Charles Taylor sentenced to 50 years for war crimes

The first former head of state to be convicted of war crimes since World War II was sentenced to 50 years in prison Wednesday by an international court in The Hague, Netherlands. The Special Court for Sierra Leone convicted former Liberian president Charles Taylor last month of supplying and encouraging rebels in neighboring Sierra Leone in a campaign of terror, involving murder, rape, sexual slavery and the conscription children younger than 15. Who is Taylor, exactly?

He was also found guilty of using Sierra Leone's diamond deposits to help fuel its civil war with arms and guns while enriching himself with what have commonly come to be known as "blood diamonds." For victims in Sierra Leone, Taylor's verdict brings relief Charles Taylor: Liberia's feared warlord Charles Taylor: Liberia's feared warlord Taylor directed his gaze downward while Presiding Judge Richard Lussick read the sentencing statement, which began with a horror cabinet of carnage committed in Sierra Leone by rebels from the Revolutionary United Front, which the former president backed. Charles Taylor sentenced to 50 years Understanding Charles Taylor's sentence "The accused has been found responsible for aiding and abetting as well as planning some of the most heinous and brutal crimes recorded in human history," said Lussick, who described one RUF military operation as the "indiscriminate killing of anything that moved." He spoke of amputations with machetes -- some carried out by child soldiers forced to do so -- and read accounts by witnesses who suffered under the violence. Opinion: Do war crimes trials really help victims? "Witness TF1064 was forced to carry a bag containing human heads," Lussick said. "On the way, the rebels ordered her to laugh as she carried the bags dripping with blood." Upon arrival, "the bag was emptied, and she saw the heads of her children." A former child soldier, conscripted at age 12, in his testimony told of "having the letters RUF carved into his chest," Lussick said. "When ordered on a food-finding mission to rape an old woman they found at a farmhouse, the boy cried and refused, for which he was punished." The prosecution had asked the Special Court for Sierra Leone to sentence Taylor, who was president of Liberia from 1997 to 2003, to 80 years behind bars, but the judges found the recommendation "excessive," citing the "limited scope" of the conviction in key attacks. The prosecutors had failed to prove that Taylor assumed direct command over rebels who committed atrocities. There is no death penalty in international criminal law, and Taylor, 64, will serve out his sentence in a British prison. Charles Taylor speaks before war court Taylor found guilty of war crimes Amputees struggle in Sierra Leone The former Liberian president is appealing his conviction and will receive credit for time already served since his apprehension in March 2006. The atrocities he was convicted of supporting occurred over the course of five years -- almost his entire presidency -- and reached a peak in 1998 and 1999. Sierra Leone's civil war lasted from 1991 to 2002, ultimately leaving 50,000 dead or missing. Although Taylor was not on the battlefield in Sierra Leone, the court saw his position of power as president of the neighboring country and the use of his own military's capabilities to stoke up RUF rebels as making him directly responsible for the bloodshed he encouraged. Taylor does not see himself as a war criminal but as a victim -- a leader wronged by corruption and a hypocritical hand of justice with a political agenda. "I never stood a chance," he said last week during his final courtroom stand. "Only time will tell how many other African heads of state will be destroyed." Taylor accused the United States government of throwing the trial by paying prosecutors millions of dollars and claimed that witnesses had been bought. He has expressed no remorse and insisted his intent was far from what had been portrayed by prosecutors. He has described himself as a peacemaker, saying he should be spared a harsh sentence. His defense attorneys pointed to the former Liberian president's role in the peace process that ended the civil war as a mitigating factor in his sentencing. But after lengthy consideration, the panel of judges -- which in addition to Lassick included Judge Teresa Doherty and Judge Julia Sebutinde -- did not buy it. "While Mr. Taylor publicly played a substantial role in this process ... secretly, he was fuelling hostilities," Lassick said, supplying rebels with arms and ammunition. Last month's landmark ruling by the Special Court for Sierra Leone against Taylor was the first war crimes conviction of a former head of state by an international court since the Nuremberg trials after World War II that convicted Adm. Karl Doenitz, who became president of Germany briefly after Adolf Hitler's suicide. Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was tried by an international tribunal, but he died before a judgment was issued. Taylor, 64, was found guilty of all 11 counts of aiding and abetting the deadly rebel campaign in Sierra Leone. He was a pivotal figure in Liberian politics for decades and was forced out of office under international pressure in 2003. He fled to Nigeria, where border guards arrested him three years later as he was attempting to cross into Chad. The United Nations and the Sierra Leone government jointly set up the special tribunal to try those who played the biggest role in the atrocities. The court was moved to the Netherlands from Sierra Leone, where emotions about the civil war still run high.

