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Philippines debates government promotion of contraception

Sheila Villanueva, a 25-year-old maid with five children, said she would not use contraceptives.
A debate is stirring in the predominantly Roman Catholic country of the Philippines: should the government provide contraceptives to the public?

More than 100 members of the House of Representatives have co-authored a bill that would allow government funds to be used to promote artificial contraceptives — which is now prohibited in the Southeast Asian nation. “The bill is not about religion. It is not about morality,” said Edcel Lagman, a congressman. “It’s about rights, health and sustainable human development.” Some one-third of the country’s 90 million people live in poverty. The Asian Development Bank said that problem will persist until the country curbs its birth rate — one of the highest in the world. The nationwide Pulse Asia Poll found nearly two-thirds of people support the bill. But the Catholic Church is fiercely opposed, and is pressuring lawmakers to vote against it. “Why should we use contraceptives, teaching our children the use of contraceptives,” said Ed Sorreta of Pro-Life Philippines. “It’s totally against the teaching of the Catholic Church. The poverty is really caused by other issues, moral values.” “When you talk about natural family planning, it needs discipline, that’s where many couples fail. They lack the discipline.”

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Abortion is illegal in the Philippines, except in cases to save a mother’s life. But the United Nations estimates that half a million illegal abortions are performed in the country every year. Sheila Villanueva, a 25-year-old maid earning $2 a day, has five children. “I married at eighteen. I had my first baby by the time I was nineteen. Then the babies came, one after the other,” she said. “Life is so hard, kids get sick easily, prices of goods are so high. That’s one of the reasons why I don’t want them to have too many kids,” she said. Still, Villanueva said she would not use contraceptives. “Even if they say you’ll end up with too many kids, I don’t get swayed by their persuasions, I won’t use those contraceptives,” she said. The legislation will go before the nation’s Congress in the next few months.

“This bill, once it becomes a law, it will give information and access to those who want it,” Lagman said. “But I will also underscore that central to this bill is the freedom of choice. … (W)e compel women to make their own choices.” “(T)he government should be there to give them free information and free access to the products, particularly to the poorer of the poor,” he added.

R&B singer Brown faces felony charge after alleged assault

Chris Brown attends a party saluting music producer Clive Davis in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday.
Singer Chris Brown, a no-show for Sunday night’s Grammy Awards, has been charged with a felony in connection with a domestic violence incident.

“Detectives investigating the alleged domestic violence felony battery booked him for criminal threats,” a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department said. “At the time the case is presented to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, additional charges may be filed.” Brown, 19, posted a $50,000 bond and was released by police at 8:35 p.m. (11:35 p.m. ET). A March 5 court date has been set. Brown, nominated for two Grammy Awards, was scheduled to perform at the show. His girlfriend, singer Rihanna, abruptly canceled her planned Grammys performance, but neither her spokesman nor the show organizers gave a reason. “Rihanna is well,” her spokesman said in a written statement. “Thank you for concern and support.” Police have not identified the alleged victim, who they said “suffered visible injuries and identified Brown as her attacker.” Brown, 19, and Rihanna, 20, were seen together Saturday night at a pre-Grammys dinner at the Beverly Hills Hilton, about five miles from where police said the alleged incident happened at 12:30 a.m. Sunday. The police statement said Brown and a woman were in a vehicle near Hollywood’s Hancock Park when “they became involved in an argument.”

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“After stopping his car, Brown and the woman got out and the argument escalated,” police said. After receiving a 911 call at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, officers found the woman at the scene of the alleged fight, but Brown had left, the department said. Investigators were treating the incident as a possible felony battery case, police said. Executives with Brown’s record label at the Grammy Awards told CNN they knew nothing about the incident and declined further comment. Brown was nominated for two Grammys this year, including in the best male R&B vocal performance category for his song “Take You Down.” He also shares a best pop collaboration with vocals nomination with Jordin Sparks for “No Air.” The introduction to the CBS broadcast of the Grammys, apparently pre-taped, listed both Brown and Rihanna as performers.

