Last living U.S. WWI veteran dies
Frank Buckles is seen on his 109th birthday in February 2010, in his home in Charles Town, West Virginia.
February 27th, 2011
11:03 PM ET

Last living U.S. WWI veteran dies

Frank Buckles, the last living U.S. World War I veteran, has died, a
spokesman for his family said Sunday. He was 110.

Buckles "died peacefully in his home of natural causes" early Sunday morning, the family said in a statement sent to CNN late Sunday by spokesman David DeJonge.

Buckles marked his 110th birthday on February 1, but his family had
earlier told CNN he had slowed considerably since last fall, according his
daughter Susannah Buckles Flanagan, who lives at the family home near Charles Town, West Virginia.

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Filed under: Military • Veterans
Earthquake shakes Chile
A magnitude-6.0 earthquake has struck Chile, with no immediate reports of damage or injury. An 8.8-magnitude quake in 2010 killed more than 500 people and grounded this fishing boat. Repairs from that quake have cost nearly $30 billion and left many homeless.
February 27th, 2011
09:04 PM ET

Earthquake shakes Chile

A 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Chile on Sunday evening, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was centered 23 miles south of Concepcion, in southern Chile.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The quake, which struck at a depth of 10 miles, occurred on the one-year anniversary of an 8.8-magnitude temblor that killed 521 people and left thousands homeless in the South American nation.

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Ahead of the curve: The next 7 days
February 27th, 2011
08:00 PM ET

Ahead of the curve: The next 7 days

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is clinging to power after another week of violence and demonstrations and an apparent shift of control in several cities to people in opposition. The United Nations  passed a resolution on Saturday night that includes an arms embargo and an asset freeze for Gadhafi and his family, and U.S. President Barack Obama said Saturday that Gadhafi needs to step down. Yet Gadhafi has showed no sign of relinquishing power, and his son Saif is saying he's confident the regime could survive the unrest. Here's a look at this and some of the other stories we plan to follow this week:

Countries discussing next steps regarding Libya

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday for a meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council to discuss the next steps regarding Libya, whose government is accused of using lethal force against its people since massive protests erupted in its second-largest city in mid-February.

About 1,000 people reportedly have been killed in clashes involving protesters and security forces loyal to Gadhafi. Witnesses say several Libyan cities, especially in the east of the country, are in opposition control after days of protests inspired in part by demonstrations that toppled leaders in Tunisia and Egypt. Reports suggest that about 100,000 people in Libya have fled to Egypt and Tunisia in the past week.

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N. Africa, Mideast protests: Egyptian stock market set to reopen Tuesday
Protesters in the Libyan city of Zawiya on Sunday.
February 27th, 2011
02:01 PM ET

N. Africa, Mideast protests: Egyptian stock market set to reopen Tuesday

Across the Middle East and North Africa, CNN's reporters and iReporters are covering protests, many of them inspired by revolts in Tunisia and Egypt that toppled those countries' longtime rulers. Check out our story explaining the roots of the unrest in each country and full coverage of the situation in Libya. Have a story to tell from the scene? Click here to send an iReport. CNN's Fareed Zakaria breaks down what the movements toward democracy mean.

Developments on unrest in the Middle East and North Africa:

SUNDAY

[LIBYA, 8:50 p.m. ET, 3:50 a.m. local] Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has criticized a resolution that the U.N. Security Council passed against his regime, telling private Serbian station Pink TV by phone that council members "took a decision based on media reports that are based abroad."

He added, "If the Security Council wants to know about something, they should have sent a fact-finding committee."

The resolution, passed over the weekend, includes an arms embargo, an asset freeze and travel bans for Gadhafi and members of his family and associates.

[GAZA, 3:41 p.m. ET, 10:41 p.m. local] A Palestinian militant was killed in east Gaza Sunday in an Israeli air strike, according to Palestinian medical and security officials. An Israel Defense Force spokeswoman denied that such an attack took place.

[EGYPT, 2:53 p.m. ET, 9:53 p.m. local] Officials say the Egypt Stock Exchange plans to open on Tuesday. The markets have been closed since January 27.

