Former IMF chief to leave jail Friday, attorney says

Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is expected to be released from jail Friday after being granted bail on charges related to the alleged assault of a maid in a New York hotel, his lawyer said.

"It's a great relief to the family to be able to have him with them," defense attorney Bill Taylor told reporters outside the courtroom Thursday.

He said his client was spending the night at the jail on Rikers Island before being released Friday. The next court appearance is set for June 6.

Supreme Court Judge Michael Obus granted bail on condition that Strauss-Kahn posts $1 million in cash, a $5 million bond, surrender his travel documents and submit to home detention.

The announcement came shortly after his indictment on seven criminal charges was announced. They are: two counts of criminal sexual act; two counts of sexual abuse; and one count each of attempt to commit rape, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching.

In the charge of criminal sexual act in the first degree, Strauss-Kahn is accused of having "engaged in oral sexual conduct with an individual ... by forcible compulsion," the indictment says.

"Under American law, these are extremely serious charges," Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance told reporters outside the courtroom. "The defendant was indicted on all the charges presented to the grand jury."

Strauss-Kahn proclaimed his innocence in a resignation letter to the IMF executive board late Wednesday.

He said he was stepping down to "protect this institution which I have served with honor and devotion, and especially -- especially -- I want to devote all my strength, all my time and all my energy to proving my innocence."

"To all, I want to say that I deny with the greatest possible firmness all of the allegations that have been made against me," he said.

A criminal court judge denied him bail Monday, saying his attempt to leave the country after the alleged incident made him a flight risk.

His lawyer argued Thursday that he had been scheduled to leave New York and fly to Paris on Saturday using a ticket he had bought on May 11.

Taylor said his client resigned his position as IMF chief on Wednesday and had surrendered his passport and a U.N.-issued travel document.

"In our view, no bail is required," the lawyer said. "He has one interest at this time and that is to clear his name."

Strauss-Kahn will live with his wife in an apartment in Manhattan after his release, Taylor said. As he entered the courtroom for the bail hearing, he smiled at his wife who was seated in the front row. He also blew her a kiss during a recess.

Prosecutor John McConnell argued the high-profile economist had no right to bail.

"While there is presumption of innocence, the proof is substantial and it is growing every day," he said, adding that the forensic evidence is consistent with an attack and the alleged victim has identified Strauss-Kahn as her attacker.

The alleged victim, a 32-year-old Guinean maid for the Sofitel hotel, testified before the grand jury on Wednesday, according to an attorney representing her.

Prosecutors allege that a naked Strauss-Kahn, 62, chased the housekeeping employee through his suite and sexually assaulted her.

But defense attorney Benjamin Brafman disputed the allegation, saying "forensic evidence, we believe, will not be consistent with a forcible account, and we believe there is a very, very defensible case."

Arnold Schwarzenegger has placed his movie comeback on hold

Arnold Schwarzenegger has placed his movie comeback on hold "until further notice" to focus "on personal matters," the lawyer for the former California governor said Thursday.

The announcement comes two days after the revelation that Schwarzenegger fathered a child with his former housekeeper.

It comes on the same day comic book creator Stan Lee's company announced it would stop plans to produce "The Governator," a children's comic book and TV show based on Schwarnegger's life.

"In light of recent events, A Squared Entertainment, POW, Stan Lee Comics, and Archie Comics, have halted production," the statement said. The statement was a revision from an earlier one that said the companies "have chosen to not go forward with the Governator project."

Schwarzenegger's entertainment lawyer, Patrick Knapp, said in a statement provided to CNN that all plans for new films are suspended.

"At the request of Arnold Schwarzenegger we asked Creative Artists Agency to inform all his motion picture projects currently under way or being negotiated to stop planning until further notice," Knapp said.

Schwarzenegger had been scheduled to start production in August on his first movie since leaving the governor's office in January.

"Governor Schwarzenegger is focusing on personal matters and is not willing to commit to any production schedules or timelines," Knapp said. "This includes Cry Macho, the Terminator franchise and other projects under consideration."

Schwarzenegger, who was once one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors, appeared on his way to renewing a film career that was interrupted by his political career. The comeback plans will resume "when Governor Schwarzenegger decides," Knapp said.

The statement did not indicate how Schwarzenegger would focus on his "personal matters," or if they included meeting with the son who he only publicly acknowledged this week.

Schwarzenegger acknowledged Tuesday that he fathered a child "over a decade ago," but he did not identify the mother.

The New York Times, citing two friends of the family, reported that the mother is Mildred Patricia Baena, who worked for two decades as housekeeper for the Schwarzenegger family.

Neither Baena nor her son have been seen at their home in Bakersfield, California, since the scandal became public.

The son is "a wonderful, very respectful, very intelligent young man," according to a neighbor who said she often spoke to him.

"He's very well-centered and he's just not your everyday kid," said Marty Steelman, who lives next door to the home that the boy and his mother moved into last summer.

