Michael Phelps Now the Winningest Olympian in History
JOHN VAUSE, CNN BEIJING CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "If you're not good looking, no matter how well you sing, you will not be on stage. Do you know you're twisting a whole generation?" read one comment."If foreigners found out, they'd think we can't even find a girl who is good at both," wrote another.</s>VAUSE: At a short time ago, we checked those blogs, and there's actually an online poll right now as to which girl is cuter -- whether it's Lin or Yang, happy to say right now it's about 50/50, John.</s>JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Do we actually know, John, whether or not this young girl can sing? I remember in the Milli Vanilli press conference they tried and it was pretty bad.</s>VAUSE: Yes, Lin can actually sing. But what had happened is that there was a</s>ROBERTS: Maybe she does have a career ahead of her anyways. John Vause for us in Beijing this morning. John, thanks very much. Good to see you.</s>KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking this morning, Georgia accusing Russia of violating a ceasefire this morning by rolling tanks into the town of Gori. They're talking about looting. Ahead of Georgia's National Security Council says there's bombing and looting going on right now in Gori. Russian military officials claim there's been no active withdrawal of Georgian troops from the separatist region of South Ossetia. A militant shooting just south of Kabul, Afghanistan where three female aide workers including one American are killed. Afghan officials say all three were part of a U.S. aide organization called International Rescue Committee based out of New York City. The women's Afghani driver also killed in that ambush. And a bomb targeting a civilian bus in Northern Lebanon this morning. At least 11 people killed including civilians and Lebanese military. Dozens of others injured. That attack happened during the height of Tripoli's rush hour. Police say al Qaeda-inspired militants are believed to be behind that attack. U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps now the winningest Olympian in history taking two more gold medals in Beijing. Numbers 10 and 11 for his career. Phelps and a team mate shattered the 800-meter relay record by more than four seconds. Phelps is five or five and he has three more events to go and can break Mark Spitz's record for the most golds in a single Olympics. Right now, let's get you to the breaking news unfolding oversees in Georgia. Peace between that country and its neighbor Russia very short lived. Lasting not even a day. CNN confirming with Georgia's security chief that Russian troops had blocked off the entrance to the city of Gori. There are reports of violence and looting going on there right now. CNN's Frederick Pleitgen is on the ground in Georgia live in the capital of Tbilisi with more. Frederick?</s>FREDERICK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kiran, I want to give you the latest on the situation because we are hearing some eyewitness reports from that town of Gori that Russian tanks have, in fact, left that town and are on the road towards Tbilisi. It's not clear what their intentions are. And again, these are eyewitness reports on the ground. We haven't officially confirmed that with the government yet. However, there are eyewitness reports from that area and our own journalists who are on the ground there have also seen these tanks on the ground there. Now, from what we're hearing, this seems to be one main battle tank as well as 16 to 17 army vehicles with troops on them, flying the Russian flags. Those who we've heard from say that these Russian troops are not hostile. They say the Russian troops are waving and driving down that road. However, of course, if this is true, then this would be a violation of the ceasefire agreement between Georgia and Russia which calls for both sides to remain where they are and not leave their positions. Kiran?</s>CHETRY: Frederick Pleitgen for us in Tbilisi, Georgia this morning. Thank you.</s>ROBERTS: Let's go now to CNN's Jill Dougherty. She's live in Moscow for us this morning. And, Jill, we've got a declaration of a ceasefire hearing, yet there's accusations on both sides of either a violation or we don't know what you're talking about, we're sticking to it. What's really going on here in this relationship between Russia and Georgia?</s>JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, the relationship, obviously, is in trouble right now. And one of the problems you can see it emerging right now on the ground. The confusion over what Russia is actually doing. I can tell you that we had a briefing with the Russian military just a few hours ago in which they said, categorically, that Russian troops have ceased active military operations in South Ossetia as of 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, that they are claiming that the Georgians are not abiding by the ceasefire. There is a lot of he said/she said in this. And I think it's very important to define what exactly any armed groups are doing. Are they fighting, are they moving, and what is their objective. The Russians also are denying one of the points that we've been making about the 50 tanks in the city allegedly of Gori. A very important city in the central part of Georgia. They are saying that, no, there are no Russian tanks in that city. So, it's extremely fluid and extremely difficult to really figure out definitively what is happening. You're also hearing some very strong language, John, coming from the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov saying we're ready, you know, we're ready to pull back to Russia, our forces, if the Georgians go back to their barracks. And then he also said, we should have the peacekeepers in there. However, we can't trust the Georgians because after all they fired on other peacekeepers. So it's very, very complex. And one last point, John, another confusion is you have several groups. You also have South Ossetian militias, and they are in the mix, too. What they are doing is also unclear and there is some charges that they may be attacking villages. So caution is the by word here.</s>ROBERTS: We have heard from Georgian security officials that it may be, quote, "irregulars," which may speak to this idea of Ossetian militia members who are involved in this looting and shooting going on in Gori though the Georgians do insist, Jill, that they are doing it with a complicity of Russian forces who are using their tanks to block entrances to that city.</s>DOUGHERTY: Well, that may be. Again, we would have to have confirmation on the ground. But I think overall, the massage that you're hearing from Moscow right now is that basically mission accomplished. We have done what we wanted to do. We will pull out as soon as we feel that the other side, namely the Georgians, will do what they are supposed to do. And that is why you have the president of France coming to both Moscow and into Tbilisi, Georgia, to try to work out these agreements. There is complete lack of trust on both sides.</s>ROBERTS: And we should also point out, Jill, that Georgian officials are urging those E.U. officials now to go to Gori to try to work out the situation on the ground there. Jill Dougherty for us in Moscow this morning. Jill, thanks so much.</s>CHETRY: Now, meanwhile, in just a few hours, the U.S. military will be landing a cargo plane in Georgia who will be carrying the first wave of humanitarian relief supplies. Our Barbara Starr is live at the Pentagon right now with breaking details on this part of the story that's continuing to unfold this morning. Hi, Barbara.</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kiran. Well, as they get reports of this continuing violence across the country, we will see if the U.S. military later today flies right into the middle of all of it. The plan at the moment does call for a U.S. Air Force C-17 to land in Tbilisi later today, possibly within hours, carrying the first U.S. humanitarian relief supplies into the war zone. Food, medicine, blankets, other things for the displaced people of that country. U.S. administration officials say this is the plan at the moment. We will see if it really happens. It is expected to be the first of many U.S. relief flights led by the U.S. military into Georgia. This is part of the unfolding military strategy here to create a U.S. presence in that country, to send the message to Moscow that the U.S. military will continue its relations with Georgia. Part two expected to unfold. The U.S. Navy may now withdraw from an exercise, a naval exercise it had planned with the Russians as a measure, shall we say, of U.S. displeasure with what has happened. But we will be watching very closely. That U.S. military flight still expected to land in Tbilisi later today with relief supplies. Kiran?</s>CHETRY: All right. For now, as you say, that could change as we continue to monitor these events unfolding on the ground there. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon for us. Thank you.</s>ROBERTS: No question that Georgia has been seriously out matched in the conflict. Here's a look at the two militaries in an "A.M. Extra." According to the Associated Press, Russia has a little more than a million troops. Georgia just 37,000. Russia has 6,000 tanks and some 1700 combat aircraft. Georgia just 230 tanks and 12 aircraft. Russia will spend some $40 billion on military matters this year. Georgia, comparatively speaking, way back at just about a billion dollars.</s>CHETRY: All right. Well, we're going to take a quick break. We're continuing to follow the breaking news out of Georgia. News that a ceasefire is perhaps broken. We're going to be back in just a moment with the latest from the region.