific outburst of violence."
Texas Gov. Rick Perry ordered that all flags in the state be lowered to half-staff until Sunday as a tribute to the victims.
"We are deeply saddened by today's events but resolve to continue supporting our troops and protecting our citizens," he said.
In the aftermath of the incident, Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Texas, posted an online appeal for blood as it began receiving victims.
"Due to the recent events on Fort Hood, we are in URGENT need of ALL blood types," it said.
Fort Hood is the Army's largest U.S. post, with about 40,000 troops stationed there. It is home to 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. It is near Killeen, Texas. The Headquarters Unit and three brigades of the 1st Cavalry are deployed in Iraq.
The fort is home to the Warrior Combat Stress Reset Program, which helps soldiers returning from war with combat stress and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
In June, Fort Hood's commander, Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, told CNN that he was trying to ease the kind of stresses soldiers face.
He has pushed for soldiers working a day schedule to return home for dinner by 6 p.m. and required his personal authorization for anyone working weekends. At the time, two soldiers stationed there had committed suicide in 2009 -- a rate well below those of other posts.
Nearby Killeen was the scene of one of the most deadly shootings in American history 18 years ago when George Hennard crashed his truck into a Luby's cafeteria and then began shooting, killing 23 people and wounding 20.
Hennard's spree lasted 14 minutes. He eventually took his own life.
source cnn.com
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Italian news agency says Naples killer has been identified
Police have identified the man whose shooting of another man outside a store in Naples, Italy, was captured by a surveillance camera, the Italian news agency ANSA reported Saturday.
The announcement came two days after police released the video of the brazen daylight shooting in hopes it would lead someone to come forward. Police did not release the man's name.
The video, shot May 11, shows a man wearing jeans, a dark jersey and a baseball cap, walking into the store and looking around, turning and walking back out.
Passersby appear unfazed. One woman tries to lift up the victim's head in an apparent attempt to see if she knew him; a man steps over the body.
Police said they had been without any clues before the release of the video. A source who was not identified publicly said the killer was a man in his 30s from Naples' northern Sanita district who had recently left the city.
A third man seen in the video was thought to have been an accomplice, but he told Il Mattino newspaper that he had nothing to do with the killing.
"I am the man of the film, but I have never been a lookout, and now I am afraid," the 39-year-old man said. "I was taking a breath of air, waiting for my daughter to go shopping."
The man said he had been living "in terror" since acquaintances called him from Germany to tell him they had seen him on the video.
Police said they knew of no motive for the killing, which took place in the poor neighborhood of Rione Sanita, where Camorra, the name for organized crime in Naples, is strong.
The victim was a bank robber, the spokesman said.
A police spokesman said Camorra has been blamed for about 60 killings this year in Naples and its surrounding county.
source cnn.com
The announcement came two days after police released the video of the brazen daylight shooting in hopes it would lead someone to come forward. Police did not release the man's name.
The video, shot May 11, shows a man wearing jeans, a dark jersey and a baseball cap, walking into the store and looking around, turning and walking back out.
Passersby appear unfazed. One woman tries to lift up the victim's head in an apparent attempt to see if she knew him; a man steps over the body.
Police said they had been without any clues before the release of the video. A source who was not identified publicly said the killer was a man in his 30s from Naples' northern Sanita district who had recently left the city.
A third man seen in the video was thought to have been an accomplice, but he told Il Mattino newspaper that he had nothing to do with the killing.
"I am the man of the film, but I have never been a lookout, and now I am afraid," the 39-year-old man said. "I was taking a breath of air, waiting for my daughter to go shopping."
The man said he had been living "in terror" since acquaintances called him from Germany to tell him they had seen him on the video.
Police said they knew of no motive for the killing, which took place in the poor neighborhood of Rione Sanita, where Camorra, the name for organized crime in Naples, is strong.
The victim was a bank robber, the spokesman said.
A police spokesman said Camorra has been blamed for about 60 killings this year in Naples and its surrounding county.
source cnn.com
Coroner says 6 women whose bodies were found at home died violently
Six women found dead at a Cleveland, Ohio, home appeared to have been strangled, and their decomposing bodies could have been lying there for "weeks, if not months or years," a coroner told CNN on Saturday.
Police discovered the bodies at the home of Anthony Sowell, a 50-year-old convicted rapist, after they tried to serve an arrest and search warrant for him related to a sexual assault investigation.
On Thursday, detectives from the department's sex-crimes unit and members of its SWAT team went to Sowell's home to execute the warrant and to arrest the suspect, but he was nowhere to be found, Cleveland Police spokesman Lt. Thomas Stacho said.
Five female victims were found inside the home, and another female body was discovered outside the home, said Cuyahoga County Coroner Frank Miller III.
Miller's office had yet to identify the victims, who all died of "homicidal violence," he said.
"They were mostly strangled, it appears," he said.
Stacho said a tipster told officers of Sowell's whereabouts and police arrested him Saturday afternoon as he walked on a street near the 4th District Police Headquarters.
About a month ago, a woman accused Sowell of rape and felonious assault, Stacho said Friday.
"Once we were able to get the cooperation of the victim, we secured an arrest warrant for Mr. Sowell and subsequently a search warrant for his premises," Stacho said.
Officers serving the warrants Thursday discovered two badly decomposed bodies on the third floor of the house, Stacho said. A subsequent search revealed what appeared to be a freshly dug grave under the stairs in the basement, he said.
On Friday, investigators returned to the house, dug up the grave and found a third body, he said.
A further search of the house and property found two more bodies in a crawl space, and a sixth body was found in a shallow grave outside the home, Stacho said.
Read local coverage on CNN affiliate WJW
Five different burial methods were used on the victims, and the bodies were in varying states of decomposition, Miller said, making it difficult to determine the ages of the victims. He added that the states of the bodies made it hard to tell how long they had lain in the makeshift graves.
"It's really very difficult to tell," Miller said. "It's been some time, I would say probably at least weeks, if not months or years."
Stacho said Sowell makes his living as a "scrapper."
"He walks around and picks up scrap metal and takes it to junkyards to make a few pennies."
Sowell was convicted for a 1989 rape for which he was imprisoned from 1990 to 2005, Stacho said.
source cnn.com
Parents of California teen raped at school: Stop the violence
The parents of a 15-year-old girl who was gang-raped on a California high school campus urged the community Saturday to channel its anger over the event "through positive action," according to a pastor.
At a Saturday community event at the campus where the attack took place, the Rev. Jim Wheeler, who said he was the family's pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Richmond, read a statement from the teenager's parents.
"Stop the violence," Wheeler read. "Please do not respond to this tragic event by promoting hatred or by causing more pain. We've had enough violence already in this place."
Police say as many as 10 people were involved in the rape on October 24 in a dimly lit back alley outside Richmond High School, where a homecoming dance was taking place.
Another 10 people watched the attack without calling 911, police say.
Five people have been arrested in connection with the attack.
A sixth person who was arrested is expected to be freed because of insufficient evidence, CNN affiliate KGO reported.
Authorities say the attack lasted for more than two hours. The victim, who was taken to a hospital in critical condition, was released Wednesday.
The parents' statement urged the community to work to ensure that such an attack never happens again.
"If you need to express your outrage, please channel your anger through positive action," they said, according to Wheeler.
"Volunteer at a school. Go help a neighbor. Be courageous in speaking the truth and in holding people accountable. Work toward changing the atmosphere in our schools and in this community so that this kind of thing never happens again.
"Please do not let this happen again."
source cnn.com
Project Kaisei: voyage to clean up the plastic vortex
A salty soup of seawater, microscopic pieces of plastic and marine debris. Those are the ingredients in the North Pacific Gyre, an ocean vortex estimated by Greenpeace to be the size of Texas, contaminated with the floating detritus of our modern lives.
The sheer size of the ocean area affected has been enough to catch public attention, but a number of concerned groups are aiming to capture more than that. Project Kaisei plans to find a way to scoop up the plastic waste and devise a way to turn it into a future fuel source.
It's a huge task, but led by innovator and environmentalist Doug Woodring, Project Kaisei has already embarked on a mission to the gyre. An August voyage onboard the New Horizon and Kaisei sailing ships was in partnership with Scripps Research Institute.