New drugs may help immune system fight cancer

Researchers are hopeful a new drug could help people battling certain types of cancer. Researchers are hopeful a new drug could help people battling certain types of cancer. STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Early testing suggests drug could assist T-cells, which fight off cancer 14% of patients in clinical trial had serious side effects Some in the trial saw their tumors shrink significantly Larger studies are planned Chicago (CNN) -- Patients battling certain lung, skin and kidney cancers may benefit from a new type of cancer treatment that harnesses and boosts a patient's immune system to shrink tumors, if early research pans out. Two studies outlining early research suggest a way to help T-cells -- the warriors of a patient's immune system that fight off cancer or infection -- do their job. In one study, an experimental drug helped shrink tumors in up to a quarter of the patients with different cancers. In the other study, 6% to 17% of patients taking another experimental drug saw their tumors shrink significantly. Both studies, which are being presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago and also published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Saturday, explain that when two certain molecules are present, it renders the T-cell useless. T-cells hunt down cancer cells and destroy them. After a while, however, T-cells can start expressing a molecule called PD-1, which then can attract them to another molecule found on a tumor cell called PD-LI, explains Dr. Suzanne Topalian, lead author of one of the studies. When these two molecules meet, it can render the army of T-cells useless. That's because when the PD-1 and PD-L1 molecules connect, it "creates a protective shield that shields the tumor from immune attack ... the T-cells will be turned off," said Topalian, the director of the Melanoma Program at Hopkins' Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. In the first study, researchers used an experimental drug, with the working name BMS-936558, which is an antibody that blocks the PD-1 molecule. "It functions to rescue exhausted T-cells and to enhance an anti-tumor immunity," Topalian said. Report: Number of cancer cases worldwide could go up 75% by 2030 Nearly 300 patients with advanced melanoma (a deadly form of skin cancer), colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, prostate cancer and kidney cancer participated in this phase 1 clinical trial, which is designed to test if a drug is safe. All of these patients had failed on at least one and up to five previous cancer treatments. Painkillers may help prevent skin cancer Teen wins $75,000 for cancer test Patients were given this new drug once every two weeks for eight weeks. If after the first dose their cancer continued to grow or they got sicker, they didn't continue with the trial. Fourteen percent of the trial participants had serious side effects and 5% of patients dropped out of the trial because of side effects. Three patients died from complications of this treatment. Two lung cancer patients and one colon cancer patient developed severe lung inflammation called pneumonitis. Topalian says in the course of the study, researchers learned how to better identify those who were at risk for side effects and also found better ways to detect problems early and treat them more effectively. Of the remaining patients who were treated and had at least six months of follow-up, study results show the drug appears to work well in melanoma, lung and kidney cancer patients. Twenty-six percent of the skin cancer either had their tumor completely or significantly shrink. Among the lung cancer patients, for which immunotherapy seemed elusive so far, 18% saw complete or partial regression of their tumors. Twenty-seven percent of kidney cancer patients saw their tumors shrink significantly. The drug did not appear to help prostate or colon cancer patients. Experts, including the study authors, are cautiously optimistic about the results, knowing that much larger studies need to be done to confirm the effectiveness of this new drug. "This is eye-popping for renal (kidney) cancer," says Dr. Nicholas Vogelzang, a prostate and kidney cancer specialist at the Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada and spokesman for ASCO. Dr. Mark Kris, a lung cancer expert at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, who was involved in some of the research, says the approved lung cancer drugs given to patients who no longer respond to their first cancer treatment have a 7% response rate. "So if you see something that has a response rate of 20% or 30%, that is really different from what we're used to seeing in that population. "So I think that's what got people excited." In the second trial, also headed by another Hopkins oncologist, Dr. Julie Brahmer, researchers studied 207 patients with non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, kidney, breast, ovarian, gastric, pancreatic and colorectal cancers. Patients with lung, kidney, ovarian and skin cancer saw a benefit because their tumors shrank significantly -- some even for more than a year after taking the experimental drug. While neither trial shows whether patients will live longer because the research is so new, they both show that by shutting down the PD-1 and PD-L1 molecules, certain cancers may be stopped from getting worse -- at least for some time. "It's exciting to see this degree of anti-tumor activity from a single agent among patients with a range of cancers that had progressed despite standard therapies," Topalian said. Moreover, they may have found a way to find out which patients may benefit from these treatments before giving it to them. By looking at the tumors of 42 patients before getting treatment, when they found if the PD-L1 molecule was present, the drug worked well in 36% of the patients. If that molecule wasn't present, there was no response. Larger studies are planned, and both studies were funded by grants from Bristol-Myers Squibb, the National Institutes of Health and the Melanoma Research Alliance.

