Italy's 'spiritual' cave hotels

Matera, in Italy's deepest south, has been picked as the 2019 European Capital of Culture.

Grotte della Civita in Matera is a resort created from caves that were a refuge for monks, nuns and hermits fleeing persecution in the Middle Ages

The basic but upscale rooms at Grotte della Civita are ideal for anyone looking to do some soul searching.

Matera's ancient religious structures were used as backdrops in Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."

For centuries, Matera's 156 rock crypts and maze of grottoes were home to "troglodyte" outcasts living in inhuman conditions.

Matera overlooks the deep gorge of Murgia Park, cut by a dark river and overlooked by holes carved into the mountain on the other side.

Eremito Hotelito del Alma is a "modern ashram" built by former jeans designer Marcello Murzilli. It's set in a 3,000-hectare park in Umbria.

A summer residence in the 1700s, La Palazzetta del Vescovo, close to Perugia, is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.

• For centuries, Matera, Italy's rock crypts and maze of grottoes have been home to "troglodyte" outcasts living in inhuman conditions


• Now many of the caves have been converted into upscale "spiritual hotels"


• Matera is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and picked as the 2019 European Capital of Culture

(CNN) -- "Sleeping in our caves is a mystical experience," says Umberto Paolucci. "You'll find your spirit and the real essence of life. Even if you're looking for neither."

As the co-owner of Grotte della Civita, a luxury resort dug into a precipice of primeval stones that seemingly rise from nowhere at Matera in Italy's deepest south, Paolucci knows a thing or two about journeys of discovery and redemption.

Once a refuge for monks, nuns and hermits fleeing persecution in the Middle Ages, the caves slowly fell into oblivion.

For centuries, Matera's 156 rock crypts and maze of grottoes, known as Sassi, were home to "troglodyte" outcasts living in inhuman conditions.

When inhabitants were driven out in the 1950s, the caves became a haven for prostitutes and junkies.

That was before Paolucci stepped in to help oversee their rebirth as a tourism destination.

"When we entered there were illegal dump sites, prostitutes' mattresses, drug addicts' syringes and mistreated pit bulls," says Paolucci.

Several of Matera's cave dwellings and crypts have been restored as a "spiritual hotel."

It's a destination that offers an attractive blend of isolation and luxury for anyone looking for some stress busting or soul searching.

"They're enchanted, magical, but real at the same time," Paolucci adds.

Matera is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, and picked as the 2019 European Capital of Culture.

MORE: 10 things Italy does better than anywhere else

Modern day pilgrims

At the entrance to Sassi, the same crumbling fresco of the Madonna and Child that once greeted monks and hermits (and, legend says, even Templar Knights) greets modern pilgrims.

Grotte della Civita (Via Civita 28, Matera; +39 0835 332744) features 18 soberly restyled grotto rooms clustered around a cave crypt that serves as restaurant, cocktail and lounge area.

Friars' cells have been turned into deluxe suites. The reception is part of a Benedictine monastery.

Rock town: Matera is built on a precipice of ancient stone.

Below the hotel are two of the city's most ancient and stunning frescoed rock churches: Our Lady of Virtues and St. Nicholas of the Greek, a shooting location for Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."

It's no ordinary location.

When I step inside my 80-square-meter suite, made up of three adjacent grottoes, I'm struck by an unexpected wave of spirituality even as I'm worshiping the accommodation's more earthly pleasures.

The suite has a private terrace in the deep gorge of the Murgia Park, cut by a dark river and overlooked by holes carved into the mountain on the other side.

Inside there are heated stone floors, arches, vaults and a high ceiling.

Niches formerly used for votive paintings, sacred statuettes and incense now hold flickering candles and electric spotlights.

A round floor brazier, a cloister bench and an old wooden chest laden with a fruit bowl, ceramic cups, plates and silver cutlery are the sole furniture.

I feel like a privileged hermit.

"Real luxury is the fulfillment of one's most intimate and true need," says Paolucci.

MORE: Rescuing ancient villages: Italy's hamlet hotels

'Primitive spirituality'

"Paradoxically, only a high-end resort gives the possibility to experience the primitive spirituality of such places."

