Report claims U.S. Border Patrol abuse

People trying to enter Arizona from Mexico report being mistreated by U.S. Border Patrol agents, a humanitarian group says.Organization spoke with nearly 13,000 migrantsMany migrants reported similar cases of abuse by U.S. Border PatrolThey alleged incidents of beatings, denial of food, and extreme temperaturesU.S. Border Patrol says it will not allow any misconduct among agents

(CNN) -- Back in 2006, volunteers with No More Deaths, a humanitarian organization dedicated to helping migrants along the Arizona-Mexico border, began hearing the same stories from many who had been in the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol.

Thwarted would-be unauthorized immigrants spoke of being denied water or food during their custody. Others said they were beaten.

The organization started properly documenting these allegations, and the stories added up to nearly 13,000 testimonies whose results were released in a report this week.

The findings went beyond denial of food and water. Migrants held by the Border Patrol spoke of being exposed to extreme heat or cold, sleep deprivation, death threats, and psychological abuse such as blaring music with lyrics about migrants dying in the desert.

A previous report by No More Deaths in 2008 raised the same concerns, but now the number of recorded cases point to a systematic problem.

"By this point, the overwhelming weight of the corroborated evidence should eliminate any doubt that Border Patrol abuse is widespread," the report states.

The Border Patrol responded with a statement highlighting the fact that respect for detainees is taught in training and consistently reinforced during an agent's career.

"Mistreatment or agent misconduct will not be tolerated in any way," the statement said. "We appreciate the efforts of individuals to report concerns as soon as they arise and we will continue to cooperate fully with any effort to investigate allegations of agent misconduct or mistreatment of individuals."

The interviews were conducted with migrants in Naco, Nogales and Agua Prieta, in Mexico's Sonora state who were in border patrol custody. Although No More Deaths conducted thousands of interviews, in places like Nogales they could only speak with a fraction of the migrants who crossed. This raised the issue of how representative their sample was, said Katerina Sinclair, a statistical consultant on the report.

But in Naco, a smaller town, they were able to speak with enough migrants to have a representative sample. So the report stays away from making conclusions about percentages except for the subset of interviewees from Naco. But despite the difficulties with such an ambitious project, the authors say that the numbers on their own are cause for concern.

Some 2,981 people reported they were denied food, and more than 11,000 said they were given insufficient food by the Border Patrol, the report states.

The report found that 863 people, many of whom were already dehydrated, were denied water.

There were nearly 6,000 cases of overcrowding reported, and almost 3,000 people had at least some personal belongings not returned, the report states.

In addition, 869 people -- including 17 children and 41 teenagers -- reported that they were split from their families and deported separately.

No More Deaths also recorded instances of sleep deprivation, death threats, and the forced holding of strenuous positions.

"There's no question that there is systematic abuse of people in Border Patrol custody," Danielle Alvarado, one of the report's authors, told CNN.

Although the research focused on migrants in the Arizona border area, the findings are consistent with reports from Border Patrol sectors across the country, she said.

"This systematic abuse must be confronted aggressively at the institutional level, not denied or dismissed as a series of aberrational incidents attributable to a few rogue agents," the report states.

In its statement, the Border Patrol responded that, "on a daily basis, agents make every effort to ensure that people in our custody are given food, water, and medical attention as needed."

"The sad reality is that between what they say on paper and the day-to-day reality there is a big disconnect," Alvarado said.

Brandon Judd, president of Local 2544, the Tucson branch of the National Border Patrol Council, said that it is No More Deaths' report that is disconnected from reality.

Border patrol agents are law-abiding citizens who believe in accountability, he said. "If these allegations are true, these are crimes," he said.

There are 3,000 agents in the Tucson Sector of the Border Patrol, Judd said, and one complaint every two weeks would be considered a lot. Agents also police themselves, he said.

"I can tell you that our agents are the ones who report mistreatment if they see it," he said.

He was skeptical about the types of questions that were asked and the credibility of the interviewees who were freshly repatriated.

"There's some glaring weaknesses in the story," he said.

But Sinclair said that care was taken to make sure that all conclusions were drawn from the Naco sample, which also happened to report the lowest rate of incidents. The questions were also phrased in a way to give credit to the Border Patrol where due.

"We gave them every benefit of the doubt," she said. But their research shows that "it only gets worse from here."

"It just doesn't ring true," Judd said.

The reports of abuses come as the number of apprehensions along the border has decreased. Increased border enforcement and a slow economic recovery in the United States have reduced the amount of illegal traffic across the border.

Also, No More Deaths reported, the demographics of those being deported have changed. A number of the migrants they interviewed were older and had been in the United States longer. One sample of 100 migrants revealed an average of 14.4 years of living in the United States before deportation.

In light of its report, its authors argue for legally enforceable standards, and a tougher oversight mechanism.

From October of last year to the present, about 115,000 migrants were apprehended by the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector.

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11 more bodies discovered in Mexico

Eleven more bodies were discovered in Veracruz, Mexico, days after 35 bodies were found on a busy road.The discovery comes after 35 dead bodies were found in VeracruzTop judicial officials meet near the site where 35 corpses were abandonedAn official blames the dozens of deaths on a drug dealing disputeMexico's attorney general pledges that "cowardly actions" will be punished

(CNN) -- Mexican authorities discovered 11 more bodies in the coastal state of Veracruz on Thursday, days after 35 bodies were found on a busy road in the same area, the state-run Notimex news agency reported.

The bodies were spotted Thursday evening in four different locations, the agency reported.

This grisly discovery comes as authorities are trying to get more information on the 35 bodies found Tuesday in two trucks near a shopping mall in the municipality of Boca del Rio.

The dead were 12 women and 23 men.

On Thursday, Mexico´s attorney general said the killing of the 35 people stemmed from a drug-dealing dispute.

"The effects of this illicit activity are not only seen reflected in the poisoning of our society, but it is also the motor generating the violence," Attorney General Marisela Morales told a meeting of state prosecutors and judges in Boca del Rio.

"The state cannot, must not and never will allow these types of cowardly actions to go unpunished," she said, describing the distribution of drugs as the "driving force" behind violence in cities throughout Mexico.

Veracruz Gov. Javier Duarte, who opened Thursday´s meeting alongside Morales, noted that all the victims had criminal backgrounds -- a point authorities have repeatedly stressed since their investigation began Tuesday.

He said criminals have two possible paths to follow: prison or death.

"Those who choose badly end badly," Duarte said. "In the end, crime pays badly."

Mexico's federal government Wednesday released a statement describing the killings as a "barbaric act."

Two minors and a local police officer who had been reported missing were among the dead, Veracruz Attorney General Reynaldo Escobar Perez said.

Authorities had uncovered some details about vehicles involved after examining security camera footage, but were still searching for suspects.

Boca del Rio is in Veracruz state's most populated area. It has become a frequent site of clashes between armed groups as drug-related violence grows.

Government figures indicate that more than 34,600 people have been killed in drug-related violence since Mexican President Felipe Calderon began a crackdown on cartels in December 2006. Other reports estimate that more than 40,000 have died. The latest government figures were released in January.

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President Saleh returns to conflict-wracked Yemen

NEW: Crowd gathers for a pro-Saleh rallyGovernment forces shoot in the air to celebrate Saleh's returnTanks patrol the streets of SanaaProtesters have been calling for the ouster of the longtime Yemeni president

(CNN) -- Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has returned home after undergoing treatment in Saudi Arabia, a government spokesman said Friday.

Saleh returned to Yemen after a three-month medical stay in Saudi Arabia, said Mohammed Albasha, the Yemeni government spokesman.

Protesters have been calling for the ouster of the longtime president, who had been recuperating from a June attack on his palace. He has vowed to finish his term.

Government forces shot in the air to celebrate his return as tanks patrolled the streets of Sanaa. By noon, a massive crowd gathered in central Sanaa in a rally in support of Saleh.

Earlier in the day there were isolated clashes between anti- government fighters and Republican Guard forces in at least four different areas in Sanaa, Yemen's capital.

Despite the pro-Saleh gathering, Yemeni activist and blogger Atiaf Alwazir, said she was concerned.

"It's terrible news," Alwazir said. "It's shocking because our concern was that he would try to place his son in charge. We didn't think he would return. We're very tense and we don't know what to expect. It's the polarization in the country that is so worrying right now. Whether he steps down or not, we don't know what to expect because the country is so polarized right now."

Protests were expected Friday, a continuation of the demonstrations against Saleh that have stretched on for months.

Demonstrators began protesting Saleh's 33-year-old regime on February 11 inspired by the revolution in Egypt.

A month later, Saleh offered to draft a new constitution that would establish a parliamentary system, but protesters persisted in calling for his resignation, and numerous high-ranking political and military officials resigned or were dismissed.

Saleh balked after making overtures to accept an agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council to step down and protests have continued.

Amnesty International said that since February, 200 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in the protests.