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ sweeps UK’s BAFTAs

Composer A.R. Rahman, left, and director Danny Boyle arrive Sunday at the BAFTA ceremonies in London.
"Slumdog Millionaire" extended its run of international acclaim as it won seven top awards on Sunday from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, including best film.

Danny Boyle took top directing honors for “Slumdog.” The film also won awards for adapted screenplay, music, cinematography, editing and sound. In January “Slumdog,” about an orphan raised in poverty in Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” won outstanding performance by a cast at the Screen Actors Guild. The modestly budgeted film also won the Golden Globe award for best drama. The film has been nominated for 10 Oscars, including for best picture. U.S. actor Mickey Rourke was named leading actor for his role in “The Wrestler,” beating Dev Patel for “Slumdog,” Brad Pitt for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Sean Penn for “Milk” and Frank Langella for “Frost/Nixon.”

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British actor Kate Winslet won top prize for leading actress for her role as a Nazi concentration camp guard in “The Reader.” Winslet was a two-time nominee in the category, also nominated for her role as a suburban housewife in “Revolutionary Road.” She beat Angeline Jolie for “Changeling,” Kristin Scott Thomas for “I’ve Loved You So Long,” Meryl Streep for “Doubt.”

“These are dreams that as a child I wouldn’t even dare to dream,” Winslet said in a report from the UK’s Press Association. The late Heath Ledger of Australia won supporting actor honors for his role as the Joker in “The Dark Knight,” while Spain’s Penelope Cruz won the supporting actress prize for her role in the Woody Allen film “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

Police: Australian fires create ‘a holocaust’

Craig Kidd looks at the melted wheels of his vehicles after a fire swept his property on February 9 in Bendigo.
Australia’s raging wildfires have killed at least 130 people, decimating massive spans of land and leaving thousands of residents homeless, creating situation officials say they’ve never experienced.

The fires have swept through the state of Victoria, leaving some firefighters and police to describe the destruction “as something of a holocaust,” said Phil Shepherd, an inspector with the Victoria State Police. “We had an impact all over the state,” Shepherd told CNN Monday, adding that two towns have been “completely wiped out.” In an interview with Australian television, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he fears the situation will get worse before it gets better. “I think it’s important that the nation braces itself for more bad news … this is a little horror which few of us anticipated,” said Rudd. Up to 400 Australian troops will be heading to affected areas to aid in rescue and recovery efforts and resettlement services will be provided to displaced families, Rudd said. Watch the devastation brought to homes » Police are calling the wildfires the worst in the nation’s history. Firefighters on the scene have been working with other emergency service personnel to cut fire breaks while police erect roadblocks to evacuate residents, Shepherd said. The number of dead has exceeded the toll of 75 in the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983, and close to 200,000 hectares (500,000 acres) of land have burned, according to Kendra Jackson, leading senior constable of Australia’s Victoria state police. Thousands of weary firefighters spent Sunday fighting a losing battle to contain the flames.