The other grottoes, including a 160-square-meter deluxe suite for four, feature iron crosses and wooden planks covered with thin mattresses that favor asceticism over comfort.

"To hermit monks these grottoes were places of adoration," says Angela Galgano of Un Giro nel Sole tour group.

According to resort manager Michele Centonze, there are plans to expand in 2015 with another restyled crypt, 14 new cave dwellings, a relaxation area, library, spa and canteen.

Until then, guests wanting to restore soul and body have to settle for a massage (with perfumed oils, burning braziers and new age music) inside their grotto.

Cave with a view: Grotte della Civita.

Evening drinks are served inside the cave church beneath walls that are a puzzle of black holes and candlelit niches.

I sit on a tree trunk below two impressive naves leading to an altar, sipping a glass of red Aglianico wine in front of a crackling fire.

The rectangular tables are former convent doors, there are church benches, an illuminated confessional booth doubling as a walk-in closet and underground cisterns full of coins.

It feels like a ritual or ceremony is taking place.

For those seeking the true hermit vibe, the crypt can be booked for an exclusive solo meal with a menu featuring Matera gourmet dishes such as Pezzente sausages and huge sun-dried and fried Cusco chili peppers.

Back in my room, it's pitch dark.

I search for the matches and light the candles. From the window, Matera looks like a nativity scene.

With no television, radio, minibar or magazines, it does feel like I'm leading a monastic life.

MORE: Doing time on Italy's prison islands

'Nuns' thighs'

Inspired by my convent-style surroundings, I'm up at 7:30 a.m. the following day.

Crossing the rugged rock floor, I open the door to a thick fog covering the chasm below.

It feels like I'm in a scene from Umberto Eco's medieval whodunit "The Name of the Rose."

Breakfast in the cave church is a sensory event soundtracked by a Chopin nocturne playing on a sleek Bang & Olufsen sound system.

Simple food is served beneath the altar: tomato pizza, aubergine and potato pie, house-made bread, yogurt, jam, honey and a mozzarella braid surrounded by slices of kiwi and persimmon.

There are also plums known as "nuns' thighs" due to their unusual shape.

Harrison Rubenstein from New York is another early riser.

Matera's grottoes have gone from being a refuge to a resort.

"This is such a break from daily life. Utterly regenerating," he tells me.

His thoughts are reflected in comments in the guest book that describe Matera as an "escape from the world," an "ancestral experience" offering "peace and happiness," or simply "Nirvana."

Other 'spiritual hotels' in Italy

Eremito Hotelito del Alma

Built by former jeans designer Marcello Murzilli, this "modern ashram" is set in a 3,000-hectare park in Umbria and has only single-cell rooms, all named after saints.

Dinner is taken in silence while Gregorian chants play in the background. Perfect for a digital detox.

Eremito Hotelito del Alma , Localita Tarina 2, Parrano, Terni; +39 076 389 1010

Relais Sant'Uffizio

A former Holy Inquisition tribunal located in Piedmont's wine-rich Monferrato hills, this is where Dominicans sentenced witches and heretics to death in the 1500s.

The spa uses oils and creams made from monks' herbs and spice recipes.

"Brushing of the Monastery" massage uses sorghum grains to revitalize leg circulation.

Relais Sant'Uffizio , Strada del Sant'Uffizio 1, Cioccaro di Penango, Asti; +39 0141 916 292

La Palazzetta del Vescovo

A former summer residence of Todi's Bishop in the 1700s, this palace, close to Perugia, is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.

It features just nine elegant rooms with old furniture and carpets.

La Palazzetta del Vescovo , Via Clausura 17, Fratta Todina, Perugia; +39 075 8745183

Hotel Monteconero

This impressive 12th-century abbey sits atop the Conero hill in Marche region, a mystical location covered in greenery.

The Romanesque church serves as the reception and hall, while the cloister has been turned into suites.

The view stretches across the Adriatic Coast's fishing villages and beaches.

Hotel Moteconero , Via Monteconero 26, Sirolo, Ancona; + 39 071 933 0592

Brisbane: World's most livable city?

Not many cities have a beach within steps of the central business district. In Brisbane, lucky locals can take lunch breaks with sand between their toes.