Government officials have repeatedly denied accusations of excessive use of force, and said the government is committed to establishing a peaceful transfer of power.

Yemeni officials have said forces cracked down on those committing acts of violence during protests."

CNN's Mohammed Jamjoon and journalist Hakim Almasmari contributed to this report.

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Social media to curb 'rumors' in China

Weibo is Sina's Twitter-like social media service, which boasts of 200 million registered users.Sina.com CEO Charles Chao pledges to curb irresponsible rumorsChao said Sina has been working to set up a "credibility system"Observers fear this is an attempt to tighten the control of the internet

Beijing (CNN) -- Don't post rumors -- or else.

That was Sina.com's message to millions of micro-bloggers recently, when China's leading content portal warned it will penalize users if they find them spreading false rumors on their Weibo account.

Weibo is Sina's Twitter-like social media service, which boasts of 200 million registered users.

Speaking at the China Digital Media Summit recently, Sina.com's CEO Charles Chao pledged to curb irresponsible rumors. "Weibo is a microcosm of a big society and a society needs to be properly managed by regulations," he said.

Chao said Sina has been working to set up a "credibility system," which would rate Weibo posts. This, Chao said, will "spread the real valuable information and punish those who make up rumors." The punishment includes imposing a temporary freeze on Weibo accounts, from one week to one month.

Observers of China's new media industry say this is another attempt by Beijing to tighten the control of the internet.

Earlier this year, Chinese bloggers battled through targeted internet censorship in the wake of dissident artist Ai Weiwei's release after nearly three months in police custody.

On Weibo words with the slightest linkage to Ai were banned, including "release," "AWW" and "the fat guy." The phrase "love the future," which looks and sounds like his name in Mandarin, was also blocked.

There has been government concern about the way the internet spreads information for years
Media observer, Jeremy Goldkorn

"There has been government concern about the way the internet spreads information for years," says Beijing-based media observer Jeremy Goldkorn. "Sina, like all internet companies, has no choice but to work with the government, which is something they have always been good at doing."

In August, Sina sent out "notices" to all users citing reports circulating in cyberspace that were untrue. One claimed that the Red Cross Society has been selling blood to Chinese hospitals at 200 yuan per pack even though it had been donated for free.

Weibo also set up an account intended to refute malicious rumors circulating among netizens. In a public statement issued in early September, Sina.com said Weibo Piyao would "ensure the authenticity" of information across the site.

"After the Wenzhou train accident, which saw a frenzy of angry posts on Weibo, the government wants internet companies to make sure that their websites do not pose any threat to social stability," said Goldkorn.

The high-speed train collision killed 39 people and sparked a massive outpouring of anger directed at officials for their handling of the crash. Much of that outrage played out on Weibo.

Weibo has long played host to fierce online debates about corruption and social injustice in China -- a delicate balancing act between meeting the expectations of a Web audience accustomed to speaking their minds and not offending the Chinese government to the point of a shut-down.

"Sina and other companies will have to regulate themselves and decide, in real time, what kinds of information to police," said Goldkorn.

But he said it is unclear what the criteria are for indentifying the rumors to censor.

In a recent interview with CNN, the Sina.com founder declined to offer specific numbers about how many Sina employees were managing and censoring Weibo content, but he conceded that "there are people working in terms of looking at the content itself and the message itself.

"There are a lot of rumors on the micro-blog itself, a lot of fraud on the micro-blog. There are a lot of things we need to take care of."

As if to reinforce that point, Beijing Communist Party chief Liu Qi recently visited Sina and Youku.com, China's leading video sharing website. According to the Beijing Daily, he urged them to "firmly end fake and harmful information" and to use new technology to "solve problems of online video management."

He added: "Internet companies should work to get rid of damaging or untruthful information and help to create a healthy positive online environment."

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HP CEO fired, replaced by Meg Whitman

Meg Whitman (left) will replace Leo Apotheker as Hewlett-Packard's CEO.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Hewlett-Packard's board on Thursday ousted CEO Leo Apotheker after just 11 months on the job, replacing him with Meg Whitman.

"I am honored and excited to lead HP," Whitman said in a prepared statement. "I believe HP matters -- it matters to Silicon Valley, California, the country and the world."

HP's board said the company needed a change at the top. The company cut its financial outlook three times in Apotheker's tenure, and on Thursday, HP said it was not confident it would be able to meet its sales targets for the current quarter.

Shareholders sent the stock down more than 40% this year before Fortune and other outlets broke the news this week that the board was considering letting Apotheker go.

"We are at a critical moment and we need renewed leadership to successfully implement our strategy and take advantage of the market opportunities ahead," said Ray Lane, who on Thursday was named executive chairman of HP's board.

Lane was formerly an independent, non-executive chair. The company said it will look for someone to fill that independent role on its board.

The chairman said on a conference call Thursday that the board considered many candidates and decided together that Whitman was the right fit.

"I can't think of a name out there I would select as CEO over Meg," said Lane.

As the former head of European software giant SAP (SAP), Apotheker was a curious choice to lead HP (HPQ, Fortune 500) -- the largest U.S. technology company by sales -- since it is predominantly a hardware company. HP's software business makes up around 2% of the company's annual revenue, which hit $125 billion last year.

Apotheker stuck to what he knows best and decided to refocus HP on higher-margin businesses like cloud computing and software. He was particularly bullish on HP's acquisition of Palm, which was made prior to his arrival at the company. He planned to let Palm's webOS software permeate the company's various hardware lines, including PCs, phones and the much-publicized TouchPad tablet.

But the TouchPad was a failure, HP's phones weren't selling, and PC sales slumped globally. Last month, Apotheker announced yet another hard left turn: He opted to end the webOS experiment and said HP would get out of the PC business entirely -- a market that it leads both in the United States and globally.

The problem with Apotheker wasn't lack of vision as much as a lack of execution and communication, Lane said.

Whitman said Thursday that the company under her leadership would stay the course and continue to transition to an enterprise software business.

"The only thing we can do to regain investors' and customers' confidence is to execute, and that's what I intend to do," she said.

The ousting of its third straight CEO marks yet another dramatic crisis in a decade of turmoil for one of Silicon Valley's original pioneers. A year earlier, Mark Hurd was fired as HP's CEO after submitting false expense reports in what appeared to be an effort to conceal a relationship with a former employee.

In 2006, HP's chairwoman Pattie Dunn was shown the door after it was revealed that she had spearheaded a secret probe to spy on fellow board members and journalists, in an attempt to find the source of board-level media leaks.

A year before that, in 2005, then-CEO Carly Fiorina was booted out (she technically resigned, but, the move wasn't especially voluntary) after spearheading HP's the failed merger with Compaq. The company's stock price was cut in half during her tenure.

The CEO revolving door has cost the company more than $83 million in severance pay, including more than $25 million that will be owed to Apotheker.

Fending off criticism from analysts that the board is dysfunctional, Lane argued that the board is very different than the ones of the past, comprised of 8 new directors since the company ousted Hurd.

"I tell you this right from my heart," he said. "That's not this board. They work really well together."

Whitman, who is also an HP board member, was formerly the CEO of eBay (EBAY, Fortune 500). She headed the online auction site for 10 years, taking over the company in 1998 when it was in its infancy. By the time she left in 2008, the company had grown to an $8.5 billion e-commerce behemoth.

She was the Republican nominee in the 2010 California gubernatorial race, spending much of her fortune in her unsuccessful campaign. She then resurfaced several months later, when she was named to HP's board in January.

Lane, HP's chairman, praised Whitman, saying her experience gives her the right set of skills to steer HP back on course.

"Meg is a technology visionary with a proven track record of execution," he said. "She is a strong communicator who is customer focused with deep leadership capabilities. Furthermore, as a member of HP's board of directors for the past eight months, Meg has a solid understanding of our products and markets."

Still, many analysts were scratching their heads about the choice.

"I'm not really convinced she's the best fit -- HP needs to regain the confidence of its enterprise customers, and her expertise resides in the consumer retail market," said Ron Gruia, principal consultant at Frost & Sullivan.

"She's on the board, so she's a logical interim choice, but not a person who's going to be driver for HP as it transitions to a software and services kind of model," Gruia added.

Some believe that HP is making a fatal decision.

"As if HP didn't make a mistake on bringing in Leo Apotheker, now they are making an even bigger mistake by bringing in Meg Whitman, someone with very little experience in the core areas of HP," said Vanessa Alvarez, analyst at Forrester Research.

"This is plain carelessness by the board of directors, and quite frankly, hammering the last nail in the coffin for HP. Its leadership is in the gutter. I'm appalled," she added.

But other analysts believe Whitman is capable of doing the job, albeit a very difficult one.

"She's a great communicator; a great marketer; and, an excellent manager, but she'll need to put a strategic stamp on HP," said Joel Achramowicz, senior vice president of research at Blaylock Robert Van.

