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gop <tsp> princeton , new jersey ( cnn ) -- in the aftermath of 9/11 , americans were angry , fearful and scrambling for answers . in the days that followed the terrorist attacks , president george w. bush and congress prepared their response , starting to work on stronger counterterrorism measures and preparing for a war in afghanistan , where the taliban had housed al qaeda networks for many years . a few americans turned their rage against muslims who were living in the united states . within a few days , muslims , as well as individuals mistakenly perceived to be muslims , were attacked . the sikh owner of a gas station in mesa , arizona , was killed by a man who went on to shoot a lebanese clerk at another gas station . near dallas , texas , a man shot and killed a 46-year old pakistani who owned a small grocery store . in cleveland , ohio , a man drove a ford mustang right through an islamic center . nine years after 9/11 , there is a lot for americans to contemplate as they look back . although people have focused a lot of attention on bush 's appearance before a group of new york firefighters at ground zero , another highly significant moment took place on september 17 . that day , at the islamic center in washington , the president delivered a powerful message about the need to keep america 's response to 9/11 from turning into a war against muslims . this message was as important to his war on terrorism as the strategy of regime change , or pre-emptive war . unfortunately , this is a principle that has been slowly and dangerously undermined in recent weeks as a result of the controversy over a proposed islamic cultural center and mosque a few blocks from ground zero . speaking at an emotionally charged moment , just six days after the attacks , bush told the audience that it was vital for americans to understand that the terrorists did not represent the muslim tradition . those who feel like they can intimidate our fellow citizens to take out their anger do n't represent the best of america ; they represent the worst of humankind , and they should be ashamed of that kind of behavior , ' bush said . the president reiterated his firm commitment to protecting the constitutional rights and honoring the important role of the muslim community in the united states . in no uncertain terms , bush said : the face of terror is not the true faith of islam . that 's not what islam is all about . islam is peace . these terrorists do n't represent peace . they represent evil and war . ' america , he said , counts millions of muslims amongst our citizens , and muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country . muslims are doctors , lawyers , law professors , members of the military , entrepreneurs , shopkeepers , moms and dads . ' many muslim leaders were impressed by the president 's speech as well as by how most americans were responding to the trauma . americans have shown great maturity , ' sayyid syeed , the secretary general of the islamic society of north america , told the media . he reported the calls he was receiving expressing support for his community greatly outweighed the hate crimes . over the coming years , bush stuck with the argument that he made on september 17 . while bush would come under criticism for many aspects of his war on terrorism -- including policies such as the use of interrogation tactics that critics called torture -- he continued to be very clear in his defense of muslims . the president returned to the islamic center on june 2007 , reminding his audience of his earlier speech : we gather , with friendship and respect , to reaffirm that pledge -- and to renew our determination to stand together in the pursuit of freedom and peace . we come to express our appreciation for a faith that has enriched civilization for centuries . ' bush 's philosophy is now under fire . in response to the proposal to build an islamic center near ground zero in new york city , a heated national debate has unfolded about muslims in america . while some focused their criticism on whether this was a proper project so close to the site of the attacks , many others turned it into a different kind of discussion . some national republican leaders , including sarah palin and newt gingrich , have made provocative comments , helping to make it a national issue . gingrich warned of the radical islamists ' he said were behind the project , comparing it to nazis putting up a sign next to the holocaust museum in washington . at the local level , the debate has taken an even more dangerous turn . a florida pastor , terry jones , announced he would burn copies of the quran . even when he came under criticism from a broad spectrum of leaders , including gen. david petraeus , he did not at first desist . rather than listening , he said , maybe it 's time to send a message to radical islam that we will not tolerate their behavior . ' palin did condemn the pastor by tweeting that book burning is antithetical to american ideals , ' but then tied the two issues together when she went on to say that people have a constitutional right to burn a koran if they want to , but doing so is insensitive and an unnecessary provocation -- much like building a mosque at ground zero . ' although the pastor agreed to cancel the quran burning after a call from secretary of defense robert gates warning it would put american lives at risk , the incident stoked the fires of hatred . if this kind of inflammatory rhetoric continues , it will erode a central and crucial principle in the war on terrorism . it also contradicts the nation 's constitutional and pluralistic traditions -- the very traditions we want to defend from terrorism -- while doing irreparable harm abroad . when bush spoke at the islamic center , he took a pivotal step in defining how he wanted to defend the nation and go about punishing the aggressors who killed thousands of civilians . his message can not be forgotten . should local and national debate move in a different direction , we will be paying the cost as a nation for decades to come by destroying our image in the muslim world , thus playing into the hands of the terrorists . we 'd be abandoning the very best ideals that our country has to offer . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of julian e. zelizer . | he says that principle has been ignored by some gop politicians |
u.n . <tsp> sanaa , yemen ( cnn ) as the transport plane comes in to land at sanaa airport , the deep scars of the brutal conflict tearing yemen apart are only too clear : wrecked aircraft line the runway , and nearby buildings lie in ruins . to most of the outside world , this war-torn country is off limits , the weeks-long battle between houthi rebels and saudi-led coalition forces making it too dangerous to visit , and a no-fly zone rendering its international airport all but obsolete -- but on tuesday , cnn was granted rare access on a desperate aid mission by unicef , the united nations children 's fund . the airport has previously been bombed . hostilities are likely to resume before the day is out : a brief , peaceful window has been delicately negotiated following a special request from the u.n. -- but it wo n't last long . unicef hopes there will be just enough time to deliver vital food and supplies , helping to ease the country 's worsening humanitarian crisis . more than 100,000 yemeni civilians have fled their homes since fighting began , and ocha , the united nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs , estimates that 15.9 million people here are in need of assistance . the main terminal at el rahaba airport is under the control of the houthi rebels . we ca n't get near it for fear of provoking trouble . but there is plenty to be done out on the tarmac . within minutes of touching down , a small army of aid workers is busy unloading huge mounds of much-needed provisions . gusts of wind blow dust across the runway , as crates and pallets of emergency nutrition and medical equipment pile up rapidly beside the plane . unicef 's team has overcome more than one hurdle just getting it this far -- now they 'll have to work out how to distribute it to those most in need in a country paralyzed by a lack of resources . even before saudi airstrikes , most of the 25 million people in yemen required humanitarian assistance to meet their most basic needs , according to the united nations . as they work , an air india plane is taxiing away from the terminal . thousands have fled the country on evacuation flights in recent weeks as the situation in yemen has deteriorated . but for those who have nowhere else to go and no chance of a flight out , mercy missions by unicef and other ngos like it are the only hope . read more :'a window into hell'- desperate yemenis flee by boatread more : civilian catastrophe looming in yemenread more : yemen crisis - how you can help bryony jones contributed to this report | almost 16 million people in yemen are in need of humanitarian aid , according to u.n . |