A South Bank icon, Streets Beach is a man-made lagoon surrounded by sandy beaches and palms.

The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre hosted the 2014 G20 Leaders' Summit.

Not just a great home for artwork, the Gallery of Modern Art restaurant is one of the best lunch venues within South Bank.

Located on Australia's eastern shores, Brisbane is a gateway to the region's Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

Moo Moo at Stamford Plaza is known for a selection of well-cut steaks that won't singe your credit card.

The City Botanic Gardens link government buildings and a Queensland University of Technology campus with the city proper. Getting around on foot or bicycle is easy.

Part of the Queensland Cultural Centre, Queensland Art Gallery features a collection of Australian and international art.

Queensland Museum is home to millions of objects that tell the story of the Australian state.

With stunning views of Brisbane, the Sky Room and Terrace at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre is one of the most sought after event venues in the city.

At the northern entrance of South Bank Parklands, the Wheel of Brisbane stands 60 meters tall. Each of the 42 air-conditioned capsules seats up to six adults and two children for a 12-minute ride.

Brisbane's CityCycle rental bikes allow visitors to rent a set of wheels from 150 stations across town.

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• Brisbane, Australia, is one of the world's most livable cities


• Unique among Australia's major cities, sunny Brisbane has a beach near its central business district


• South Bank is an area for culture and international eateries


• In the central business district there's no shortage of high-end diners

(CNN) -- Interested in a lunch-hour swim, free from the office, in a big open-air pool with warm sand between your toes, palm trees swaying in the breeze and a cool drink close at hand? Or hitting a big city that doesn't feel like a big city, filled with bars, great coffee spots and decent dining options?

If the answer's yes to either or both, consider Brisbane, Australia, one of the world's most livable cities, according to a 2014 Monocle Magazine index.

Unique among Australia's major cities, sunny Brisbane has a beach right on the doorstep of its central business district.

Its setting is South Bank, the lively entertainment and cultural precinct that -- as the name implies -- sits on the south bank of the Brisbane River.

This is where the city comes for recreation and entertainment, to eat and drink at casual riverside restaurants and bars, listen to impromptu music shows, ride a giant Ferris wheel, check out street artists and nighttime light shows, take in a formal concert at the performing arts center and visit art galleries and the state museum and library.

South Bank: Something of a heart of the city

South Bank

Within South Bank itself, the Gallery of Modern Art Restaurant (Stanley Place, Cultural Precinct, South Bank; +61 7 3840 7303) is normally one of the best lunch venues.

For dinner it's hard to beat Stokehouse Brisbane (on the river at South Bank on Sidon Street; +61 7 3020 0600), near the maritime museum at the other end of South Bank.

Next door to the convention center on Grey Street is one of the city's liveliest new beer outlets, The Charming Squire (133 Grey St., South Brisbane; +61 7 3077 7254).

Two other great spots in South Bank are The Sangria Bar (Shop B12 Little Stanley Street, South Bank, Brisbane; +61 7 3846 1201), rated this year's "Best Bar with Food" by the Brisbane Times Good Food Guide, and Bacchus (corner of Grey and Glenelg Streets, South Bank; +61 7 3364 0837), rated the restaurant with this year's best wine list.

Central Business District

Across the river in the CBD, there's no shortage of high-end diners, led by chef Ryan Squire's brilliant Esquire (145 Eagle St,, Brisbane; +61 07 3220 2123).

The Sky Room and Terrace at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre is one of the most sought after event venues in the city.

According to the restaurant, "the degustation menu evolves daily, driven by the availability of the best local produce that day and hand picked by the team of skilled craftsmen, the chefs, who work swiftly in the kitchen."

Other can't-miss choices include the highly creative Alejandro Cancino's Urbane (181 Mary St., Brisbane; +61 07 3229 2271) and the classy Aria Brisbane (1 Eagle St., Brisbane; +61 7 3233 2555), the northern edition of celebrity chef Matt Moran's original Aria in Sydney.

Power brokers on a modest budget find Moo Moo (Stamford Plaza, 39 Edward St., Brisbane; +61 7 3236 4500), near where President Obama and his team are expected to stay, delivers the goods.