The crews returned with samples of the water from various locations in the gyre and the most immediate discovery was the pervasiveness of plastic material found at regular points over 3,500 miles. The most heavily polluted areas of surface water in the gyre contained six times more plastic than plankton biomass.
Derelict, or "ghost" nets, plastic crates and even toys were found by the crew. Some items like plastic bottles had become impromptu homes to varieties of marine mollusc.
As well as posing hazards to the oceans through toxic contamination and to sealife through ingestion or being trapped in nets, unnatural transport systems could allow invasive species to be introduced to different areas and upset delicate ecosystems.
The project now counts scientists, innovators, sailors and environmentalists among its ranks, galvanized around a desire to clean up the Pacific's plastic vortex. A further voyage next year hopes to gather more data and move closer to a practical solution to the ever increasing problem.
source cnn.com
The sheer size of the ocean area affected has been enough to catch public attention, but a number of concerned groups are aiming to capture more than that. Project Kaisei plans to find a way to scoop up the plastic waste and devise a way to turn it into a future fuel source.
It's a huge task, but led by innovator and environmentalist Doug Woodring, Project Kaisei has already embarked on a mission to the gyre. An August voyage onboard the New Horizon and Kaisei sailing ships was in partnership with Scripps Research Institute.
The crews returned with samples of the water from various locations in the gyre and the most immediate discovery was the pervasiveness of plastic material found at regular points over 3,500 miles. The most heavily polluted areas of surface water in the gyre contained six times more plastic than plankton biomass.
Derelict, or "ghost" nets, plastic crates and even toys were found by the crew. Some items like plastic bottles had become impromptu homes to varieties of marine mollusc.
As well as posing hazards to the oceans through toxic contamination and to sealife through ingestion or being trapped in nets, unnatural transport systems could allow invasive species to be introduced to different areas and upset delicate ecosystems.
The project now counts scientists, innovators, sailors and environmentalists among its ranks, galvanized around a desire to clean up the Pacific's plastic vortex. A further voyage next year hopes to gather more data and move closer to a practical solution to the ever increasing problem.
source cnn.com
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Obama declares H1N1 emergency
President Obama has declared a national emergency to deal with the "rapid increase in illness" from the H1N1 influenza virus.
"The 2009 H1N1 pandemic continues to evolve. The rates of illness continue to rise rapidly within many communities across the nation, and the potential exists for the pandemic to overburden health care resources in some localities," Obama said in a statement.
"Thus, in recognition of the continuing progression of the pandemic, and in further preparation as a nation, we are taking additional steps to facilitate our response."
The president signed the declaration late Friday and announced it Saturday.
Calling the emergency declaration "an important tool in our kit going forward," one administration official called Obama's action a "proactive measure that's not in response to any new development."
Another administration official said the move is "not tied to the current case count" and "gives the federal government more power to help states" by lifting bureaucratic requirements -- both in treating patients and moving equipment to where it's most needed.
The officials didn't want their names used because they were not authorized to speak on the record.
Obama's action allows Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius "to temporarily waive or modify certain requirements" to help health care facilities enact emergency plans to deal with the pandemic.
Those requirements are contained in Medicare, Medicaid and state Children's Health Insurance programs, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy rule.
Since the H1N1 flu pandemic began in April, millions of people in the United States have been infected, at least 20,000 have been hospitalized and more than 1,000 have died, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Watch how to find out if you have H1N1
Frieden said that having 46 states reporting widespread flu transmission is traditionally the hallmark of the peak of flu season. To have the flu season peak at this time of the year is "extremely unusual."
The CDC said 16.1 million doses of H1N1, or swine flu, vaccine had been made by Friday -- 2 million more than two days earlier. About 11.3 million of those had been distributed throughout the United States, Frieden said.
"We are nowhere near where we thought we would be," Frieden said, acknowledging that manufacturing delays have contributed to less vaccine being available than expected. "As public health professionals, vaccination is our strongest tool. Not having enough is frustrating to all of us."
Frieden said that while the way vaccine is manufactured is "tried and true," it's not well-suited for ramping up production during a pandemic because it takes at least six months. The vaccine is produced by growing weakened virus in eggs.
source cnn.com
Seven things to know about Windows 7
OK, so after eight years and a lot of grumbling -- Vista, anyone? -- Microsoft has finally released a new operating system that people seem excited about.
Windows 7, which went on sale Thursday, promises a smoother user experience, multi-touchscreen capability and more seamless networking with other computers.
Early reviews have been good.
"We think it's a far superior product to the previous Microsoft operating systems," says Vishal Dhar, co-founder of iYogi, a tech services company. "It's got a more intuitive interface."
Great. But it is right for you? Which version of the software best fits your needs? And are there tricks to installing Windows 7 and navigating its new features?
We anticipate seven of the most common questions about Windows 7 and offer some advice:
Will my aging computer run Windows 7?
Maybe. If your PC can run the much-maligned Windows Vista, it can probably run Windows 7. Check your computer's specs: To install Windows 7, you'll need at least a 1 gigahertz or faster 32-bit (x86) processor, plus at least 2 GB of RAM and at least 16 GB of available hard disk space.
Yes, that sounds like a foreign language to most people. If you're not sure what all that means, try downloading a free Microsoft tool called a Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, which will scan your PC, report any potential problems and offer ways to fix them.
Is upgrading to Windows 7 worth it?
That depends on your budget and how you use your computer. The software will cost you from $120 to $220, depending on which version you buy. If you're broke and you're happy with your Vista or Windows XP system, then there's probably no rush.
But keep in mind that Windows XP is eight-year-old software, and that it will eventually stop running new applications. Newer operating systems also offer better security against hackers. You'll need to upgrade someday.
Depending on how old your computer is, you may be better off buying a new laptop or PC, preloaded with Windows 7, instead of trying to refresh your aging machine. Retailers such as Best Buy and Dell.com are offering Windows 7-loaded laptops for as low as $499.
Which version of Windows 7 should I buy?
Most casual computer users will probably be satisfied with the Home Premium edition ($119.99), which includes most of the basic features you'll need. That includes Home Group, which makes it easier to share music, video and documents -- a common printer, too -- between Windows 7-enabled computers in a home.
Small business owners and people who work from home may opt for the Professional edition ($199.99), which supports all the Home Premium features while automatically backing up all your data to a networked hard drive.
If you guard corporate secrets or work for the CIA, you'll want the Ultimate edition ($219.99). It comes with BitLocker encryption, which prevents thieves from accessing your files if your laptop is stolen.
How tricky is Windows 7 to install?
If you're upgrading from Vista, it's supposed to be a breeze: Insert the disc, and it does the rest. "It's the easiest upgrade I've ever seen," says J. Peter Bruzzese, who writes about tech for InfoWorld. "All of my settings carried over."
Upgrading from Windows XP is more complicated. Users will need to back up their files, format their hard drive, install Windows 7 and then reinstall browsers, reimport bookmarks and so on. Microsoft has a wizard called Easy Transfer that uses a USB cable to help you transfer files and settings.
It's not officially recommended, but Bruzzese says XP users also can install a borrowed copy of Vista, then upgrade easily from there to Windows 7.
What if I need help?
If you don't have a tech-savvy friend, nephew or neighbor, try Microsoft's online Windows 7 Solution Center, which will walk you through the installation process.
You may also want to consider hiring a tech-support service such as iYogi, whose technicians connect to your computer remotely to diagnose problems, help you install Windows 7 and show you how to migrate your old applications onto your new system. Services start at about $30.
Will Windows 7 run my old XP programs?
Most likely. Heeding complaints about Vista's compatibility problems, Microsoft is introducing something called XP Mode, which creates a virtual, or "shadow" Windows XP operating system running inside Windows 7.
Once XP Mode is running, it fools your older apps into thinking they're on Windows XP. Here you'll find an XP start menu and all your familiar XP features -- all of which should work as they did before. XP Mode is only available in the higher-priced Professional and Ultimate editions, though.
Does Windows 7 have any cool new bells and whistles?
• Well, it's got trippier desktop wallpaper, for one. Microsoft has replaced much of its blandly pretty nature shots with colorful psychedelic images.
• A Library feature allows you to gather files -- documents, photos and video -- from different places on your computer and group them together in new folders by topic, such as "beach house," or "Grandpa Fred."
• A new feature called AeroPeek displays outlines of your open windows behind the window you're working in. A related feature, AeroSnap, allows you to move, shrink and enlarge windows on your screen so that you can see several at once.