"There are even more questions and concerns regarding HP exigent from both the Street and from customers. She'll have to work expediently." 

First Published: September 22, 2011: 4:08 PM ET

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'Radioactive material' found in Libya

Material labeled 'radioactive' in LibyaNEW: Tunisia says it has detained Libya's former prime minister under GadhafiThe U.S. has been monitoring Libya's yellowcake stockpile, a defense official saysA military site containing barrels and bags of powder marked "radioactive" is revealedTroops have been putting pressure on several regime holdout cities in recent days

Sabha, Libya (CNN) -- A military site containing what appears to be radioactive material has been uncovered by revolutionary forces near the southern Libyan city of Sabha.

Military forces loyal to the country's National Transitional Council took a CNN crew Thursday to the site, not far from Sabha in the Sahara desert. The crew saw two large warehouses there, one containing thousands of blue barrels, some marked with tape saying "radioactive," and several plastic bags of yellow powder sealed with the same tape.

The material has not been confirmed as being radioactive, but the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency, confirmed Thursday that the Libyan government had yellowcake stored near Sabha.

Yellowcake is processed uranium ore that can, after extensive refining, be used to produce enriched uranium for nuclear purposes.

Fighters entered Sabha, long regarded as a pro-Gadhafi stronghold, on Wednesday afternoon and met initially no resistance, officials said.

Elsewhere, revolutionaries have taken control of the southwestern town of Ubari, chasing toops loyal to now-deposed leader Moammar Gadhafi from the area as Libya's new leaders continued to gain momentum, NTC field commander Al-Amin Shtawi said Thursday.

In another event likely boost to revolutionary morale, Libya's most recent prime minister under the Gadhafi regime, al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi, was arrested Wednesday night in Tunisia, the government confirmed to CNN Thursday.

Al-Mahmoudi was detained in Tamaghza, near Tunisia's border with Algeria, the Tunisian interior ministry said, having entered Tunisia illegally without a visa. He was attempting to cross into Algeria at the time of his arrest, a ministry spokesman said.

"I believe the Libyan people will want to see him brought to Libya and put on trial here for his crimes under Gadhafi's rule," Abdul Rahman Busin, an NTC spokesman, told CNN.

The NTC has not yet formally requested al-Mahmoudi's extradition, he added.

The Algerian government on Thursday also declared its willingness to work "closely" with the new Libyan authorities, the official Algeria Press Service reported.

This cooperation would benefit both countries and "stimulate the appropriate conditions to maintain peace, security and stability in the region," the foreign ministry said in a statement quoted by APS.

Algeria had previously declined to recognize the NTC as the new government in Libya. A number of Gadhafi family members, including his wife and three of his children, fled Libya for Algeria last month.

In another sign that stability may be returning to Libya, the United States reopened its embassy in Tripoli Thursday, in the former residence of the U.S. ambassador to Libya. The old embassy building in the center of the city was trashed by Gadhafi supporters in May.

The military site outside Sabha, found Wednesday night, is now guarded by about a dozen lightly-armed revolutionary fighters. It does not appear to have been left unfrequented for long.

Protective suits were found hanging in offices that appear previously to have belonged to the Libyan government, along with rubber gloves, devices for measuring radioactivity and various military documents.

The second warehouse at the site contains rockets and old surface-to-air missiles on which the fuses have deteriorated, making them liable to explode if they're struck.

A field commander for the revolutionary forces said the NTC wanted the international community to come in, identify the suspect material and take it to a place of safekeeping. The forces fear it could cause an environmental disaster if it were to explode during fighting, he said.

John Pike, a defense expert at Global Security, told CNN the elderly rockets might pose a greater threat to safety than the suspected radioactive material.

The discovery of the material is not a surprise, he said, as the IAEA had established that yellowcake was at the site. The current status of the material is not known, however.

A U.S. Defense Department official, who declined to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the issue, told CNN that Libya's remaining stock of highly enriched uranium was removed from the country as of 2009.

"We also continue to monitor Libya's stockpile of uranium yellowcake," the official said. "This material would need to go through an extensive industrial process, including enrichment, before it could be used in building a bomb. Such processes do not exist in Libya."

The official said it was important that the NTC fully secured the site and that it worked to allow international monitors to return to Libya as soon as possible.

Gill Tudor, a spokeswoman for the IAEA, said it could confirm that previously declared yellowcake was stored in drums at a site near Sabha.

"The IAEA has tentatively scheduled safeguards activities at this location once the situation in the country stabilizes," she said in a statement.

These "safeguards" measures would not mean the IAEA was physically protecting the material -- a national responsibility -- but rather that it was carrying out technical checks on what was there to avoid proliferation, she said.

Libya declared its previously covert nuclear program in December 2003 and Gadhafi's government cooperated with verification efforts by the IAEA from that point on.

An IAEA report from 2008 states that Libya had declared that between 1978 and 1981 it imported 2,263 tonnes of uranium ore concentrate, which was being stored at Sabha. However, plans to build a uranium ore concentration and conversion facility in the Sabha area were not carried out, the report says.

The latest territorial gains by the revolutionary forces come days after the NTC received the significant milestone of being recognized by South Africa and the African Union as Libya's legitimate rulers.

Troops loyal to Libya's new leaders have been putting pressure on several regime holdout cities in recent days.

Along with Thursday's military action in Ubari, fighters also clashed with Gadhafi loyalists in the northern town of Bani Walid and in Sirte.

Ahmed Bani, an NTC military spokesman speaking in Tripoli Thursday, said revolutionary fighters had encountered mercenaries who appeared to be from Chad or Niger, and had uncovered caches of weapons and military supplies.

He said most of the towns in southern Libya had been "liberated" from Gadhafi loyalists and that revolutionary forces would continue to fight for control of Bani Walid. "Our revolutionaries won't lose hope," he said.

Despite not yet having complete control over the entire country, the NTC says it is planning on how to set up a new government.

Elamin Belhaj, a senior member of the NTC, told CNN Wednesday that the formation of a Libyan government will not be announced until anti-Gadhafi forces control the borders of the country and liberate the three cities of Bani Walid, Sirte and Sabha. That effort could take up to one month, he said.

After liberation, the NTC will create an interim government by appointing a prime minister who will be responsible for forming the government.

The prime minister will decide how many ministers will be in that interim government, but he must return to the NTC for approval of that government. That government will create a new constitution that will be put before the Libyan people for approval in a referendum.

CNN's Ben Wedeman, Barbara Starr, Houda Zaghdoudi, Zied Mhirsi, Kamal Ghattas, Brian Walker, Mohammed Fahmy, Pam Benson, Jill Dougherty and Helena DeMoura contributed to this report.

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Death toll in Pakistan floods rises to 369

Floods overwhelm Sindh and Balochistan provincesThe United Nations is seeking millions for relief effortsThis is the second consecutive year of deadly flooding for Pakistan

(CNN) -- At least 369 people have died and 700,000 are living in refugee camps because of flooding in southern Pakistan, the country's national disaster authority said Thursday.

The flooding in Sindh province has destroyed 1.5 million homes in 41,000 villages, the government said. About 8.2 million people have been affected. Along with the deaths, more than 740 people have been injured.

About 67 percent of food stocks have been destroyed and nearly 37 percent of the livestock has been lost "or sold to avoid loss," Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said earlier this week.

"At least 5 million surviving animals are at risk, lacking feed and shelter and facing increased exposure to debilitating diseases and worm infestations," Byrs said.

The United Nations' World Food Programme has been distributing food to thousands of people.

More than 6,000 schools have been damaged by the floods and 1,363 education facilities are currently being used as relief distribution sites in Sindh, officials said.

There also was flooding in Balochistan province but figures about the calamity there weren't available.

The United Nations said Monday that it is seeking donors to build a $357 million fund to help the Pakistani government's flood response efforts.

It is meant to provide food, water, sanitation, health care and shelter for flood victims for up to six months.

Pakistan was also the site of massive and deadly flooding in August 2010. It lasted for weeks and caused $9.7 billion in damages to homes, roads and farms in southwestern Pakistan.

More than 1,700 people died in the 2010 flooding, and more than 20 million were displaced, officials reported.

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Pope 'returns home' to Germany

Pope Benedict XVI greets children upon his arrival at Tegel airport in Berlin, Germany. Pope Benedict XVI says his purpose is "to meet people and to speak about God"Pope: "Responsibilty before God and before one another" shaped nation's freedomVisit is marked by some protests and much apathy toward the churchDownturn in church membership coincides with 2010 child sex abuse scandal

Berlin (CNN) -- On his first state visit to his homeland, Pope Benedict XVI met Thursday with Germany's prime minister and president and spoke to legislators, but insisted that his purpose was not economic or political, but spiritual.

"Even though this journey is an official visit which will reinforce the good relations existing between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Holy See, I have not come here primarily to pursue particular political or economic goals," he said during remarks at Bellevue Castle, the president's official residence, "but rather to meet people and to speak about God."