yemen <tsp> sanaa , yemen ( cnn ) as the transport plane comes in to land at sanaa airport , the deep scars of the brutal conflict tearing yemen apart are only too clear : wrecked aircraft line the runway , and nearby buildings lie in ruins . to most of the outside world , this war-torn country is off limits , the weeks-long battle between houthi rebels and saudi-led coalition forces making it too dangerous to visit , and a no-fly zone rendering its international airport all but obsolete -- but on tuesday , cnn was granted rare access on a desperate aid mission by unicef , the united nations children 's fund . the airport has previously been bombed . hostilities are likely to resume before the day is out : a brief , peaceful window has been delicately negotiated following a special request from the u.n. -- but it wo n't last long . unicef hopes there will be just enough time to deliver vital food and supplies , helping to ease the country 's worsening humanitarian crisis . more than 100,000 yemeni civilians have fled their homes since fighting began , and ocha , the united nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs , estimates that 15.9 million people here are in need of assistance . the main terminal at el rahaba airport is under the control of the houthi rebels . we ca n't get near it for fear of provoking trouble . but there is plenty to be done out on the tarmac . within minutes of touching down , a small army of aid workers is busy unloading huge mounds of much-needed provisions . gusts of wind blow dust across the runway , as crates and pallets of emergency nutrition and medical equipment pile up rapidly beside the plane . unicef 's team has overcome more than one hurdle just getting it this far -- now they 'll have to work out how to distribute it to those most in need in a country paralyzed by a lack of resources . even before saudi airstrikes , most of the 25 million people in yemen required humanitarian assistance to meet their most basic needs , according to the united nations . as they work , an air india plane is taxiing away from the terminal . thousands have fled the country on evacuation flights in recent weeks as the situation in yemen has deteriorated . but for those who have nowhere else to go and no chance of a flight out , mercy missions by unicef and other ngos like it are the only hope . read more :'a window into hell'- desperate yemenis flee by boatread more : civilian catastrophe looming in yemenread more : yemen crisis - how you can help bryony jones contributed to this report | almost 16 million people in yemen are in need of humanitarian aid , according to u.n . |
sanaa <tsp> sanaa , yemen ( cnn ) as the transport plane comes in to land at sanaa airport , the deep scars of the brutal conflict tearing yemen apart are only too clear : wrecked aircraft line the runway , and nearby buildings lie in ruins . to most of the outside world , this war-torn country is off limits , the weeks-long battle between houthi rebels and saudi-led coalition forces making it too dangerous to visit , and a no-fly zone rendering its international airport all but obsolete -- but on tuesday , cnn was granted rare access on a desperate aid mission by unicef , the united nations children 's fund . the airport has previously been bombed . hostilities are likely to resume before the day is out : a brief , peaceful window has been delicately negotiated following a special request from the u.n. -- but it wo n't last long . unicef hopes there will be just enough time to deliver vital food and supplies , helping to ease the country 's worsening humanitarian crisis . more than 100,000 yemeni civilians have fled their homes since fighting began , and ocha , the united nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs , estimates that 15.9 million people here are in need of assistance . the main terminal at el rahaba airport is under the control of the houthi rebels . we ca n't get near it for fear of provoking trouble . but there is plenty to be done out on the tarmac . within minutes of touching down , a small army of aid workers is busy unloading huge mounds of much-needed provisions . gusts of wind blow dust across the runway , as crates and pallets of emergency nutrition and medical equipment pile up rapidly beside the plane . unicef 's team has overcome more than one hurdle just getting it this far -- now they 'll have to work out how to distribute it to those most in need in a country paralyzed by a lack of resources . even before saudi airstrikes , most of the 25 million people in yemen required humanitarian assistance to meet their most basic needs , according to the united nations . as they work , an air india plane is taxiing away from the terminal . thousands have fled the country on evacuation flights in recent weeks as the situation in yemen has deteriorated . but for those who have nowhere else to go and no chance of a flight out , mercy missions by unicef and other ngos like it are the only hope . read more :'a window into hell'- desperate yemenis flee by boatread more : civilian catastrophe looming in yemenread more : yemen crisis - how you can help bryony jones contributed to this report | planeload of aid supplies including food and medicine was flown in to sanaa on tuesday |
midwest <tsp> ( cnn ) -- freezing temperatures plagued much of the nation thursday after a major storm moved into canada , but another storm that will dump more snow in the sierra nevada was brewing , forecasters said . that storm , which is expected to start overnight , should last several days and eventually make its way eastward , like its predecessor , cnn meteorologist chad myers said . the sierras , straddling california and nevada , received more than 3 feet of snow in the last few days . crews in el dorado county , california , have been working around the clock this week to restore power to residents who have been left in the dark and cold since sunday , according to cnn affiliate kxtv . that county , near lake tahoe , has received more than 30 inches of snow . elsewhere , more than 18 inches of snow had accumulated in parts of the midwest by thursday , and high winds made the snow difficult to clear . unusually low temperatures were in store for much of the nation into friday , the national weather service said . almost the entire lower 48 is below normal as far as temperatures . in some cases , 20 , 30 degrees , ' cnn meteorologist rob marciano said . freezing or below-freezing temperatures were recorded from dallas , texas , and memphis , tennessee , to minneapolis , minnesota , and chicago , illinois . the temperature in detroit , michigan , was 16 ; in minneapolis it was minus 5 ; and in chicago it was 1 degree . overnight temperatures were to dip to 17 in denver , colorado , and kansas city , missouri ; 24 in seattle , washington ; 31 in oklahoma city , oklahoma ; 32 in las vegas , nevada ; and 27 in atlanta , georgia . lake-effect snow warnings and advisories were in effect for western michigan and the state 's upper peninsula , areas that border lake michigan , according to the national weather service . lake-effect snow forms when a mass of cold air moves over a body of warmer water . ireport : share your photos , video tens of thousands of people were left in the dark in southeast michigan , with temperatures that plunged well below freezing , after high winds blew down power lines , according to cnn affiliate wxyz tv . schools and government offices were closed in many cities . in green bay , wisconsin , jeanne knurr took advantage of having her two children -- sierra , 12 , and austin , 15 -- home . we told them we were going to put them to work , ' she told cnn affiliate wluk on wednesday . we told them before they went to bed that they were going to have to help mom shovel because she 's going to be all alone . ' they did n't seem to mind . well , i think shoveling snow 's actually better because afterward you actually get to make forts and stuff , ' sierra said . sleeping in is a lot better . ' ireport : thousands join campus snowball fight high winds made snow removal difficult . wind gusts reached 50 mph in omaha , nebraska ; 58 mph in fort wayne , indiana ; and 60 mph in toledo , ohio . in omaha , as soon as plows cleared the snow , the wind blew more in their paths , noted former resident and cnn meteorologist chad myers as he watched a video clip . several states reported storm-related deaths . in northumberland , new york , authorities said a freight train struck a snowplow wednesday , killing a passenger in the plow , reported cnn affiliate wten . in yale , iowa , an elderly man was discovered dead wednesday outside his truck , said bret voorhees , spokesman for the state 's homeland security and emergency management agency . a 28-year-old woman was killed in omaha on tuesday night when a truck plowing snow in a parking lot backed into her , police spokesman jacob bettin said . she was pronounced dead at the scene . in northern arizona , dozens of elk hunters were stranded this week by deep snow in the area 's backwoods . the coconino county sheriff 's office said it has assisted or offered assistance to about 50 hunters wednesday and thursday , including some air evacuations . the arizona game and fish department also has been providing flyovers by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft as rescue crews search for hunting parties and campsites , the sheriff 's office said . brady smith , a spokesman for the u.s. forest service , said hunters were warned of the possibility of getting snowed in earlier in the week . the city of flagstaff , the county seat , received at least 30 inches of snow . the elk hunt ends thursday . cnn 's chuck conder contributed to this report . | more than 18 inches of snow have fallen in parts of the midwest |
monjack <tsp> ( people.com ) -- a devastated ' simon monjack told people his wife brittany murphy did not overdose on drugs and did not suffer from an eating disorder . these rumors that she was anorexic ? it 's crazy -- she was slim , but that was her natural physique , ' monjack told people . this is what 's killing all of us ? how did it happen ? her mum , myself and her family -- we want to know why we lost our baby . ' during a sometimes tear-filled interview , an exhausted monjack , 39 , who has n't slept since his mother-in-law found his wife collapsed in the bathroom early sunday , said all he knows is what doctors told him at the hospital : she died of cardiac arrest , but they wo n't know details until after an autopsy . ( a coroner 's spokesperson said the results could take up to six weeks , for toxicology reports to be final . ) my initial reaction to the autopsy was -- they 're going to cut her open -- i could n't bear it , ' monjack said , weeping . that would break her mother , but we realized we needed to know . i look forward to getting the results . ' he added that his wife of three years did suffer from a heart murmur ( mitral valve prolapse ) , which can cause fatigue , dizziness and irregular heartbeats -- but is generally not life threatening . murphy did n't require medication to treat it , says monjack . but on saturday , he said , his wife was ill , resting in bed all day suffering from laryngitis , which the actress treated with herbal tea , ginger and lemon . she was on herbal remedies that would n't speed up her heart , ' monjack said . there was