Hollywood legend Charlton Heston dead at 83

LOS ANGELES, California -- Actor Charlton Heston died at Beverly Hills home at the age of 83 Saturday, his family said.

Heston, known for portrayals of larger than life figure including Moses and Ben Hur, was suffering the late stages of Alzheimer's Disease.

Heston's wife of 64 years, Lydia, was by his side at the time of his death, according to the family statement.

Heston is survived by a son, a daughter and three grandchildren.

"We knew him as an adoring husband, a kind and devoted father, and a gentle grandfather, with an infectious sense of humor," the family said. "He served these far greater roles with tremendous faith, courage and dignity. He loved deeply, and he was deeply loved."

While no funeral plans have been announced, the family said it would hold a private memorial service.

The Internet Movie Database listed 126 movies and television production credits for Heston, starting in 1941. He rose to fame in the 1950s with starring movie roles including Ben Hur, for which he won an Oscar. He played Moses in the Ten Commandments.

Heston's last acting credit was for playing an elderly Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz Nazi surgeon who performed medical experiments on concentration camp refugees during World War Two in the 2003 movie My Father, Rua Alguem 5555.

Heston was also known for his political activism.

He was a high-profile supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his civil rights movement. He attended King's 1963 March on Washington and stood near the podium as King delivered his "I have a dream" speech.

He was president of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2002, a role that cast him as a conservative.

Heston was Born John Charles Carter in Evanston, Illinois on Oct. 4, 1924. He took the surname Heston after his mother divorced and remarried when he was 10.

Bush: NATO must boost troops for Afghanistan

BUCHAREST, Romania -U.S. President George W. Bush called on NATO members Wednesday to send more troops to Afghanistan.
Citing a recent recording from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden that threatens attacks on Europe, Bush said the war in Afghanistan must be won. The United States, France and Romania are among countries that are adding troops to the NATO-led coalition there.

"We ask other NATO nations to step forward with additional forces as well," Bush said. "If we do not defeat the terrorists in Afghanistan, we will face them on our own soil."

He also called for the admission of Ukraine and Georgia into the alliance, and he renewed his commitment to a missile defense system in Europe.

Bush spoke ahead of a summit of NATO leaders in Bucharest.

The question of whether the Soviet republics of Ukraine and Georgia can start the process to become NATO members is controversial for the alliance.

Russia has expressed concerns about Ukraine and Georgia joining the alliance, which has already made members of former Soviet countries like Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. "My country's position is clear," Bush said. "NATO should welcome Georgia and Ukraine into the membership action plan and NATO membership must remain open to all of Europe's democracies that seek it and are ready to share in the responsibilities of NATO membership."

Another contentious issue at the summit is a missile defense system that the United States plans for eastern Europe. Bush cited a growing ballistic missile threat from the Middle East as a main reason for having the system in place.

Russia opposes the plans, concerned that the defensive shield could turn into an offensive operation. Bush said Moscow has no reason for worry.

"The missile defense capabilities we are developing are not designed to defend against Russia, just as the new NATO we are building is not designed to defend against Russia," Bush said.

"The cold war is over. Russia is not our enemy."

Bush plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi on Sunday. Putin also plans to attend the NATO summit in Bucharest this week.
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Poland and the Czech Republic have agreed to host parts of the system, but many others in Europe share Russian concerns and don't believe the system is needed to guard against an imminent threat from Iran or North Korea.

Europe is also dependent on Russia for at least 40 percent of its oil and is reluctant to upset the Kremlin.

Bush: NATO must boost troops for Afghanistan

BUCHAREST, Romania -U.S. President George W. Bush called on NATO members Wednesday to send more troops to Afghanistan.
Citing a recent recording from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden that threatens attacks on Europe, Bush said the war in Afghanistan must be won. The United States, France and Romania are among countries that are adding troops to the NATO-led coalition there.

"We ask other NATO nations to step forward with additional forces as well," Bush said. "If we do not defeat the terrorists in Afghanistan, we will face them on our own soil."

He also called for the admission of Ukraine and Georgia into the alliance, and he renewed his commitment to a missile defense system in Europe.

Bush spoke ahead of a summit of NATO leaders in Bucharest.

The question of whether the Soviet republics of Ukraine and Georgia can start the process to become NATO members is controversial for the alliance.

Russia has expressed concerns about Ukraine and Georgia joining the alliance, which has already made members of former Soviet countries like Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. "My country's position is clear," Bush said. "NATO should welcome Georgia and Ukraine into the membership action plan and NATO membership must remain open to all of Europe's democracies that seek it and are ready to share in the responsibilities of NATO membership."