Egypt’s ex-President Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison on Saturday

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LIFE IMPRISONMENT. Egypt's ex-President Hosni Mubarak lays on a gurney inside a barred cage in the police academy courthouse in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, June 2, 2012. Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison Saturday for his role in the killing of protesters during last year's revolution that forced him from power, a verdict that caps a stunning fall from grace for a man who ruled the country as his personal fiefdom for nearly three decades. CAIRO—Egypt’s ex-President Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison on Saturday for his role in the killing of protesters during last year’s revolution that forced him from power, a verdict that caps a stunning fall from grace for a man who ruled the country for 30 years as his personal fiefdom.

The harsh sentence against the 84-year-old former leader appeared aimed at defusing tensions ahead of a divisive runoff presidential race that pits Mubarak’s last prime minister against the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate. It was the first time a deposed Arab leader had faced an ordinary court in person since a wave of uprisings shook the Arab world last year, sweeping away four entrenched rulers. Mubarak, propped up on a hospital stretcher and wearing dark sunglasses, heard the verdict with a stony expression. He had been wheeled into the cage used in Egyptian courtrooms, while the other defendants stood. Demonstrators outside the court, many of whom had been demanding the death penalty for Mubarak, greeted the verdict with fireworks and cries of “Allahu akbar (God is great).” ‘I’m so happy’ Soha Saeed, the wife of one of about 850 people killed in the street revolt that toppled Mubarak on Feb. 11, 2011, shouted: “I’m so happy. I’m so happy.” Some people inside the court who had wanted a death sentence scuffled with guards, decrying the Mubarak-era judiciary. “The people want the judiciary cleansed!” they chanted. One man held up a sign calling for Mubarak to be executed, others chanted for a death sentence. Judge Ahmed Rifaat opened the proceedings by calling the start of Mubarak’s trial on Aug. 3, 2011, a “historic day.” He hailed Egyptians for removing the only leader many of them had known. “The people of Egypt woke on Tuesday, Jan. 25, to a new dawn, hoping that they would be able to breathe fresh air … after 30 years of deep, deep, deep darkness,” he told the court. “They peacefully demanded democracy from rulers who held tight grip on power,” the judge said. Rifaat, who was presiding over his last court session before he retires, said Mubarak and Mubarak’s former interior minister, Habib al-Adli, did not act to stop the killings during 18 days of mass protests that were met by a deadly crackdown of security forces on unarmed demonstrators. More than 850 protesters were killed, most shot to death, in Cairo and other major cities. Total silence fell over the courtroom in the moments before Rifaat announced his verdict. The crowd outside then erupted in joy. Anti-Mubarak demonstrators and a smaller crowd of his supporters threw stones at each other and at police. The judge also sentenced al-Adli, to life in prison. He sentenced Mubarak’s two sons, Alaa and Gamal, to time already served after convicting them on some corruption charges and acquitting them on others. Six security officials were acquitted. Many Egyptians are angry that the hated police force, blamed for many of the deaths in the uprising, and other pillars of Mubarak’s rule have survived his downfall intact. A helicopter had flown Mubarak to the court on the outskirts of Cairo from the military-run hospital where he has been held in custody. Egyptian state television said the prosecutor general had ordered that Mubarak be transferred to prison from hospital to serve his sentence. No details were immediately given. His codefendants have been held for months in a Cairo prison. ‘Enough talk’ Hundreds of policemen with riot shields and batons surrounded the police academy where the 10-month trial has been held. “Enough talk, we want execution!” protesters chanted outside before the verdict. Few Egyptians had expected Mubarak would go to the gallows, although protesters have often hung his effigy from lampposts. “I want nothing less than the death penalty for Mubarak. Anything less and we will not be silent and the revolution will break out again,” Hanafi el-Sayed, whose 27-year-old son was killed early in the uprising, said just before the verdict. He had traveled from Alexandria for the trial. In a June 16 and June 17 runoff, Ahmed Shafiq, an ex-air force chief like Mubarak, will face the Brotherhood’s Mohamed Mursi. Shafiq has called his former boss a role model. His Islamist rival says that if he becomes president he will ensure enough evidence is produced to keep Mubarak behind bars for life. “It is not possible to release Mubarak,” Mursi said on Thursday. “I promise the martyrs (of the uprising) will retrieve their rights in full, God willing.