nothing here that could endanger her ; there was prescription medication in the house for her female time and some cough syrup . that was it . ' asked point-blank if a drug overdose was a possible cause of death , monjack replied , i can get rid of that one right now , ' he said . last saturday , the couple just relaxed in bed , watching three movies as murphy prepared to cast her vote as a member of the academy of motion pictures arts and sciences . they ordered brittany 's favorite takeout -- thai food -- and ate soup prepared by murphy 's mother , sharon , who has lived with them for 3½ years . she was tired and a little sad because she was sick , ' monjack said about brittany . she wore her pink beverly hills hotel robe and monkey pajamas . we saw it 's complicated , public enemy and the princess and the frog . the couple were joined by murphy 's companion , a pet maltese named clara , a christmas gift last year from monjack that murphy named after her favorite silent screen star , clara bow . one of the saddest things is that clara has looked everywhere for brittany and ca n't find her , ' said monjack . monjack , a photographer , first met murphy on a photo shoot when she was 13 after she moved to hollywood with her mother , sharon . they began dating after being reintroduced at murphy 's 28th birthday party and married a year later . so many people have their views of us , but they never met us or sat down with us , ' he said . i 'm not perfect , but i do n't think anyone is ... i am feeling beyond devastated . i was in love with brittany and brittany with me . ' the couple had plans for 2010 : brittany would continue to work , but she wanted to get pregnant . she was an only child , ' said monjack . she wanted a baby . her big dream next year was to have a child , and we talked about how he or she would look . she 'd say ,'they 'd better have your eyes and lips and my hair .' but monjack did concede his wife was trying to get heavier . she tried to gain weight but had one of those metabolisms -- a high metabolism -- but enjoyed food as much as anyone . i wish i could show all the receipts from the take out restaurants , ' he said . we are faced with this ridiculous reality that people out there believe she felt ,'oh , poor me , i 'm fat , i 'm thin .'brittany did n't see beauty as a physical thing , which i 'm bloody lucky for , ' he said with a laugh . i know there was a disparity in how we looked and i 'm no movie star , but she always saw the person . ' monjack said he has been upset by some of the published reports . it 's horrible -- the death of a beautiful young woman , a hollywood icon ; it has to be explained . it just ca n't be a tragic accident , ' he said , trying to explain the headlines . we do n't want to accept that a beautiful young wife and daughter woke up one morning and died a tragic death . ' but he 's most worried about his mother-in-law . i do n't know if she will ever recover , and i know when she reads all this nonsense about her son-in-law and her deceased daughter , her heart is breaking . she has lived with us and saw the love and support . i hope she stays -- i ca n't imagine my life without sharon -- she 's my link to brittany . ' monjack said brittany 's family arrived in town monday and that funeral plans are pending . © 2011 people and time inc. all rights reserved . | simon monjack dialed 911 , and watched medics attempt to revive his wife |
monjack <tsp> ( people.com ) -- a devastated ' simon monjack told people his wife brittany murphy did not overdose on drugs and did not suffer from an eating disorder . these rumors that she was anorexic ? it 's crazy -- she was slim , but that was her natural physique , ' monjack told people . this is what 's killing all of us ? how did it happen ? her mum , myself and her family -- we want to know why we lost our baby . ' during a sometimes tear-filled interview , an exhausted monjack , 39 , who has n't slept since his mother-in-law found his wife collapsed in the bathroom early sunday , said all he knows is what doctors told him at the hospital : she died of cardiac arrest , but they wo n't know details until after an autopsy . ( a coroner 's spokesperson said the results could take up to six weeks , for toxicology reports to be final . ) my initial reaction to the autopsy was -- they 're going to cut her open -- i could n't bear it , ' monjack said , weeping . that would break her mother , but we realized we needed to know . i look forward to getting the results . ' he added that his wife of three years did suffer from a heart murmur ( mitral valve prolapse ) , which can cause fatigue , dizziness and irregular heartbeats -- but is generally not life threatening . murphy did n't require medication to treat it , says monjack . but on saturday , he said , his wife was ill , resting in bed all day suffering from laryngitis , which the actress treated with herbal tea , ginger and lemon . she was on herbal remedies that would n't speed up her heart , ' monjack said . there was nothing here that could endanger her ; there was prescription medication in the house for her female time and some cough syrup . that was it . ' asked point-blank if a drug overdose was a possible cause of death , monjack replied , i can get rid of that one right now , ' he said . last saturday , the couple just relaxed in bed , watching three movies as murphy prepared to cast her vote as a member of the academy of motion pictures arts and sciences . they ordered brittany 's favorite takeout -- thai food -- and ate soup prepared by murphy 's mother , sharon , who has lived with them for 3½ years . she was tired and a little sad because she was sick , ' monjack said about brittany . she wore her pink beverly hills hotel robe and monkey pajamas . we saw it 's complicated , public enemy and the princess and the frog . the couple were joined by murphy 's companion , a pet maltese named clara , a christmas gift last year from monjack that murphy named after her favorite silent screen star , clara bow . one of the saddest things is that clara has looked everywhere for brittany and ca n't find her , ' said monjack . monjack , a photographer , first met murphy on a photo shoot when she was 13 after she moved to hollywood with her mother , sharon . they began dating after being reintroduced at murphy 's 28th birthday party and married a year later . so many people have their views of us , but they never met us or sat down with us , ' he said . i 'm not perfect , but i do n't think anyone is ... i am feeling beyond devastated . i was in love with brittany and brittany with me . ' the couple had plans for 2010 : brittany would continue to work , but she wanted to get pregnant . she was an only child , ' said monjack . she wanted a baby . her big dream next year was to have a child , and we talked about how he or she would look . she 'd say ,'they 'd better have your eyes and lips and my hair .' but monjack did concede his wife was trying to get heavier . she tried to gain weight but had one of those metabolisms -- a high metabolism -- but enjoyed food as much as anyone . i wish i could show all the receipts from the take out restaurants , ' he said . we are faced with this ridiculous reality that people out there believe she felt ,'oh , poor me , i 'm fat , i 'm thin .'brittany did n't see beauty as a physical thing , which i 'm bloody lucky for , ' he said with a laugh . i know there was a disparity in how we looked and i 'm no movie star , but she always saw the person . ' monjack said he has been upset by some of the published reports . it 's horrible -- the death of a beautiful young woman , a hollywood icon ; it has to be explained . it just ca n't be a tragic accident , ' he said , trying to explain the headlines . we do n't want to accept that a beautiful young wife and daughter woke up one morning and died a tragic death . ' but he 's most worried about his mother-in-law . i do n't know if she will ever recover , and i know when she reads all this nonsense about her son-in-law and her deceased daughter , her heart is breaking . she has lived with us and saw the love and support . i hope she stays -- i ca n't imagine my life without sharon -- she 's my link to brittany . ' monjack said brittany 's family arrived in town monday and that funeral plans are pending . © 2011 people and time inc. all rights reserved . | monjack said he and and murphy were planning to have a child in 2010 |
monjack <tsp> ( people.com ) -- a devastated ' simon monjack told people his wife brittany murphy did not overdose on drugs and did not suffer from an eating disorder . these rumors that she was anorexic ? it 's crazy -- she was slim , but that was her natural physique , ' monjack told people . this is what 's killing all of us ? how did it happen ? her mum , myself and her family -- we want to know why we lost our baby . ' during a sometimes tear-filled interview , an exhausted monjack , 39 , who has n't slept since his mother-in-law found his wife collapsed in the bathroom early sunday , said all he knows is what doctors told him at the hospital : she died of cardiac arrest , but they wo n't know details until after an autopsy . ( a coroner 's spokesperson said the results could take up to six weeks , for toxicology reports to be final . ) my initial reaction to the autopsy was -- they 're going to cut her open -- i could n't bear it , ' monjack said , weeping . that would break her mother , but we realized we needed to know . i look forward to getting the results . ' he added that his wife of three years did suffer from a heart murmur ( mitral valve prolapse ) , which can cause fatigue , dizziness and irregular heartbeats -- but is generally not life threatening . murphy did n't require medication to treat it , says monjack . but on saturday , he said , his wife was ill , resting in bed all day suffering from laryngitis , which the actress treated with herbal tea , ginger and lemon . she was on herbal remedies that would n't speed up her heart , ' monjack said . there was nothing here that could endanger her ; there was prescription medication in the house for her female time and some cough syrup . that was it . ' asked point-blank if a drug overdose was a possible cause