"The Federal Republic of Germany has become what it is today thanks to the power of freedom shaped by responsibility before God and before one another."

The pope arrived Thursday morning at Berlin's Tegel airport for a visit marked by heavy police presence and, in some places, protests. Many see the papal itinerary as an encroachment on church-state separation; others in the increasingly secular nation are critical of the church's more conservative teachings.

Several organizations and politicians protested in Berlin. Robert Kastl, the organizer of a large demonstration, slammed the pope's speech Thursday at the Reichstag, saying "no religious leader should speak in the German parliament."

About 6,000 police officers are providing security for the visit.

First on the pontiff's itinerary was a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Christian Wulff, in which they discussed the global financial situation, among other issues.

Later, in his speech at the Reichstag, Benedict asserted that European culture "arose from the encounter between Jerusalem, Athens and Rome (...). This three-way encounter has shaped the inner identity of Europe."

"In the awareness of man's responsibility before God and in the acknowledgment of the inviolable dignity of every single human person, it has established criteria of law. It is these criteria that we are called to defend at this moment in our history."

Enthusiasm in Germany abounded when then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope in 2005, but in the years since, disenchantment with the church has taken hold in the wake of the child sex abuse scandal and the perception that an increasingly conservative Catholic Church is unlikely to change its ways.

Stark numbers illustrate the difficulty the pope faces in mending fences in his homeland:

-- According to Der Spiegel magazine, more than 181,000 Catholics have left the church since the child abuse scandal broke.

-- Candidates for the priesthood have dropped 62% since 1990, according to the German Bishops Conference.

-- In a poll for Stern magazine, 86% of Germans said they thought the papal visit was unimportant.

Also on Thursday, the pope was to meet with representatives of the Jewish community at the Reichstag and conduct Mass at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

On Friday he is scheduled to meet in Berlin with representatives of the Muslim community and the German Evangelical Church Council. He then will travel to Efurt for an ecumenical celebration in the church of the Augustinian Convent, and then to Etzelsbach for Marian Vespers at the Wallfahrtskapelle, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

The four-day state visit ends on Sunday.

CNN's Diana Magnay contributed to this report.

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Facebook's next step: 'Timeline'

By Mark Milian and John D. Sutter, CNNSeptember 23, 2011 -- Updated 0055 GMT (0855 HKT) | Filed under: Social Media Facebook unveils 'Timeline' featureMark Zuckerberg: "Timeline is a completely new aesthetic for Facebook"New Timeline pages look more like blogs than a social-networking siteAnother change will let Facebook users share activities with friends "in real time" Zuckerberg announces new features at a Facebook conference Thursday

San Francisco (CNN) -- Facebook wants to hear your life story.

Not satisfied with just being a repository for recent vacation photos, the company is revamping the profile pages on its website to better highlight the milestones in a person's life, executives announced at its annual conference for software developers on Thursday.

This new version is based around the idea of a personal "timeline" rather than the standard profile pages that users have become used to.

"We're more than what we did just recently," CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in unveiling the new look. "Timeline is a completely new aesthetic for Facebook."

The pages look more like blogs than a social-networking site. A large photo covers the top of the pages, stretching from one side of the screen to the other. And posts -- like photos, status updates and the locations a person visits -- show up below that, attached to a vertical and chronological timeline.

Facebook is hoping the changes encourage people to publish more information about their daily lives and about their pasts. In his onstage demonstration, Zuckerberg posted a baby picture of himself, which showed up at the bottom of his timeline profile.

"We think it's an important next step to help you tell the story of your life," he said.

Some users got a beta version starting on Thursday, while others will be able to request access. The new profile will be turned on for everyone in the next few months, according to Bret Taylor, Facebook's technology chief.

The world's largest social network, with more than 750 million users, introduced some related new features earlier this week. Zuckerberg said Facebook's reach continues to grow.

"For the first time ever, in a single day we had half a billion people use Facebook," he said.

The company made a second big announcement Thursday when it unveiled a new version of its app network, which also is launching in the coming weeks.

Facebook will make it easier for people to post info to their profile pages without visiting the site or clicking a Like button. The company has partnered with dozens of prominent software developers for applications that integrate more closely with the social network. Some of these features launched on Thursday.

This is "the most significant change we've made to our platform since we launched it four years ago," Taylor said.

Streaming music services, including MOG, Rhapsody, Rdio, Spotify and Turntable.fm, can automatically send data to Facebook about each song a user listens to or about new playlists. These might then show up as a weekly report on the user's Facebook page. Zuckerberg called this "real-time serendipity."

"This rings the friction out of how to share music," Kenneth Parks, Spotify's content chief, said in an interview.

To promote this real-time sharing, Facebook also announced partnerships with Yahoo News, Netflix, Hulu, foodie social network Foodspotting and others. These companies have created Facebook apps that can post all of a person's activities on Facebook's new "ticker," which appears in the top right-hand corner of the site's homepage.

Some video services will similarly be able to notify Facebook each time a user watches a video. Hulu, the TV streaming site, and Netflix, the paid subscription service, will be among the first to adopt the new features. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, who is also on Facebook's board of directors, said that in some cases, Facebook friend recommendations can trump Netflix's vaunted algorithms. Netflix's Facebook features will be activated in 44 countries but not in the U.S. because of a law that Hastings described as outdated.

"You don't have to Like a movie," Zuckerberg said. "You just watch a movie."

Miscellaneous apps like Nike+ and recipe sites also will be able to send more info about particular runs or dinner concoctions without asking each time.

"I'm not going to publish a status update every time I walk up to my stove," said Taylor, the Facebook CTO who is also an avid cook. "I don't want to spam my friend's news feed every time I pick up a spatula."

News websites and apps will ask readers to sign in with their Facebook accounts so that they can send info to the social network about every article they read.

For the news industry, "it's huge," said Eric Vishria, the CEO of RockMelt, which integrated some of these features into its Web browser. "It gives a more tailored view."

But Flipboard, a news aggregation app for iPad that is listed among Facebook's first partners, decided not to adopt that particular feature because, according to a spokeswoman, users probably wouldn't want to share so much information. Instead, users of the apps will be able to highlight individual articles using the Like button, as they currently can, or also share sections to their profiles, she said.

The new Facebook features could anger privacy advocates. With these changes, Facebook is seeking significantly more data about people's activity online and about their personal lives.

Some Internet users who were watching Thursday's presentation online reacted negatively.

"Get ready for over-sharing," one Twitter user wrote.

"This is just WAY too much sharing. The end of privacy," a Facebook user wrote on the company's live stream page.

Facebook is hoping to alleviate these concerns during a "slow rollout," Facebook's Taylor said in an interview with reporters after the announcement. The company worked with privacy groups during the development of these features, he said.

"This is actually a major step for transparency and control on Facebook," Taylor said. Users will be able to delete individual items after they've been posted, he added.

Zuckerberg has said he believes Internet users will continue sharing significantly more of their lives online each year. Comedian Andy Samberg, who opened Thursday's event with his familiar "Saturday Night Live" impersonation of the hoodied Facebook founder, poked fun at this idea in a brief introductory routine.

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Explainer: Palestinian statehood bid

Activists rally in support of Palestinian U.N. bid for statehood near fence separating Israel from Gaza.Palestinians set to request U.N. recognition of "Palestine" as new member stateU.S. holds veto power, has pledged to vote down statehood bidIsraeli PM has rejected pre-1967 border lines as basis for Palestinian stateMany believe move may worsen relations between Palestinian Authority and Israel

(CNN) -- During the course of the United Nations General Assembly the Palestinians have indicated that they will formally ask the world body for recognition of "Palestine" as a new member state. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has told U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon he will officially submit the statehood request on Friday which will ask that the U.N. Security Council take up the issue of Palestinian statehood.

Despite much talk of a U.N. vote on Palestinian statehood this week, neither of the organization's two major organs, the Security Council and the General Assembly are expected to take immediate action on the request.

Why is this move happening now?

The Palestinian Authority leadership says they are making the request for statehood now for a few reasons. Firstly, they argue that over the course of the past two years the Palestinian Authority has made great progress in building the infrastructure necessary for maintaining a sovereign state. They point to the various improvements in governance, security, and physical infrastructure as indicators of their readiness.

Palestinians also point to the September 2011 date that U.S. President Barack Obama laid out over a year ago as the deadline for the successful negotiation with Israel for a two-state solution. The Quartet of Middle East peace, made up of the U.N., European Union, Russia, and the U.S. also set this month as the target date for a negotiated deal. With that deadline not having been met Palestinian leaders argue that that the best way to enhance the chances for peace moving forward is for international recognition of a Palestinian state.

Who is agreeing with the Palestinians' demand, and who is disagreeing?

In the 15-member Security Council, the one body that can confer full U.N. membership, the Palestinians enjoy the support of a majority of the countries. But the United States, which as one of the five permanent members holds veto power, has pledged it will vote down the statehood bid, ending the Palestinians' chance to win full membership.