9 militants in Pakistan killed in suspected U.S. drone strike, official says

A suspected U.S. drone strike killed nine militants in Pakistan's tribal region on Sunday, the second such attack in 24 hours in the region, a local government official said. The drone fired four missiles at a militant compound in Wacha Dana, a village in South Waziristan near the Afghanistan border, the official, Javed Marwat, told CNN. South Waziristan is one of the seven tribal provinces. The area is thought to be a safe haven for militant groups fueling the insurgency across the border in Afghanistan. It was the 20th drone strike in Pakistan this year. U.S. officials rarely discuss the CIA's drone program in Pakistan, though privately they have said the covert strikes are legal and an effective tactic in the fight against extremists. A day earlier, a suspected strike near the town of Wana in the same province killed two militants after the drone fired two missiles at a motorcycle they were riding, Marwat said. The Obama administration justified its use of unmanned drones to target suspected terrorists overseas in a rare public statement recently, with John Brennan, the president's top counter-terrorism adviser, saying the strikes are conducted "in full accordance with the law." The program utilizes unmanned aerial vehicles, often equipped with Hellfire missiles, to target al Qaeda operatives in remote locations overseas -- often on the territory of U.S. allies such as Pakistan and Yemen. Brennan said the United States "respects national sovereignty and international law" and is guided by the laws of war in ordering those attacks.

Eyes of world on spectacular Thames royal pageant

On June 3 - 5, the UK's Queen Elizabeth II marks her Diamond Jubilee year with a series of parties and pageants. CNN's Piers Morgan and Brooke Baldwin will be there to follow the festivities. Join them at the following times: June 3: 1030 (ET), 1530 (CET); June 4: 1730 (ET), 2230 (CET); June 5: 0900 (ET), 1400 (CET). London (CNN) -- The Thames became a sea of red, white and blue Sunday, as tens of thousands celebrated the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II -- so perhaps it was only fitting that alongside all the flags, another great British tradition was very much in evidence:

Some 20,000 people took to the water aboard 1,000 vessels for a river pageant featuring dragon boats, a floating belfry and the royal barge. The event -- inspired by regal riverside celebrations of the past -- was the largest such celebration on the Thames for hundreds of years.

Around a million people were expected to line the route to cheer on the queen, at the head of a seven-mile long flotilla. But bad weather meant a planned fly-past was canceled. Follow CNN's live blog Isabella Hales and her family staked out their claim to a spot near Tower Bridge -- where the festivities reached a climax on Sunday evening."It's cold, but I don't mind," the 10 year old, wearing a cardboard Duchess of Cambridge mask that was rapidly dissolving in the drizzle, told CNN. "It was raining for the queen's coronation too. I'm just really excited, I can't wait." "It's only the second time someone has reigned for 60 years," her aunt Laura Hales added. "It's a big accomplishment, and we wanted to celebrate that. "There are about 20 of us -- we've come well prepared," she said, pointing out picnic supplies, party masks of the royal family -- including a corgi -- and pink champagne, "And we don't care what the weatherman says. "Here's to Liz!" she toasted, raising her glass. Margaretta Soulsby, from Dorset, was the first to arrive at Tower Bridge on Saturday. She had planned to camp out, but when it began raining, stewards persuaded her to spend the night in a tent nearby. Soulsby told CNN it was "well worth it -- I'm in the perfect position," and said such events made her very proud to be British. "In 1935, when I was 10, my father took the family to The Mall to watch the silver jubilee celebrations for King George V and Queen Mary, and I've been privileged to be present at all of the major royal events since then." After gathering upriver in west London, the flotilla made its way from Battersea Bridge to Tower Bridge, passing through the heart of Britain's capital city over the course of several hours. At the front were 300 man-powered boats, with thousands of volunteers propelling them down river, flags and streamers fluttering around them.

Police install the latest car phone

I love all the latest technology and so do the police, which is why they decided to install the latest in car phone technology. What an idiot the driver of this squad car was.

