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Leonid meteor shower peaks Wednesday
A meteor streak photographed in Sherborn, Massachusetts, during the 2001 Leonid meteor shower.
Skygazers will have the best opportunity to witness the Leonid meteor shower in the two to three hours before dawn on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the editors of StarDate magazine.
If skies are clear, viewers should expect to see at least 20 meteors per hour, the magazine said. The nearly full Moon will set several hours before dawn, so viewers won't have to worry about it washing out meteors as dawn approaches.Â
The name Leonid comes from the constellation Leo, which appears to be the source of the meteor shower. It turns out that Leonids are actually bits of debris from the Comet Tempel-Tuttle that are left behind as the comet orbits the Sun. The amount of visible meteors depends on where Earth passes through the comet's debris trail.
Haiti's cholera death toll passes 900
The death toll from Haiti's month-old cholera outbreak has passed 900 and continues to grow.
According to statistics released by the Haitian Ministry of Health Sunday, 917 people have died from the bacteria, while there have been some 14,642 hospitalizations.
More ominous, is the spread of cholera through the squalid camps that still house hundreds of thousands of people in the Haitian capital 10 months after a killer earthquake shattered this city.
Bush says some NATO allies let U.S. down in Afghanistan
Former President George W. Bush defended his administration's handling of the war in Afghanistan on Sunday, telling CNN that some NATO allies who contributed troops to the conflict "turned out not to be willing to fight."
In an interview with CNN's Candy Crowley, Bush strongly refuted criticism that his administration took its "eye off the ball" in Afghanistan when he ordered troops to invade Iraq. He said he ordered American forces to overthrow Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein with the assumption that allied forces would help make up the difference in Afghanistan.
"What happened in Afghanistan was that our NATO allies, some of them, turned out not to be willing to fight," Bush said. "Therefore, our assumption
that we had ample troops - U.S. and NATO troops - turned out to be aÂ
not-true assumption. So we adjusted."
The former president didn't name any countries specifically from NATO, which includes 28 nations in Europe and North America. Some 785 military personnel from NATO countries besides the United States have been killed in Afghanistan since hostilities began in October 2001, with the United Kingdom, Canada and France incurring the most fatalities.
Ahead of the curve: The next 7 days
Looking ahead each week, there are some things we know to expect. But when something unexpected comes out of those planned events, that's when things get interesting.
So what's coming up? Several anticipated reports will be released this week; on tap - reports on retail sales, consumer prices, debt reduction and a USDA report on household food security, for starters.
There will be summits and conferences, such as the World Health Organization's Global Forum on Urbanization and Health in Japan. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s senior medical correspondent, will be there to examine the health issues of an increasingly urbanized world -– pollution, recovery after natural disaster, chronic stress - as well as proposed solutions. Follow CNN Health and CNNI's Urban Planet Special for the latest developments.
A NATO summit beginning Friday in Portugal promises to announce a new mission statement to be endorsed by NATO's Alliance Heads of State and Government.
If you're a leader of the internet economy, you might be at Web 2.0, which begins Monday in San Francisco, California. Or, if casinos or slot machines are your bag, the weeklong Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada could be for you.
Then, there are events that only come along once in a religious calendar year, such as Hajj, Islam's annual pilgrimage to the holy site of Mecca. More than two million Muslims are expected to make the pilgrimage, which began Sunday in some countries (depending on the sighting of the moon) and lasts about five days.
Blackout at new stadium halt Giants-Cowboys game
A series of power failures at New Jersey's New Meadowlands Stadium brought Sunday night's game between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys to a temporary halt.
"Pitch black stadium with a lot of people," a Fox TV announcer said after play resumed. "It's been a weird day."
"The New Meadowlands Stadium experienced two power outages in the 3rd quarter of tonight's game," a statement issued by stadium said. "Power was lost when one of the two feeders to the stadium experienced a power interruption."
The stadium then started taking power from the second feeder, the statement said.
Missing Ohio teen found in basement; others still missing
A 13-year-old Ohio girl who had gone missing with her brother, mother and a family friend was found safe early Sunday, authorities said. The other three people have not been located.
Sarah Maynard has been found safe in the basement of a home in Mount Vernon, Ohio and is being evaluated at a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
Matthew Hoffman, 30, is under arrest for kidnapping, with additional charges expected. The whereabouts of the teen's mother, Tina Herrmann, brother Kody Maynard and family friend Stephanie Sprang are still unknown.
Six killed in Mexico resort blast
Six people, including one minor, were killed Sunday in a natural gas explosion at a resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, authorities and state media reported.
Aung San Suu Kyi: 'You've got to do it with me'
Freed democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi told her supporters Sunday that she needs their help in her efforts to bring change to Myanmar. "I'm not going to be able to do it alone," Suu Kyi said.
"You've got to do it with me. One person alone can't do anything as important as bringing change and democracy to a country."
She said she was treated well during her years of house arrest by Myanmar's ruling generals, but said the country needs to return to the rule of law.
"I am for national reconciliation, I am for dialogue ... whatever authority I have, I would like to use toward that end. And I hope the people will support me," she said, speaking to reporters at the headquarters of her National League for Democracy party. FULL STORY
Brits held by pirates released
A British couple kidnapped by pirates was released after more than a year in captivity, their family said in a statement Sunday. The family would not comment on a reported ransom payment.
Paul and Rachel Chandler were taken while on their yacht on October 23, 2009, just after they set sail from the Seychelles Islands for Tanzania. The Chandlers landed in Kenya late Sunday afternoon, said Abdurraham Omar Osman, a Somali government spokesman. The couple's family also confirmed their arrival.
"Throughout the protracted discussions with the pirates, it has been a difficult task for the family to get across the message that these were two retired people on a sailing trip on a small private yacht and not part of a major commercial enterprise involving tens of millions of pounds of assets," the family's statement read. FULL STORY
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