of death , monjack replied , i can get rid of that one right now , ' he said . last saturday , the couple just relaxed in bed , watching three movies as murphy prepared to cast her vote as a member of the academy of motion pictures arts and sciences . they ordered brittany 's favorite takeout -- thai food -- and ate soup prepared by murphy 's mother , sharon , who has lived with them for 3½ years . she was tired and a little sad because she was sick , ' monjack said about brittany . she wore her pink beverly hills hotel robe and monkey pajamas . we saw it 's complicated , public enemy and the princess and the frog . the couple were joined by murphy 's companion , a pet maltese named clara , a christmas gift last year from monjack that murphy named after her favorite silent screen star , clara bow . one of the saddest things is that clara has looked everywhere for brittany and ca n't find her , ' said monjack . monjack , a photographer , first met murphy on a photo shoot when she was 13 after she moved to hollywood with her mother , sharon . they began dating after being reintroduced at murphy 's 28th birthday party and married a year later . so many people have their views of us , but they never met us or sat down with us , ' he said . i 'm not perfect , but i do n't think anyone is ... i am feeling beyond devastated . i was in love with brittany and brittany with me . ' the couple had plans for 2010 : brittany would continue to work , but she wanted to get pregnant . she was an only child , ' said monjack . she wanted a baby . her big dream next year was to have a child , and we talked about how he or she would look . she 'd say ,'they 'd better have your eyes and lips and my hair .' but monjack did concede his wife was trying to get heavier . she tried to gain weight but had one of those metabolisms -- a high metabolism -- but enjoyed food as much as anyone . i wish i could show all the receipts from the take out restaurants , ' he said . we are faced with this ridiculous reality that people out there believe she felt ,'oh , poor me , i 'm fat , i 'm thin .'brittany did n't see beauty as a physical thing , which i 'm bloody lucky for , ' he said with a laugh . i know there was a disparity in how we looked and i 'm no movie star , but she always saw the person . ' monjack said he has been upset by some of the published reports . it 's horrible -- the death of a beautiful young woman , a hollywood icon ; it has to be explained . it just ca n't be a tragic accident , ' he said , trying to explain the headlines . we do n't want to accept that a beautiful young wife and daughter woke up one morning and died a tragic death . ' but he 's most worried about his mother-in-law . i do n't know if she will ever recover , and i know when she reads all this nonsense about her son-in-law and her deceased daughter , her heart is breaking . she has lived with us and saw the love and support . i hope she stays -- i ca n't imagine my life without sharon -- she 's my link to brittany . ' monjack said brittany 's family arrived in town monday and that funeral plans are pending . © 2011 people and time inc. all rights reserved . | monjack said it had been a regular day until murphy 's mother called for his attention |
seattle <tsp> ( cnn ) -- though soccer is the most played sport around the world , with governing body fifa recognizing football federations in more than 200 nations , the beloved beautiful game ' has always struggled to be a dominant force in the united states . attempts have been made to boost its support , first with the north american soccer league ( nasl ) which kicked off in 1968 , and more recently with major league soccer ( mls ) . the approach to break the grip of traditional sports in the u.s. has been different with both franchises . the nasl , which collapsed in 1984 , favored big names and an adaptation of the rules , while the mls has tried to supplement home-grown talent with foreign stars such as david beckham , capable of taking the game 's reach to more fans . however , the nfl , nba and mlb remain the big attention-grabbers with the u.s. public as american football , basketball and baseball dominate . though breaking this grip has proved a difficult task in most mls expansions across america , seattle is one of the few towns where the tide for the affection of the city 's sports fans seems to be turning . seattle first put itself forward as an mls franchise at the league 's inception in 1994 and , after several attempts , in 2007 the city was awarded a team thanks to the combined efforts of high-profile backers . film producer joe roth , comedian drew carey and microsoft co-founder paul allen , among others , combined to convince the mls to accept the city 's bid and to create the seattle sounders football club . the bid was helped by allen 's ownership of the 60,000 capacity qwest field , home ground to the nfl 's seahawks -- an arena built with intention of hosting an mls team . seattle times sports columnist steve kelley was amazed that it took so long to found a team in a community that has a large soccer fanbase . seattle was a huge soccer market . it had a lot of success when the nasl was playing here in the 1970s and '80s . my question is :'what took the mls so long to get here ?'i 've always thought that this was a goldmine . ' it 's the most played sport [ here ] , ' adds greg mockos , co-president of the emerald city supporters ( ecs ) -- the sounders'largest fan organization . you can go around downtown seattle at every park and every pitch , and there are hundreds of teams playing . ' the 2009 season was the inaugural campaign for the sounders , and while the front office will be delighted with its on-pitch performance -- the side reached the western conference semifinals and won the u.s. open cup -- it has been the enthusiastic response of the city 's soccer fans that could be providing most pleasure . qwest field set a league record with an average attendance of 30,897 . this rivals that of baseball 's seattle mariners , who in 2008 averaged 28,761 at the 47,116-capacity safeco field and since 2004 have been watched by just over 30,000 . while factors such as number of games must be considered , the sounders'final playoff attendance of 35,807 indicates growing interest . yet it has been the nature of the city 's response that suggests this support is more than just a fad . the atmosphere has been tremendous , ' explains sounders coach sigi schmid . every time we walked on the field the atmosphere was great . the fans were behind us and they 've got their chants for individual players . in that sense it 's very european , very international . ' with their banners , flags and shirts , supporters have combined to create an atmosphere rare within professional american sports , and wholly typical of soccer . a major problem with the atmosphere at typical american sports is the number of stoppages , there are too many times when tension is lost , ' explains robby branom , part of the ecs . in addition there are no sections in any baseball or american football stadium where active fans can group together , making it impossible for any organized support . ' the process of attracting people inside and out of seattle 's existing soccer fanbase has come at a time when the city is still reeling from the loss of its nba franchise ( the sonics ) to oklahoma city ( now named thunder ) . despite its embracement of the sounders , the timing of the soccer season means it ends in november just as the nba is getting underway . for some , the quality of the mls is not enough to make up for the sonics'disappearance . i 've loved this year ; it 's been great to watch quality soccer , ' kelley said . but the nba has the best players in the world , and they 're gone now from seattle . the mls has a good league , but these are n't obviously the best players in the world . for some people the gap has been filled , but not for me . ' despite this there is a confidence that mls in seattle is advancing well . the sounders have done everything right to placate and involve the soccer fans , ' kelley said . but i think there 's still growth among sports fans . as the next couple of years progress , if the team gets better and i think because of management it will , then there 's a whole bigger market out there . ' schmid is certainly optimistic over his club 's future . we have to realize this was year one , so from a business standpoint we 've got to continue to work as it its year one all over again and not pretend it 's easy now . the main thing for us is we ca n't be complacent on the field or off it , ' he said . the sounders will be absent from sunday 's mls cup final , held at qwest field , but seattle 's soccer fans will surely echo schmid 's sentiment . they will , however , be able to watch as english superstar beckham 's los angeles galaxy side takes on underdog real salt lake | the seattle franchise also reached the western conference semifinals |