Higher education Learners Get the Newest Technological innovation by Promoting Old Phones

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Still looking the web for a sentence structure checker which is the newest technology?

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2012 Audi RS5 Superstars Series Race Car

Audi’s auto racing influence is felt in a number of racing series all over the world. And while they don’t count themselves as part of the Formula One grid, the German automaker’s presence in the touring car series is unmistakable. For the 2012 season, Audi is bringing a pretty snazzy race-tuned sports car to Italy’s version of touring car racing, called the Superstars Series. Similar to the UK’s British Touring Car Championship, the Superstars Series is made up of a grid that features a plethora of automakers, Audi being one of them.

Looking to return to past glory that saw them cop the 2007 Driver’s title and the 2008 Drivers and Constructors titles, Audi will be bringing a race-tuned model of the Audi RS5 back to the series. This model has been carefully fitted with an aggressive aerodynamic body - the intimidating grilles are a sight to behold - and a V8-powered engine that produces a mighty 450 horsepower. All in all, three RS5 models will comprise the 2012 Superstars Series grid, including one from German tuner MTM, one from Audi Sport Italia, and one from Swedish team KMS.

Assad: Syria faces real war from outside

Syrian president in address to parliament says country's unrest has taken bloody toll but defends government's actions.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said that the country is engaged in a "real war" with outside forces and defended political reforms implemented by his government in an address to the parliament in Damascus.

Speaking on Sunday for the first time since last month’s parliamentary elections , Assad said that he would not be lenient on those he blamed for violence in the country. "We have to fight terrorism for the country to heal," Assad said. "We will not be lenient. We will be forgiving only for those who renounce terrorism.'' Assad's remarks defied mounting international condemnation of his regime's crackdown on the opposition. He blamed the crisis on outside forces and said the country was passing through its most critical stage since the end of colonialism. "The masks have fallen and the international role in the Syrian events is now obvious," Assad said, adding that the elections had been the perfect response "to the criminal killers and those who finance them".

Assad admitted the country’s unrest had taken a “bloody toll” and exhausted assets, but said outside forces were responsible. "Terrorism has undermined us all," he said. "It is a real war waged from outside and dealing with a war is different to dealing with the grievances of Syrian citizens." He added that there would be "no dialogue" with opposition factions "seeking foreign intervention". 'Monsters' In the speech, Assad blamed terrorists for the recent massacre in the Syrian town of Houla, which opposition activists said was committed by pro-government forces. Survivor describes Syria's Houla massacre

At least 108 people, including 49 children and 34 women, were slaughtered in killings that began on May 25 and continued the next day, triggering international outrage. "What happened in Houla and elsewhere [in Syria] are brutal massacres which even monsters would not have carried out," Assad said. Assad said Syria had implemented clear steps towards introducing political reforms in the country and held parliamentary elections on time, despite violence in the country. "Our country will recover and our citizens will enjoy peace, stability and sovereignty," he said. He said the staging of the ballot had been a “clear message to those who want Syria to sink in the blood of its citizens”. "The political process is moving forward, yet terrorism is not going down," Assad said. "Terrorists are not interested in dialogue or reform." 'All-out war' Assad's speech comes a day after Kofi Annan, the UN-Arab League envoy to Syria, said that the country was slipping into all-out war. “The spectre of an all-out war, with an alarming sectarian dimension, grows by the day," Annan, told an Arab League meeting in Qatar. On Saturday, violence in Syria killed 89 people, including 57 soldiers, the largest number of casualties the military has suffered in a single day since an uprising began in March 2011, a watchdog said. The casualties also included 29 civilians and three army defectors killed in various parts of the country in shelling by security forces or in clashes or gunfire, said the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

As Arab leaders called for UN action in Syria, France, which spearheaded an air assault against former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces last year, said it had not ruled out the possibility of military intervention in the country.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French foreign minister, said on Sunday that France had "not excluded military intervention" in Syria, but would only take action under a UN mandate

Why do we die?

Can genetics find a 'cure' for ageing and, therefore, dying, or will humans, like other organisms, always be at the mercy of nature? By Tim RadfordOrganisms grow old because nature doesn't need them any more. If the purpose of life is to procreate and replicate successfully - this is the logic of the so-called selfish gene theory - then it helps to stay healthy long enough to generate children and provide them with food. Immortality arrives with your offspring, and is only guaranteed when all your children also have children.