Another contentious issue at the summit is a missile defense system that the United States plans for eastern Europe. Bush cited a growing ballistic missile threat from the Middle East as a main reason for having the system in place.

Russia opposes the plans, concerned that the defensive shield could turn into an offensive operation. Bush said Moscow has no reason for worry.

"The missile defense capabilities we are developing are not designed to defend against Russia, just as the new NATO we are building is not designed to defend against Russia," Bush said.

"The cold war is over. Russia is not our enemy."

Bush plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi on Sunday. Putin also plans to attend the NATO summit in Bucharest this week.
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Poland and the Czech Republic have agreed to host parts of the system, but many others in Europe share Russian concerns and don't believe the system is needed to guard against an imminent threat from Iran or North Korea.

Europe is also dependent on Russia for at least 40 percent of its oil and is reluctant to upset the Kremlin.

Al-Sadr calls off fighting amid airstrikes, crackdown

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr told his followers to stop fighting and cooperate with Iraqi security forces Sunday, as U.S. and Iraqi forces targeted his Mehdi Army in Basra and Baghdad.

In the nine-point statement -- which was issued by his headquarters in Najaf and came a day after al-Sadr told his fighters not to surrender their weapons -- the cleric demanded that the government give his supporters amnesty and release any of his followers that are being held.

"We announce our disavowal from anyone who carries weapons and targets government institutions, charities and political party offices," said the statement that was distributed across the country and posted on Web sites linked to his movement.

The Mehdi Army entered negotiations with the Iraqi government Saturday night, said Sheikh Salah al-Obaidi, a top aide to al-Sadr. The meeting in Najaf marked the first talks between the two sides since the Iraqi government announced a crackdown on "outlaws" in Basra, al-Obaidi said.

U.S. forces targeted the cleric's Shiite militia in Baghdad as well, launching airstrikes that killed 15 people Sunday in neighborhoods known to be Mehdi Army strongholds, an Interior Ministry official said.

Two airstrikes in the Sadr City neighborhood killed nine people and wounded 14 others, and another strike in the al-Zuhor neighborhood, in northeastern Baghdad, killed six people and wounded 14 others, an Interior Ministry official said.

The U.S. military said it killed 11 militants in those same areas Saturday.

The Baghdad bombings came as Iraqi authorities extended indefinitely a strict curfew on the capital and as fighting between government troops and Shiite militants stretched into its sixth day, leaving about 400 people dead, according to reports from U.S. and Iraqi officials.

In Basra, part of southern Iraq's Shiite heartland, at least 200 people have been killed and 500 wounded in battles since Tuesday, a high-ranking security official said.

Authorities there extended a ban on pedestrian and vehicle traffic just hours before the curfew was to expire Sunday morning.

Al-Maliki compared the outlaws, on whom the government is cracking down, to al Qaeda and said troops would not leave Basra "until security is restored."

"We will continue to stand up to these gangs in every inch of Iraq," he said. "It is unfortunate that we used to use say these very words about al Qaeda, when all the while, there were people among us who are worse than al Qaeda."

Al-Maliki met Saturday in Basra with area tribal leaders and other prominent figures, who expressed support for the government's effort to "save Basra from criminal gangs," according to a statement from the prime minister's office.

The prime minister further said that militants had until April 8 to surrender their weapons in a guns-for-cash program.

On Saturday, supporters of al-Sadr said they were being unfairly singled out in the crackdown, and the cleric told his followers not to hand over their arms "except to a state that can throw out the occupation," al-Obaidi said.

Brazil teen confesses to 12 killings, police say

SAO PAULO, Brazil Police said a 16-year-old boy has confessed to the slayings of 12 people over the past three months in southern Brazil.

The teenager, whose identity was not revealed because he is a minor, told police he allegedly killed his victims in a fit or rage or out of revenge.

However, police inspector Enizaldo Jose Plentz said he believes the boy killed some of his victims for enjoyment.

He said police have enough evidence to prove that the teenager, an unemployed high school dropout, shot dead at least six of the 12 people he says he killed.

Police investigating the slaying of a 39-year-old storeowner earlier this week, arrested the boy Wednesday at his home in the city of Novo Hamburgo, Brazil, Plentz said.

More flights canceled amid Heathrow chaos

LONDON, England -- Flight cancellations, delays and baggage problems continued to plague Heathrow Airport's Terminal Five for a second day, causing more headaches for passengers just a day after the much-heralded building opened for business.

British Airways, the only airline operating from the new terminal, canceled 20 percent of its flights from the terminal on Friday, a spokesman said, and predicted possible delays for the remaining 80 percent.

The airline later said passengers could check in luggage with normal luggage restrictions in place.

