Focusing on "the silent killer"

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2010 - A silent killer is rapidly infiltrating the military, claiming lives at an alarming rate each year.

It does not discriminate, taking aim at the young and old, male and female -- from the battle-hardened soldier to the new recruit.

Military suicides have more than doubled in the Army, exceeding the national average over the past five years, and leaders are redoubling efforts to figure out why.

"It's an area that can't get enough focus right now," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said. "When we're losing as many lives as we are, it is a crisis we have to continue to address".

In an interview with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service, Mullen and his wife, Deborah, talked about what it will take to stop troops and families from taking their own lives.

"It's a very difficult, vexing, complex problem and one that leadership has to spend an awful lot of time on to try to figure out," Mullen said. "It's one that in the country is not well understood; therefore, [it's] one in the military that isn't understood".

While top leaders are struggling to find answers, military suicides have reached a critical point, the chairman said. Last year, suicide claimed 309 troops, and in 2008, 267 servicemembers committed suicide, according to a Defense Department task force. From 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 servicemembers took their own lives, an average of one suicide every 36 hours, the task force said.

Some reports attribute the spike to multiple deployments and long family separations. The majority of suicides do take place among servicemembers who have deployed, Mullen said. Still, a considerable number occur among those who haven't deployed, he added.

Complicating the issue is a delay in symptoms for those who have served in combat, Mullen said. In many cases, post-traumatic stress symptoms don't reveal themselves until months or years later, and a servicemember may be discharged by that time and back in a civilian community without the same level of support. The military needs to find ways to track those servicemembers so they receive the support they need, he said.

"A significant amount of work needs to be done on the prevention aspect of [suicide] so we don't get to the point where men and women would consider doing this," he said.

Leaders also must gain an understanding of the problem's scope, including the signs, symptoms and vulnerable population, he said.

"More than anything else, I think, military leaders have to lead," Mullen said. Many leaders have had challenges themselves, he noted, and the way they address those challenges, seeking help when needed, can set the example for others.

The military also must work to end the stigma that's preventing people from seeking help early on, Mullen said, including family members afraid to raise a red flag.

U.S. Army

Inter, Manchester United draw Champions League openers; Barca hit five

(CNN) -- Defending champions Inter Milan were held to a 2-2 draw by Dutch newcomers FC Twente in the opening round of the European Champions League group phase, while Barcelona put five goals past Panathinaikos.

Wesley Sneijder gave Inter the lead in the Netherlands with a powerful low shot, only for the Dutch champions to level through a Theo Janssen free-kick.

Twente took a surprise lead on the half hour mark when Diego Milito headed a Janssen corner into his own net.

But Inter drew level before half-time when Samuel Eto'o lashed home a right-footed shot from the edge of the area.

"The first half was very difficult but we did very well in the second, we controlled the game and I'm satisfied with the second half against a difficult team," Inter coach Rafael Benitez told reporters.

The other match in Group A, between Werder Bremen andTottenham, also finished 2-2. The English club took a 2-0 lead in Germany after a Petri Pasanen own-goal and a header from Peter Crouch.

However, Bremen pulled a goal back before half-time through Hugo Almeida and equalized two minutes after the break when Marko Marin found the net with a low drive from outside the area.

CNN

Bomb scare at Eiffel Tower ends without incident

Paris, France -- A bomb threat that led authorities to use sniffer dogs to inspect the Eiffel Tower and surrounding areas Tuesday turned out to have been a hoax, CNN affiliate BFM-TV reported, citing police.

The police press office said the telephone threat was reported at 8:20 p.m. and was treated as a routine occurrence; the tower was inspected to determine whether the threat was real.

A telephoned bomb threat also led authorities to briefly evacuate the St. Michel metro station, police said, according to BFM-TV. It was reopened within 30 minutes.

Some 2,000 people had been in the area of the Eiffel Tower and the park in which it sits when the evacuation was ordered, police said, according to BFM-TV. Briefly evacuated were a number a nearby apartment buildings and businesses, according to news reports.

"One person on the scene said the police came by and said there was a problem and they had to leave the area quickly, and that's what they did," CNN's Jim Bittermann reported.