seattle <tsp> ( cnn ) -- though soccer is the most played sport around the world , with governing body fifa recognizing football federations in more than 200 nations , the beloved beautiful game ' has always struggled to be a dominant force in the united states . attempts have been made to boost its support , first with the north american soccer league ( nasl ) which kicked off in 1968 , and more recently with major league soccer ( mls ) . the approach to break the grip of traditional sports in the u.s. has been different with both franchises . the nasl , which collapsed in 1984 , favored big names and an adaptation of the rules , while the mls has tried to supplement home-grown talent with foreign stars such as david beckham , capable of taking the game 's reach to more fans . however , the nfl , nba and mlb remain the big attention-grabbers with the u.s. public as american football , basketball and baseball dominate . though breaking this grip has proved a difficult task in most mls expansions across america , seattle is one of the few towns where the tide for the affection of the city 's sports fans seems to be turning . seattle first put itself forward as an mls franchise at the league 's inception in 1994 and , after several attempts , in 2007 the city was awarded a team thanks to the combined efforts of high-profile backers . film producer joe roth , comedian drew carey and microsoft co-founder paul allen , among others , combined to convince the mls to accept the city 's bid and to create the seattle sounders football club . the bid was helped by allen 's ownership of the 60,000 capacity qwest field , home ground to the nfl 's seahawks -- an arena built with intention of hosting an mls team . seattle times sports columnist steve kelley was amazed that it took so long to found a team in a community that has a large soccer fanbase . seattle was a huge soccer market . it had a lot of success when the nasl was playing here in the 1970s and '80s . my question is :'what took the mls so long to get here ?'i 've always thought that this was a goldmine . ' it 's the most played sport [ here ] , ' adds greg mockos , co-president of the emerald city supporters ( ecs ) -- the sounders'largest fan organization . you can go around downtown seattle at every park and every pitch , and there are hundreds of teams playing . ' the 2009 season was the inaugural campaign for the sounders , and while the front office will be delighted with its on-pitch performance -- the side reached the western conference semifinals and won the u.s. open cup -- it has been the enthusiastic response of the city 's soccer fans that could be providing most pleasure . qwest field set a league record with an average attendance of 30,897 . this rivals that of baseball 's seattle mariners , who in 2008 averaged 28,761 at the 47,116-capacity safeco field and since 2004 have been watched by just over 30,000 . while factors such as number of games must be considered , the sounders'final playoff attendance of 35,807 indicates growing interest . yet it has been the nature of the city 's response that suggests this support is more than just a fad . the atmosphere has been tremendous , ' explains sounders coach sigi schmid . every time we walked on the field the atmosphere was great . the fans were behind us and they 've got their chants for individual players . in that sense it 's very european , very international . ' with their banners , flags and shirts , supporters have combined to create an atmosphere rare within professional american sports , and wholly typical of soccer . a major problem with the atmosphere at typical american sports is the number of stoppages , there are too many times when tension is lost , ' explains robby branom , part of the ecs . in addition there are no sections in any baseball or american football stadium where active fans can group together , making it impossible for any organized support . ' the process of attracting people inside and out of seattle 's existing soccer fanbase has come at a time when the city is still reeling from the loss of its nba franchise ( the sonics ) to oklahoma city ( now named thunder ) . despite its embracement of the sounders , the timing of the soccer season means it ends in november just as the nba is getting underway . for some , the quality of the mls is not enough to make up for the sonics'disappearance . i 've loved this year ; it 's been great to watch quality soccer , ' kelley said . but the nba has the best players in the world , and they 're gone now from seattle . the mls has a good league , but these are n't obviously the best players in the world . for some people the gap has been filled , but not for me . ' despite this there is a confidence that mls in seattle is advancing well . the sounders have done everything right to placate and involve the soccer fans , ' kelley said . but i think there 's still growth among sports fans . as the next couple of years progress , if the team gets better and i think because of management it will , then there 's a whole bigger market out there . ' schmid is certainly optimistic over his club 's future . we have to realize this was year one , so from a business standpoint we 've got to continue to work as it its year one all over again and not pretend it 's easy now . the main thing for us is we ca n't be complacent on the field or off it , ' he said . the sounders will be absent from sunday 's mls cup final , held at qwest field , but seattle 's soccer fans will surely echo schmid 's sentiment . they will , however , be able to watch as english superstar beckham 's los angeles galaxy side takes on underdog real salt lake | seattle was finally awarded a major league soccer franchise in 2007 |
hong kong <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) -- how much would you pay to get your child into an ivy league university ? for gerard and lily chow , it seems the sky was the limit . in 2007 , the hong kong couple enlisted harvard-lecturer-turned-admissions-consultant mark zimny to steer their two sons through elite u.s. boarding schools into a top-ranked university -- preferably harvard . for a monthly $ 4000 fee per child , their total education management ' package included extensive admissions counseling , arranging homestays , private tutoring , and extra-curricular activities , whereby zimny and his team functioned as parents away from parents ' for their sons . the chows later switched to a retainer of $ 1 million per child . but in 2010 , before their sons applied to university , the chows sued zimny to recover their $ 2 million retainer , alleging fraud , breach of conduct , and unjust enrichment , according to court documents . zimny denied any wrongdoing to cnn , alleging the chows sought to end their relationship after poaching ' one of his contract staff as a cheaper replacement . admissions consultants say the chow case is an anomaly , both in terms of the amount the couple paid and the assurances zimny allegedly made . but it highlights the strong appetite among the wealthiest in hong kong for elite u.s. education and the nebulous role that a burgeoning flock of consultants play in the process . hong kong is the 16th leading place of origin for international enrollment at u.s. colleges and universities , according to the international institute of education , with its students increasing 1.3 % to 8,136 in the 2010-11 academic year . when people are looking at the u.s. education system , it 's seen as one of the best in the world , ' said susan joan mauriello , an american who moved to hong kong in 2005 and quickly identified admissions consulting as a business opportunity . everybody was talking about top u.s. colleges -- it was clearly something that was very important to a lot of people , something that was very well-respected , ' she added . especially when you send your children to the u.s. , you want them to develop critical and creative thinking skills , ' she explained , adding that an american degree is seen by hong kongers as providing increased opportunities for their children throughout the rest of their lives . ' since setting up her firm , mauriello said a wealth of new or expanded consultancies have cropped up , particularly ones offering comprehensive packages that not only encompass preparation for the standardized admission exam ( sat ) , but also services like tutoring and debate training . some consultancies , such as capstone , begin grooming students as early as in eighth grade ( around ages 13-14 ) , giving them a well-built resume that does n't spike in their final year ( before entering university ) , ' said capstone 's founder , ronald po . before as an admissions consultant ( in hong kong ) , you could work part-time and do it out of starbucks . now most companies have a full-time staff , they have their own offices , and it 's all-year-round support , ' po said , citing his annual client base as growing from four to up to 40 students . affluent asian families view elite u.s. education as a form of conspicuous consumption and are willing to throw money at it , ' zimny said , describing his clients as the 1 % of the 1 % . ' case in point : gerard chow is a member of the family that owns the chow sang sang jewelry empire in hong kong . most parents who seek capstone 's services are investment bank partners , lawyers , or entrepreneurs , po said , quoting fees of $ 6,450- $ 19,350 for a one-year package . mauriello said her clients have varying income backgrounds , but they all prioritize their children 's education . she quoted her average yearly fee as $ 3,225- $ 7,750 . while international students may genuinely need help navigating the unfamiliar terrain of the u.s. application process , the chow case raises the specter of the unscrupulous consultant -- in an unregulated profession . the u.s.-based independent education consultants association ( ieca ) denounced zimny as a con artist , ' describing the monthly $ 8,000 fees for the two chow sons as approximating what should be a single fee , over a multi-year period , to work comprehensively with a student . ' it pointed out that zimny 's communications with the chows were all about'getting in ,'' saying that success should be measured by a student 's university experience , not admission . the thing i worry about consultants is they can do a lot of work in terms of writing essays and it 's unethical , ' said rachel rubin , a lecturer at emmanuel college in boston who specializes in higher education admissions policy . but it 's good if they 're helping students find a good fit and what they want in a college , rather than how can we game the system to get into the school we want ? ' harvard was even less enthusiastic . while it is certainly possible that in individual cases an admissions consultant can be helpful to an applicant , we have encountered no evidence to indicate that is the case generally , ' said spokesperson kevin galvin . mauriello said competition for places at top schools had become fierce . students , who ten years ago would have gotten into harvard , princeton , and yale , might not be able to now , ' she said . to gain an edge , some wealthy applicants offer donations to boarding schools and universities , consultants said . in their lawsuit , the chows claim zimny convinced them that elite schools unofficially expected donations from foreign applicants . through their lawyer , the chows declined to comment on the pending case . while donations are not an absolute