• Finally, Windows 7 needs less processing power than previous Windows versions, meaning that in theory, you should be able to work faster and in more windows at the same time. In other words, it's built for today's warp-speed, multi-tasking lifestyle.
source cnn.com
'Jane Doe' found in N.Y. identified
Authorities have identified a teenager believed to be suffering from amnesia who was found on the streets of New York two weeks ago.
Police say a CNN viewer in Maryland identified the young woman, who mysteriously turned up in Manhattan two weeks ago, claiming to have no memory of her family, her home or even her own name.
The 18 year old whose name is not yet being released, is in the process of being reunited with her family. They are from Washington state and are on their way to New York, New York Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said on Saturday.
A photo of the woman, who has been referred to as Jane Doe, was circulated by police and aired on CNN this week. The viewer in Maryland was familiar with her situation and knew she had been missing from her family earlier this month.
The girl was found in Midtown Manhattan around 12:30 a.m. October 9 outside the Covenant House youth shelter, although the organization said that she was not a resident at the time and did not appear as if she intended to seek refuge at the facility.
"I just want to know who I am," the girl said in a statement from the New York City Administration for Children's Services. "I want to know who I am and what happened to me."
According to its Web site, "Covenant House New York is the nation's largest adolescent care agency serving homeless, runaway and at-risk youth." Nearly 7,000 youths reportedly seek shelter there per year.
A security guard for the shelter noticed the girl walking on the sidewalk near Covenant House and approached her. Finding her unresponsive, he called the New York City Police Department.
Police officers interviewed the young woman, but it became clear that she couldn't provide authorities with any information about herself. The police said she was wearing military green camouflage pants, a black shirt and a pair of black sneakers when she was discovered.
The children's services agency said the girl recently wrote down the name "Amber" and has responded to it on one occasion, but she has no idea whether it is her true name.
On another occasion she is said to have recalled certain words, which turned out to be an excerpt from the fantasy novel "Fool's Fate" by Robin Hobb. The girl also is apparently writing a fantasy story of her own that features a heroine named Rian, "who's been raised by the commander of the guard post on the edge of a fantasy kingdom," the young woman said.
Judging from her poor dental hygiene, said Lt. Christopher Zimmerman, she appeared to have been living on the streets for some time.
source cnn.com
'Lipstick Killer' behind bars since 1946
William Heirens, the "Lipstick Killer," is believed to be the longest-serving inmate in the United States. He turns 81 on November 15.
Diabetes has ravaged his body, but his mind is sharp.
"Bill's never allowed himself to be institutionalized," said Dolores Kennedy, his long-time friend and advocate. "He's kept himself focused on the positives."
The days are spent mostly watching television and reading magazines. Using a wheelchair and sharing a cell with a roommate in the health unit of Dixon Correctional Center, he still yearns for a chance at freedom. It is something he has not tasted since 1946.
Heirens has been locked behind bars and walls for 63 years, making inmate C06103 the longest-serving prisoner in Illinois history, state officials say.
According to Steven Drizin, the legal director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University, Heirens "has served longer than anyone in the U.S. that I can find."
He was put away a year after the end of World War II. It is a dubious record, but fitting for the man dubbed the Lipstick Killer, whose crime spree remains among the most infamous in the history of Chicago, the city of Capone and Leopold and Loeb.
The scar-faced gangster and the thrill-kill pair are long gone. Heirens, however, has not slipped into the past. He lives in the present and hopes for a future outside prison. Supporters have championed his cause, convinced that he is innocent, or arguing that he has been rehabilitated, a model inmate who has served his sentence.
"Pray for my release," he wrote in a letter dated October 11.
"There is no reason to keep this man behind bars," said Drizin. "He meets all the criteria for parole."
While Drizin, who has represented Heirens since 2001, and others passionately plead for his release and prepare to re-petition the state parole board that has consistently refused to free Heirens, others are convinced he is a manipulative murderer.
"He was the bogeyman," said Betty Finn of the man convicted of strangling her sister. "I don't think you need to feel sorry for him. He chose his life and he chose his actions."
Josephine Ross was the first victim. The 43-year-old was found stabbed to death in her apartment. She was killed on June 5, 1945.
In December, police discovered the body of Frances Brown in her bathroom. She was stabbed through the neck and shot in the head. The killer left a message on the wall. It said, "for heavens sake catch me before I kill more I cannot control myself." It was scrawled in red lipstick. The press seized on the detail. The headlines would soon scream of the Lipstick Killer.
Four weeks later, an intruder used a ladder to enter the second-floor window of Suzanne Degnan's bedroom. The killer approached the sleeping 6-year-old girl and abducted her. "I was old enough to know everything that happened and remember the looks on my parents' faces," Finn said of the crime against her younger sister.
"Can you imagine as a child to have this happen? Can you imagine going to bed at night and all of a sudden your sister is not in her bed?"
There would be a ransom note demanding $20,000. But there would also be the horrific discovery of Suzanne's severed head in a sewer. Other body parts were found within days.
Chicago was gripped in fear. Scores of people were questioned, but the investigation dragged on for months without a break. One, however, came in June, when two police officers confronted a burglar near the Degnan home.
The young thief was a 17-year-old student at the University of Chicago. His name was William Heirens, and police soon became convinced he was the killer.
Drizin said Heirens was subjected to days of brutal interrogation. He also was beaten and given sodium pentothal to make him tell the truth, Drizin said. He underwent a spinal tap, another extreme measure to compel him to talk.
Prosecutors said his handwriting matched that of the words scribbled in lipstick at the scene of the Brown killing. The FBI determined that a fingerprint lifted from the Degnan ransom note matched Heirens.
That gave the state's attorney two powerful pieces of evidence against Heirens. But a confession would seal his fate. On August 7, 1946, Heirens supplied it, describing how he killed Degnan, Brown and Ross.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of murder. In exchange for the plea, Heirens was spared the death penalty and given three consecutive life sentences.
Heirens has distinguished himself in prison. He was the first inmate in Illinois to receive a college degree. "He helped redesign the library system in the department of corrections," said Drizin, who also commended Heirens for becoming a "first-rate jailhouse lawyer."
Drizin said Heirens has been eligible for parole nearly every year since the 1970s. The Center on Wrongful Convictions mounted a clemency campaign for Heirens on the grounds that he has served longer than required, and that the evidence used to convict him was unreliable. "Smoke and mirrors" was how Drizin described it.
Kennedy, who wrote a book that attempts to prove Heirens is innocent, said a political component is keeping him in prison.
"It's a very political case," she said. "Authorities have made statements that he would never get out. I think the courts managed to look the other way and the [parole] board didn't want to take the heat."
John Russick, senior curator for the Chicago History Museum, said the story of William Heirens is complicated.
"This is not a largely understood case," Russick said. "People know the term Lipstick Killer, and that there was a sensational crime, but I don't think it's talked about in detail."
He added, "I feel like it defies logic, and that's what's troubling about it. When you look closely at the nature of these kinds [of confessions] and when you know how these confessions were acquired, there's enough there to -- at the very least -- to make you feel very unsure."
Frank Czagany, who met Heirens when both were working in the machine shop at U.S. Steel in 1944, remembers his friend as being "very quiet, not wild." "He wouldn't say crap if he had a mouthful of it," Czagany said.
Finn calls the efforts supporting Heirens misguided. "I'm not a vindictive person, I'm not doing this out of anger. It's fear," she said. "There is no evidence that says he's the least bit innocent. How can every single court be wrong?"
Finn, who attended Heirens' most recent parole hearing, in July, said he is not innocent by any stretch of the imagination. "Keep him locked in jail," she said.
Kennedy said she and others are looking for a suitable placement in a nursing home for Heirens. She said she believes there is some indication that if an acceptable facility is located, he may have a chance to spend his final days a free man.
"He looks for any glimmer of hope," said Kennedy. "He still wants to be out."
Drizin said that time has come. "This is a case where I have serious doubts about his guilt," he said. "But it's a case where there is no question in my mind that the circus-like atmosphere that pervaded his arrest and his prosecution resulted in a trial proceeding for Bill and a guilty plea that was fundamentally unfair."