A taxi driver said he drove to the tower two tourists who were planning to eat at the Jules Verne Restaurant, where they had made reservations two months ago, but they were turned back by police.

CNN

Chlorine-treated U.S. poultry possibly brought to Russia via third states - official

Russia's top sanitary official said on Tuesday he had been informed about attempts to bring controversial U.S. chlorine-treated poultry via third states into the country.

"Attempts are being made to bring chlorine-treated poultry of U.S. producers to Russia, repacked under [the brand names of] producers from third states," Russia's chief sanitary official Gennady Onishchenko said, citing information from "relevant sources".

He hinted that the deliveries were most likely to be made through other members of the recently-established Customs Union, namely Belarus and Kazakhstan.

"The eased requirements that members of the Customs Union enjoy facilitate such deliveries to our country," the Russian official said.

On January 1, Russia introduced new sanitary standards, banning the treatment of meat with chloride of a higher concentration than in drinking water. A difficult negotiating process between Russia and the United States began, while Russia was also negotiating poultry supplies with other states as well as trying to increase domestic production.

RIA Novosti

Nothing can hurt Belarus-Russia relations - Lukashenko

No one can damage Belarusian-Russian ties, President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday.

"We have always been and will always be together. No politician can disrupt our relations," he said at a meeting with Collective Security Treaty Organization chief Nikolai Bordyuzha.

Belarus will forever remain "a reliable base and outpost" for Russia and the post-Soviet security bloc, he said.

Relations between Belarus and Russia soured in 2009 over a series of economic and political disputes, including Russian energy supplies, a milk export row and Lukashenko's reluctance to sign a deal to set up a CSTO rapid reaction force.

A gas dispute and Belarus's reluctance to join Russia in recognizing the independence of the former Georgian republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia have also added to the tension.

RIA Novosti

Alleged Russian child abuser returns to Thailand to have bail extended

An acclaimed Russian pianist/conductor facing child sex abuse charges in Thailand returned to the Southeast Asian state on Tuesday to have his bail extended.

"I am to appear in court tomorrow, September 15. I will go there with my Thai lawyer," Mikhail Pletnev said.

He plans to spend some time in Thailand and, if he gets permission to travel, will leave the country to begin a tour due to start on September 25.

"My lawyer assures me that permission will be granted and I will be able to continue my work," he said.

Pletnev, who is the conductor for the Russian National Orchestra, was charged with raping a 14-year-old boy in July. If found guilty, he could face up to 20 years behind bars. Pletnev denies all charges against him.

Pletnev has to return to the resort town of Pattaya every 12 days to renew his $9,000 bail. He is allowed to travel abroad so long as he holds to his bail agreement.

RIA Novosti

Aeroflot recovers Berezovsky-embezzled millions following Russian-Swiss investigation

Russia’s leading air carrier, Aeroflot, has recovered $52 million embezzled by the fugitive tycoon Boris Berezovsky, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office said on its website Tuesday.

On August 27, Swiss authorities released 53 million Swiss francs ($52 million) in frozen assets to Russia's defrauded airline following the drawn-out Aeroflot embezzlement case.

“Due to Russian-Swiss legal cooperation in criminal proceedings, the entire process from launching the lawsuit to the investigation and coming to a guilty verdict was successfully made,” the Prosecutor General’s Office statement said.

In 1996-1999, Berezovsky together with then-Aeroflot Deputy General Director Nikolai Glushkov made illegal transactions involving $200-$300 million of Aeroflot revenues via their Swiss-based companies, Forus and Andava.

Both dummy companies [Forus and Andava] transferred Aeroflot's foreign receivables charging exorbitant fees for cash management services.

In 1999, the air carrier’s management was shocked when they had to pay millions to the commercial companies instead of to the Russian Federation.

RIA Novosti

Drilling could resume in Plan B to rescue miners, government says

Copiapo, Chile (CNN) -- Officials working to free 33 trapped miners in a collapsed Chilean mine said Tuesday they had cleared a drilling hole that was blocked by a shattered drill bit.

Engineer Rene Aguilar said all the pieces of the broken drill bit that were in the hole drilled by the Plan B operation had been removed, and drilling could begin again soon.