In the General Assembly, where a vote would be non-binding, the Palestinians enjoy the support of more than 120 of the 193 members and passage of a statehood resolution would be all but assured.

Why do the U.S. and Israel oppose the call?

Both the U.S. and Israel consider the Palestinian strategy a unilateral move that will only hinder the possibility of reaching a peaceful settlement to the Middle East conflict. U.N. action, both countries argue, does not take the place of direct negotiations. Speaking recently to reporters, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: "We believe strongly that the road to peace and two states living side by side does not go through New York, it goes through Jerusalem and Ramallah."

Israel calls for peace talks amid Palestinian statehood push

Surely, if the U.S and Israel don't agree then it won't mean any difference on the ground?

Without the acknowledgement of Israel and the U.S., United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state based on armistice lines that existed before 1967 is largely a symbolic move. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected these lines as the basis for a Palestinian state, calling them "indefensible." Therefore the borders, airspace, and movement of people in a new "Palestine" would continue to be controlled by the Israeli military and it would be unlikely to change the presence of about 300,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

If a Palestinian state is recognized, what could that mean for relations/negotiations with Israel?

Many believe recognition of a Palestinian state would exacerbate already poor relations between the Palestinian Authority government and Israel. Some politicians in Israel have called for unilateral responses to the Palestinian bid including the outright annexation of territory in the West Bank, the withholding of tax revenue collected on behalf of the Palestinians, and the cancellation of various parts of the 1993 Oslo accords that created the Palestinian Authority. Potential moves like this and what some believe could be a rising level of Palestinian frustration at unmet expectations could add a great deal of tension on the ground and contribute to the possibility of an outbreak of violence. Palestinian Authority leadership maintains that recognition would help put pressure on Israel to be more reasonable in future negotiations.

Is there risk in this move for the Palestinian Authority?

Beyond the potential response from Israel, the Palestinian bid at the U.N. is risky. The U.S. is opposed to the move and lawmakers in congress have threatened to pull the plug on hundreds of millions of dollars in annual American aid. Others say the move will unrealistically raise expectations of Palestinians and, if little actually changes on the ground, could contribute to regional tensions. The Palestinian Authority could also risk losing support from its own people. The Hamas political faction, which controls Gaza, does not support the U.N. strategy and there are concerns among the Palestinian refugees in the region that the statehood bid could compromise their "right of return" to their homeland.

Would U.N. recognition give the Palestinians anything substantive?

Recognition by the United Nations could potentially give Palestinians greater access to international bodies like the International Criminal Court and the Human Rights Council. Venues like these could serve as a place for Palestinians to file legal challenges to Israeli practices and exert more international pressure on Israel.

What's the current state of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians?

Currently there are no talks going on between Israeli and Palestinians. Talks fell apart a year ago over disagreements on the issue of Israeli West Bank settlements. Coming off a self-imposed 10-month halt in settlement construction, Israel said it would not renew the freeze. This led the Palestinians to quit the negotiations. In an effort to head off the Palestinian's statehood request at the U.N. the United States and various European countries have been engaged in 11th hour diplomacy to get the talks restarted but few expect a breakthrough deal.

September 20, 2011 -- Updated 1806 GMT (0206 HKT) CNN's Tim Lister breaks down the Palestinian vote for statehood and what it could mean for the U.S. September 21, 2011 -- Updated 0049 GMT (0849 HKT) The Palestinians have indicated that they will formally ask the United Nations for recognition of "Palestine" as a new member state.September 21, 2011 -- Updated 0943 GMT (1743 HKT) As a package is developed to avoid a showdown over Palestinian statehood, Obama and Abbas plan to meet.September 21, 2011 -- Updated 0954 GMT (1754 HKT) Rarely has so much time and energy been devoted to an issue less consequential than the Palestinian bid for statehood, Aaron David Miller writes.September 21, 2011 -- Updated 0117 GMT (0917 HKT) The Mideast peace process is stalled and the U.S. faces the possibility of having to veto a U.N. resolution on Palestinian statehood. How did it get to this point? September 20, 2011 -- Updated 1920 GMT (0320 HKT) CNN's Wolf Blitzer takes a look at America's role in the struggle for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.September 21, 2011 -- Updated 0049 GMT (0849 HKT) Nabil Saeed lays out large rolls of red, green, white and black cloth on his workshop table. These are the colors of his homeland, one he hopes will soon become a fully recognized state. Today's five most popular stories

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Huge Bangladesh strike over fuel prices

A huge contingent of police guard the streets in Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka on Thursday as the opposition parties call a general strike in protest against fuel price hike.Dhaka police put 13,000 officers in the streets in that one city, police chief saysThe usually busy streets of Dhaka looked almost deserted of people, vehiclesThe opposition alliance launched the day-long general strike to protest an increase in fuel pricesThe opposition claims at least 400 protesters were arrested

Dhaka, Bangladesh (CNN) -- Thousands of anti-riot police were in the streets of Bangladesh's capital city Thursday as the opposition alliance launched a day-long general strike in protest of a fuel price hike.

The strike, occurring all over the country, paralyzed daily life as road communications were heavily disrupted and schools and business establishments remained closed on Thursday, the last working day of the week.

The usually busy streets of the capital, Dhaka, looked almost deserted as most means of public and private transportation remained off the roads.

The opposition group Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies, mostly Islamic parties, called the strike after the government raised the price of petroleum fuels and compressed national gas on Sunday.

Dhaka's police chief, Benazir Ahmed, said his department deployed 13,000 policemen alone in the capital to break up any opposition protests, and the home ministry also initiated mobile courts to try protesters summarily on the streets.

Police said that the strike was mostly peaceful apart from a few incidents of violence, but the opposition parties said the police and the ruling party men beat up their activists wherever they had tried to bring out a procession.

Police said they had arrested some 200 people from different parts of the country, but the opposition claimed that the number was at least 400.

The BNP acting secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, said, "The government has increased fuel prices at a time when people's suffering has already peaked due to high inflation." But the government said it was an "issueless" strike.

The general secretary of the ruling Awami League, Syed Ashraful Islam, said it was illogical as the prices of fuel oils were still lower in Bangladesh (a liter of gasoline costs US$ 1.06) than in the international market.

"If the prices of fuel oils increase in the global market in the future, the government will increase the prices again because the government will need to pay huge subsidies otherwise," he added.

The fuel price hike, the second such rise in four months, triggered protests also by transport owners.

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Many facets to Abbas' U.N. move

The gambit revolves around Palestinian political concernsAbbas is a longtime Palestinian political figureSome say Abbas is conscious of his legacy as he goes to the United NationsThe move is called a "high stakes game of diplomatic brinkmanship"

(CNN) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' ambitious push to gain full U.N. membership may seem unrealistic, but analysts say he is making hard-nosed calculations rooted in domestic politics.

"This is a move born of frustration," said Steven Cook, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, referring to the consternation over dormant and deadlocked Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

"Right now, he's thinking about his domestic political situation in order to maintain his position," Cook said. "So he's not eaten alive."

The United States has vowed to block a Palestinian membership application should it reach the U.N. Security Council.

The Palestinians' current U.N. status is as an observer "entity." Observers can speak in the General Assembly but not vote.

While a veto by the United States in the Security Council would block any effort to gain full U.N. membership, a "yes" vote in the General Assembly would raise Palestinians to the status of permanent observer "state," the status the Vatican currently holds.

A formal request for full U.N. membership is expected to be submitted Friday.

Cook says Abbas wins if he comes home with "something concrete" and "can turn lemons into lemonade."

"Whatever it is, he has to tell Palestinians something," be it the permanent observer status or even a cogent political narrative. An example would be that the Palestinians worked to get recognized but the United States and Israel blocked their "legitimate rights."

Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center and fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, said the effort surely plays out into the future legacy of the 76-year-old Abbas, a major player in the Palestinian political movement since the late 1950s.

"He is definitely committed to nonviolence and negotiations. That's been his mantra his whole life," Shaikh said. "He wants to leave with something."

But "this guy is still a very political guy" and his U.N. initiative, which comes after the popular demonstrations for democracy across the Middle East and North Africa popularly labeled the Arab Spring, has "galvanized" people, Shaikh said.

The effort has bolstered the standing of Abbas, who has been frustrated with the lack of progress in peacemaking and disappointed with the Obama administration.

"This has been a smart political move," Shaikh said. "What they are doing is they are effectively bringing an end to a U.S. monopoly on peacemaking. They are internationalizing it."

The Palestinians realize Obama is facing tough circumstances. They cite domestic political obstacles and believe that the U.S. president won't push Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into the hard deal-making that is needed.

The Palestinians' instincts are still to let the United States lead negotiations, but "they don't believe it will happen."

In a Brookings article published Wednesday, Shaikh said the decision to approach to the U.N. Security Council "with the backing of the Arab League and regional power, Turkey, will start a high-stakes game of diplomatic brinksmanship."