requirement , ' zimny told cnn , they are a common practice ' that can pivotally influence boarding school and university admissions . e-mails submitted to the court reveal extensive discussions between zimny and loomis chaffee boarding school officials over the 2007-08 academic year , regarding the wealth and likelihood of donations from the chows . boarding schools conduct intensive screening of applicants so they can assess who has the potential to donate money once the child is admitted , and then the development directors work feverishly to court the constituencies , ' zimny said . loomis chaffee denied conducting financial screenings of any applicants except for those applying for financial aid , although on occasion we become aware of a prospective family 's history of or capacity for philanthropic support , ' according to its director of development , tim struthers , who exchanged numerous e-mails with zimny . zimny said he also personally donated tens of thousands of dollars to loomis chaffee to advance the prospects ' of the chow sons -- as well as his future clients . he added that these donations were factored into his $ 250,000 extraordinary admission fee ' charged in successful cases that required extensive lobbying . while struthers confirmed that zimny made several gifts to the school , he said they were unrelated to the chow sons , adding that no donation or promise of donation was made to loomis chaffee by the chows or mr. zimny on their behalf , as part of the admission process . ' he said donations were neither common nor pivotally influential in admissions decisions . in march 2008 , the chow sons were admitted to loomis chaffee -- a decision struthers said was merited , given their academic records , extracurricular involvement , and leadership potential . ' zimny attributed their admission to his donations , saying that the sons'secondary school admission test scores ( ssat ) were weak . he said he had stopped working with the chow sons before they applied to university . zimny said his services can also include brokering introduction meetings between potential donors from asia and development officials at u.s. universities , adding that schools welcomed these introductions as a way of fielding multitudes of donation requests . in his view , money is money , whether it 's coming from a random family in hong kong or a fifth-generation whitney applying to yale . ' he added that donations have to be presented in a way that does n't look like quid pro quo . ' consultant susan joan mauriello disagreed , saying she has heard of donations making a significant difference in admissions decisions only in development cases , ' which involve families with multiple generations of alumni that have made significant donations over the years . harvard declined to comment on whether donations influence admissions decisions . the ieca said no educational consultant will act as a middleman for donations to a school , ' adding that consultants will put the family directly in touch with a university 's development office and donations would be made directly . ' but the appetite among hong kong 's elite for getting their offspring into top universities is unlikely to fade . the way to differentiate yourself is that one line on your resume that says what university you came from , ' capstone 's po said . that 's one of the few elements that sticks with you for the rest of your life professionally . ' | hong kong is 16th leading place of origin of international students in u.s. higher education |
hong kong <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) -- how much would you pay to get your child into an ivy league university ? for gerard and lily chow , it seems the sky was the limit . in 2007 , the hong kong couple enlisted harvard-lecturer-turned-admissions-consultant mark zimny to steer their two sons through elite u.s. boarding schools into a top-ranked university -- preferably harvard . for a monthly $ 4000 fee per child , their total education management ' package included extensive admissions counseling , arranging homestays , private tutoring , and extra-curricular activities , whereby zimny and his team functioned as parents away from parents ' for their sons . the chows later switched to a retainer of $ 1 million per child . but in 2010 , before their sons applied to university , the chows sued zimny to recover their $ 2 million retainer , alleging fraud , breach of conduct , and unjust enrichment , according to court documents . zimny denied any wrongdoing to cnn , alleging the chows sought to end their relationship after poaching ' one of his contract staff as a cheaper replacement . admissions consultants say the chow case is an anomaly , both in terms of the amount the couple paid and the assurances zimny allegedly made . but it highlights the strong appetite among the wealthiest in hong kong for elite u.s. education and the nebulous role that a burgeoning flock of consultants play in the process . hong kong is the 16th leading place of origin for international enrollment at u.s. colleges and universities , according to the international institute of education , with its students increasing 1.3 % to 8,136 in the 2010-11 academic year . when people are looking at the u.s. education system , it 's seen as one of the best in the world , ' said susan joan mauriello , an american who moved to hong kong in 2005 and quickly identified admissions consulting as a business opportunity . everybody was talking about top u.s. colleges -- it was clearly something that was very important to a lot of people , something that was very well-respected , ' she added . especially when you send your children to the u.s. , you want them to develop critical and creative thinking skills , ' she explained , adding that an american degree is seen by hong kongers as providing increased opportunities for their children throughout the rest of their lives . ' since setting up her firm , mauriello said a wealth of new or expanded consultancies have cropped up , particularly ones offering comprehensive packages that not only encompass preparation for the standardized admission exam ( sat ) , but also services like tutoring and debate training . some consultancies , such as capstone , begin grooming students as early as in eighth grade ( around ages 13-14 ) , giving them a well-built resume that does n't spike in their final year ( before entering university ) , ' said capstone 's founder , ronald po . before as an admissions consultant ( in hong kong ) , you could work part-time and do it out of starbucks . now most companies have a full-time staff , they have their own offices , and it 's all-year-round support , ' po said , citing his annual client base as growing from four to up to 40 students . affluent asian families view elite u.s. education as a form of conspicuous consumption and are willing to throw money at it , ' zimny said , describing his clients as the 1 % of the 1 % . ' case in point : gerard chow is a member of the family that owns the chow sang sang jewelry empire in hong kong . most parents who seek capstone 's services are investment bank partners , lawyers , or entrepreneurs , po said , quoting fees of $ 6,450- $ 19,350 for a one-year package . mauriello said her clients have varying income backgrounds , but they all prioritize their children 's education . she quoted her average yearly fee as $ 3,225- $ 7,750 . while international students may genuinely need help navigating the unfamiliar terrain of the u.s. application process , the chow case raises the specter of the unscrupulous consultant -- in an unregulated profession . the u.s.-based independent education consultants association ( ieca ) denounced zimny as a con artist , ' describing the monthly $ 8,000 fees for the two chow sons as approximating what should be a single fee , over a multi-year period , to work comprehensively with a student . ' it pointed out that zimny 's communications with the chows were all about'getting in ,'' saying that success should be measured by a student 's university experience , not admission . the thing i worry about consultants is they can do a lot of work in terms of writing essays and it 's unethical , ' said rachel rubin , a lecturer at emmanuel college in boston who specializes in higher education admissions policy . but it 's good if they 're helping students find a good fit and what they want in a college , rather than how can we game the system to get into the school we want ? ' harvard was even less enthusiastic . while it is certainly possible that in individual cases an admissions consultant can be helpful to an applicant , we have encountered no evidence to indicate that is the case generally , ' said spokesperson kevin galvin . mauriello said competition for places at top schools had become fierce . students , who ten years ago would have gotten into harvard , princeton , and yale , might not be able to now , ' she said . to gain an edge , some wealthy applicants offer donations to boarding schools and universities , consultants said . in their lawsuit , the chows claim zimny convinced them that elite schools unofficially expected donations from foreign applicants . through their lawyer , the chows declined to comment on the pending case . while donations are not an absolute requirement , ' zimny told cnn , they are a common practice ' that can pivotally influence boarding school and university admissions . e-mails submitted to the court reveal extensive discussions between zimny and loomis chaffee boarding school officials over the 2007-08 academic year , regarding the wealth and likelihood of donations from the chows . boarding schools conduct intensive screening of applicants so they can assess who has the potential to donate money once the child is admitted , and then the development directors work feverishly to court the constituencies , ' zimny said . loomis chaffee denied conducting financial screenings of any applicants except for those applying for financial aid , although on occasion we become aware of a prospective family 's history of or capacity for philanthropic support , ' according to its director of development , tim struthers , who exchanged numerous e-mails with zimny . zimny said he also personally donated tens of thousands of dollars to loomis chaffee to advance the prospects ' of the chow sons -- as well as his future clients . he added that these donations were factored into his $ 250,000 extraordinary admission fee ' charged in successful cases that required extensive lobbying . while struthers confirmed that zimny made several gifts to the school , he said they were unrelated to the chow sons , adding that no donation or promise of donation was made to loomis chaffee by the chows or mr. zimny on their behalf , as part of the admission process . ' he said donations were neither common nor pivotally influential in admissions decisions . in march 2008 , the chow sons were admitted to loomis chaffee -- a decision struthers said was merited , given their academic records , extracurricular involvement , and leadership potential . ' zimny attributed their admission to his donations , saying that the sons'secondary school admission test scores ( ssat ) were weak . he said he had stopped working with the chow sons before they applied to university . zimny said his services can also include brokering introduction meetings between potential donors from asia and development officials at u.s. universities , adding that schools welcomed these introductions as a way of fielding multitudes of donation requests . in his view , money is money , whether it 's coming from a random family in hong kong or a fifth-generation whitney applying to yale . ' he added that donations have to be presented in a way that does n't look like quid pro quo . ' consultant susan joan mauriello disagreed , saying she has heard of donations making a significant difference in admissions decisions only in development cases , ' which involve families with multiple generations of alumni that have made significant donations over the years . harvard declined to comment on whether donations influence admissions decisions . the ieca said no educational consultant will act as a middleman for donations to a school , ' adding that consultants will put the family directly in touch with a university 's development office and donations would be made directly . ' but the appetite among hong kong 's elite for getting their offspring into top universities is unlikely to fade . the way to differentiate yourself is that one line on your resume that says what university you came from , ' capstone 's po said . that 's one of the few elements that sticks with you for the rest of your life professionally . ' | growing supply of consultants in hong kong helping students apply to u.s. schools |
hong kong <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) -- how much would you pay to get your child into an ivy league university ? for gerard and lily chow , it seems the sky was the limit . in 2007 , the hong kong couple enlisted harvard-lecturer-turned-admissions-consultant mark zimny to steer their two sons through elite u.s. boarding schools into a top-ranked university -- preferably harvard . for a monthly $ 4000 fee per child , their total education management ' package included extensive admissions counseling , arranging homestays , private tutoring , and extra-curricular activities , whereby zimny and his team functioned as parents away from parents ' for their sons . the chows later switched to a retainer of $ 1 million per child . but in 2010 , before their sons applied to university , the chows sued zimny to recover their $ 2 million retainer , alleging fraud , breach of conduct , and unjust enrichment , according to court documents . zimny denied any wrongdoing to cnn , alleging the chows sought to end their relationship after poaching ' one of his contract staff as a cheaper replacement . admissions consultants say the chow case is an anomaly , both in terms of the amount the couple paid and the assurances zimny allegedly made . but it highlights the strong appetite among the wealthiest in hong kong for elite u.s. education and the nebulous role that a burgeoning flock of consultants play in the process . hong kong is the 16th leading place of origin for international enrollment at u.s. colleges and universities , according to the international institute of education , with its students increasing 1.3 % to 8,136 in the 2010-11 academic year . when people are looking at the u.s. education system , it 's seen as one of the best in the world , ' said susan joan mauriello , an american who moved to hong kong in 2005 and quickly identified admissions consulting as a business opportunity . everybody was talking about top u.s. colleges -- it was clearly something that was very important to a lot of people , something that was very well-respected , ' she added . especially when you send your children to the u.s. , you want them to develop critical and creative thinking skills , ' she explained , adding that an american degree is seen by hong kongers as providing increased opportunities for their children throughout the rest of their lives . ' since setting up her firm , mauriello said a wealth of new or expanded consultancies have cropped up , particularly ones offering comprehensive packages that not only encompass preparation for the standardized admission exam ( sat ) , but also services like tutoring and debate training . some consultancies , such as capstone , begin grooming students as early as in eighth grade ( around ages 13-14 ) , giving them a well-built resume that does n't spike in their final year ( before entering university ) , ' said capstone 's founder , ronald po . before as an admissions consultant ( in hong kong ) , you could work part-time and do it out of starbucks . now most companies have a full-time staff , they have their own offices , and it 's all-year-round support , ' po said , citing his annual client base as growing from four to up to 40 students . affluent asian families view elite u.s. education as a form of conspicuous consumption and are willing to throw money at it , ' zimny said , describing his clients as the 1 % of the 1 % . ' case in point : gerard chow is a member of the family that owns the chow sang sang jewelry empire in hong kong . most parents who seek capstone 's services are investment bank partners , lawyers , or entrepreneurs , po said , quoting fees of $ 6,450- $ 19,350 for a one-year package . mauriello said her clients have varying income backgrounds , but they all prioritize their children 's education . she quoted her average yearly fee as $ 3,225- $ 7,750 . while international students may genuinely need help navigating the unfamiliar terrain of the u.s. application process , the chow case raises the specter of the unscrupulous consultant -- in an unregulated profession . the u.s.-based independent education consultants association ( ieca ) denounced zimny as a con artist , ' describing the monthly $ 8,000 fees for the two chow sons as approximating what should be a single fee , over a multi-year period , to work comprehensively with a student . ' it pointed out that zimny 's communications with the chows were all about'getting in ,'' saying that success should be measured by a student 's university experience , not admission . the thing i worry about consultants is they can do a lot of work in terms of writing essays and it 's unethical , ' said rachel rubin , a lecturer at emmanuel college in boston who specializes in higher education admissions policy . but it 's good if they 're helping students find a good fit and what they want in a college , rather than how can we game the system to get into the school we want ? ' harvard was even less enthusiastic . while it is certainly possible that in individual cases an admissions consultant can be helpful to an applicant , we have encountered no evidence to indicate that is the case generally , ' said spokesperson kevin galvin . mauriello said competition for places at top schools had become fierce . students , who ten years ago would have gotten into harvard , princeton , and yale , might not be able to now , ' she said . to gain an edge , some wealthy applicants offer donations to boarding schools and universities , consultants said . in their lawsuit , the chows claim zimny convinced them that elite schools unofficially expected donations from foreign applicants . through their lawyer , the chows declined to comment on the pending case . while donations are not an absolute requirement , ' zimny told cnn , they are a common practice ' that can pivotally influence boarding school and university admissions . e-mails submitted to the court reveal extensive discussions between zimny and loomis chaffee boarding school officials over the 2007-08 academic year , regarding the wealth and likelihood of donations from the chows . boarding schools conduct intensive screening of applicants so they can assess who has the potential to donate money once the child is admitted , and then the development directors work feverishly to court the constituencies , ' zimny said . loomis chaffee denied conducting financial screenings of any applicants except for those applying for financial aid , although on occasion we become aware of a prospective family 's history of or capacity for philanthropic support , ' according to its director of development , tim struthers , who exchanged numerous e-mails with zimny . zimny said he also personally donated tens of thousands of dollars to loomis chaffee to advance the prospects ' of the chow sons -- as well as his future clients . he added that these donations were factored into his $ 250,000 extraordinary admission fee ' charged in successful cases that required extensive lobbying . while struthers confirmed that zimny made several gifts to the school , he said they were unrelated to the chow sons , adding that no donation or promise of donation was made to loomis chaffee by the chows or mr. zimny on their behalf , as part of the admission process . ' he said donations were neither common nor pivotally influential in admissions decisions . in march 2008 , the chow sons were admitted to loomis chaffee -- a decision struthers said was merited , given their academic records , extracurricular involvement , and leadership potential . ' zimny attributed their admission to his donations , saying that