A real estate agent told her Schwarzenegger helped purchase the house "for a staff member that was retiring," Steelman said in a CNN interview Thursday.

Property records indicate that Baena took out a mortgage when she bought the house last June.

The boy, now 13, was born less than a week after Maria Shriver gave birth to another Schwarzenegger son, Christopher, according to birth records obtained Wednesday by CNN.

CNN is not identifying the child.

"The son is a wonderful, very respectful, very intelligent young man," Steelman said. "He's got great manners."

The boy would stop by her home and chat, once to sell something for a fundraiser for his middle school, she said. He told her husband that he is interested in martial arts, she said.

The child often played basketball in his back yard, she said. He knocked on her door several times to retrieve the ball after it bounced over the fence into her yard, she said.

"He's just a really nice kid," Steelman said. "If you had the choice of picking a child for mentoring, he would be the type of child that you would take on immediately and enjoy every minute of it."

The house, which sits on a cul-de-sac in an upscale neighborhood of Bakersfield, has a swimming pool in the back yard, she said.

Although the family moved in last summer, the mother was there only on weekends until about eight weeks ago, Steelman said. She told her she was commuting to a job in Los Angeles, which is more than 100 miles from Bakersfield, she said.

The birth certificate listed the father as the man Baena was married to at the time. However, divorce papers obtained by CNN say the couple separated less than three weeks after the October 2, 1997, birth. She is a 50-year-old native of Guatemala, according to the document.

The Los Angeles Times, which first reported the story early Tuesday, quoted the woman as saying she recently retired "on good terms" with the couple after working for them for 20 years.

Schwarzenegger has provided support for the child since birth, one source told CNN.

The revelation that Schwarzenegger fathered a child outside his marriage came a week after Schwarzenegger and Shriver jointly announced they were "amicably separating." No reason for their split was given at the time.

The developments have been "very hard" for Schwarzenegger, and the actor "is doing everything he can to take full responsibility to take all of the spotlight off his children and wife," a source close to Schwarzenegger told CNN.

"He realizes the terrible mistake he made and has a lot of work to do to repair his relationship with his family," the source said, adding that Schwarzenegger has asked people around him to not talk about his relationship with his wife and their four children, who range in age from 13 to 21.

"He's in touch with his family and talked to them last night and apologized to them," the source said Tuesday, noting that Maria Shriver, his wife of 25 years, was among the family members he spoke with.

Shriver, meanwhile, joined talk show legend Oprah Winfrey on Tuesday for a taping of the Oprah Surprise Spectacular -- part of the final episodes of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" scheduled to air next week.

As she walked onstage with longtime Oprah confidant Gayle King, thousands in Chicago's United Center jumped to their feet and erupted in applause.

Earlier Tuesday, Shriver released a written statement describing "a painful and heartbreaking time."

"As a mother, my concern is for the children," she said. "I ask for compassion, respect and privacy as my children and I try to rebuild our lives and heal. I will have no further comment."

A source close to Shriver said Tuesday that the former NBC anchor and her children were "circling the wagons and are working through" the family crisis.

Schwarzenegger has issued a statement saying he told his wife about the child after he left the governor's office in January.

"I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and disappointment among my friends and family," he said. "There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused. I have apologized to Maria, my children and my family. I am truly sorry."

Schwarzenegger's four children were told about their sibling only recently, with Shriver "methodically" talking to them, the source said. They were "well prepared" before it became public, the source said.

Schwarzenegger, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Austria who gained fame as the youngest winner of the Mr. Universe bodybuilding contest, was governor until January. He has been busy in recent months reviving his acting career and signing movie deals -- including plans for another installment of his "Terminator" series.

NATO aircraft target Tripoli's seaport

NATO aircraft targeted warships overnight, striking eight of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's vessels in Tripoli's seaport, the organization said Friday morning. A Libyan government official said the targets included commercial vessels as well as military ones.

"All NATO's targets are military in nature and are directly linked to the Gadhafi regime's systematic attacks on the Libyan people," said Rear Adm. Russell Harding, deputy commander of Operation Unified Protector. "Given the escalating use of naval assets, NATO had no choice but to take decisive action to protect the civilian population of Libya and NATO forces at sea."

In a statement, NATO said the attack occurred after two weeks of escalating use of government maritime forces that had disrupted the flow of humanitarian assistance.

All the vessels targeted were naval warships with no civilian utility, said Harding.

But a Libyan official who led CNN personnel on a tour of the area said the commercial port, not the nearby military port, was hit. From the distance at which CNN was allowed to view the area, it was not clear what sort of vessels were hit.

The port's general manager, Mohammed Ahmed Rashed, told reporters that six rockets struck in three strikes that hit five coast guard boats and one navy vessel, which had been in dock for maintenance. The port remained operational, he said.

Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim called the attack a "clear attempt to bring the nation to its knees," and said the port serves as the main entry point for food and other critical supplies into the country. "The nation will starve," he said.
Battle in Libya rages on

Still, though the port was in disarray, the damage did not appear major, he said.