But it is unclear how things will work out, he wrote.

One factor would be the fallout from an American veto in the Security Council -- a move widely seen as unpopular across the Middle East and one the United States would like to avoid.

"Contrary to conventional wisdom," a Security Council move "may not lead to a quick vote in September, " Shaikh wrote.

"Instead, the presidency of the Council will likely pass on the request to a 'Committee on the Admission of New Members,' which comprises all 15 members of the Security Council. While "death by U.N. committee' is a plausible scenario, more likely is a vote in the Council after weeks if not months of deliberations," he wrote.

If there is a U.S. veto, the Palestinians have other moves they could make. One is calling a "special vote of the U.N. General Assembly under the 'Uniting for Peace' resolution."

"In this case, a two-thirds majority of U.N. Member States could override the U.S. veto in the Security Council. Another option would be to return, if necessary repeatedly, to the Security Council. Bottom line is that this issue is likely to run and run," Shaikh wrote.

Haim Malka, deputy director and senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Abbas doesn't have much to lose at this point.

Malka pointed to Palestinian failures, such as the policy to reconcile with Hamas, the militant movement that controls the Palestinian territory of Gaza, and efforts to force concessions from Israel. Also, he has lost faith that the United States can mediate a negotiated settlement with Israel. Fatah, Abbas' group and Hamas' rival, prevails in the Palestinian West Bank.

"While he's been relatively successful overseeing stabilization and institution-building in the West Bank, he's made no headway on his two most important objectives: reconciling Gaza and the West Bank and negotiating an agreement with Israel," Malka said.

The U.N. strategy gives him "a chance to hit Israel diplomatically, but "any satisfaction that comes from a new status at the U.N. will likely be short-lived and could actually undermine Palestinian efforts to negotiate an agreement with Israel in the future."

If the Palestinians gain non-member state status through the U.N. General Assembly, Palestinians will have the right to bring legal action against current and former Israeli officials in the International Criminal Court. That could lead to an "avalanche" of court cases against Israelis, along with diplomatic harassment, which would deepen Israel's isolation, Malka said.

David Makovsky, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and director of its project on the Middle East peace process, said several factors are motivating Abbas.

"He has been in search of a legacy. He is someone who would like to tell his people that he has brought his cause to the leaders of the world. He has put this issue on the agenda in a way that cannot be ignored."

Makovsky said Abbas is looking for a "political masterstroke" that would capture the imagination of the Palestinians and Arab people.

He wants to show that he is "in sync with the times, that there has to be some public manifestation of his diplomatic efforts."

"It cannot just be negotiations, but an assertion of Palestinian will that all can see. It has to be dramatic, as these are dramatic times."

Citing a "plethora" of recent Palestinian polling, Makovsky said most Palestinians wanted Abbas to go to the United Nations, even though most Palestinians thought it wouldn't work.

"Defiance has sometimes been more important than success," he said.

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U.N. tensions swell amid controversy

South African President Jacob Zuma addresses the United Nations on Thursday.NEW: Iran's president blasts U.S. at U.N. General AssemblyNEW: The U.S. representative called the speech "abhorrent anti-Semitic slurs and despicable conspiracy theories"NEW: The UK Prime Minister said the Arab Spring reflects "massive opportunity" NEW: Turkey's Prime Minister blasts Israel at General Assembly

United Nations (CNN) -- In a meandering address that assigned American blame to issues ranging from the trans-Atlantic slave trade to the global financial crisis, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blasted U.S. foreign policy Thursday in a speech that prompted several delegates to walk out.

The Iranian leader told the U.N. General Assembly that the U.S. government views Zionism as "sacred," and that their European counterparts use the Holocaust as an excuse to pay ransom to Zionists.

Mark Kornblau, a spokesman for the United States Mission to the United Nations, said "Mr. Ahmadinejad had a chance to address his own people's aspirations for freedom and dignity, but instead he again turned to abhorrent anti-Semitic slurs and despicable conspiracy theories."

The speech prompted American, French, British and other delegates to walk out. And though controversial, it did not directly address the group's prime topic of the week: A Palestinian U.N. bid for statehood.

In prepared remarks, British Prime Minister David Cameron fired back, saying the Iranian president "didn't remind us" that Iran represses freedom of speech and violently puts down demonstrations.

The address comes just one day after Iran released two long-imprisoned American hikers, detained near the Iranian-Iraqi border on suspicion of espionage.

Cameron also called recent uprisings in the Middle East -- known as the Arab Spring -- a "massive opportunity" to enact broader diplomatic reforms.

Turning to Libya, he asked for continued support for the country's transitional government after rebel fighters last month all but ousted Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi after more than four decades in power.

He also said Britain supports Palestinian desires for "a viable state of their own," but echoed his U.S. counterpart, President Barack Obama, in saying a mere U.N. resolution couldn't solve the broader conflict.

In a sign that seemed to signal an unwillingness to immediately recognize the Palestinians' bid for statehood, Cameron said Israeli and Palestinian leaders must "sit down and talk to each other." "Our role must be to support this."

Peace negotiations broke down last year.

Demonstrators, meanwhile, gathered outside the U.N. headquarters where the Iranian president spoke, marking the seventh time Ahmadinejad has traveled to New York since he took office in 2005.

The Iranian leader on Wednesday called his country "a new model for life to the world" and warned that United States might be willing to "hijack" the recent uprisings in the Middle East.

He also gave an interview to New York Times op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof in which he discussed the dispute over his country's nuclear activities.

The Iranian leader said that if the United States gives Iran 20%-enriched uranium, "we will cease the domestic enrichment of uranium of up to 20% this very week. We only want the 20% enrichment for our domestic consumption. If they give it to us according to international law, according to IAEA laws, without preconditions, we will cease domestic enrichment."

The IAEA -- International Atomic Energy Agency -- is the U.N. entity that monitors nuclear activity in the world.

Many nations, including the United States, accuse Iran of trying to create a nuclear weapons program, but Tehran insists its activities are peaceful, aimed only at domestic energy use.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also addressed the assembly Thursday, asking for greater cooperation in combating Somali piracy and civil war, pressing for resolutions in Syria and in the Balkans, and describing Israeli settlements and the blockade of Gaza as illegal.

The Turkish leader then blamed the Israeli government for obstructing peace efforts and ignoring past resolutions, and he called on the United Nations to help "end this human tragedy."

His comments were likely closely monitored in Jerusalem as Turkish-Israeli relations have hit an all-time low after Erdogan expelled the Israeli ambassador when he refuse to apologize for an Israeli commando raid that left nine Turkish activists dead after the group made their way to the blockaded Gaza Strip -- a move Israel says was illegal.

The United States has vowed to block the Palestinian application for statehood should it come up in the Security Council, but also has been engaged in a diplomatic push meant to head off a scenario that would lead to an American veto.

In a move likely to bring criticism from across the Arab world, U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday issued a sharp rebuke to those pressing for full Palestinian membership.

"Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the U.N.," Obama said, addressing delegates at the General Assembly. "If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now."

Israel has described the bid as counterproductive to the peace process, and has called for a resumption of talks to begin in New York and to be continued in Ramallah and Jerusalem.

On Wednesday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with Obama as part of the whirlwind of diplomatic

wrangling that has accompanied the controversial proposal.

The American president, while supporting the Palestinian leader's call for statehood, reiterated a long-standing U.S. position on the need for a two-state solution, meaning Israel must be part of any action, officials said.

Abbas is expected to submit the formal request for full U.N. membership by Friday.

But with the timetable for a statehood bid narrowing, delegates at the U.N. General Assembly seemed to add to the tension Thursday by marking the 10th anniversary of a controversial summit in Durban, South Africa that singled out Israel for criticism.

The summit, called to address the legacy of discrimination and its modern-day manifestations, equated Zionism with racism, prompting walk-outs from American and Israeli leaders in 2001.

"We are all aware that the original Durban conference and its follow-up two years ago caused immense controversy," said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "We should condemn anyone who uses this platform to subvert that effort with inflammatory rhetoric, baseless assertions and hateful speech."

Addressing the General Assembly, South African President Jacob Zuma said the specter of racism and "the legacy of all these ills are still visible."

He asked for a memorial to be created in honor of those affected by the trans-Atlantic slave trade, noting that some reparations had already been paid to affected countries.

Later on Thursday, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa called on Israel to return to its 1967 boundaries, which would afford Palestinians the Gaza strip, East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

He also reiterated support of Libya's new leadership, largely focusing on issues of international diplomacy while violence and controversy over parliamentary seats -- vacated by opposition members -- swirled at home.

Last week, tens of thousands marched and chanted anti-regime slogans during the funeral procession of a man killed southwest of the capital, Manama.

But Al Khalifa noted a need for reforms "aimed to provide decent living conditions, security and tranquillity in a society of peaceful coexistence."