Different species place their bets on life's roulette wheel in different ways. If you're an oyster or a salmon or a fruit fly, the process is over quickly enough: lay a huge number of eggs somewhere safely and die. If you're a tigress or a dolphin, the process isn't so simple: you have to bear the young, rear them, provide food on a daily basis and guide them to maturity. If you are a human, you get a little bit of extra grace: you can be useful to your grandchildren, so there is some evolutionary pressure to stay alive that little bit longer. And then there's the bonus: being human, you have all the resources of society and technology to keep you safe from predators and healthy and active for just a bit longer.

But sooner or later, the biological clock begins to run down. Cells that had faithfully renewed themselves begin to fail. A heart that pounded away in perfect synchrony begins to run down after a couple of billion beats. Joints that withstood rugby, football, rock'n'roll and the gymnasium treadmill start to creak. Skin that bloomed in the spring sunshine begins to weather and flake in life's autumn. Brains shrink, spines curve, eyes begin to fail, hearing goes, organs become cancerous, bones begin to crumble and memory perishes.

Ageing seems inevitable but, for some scientists, it isn't obvious why this process is inexorable. Human chromosomes seem to arrive with their own lifespan timing devices called telomeres, but precisely why and how telomeres are linked to ageing is still not understood. There are genes that seem to to dictate survival rates in fruit flies, nematode worms and mice, and these genes almost certainly exist in humans, but what works in an insect or even another mammal may not be much help to a human anxious to hang around a bit longer. Even so, in the last half of the 20th century, life expectancies were increasing everywhere in the developed and developing world, wherever there was appropriate sanitation, nutrition, education and medical care; and small groups of scientists had begun to ask whether life could be extended indefinitely. Clues to survival A much larger group was prepared to ask a simpler question: could a healthy, active, enjoyable life be extended a bit longer? Quite how this can be done - in the individuals or in society as a whole - is not so easily answered, but epidemiological and biochemical research has begun to produce some clues to survival. These are, in no particular order: Be at the top. Research in Japan, the US and Britain has confirmed that social status is linked to health and lifespan. Top civil servants outlive their deputies. Oscar-winning film stars on average live four years longer than ordinary Hollywood actors. The same is true for queen bees, which live 10 times longer than worker bees. Be British. Better still, be Japanese. British people in the more comfortable echelons of society tend to have lower rates of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, lung disease and cancer than their American counterparts, even though they spend less on healthcare. The Japanese, of course, do even better. Choose your ancestors carefully: There are genes that control ageing. Nobody knows exactly what they are or how they work, but you stand a much better chance of being a centenarian if you have a sibling who has made it to 100. Exceptional longevity runs in families. So it is part of inheritance. Eat wisely: Forget about superfoods, but watch what you eat. Rats, mice and other creatures with restricted calorie intakes survive longer than their sated siblings. What works for mice may not work for humans, but there is no doubt that overeating multiplies health hazards.

Rodman, who appeared in the courtroom in a white blazer

SANTA ANA, Calif., March 27 (UPI) -- Ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman, described by an adviser as an almost-broke drunk who owes $860,000 in spousal and child support, avoided jail Tuesday in California.

Rodman, who appeared in the courtroom in a white blazer, black jeans and tennis shoes, was ordered to return to an Orange County court May 29, 13 days after he turns 51, the Los Angeles Times reported. His attorney, Linnea Willis, said in court documents her client is "extremely sick" and can barely cover his living expenses, much less meet his support responsibilities.

"In all honesty, Dennis, although a very sweet person, is an alcoholic," said Peggy Williams, his financial adviser. "His sickness impacts his ability to get work. This case, especially his wife filing for divorce, has put him on a binge that I have never seen before. He is extremely hurt and extremely sick. He is often unable to obtain work because of this sickness. And his sickness is getting increasingly worse." Rodman said in court he and ex-wife get along and that they and his children ate dinner together Monday at a restaurant.

An attorney for Michelle Rodman, the former player's third wife, said in court documents he owes $808,935 in back child support for the 9- and 10-year-old children they had together and $51,441 through March 1 in back spousal support. The Times said court documents show Dennis Rodman still owes more than $350,000 in back state taxes from a 2003 case. Known as a defensive and rebounding specialist, Rodman played on five NBA championship teams during a 15-year NBA career with Detroit, San Antonio, Chicago, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. Rodman's manager, Darren Prince, told ABCNews.com Tuesday Rodman is not in an inpatient treatment program, but "does see a counselor from time to time." Prince said Rodman's most recent business endeavor was launching a topless women's basketball team with a New York strip club.

