Treason charge for Musharraf

Musharraf is escorted by soldiers as he arrives at an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad in April 2013.

• Pervez Musharraf faces five treason charges, including imposing emergency rule in 2007


• The former army chief, who ruled until 2008, pleaded not guilty to all five


• Musharraf says he took action to stabilize the country and fight rising Islamist extremism


• High treason carries the death penalty or life imprisonment

Islamabad (CNN) — A Special Court in Pakistan has charged former military ruler Pervez Musharraf with high treason — a crime that carries the death penalty or life imprisonment.

Musharraf, who ruled the country following a 1999 coup until 2008, faced a total of five charges during the hearing at the court in Islamabad Monday, including three counts of subverting, suspending and changing the country’s constitution, sacking Pakistan’s chief justice and imposing emergency rule. He pleaded “not guilty” to each of the charges.

In an address to the court, the former president denied he was a traitor, and instead claimed Pakistan “prospered and grew” under his tenure.

Monday’s hearing took place amid tight security, with thousands of police and security forces lining the route to the court. In an unexpected twist, the retired army general was represented by a new lawyer, with no reason yet given for the change.

Web of court cases

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GPS Highlights: Pervez Musharraf

Musharraf went into self-imposed exile in 2008, in London and more recently in Dubai, after standing down as president. He returned to Pakistan last year with the aim of running in the country’s national elections. But his plans unraveled as he became entangled in a web of court cases relating to his time in power.

In 2007, Musharraf declared a state of emergency, suspended Pakistan’s constitution, replaced the chief judge and blacked out independent TV outlets.

Musharraf said he did so to stabilize the country and to fight rising Islamist extremism. The action drew sharp criticism from the United States and democracy advocates. Pakistanis openly called for his removal.

Under pressure from the West, Musharraf later lifted the state of emergency and called elections in which his party fared badly.

Musharraf stepped down in August 2008 after the governing coalition began taking steps to impeach him. Prosecutors say Musharraf violated Pakistan’s constitution by imposing the state of emergency.

In January, Musharraf was unable to attend another court hearing after being hospitalized. Asiya Ishaq, a supporter and leader of the All Pakistan Muslim League, said the former president had been feeling pressure in his chest and was not well. Pakistan media has reported he has been receiving treatment for high blood pressure.

Musharraf is also on an “exit control list” in Pakistan, which prevents him leaving the country, although Akram Shaikh, the prosecutor in the case, said Monday that if the court allows the 70-year old to travel abroad then he has no objection. Pakistan media has reported that Musharraf’s mother is currently

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Turkey PM hails 'Ottoman slap' at polls

• NEW: Turkey’s Prime Minister calls the vote a victory for democracy


• Rival parties claim victory in municipal races as authorities count votes


• Prime Minister Erdogan’s government faces a wide-ranging corruption probe


• Erdogan has tried to shut down Twitter, Facebook and YouTube as outlets for critics

(CNN) — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan dominated debates leading up to Sunday’s local elections, even though he wasn’t on the ballot.

Even before results were announced, a triumphant Erdogan spoke to cheering supporters from the balcony of the headquarters of his ruling Justice and Development Party, calling the vote a victory for democracy in Turkey.

Erdogan said he delivered an “Ottoman slap” to opponents at the polls. He compared his opponents to medieval assassins, and he vowed to pursue them.

Even though Erdogan wasn’t running for office, the closely watched municipal votes could show how much recent controversies and corruption probes are affecting support for him and his ruling party.

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Turkey cracks down on YouTube

CNN sister network CNN Turk reported that Erdogan’s party had taken a strong early lead in the vote count, but opposition sources contest that.

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Student drops lawsuit against parents

• NEW: “The case is over. It’s time to move on,” parents’ attorney says


• Rachel Canning, 18, had sued her mother and father for financial support, college tuition


• She had returned home last Wednesday


• She had alleged she was forced to leavehome; parents said she left on her own

(CNN) — A high school senior who sued her mother and father for financial support and college tuition dropped the lawsuit Tuesday, according to a decision by a Superior Court judge in Morristown, New Jersey.