Also on Thursday, Ivory Coast's new president, Alassane Ouattara, made his first appearance at the General Assembly's podium, thanking all "those who had faith in our democracy."

The Western African nation had been engulfed in violence since November, when then-president Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down after he lost the presidential election.

Many months of fighting and widespread displacement ensued, until Gbagbo finally surrendered in April and Ouattara took office in May with the country still wracked by conflict.

"International peace and security continue to be a major concern for our people," Ouattara told the assembly.

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Walkout at U.N. as Ahmadinejad speaks

U.N. delegates walk out on AhmadinejadNEW: Ahmadinejad refers to the U.S. government as having "no faith in God"NEW: Ahmadinejad says the U.S. killed bin Laden instead of assigning a fact-finding team on the 9-11 attacksAhmadinejad's meeting with university students and faculty Wednesday was generally lighthearted His depiction of Iran's 2009 crackdown on protests differs from the U.S. version

United Nations (CNN) -- Delegations from the United States and several European nations walked out of the U.N. General Assembly Thursday during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech, in which he repeatedly condemned the United States and said some countries use the Holocaust as an "excuse to pay ransom... to Zionists."

Delegates from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom were among those who walked out. Delegations from Canada and Israel were not present from the beginning.

In his remarks, Ahmadinejad called the September 11, 2001, attacks "mysterious" and said they were a pretext for a U.S.-led war against Afghanistan and Iraq.

He said the United States killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden instead of assigning a fact-finding team to investigate "hidden elements involved in September 11."

He also placed blame on the United States for numerous global problems including the financial crisis, criticizing it for dominating the world's "policy-making establishments," overspending on the military, and "printing trillions of dollars" that triggered inflation, according to an English translation of his speech provided by Iran's U.N. mission.

Ahmadinejad said the U.S. government views Zionism as "sacred," and that "European countries still use the Holocaust after six decades as the excuse to pay (a) fine or ransom to the Zionists."

After assailing the United States, Ahmadinejad said "the main question is the quest for the root cause of such attitudes. The prime reason should be sought in the beliefs and tendencies of the establishment. An assembly of people in contradiction with the inner human instincts and disposition who also have no faith in God and in the path of the divine prophets, replace their lust for power and materialistic ends with heavenly values. To them, only power and wealth prevail, and every attempt must bring into focus these sinister goals."

On the eve of the address, the Iranian president declared his country to be "a new model for life to the world."

He also said that the United States might be willing to "hijack" the Middle East uprisings, according to the Iranian state-run news agency IRNA, but did not further explain his assertion.

Ahmadinejad's appearance at the United Nations in New York comes a day after two U.S. hikers, held in an Iranian prison for more than two years, were released.

Wednesday evening, Ahmadinejad met with a group of U.S. university students, and then gave an interview to Iranian satellite television.

His office provided translated quotes from both.

The Iranian leader said "that the world is in need of change, and Marxism, liberalism, humanism and the West could not solve man's problems," his office said. Ahmadinejad added that "relying on its culture and rich civilization," Iran is "the only nation" that "can offer a new model for life to the world."

He told the students "that the U.S. may be willing to hijack the regional uprisings but a stormy movement is under way," IRNA reported.

"Elsewhere in his speech, he said that the U.N. was set up with the objective of preventing bullying in the world, but this did not happen," IRNA reported.

About 100 undergraduate and graduate students, along with some professors, attended the invitation-only dinner and question-and-answer session in New York, moderated by an Iranian U.N. official. Ahmadinejad did not eat with the guests.

Students who spoke with CNN afterward expressed excitement about the event. At the end, the guests were given hand-painted plates from Iran and books about theology.

The mood was jovial and positive, people who were there said. While some questions were asked about nuclear issues, the economy, and Israel, the tone remained positive. Ahmadinejad joked and laughed at times.

Participants included students and staff from Princeton, Fordham, Hofstra, Columbia, New York University, and other schools.

Strict security measures included the collection of phones and cameras before the event.

It was described as a very different experience from Ahmadinejad's controversial 2007 appearance at Columbia University. That year, the school's president, Lee Bollinger, challenged him on human rights, on his statements questioning whether the Holocaust happened, and on his call for Israel to be "wiped off the map" as a Jewish state. Bollinger told Ahmadinejad he exhibits "all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator."

Large protests against Ahmadinejad's regime took place surrounding that event.

The group United Against Nuclear Iran -- whose founders include former CIA Director Jim Woolsey and the late Ambassador Richard Holbrooke -- slammed Wednesday's event.

The participants "should be ashamed of themselves," said David Ibsen, the group's executive director, describing it as "a propagandistic attempt by the regime to improve its image. Anyone claiming to support liberty, tolerance, and human rights should strongly oppose a dictator who oppresses women, kills homosexuals, violates his citizens' basic rights and religious freedoms, and pursues nuclear weapons."

Ahmadinejad also gave an interview to New York Times op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof in which he discussed the dispute over Iran's nuclear activities. He said that if the United States gives Iran 20% enriched uranium, "we will cease the domestic enrichment of uranium of up to 20% this very week. We only want the 20% enrichment for our domestic consumption. If they give it to us according to international law, according to IAEA laws, without preconditions, we will cease domestic enrichment."

The IAEA -- International Atomic Energy Agency -- is the U.N. entity that monitors nuclear activity in the world.

Many countries, including the United States, believe Iran is trying to create a nuclear weapons program, but Tehran insists its activities are only to provide energy for the country.

When asked about the uprising in Syria, Ahmadinejad told Kristof that the Syrian government, "just like any other country," should engage in dialogue. "With clashes and confrontations problems will not be solved. They will be multiplied. Differences will be multiplied and magnified. And certainly foreigners must not intervene. Intervention of foreigners will only make the problem that much bigger, and will never solve it."

After the 2009 elections that kept Ahmadinejad in office, Iranian forces launched a violent crackdown on street protests. The 2011 U.S. State Department human rights report on Iran says "scores of protesters and non-protesting bystanders were killed, especially during anti-government rallies. Government sources reported the death toll at 37, opposition groups reported approximately 70 individuals died, and human rights organizations suggested as many as 388."

Ahmadinejad, in his interview with Kristof, painted a very different picture. "In total there were 33 lives lost," he said. "More than two-thirds of those killed belonged to the security forces and innocent bystanders. Less than one-third were those who clashed with the security/police forces. So they were a very, very small minority."

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Teen claims he lived in woods 5 years

German police: Teen says he's lived in woods 5 years By the CNN Wire Staff STORY HIGHLIGHTSThe teenager was found at Berlin City Hall September 5He told police he decided to come out of the woods after his father died Berlin (CNN) -- German police are investigating after a 17-year-old boy turned up at Berlin City Hall earlier this month, claiming he has been living in the woods for four to five years, authorities said Sunday.

The teen, who calls himself Ray, was discovered September 5, said German police spokesman Martin Otter. The boy speaks English and a little German. He told authorities he had been living in the woods with his father, but decided to come out after his father died.

Authorities were working with Interpol to establish the boy's identity, authorities said. He was staying at a Berlin youth center.

The story has drawn comparisons to the "Piano Man," who was found wandering aimlessly near a beach on the isle of Sheppey, Kent, in southern England in 2005. The man was wearing a waterlogged dinner suit with all its labels cut out and a tie. It initially was reported that he stunned witnesses with a "virtuoso performance" on the piano.

The man was identified as a 20-year-old German national from Bavaria after telling staff at a hospital that he had been attempting suicide when found by police, the Times of London reported in August 2005. The man could not play the piano as well as initially reported, the newspaper said.

The man, who authorities did not identify because of confidentiality laws, flew back home to Germany, the Times said.

CNN's Bharati Naik contributed to this report.

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Israel: Palestinian bid at U.N. will fail

Demonstrators call for a Palestinian state during a protest in the West Bank on Saturday. STORY HIGHLIGHTSNetanyahu: The Security Council will not approve the requestHe says the Palestinians are thwarting direct peace talksHamas has asked the Palestinian Authority not to go to the UNRELATED TOPICSIsraelPalestinian PoliticsUnited Nations Jerusalem (CNN) -- A Palestinian bid to become a member state of the United Nations will not succeed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, predicting the Security Council will not approve the move.

"Their attempt to be accepted as a proper member of the U.N. will fail because this attempt must go through the Security Council," Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly Israeli Cabinet meeting. "The ruling decisions regarding membership in the U.N. go through this council. I am convinced that as a result of the operations of the United States working with us in a tight cooperation and as a result of actions of other governments, this attempt will fail."

The Palestinians "are doing every possible thing in order to thwart direct negotiations for peace," Netanyahu said, adding: "They must understand that despite their current attempt to bypass negotiations again by going to the U.N., peace will only be accomplished through direct negotiations."