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“It’s an absolute feeling of helplessness,” said Michelle Achison, who lives in a suburb of Victoria, the state most affected. “There are communities that are completely flattened. There’s nothing at all. And each and every one of us knows somebody who will lose everything.” The death toll seemed to rise every hour Sunday as rescue workers discovered more bodies. Some victims perished inside cars while trying to flee the flames. Others had stayed put inside houses that were burned to their shells. Watch as deadly fires rage » “I’ve heard of sad stories of flames going over cars and maybe one person surviving,” Dr. John Coleridge of Victoria’s Alfred Hospital told reporters Sunday. “I suspect today they will find lots of cars with people who haven’t survived.” iReport.com: ‘Thank God we were spared’ Hospital officials treating burn victims said the wounds were the worst they have seen since the terrorist bombings in the Indonesian island of Bali in 2002. “Hell and all its fury has visited the good people of Victoria in the last 24 hours,” Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told reporters while touring the fire-ravaged areas. Watch as officials react to wildfires » In a statement posted on the government’s Web site, Queen Elizabeth II — Australia’s ceremonial head of state — expressed her condolences to victims of the fires and praised rescue efforts of firefighters and other emergency personnel. “I was shocked and saddened to learn of the terrible toll being exacted by the fires this weekend. I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of all those who have died and my deep sympathy to the many that have lost their homes in this disaster,” the statement said. Rudd announced the creation of a AU$10 million ($6.7 million) relief fund to immediately assist the more than 600 families that have lost homes to the blaze. He also promised troops would be deployed to help fight the flames. All day Sunday, winds fanned flames into local towns, where the blazes spread with frightening speed, devouring homes. Residents — with handkerchiefs covering their faces — pointed garden hoses at the flames or tried to stamp out hotspots with towels and clothes, but to no avail. Photos: Bushfires leave path of destruction » “All I got left is what I stand in and a bag,” a woman told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, before breaking down. “My house. My house of 25 years is gone. I worked so hard for that house.” No one in the area was unaffected. John Brumby, the premier of Victoria, said the fire stopped just outside his parents’ house in the western part of the state. “There was a intense few hours for me,” he told ABC. “I was too far away to get there, four hours away. Dad’s in his early 80s, mom a bit younger. But we couldn’t get them on the mobile (phone), we couldn’t get them at home. No one knew where they were.” So many people have brought donations to relief centers in Victoria that the police have asked them to stop. “Police appreciate that people want to help the victims of the fire,” senior constable Wayne Wilson said in a statement, but added: “The number of people bringing items to the centers is causing difficulties in the operation of these centers.” As darkness descended, the flames continued to lick the night sky. Aerial views showed rivers of orange trickling in all directions amid the dense vegetation. “You look up at the sky and there’s this orange glow. It’s eerie,” said Ethan Alexander, a Melbourne photographer who visited some of the affected areas. More than 640 houses had been destroyed, said Sharon Merritt of the country’s Fire Protection Association. Victoria police are investigating the possibility that at least two of the fires were set deliberately, said Superintendent Ross McNeill, adding that no arrests had been made. Kieran Walshe, the deputy police commissioner for the state, said: “When you look at the way fires started, you can clearly see it’s not possible for a natural ignition to occur.” A man was charged with lighting fires in the neighboring state of New South Wales, police there said. The 31-year-old Killarney Vale man was due in court Monday after being arrested on Saturday, they said. The largest blaze was centered in the Kinglake area, about 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Melbourne, the Australia’s second most populated city and the capital of Victoria. One silver lining amid the devastation: the fires have not posed a significant threat to more populous areas, including Melbourne, as they sweep across rural outskirts of southeastern Australia, Walshe said. Still, said Achison, the Victoria resident, the state is so dry from lack of rain that there are no safe areas. “Last night, there was a grassfire on flat dry grass on one of the properties. And within minutes, six homes in a row were burned to the ground,” she said. “These weren’t people who were preparing to evacuate because they were told they weren’t in any danger.” Wildfires are an annual event in Australia. But this year, a combination of factors has made them especially intense: a drought, dry bush and one of the most powerful heat waves in memory. Temperatures in parts of Melbourne reached 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) in the last few weeks. Dozens of heat-related deaths have been reported.

By Sunday, the temperatures had dropped to the mid-20s in the area. Officials were hoping for some help from milder weather moving in. Droplets of rain had started to fall in some areas. Northern Australia, on the other hand, is grappling with a different problem. Sixty percent of the state of Queensland was flooded, officials reported, and residents were warned to be on the lookout for crocodiles in urban areas.

Sources: Iraq, Afghanistan withdrawals delayed

A U.S. soldier stands guard as policemen destroy poppy fields in Nadi Ali district, February 5, 2009.
Decisions about withdrawing troops from Iraq and sending more troops to Afghanistan have been delayed until the Pentagon provides President Barack Obama with more detail about the risks and implications of the issues confronting him, according to two senior Pentagon officials.

Both officials, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, have a direct understanding of the discussion regarding troop withdrawals. They said the military is not concerned about the delays, but that there is concern about the deteriorating levels of security in Afghanistan. The officials confirmed that the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command are now working on three Iraq combat troop withdrawal options for the president: 16 months, 19 months and 23 months. The first option is consistent with Obama’s campaign promise. But in recent discussions with senior military leaders and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, it became clear the president wanted to see other options and have a full discussion of the risks involved with each of them, the officials said. “The President asked for ideas and we are working on them,” one official said. So far, a final recommendation from the military has not been submitted to the White House. The 19- and 23-month options were developed by the military, but Obama did not specifically ask for them, the officials said. “The President is not fixated on a time frame. He has taken a step back and is reflecting on what’s at stake,” the second official said.