Rachel Canning, 18, who returned home and reunited with her parents in Lincoln Park a week ago, appeared in court and testified that she decided to dismiss her complaint.

Judge Peter A. Bogaard ruled that Canning’s “decision to dismiss the litigation was a knowing and voluntary decision.”

Canning’s parents, Sean and Elizabeth, also were in court.

Critic on teen suing parents for tuition

Judge’s hard words for teen suing parents

Canning alleged in her lawsuit that her parents forced her out of their home and that she was unable to support herself financially. The lawsuit asked that her parents pay the remaining tuition for her last semester at her private high school, pay her current living and transportation expenses, commit to paying her college tuition and reimburse her friend’s parents for legal fees.

Her parents said Rachel left home because she didn’t want to obey their rules.

A judge denied the teenager’s request for high school tuition and current living expenses from her parents two weeks ago, and a date had been set for April on the other issues in the lawsuit.

Canning, an honor student and cheerleader at Morris Catholic High School in Denville, said in court documents that she had to leave her parents’ home because of emotional and psychological mistreatment. She alleged, among other things, that her mother called her “fat” and “porky” and that her father threatened to beat her.

Canning was suspended from school for truancy in October, according to court documents filed by her parents’ former attorney, Laurie Rush-Masuret. Her parents told the teen that she could no longer see her boyfriend, who was also suspended from school. Car and phone privileges were also taken away.

Once she learned of the punishment, Canning cut school again and then decided to run away, her father said in court documents.

After receiving allegations that Rachel was being abused, New Jersey’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency interviewed the teen, her parents and her two younger sisters, but it ultimately “determined that allegation of emotional abuse was unfounded,” a letter from the agency states.

CNN’s requests for comment from Tanya Helfand, the attorney representing the younger Canning in the lawsuit, were not returned Tuesday. A request for comment from John Inglesino, whose family had been paying Rachel’s legal fees and housing her for the past four months, also was unanswered.

Angelo Sarno, the attorney representing Canning’s parents, said in a written statement Tuesday that some level of normalcy has returned to the family. “The case is over. It’s time to move on. The Cannings want nothing more than to resume their lives as a family,” Sarno said.

Neither Rachel nor her parents were at last week’s news conference to announce that she had returned home. Her parents’ attorney, Angelo Sarno, did not comment on what brought the reconciliation or whether Rachel was still in a relationship with her boyfriend.

Canning’s case attracted national attention, which Sarno said would probably continue to affect Rachel.

“Nothing good could have come from this case. Absolutely nothing good. This kid is going to be affected long term from the attention,” Sarno said last week.

CNN’s Chris Welch contributed to this report.

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Cargo ships collide off Japan

The location of the collision, which occured in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

• Vessels collide outside of Tokyo Bay, one sunk


• 12 crew members of Beagle III rescued, one remains in serious condition


• Eight Chinese crew members remain missing

Tokyo, Japan (CNN) — Two cargo ships collided just outside Tokyo Bay, according to the Japanese Coast Guard.

The Panamanian-flagged Beagle III crashed into another vessel, the South Korean-registered Pegasus Prime, causing it to sink. The incident occurred southeast of the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Of the 20 crew members — all of whom are Chinese nationals — aboard Beagle III, 12 have been rescued and eight are still missing.

Of the rescued crew members, six have slight injuries while one is “seriously injured,” according to a statement released by the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo.

The seriously injured crew member was taken to the nearby Miuraa City Hospital, where he is in a “state of cardiopulmonary arrest.”

The 14 crew aboard the other vessel, Pegasus Prime, are all accounted for, according to the Coast Guard, which has boats and helicopters on the scene.

The two ships collided at 3:20 a.m. Tuesday.

Japan’s Transportation Safety Board has dispatched five marine accident investigators to look into the cause of the accident.

The area the collision occurred is the entrance of Tokyo Bay, a well-known sea route for more than 400 vessels that use the port in Tokyo or Yokohama.