"They probably have good hearts and are dedicated," Finn said of Heirens' believers. "He is not innocent by any stretch, no matter how they twist it."
source cnn.com
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
At least 22 dead as trains collide in India
A train collision in northern India killed at least 22 people early Wednesday.
Railway officials confirmed the deaths and also said people were 26 injured in the crash.
The Goa Express slammed into the stationary Mewar Express apparently because the driver overshot a signal to stop, said Anant Swaroop, spokesman for India's northern railway.
Indian Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered an inquiry into the crash, according to CNN's sister station in India, CNN-IBN.
The Goa Express slammed into the stationary Mewar Express apparently because the driver overshot a signal to stop, said Anant Swaroop, spokesman for India's northern railway.
Indian Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered an inquiry into the crash, according to CNN's sister station in India, CNN-IBN.
The Goa Express, bound for New Delhi from the western coastal state of Goa, was running on the same track as the Mewar, which shuttles between New Delhi and Udaipur, in western Rajasthan state. Both trains have stops in Mathura, about 90 miles south of New Delhi.
Rescuers had to cut trapped passengers from a wrecked car of the Mewar Express. The car had a special compartment for women, disabled passengers, cargo and train guards, said Aditya Verma, a senior police official in Mathura.
Bannerjee said victims' relatives would receive compensation of about $10,000, according to CNN-IBN.
Several other trains that go through the Mathura station had to be diverted. Trains are the most widely used mode of transportation for national travel in India.
source cnn.com
Apple redesigns iMac, MacBook and reveals Magic Mouse
Apple revamped its desktop and laptop lines Tuesday, dramatically redesigning the iMac all-in-one and MacBook laptop, and also adding a few updates to its Mac Mini line of small-scale desktops. It also introduced a handful of updated peripherals, with a multitouch mouse bringing the most thorough changes.
New iMacs
The biggest news Tuesday will be the new iMacs, which move from aluminum and polycarbon design to aluminum and edge-to-edge glass, mirroring the look of Apple's line of MacBook Pro laptops. The new iMac will come in 21.5 (1,920x1,080) and 27-inch (2,560x1,440) models, each with a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Starting price for the 21.5-inch model is $1,199, with the 27-incher beginning at $1,699. Apple will also offer step-up models for each screen size, coming in at $1,499 for the beefier 21.5-inch model, and $1,999 for the higher-end 27-inch iMac.
As for specs, Apple has mostly opted for raw speed over adding more processing cores. All but the $1,999 iMac come with Intel Core 2 Duo chips, but the CPU speed in the lowest model now starts at 3.06GHz. That used to be the fastest chip available in Apple's previous highest-end iMac.
The one exception is the $1,999 iMac, which starts with Intel's most recent quad-core chip, the core i5 at 2.66GHz, and upgrade options for that model go all the way to the even faster Core i7 at 2.8GHz.
Other new iMac features are relatively straightforward for the systems themselves. There's no Blu-ray option, as was rumored, but you do get an SD Card slot on all new iMacs.
The 27-inch version also lets you use its mini-Display Port input as a video input (via a dongle from Belkin), which means you can use the larger iMac as a second monitor. The GeForce 9400M remains the standard graphics chip, with upgrades available to Radeon HD 4670 and Radeon HD 4870 chips. Storage options go as high as 2TB on the 27-inchers.
13-inch Unibody Polycarbonate
MacBook Apple has also revamped its best-selling laptop, the 13-inch MacBook. The new version retains the white polycarbonate look, as well as the $999 price.
With every other laptop in Apple's current lineup using the "Pro" moniker, the single non-Pro MacBook was starting to look a bit dated. While many industry watchers expected Apple to lower prices on the white polycarbonate version, the company has given the system an upscale makeover, keeping the price the same.
Like the aluminum MacBook Pro models, the MacBook now has a unibody chassis, although in this case, it's still made of polycarbonate. A separate bottom panel has a matte non-slip feel, as opposed to the glossy white upper body. The unibody construction means the battery is no longer removable--also like the current Pro lineup.
We got a chance to get our hands on one of the new MacBooks this morning. While still recognizably a MacBook, the new version has more gently rounded edges on the lid, making it look slightly thinner from a side angle.
The touch pad is the same large glass multitouch version found on the MacBook Pros, and is dominated by the wrist rest. Also like the Pro versions, the 13.3-inch display is now LED backlit, which is better for both power consumption and environmental concerns.
Internal components, including the Nvidia GeForce 9400, are either the same, or very similar to, current models. Some features found in the 13-inch MacBook Pro that you won't find in this new MacBook include the SD card slot and backlit keyboard.
While consumers have long called for lower entry prices for Mac laptops, Apple has always been reluctant to stray into the lower-margin sub-$1,000 market. With this new upscale version of the MacBook, Apple is giving a slight recessionary nod to buyers, without having to dive into the Netbook price wars.
The new Magic Mouse and wireless keyboard
You'll also find new peripherals in the box with a new iMac. Apple has made a wireless mouse and keyboard the default options, and both have received redesigns.
The keyboard now has an all aluminum body, but the new mouse, dubbed the Magic Mouse, is far more interesting. The sleek, touch capacitive design behaves similarly to the track pad on Apple's laptops.
Of course the standard two-button usage model works as you'd expect, but you can also simply drag your finger down the middle of the mouse to scroll up and down. It also supports accelerated scrolling, like the iPhone, along with a few gestures for lateral and 360-degree movement, depending on the application. A new aluminum body Apple Remote is also available as a $16 extra
New Mac Mini Finally, Apple gave a nod to the Mac Mini. The core design remains the same for the most part, with a few minor tweaks to its CPU, memory, and hard-drive capacity.
Prices remain the same at $599 and $799. Far more interesting is the new server iteration of the Mac Mini. This model starts at $999, and instead of a DVD burner, you get the Snow Leopard version of OS X Server, along with two 500GB hard drives.
All of these new products are available today, except for the Core i5-based iMac, which goes on sale in November. We'll also be posting hands-on slideshows and videos of the new MacBook and the new 27-inch iMac shortly, so stay tuned.
source cnn.com
Berlusconi: I don't really like my job
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi says he governs Italy out of a sense of duty and sacrifice, not because he enjoys the job.
The conservative, flamboyant Italian leader, 73, says he actually doesn't like governing at all. But he stays in the job because he is considered the "only leader able to hold the center-right together."
Berlusconi says there's nothing simple about the prime minister's job.
He said: "I'm doing what I do with a sense of sacrifice. I don't really like it. Not at all."
He added: "Very often there is a lot of dirty dealing, there is really the gutter press, worse than that, the shameless and sickly. It's a difficult life to be responsible for leading the government in a country like Italy."
In a wide-ranging interview with CNN's Paula Newton, Berlusconi also discussed some of the controversial statements he has made, including calling U.S. President Barack Obama "tanned."
He denied the comment was a gaffe. "I have never made any gaffes, not even one. Every gaffe is invented by the newspapers."
He said he always thinks before he speaks.
"I tell stories and tell jokes," he said. "I only tell jokes that can be heard by anyone. I'm always conscious of what we are talking about."
Berlusconi said his supposed gaffes, like the time he left German Chancellor Angela Merkel waiting by the side of the Rhine while he finished a call on his mobile, were "invented by the papers."
Berlusconi explained the incident to CNN, saying had been on the phone to Turkey's PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Afterwards Merkel -- who he described as "happy" -- asked him if the call had been successful.
Another time, he startled Britain's Queen Elizabeth II during a group photo at Buckingham Palace when he shouted over to the American president: "Mr. Obama! It's Berlusconi." This prompted the queen to raise a gloved hand and complain: "Why does he have to shout?" Look at photos of Italy's flamboyant leader »
Berlusconi told CNN "the Queen defended me."
The billionaire media mogul-turned politician also blames the Italian media as the reason his second wife and mother of three of his five children, Veronica Lario, asked him for a divorce, saying Lario erred by believing what was in the Italian papers.
Lario cited Berlusconi's presence at the birthday party of an 18-year-old Naples model, reported in the Italian press, as the reason for seeking a divorce earlier this year.
"There is absolutely nothing at all which is negative," Berlusconi told CNN about his appearance at the birthday party of Noemi Letizia in Naples.
Berlusconi, Italy's longest-serving prime minister, said his friendship with the young woman and her family were "relationships which have a right to privacy."