The Plan B drill is widening a narrow hole drilled when rescuers first searched for the miners after the mine collapsed August 5. That drill was making the fastest progress of the other rescue operations -- Plan A and Plan C -- when it hit an obstruction, possibly a reinforcement beam, at a depth of 268 meters (879 feet).

"This bit was upside down and we used a spider ... to pull it out," Aguilar said, holding up the "nose" of the bit that he said weighed about 12 kilograms (about 26 pounds).

CNN

Released American hiker arrives in Oman

Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- American Sarah Shourd was reunited with her mother in Muscat, Oman, on Tuesday after Iranian authorities released her from a Tehran prison where she had been held for 14 months, a source familiar with Shourd's movements told CNN.

Shourd arrived in Oman -- where her bail was posted -- on a chartered flight from Tehran.

"I want to really offer my thanks to everyone in the world, all of the governments, all of the people that have been involved," Shourd said before boarding the plane.

"And I especially and particularly want to address [Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad] and all the Iranian officials, the religious leaders, and thank them for this humanitarian gesture," she said. "I am grateful. I am very humbled by this moment".

Shourd's lawyer Masoud Shafii said that bail had been posted and he was with a smiling Shourd when she was released from Evin Prison late Tuesday afternoon. She was handed over to Swiss authorities. The United States and Iran do not have formal relations, and Switzerland serves as the "protecting power" for Washington in Tehran.

"I've hoped and prayed for this moment for 410 days and I cannot wait to wrap Sarah in my arms and hold her close when we are finally together again," Shourd's mother, Nora, said in a statement.

"Sarah has had a long and difficult detainment and I am going to make sure that she now gets the care and attention she needs and the time and space to recover," she said.

President Barack Obama thanked authorities in Switzerland, Oman and everyone else who "worked tirelessly and admirably over the past several months to bring about this joyous reunion".

Shourd, 32, left prison wearing a red head scarf and without any belongings, Shafii said. Her release was bittersweet because she was leaving behind fellow Americans Shane Bauer, 28, who is her fiance, and Josh Fattal, 28.

CNN

In Middle East talks, core issues now on the table

Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt (CNN) -- The arduous Middle East peace talks continued on Tuesday in Egypt, where officials from Israel and the Palestinian Authority "have begun a serious discussion on core issues," a top U.S. diplomat said.

"They have agreed to begin first on working to achieve a framework agreement for permanent status. That work is now well under way," said U.S. special envoy George Mitchell.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas attended the almost two-hour long session, along with Mitchell and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Mitchell briefed the media after the session and said the goals remain a two-state solution, condemnation of violence and working toward security, and a resolution of all issues.

He reiterated the Obama administration's position that Israel should extend the moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank, a hiatus scheduled to end later this month.

"We believe we are moving in the right direction overall," he said.

CNN

Gordon Brown to serve as Harvard fellow this fall

(CNN) -- Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will serve as a visiting fellow at Harvard University's Institute of Politics this fall, the institute announced Tuesday.

Brown, who is still a member of the British Parliament, will begin his weeklong fellowship the week of September 20. During his visit, Brown will deliver the Malcolm Wiener Lecture in International Political Economy in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum on September 23.

"We are confident our students, faculty and university community will enjoy engaging with Gordon Brown, a prominent international leader with experience at the highest levels of government and public service," said Institute of Politics Interim Director John C. Culver in a statement on the university's website.

CNN

Arctic species under threat, report warns

London, England (CNN) -- Polar bears clinging to melting ice sheets have become one of the most frequently used images to portray the perils of climate change.

But a new report by the U.S. Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and UK-based Care for the Wild International (CWI) is bringing attention to the predicament of other equally endangered Arctic species.

Seventeen Arctic animals are highlighted in "Extinction: It's Not Just for Polar Bears".

Shaye Wolf, lead author and climate science director of the CBD told CNN: "The plight of the polar bear due to global warming is very well known and familiar. But many other Arctic species are suffering a similar fate -- from plankton all the way to the great whales".

The impacts of climate change are "unfolding far more rapidly in the Arctic than any other area on the planet" threatening its ecosystem, the report said.

A 2009 study by Donald K. Perovich and Jacqueline A Richter-Menge -- "Loss of Sea Ice in the Arctic" -- reported that the sea ice extent in 2007 was one million square miles below the average figure recorded between 1979 and 2000.