Beagle III, a 12,630-ton general cargo ship, last reported its position as just south of the entrance to Tokyo Bay. It is currently reported as “out of range.” Its last known port was nearby Yokohama. The Coast Guard has confirmed that it had departed Yokohama and was heading to Kobe.

The 7,406-ton Pegasus Prime had departed Kunsan, South Korea and was heading to Tokyo.

The Chinese Embassy reported that the search and rescue operation is comprised of 10 ships and a helicopter. The statement also indicated that “emergency mechanisms” were in place between the Japanese and Chinese authorities in Tokyo to ensure proper cooperation and continued efforts to search for the remaining missing crew members.

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'Baby hatch' overrun in China city

A “baby hatch” in Nanjing, China, which is used as a safe alternative to abandonment of infants on the street.

• Guangzhou “baby hatch” forced to close due to overwhelming numbers of abandoned infants


• 262 babies — an average of more than five a day — dropped off since hatch opened


• Closed facility unsure when it can reopen


• Controversial program set to expand in coming months

(CNN) — One of China’s controversial “baby hatches” has been forced to shut down, at least temporarily. The facility in the southern city of Guangzhou opened in January but has been overwhelmed with abandoned infants, forcing a suspension of services.

The first of the facilities opened in 2011 and increased to around 25 hatches countrywide. More of the special rooms, which are equipped with a cradle, incubator and delayed alarm to allow mothers to drop off unwanted babies anonymously, are planned. While abandoning infants in China is illegal, the practice is relatively widespread, especially in poorer areas.

The Guangzhou “baby safety island,” as they are known in Chinese, has received 262 babies since it began operation in late January, according to Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua.

All 262 babies suffer from disabilities or diseases such as cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome and congenital heart disease according to Xinhua. The scheme’s proponents argue that the hatches are key to saving the lives of children who would likely die if abandoned on the street.

Since its opening, the facility received an average of around five babies a day. The staggering number of infants who have been abandoned in the city has meant that the hatch’s operator has not been able to keep up with the volume. The city’s Welfare Center for Children has had to add spaces to take their facilities to 1,100 beds, but these are already full.

Xu Jiu the center’s director told Xinhua that the Guangzhou baby hatch had received a disproportionate number of infants.

“The number of babies we have received is much higher than in other parts of the country over the same period,” he said.

He added that it could be parents who are unable to cope with the heavy economic burden of trying to treat incurable diseases.

“Parents bring their ill babies to big cities in the hope of having them cured. But many just end up abandoning them,” he said

He was not able to predict a date when normal service would resume, but rather said that the center would focus on the children already in their care.

The unprecedented response to the facility’s opening is causing some to question the wisdom of the scheme. However, the government appears to be standing by the hatches.

Li Liguo, Minister of Civil Affairs, told reporters in the background of the country’s annual meeting of parliament this month that they “do more good than harm.”

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Air Canada halts Venezuela flights

Prior to the suspension, Air Canada operated three return flights a week between Toronto and Caracas.

• Citing safety concerns, Air Canada suspended all flights to Venezuela


• Violent clashes between opposition demonstrators and government forces ongoing for over a month


• IATA CEO says Venezuelan government blocking airlines from repatriating $ 3.7 billion

(CNN) — Canada’s largest airline announced Monday it has suspended flights to and from Venezuela capital Caracas as violent protests continue in the country.

“Due to ongoing civil unrest in Venezuela, Air Canada can no longer ensure the safety of its operation and has suspended flights to Caracas until further notice,” said the airline in a statement.

Air Canada said its last flight departed Caracas on Sunday, March 16.

Prior to the suspension, Air Canada operated three return flights per week between Toronto and Caracas. The airline said customers holding tickets for later flights will receive a refund.

“Air Canada will continue to monitor the situation and will evaluate the re-introduction of flights with the objective of resuming operations on the route once Air Canada is satisfied that the situation in Venezuela has stabilized,” said the statement.

Violent protests have continued in Caracas for weeks.

For more than a month demonstrators have been clashing with security forces in Venezuela, marking the biggest threat President Nicolas Maduro has faced since his election last year.