He said the newspapers had accused him of lying in statements he made to them about it. "I will react and I will explain the situation," Berlusconi told CNN. "I will have all the Italians with me and the accusations will be a boomerang against those who made it against me."
Lario also accused him of choosing starlets and showgirls as European parliament candidates and of consorting with young women.
At the time, Lario was interviewed by, Dario Cresto-Dina, a reporter from the Italian newspaper La Repubblica who told CNN, "In Veronica's words, 'This time he went beyond the limit with his latest public humiliation. I want to close this chapter on this marriage."
Allegations that Berlusconi went to parties with escorts were also widely reported. Giampaolo Tarantini, the businessman accused of hiring the escorts denied any wrongdoing and said he brought women to the parties to make a "beautiful impression."
"I have never paid money to those who accompanied me except for refunding their trip expenses," he said in a statement issued in June this year. "I exclude that the premier could have been aware of these reimbursements and I want to ask forgiveness for having involuntarily damaged him."
The scandals have done little damage to Berlusconi's political standing in Italy. Polls have shown his popularity has dipped only slightly, mostly among women, since the scandals broke in the spring.
"When I go around, it's embarrassing to see the affection showered upon me," Berlusconi told CNN. "I know that people can change their opinions ... but I must say that I just note the fact that I am close to the heart of many Italians and they show this to me very often."
Berlusconi, who's also a songwriter, a real estate and insurance tycoon, and owner of Italian soccer team AC Milan, said he's always been "liked by those who have worked with me. I'm liked and loved by all the people in politics."
Even his critics acknowledge his popularity among Italians.
Giulio Anselmi, veteran Italian journalist and chairman of the Italian news agency ANSA, says Berlusconi's popularity is because he's a populist. He describes him as "a man who pulls the most elementary strings of the public opinion; a public opinion, which in Italy in these times, prefers simple paths."
Berlusconi, who controls almost half of Italy's television stations, was elected in 2008 to his third term. The next Italian election, barring an early vote, is scheduled for 2013. His conservative coalition has control of both the Italian Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
Berlusconi, a former cruise ship singer before turning his hand to media ownership, said he entered politics in 1994 to combat the growing power of the Left and "communist ideology" in the country.
"I couldn't imagine that the country where I had lived, where I had great success as the first Italian entrepreneur, that it would fall prey to these people," he said.
Asked for the secret of his success, the wise-cracking entrepreneur replied: "Everybody knows that I have a sense of friendship, I'm loyal, I always say what I think -- I don't have any hidden thoughts, I don't hide anything, I speak openly."
He also attributed his success to sheer hard work, his practice "not to leave anything undone. To aim for 10 if you want to achieve eight."
source cnn.com
Miss California USA sued over breast implant money
Miss California USA officials want Carrie Prejean to repay $5,200 they say she borrowed to have her breasts augmented last year.
The demand was a response to a lawsuit filed by Prejean in which she claimed pageant officials violated the former beauty queen's privacy by acknowledging to reporters that her breasts were fake.
The truth about Prejean's breasts "ceased being private during the swimsuit competition of the nationally televised Miss USA pageant, in which Ms. Prejean walked the stage in a bikini," pageant lawyers said.
Prejean's lawyer said the pageant filing was part of an "ongoing smear campaign" against her.
"They have proven, once again, that they will use whatever scurrilous accusations they can dredge up -- or invent -- to try and tarnish Carrie's reputation and her good name," Charles LiMandri said.
State pageant officials say they loaned the money for the surgery under an oral agreement with Prejean -- whom they dethroned as Miss California USA in June -- and she never repaid them.
The group also asked a judge to give them any profits from Prejean's tell-all book due out next month, which they claim was written in violation of her pageant contract.
"Our claim is not about financial reward, and all profits awarded will be donated to a charity that promotes the values of our organization," Miss California USA Executive Director Keith Lewis said.
The pageant's demands were made in a cross-complaint filed in response to Prejean's lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in August, in which she claims that her firing was religious discrimination because of her stand against same-sex marriage.
Prejean, 22, stepped into controversy at the Miss USA pageant in April when, in response to a question from a judge, she declared her opposition to same-sex marriage. Prejean finished as first runner-up.
"We will make the case that her title was taken from her solely because of her support of traditional marriage," LiMandri said in August.
The pageant's counter-complaint said Prejean's belligerent behavior, lack of cooperation and contract breaches caused her firing, not her opposition to same-sex marriage.
"Ethically and morally, Carrie Prejean no longer deserved to be Miss California USA," the pageant filing said.
"She attempts to cast herself as a virtuous young woman and the victim in a supposed conspiracy against her," the pageant suit said. "Had she heeded the guidance of the Gospel of John, who admonished only those who are without sin to cast stones in judgment, she might have avoided this legal battle -- which will ultimately reveal the hypocrisy of Carrie Prejean."
Prejean's suit claims that her medical privacy was violated this year when pageant officials, including Lewis, publicly acknowledged that she had breast implants and the pageant financed the surgery.
"It is far-fetched for the plaintiff to assert a claim for public disclosure of private facts about her breast augmentation surgery, after she paraded on national television in a bikini for the very purpose of showing her figure as enhanced by that surgery, the disclosure of which can hardly be offensive given plaintiff's admission that such surgeries are common for beauty pageant contestants," pageant lawyers argued in their response filed this week.
The pageant court filings said Prejean "became completely belligerent and uncooperative with the Miss California USA organization after she won the state title."
"Ms. Prejean made it clear that she had a different agenda in mind," the pageant filing said. "She refused to follow instructions. She initiated arguments and sowed discord over the most minor issues. At almost every opportunity, she made a point of creating conflict between herself and the Miss California USA executive directors."
One thing they all agreed on was that Prejean needed bigger breasts if she was to be competitive in the national pageant in April, the filing said.
"Ms. Prejean disclosed that she had been thinking about and wanting to have breast augmentation surgery for some time, but did not have the money to pay for it," the filing said. "She felt that if she had the surgery, in her opinion, she would be more competitive for the Miss USA pageant."
After pageant officials agreed to loan her the money, Prejean underwent breast augmentation in January, the pageant filing said.
The court documents offer an inside look at the hostile relationship between Prejean, California pageant officials and Miss USA pageant owner Donald Trump.
After the Miss USA pageant, "With her new-found notoriety, an inflated sense of self, and the lure of financial gain available to her, Ms. Prejean turned even further against the Miss California USA organization, abandoned her obligations as the Miss California USA titleholder, and violated multiple provisions of the contract which governed her reign," the pageant filing said.
It suggested that Prejean, described as "previously a fairly anonymous young woman," filed her lawsuit "to extend her notoriety."
source cnn.com
Friday, October 16, 2009
6-year-old Colorado boy found alive in attic after balloon lands
After scouring northern Colorado by foot and air, frantically chasing a Mylar balloon for miles and repeatedly interviewing his big brother, authorities ended the search for 6-year-old Falcon Heene where it began -- at his house.
He was in a box. In the attic. The whole time.
"I played with my toys and took a nap," Falcon told a group of reporters outside his home Thursday afternoon.
"He says he was hiding in the attic," said Falcon's father, meteorologist Richard Heene, clutching his son. "He says it's because I yelled at him."
"I'm sorry I yelled at him," added Heene, tearfully hugging the boy.
In a later interview with CNN's "Larry King Live," Falcon said he heard his parents call for him from the garage.
When asked by his father on-air why he didn't respond, the boy replied, "You guys said we did this for the show."
When the father was pressed by Wolf Blitzer, who was filling in for King, to explain what his son meant, he became uncomfortable, finally saying he was "appalled" by the questions, and then adding that Falcon was likely referring to all the media coverage.
Authorities said they believe the case was genuine.
The situation grabbed the nation's attention early Thursday afternoon, after authorities reported that the experimental helium balloon was set adrift with the 6-year-old apparently riding in it.
Heene said the family was in the early stages of working on the balloon -- a "3D low-altitude vehicle" -- when the contraption and the boy went missing.
His brother had said he watched Falcon get into the balloon before he untied the tethers, setting it free. Heene later said Falcon was videotaped getting into the vessel by his brother, but "obviously he got out."
Once it was untethered, the saucer-like craft flew eastward from the Heenes' neighborhood, though officials couldn't immediately confirm how fast it was going.