One of the city's best-loved seafood restaurants is Gambaro's (33 Caxton St., Petrie Terrace, Brisbane; +61 7 3369 9500). The restaurant site has been completely rebuilt and now includes a Gambaro's Hotel.

Across the road, the family that owns Gambaro's has added steak to its repertoire, with the smart new Black Hide Steakhouse (36 Caxton St., Petrie Terrace, Brisbane; +61 7 3369 9500) winning accolades for the quality of its cuts.

MORE: CNNGo in Brisbane: Beaches, art and lots of sunshine

West End and Fortitude Valley

Beyond South Bank and the CBD, some of the city's best cafes, bars and clubs are found in West End and Fortitude Valley, locales that come alive at night.

Gordita Bar & Restaurant (11b/100 McLachlan St., Fortitude Valley, Brisbane; +61 7 3666 0605) is a Valley favorite serving "wholesome Southern Spanish food along with a wine list so fat with artisanal wines from around the world you can practically feel it groaning in your hands."

For Asian noodles of any description, Kwan Brothers (43 Alfred St., Fortitude Valley, Brisbane; +61 7 3251 6588) is the obvious choice.

Craft beers are the call at Yard Bird Ale House (6/24 Martin St., Fortitude Valley, Brisbane; +61 7 3852 6413) and Archive Beer Boutique (100 Boundary St., West End, Brisbane; +61 7 3844 3419).

Away from the city

When it's time for sun, a city-side alternative to South Bank is the City Botanic Gardens, which link government buildings and a Queensland University of Technology campus with the city proper.

Outside the city, nature awaits.

Getting around on foot or bicycle is easy.

Buses operate from a couple of key points in the city, including below the Queen Street Mall, from the Brisbane Transit Centre on Roma Street and from South Bank's bus center.

Depending on where you're headed, the ferries plying across and along the Brisbane River make for a pleasant journey.

Brisbane is the gateway to two well-known tourist destinations: the glitzy Gold Coast an hour to the south, with its multiple theme parks, canals, long stretches of beach, high-rise apartments, casinos and shopping malls; and the Sunshine Coast an hour to the north, a more casual and less developed array of canals and beaches, with chic Noosa at its northernmost tip regarded as the best place to stay.

Two secret natural jewels can be found east of Brisbane, among the islands of Moreton Bay that shield the river mouth from the big swells of the Pacific Ocean.

One is Tangalooma on Moreton Island, a 75-minute ferry ride from Brisbane's Holt Street Wharf at Pinkenba, the other is Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island, about 60 minutes from the Brisbane suburb of Cleveland by water taxi or vehicular ferry, then island bus.

Tangalooma offers whale watching from June until late November and the chance to feed dolphins in the wild.

Point Lookout not only is one of the best whale-watching spots on the Australian east coast, it's home to a magic surf break that just keeps on delivering wave after wave.

MORE: How to be a Brisbane local: 11 tips for faking it

Tamir Rice probe transferred to county

• Tamir Rice, 12, was fatally shot by a Cleveland police officer


• Police say the boy held an air pistol that looked like a real gun

(CNN) -- The investigation into the fatal shooting of a 12-year-old boy by a Cleveland police officer has been transferred to the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department, the city of Cleveland announced Friday.

A Cleveland police officer fatally shot Tamir Rice in November in a city park. Police said the boy was reaching for an air pistol in his waistband that the officer thought was a real gun.

"This decision to turn the investigation over was made to ensure that transparency and an extra layer of separation and impartiality were established," Mayor Frank G. Jackson said. "I believe that the best way to ensure accountability in a use of force investigation is to have it completed by an outside agency."

No charges have been filed. The investigation will be conducted by Chief Clifford Pinkney of the sheriff's office, which will present information to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office for determination of possible charges.

The Tamir Rice shooting was one one of several police shootings of African-American males in 2014 that sparked a series of anti-police demonstrations across the United States.

Justice Dept.: Cleveland police has pattern of excessive force

CNN's Sarah Jorgensen contributed to this report.

Cancers blamed on 'bad luck'

• Roughly two-thirds of cancers in adults can be attributed to random mutations, study says


• "The remaining third are due to environmental factors and inherited genes"


• Behaviors (e.g. smoking, excessive sun exposure) still strongly tied to some cancers


• Medical statistician emphasizes the need for early detection

(CNN) -- Ever marvel at someone who smoked and still lived to be 90? Just plain good luck, researchers say. And those who live like Puritans and get cancer anyway?