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Given the current security situation in Iraq, the U.S. can likely reduce troop level from 14 brigades to 12 by the end of the year, the officials said. But it’s unclear when Obama will make that decision for combat forces. Forces rotating into Iraq could be categorized as support forces and trainers, rather than combat forces, the officials said. When asked earlier this weekend about the three different scenarios being considered by the Pentagon, the White House refused to discuss the ongoing planning for Iraq. “There’s been a very good back and forth in a very logical process that has allowed the president to hear from commanders and forces at all levels,” a White House official said. “Fact is that they are coming to a meeting of the minds on troops and on the need for a diplomatic and political strategy to end the war in Iraq and ease the strain on the troops and their families.” There also appears to be a delay in making a decision about sending more troops to Afghanistan, both senior Pentagon officials said. It is believed that thousands of ground combat Marines, a marine aviation unit and Army special forces could be sent to southern Afghanistan in the weeks ahead. But for now, the White House is waiting on sending two additional Army brigades until it is nearer to completing a review of its strategy in Afghanistan, the officials said. Its not clear when that might happen. The White House is now reviewing strategy assessments completed by the military and awaiting the return of Richard Holbrooke, who made his first trip to the region as envoy. The Pentagon had been tentatively set to announce the deployments last week, but both officials said when further discussions took place with the White House, it became clear a longer timeframe was needed. “There is a desire to further work on the strategy before sending the bulk of the troops,” one official said. But the official also underscored the security situation in Afghanistan “grows more dire every day. Everybody understands there is a sense of urgency.”

Olmert blasts ‘damaging’ reports on kidnapped Israeli soldier

A portrait of Gilad Shalit is held during a protest demanding his release in Tel Aviv, Israel, in January.
Recent media reports about the negotiations to secure the release of a kidnapped Israeli soldier are "exaggerated and damaging," outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday.

“This complex and sensitive process requires due caution regarding all that is said,” Olmert said at the start of his weekly Cabinet session. “When there is something to inform the public, I will do so. It is clear that we all hope that the day when Gilad Shalit returns to his family will come as soon as possible. We will not slacken in our efforts to achieve this.” Shalit was 19 when he was captured on June 25, 2006, by Palestinian militants in Gaza, including those from Hamas, which now controls the territory. The militants tunneled into Israel and attacked an Israeli army outpost near the Gaza-Israel-Egypt border, killing two other soldiers. Israel immediately launched a military incursion into Gaza to rescue him, but failed. Olmert has been under pressure to secure Shalit’s release as part of a broader cease-fire deal with Gaza’s Hamas leadership. Israel in January halted a three-week military operation in Gaza under a cease-fire that did not include Shalit’s release as a condition. A leading pan-Arab newspaper, Al-Hayat, reported Sunday that Israel has agreed to release 1,000 prisoners — including jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti — in exchange for Shalit, according to an Israeli daily, Haaretz. But Hamas officials told Haaretz there have been no new developments in negotiations regarding Shalit. In the past, Hamas leaders have asked for Barghouti’s release in exchange for the kidnapped Israeli soldier.

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Barghouti is serving five life sentences after being convicted in 2004 on five counts of murder stemming from three al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades attacks that killed Israelis. He was also sentenced to 40 years in prison on an attempted murder charge from a failed suicide car bomb.

Caylee ‘now has her angel wings’

Caylee Anthony, 2, was missing for six months before her remains were found.
As the family of Caylee Anthony prepares to finally lay her to rest, her grandmother announced plans to establish a charitable foundation to honor the memory of the slain Florida toddler.