Authorities said the silver balloon, 20-feet long and 5-feet high, at times reached 7,000 feet above the ground while adrift. It was found more than 90 minutes later in a field near Colorado Springs.
The story took a turn when ABC said that Falcon's parents, science enthusiasts Richard and Mayumi Heene, were featured on the 100th episode of ABC's prime-time program "Wife Swap" in March 2009.
According to the network's Web site, the Heene family "devote(s) their time to scientific experiments that include looking for extraterrestrials and building a research-gathering flying saucer to send into the eye of the storm."
Richard Heene is a meteorologist and former television weatherman who has submitted to CNN iReports accounts of his sons helping him chase Hurricane Gustav, among other contributions. iReport.com: Heene family chases a storm
Rescuers from several counties followed the saucer-like vessel until it made a soft landing some 90 miles away.
Officials rushed to the scene of the landing, smacking the metallic balloon until it deflated. They looked inside -- no Falcon.
At that point, there were two possibilities: Either Falcon never got in the balloon, or he fell out.
Authorities began to fear the worst after reports surfaced that a box possibly carrying Falcon may have fallen off the balloon.
A Weld County Sheriff's deputy had said he saw an object fall off the balloon somewhere over Platteville, Colorado, which is in the search area. There was no box attached when the balloon landed at 1:35 p.m.
The widespread worries prompted the Colorado Air National Guard to deploy a UH 60 Black Hawk helicopter, with plans to launch a second one equipped with night vision if necessary.
The search, which initially focused on Weld County, covered "the entire flight plan, from the Fort Collins area down to the Denver International Airport area," Col. Mark Riccardi said.
But a little while later, Falcon turned up at home.
The search, which initially focused on Weld County, covered "the entire flight plan, from the Fort Collins area down to the Denver International Airport area," Col. Mark Riccardi said.
But a little while later, Falcon turned up at home.
Larimer County Sheriff James Alderden said it's not uncommon for children to seek cover when they realize they're the subject of a massive search.
"They hide because they think they are in trouble," he said.
"What was confusing was the eyewitness who said [Falcon] climbed into the apparatus, which was not the case," Alderden said, referring to the boy's brother.
The sheriff said the brother was interviewed several times by investigators and that he was consistent with his story.
Marc Friedland, the family's next-door neighbor, said he saw Richard Heene working on the giant Mylar balloon in the backyard.
"Basically, the whole family was out there and they were working with it," he said. "When I came back is when I found out that the event happened."
He said the aircraft was intended to hover around 20 feet in the air and was not intended to carry people.
"Obviously, something went wrong with that."
Friedland described his neighbors as "a great family."
"They're unusual, yes, of course. He's sort of a scientist-slash-inventor. They're storm chasers -- they go after tornadoes, hurricanes, things like that," he said.
"He's a great kid," Friedland said of Falcon. "We see him a lot and they come over and they're always friendly."
source cnn.com
Interracial couple in Louisiana denied marriage license
Civil rights advocates in eastern Louisiana are calling for a justice of the peace of Tangipahoa Parish to resign after he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple.
"He's an elected public official and one of his duties is to marry people. He doesn't have the right to say he doesn't believe in it," Patricia Morris, president of the NAACP branch of Tangipahoa Parish, located near the Mississippi line, said Thursday.
"If he doesn't do what his position calls for him to do, he should resign from that position."
The demands for Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace for Tangipahoa Parish's 8th Ward, to step down came after he wouldn't issue a marriage license to Beth Humphrey, 30, and her boyfriend, Terence McKay, 32, both of Hammond.
"I was just really shocked, because he's an elected official," Humphrey said.
Bardwell didn't immediately return calls from CNN on Thursday.
However, Bardwell told Hammond's Daily Star newspaper that he was concerned for the children who might be born of the relationship and that, in his experience, most interracial marriages don't last.
"I'm not a racist," Bardwell told the newspaper. "I do ceremonies for black couples right here in my house. My main concern is for the children."
Bardwell, stressing that he couldn't personally endorse the marriage, said his wife referred the couple to another justice of the peace.
The bride says the case boils down to discrimination.
Humphrey told CNN that she called Bardwell on October 6 to ask about getting a marriage license, and was asked by his wife whether it would be an interracial marriage. Humphrey said she was told that Bardwell does not sign off on interracial marriages.
She said the couple -- who received their marriage license October 9 from another justice of the peace in the same parish -- have reached out to an attorney to determine their next step.
"We would like him to resign," she said. "He doesn't believe he's being racist, but it is racist."
Morris told CNN that her NAACP chapter has forwarded the case to the state and national levels of the civil rights group.
According to the Census Bureau, Tangipahoa Parish is about 70 percent white and 30 percent black.
source cnn.com
While world worried, 'balloon boy' was safe in attic
After scouring northern Colorado by foot and air, frantically chasing a Mylar balloon for dozens of miles and interviewing his big brother over and over, local and federal authorities ended their search for 6-year-old Falcon Heene where it began -- at his house.
He was in a box. In the attic. The whole time.
"I played with my toys and took a nap," Falcon told reporters outside his Fort Collins home Thursday afternoon.
"He walked in by himself, it felt like from nowhwere," the boy's mother, Mayumi Heene, told CNN Friday morning. "When I first saw him I couldn't even believe it, I couldn't comprehend."
"He says he was hiding in the attic," Falcon's father, meteorologist Richard Heene, said Thursday as he clutched his son. "He says it's because I yelled at him. I'm sorry I yelled at him."
But in a later interview on CNN's "Larry King Live," Falcon said he heard his parents call for him from the garage. When asked by his father on air why he didn't respond, the boy replied, "You guys said we did this for the show."
When Richard Heene was pressed by fill-in host Wolf Blitzer to explain what his son meant, he became uncomfortable, finally saying he was "appalled" by the questions. He added that Falcon likely was referring to all the media coverage.
Heene reiterated Friday morning that Falcon was talking about media requests after the drama ended Thursday.
Authorities said they believe the case, which launched search efforts by the Colorado Air National Guard and Federal Aviation Administration, was genuine.
Heene told reporters earlier the family was working on the balloon, what he called a "3-D low-altitude vehicle," and they were in the "early stages of the invention" when the balloon and the boy went missing.
The situation grabbed the world's attention Thursday afternoon after authorities reported that the experimental helium balloon was set adrift and the 6-year-old apparently was riding in it. His brother had said he watched Falcon get into the balloon before he untied the tethers, setting it free. Heene later said Falcon was videotaped getting into the vessel by his brother but "obviously he got out."
Rescuers followed the saucerlike vessel, and the FAA tried to track it until the balloon made a soft landing some 50 miles away in a field.
Officials rushed to the scene, smacking the metallic balloon until it deflated. They looked inside, but there was no Falcon.
At that point, there were two possibilities: Either Falcon never got in the balloon, or he fell out. After reports that a box possibly carrying Falcon might have fallen off the balloon, authorities feared the worst.
"It was like the worst thing I ever heard in my life because all I could think of was maybe he had fallen out," Richard Heene said Friday.
But a little while later, the boy turned up at home.
Larimer County Sheriff James Alderden said it's not uncommon for children to seek cover when they realize they're the subject of a massive search. "They hide because they think they are in trouble."
"What was confusing was the eyewitness who said [Falcon] climbed into the apparatus, which was not the case," Alderden said, referring to the boy's brother. Watch as the balloon lands »
The sheriff said investigators interviewd the brother several times and he was consistent with his story.
Earlier, the falling-box scenario prompted a widening search.
A Weld County sheriff's deputy had said he saw an object fall from the balloon somewhere over Platteville, Colorado, which is in the search area. There was no box attached when the balloon made a soft landing at 1:35 p.m. (3:35 p.m. ET).
The widespread worries prompted the Colorado Air National Guard to deploy a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, with plans to launch a second one equipped with night vision, if necessary.
The search, which initially focused on Weld County, covered "the entire flight plan, from the Fort Collins area down to the Denver International Airport area," Col. Mark Riccardi said.
Falcon's parents, science enthusiasts Richard and Mayumi Heene, were featured on the 100th episode of ABC's prime-time program "Wife Swap" in March, that network said.
According to ABC's Web site, the Heenes "devote their time to scientific experiments that include looking for extraterrestrials and building a research-gathering flying saucer to send into the eye of the storm." See different types of balloons »
Richard Heene is a meteorologist and former television weatherman who has submitted to CNN iReports accounts of his sons helping him chase Hurricane Gustav, among other contributions.