Students and other anti-government protestors are unhappy with Venezuela’s economy and rising crime.

Despite being one of the world’s top 10 oil-producing countries, more than 25% of Venezuelans live below the poverty line. More than 20 people have been killed during the demonstrations, according to government figures.

MORE: Protests rage in Venezuela, one month on

IATA: Venezuela not playing by the rules

Air Canada’s cancellation of its Caracas services comes amid a financial dispute between airlines and Venezuela’s government.

International Air Transport Association’s CEO Tony Tyler said in a speech March 12 that the Venezuelan government is stopping airlines from repatriating around $ 3.7 billion in earnings.

For several months, airlines have reportedly been unable to access money earned in ticket sales in Venezuela due to the company’s tight currency controls. Ecuadorean flag carrier Tame suspended flights to Venezuela for three days in January over blocked payments.

“It is unacceptable that the Venezuelan government is not playing by the rules to which it is treaty bound,” said Tyler.

“The impact of this blocked cash is quite easily seen when you consider that airlines this year will only make $ 18.7 billion globally. Of course this is cash and not pure profit.

“Airlines certainly cannot sustain operations indefinitely if they can’t get paid. I have written to President Maduro asking for his urgent attention to this issue.”

According to a report by Venezuela’s Spanish-language daily

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Man United 'desperate' to end slump

Manchester United manager David Moyes is under the spotlight even more after his team lost to Liverpool on Sunday.

• David Moyes says his slumping team is “desperate” to turn things around


• Man United’s loss to Liverpool leaves the club 12 points behind a Champions League spot


• United must also overturn a 2-0 deficit against Olympiakos to advance in Europe


• United has never lost a home game to Greek opposition in the Champions League

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(CNN) — Manchester United manager David Moyes says he and his slumping team are “desperate” to turn things around — and hopes the reversal of fortune begins in the Champions League.

The defending Premier League champion didn’t lose any ground in the title race — although repeating was already looking unlikely — but the Red Devils did slip 12 points behind a Champions League spot after the most recent round of games last weekend.

And United wasn’t just beaten on Sunday. It was outclassed by arch-rival Liverpool at Old Trafford, 3-0.

While Liverpool routinely threatened thanks to the likes of in-form pair Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, United’s high-profile duo of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie were never a problem for the Reds’ sometimes shaky defense.

With Liverpool controlling the midfield, United struggled to gain a foothold and managed just one shot on target.

“The players are capable of turning it around,” Moyes was quoted as saying by Manchester United’s website. “We’re all desperate to put things right and make sure we play better to give the supporters here something to shout about.”

The manner of the defeat piled more pressure on Moyes, who is in his first season at the helm at Manchester United after replacing managerial great Alex Ferguson.

Former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen Juan Mata

United midfielder Juan Mata, bought in the January transfer window for a club record $ 61 million, said United’s pedigree in Europe — it has amassed three titles in Europe’s top club competition while Olympiacos has yet to make the semifinals — could be a factor.

“Everything went bad (against Liverpool),” Mata wrote in his blog. “It was a tough defeat and I want to tell you that we will give everything we have in order to forget about this in the remaining games. And there is a very important one around the corner.

“We know the history of this club and its achievements, based on a winning spirit. That is what we need to beat Olympiacos and get through in the Champions League.

“The storm will pass and the sun will rise again,” the cup-tied Spaniard also said. “I have no doubt. Besides, no one said this would be easy.”

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U.S. man arrested on terror charges

• 20-year-old Nicholas Teausant was arrested near the Canadian border, the DOJ says


• He is accused of trying to get to Syria to join an international terrorist organization


• Teausant is expected to make his first court appearance Monday afternoon

(CNN) — A California man was arrested on terror charges early Monday morning near the Canadian border, according to the Department of Justice.

In a press release issued Monday, the DOJ said 20-year-old Nicholas Teausant was arrested in Blaine, Washington, and was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

According to the release, Teausant traveled to the Canadian border with the intent of continuing on to Syria to join the terrorist organization known as al Qaeda in Iraq.