Ibrahim's claims came as President Barack Obama, addressing a global audience, condemned the use of force against Arab Spring protesters by longtime allies and adversaries alike.

"Obama is still delusional," Ibrahim said. "He believes the lies that his own government is spreading around the world and his own media is spreading around the world. They have not proved one single charge against us and they refuse to investigate us."

He added, "It's not Obama who decides whether Moammar Gadhafi leaves Libya or not. It's the Libyan people who decide their future."

The report of the attack came shortly after at least three explosions could be heard in the city.

A government official said five airstrikes had targeted the port and the police academy was also hit on Thursday, during which NATO jets could be seen been flying overhead throughout the day.

Libyan state-run television reported the strikes with a "breaking news" font that said, "Military source: Residential and military locations in Tripoli are currently being shelled by NATO forces."

Earlier Thursday, crowds of Libyans took to the streets of Tripoli, honking horns and dancing in the streets in support of the country's leader, Moammar Gadhafi.

More than 100 people outside the headquarters of state television chanted "God, Moammar and Libya only" and other pro-Gadhafi and anti-rebel slogans.

The demonstrations were sparked, apparently, in response to state-run television reports that parts of the rebel capital Benghazi were "rejecting the colonialists and their followers," as the government describes NATO and the rebels.

A group of journalists, including a CNN team, was taken by government minders to see the celebrations in Tripoli.

Among the crowds composed predominantly of young men were a number of families -- including fathers carrying children on their shoulders.

One woman, who brought her 10-year-old-daughter, carried a portrait of the Libyan leader and said they were celebrating their country being united again.

Many then drove toward Tripoli's Green Square singing and honking their horns, waving Libya's green flag and portraits of Gadhafi.

But CNN journalists in Benghazi saw no indications of counter-revolutionary uprisings or protests there. And the National Transitional Council denied government claims that pro-Gadhafi forces had seized control of the city.

And residents of Benghazi said they had not seen or heard of pro-Gadhafi rallies there.

Two months ago, Gadhafi loyalists in Tripoli erupted in similar cheers when state media incorrectly reported that Tobruk and Benghazi had fallen to government troops.

Gadhafi has been fighting to keep control of his country in the face of an uprising that has led to a number of key cities falling into rebel control.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court this week requested a warrant for Gadhafi's arrest on charges of crimes against humanity.

Praying for Osama Bin Laden

An unlikely prayer request from a parishioner has created conflict within a Catholic church in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Henry Borga added Osama bin Laden's name to his church's list of prayer requests for Sunday Mass — and the Church accepted it. This Sunday, Father Gavin Badway intends on leading his congregation in prayer for five people, including bin Laden, though he admits it's likely to upset people at the service.

(PHOTOS: Osama bin Laden's Pakistan Hideaway)

"Their hearts are troubled because they're thinking emotionally about what he has done and he has done a lot of evil," he told a local reporter. "Nevertheless, Jesus tells us, love and forgive."

People in Badway's congregation are already protesting the prayer request. Church member Lois Pizzano said she thinks it's "totally wrong, he doesn't belong in the Catholic religion. For what he did to Americans, he doesn't belong anywhere. It's unconscionable, it's sacrilegious."

Since the death of bin Laden, controversy has circled over what the appropriate response to his death should be. From the frat-like carousing in front of the White House to the gleeful headlines on tabloid papers, reactions have been varied. Then, within days after the terrorist's death, an erroneously attributed but good-intentioned quotation began circulating the internet:

"I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." --MLK

While the saying wasn't actually entirely from Martin Luther King, Jr., the viral nature of the message is a strong indicator that not everyone felt joy over the terrorist's death. Could this church be taking that peaceful sentiment a step further by asking people to pray for bin Laden?

Officials see above-average hurricane season looming

Three to six major hurricanes could form over the Atlantic Ocean this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday in its annual hurricane season forecast.

It will be an above-average season this year, NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco said.

The agency expects 12 to 18 named storms this year, including six to 10 that will become hurricanes. Of those, between three and six could be major hurricanes -- storms that reach Category 3, 4 or 5 -- with winds of 111 miles per hour or higher.

The predictions exceed the historical seasonal average of 11 named storms.

"The United States was fortunate last year. Winds steered most of the season's tropical storms and all hurricanes away from our coastlines," Lubchenco said. "However, we can't count on luck to get us through this season. We need to be prepared, especially with this above-normal outlook."

The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and ends November 30.

One of the factors affecting the hurricane season is the weather phenomena known as La Nina, which is weakening in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, but its effects impact atmospheric conditions that, in turn, affect conditions in the Atlantic region.

Another factor is warm water in the Atlantic Ocean, the agency said. Sea surface temperatures where storms can develop are two degrees Fahrenheit higher than average, the agency reported.

Lubchenco cautioned that the agency cannot predict how many of the expected storms will make landfall or where.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate appeared with Lubchenco to announce the hurricane outlook.

"Now is the time, if you haven't already, to get your plan together for what you and your family would do if disaster strikes," he said.