[LIBYA, 1:45 p.m. ET, 8:44 p.m. local] The British government said Sunday it is freezing the assets of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, members of his family, and those acting on their behalf.

[LIBYA, 9 a.m. ET, 4:15 p.m. local] Protests are picking up in Libya's western city of Zawiya with former security forces who said they have switched sides and joined the opposition. About 150 people rallied outside the town in support of Gadhafi later on Sunday, in what appeared to be a hastily organized demonstration. CNN later saw a second small pro-government rally that may have been organized for the benefit of international journalists. The crisis in Libya is affecting oil prices, and how much Americans pay at the pump. To better understand why, CNN gets an explanation from an oil analyst.

The United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a draft resolution to impose sanctions against Libya amid escalating attacks on anti-government protesters in the north African country.

The resolution draft includes an arms embargo, asset freeze and a travel ban. It also refers Libya to the International Criminal Court.

[YEMEN, 12:14 p.m. ET, 8:14 p.m. ET local] Thousands of people are protesting outside Sanaa University demanding that President Ali Abdullah Saleh resign. Representatives said the youth-dominated sit-in will not budge until he leaves. On Saturday, leaders of two prominent tribal groups, the Hashid-dominated National Solidarity Council and the Baqil tribe, said they would send members to join the protests calling for Saleh's resignation. Time magazine weighs in on how long the protests in Yemen might last.

[TUNISIA, 11 a.m. ET, 5:18 p.m. ET local] Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi's resignation Sunday came a day after three people were killed during protests in the capital, Tunis. "I am resigning today because I am not willing to be a person that takes decisions that could cause casualties," he told reporters Sunday. He also questioned "why a lot of people considered their main target to keep attacking the government, although a lot of its members agreed to join in this critical time."

[TUNISIA, 10 a.m. ET, 4:21 p.m. local] The prime minister of Tunisia has stepped down from the interim government, according to the country's official news agency.

[OMAN, 9 a.m. ET, 6:10 a.m. local] At least two protesters were killed and about 10 injured during clashes between protesters and police in the Omani industrial town of Sohar, according to reports from state media and Oman TV editor Asma Rshid. "The police shot them because they burned shops and cars in Sohar," Rshid said. Another source said police fired rubber bullets. A number of police had also reportedly been injured, but CNN has not been able to confirm how many.

SATURDAY

[TUNISIA, 9:12 p.m. ET, 3:12 a.m. local] Protests in Tunisia turned violent and deadly Saturday, just over six weeks after a popular uprising forced the president out of office, and lit a spark of desire for democratic reform in parts of Africa and the Middle East.

Three people were killed Saturday and nine others injured during mayhem in the capital, Tunis, according to a Interior Ministry statement cited by the state-run news agency, Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP).

More than 100 people were arrested, the ministry said, in the area around Habib Bourguiba Avenue, in the city's center, accused of "acts of destruction and burning."

[LIBYA, 4:58 p.m. ET, 11:58 p.m. local] City councils in areas no longer loyal to Moammar Gadhafi have chosen former Justice Minister Mustafa Abdul Jalil to head an interim government which will represent all of Libya, according to Amal Bogagies, a member of the February 17 Uprising coalition, and a separate Libyan opposition source.

[LIBYA, 4:40 p.m. ET, 11:40 p.m. local] President Barack Obama, in a statement issued Saturday after reports that forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi had fired on civilians, said "that when a leader's only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now."

The White House statement was  issued after Obama spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

[BAHRAIN, 9:37 a.m. ET, 5:37 p.m. local] Exiled opposition leader Hassan Mushaima has arrived back in Manama, Bahrain. Mushaima, leader of the Haq Movement, had told followers earlier in the week that he had been detained in Beirut, Lebanon.

[YEMEN, 2 a.m. ET, 10 a.m. local] Four people were killed and 26 wounded in clashes Friday night between anti-government protesters and security forces in southern Yemen, medical officials in Aden said Saturday.