Kenya to benefit from rebound of Ugandan economy

Kenya’s single largest export market, Uganda, is seeing its economy rebound faster than expected thanks to the ability to sell food to its neighbours and contain consumer prices.

According to a report just released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) growth is expected to rebound to GDP growth of seven per cent from mid next year after holding at 6.3 per cent between June this year and June next year. Headline inflation is at an average of 13.3 per cent.

Kenya’s exports to Uganda, have grown steadily over the years, reaching a peak of Sh42 billion in 2008 up from Sh17.7 billion 13 years ago. This growth underscores its importance to local businesses. The increase in imports from Kenya has been driven by steady growth of the Ugandan economy over the past 15 years.

For example, the Ugandan economy expanded at a bullish 8.6 per cent in 2007 and, as a result, Kenyan exports to her western neighbour jumped by over Sh6 billion to stand at Sh33.6 billion.

are oil products and manufactured goods. Kenya primarily re-exports processed petroleum products and is expected to continue to do so until Uganda builds its own refinery. Kenya is expected to register no more than a 2.5 per cent growth in GDP this year, with the possibility of growing to 4 per cent in 2010 depending on how the global crisis continues to impact the country. Domestic inflation currently stands at 6.6 per cent. Strong regional markets as well as rising international prices of coffee and tea are expected to help Kenya recover from the slowdown of 2008 and 2009. Ms Martine Guerguil, IMF mission chief for Uganda said in a statement that: “The Ugandan economy is weathering the impact of the global financial crisis better than expected.” A mission from the African department of the IMF visited Uganda between October 14th and 27th to conduct the sixth review under Uganda’s three-year economic programme supported by the IMF’s Policy Support Instrument (PSI). PSI is an instrument of the IMF designed for countries that do not need balance of payments financial support The PSI helps countries design effective economic programmes that, once approved by the IMF’s executive board, signal to donors, multilateral development banks, and markets the fund’s endorsement of national policies. The mission met with the Uganda Minister of Finance, Development and Planning, Syda Bbumba, governor of the Bank of Uganda (BOU), Prof Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile, and other senior government officials. Prof Mutebile said in a publication posted on the BOU website recently: “Against the background of a truly global economic crisis on an unprecedented scale, it is unrealistic to expect that Uganda will emerge unscathed. Nevertheless, if we continue to manage the macroeconomy in a sound manner, we can mitigate the worst effects of the global crisis and ensure that the Ugandan economy avoids recession and continues to grow, although growth will inevitably slow down from the very robust rates averaging 9.4 per cent per annum recorded during the period (2006 to 2008).” Ms Guerguil cautioned that there were downside risks to the economic outlook in Uganda, largely related to the uncertain prospects of the global economy, as well as the regional security situation and possibility of high food prices. The regional drought, while devastating for some of Uganda’s neighbours, has boosted Ugandan exports of food, thus offsetting some weakness in external demand for traditional exports such as coffee. “The mission shares the authorities’ concern with the recent surge in food prices. It recognises that the resulting high level of headline inflation is clearly driven by drought-related factors, and welcomes the continued decline in core inflation, which excludes the impact of food and energy prices,” said Ms Guerguil. The decline in core inflation is evidence that the BOU’s monetary policy framework is appropriate though its main challenge will be to prevent the high levels of food prices from spilling over to underlying or core inflation. “The mission supports the emphasis in the June 2010 fiscal year budget on infrastructure investment to promote future growth, while consolidating and expanding the gains of poverty reduction efforts of recent years,” she said. Structural reform is however needed in Uganda is order to increase the capacity of using the funds to rebuild infrastructure. The mission intends to return to Kampala in March 2010 to discuss with the authorities a possible new three-year PSI that would be timed to be aligned with Uganda’s annual budget cycle.. http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/-...d/-/index.html

Kenya’s middle class is growing at a fast rate and ?