On Teausant’s Facebook page, he goes by a second, Arabic, name, Ased abdur-Raheem.

According to the criminal complaint filed by the FBI, Teausant is a student at a community college in Stockton, California, and is a member of the U.S. Army National Guard, though he is in the process of being released by the Guard for not meeting the minimum qualifications.

The arrest and charging of Teausant are the result of a joint investigation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Modesto, California, Police Department, along with the San Joaquin Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to the DOJ.

According to the FBI’s affidavit, Teausant used Instagram and other social media sites to connect with Islamic extremists and to express his desire to conduct violent jihad and “to be a part of America’s ‘downfall’”

In one communication, Teausant detailed his ideas to bomb several public places in the United States, including the day care his infant daughter attends, calling it a “Zionist reform church.”

Teausant’s communications with extremists and undercover FBI agents continued online and in person for about six months, ending in his arrest on Monday.

Teausant was expected to make his first court appearance Monday afternoon in Washington.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $ 250,000 fine.

From CNN’s Chuck Johnston

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9/11 mastermind defends bin Laden kin

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed said Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law had no role in al Qaeda’s military activities.

• Khalid Sheikh Mohammed answers questions in Islamic preacher’s conspiracy case


• Sulaiman abu Ghaith — bin Laden’s son-in-law — facing conspiracy, terrorism charges


• Mohammed said abu Ghaith was scholar, preacher with no role in al Qaeda’s military affairs


• Mohammed also used the statement to blast U.S. foreign policy

Washington (CNN) — The admitted mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks has issued a rambling defense of Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law, on trial in New York for allegedly being al Qaeda’s propagandist in the wake of the attacks.

In a rare statement made public, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed said Sulaiman abu Ghaith — an Islamic preacher whom the United States has charged with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals and providing material support to terrorists — is falsely accused of being involved in al Qaeda’s military activities. Mohammed said abu Ghaith was more of a visiting celebrity who preached the Quran to al Qaeda recruits.

Mohammed’s 14-page statement was in response to questions from abu Ghaith’s attorney and was filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Sunday night.

Abu Ghaith was captured last year after years of being among a group of alleged al Qaeda operatives sheltered in Iran. He was arrested in Turkey and deported to Kuwait via Jordan, which helped U.S. agents capture him.

The New York trial, blocks from the site of the former World Trade Center destroyed in the 9/11 attacks, has already featured testimony about previous al Qaeda operations, including the 2001 shoe bomb attempt, which U.S. authorities say abu Ghaith knew about beforehand.

Mohammed, the most senior al Qaeda leader in U.S. custody, used the statement to lecture the United States about its errors in supporting jihadists in their fight during the 1980s against the Soviet Union’s forces in Afghanistan, realizing too late the level of training ongoing in mujahedeen camps.

“Uncle Sam destroyed his own country by his own hand with his stupid foreign policy,” Mohammed said in his statement. Mohammed has taken full or partial credit for planning multiple operations beyond 9/11, from the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa to the post-9/11 shoe bombing and the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

Abu Ghaith, Mohammed said, was a “pious man” and among many scholars drawn to Afghanistan when the Taliban took control of the country in the mid-1990s. He describes Afghanistan during those years as something of a paradise, with strict Islamic laws making the country safe from crime.

He said he doesn’t recall meeting abu Ghaith and that, as a scholar and preacher, abu Ghaith wouldn’t have known about military operations, in part because al Qaeda was careful to restrict access to such information. “He did not play any military role and to the best of my knowledge he did not receive any military training at any of the training camps for the mujahedeen in Afghanistan,” Mohammed said.

“I personally never spoke with Sheikh Sulaiman abu Ghaith about the shoe bomb operation,” he said, adding that U.S. claims about abu Ghaith’s role of issuing public sermons and statements after 9/11 don’t indicate involvement in planning al Qaeda attacks. “Those tasked with giving statements to the media do not necessarily know all the details of an operation and are sometimes even unaware of the very existence of the operation.”