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Oscars: "Gasland" director and movie star take on Washington
A scene from the documentary "Gasland."
February 27th, 2011
01:57 PM ET

Oscars: "Gasland" director and movie star take on Washington

A man who lives in Colorado sticks a lighter under his kitchen faucet. He places the flame into the streaming tap water, and a ball of fire leaps up, nearly burning him.

"This is something we did over and over again in gas drilling areas," said documentary filmmaker Josh Fox. His movie "Gasland," nominated for an Academy Award, contains interviews with people from across the United States who say a new form of natural gas drilling has threatening consequences. Oscar-nominated actor Mark Ruffalo has joined Fox. Ruffalo lives in New York, which began to take a close look at fracking last year.

An animation of the fracking process, and the stories of people who say it is ruining their lives, can be found in CNN's special coverage on the issue.

Read more about documentaries nominated for a golden statue Sunday.

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Filed under: Environment • Gas pipeline • Natural gas explosion • Showbiz
February 27th, 2011
11:56 AM ET

Oscars: Daughter of 911 victim talks about her nominated terrorism documentary

Carie Lemack's mother Judy was killed on American Airlines Flight 11 on September 11.

Lemack, who was in her mid-20s when her mother died, recently spoke with CNN International's Jonathan Mann about "Killing in the Name" an Oscar-nominated documentary she produced about Ashraf al-Khaled, a Jordanian Muslim. Al Qaeda bombed al-Khaled's 2005 wedding in Amman, Jordan, killing the couple's parents along many family members. The film focuses on his journey challenging the ideology of terrorism.

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Filed under: Academy Awards • Al Qaeda • Movies • September 11 • Terrorism
February 27th, 2011
08:37 AM ET

Arizona lawmaker in freeway fight, police say

Police say they did not detain an Arizona state senator who was involved in a domestic violence incident over the weekend because state law gives him immunity from arrest while the legislature is in session.

Officers responding to the scene of a reported altercation on a Phoenix-area highway Friday night found state Sen. Scott Bundgaard and his girlfriend, Aubry Ballard.

Both had marks on them indicating they had been involved in a physical dispute - constituting an act of domestic violence on the part of both individuals, Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson said.

Ballard was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault. Bundgaard was not, but could later face charges from the city attorney's office, Thompson said.

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M. Night Shyamalan flick gets Razzie for worst movie
Actor Noah Ringer attends the premiere of "The Last Airbender" last June.
February 27th, 2011
08:26 AM ET

M. Night Shyamalan flick gets Razzie for worst movie

The night before Hollywood gathers to honor its best Sunday, Razzie voters sifted through what they dubbed the cinematic rubble and (dis)honored "The Last Airbender" as the worst movie of 2010.

The M. Night Shyamalan action-flick, which was panned by critics upon its release last year, won (or should that be 'lost'?) for Worst Director, Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, Worst Supporting Actor and a new category - Worst Eye-gouging Misuse of 3-D.

The other movie that took home multiple gold spray-painted statuettes Saturday night was "Sex and the City 2" for Worst Screen Ensemble and Worst Actress - presented jointly to the four leading ladies: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Davis.

The Razzies - or the Golden Raspberry Awards - are decided by 637 voters in the United States and 17 countries, according to its website. It began in 1980 as "a logical antidote to Tinsel Town's annual glut of self-congratulatory awards," it says.

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Security forces flood Beijing before protests
Pro-democracy protesters in Beijing on Sunday February 20.
February 27th, 2011
08:15 AM ET

Security forces flood Beijing before protests

For the second weekend in a row, anonymous calls by organizers for a pro-democracy demonstration in Beijing were overshadowed by heavy security presence.

Hundreds of Chinese police officers along with more than 120 vehicles flooded Beijing's central pedestrian shopping area, Wangfujing, around the site of a second attempted "jasmine" rally inspired by pro-democracy protests in Tunisia.

There was no sign of protest as the police deployed unusual tactics to prevent demonstrations.

At least three foreign press photographers at the scene were reportedly beaten by police officers and detained. Other foreign journalists, including CNN, were manhandled, detained and escorted away from the site.

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