This, and other data suggests, say scientists, that summer sea ice could completely disappear in the Arctic by 2030.

The ice retreat is already spelling trouble for marine mammals like the Pacific walrus and the harp seal.

CNN

America's Cup opts for speed in 2013

(CNN) -- The 2013 America's Cup will be faster than ever after organizers announced that wingsail catamarans will be the vessels of choice.

The race has historically been between yachts with a single hull, however the 34th edition of the contest will be between multi-hull vessels with wings rather than traditional sails.

This means the boats will travel faster through the water, with top speeds in excess of 30 knots, almost three times as fast as in the past.

The Golden Gate Yacht Club, hosts of the 2013 race and holders of the cup, have also announced a new, shorter race format for the competition.

In an attempt to boost interest in one of sailing's showpiece events an annual World Series will also take place, starting in 2011, resulting a world champion team being crowned.

In addition, a youth America's Cup will also be introduced, set to begin in 2012.

CNN

Cruz is 4 1/2 months pregnant

(PEOPLE.com) -- The question of whether it's a baby bump or a costume has been answered: "Penelope is 4 1/2 months pregnant," reps for Penélope Cruz and husband Javier Bardem confirm.

Photos of Cruz, 36, on the set of her upcoming movie, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," had sparked buzz that the recently married actress was expecting.

Cruz was snapped in Puerto Rico sporting a flowing top and a possible bump.

CNN

EU may take legal action against France over Roma

EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding has urged the European Commission to take legal action against France over its deportations of Roma (Gypsies).

Ms Reding called French actions a "disgrace". She deplored the fact that a leaked official memo contradicted assurances given to her by France.

France voiced "astonishment" in response to her statement on Tuesday.

France's deportations of more than 1,000 Roma, to Bulgaria and Romania, have been widely condemned.

The deportations began in early August, after French President Nicolas Sarkozy linked illegal Roma camps with crimes such as prostitution and child exploitation.

The BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels says Ms Reding's rebuke amounted to incredibly strong language from a European commissioner about a big member state.

BBC News

American hiker released from Iranian prison, state media reports

Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Sarah Shourd, one of three American hikers detained for more than a year in Iran, has been released from prison, state-run Press TV reported Tuesday.

Attorney Massoud Shafii, who is representing the hikers, had said everything was in place for Shourd's release once bail of $500,000 was submitted to the Iranian judiciary.

Shourd, 32; Shane Bauer, 28; and Josh Fattal, 28, were detained July 31, 2009, after they allegedly strayed across an unmarked border into Iran while hiking in Iraq's Kurdistan region.

Tehran has accused the three hikers of spying.

A judge decided to allow Shourd to be released on bail because of her medical condition, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported Sunday, citing Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi.

Shourd had a pre-existing gynecological problem, and her family says she now also has a lump in her breast, according to Shafii.

CNN

Iranian diplomat in Europe defects

(CNN) -- An Iranian diplomat based in Belgium has defected and is requesting political asylum in Norway, his lawyer told CNN on Tuesday.

News agencies identify him as Farzad Farhangion.

He had been a diplomat at the Iranian Embassy in Brussels but defected Tuesday and asked for asylum, said attorney Arild Humlen.

Farhangion is defecting because he supports the Green Movement, the lawyer said.

CNN

Mira Sorvino finds faith in new movie

Editor's Note: Academy Award winning actress Mira Sorvino sat down with CNN's Belief Blog to talk about her new film Like Dandelion Dust. The film is based on the book by Christian author Karen Kingsbury. CNN's Chris Ford filed this report.

Academy Award winning actress Mira Sorvino is the star of the latest film aimed at the faith community. Sorvino says she found faith in the story of a mother who gave her child up for adoption but has decided to try and get him back.

While not overtly a religious film, Sorvino says "Like Dandelion Dust" contains religious values: forgiveness, love, and redemption. Watch what she had say in our interview.

The film also stars Barry Pepper, Cole Hauser, Kate Levering, and Maxwell Perry Cotton and is directed by Jon Gunn. It is rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including domestic violence and alcohol abuse. It will be playing in select theaters Sept. 24.

CNN