The problems came after a disastrous first day for the terminal during which the entire baggage system -- designed to handle dozens of planes at the same time and process 12,000 bags an hour -- failed.

CNN's Richard Quest said: "The news is simply grim at Terminal 5. It couldn't have happened at a worse time."
British Airways and UK airports operator BAA had spent two decades and $8.6 billion building the terminal.

BAA was banking on the luggage system to improve a reputation for chaotic handling that had helped the airport west of London earn the nickname "Hassle Heathrow."

BA director of operations Gareth Kirkwood said: "We sincerely apologize to those customers who have suffered disrupted journeys or baggage delays. We always knew the first day would represent a unique challenge."

Initial glitches in the baggage handling led to the cancellation of at least 34 flights on Thursday. BA earlier admitted some "teething problems" had caused incoming or outgoing flights to be canceled.
It's almost open," Jeff Bryan joked after he and his wife spent 90 minutes waiting for their luggage after an overnight British Airways flight from Miami to Heathrow. "We didn't mind because we're not in a rush, but a lot of people were," he told The Associated Press.
Adding to the opening day woes were protests by campaigners opposed to the airport's expansion.

Later a "flash mob" protest, involving several hundred demonstrators opposed to airport expansion, took place at T5. CNN's Richard Quest, describing the protest, said the day had started out well for BAA but was turning into a "shambles."
The protesters stripped off their outer clothes at 11 a.m. to show red T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan "Stop Airport Expansion."

Made up of local residents and environmental groups, the demonstrators are concerned that a third runway and a sixth terminal will be created at Heathrow, the world's busiest international airport.

Supporters say expansion of Heathrow is vital for the city's economy. Environmentalists say though that expanding London's three main airports -- Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted -- will only add to harmful climate change.

The new terminal frees up the rest of Heathrow for other carriers, who are eager to offer services to one of the world's busiest international hubs.

A new agreement, called OpenSkies, comes into force this weekend meaning that travelers on both sides of the Atlantic have more options when booking nonstop flights between the U.S. and Europe.

Iraq's prime minister Wednesday gave Shiite militants battling security forces in Basra a 72-hour deadline to surrender their weapons as the death toll from two days of fighting that threatens to undo efforts to stabilize Iraq neared 50. Nuri al-Maliki gave the ultimatum a day after clashes erupted in the southern oil port city and Baghdad between Iraqi and U.S. security forces and fighters aligned with the Mehdi Army -- the militia of hard-line Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

The fighting has killed 40 to 50 people in Basra, 18 others in Baghdad and left scores injured. Officials say the dead in Basra includes Iraqi troops, police, civilians and militiamen.

The outbreak of violence came as U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff were planning to tell President George W. Bush that they favor the plan to pause troop reductions after the "surge" troops are removed, military and defense officials said.

Al-Maliki is said to be personally overseeing efforts to restore order in Basra, highlighting the significance of the conflict.

Fresh firefights broke out Wednesday between "outlaws" and Iraqi security forces, according to an Interior Ministry official, who reported ongoing military operations in five neighborhoods.

Images from the city show black-masked gunmen targeting their weapons from makeshift vantage points within the city.

Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner, spokesman for the U.S. military, told reporters that the fighting has been "difficult and challenging," as Iraqi and U.S. forces skirmish in bastions of support for al-Sadr.

The renewed violence in Basra and Baghdad has threatened to unravel a seven-month suspension of Mehdi Army activities, a much-praised cease-fire called by al-Sadr that the U.S. military says has decreased violence across Iraq.

Growing tension between the Sadrist movement and Iraqi authorities has boiled over in recent weeks, with Sadrists saying they have been unfairly targeted and detained in U.S. and Iraqi raids.

The U.S. military says it has been targeting Shiite militants who have flouted the al-Sadr cease-fire. A breakdown of the cease-fire and a renewal of street violence could affect U.S. military plans to withdraw and redeploy troops.

Iraqi authorities have identified the fighters battling security forces as followers of al-Sadr. But Bergner specified that the fighting itself is not a battle against the Mehdi Army or the Sadrist movement.

"Enforcement of the rule of law in Basra is not a battle against Jaish al Mehdi, as some suggested. Nor is it a proxy war between the U.S. and Iran as others have purported," Bergner said, making reference to the Arabic name for the Mehdi Army.

"It is the government of Iraq taking necessary action to deal with criminals on the street with weapons." he said.

A Basra city council official said that the latest fighting erupted when security forces entered Mehdi Army strongholds, where militiamen were armed with machine guns, grenades, rockets and mortars.

Basra, Iraq's second largest city and a key transport link in the country's oil industry, was seen as an early success story of the U.S.-led invasion as British troops oversaw a relative calm in the area.