That's bad luck -- and it's the primary cause of most cancer cases, says a Johns Hopkins Medicine research study.

Roughly two-thirds of cancers in adults can be attributed to random mutations in genes capable of driving cancer growth, said two scientists who ran statistics on cancer cases.

That may sound jaw-dropping. And Johns Hopkins anticipates that the study will change the way people think about cancer risk factors.

They also believe it could lead to changes in the funding of cancer studies, with a greater focus on finding ways to detect those cancers attributed to random mutations in genes at early, curable stages.

Smoking can still kill you

But, no, that's not permission to smoke or to not use sunblock.

Some forms of cancer are exceptions, where lifestyle and environment play a big role. Lung cancer is one of them. So is skin cancer.

And, if cancer runs in your family, this unfortunately doesn't mean you're in the clear. Some cancers are more strongly influenced by genetic heritage than others.

"The remaining third (of cancer cases) are due to environmental factors and inherited genes," the Kimmel Cancer Center said in a statement on the study published Friday in the magazine Science.

In fact, all three factors work together.

"All cancers are caused by a combination of bad luck, the environment and heredity, and we've created a model that may help quantify how much of these three factors contribute to cancer development," said cancer researcher Bert Vogelstein.

Compounding matters

An unhealthy lifestyle can compound matters, but more for some cancers than for others, the scientists said.

"Changing our lifestyle and habits will be a huge help in preventing certain cancers, but this may not be as effective for a variety of others," medical statistician Cristian Tomasetti said.

He placed heavy emphasis on early detection.

Stem cells in our organs divide constantly to replenish damaged tissue. Sometimes there are random mistakes in the replication of DNA, small mutations, Vogelstein said.

Some genes, when they mutate, are more apt to promote cancer growth.

"The more these mutations accumulate, the higher the risk that cells will grow unchecked, a hallmark of cancer," Vogelstein said.

Scientist have known this for a long time, but what the study reveals was how big of an influence it is.

"The actual contribution of these random mistakes to cancer incidence, in comparison to the contribution of hereditary or environmental factors, was not previously known," says Vogelstein.

Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, told CNN the study was "good science" that backed up what many scientists already thought.

"This is actually just confirmation of something that we have known for probably 20 years," he said.

"As we have learned more and more about cancer ... we've come to realize that a number of cancers start purely because of mutations that happen that are just unexplainable. Bad luck is, unfortunately, the right way to explain it."

Those cancers that develop have escaped at least three fail-safe systems in the body that deal with these cell mutations, he said; these are programmed cell death, or apoptosis, DNA repair enzymes and certain cells in the immune system.

Cell division and statistics

For their study, the two scientists came up with an average total number of cell divisions in 31 different tissues within a human lifetime. And they looked at the cancer risk in each of those tissues.

They determined that the more a tissue's cells divide, the higher the chance cancer could develop in that tissue.

"Our study shows, in general, that a change in the number of stem cell divisions in a tissue type is highly correlated with a change in the incidence of cancer in that same tissue," says Vogelstein.

Colon tissue, for example, divides much more than other intestinal tissue, and cancer in the colon is much more prevalent there, the study said.

With colon tissue, the scientists took environmental influences into account.

Doing the math overall, the two scientists arrived a rate at which cancer risk can be explained by the cell divisions. It was 65%, they said.

Lifestyle

But the researchers drew a line between one group of cancers and another. Of the 31 they looked at, they determined that 22 were basically "bad luck" cancers.

But nine others appeared at rates noticeably higher than could be expected from cell division alone -- which the researchers said is probably due to habits, pollution or genetics.

No surprise: Lung cancer and skin cancer were two of them, they said. Smoking and too much sun exposure are still strongly linked to those cancers.

Brawley said the study's findings should be no reason to alter behaviors shown to lessen the risk of cancer.

"We have good epidemiological data to show that people can reduce their risk of cancer and I would encourage them to do those things," he said.