Sample Analysis

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Growing middle class remain the core of future growth

Kenya’s middle class is growing at a fast rate and this growth is set to be the main engine and indicator of economic prosperity in the country during the forecast period. As Kenya emerges from an era of huge income disparity—the gap between the rich and the poor in Kenya has traditionally been among the highest in the world—the rise of the middle class is likely to bode well for the country’s economy. Kenya is a country where over 50% of the population lives below the UN threshold of poverty, subsisting on less than US$1 a day, and over 75% live on less than US$2 a day. Meanwhile, Kenya has a large population of wealthy urban professionals. The growth of the middle class will definitely boost business and the overall economy in Kenya during the forecast period. Rebounding Kenyan economy The Kenyan economy is on the rebound from the major shock it suffered during 2008 and 2009. The effects of post-election violence which hit the country in 2008 have been far reaching, with travel and tourism, the country’s leading source of foreign exchange, taking a direct hit due to adverse travel advisories. This situation changed in 2010 and it is estimated that 2011 will turn out to be the best year yet for travel and tourism in Kenya. Furthermore, with the global economy largely on the rebound, and the country by and large shielded from Europe’s sovereign debt crisis in many ways, although the country’s travel and tourism industry may feel the negative effects of its high exposure to the European debt crisis as the UK is Kenya’s leading source of inbound tourist arrivals, constituting 16% of total inbound arrivals in 2010. However, when all indicators and factors are taken into consideration, the Kenyan economy is in much better shape than it was 2-3 years ago. Soaring cost of living due to economic factors The cost of living in Kenya is rising, driven by the declining exchange value of the Kenyan shilling. The shilling has lost over 20% of its value against the all major world currencies since the beginning of 2011. This loss in exchange value is having a negative effect across the country, which is a net importer and depends largely on foreign currency. The currency shock has had an impact on the domestic price of fuel, which is now at KES117 per litre, the highest it has ever been, and this has had a far reaching impact on the cost of production, transport, manufacturing and everyday life. Recent drought conditions have also caused an increase in the cost of electricity as over 85% of the country’s electricity is generated in hydro-electric dams, with the electricity supply now having tripled in some areas of the country. This has made life very expensive in Kenya and many products, especially in packaged food, have risen dramatically in price, by as high as 30% in some cases. 2012 election to shape economics in the next year 2012 is an election year and is particularly significant because it is the first under the new constitution, promulgated in August 2010. The new constitution has completely changed Kenya’s political landscape, with new positions created and the governance structure shaken up considerably. Furthermore, the current president, Mwai Kibaki, is constitutionally required to step down, having already served two terms. The transition of power in the new dispensation is unprecedented and how the scenario will play out remains to be seen. Memories of 2008 are still fresh in people’s minds and the world will be watching keenly to see how events will unfold in Kenya during 2012 and 2013. Accelerating growth expected in the forecast period Forecast growth for retail tissue and hygiene is expected to outperform review period’s performance. The main factor will be the rising disposable income and development of modern retailers in Kenya that will make tissue and hygiene products more accessible and visible to the growing middle class. As a result, sanitary protection should be one of the best performers on the back of better awareness among the younger generations and increasing need for convenience.

What is traffic congestion?

Answer:

Traffic congestion is a condition on any network as use increases and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased queueing. The most common example is for physical use of roads by vehicles.

When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction between vehicles slows the speed of the traffic stream, congestion is incurred. As demand approaches the capacity of a road (or of the intersections along the road),

extreme traffic congestion sets in. When vehicles are fully stopped for periods of time, this is colloquially known as a traffic jam.

Here's What Happened Inside Whitney Houston's Funeral

Only hundreds may have gathered in Newark, N.J. to celebrate the life and legacy of Whitney Houston; however, millions all over the world tuned in to pay tribute to the singer during a four-hour ceremony at the New Hope Baptist Church.

Over 1.7 million tuned into the live Internet stream of Houston's funeral while it also streamed delayed on network and cable television.

Celebrities took the stage to pay their respects to Houston, with stars revealing sides of the singer many never knew. Music industry "father," Clive Davis paid respects to the woman who was "always holding his hand," and Tyler Perry revealed how we may have never heard the singer's voice.

Kevin Costner gave one of the best speeches, sharing similarities between both him and the singer—they both grew up in baptist churches—and recalling behind the scenes knowledge of how Houston landed her role in "The Bodyguard." "She hadn't said four lines when they had to stop," Costner said of the screen test for her Hollywood debut. "She wanted to know what was wrong," Costner said. "I needed to know what she did in those 20 minutes. She said 'Nothing.'" What she did was reapply makeup before the screen test to look just perfect; however, the hot lights of the stage sent it streaming down her face.

Many performers had a tough time making it through their performances with Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder and R. Kelly among the stars who paid tribute. Both Keys and Kelly had to pause during song.

Among those in the audience that didn't speak or perform included Oprah and Mariah Carey.