Mohammed also tried to undermine U.S. allegations that abu Ghaith took an oath of allegiance, or swore “bayat,” to bin Laden. He said that swearing such an oath doesn’t mean a person is to carry out an operation.

“To tell the truth, I do not even know if (abu Ghaith) personally swore bayat to (bin Laden) or not,” he said.

Abu Ghaith’s attorney said in his court filing that Mohammed’s statement is a piece of important exculpatory evidence. He had requested Mohammed to testify via video, but U.S. restrictions and Mohammed’s own refusal to personally testify prompted the written questions and response.

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N. Korea fires dozens of rockets

An unidentified N. Korean missile during a military parade marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean war armistice in Pyongyang on July 27, 2013.

• NEW: South Korea says North fired 25 rockets in “provocative” act


• North Korea must refrain from provocative actions, U.S. State Department says


• North Korea fired rockets toward the Sea of Japan, South Korea says


• North Korea called its actions “justifiable self-defense behavior”

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — North Korea has fired 25 short-range rockets from its east coast into open water, in what appears to be a “provocative” action, a South Korean Ministry of National Defense spokesman said Sunday.

“We evaluate it as a firing demonstration in response to the joint drill between South Korea and the U.S. We are currently additionally analyzing its intention,” said spokesman Kim Min-Seok, warning, “North Korea should halt any actions that can stir military tension and create uneasiness to the neighboring countries.”

South Korean officials said earlier that the North had fired only 10 rockets.

The rockets appear to FROGs, which stands for “Free Rockets Over Ground.” They were developed in the Soviet Union before the advent of missiles, Kim said.

North Korean prisoners ‘buried alive’

Passenger jet flies through missile’s path

“It does not have a guidance system and is (a) free-fall system. North Korea had developed it in the ’60s,” the spokesman said.

Earlier Sunday, South Korea said the rockets appeared to travel about 70 kilometers into the Sea of Japan, according to defense officials who asked not to be identified by name as a matter of security protocol.

Such actions have drawn criticism from South Korea and the West.

The U.S. State Department said it’s aware of the reports of rocket launches by North Korea and is closely monitoring the situation.

“We once again call on North Korea to refrain from provocative actions that aggravate tensions,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

But North Korea has defended the series of short-range launches it has carried out in recent weeks.

“It is justifiable self-defense behavior for us to conduct these military exercises in order to preserve peace in the region and to protect the safety of our people and our country,” the government said, according to state-run media.

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Navy SEALs control hijacked tanker

• NEW: Militia leader accuses the U.S. of violating international maritime law by seizing tanker


• Libya says it asked for U.S. help, thanks Washington for sending in SEALs


• The Libyan government and rebels jockey over oil revenues


• Rebels sailed with the tanker from the port of As-Sidra last week

(CNN) — U.S. Navy SEALs have taken control of a commercial tanker that had been seized by three armed Libyans this month.

In response to the U.S. operation, the head of the militia group that is holding Libyan oil ports released a statement Monday.

In that statement, Ibrahim Jadran, head of the People and Government of Cyrenaica, insists that the tanker was legally hired — not hijacked — and accuses the U.S. of violating international maritime law by seizing and boarding the vessel.

No one was hurt in the Sunday night operation, the Pentagon said.

The tanker, Morning Glory, is carrying oil owned by Libya’s National Oil Company.

The ship was returning to Libya, according to a written statement from the interim prime minister, which said Tripoli asked for help from countries in the area.

The statement thanked the United States and Cyprus.

Another leader of the rebel group said this was not a setback.

“We consider this to be a victory because the world will be discussing our cause at the (U.N.) Security Council now,” said Abd-Rabbo al-Barassi.

The Morning Glory sailed last week from the rebel-held port of As-Sidra in eastern Libya

Libyan forces fired on the vessel but were called off by the U.S. Navy, fearing an environmental disaster. The SEALs boarded the ship in international waters southeast of Cyprus, the Pentagon said.