They include not smoking, managing their weight so they don't become obese and taking physical exercise, he said.

As for the suggestion the study's findings may prompt changes in funding, Brawley said he would be pleased just to see more money go into research.

"Only 10% of the grants submitted to the NIH (National Institutes of Health) actually get funded because we have such a shortage of money," he said.

"We invested in the United States last year $5 billion in cancer research. I would like to see more."

CNN's Laura Smith-Spark and Alexander Felton contributed to this report.

Officers shot; 2 bodies found

• NEW: Fire marshal: Blaze was intentionally set at victims' North Carolina house


• NEW: The victims "would give the shirts off their back," the fire marshal adds


• Authorities found their bodies in a truck driven by a man involved in a police shootout


• 2 police suffered non-life threatening wounds; 2 suspects were taken by authorities

(CNN) -- Really good people.

That's how Judy Law of Oxford, North Carolina, described her neighbors Jerome Faulkner, 73, and his wife, Dora, 62. The couple were found dead Thursday by West Virginia authorities, their bodies hidden under a mattress in a red Chevrolet truck after two police officers were shot and wounded at the scene.

"They kept to themselves, but when someone needed them, they were there," Law said of the Faulkners. "I can't even begin to understand why something like this happened."

The first sign of something amiss came Thursday morning, when Law woke to sirens and fire trucks congregating about 500 feet up the road at the Faulkners' home in Oxford.

Granville County Fire Marshal Doug Logan said the blaze was set intentionally, destroying the house. Video showed that it left little more than the home's front steps, its foundation and some scorched framing.

The county's sheriff, Brindell B. Wilkins Jr., told CNN affiliate WRAL that the Faulkners had been at home when two men came in, set their house ablaze and took off with the couple in their pickup truck. They'd be found dead hours later.

"(Jerome Faulkner) and his wife were good, fine people," said Logan. "They were the kind of people that would give you the shirts off their back.

"Why would anyone want to do this to them?"

West Virginia police shot at during traffic stop

More than 200 miles to the northwest, two police officers from the town of Lewisburg, West Virginia, pulled over a white Chevrolet SUV with North Carolina plates after learning it had been reported stolen.

As the officers were conducting the traffic stop on Interstate 64, a red Chevrolet truck pulled up alongside them, West Virginia State Police Lt. Michael Baylous said.

The driver of the truck then "pulled a handgun and shot at both officers," he said.

Group: Ambush attacks on officers increase

The drivers of both Chevrolets fled. The man behind the wheel of the red truck "went over the hillside and was eventually taken into custody," while the other motorist "drove behind a guardrail on the interstate and hid for a short amount of time," Baylous said.

"Eventually, he walked up to the interstate and turned himself in to law enforcement without incident," the State Police lieutenant added.

One of the suspects, 21-year-old Eric Campbell, was in the South Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, on Friday, corrections Officer Jonathan Keller said. He is being held on two counts of malicious assault and two counts of attempted homicide, all charges related to the police shootout.

His father, Edward Campbell, is now in a West Virginia hospital but will face the same charges, according to Baylous. He said the pair are from Alvin, Texas, a Houston suburb some 1,200 miles from where they were found.

"We believe if the West Virginia police had not have stopped them that this crime spree would have continued on," said Wilkins, the Granville County sheriff. "And it's no telling from the investigation at this point what we're going to find."

Neighbor of victims: 'It's senseless'

The West Virginia police officers who the father and son pair allegedly shot and wounded were taken to Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in nearby Ronceverte. Lewisburg Mayor John Manchester said Friday morning that the officers are both doing fine after undergoing minor surgeries.

"I'm thankful that the officers will make a full recovery," the mayor said. "Officers put themselves in dangerous situations every day. You never know what will be following you out the door."

While the Campbells were arrested in the shooting of those two officers, it was not immediately clear what charges the father and son will face in connection with Jerome and Dora Faulkner.

Their deaths have already shaken people in Oxford, a tight-knit town of about 8,000 people 30 miles northeast of Durham.

Jerome Faulkner was chief of the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department in Oxford before retiring. One of his two sons, with the Raleigh Fire Department, followed him into the field, according to Logan.

Law, for one, is having trouble understanding how something so bad could happen to such good people.