Marc Friedland, the family's next-door neighbor, said he left his house about 11 a.m. Thursday for a walk and found Heene working on the giant balloon in the backyard.
"Basically, the whole family was out there, and they were working with it," he said. "When I came back is when I found out that the event happened."
He said the aircraft was intended to hover about 20 feet in the air and was not intended to carry people. "Obviously, something went wrong with that."
Friedland described his neighbors for the past year as "a great family."
"They're unusual, yes, of course. He's sort of a scientist slash inventor. They're storm chasers -- they go after tornadoes, hurricanes, things like that."
The family had been working on the aircraft for a couple of weeks, he said.
About Falcon, Friedland said, "He's a great kid. We see him a lot, and they come over and they're always friendly."
The Larimer County Sheriff's Office said the balloon had been tethered to the family's home.
Once untethered, the saucerlike craft flew eastward from the Heenes' neighborhood, though officials couldn't immediately confirm how fast it was going.
Authorities said the silver balloon, 20 feet long and 5 feet high, at times reached 7,000 feet above the ground while adrift.
source cnn.com
He was in a box. In the attic. The whole time.
"I played with my toys and took a nap," Falcon told reporters outside his Fort Collins home Thursday afternoon.
"He walked in by himself, it felt like from nowhwere," the boy's mother, Mayumi Heene, told CNN Friday morning. "When I first saw him I couldn't even believe it, I couldn't comprehend."
"He says he was hiding in the attic," Falcon's father, meteorologist Richard Heene, said Thursday as he clutched his son. "He says it's because I yelled at him. I'm sorry I yelled at him."
But in a later interview on CNN's "Larry King Live," Falcon said he heard his parents call for him from the garage. When asked by his father on air why he didn't respond, the boy replied, "You guys said we did this for the show."
When Richard Heene was pressed by fill-in host Wolf Blitzer to explain what his son meant, he became uncomfortable, finally saying he was "appalled" by the questions. He added that Falcon likely was referring to all the media coverage.
Heene reiterated Friday morning that Falcon was talking about media requests after the drama ended Thursday.
Authorities said they believe the case, which launched search efforts by the Colorado Air National Guard and Federal Aviation Administration, was genuine.
Heene told reporters earlier the family was working on the balloon, what he called a "3-D low-altitude vehicle," and they were in the "early stages of the invention" when the balloon and the boy went missing.
The situation grabbed the world's attention Thursday afternoon after authorities reported that the experimental helium balloon was set adrift and the 6-year-old apparently was riding in it. His brother had said he watched Falcon get into the balloon before he untied the tethers, setting it free. Heene later said Falcon was videotaped getting into the vessel by his brother but "obviously he got out."
Rescuers followed the saucerlike vessel, and the FAA tried to track it until the balloon made a soft landing some 50 miles away in a field.
Officials rushed to the scene, smacking the metallic balloon until it deflated. They looked inside, but there was no Falcon.
At that point, there were two possibilities: Either Falcon never got in the balloon, or he fell out. After reports that a box possibly carrying Falcon might have fallen off the balloon, authorities feared the worst.
"It was like the worst thing I ever heard in my life because all I could think of was maybe he had fallen out," Richard Heene said Friday.
But a little while later, the boy turned up at home.
Larimer County Sheriff James Alderden said it's not uncommon for children to seek cover when they realize they're the subject of a massive search. "They hide because they think they are in trouble."
"What was confusing was the eyewitness who said [Falcon] climbed into the apparatus, which was not the case," Alderden said, referring to the boy's brother. Watch as the balloon lands »
The sheriff said investigators interviewd the brother several times and he was consistent with his story.
Earlier, the falling-box scenario prompted a widening search.
A Weld County sheriff's deputy had said he saw an object fall from the balloon somewhere over Platteville, Colorado, which is in the search area. There was no box attached when the balloon made a soft landing at 1:35 p.m. (3:35 p.m. ET).
The widespread worries prompted the Colorado Air National Guard to deploy a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, with plans to launch a second one equipped with night vision, if necessary.
The search, which initially focused on Weld County, covered "the entire flight plan, from the Fort Collins area down to the Denver International Airport area," Col. Mark Riccardi said.
Falcon's parents, science enthusiasts Richard and Mayumi Heene, were featured on the 100th episode of ABC's prime-time program "Wife Swap" in March, that network said.
According to ABC's Web site, the Heenes "devote their time to scientific experiments that include looking for extraterrestrials and building a research-gathering flying saucer to send into the eye of the storm." See different types of balloons »
Richard Heene is a meteorologist and former television weatherman who has submitted to CNN iReports accounts of his sons helping him chase Hurricane Gustav, among other contributions.
Marc Friedland, the family's next-door neighbor, said he left his house about 11 a.m. Thursday for a walk and found Heene working on the giant balloon in the backyard.
"Basically, the whole family was out there, and they were working with it," he said. "When I came back is when I found out that the event happened."
He said the aircraft was intended to hover about 20 feet in the air and was not intended to carry people. "Obviously, something went wrong with that."
Friedland described his neighbors for the past year as "a great family."
"They're unusual, yes, of course. He's sort of a scientist slash inventor. They're storm chasers -- they go after tornadoes, hurricanes, things like that."
The family had been working on the aircraft for a couple of weeks, he said.
About Falcon, Friedland said, "He's a great kid. We see him a lot, and they come over and they're always friendly."
The Larimer County Sheriff's Office said the balloon had been tethered to the family's home.
Once untethered, the saucerlike craft flew eastward from the Heenes' neighborhood, though officials couldn't immediately confirm how fast it was going.
Authorities said the silver balloon, 20 feet long and 5 feet high, at times reached 7,000 feet above the ground while adrift.
source cnn.com
Strong quake rattles Indonesian capital
strong earthquake rattled the Indonesian island of Java on Friday, sending panicked people into the streets of the capital city, Jakarta.
The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake's magnitude at 6.1 -- lowering it from an earlier magnitude of 6.5.
The epicenter was located in the Sunda Strait -- the narrow body of water between Java and Sumatra islands, about 115 miles (185 km) southwest of Jakarta, according to the USGS.
It struck shortly before 5 p.m. local time (6 a.m. ET).
The quake prompted a mass evacuation in downtown Jakarta. There was no sign of any initial damage, CNN producer Andy Saputra said.
It is the latest in the series of quakes to have rattled Indonesia, including strong quakes on September 30 and October 1 near the island of Sumatra.
More than 1,000 people are believed to have died after the quake destroyed buildings in the city of Padang, the capital of West Sumatra.
Friday's quake did not last long, and was not nearly as powerful as the 7.0-magnitude quake that shook Jakarta on September 2, causing high-rise buildings to sway, according to Reuben Carder, a reporter with Dow Jones.
source cnn.com
The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake's magnitude at 6.1 -- lowering it from an earlier magnitude of 6.5.
The epicenter was located in the Sunda Strait -- the narrow body of water between Java and Sumatra islands, about 115 miles (185 km) southwest of Jakarta, according to the USGS.
It struck shortly before 5 p.m. local time (6 a.m. ET).
The quake prompted a mass evacuation in downtown Jakarta. There was no sign of any initial damage, CNN producer Andy Saputra said.
It is the latest in the series of quakes to have rattled Indonesia, including strong quakes on September 30 and October 1 near the island of Sumatra.
More than 1,000 people are believed to have died after the quake destroyed buildings in the city of Padang, the capital of West Sumatra.
Friday's quake did not last long, and was not nearly as powerful as the 7.0-magnitude quake that shook Jakarta on September 2, causing high-rise buildings to sway, according to Reuben Carder, a reporter with Dow Jones.
source cnn.com
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Born with half a brain, woman living full life
Michelle Mack has turned medical thinking upside down.
Born with only half a brain, Mack can speak normally, graduated from high school and has an uncanny knack for dates.
At 27, doctors determined that the right side of her brain had essentially rewired itself to make up for function that was likely lost during a pre-birth stroke. But her childhood and young adult years were fraught with frustration.
"It was very hard for me," Mack said. "It was very hard for me growing up. No one knew the truth about my brain."
Mack's parents, Carol and Wally, realized shortly after her birth that something was wrong.