The situation remains unsettled in the North African nation, which the government is struggling to control more than two years after the ouster of longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Meet the militiaman holding Libya’s oil

In this case, the issue centers around the oil-rich eastern part of the country and, in particular, Jadran. The militia leader was entrusted by the government to safeguard crucial oil ports. But in July, Jadran and his men seized them, blocking oil exports, and demanded more autonomy and shared revenues for his eastern region.

He said he acted because the government is corrupt.

The conflict over oil wealth is stoking fears that Libya may slide deeper into chaos as the fragile government fails to rein in the armed brigades that helped oust Gadhafi in 2011 but now do as they please.

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4.4 quake hits Los Angeles area

• Los Angeles resident: “I sort of sat up in bed, waited a second, then put my head down”


• Quake happened at 6:25 a.m., before sunrise.


• Shaking “served as a rude awakening,” CNN’s Alan Duke says

(CNN) — A 4.4-magnitude earthquake shook the Los Angeles area on Monday morning, jolting some people awake just before sunrise but bringing no immediate reports of serious damage.

The quake, centered about 6 miles north-northwest of Westwood and about 15 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, happened at 6:25 a.m., the U.S. Geological Survey said.

“I sort of sat up in bed, waited a second, then put my head down for a bit. I wasn’t really afraid,” a man walking his dog in downtown Los Angeles less than an hour after the quake told CNN affiliate KTLA. He didn’t provide his name.

CNN’s Alan Duke said he was half awake in his Hollywood Hills home when he felt a jolt that lasted a few seconds.

Anchors react to L.A. quake on live TV

4.4 magnitude quake jolts L.A. residents

“It just served as a rude awakening,” Duke said. “The sliding-glass doors were just rattling like somebody had slammed into them. Nothing fell off the walls.”

The USGS’s online ShakeMap showed that strong to moderate shaking would have been felt near the epicenter, with lighter vibrations felt in Los Angeles proper.

Geophysicist Paul Caruso said that significant damage or casualties generally wouldn’t be expected with earthquakes weaker than a 5.5 magnitude, though results vary by region, often depending on construction codes and types of rock that exist underground.

At least six aftershocks followed the quake Monday morning, the strongest of which was a magnitude 2.7, said Egill Hauksson, a California Institute of Technology seismologist.

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Who is El Salvador's new leader?

Supporters of Salvador Sanchez Ceren celebrate his victory during the presidential run-off election on March 15, 2014.

(CNN) — An electoral court in El Salvador has declared ruling party candidate Salvador Sanchez Ceren the next president of the country.

The election took place last week, but was litigated when Norman Quijano of the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (Arena) claimed fraud and demanded the results be annulled.

On Sunday, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal rejected the motion, saying there was not enough evidence to back up the fraud claim.

It declared Sanchez Ceren from the ruling leftist Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) the winner with 50.11% of the votes.

Officials with Arena did not offer their take on the decision, saying they wanted to study the ruling first.

Outgoing President Mauricio Funes said he will meet with Ceren on Monday to begin the handover process.

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6.7 quake strikes off Chile's coast

• NEW: A tsunami was generated, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says


• Residents move to higher ground as tsunami alerts sound


• Officials say there’s no widespread destructive tsunami threat


• The quake’s epicenter was 35 kilometers from Iquique, Chile

(CNN) — A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Chile’s Pacific coast Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake’s epicenter was 60 kilometers (37 miles) west-northwest of Iquique, Chile, and its depth was 20 kilometers (12.4 miles), the USGS said.

There were no immediate reports of damages or injuries, but local emergency officials activated a precautionary tsunami warning along the coast and urged residents to move to higher ground, regional emergency official Juan Basaez told CNN Chile.

Sea level readings in the area indicate a tsunami was generated, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, but there isno widespread destructive tsunami threat.

The center warned of possible destruction on the coast within 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the quake’s epicenter.

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CNN’s Taylor Ward and CNN en Español’s Nelson Quiñones contributed to this report.

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Indian diplomat indicted again

Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade faces arrest if she returns to the U.S., federal prosecutors said.