In a moving eulogy published in Sunday’s editions of the Orlando Sentinel, Cindy Anthony wrote that the charity will be called the Caylee Marie Anthony Foundation. Its mission will be to draw attention to cases involving missing children. “Caylee’s life may have been short-lived on this earth, but her life will not have ended without a purpose,” Cindy Anthony wrote. “She will be sadly missed but never forgotten. Caylee Marie Anthony now has her angel wings and will be watching over so many other children.” In the eulogy, Cindy Anthony also requested that only people with “the purest of hearts” and “truly honorable intentions” attend the public memorial service Tuesday morning at First Baptist Church of Orlando, Florida. Cindy Anthony and her husband, George, plan to attend the service at the 5,000-seat mega-church. Their 22-year-old daughter, Casey, who was Caylee’s mother, will not be present. Casey Anthony, who is charged with Caylee’s murder, is being held at the Orange County Jail. Watch what Casey Anthony’s defense lawyers say » Cindy Anthony listed Casey Anthony first among Caylee’s survivors in her eulogy. Cindy Anthony explained in her published eulogy that although donations already have been made in Caylee’s name to organizations that help children, the family decided to establish a charitable foundation in Caylee’s name. “For those who fell in love with Caylee Marie on national TV, their grief is only temporary, their hearts will soon mend, and their memory of her may eventually fade,” she wrote. “But for those who actually had the honor to meet Caylee Marie, it will be much more difficult for them to say goodbye, and their hearts may never heal.”

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Caylee was 2 when she disappeared last summer. Her remains were found on December 11 in woods less than a mile from the Anthonys’ home. Caylee’s remains have been released to Bryant Funeral and Cremation Chapel in Orlando, family attorney Brad Conway said. The remains will not be at Tuesday’s public service, he added. The family plans a private funeral and burial, but is not disclosing details, Conway said. The pubic memorial, service is expected to draw a large crowd, and security will be tight. Officers will be provided by private firms and the Orange County Sheriff’s office, and private donors will pay for them, officials said. Mourners will be required to pass through metal detectors, and will not be permitted to carry bags into the church.

Conway said the family will block some people from attending the service. “They know who they are. They will be respectively turned away,” he said. A large makeshift memorial, with teddy bears, candles and balloons, continues to draw the curious to the site where a meter reader found the remains.

Giggs turns back clock as United win again

Veteran midfielder Ryan Giggs turned back the clock with a vintage goal to put Manchester United back on top of the Premier League table with a 1-0 win at West Ham on Sunday, securing their 13th consecutive clean sheet in the process.

Giggs settled a cagey encounter in the 62nd minute with a rare right-footed goal. The 35-year-old had his corner half-cleared but Paul Scholes swiftly spread play back to his team-mate — who then evaded two flying tackles before planting the ball into the bottom corner of the net. The result ended West Ham’s impressive eight-match unbeaten run at Upton Park and edged United closer to their third league title in a row. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side are now two points ahead of Liverpool and five clear of third-placed Aston Villa, with a game in hand on their rivals. Meanwhile, United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar never looked in serious danger of being denied a British record for not conceding a goal that now extends to 1,212 minutes.

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When the 33rd minute ticked by, van der Sar eclipsed the record of former Aberdeen goalkeeper Bobby Clark, who went 1,155 minutes of league action without conceding a goal during the 1970-71 campaign to claim that British record. Ferguson told Sky Sports: “Clean sheets is going to be the main topic at the moment but it doesn’t change the emphasis on our game. “Today we’ve played some fantastic possession football. What the back four are doing is focusing and concentrating on their jobs. “They’ve got pace, they’re quick and, of course, we’ve got a goalkeeper like Edwin van der Sar who is just fantastic. I’m delighted for Edwin. At his age he has achieved everything, but you can see the way he is motivated by the challenge of the clean sheets and it’s an extra edge for him.”

Sri Lanka says 10,000 civilians flee fighting

Sri Lankan soldiers walk through the captured Chilawatte area in the Mullaittivu district, January 27, 2009.
The Sri Lankan government said Sunday that more than 10,000 civilians have fled fighting between government forces and Tamil rebels in northern Sri Lanka over the past week, a "sudden increase" in people displaced by the violence.