"There wasn't a group to turn to," said Carol Mack. "Michelle didn't have cerebral palsy, I knew that. She didn't have Down's syndrome, I knew that. I had no place to turn."
Ten years ago, Dr. Jordan Grafman, chief of the Cognitive Neuroscience Section at the National Institutes of Health, finally diagnosed the problem.
An MRI scan revealed she was missing nearly all the left side of her brain. While it was clear Mack has some problems, Grafman said he and the family were shocked by the extent of the damage.
"We were surprised to see the extent of the lesion in her brain, which basically took away the left side of her brain," said Grafman. "There's some very deep structures remaining, but the surface of her brain, the cortex is 95 percent gone and some of the deeper structures, structures that control movement, are missing. These are all structures that are important for movement, behavior, cognition."
The only answer, Grafman said, was that Mack's brain has rewired itself. The remaining half took over some of the essential functions that are normally done by the left, such as speaking and reading. That rewiring, however, came at a cost.
"Michelle has fairly normal language abilities, certainly basic language abilities, she can construct a sentence, she can understand instructions, she can find words when she's talking, but actually she has some trouble in some aspects of visual-spatial processing," said Grafman.
"It's quite possible that in her learning, in her development, when the right hemisphere either took over or developed some of the language abilities that it cost her in some of the skills that are normally mediated by the right side of the brain," added Grafman.
In the 10 years since Grafman first diagnosed Mack, she has seen some intellectual functions improve, the doctor said. Recovery has not been perfect, however. Mack still struggles with abstract concepts and becomes easily lost in unfamiliar surroundings.
The diagnosis explained why Mack had experienced a lifetime of difficulty controlling her emotions.
"He's helped us understand the reason why I tend to throw fits, temper tantrums," she said. "It was because I was missing half my brain."
Mack will always have some problems, but dad Wally Mack said that Grafman's diagnosis and treatment answered a lot of questions and gave him hope.
"Dr. Grafman explained that the right hemisphere is taking over, and it might take her a little while longer to get there with all the rewiring that has to take place," he said. "But that told us all these bad days are behind us and there are nothing but good days ahead."
Michelle Mack is now 37 and lives with her mother and father. She works from home doing data entry for her church. She is fairly independent, pays rent and can do most household chores. She realizes she'll need help for the rest of her life but wanted to tell her story to make it clear that she is not helpless.
"I wanted to do this so people like producers, photographers and security guards and police officers learn about people like me," she said, "that I'm normal but have special needs, and that there are a lot people like me, so that they could be more understanding."
source cnn.com
The lost golf balls of Loch Ness
There's something lurking in the depths of Loch Ness, Scotland and it has nothing to do with monsters.
On a recent expedition to try and find evidence of the Loch Ness monster, U.S. research teams came across something quite unexpected -- not a prehistoric creature of the deep but thousands of plastic covered golf balls.
Mike O'Brien of SeaTrepid explains: "At first we thought they were mushrooms, there were so many. But when we lowered the camera, we were surprised to see that they were in fact, golf balls."
The smattering of balls were found roughly 300 yards from the beach and 100 yards from the shore where it is thought locals and visitors have been using the loch to practice their driving skills for quite some time.
One witness, conservationist Adrian Shine, told CNN he had seen locals launching balls almost 300 feet into the waters.
However, Shine doesn't believe this to be an environmental threat: "Certainly it's undesirable, but I don't think it will have a significant environmental impact on the loch."
It seems missing and discarded golf balls may not be bad news for all concerned. David Roston has built a career out of wading through rivers and diving in lakes to collect and re-sell discarded golf balls.
His online company www.lakeballs.co.uk have been retailing "lake balls" for almost 10 years, but even his powers of retrieval would be challenged by the monstrous task of recovering balls from the bottom of the loch.
"I've dived in various lakes and found 10 to 15 thousand golf balls at a time, it's incredible -- but we've never attempted to clear a loch!"
Bobbing along at a depth of 754 feet, it is unlikely these balls of Loch Ness will ever see the light of day again.
To watch the remarkable footage shot by the SeaTrepid underwater robotics team, click on the link to see the "Outland 1000" in action.
source cnn.com
Girls sell sex in Hong Kong to earn shopping money
She doesn't want to be identified, except by her nickname "Sze," and she has a secret past. Her father doesn't know what she did as a 16-year-old, and she hopes he never finds out. But Sze, now 19, wants young girls to hear her story so they never make the same mistake.
"My first customer was an ordinary man in his 40s. We skipped the dinner part and went straight to the guest house for sex," Sze recalled. "Actually, I was a bit scared, but I knew this was the only way I could get money. This customer wasn't bad, though. We just had sex, he paid, and then he left. I thought this was easy money, and that's why I continued doing this kind of thing."
For a year and a half, Sze was part of a growing social phenomenon among teens in Hong Kong called "compensated dating," a practice in which a young woman agrees to go on a date with a man for a fee. More often than not, the date involves sex.
Sze said she started compensated dating because many of her classmates at an all-girls school were doing it. She says she became jealous when she saw the designer clothes, bags and cosmetics they bought with the money they earned through compensated dating. Sze wanted the same for herself, so her classmates introduced her to Internet chat forums where she met male customers.
The practice can have deadly consequences. Last year, a 16-year-old Hong Kong girl was killed in a gruesome murder after she went to a 24-year-old man's apartment for a compensated date. The man, Ting Kai-Tai, killed the teenager, dismembered her body and flushed the remains down the toilet. A jury convicted him of murder and sentenced him to life in prison.
Sze told CNN she knew a compensated date could go horribly wrong. She would set ground rules with clients on the phone first. She charged them $350 for a date and clarified how many times she would have sex with them.
She said sometimes the customers would stray from the rules, asking for more sex or refusing to wear a condom.
"Sometimes, I did feel shame. I kept asking myself why I had to do this kind of thing to make money. But the feeling didn't stay long. I would relax when I wanted to buy something. I just thought I could always quit after a short time or whenever I wanted," Sze said.
Most girls who engage in compensated dating don't view themselves as prostitutes, said social worker Chiu Tak-Choi.
"For the girls, they don't think so because they think they can quit anytime. The girls -- even though they post their details on the Internet -- they think they can quit. Even if they encounter the guys, if he is not good-looking, she can quit and say 'I don't do it.' They think they have a lot of power to control whether they do it or not, so they think of it very differently from prostitution."
Chiu, the social worker, is currently working with about 20 girls who are trying to leave the world of compensated dating. It is hard to quantify how big the problem is in Hong Kong because the business is conducted under the radar, he said.
Chiu believes the problem is getting worse because his caseload has doubled in the past two years.
Prostitution is illegal in Hong Kong, and legal experts say that compensated dating is a form of prostitution. "The law prohibits soliciting for immoral purpose," said Stephen Hung, a criminal litigator with Pang, Wan & Choi. "When a court looks at sentencing, the greater the age difference, the more serious it (the sentence) is."
Why do young girls get involved in compensated dating? The reasons vary from an unstable home life to a desire for material goods, Chiu said.
One 14-year-old girl told him she started compensated dating when she lost her cell phone. She said her parents wouldn't buy her a new one, so she thought she could earn some fast money with paid sex. She had her eye on an expensive cell phone. When the money from the first compensated date didn't cover the cost for the new phone, she went on a second paid date.
Girls involved in compensated dating don't necessarily come from poor families, Chiu said. They are from all levels of socioeconomic classes, he said. Improved family communication is one solution to preventing girls from becoming involved in compensated dating, Chiu said.
"The family has to do its part. I think caring for children is very important. Whenever they have problems, they can ask someone for help."
Sze said she was saved by a social worker who stepped in on her behalf. After a pregnancy scare and a number of unpredictable customers, Sze said her self-esteem plummeted. The social worker helped her get back on track.
"She helped me understand that making money respectably is actually not that hard in Hong Kong. I finally realized that it was wrong to make money by selling my body. It just wasn't worth it."
Sze now works at a hair salon to earn a living. She has tried to talk her old friends out of compensated dating, but they are not listening, she said.
"They felt annoyed when I talked to them about this. I'm now reluctant to get in touch with them. They just tell me they're different. Maybe they have more serious family problems or some other burdens. I know I can't control their thinking, so I just stopped trying to help them."
source cnn.com
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