The Palestinian territories currently have observer status, meaning delegates can speak in the General Assembly but not vote.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Friday in a speech in Ramallah that he will pursue full U.N. membership. "We want a seat at the United Nations, and we don't want anything more," he said.

A successful vote in the Security Council or the General Assembly will not lead to an established Palestinian state, but would allow the Palestinians upgraded international status, meaning they can pursue legal action against Israel.

Hamas, the Palestinian organization that controls Gaza, has warned Abbas not to take that step, saying it would show a willingness to acknowledge and negotiate with Israel, which would "deprive the Palestinian people from their right to come back to their homeland."

"We are warning him not to go," said senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar. "This is going to make more division inside the Palestinian people."

Asked whether there is anything that would dissuade the Palestinians from making the request, Maen Rashid Areikat, the Palestine Liberation Organization's chief representative to the United States, told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that "a viable alternative would be clear terms of reference to return to the negotiations, clear time frame and an end game. To the Palestinian, the end game is freedom, to be able to live free and for the Israeli military occupation to end."

The Palestinians avoided peace talks, Netanyahu said, even after the Israeli government, under U.S. pressure, declared a 10-month freeze on new construction in settlements -- a sticking point for the Palestinians. The 10-month freeze -- which did not include East Jerusalem, as Israel claims sovereignty over the entire city -- ended in September 2010. The Palestinians demanded the freeze continue as a condition for resumption of peace talks, but Israel refused.

Areikat said Sunday, "we cannot continue to negotiate while the Israelis are planting our territory, the same land that will become our state in the future, with illegal settlements."

He said the Palestinians have no wish to undermine U.S. President Barack Obama, but "we wish that the United States would reconsider. We wish that the United States will actually cast a vote in favor of Palestinians seeking freedom, because this is the natural position of the United States. This is what we have seen in the region by the United States -- support for all the peoples in the region who are seeking freedom and independence."

The five permanent members of the Security Council are the United States, China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom.

The United States has vowed to veto a full membership application, should it come before the U.N. Security Council. The Palestinian government could also go to the General Assembly, where only a majority vote would be needed to gain a lesser status -- that of permanent observer, similar to the position the Vatican currently holds. A vote in its favor would be all but assured.

But Netanyahu said the General Assembly is not the "declared destination of the Palestinians" as permanent observer status would not carry the same weight and importance as an approved membership state application.

"I think the Palestinians understand that they have to negotiate borders and security with the Israelis," former U.S. President Bill Clinton said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." Clinton said seeking U.N. membership is "an act of frustration by the Palestinians."

The United States will veto it, he said, and "the rest of us have got to contain the fallout ... This is one of those deals where we're either going to go forward or fall back, and I favor going forward."

The United States has "been working tirelessly to try to prevent this happening," Michael Oren, Israeli ambassador to the United States, told "State of the Union." "American diplomatic representatives have been working with other members of the Quartet, the European Union, the Russians, the U.N., to create a format which would be acceptable to us -- and we are very, very close now to the American position -- and to persuade the Palestinians to desist from going to the U.N., to come back to the negotiating table."

"We need to get to a two-state solution based on a Palestinian state living side by side with a Jewish state, in permanent and mutual peace and recognition," Oren said.

Mideast Quartet envoy Tony Blair told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, "I understand why the Palestinians feel that they should go to the United Nations, and by the way, they're perfectly entitled to go there. But I think what we will be looking for over the next few days is a way of putting together something that allows their claims and legitimate aspirations for statehood to be recognized whilst actually renewing the only thing that's going to produce a state, which is a negotiation directly between the two sides."

Netanyahu said he will also be at the U.N. General Assembly this week.

"The U.N. is not the place where Israel gets much applause," he said, "but it is important that I will go there in order to represent the state of Israel and in order to present the truth, and the truth is that Israel wants peace."

His U.N. appearance has two purposes, Netanyahu said -- to ensure the Palestinian bid "will not succeed," and to present Israel's truth to the General Assembly "which I believe is also the general truth, our desire for peace."

While these topics are important any time, he said, "they are important today many times over, when the Middle East is going through this tremendous shaking, that has shook Tunisia and Yemen and Libya and Egypt and Syria and ever other part of the region."

"At these times we need a government with a policy that stands tough and firm for our needs for a peace settlement, and nonetheless we are willing to enter negotiations for peace with our Palestinian neighbors should they desire to do so," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu said he believes that "eventually, after the smoke clears from the events at the U.N., the Palestinians will come to their senses, so I hope, and abandon these negotiation-bypassing moves and sit down (at) the table in order for us to achieve peace and security."

CNN's Guy Azriel and Kevin Flower contributed to this report.

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Iran again delays U.S. hikers' release

The story of 3 Americans detained in IranSTORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: An Iranian official links the hikers' case to U.S. treatment of othersU.S. Muslim, Christian leaders ask President Ahmadinejad for their releaseA judge who needs to sign bail paperwork is on vacation, their lawyer says Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer have been held as spies for more than two years Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- The lawyer trying to get two American hikers freed from prison in Iran was not able to get a signature on bail paperwork because a judge is on vacation until Tuesday, he told CNN Sunday.

Bail has been paid for Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, lawyer Masoud Shafiee said, but he needs the signatures of two judges to prove it.

He went to a judge's office Sunday, when he was in court on a separate case, to see if he could get the second signature, but was told that the judge is on vacation until Tuesday and that Shafiee will have to return then, the lawyer said.

Separately, a delegation of American Muslim and Christian leaders asked Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to release the hikers, his office said Sunday.

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Earthquake in India, Nepal kills 18

Nepalese personnel in Kathmandu stand on the rubble of a British Embassy wall that collapsed in Sunday's earthquake. STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Local government officials tell CNN-IBN that at least 18 are dead, mostly in India300 civilians, 22 tourists are rescued near India's border with Tibet, an official saysThe quakes set off landslides that, with heavy rains, are hampering rescue effortsA wall of the British embassy in Kathmandu collapsed due to the quake, killing 3 New Delhi (CNN) -- At least 18 people -- 13 in India and five in Nepal -- died when a magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck the northern Indian state of Sikkim near the border between the two nations Sunday night, local government officials told sister network CNN-IBN.

The dead include three in Nepal's capital of Kathmandu, who died when a wall of the British embassy collapsed, according to Kedar Rijal, Kathmandu police chief. They included an 8-year-old girl, her father and a third person.

The British Foreign Office confirmed a "compound perimeter wall" of the embassy collapsed, adding that its ambassador has met with the community and offered condolences.

Police said in a statement that two more people died in the Nepalese town of Dhara, about 217 miles east of Kathmandu. About a dozen people were injured when they jumped from their houses during the quake, police said.

On Sunday, Sikkim's chief secretary Karma Gyatso said that six people had died in that province and 33 were injured. But that toll has risen since, government officials told CNN-IBN, with fatalities reported across several different Indian provinces. The network said the dead include at least two Indian army personnel.

At least two buildings in Sikkim had collapsed and others developed cracks, Gyatso said. The damage was still being assessed as first-responders and others worked to find and help survivors, he said.

By early Monday, 300 civilians had been rescued in one such effort near Sikkim's border with China, said Indo-Tibetan Border Police spokesman Deepak Kumar Pandey. Some 22 tourists -- all of them Indians -- were also rescued in the same area.

The deaths and damage came after a total of three quakes struck the region in rapid succession in a mountainous region.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially put the largest quake at 6.8 magnitude, later upgrading it to a 6.9, and the other two at magnitudes 4.8 and 4.6. All three occurred within an hour and 15 minutes, the U.S. agency said. The India Meteorological Department said the quakes were 6.8 magnitude, 5.7 magnitude and 5.3 magnitude.

The quakes set off landslides, which -- along with heavy rains -- were blocking roads and hampering rescue efforts, Pandey said. He expressed fears that the toll, as far as deaths and damage, could be more than is now known, anticipating more will be known once the sun rises Monday.

Already, authorities have reported power outages and downed phone lines in Sikkim.

Emergency crews were dispatched from different locations to the region, India's home ministry said in an alert to reporters. At least four fighter jets were carrying rescue officers to a neighboring region, where they travel by road to Gangtok, Sikkim's capital, according to the alert.

As for outside help, World Vision announced Sunday that it "has put its emergency response team in India on standby" to provide relief as requested. The nonprofit organization reported that the quake cut off phone communication and electricity in parts of Sikkim and West Bengal provinces.

"The whole earth was shaking and it lasted for two minutes," Paul Mathai from World Vision, who was 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the epicenter, said in a statement from the organization. "We were panicked, but all of us are safe."

No tsunami warning was issued. The strongest earthquake, which struck at 6:10 p.m. local time (8:40 a.m. ET), was 12.2 miles below the earth's surface, according to the USGS.

That quake's epicenter was about 42 miles from the city of Gangtok and 169 miles east of Kathmandu, according to the geological survey.

CNN's Harmeet Singh, Manesh Shrestha and Bharati Naik contributed to this report.

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