Most of the 10,501 displaced civilians are from Kilinochchi, while others are from the Jaffna peninsula, according to a news release from Sri Lanka’s defense ministry. More than half are women and children, it said. The government said it is providing refuge, medical care, and sustenance to the displaced civilians. Kilinochchi is the former capital of the Tamil Tiger rebel movement, which is locked in a battle with government troops over its remaining strongholds in northern Sri Lanka. The town was retaken by Sri Lankan forces in early January. The rebels have been fighting for an independent homeland the country’s ethnic Tamil minority since 1983.

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Humanitarian groups say as many as 250,000 unprotected civilians are trapped in the area where the fighting is taking place, and the onslaught has intensified as government forces have closed in on the rebels. The aid agencies have asked for increased access to northern Sri Lanka, calling it a nightmarish situation. Last week, the fighting forced the closure of Pudukkudiyiruppu hospital in the Vanni region, the last functioning medical facility in the area of fighting.

Plant and Krauss song wins record of the year

Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's song
Grammy night was shaping up to be a battle between Coldplay and the duo of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.

Plant and Krauss’ “Please Read the Letter,” produced by T Bone Burnett, won record of the year, one of the big Grammy honors. Coldplay won song of the year for their tune “Viva La Vida.” Both groups have albums in the other of Grammy’s big three, album of the year. “The whole game was a mystery,” said Plant in accepting the record of the year honor, adding that he, Krauss and Burnett gave the project three days, and if it didn’t work, “we’ll have lunch and I’ll go back to Wolverhampton.” See the stars on the red carpet » Coldplay took home song of the year — a songwriters’ honor — for “Viva La Vida,” from the band’s album of the same name. “Thank you and sorry to Sir Paul McCartney for blatantly recycling the ‘Sgt. Pepper’ outfits,” the band’s Will Champion said, noting the group’s colorful attire. The album won best rock album. Plant and Krauss earlier won best pop collaboration with vocals. The Grammys also had some backstage drama, as two scheduled performers, Rihanna and Chris Brown, pulled out of the awards. Los Angeles police were looking for Brown after receiving an early-morning domestic violence report. Authorities said Brown and a woman were involved in an argument in a vehicle. Read more about Brown After stopping his car, the argument escalated when Brown stopped the car and the woman got out, the Los Angeles Police Department said, citing the victim’s account. A representative for Brown at the ICM agency in Los Angeles could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Earlier in the show, one big-voiced vocalist honored another as Whitney Houston presented Jennifer Hudson with the first Grammy Award of the evening, for best R&B album. “I’d like to thank my family in heaven and those who are with me today,” she said, her voice catching. “Everybody, thank you all,” she concluded. Hudson’s mother and brother were murdered last October. She brought down the house with an emotional performance of a new ballad, “You Pulled Me Through.” Sugarland won best country duo or group performance with vocals for “Stay.” The performances were a mixed bag — sometimes deliberately so. Four famed rappers — T.I., Kanye West, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne — were called the “Rap Pack” in a segment that followed a tribute to one of the Rat Pack singers, Dean Martin, who received a lifetime achievement award. With them was M.I.A., extremely pregnant but giving it her all. Stevie Wonder performed with the Jonas Brothers in a medley that concluded with Wonder’s “Superstition.” Estelle and Kanye West did the hit “American Boy.” Paul McCartney, backed by Dave Grohl on drums, did “I Saw Her Standing There” — the first track from the Beatles’ first album, “Please Please Me,” back in 1963. And backed by a giant screen proclaiming, “Let me in the sound” and other lyrics, U2 kicked off the 51st annual music awards with a rousing rendition of the band’s new single, “Get On Your Boots.” By then, there were already quite a number of people with awards. The Grammys have more than 100 categories, and most honors are given out before the show.

A few went to some of the most notable nominees. Lil Wayne, who received the most nominations with eight, won three Grammys, including honors for best rap performance and best rap song. Coldplay, which earned seven nominations, won best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals. Other winners included George Carlin, who won best comedy album Grammy for “It’s Bad for Ya,” a recording of his last HBO special. It was the late comedian’s fifth Grammy Award. His daughter, Kelly, accepted on his behalf, saying she’d take better care of it than Carlin did with his first Grammy — which was taken apart in a “chemically induced, altered state,” she said.