"It's senseless," she said.

CNN's Kevin Conlon, Dave Alsup and Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report.

Harry Reid hurt in fall

• NEW: President Barack Obama called the injured incoming Senate minority leader


• Sen. Harry Reid broke facial bones and ribs in an exercising accident Thursday


• He's expected back in Washington this weekend is expected to fully recover

(CNN) -- Sen. Harry Reid, 75, is recovering at home after he broke "a number of ribs and bones in his face" when he was exercising, his office said Friday in a statement.

The Nevada Democrat was using a piece of equipment to exercise on Thursday when it broke, causing him to fall.

His doctors expect a full recovery, and he's set to return to Washington over the weekend before the Senate reconvenes next week.

According to the statement, the Senate Democratic Leader was treated and admitted overnight as a precaution at University Medical Center in Las Vegas after first being transported to St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson by his security detail.

President Barack Obama called Reid on Friday, White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters, "to wish him a full and speedy recovery."

Reid's office later announced Friday that Reid had been discharged from the hospital.

"He spent the day with his wife, Landra, talking to fellow senators, friends and staff and preparing for the Senate's return," Reid's Deputy Communications Director said in an emailed statement Friday. "He sends his thanks to all those who sent warm wishes and is ready to get back to work."

RELATED: Harry Reid Fast Facts

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, was quick to make a joke and wish his colleague well.

Now there's a man serious about new year's resolutions! Get well soon, @SenatorReid. See you back in DC.

— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) January 2, 2015

It's not the first time Reid has hurt his ribs in recent years. In October 2012, his motorcade was involved in a multi-car accident in Nevada that left him with rib and hip contusions. He went to the hospital but was released shortly afterward.

In 2011, Reid also suffered minor injuries after slipping and falling in the rain while running outside in Washington, resulting in a dislocated shoulder and a bruise around his left eye.

Reid will become the Senate Minority Leader when Congress reconvenes.

Fatah posts skulls with Jewish stars

• The image was posted to Fatah's official Facebook page


• Contacted by CNN, a Fatah official said the party wants the photo removed


• It's the latest controversial image from Palestinian Authority President Abbas' party

(CNN) -- The political party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas posted a drawn image online showing a large pile of skulls and skeletons with Jewish stars on them.

An Israeli government spokesman called it "despicable."

Along with the image, posted Wednesday to the Facebook page of the Fatah party, are the words "lingering on your skulls."

When contacted by CNN on Friday, a member of the Fatah Central Committee disavowed the image.

"Fatah did not design this image," Mahmoud al-Aloul said. The person who posted it to Fatah's page "is currently being asked to remove it. The image and the text do not reflect the opinions of Fatah." The image was then pulled from the page.

Abbas' "moderate" Fatah celebrates the anniv of its 1st attack against Israel w/ a mound of Israeli skulls.Despicable http://ift.tt/1vSpKff

— Ofir Gendelman (@ofirgendelman) January 1, 2015

The image, which also includes a rifle and the Fatah flag, quickly drew the ire of some people who saw it on social media. Some, including Ofir Gendelman, spokesman for Israel's Prime Minister, pointed to it as a sign that Fatah is not as "moderate" as it's often described.

Mideast in Turmoil

Terror concerns sweeping the Middle East

Fatah is considered the more moderate of the two major Palestinian political parties. Hamas, which controls Gaza, has engaged in repeated battles with Israel in recent years. Fatah controls the West Bank.

("Fatah may not be moderate, but relative to Hamas, it is restrained," Michael Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute said in congressional testimony in 2013.)

The image was posted as part of an online celebration of Fatah's 50th anniversary. The group was founded on January 1, 1965, carrying out its first major attack against Israel.

Ehud Yaari of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy called the latest image "typical of their ongoing propaganda."

It's not the first time Fatah Facebook images have sparked anger. After three Israeli teens were kidnapped and killed last year, "The Facebook page for Fatah, the Palestinian Authority's main party, had a number of cartoons, including one showing the three teenagers as Jewish rats, wearing yarmulkes, caught on a fishing line," world affairs columnist Frida Ghitis wrote on CNN.com.

CNN's Irene Nasser in Jerusalem contributed to this report.