• Devyani Khobragade is indicted on visa fraud and false statement charges


• Diplomat faces arrest if she returns to the United States


• Indictment comes days after court dismisses the original indictment against her


• Diplomatic immunity is key defense in Khobragade’s case

New York (CNN) — The Indian diplomat whose arrest sparked a diplomatic row with India has again been indicted by the federal government and faces arrest if she returns to the United States, federal prosecutors said Friday.

Devyani Khobragade faces one count of visa fraud and one count of making false statements for allegedly lying on a visa application about how much she paid her housekeeper, according to the indictment filed in a Manhattan federal court Friday.

An arrest warrant also was issued, said Jerika Richardson, spokeswoman for the United States attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.

The fresh indictment comes just days after the original indictment against Khobragade was dismissed by a federal judge who agreed with her lawyers’ assertion that she was protected under diplomatic immunity at the time of the first indictment.

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Officials: Indian diplomat gets immunity

Federal prosecutors signaled Monday that a new indictment was likely.

Khobragade, who left the United States in January, now works for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi.

Her attorney, Daniel Arshack, declined comment Friday. “The government of India will respond in due course,” he said in a statement.

She was originally arrested and strip-searched by federal agents in New York City in December 2013. On January 9, a federal grand jury indicted her on one count of visa fraud and one count of making false statements, the same charges she now faces.

Khobragade filed a motion to dismiss the charges, claiming she was “cloaked in diplomatic immunity at the time of her arrest,” according to court documents.

A federal judge agreed on Monday, ruling that Khobragade was “appointed a Counselor to the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, a position that cloaked her with full diplomatic immunity,” according to court documents. She was appointed to that position on January 8, one day before her first indictment.

“Even if Khobragade had no immunity at the time of her arrest and has none now, her acquisition of immunity during the pendency of proceedings mandates dismissal,” U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin wrote.

“The government may not proceed on an indictment obtained when Khobragade was immune from the jurisdiction of the court,” Scheindlin ruled.

Arshack on Monday said Khobragade was pleased “the rule of law has prevailed.”

India’s external affairs spokesman, Syed Akbaruddin, issued a statement then welcoming the ruling.

Khobragade’s case drew international attention, with Indian officials demanding apologies from Washington, and the United States announcing it would withdraw one official from its embassy in New Delhi.

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Meeting child of N Korea abductee

Sakie (l) and Shigeru Yokota, seen in this 2007 photograph, traveled to Mongolia to meet their granddaughter and her family

• Parents of abducted schoolgirl meet their granddaughter and great-granddaughter


• Megumi Yokota was kidnapped by a North Korean agent in 1977


• Abductee issue remains a point of contention for Japanese authorities

(CNN) — Megumi Yokota was only 13 when she was abducted by a North Korean agent in the 1970s. Now, almost 40 years after her disappearance, her aging parents, Shigeru and Sakie Yokota, have traveled to Mongolia to meet her daughter — their granddaughter.

In a series of meetings in Ulan Bator arranged by Japanese and North Korean foreign ministry officials, the Japanese couple met 26-year-old Kim Eun-gyong, her husband and 10-month-old daughter.

“Our long-cherished dream had come true,” Shigeru Yokota said at a press conference. “It was actually first time to meet her although I’ve been seeing her on TV (since she was) 14 or 15.”

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Yokota, who was kidnapped from the port city of Niigata in 1977, was not present at the meeting. North Korean authorities insist that she committed suicide, although this is disputed in Japan and repatriated ashes proved not to be a DNA match.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters Monday morning that he was “glad” to hear that the meeting was conducted safely.

“We are determined to resolve the abduction issue at any cost,” he said.

The abductee issue is a considerable sticking point in Japan-North Korea relations. The reclusive state has admitted to kidnapping a number of Japanese nationals, mostly to help train spies in Japanese language and culture.

The Yokotas said that they were unable to confirm their daughter’s safety with Kim, as political matters were off the table. However, her mother said, “I spent time with them believing Megumi is still safe somewhere.”

The meeting took place as North Korea’s bellicosity is once again on the rise, with

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