the sons'secondary school admission test scores ( ssat ) were weak . he said he had stopped working with the chow sons before they applied to university . zimny said his services can also include brokering introduction meetings between potential donors from asia and development officials at u.s. universities , adding that schools welcomed these introductions as a way of fielding multitudes of donation requests . in his view , money is money , whether it 's coming from a random family in hong kong or a fifth-generation whitney applying to yale . ' he added that donations have to be presented in a way that does n't look like quid pro quo . ' consultant susan joan mauriello disagreed , saying she has heard of donations making a significant difference in admissions decisions only in development cases , ' which involve families with multiple generations of alumni that have made significant donations over the years . harvard declined to comment on whether donations influence admissions decisions . the ieca said no educational consultant will act as a middleman for donations to a school , ' adding that consultants will put the family directly in touch with a university 's development office and donations would be made directly . ' but the appetite among hong kong 's elite for getting their offspring into top universities is unlikely to fade . the way to differentiate yourself is that one line on your resume that says what university you came from , ' capstone 's po said . that 's one of the few elements that sticks with you for the rest of your life professionally . ' | hong kong couple suing admissions consultant to recover us $ 2m retainer |
iran <tsp> another sign of new rapprochement with western culture , or a cynical public relations ploy ? iran 's top leaders used twitter to send christmas greetings that praised jesus , continuing a new era of social media outreach by a government previously known for islamic extremism and political belligerence . may jesus christ , prophet of love & peace , bless us all on this day . wishing merry # christmas to those celebrating , esp iranian christians , ' said a tweet from the official account of iranian president hassan rouhani . in response to rouhani , the shiite muslim country 's hardline supreme leader , ayatollah ali khamenei , tweeted back : no doubt that jesus # christ has no less value among muslims than [ he has ] among the pious christians . ' another tweet from khamenei 's account said that jesus # christ , the son of # mary , was a herald of god 's grace , blessing & guidance for man . ' the messages come as iran seeks to reshape its relationship with the united states and other western powers more than three decades after the islamic revolution launched an era of diplomatic estrangement . its economy crippled by international sanctions over its nuclear program , iran recently agreed to freeze some nuclear development efforts in exchange for the easing of some sanctions while talks continue on a final deal that u.s. officials say would prevent tehran from building a nuclear weapon . however , israel and some u.s. legislators warn that iran was manipulating president barack obama 's administration and its allies in the talks without intending to truly give up its quest for a nuclear weapon . rouhani insists iran 's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes , and u.s. secretary of state john kerry says the negotiations will show if that 's true because a final agreement will require iran to give up the technology to develop weapons of mass destruction . iaea : iran invites inspectors to visit arak nuclear site the chief iranian nuclear negotiator , foreign minister javad zarif , joined in some of the christmas tweeting from tehran . may the spirit of christmas bring joy , peace , empathy and compassion to everyone throughout the coming year . merry christmas , ' said a post on his account . the messages came from leaders of an islamic republic in which religious minorities are not completely free to participate in the iranian government and often face discrimination . while jews and christians can to some extent worship openly in iran , the government cracks down on converts from islam and any effort to proselytize faith other than muslim . there are thousands of cases of discrimination against religious minorities like the baha'is and others who express their own beliefs or any other belief than what the theocratic regime of iran impose , ' noted katrina lantos swett , the vice chairwoman of the u.s. commission on international religious freedom , in an interview last year with cnn . in 2012 , iran arrested saeed abedini , a u.s. citizen who is a christian convert and was openly preaching his christian beliefs . he remains imprisoned in iran , and his wife and others criticized the obama administration for not negotiating his release as part of the nuclear talks . iranian leaders have offered christmas messages in the past citing the teachings of jesus , who is considered a prophet in islam . former president mahmoud ahmedinejad , a hardliner notorious for virulent anti-israel rhetoric , had on occasion issued positive statements about christmas or rosh hashanah , the jewish celebration of a new year . he was much more widely known , however , for saying that israel should be eliminated and calling the holocaust a myth . usually , ahmadinejad would caution that he was criticizing zionists , ' not all jews . the more moderate rouhani easily won the june election to succeed ahmedinejad , then signaled a major shift when a tweet in september on his english-language account said : as the sun is about to set here in # tehran i wish all jews , especially iranian jews , a blessed rosh hashanah . ' at the opening of the u.n. general assembly that same month , rouhani promised that iran had the political will to reach nuclear agreement with the united states and its allies . rumors that he would meet with obama in new york proved unfounded , but the two men spoke by telephone before rouhani flew home -- the first direct conversation between u.s. and iranian top leaders since the 1979 islamic revolution . over the weekend , rouhani made clear his intention to ease tensions with the west . a post on his twitter account declared : we want to rebuild and improve our relations to european and north american countries on a basis of mutual respect . ' the christmas tweets continued the iranian outreach , this time joined by khamenei , whose account included multiple tweets that implied jesus might side with iran against what he has in the past criticized as western imperialism . if # christ were among us today , he would not spare even a single moment to fight the despotism & global # arrogance , ' said one of the tweets on khamenei 's account . khamenei 's messages appeared to be an effort to communicate directly with the international community by the 74-year-old religious cleric . it was impossible to know who actually writes on the twitter accounts of rouhani and khamenei , while zarif , a fluent english speaker , previously has said he writes his own tweets . just the existence of official accounts for rouhani and khamenei makes them authoritative in a nation where twitter and other social media websites such as facebook and youtube are controlled and limited . in an interview with cnn in september , iranian tourism minister mohammad-ali najafi said he expected more openness to social media under rouhani , a close political ally . social media is actually a great tool that can be used to express beliefs and reveal the reality and truth , ' najafi said . during the previous administration , social media and the iranian 's presence on social media was considered to be illegal . but i think based on the policies of the new administration , there would certainly be changes made in those limitations . ' | international sanctions crippling iran 's economy are iran 's motivation |
iran <tsp> another sign of new rapprochement with western culture , or a cynical public relations ploy ? iran 's top leaders used twitter to send christmas greetings that praised jesus , continuing a new era of social media outreach by a government previously known for islamic extremism and political belligerence . may jesus christ , prophet of love & peace , bless us all on this day . wishing merry # christmas to those celebrating , esp iranian christians , ' said a tweet from the official account of iranian president hassan rouhani . in response to rouhani , the shiite muslim country 's hardline supreme leader , ayatollah ali khamenei , tweeted back : no doubt that jesus # christ has no less value among muslims than [ he has ] among the pious christians . ' another tweet from khamenei 's account said that jesus # christ , the son of # mary , was a herald of god 's grace , blessing & guidance for man . ' the messages come as iran seeks to reshape its relationship with the united states and other western powers more than three decades after the islamic revolution launched an era of diplomatic estrangement . its economy crippled by international sanctions over its nuclear program , iran recently agreed to freeze some nuclear development efforts in exchange for the easing of some sanctions while talks continue on a final deal that u.s. officials say would prevent tehran from building a nuclear weapon . however , israel and some u.s. legislators warn that iran was manipulating president barack obama 's administration and its allies in the talks without intending to truly give up its quest for a nuclear weapon . rouhani insists iran 's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes , and u.s. secretary of state john kerry says the negotiations will show if that 's true because a final agreement will require iran to give up the technology to develop weapons of mass destruction . iaea : iran invites inspectors to visit arak nuclear site the chief iranian nuclear negotiator , foreign minister javad zarif , joined in some of the christmas tweeting from tehran . may the spirit of christmas bring joy , peace , empathy and compassion to everyone throughout the coming year . merry christmas , ' said a post on his account . the messages came from leaders of an islamic republic in which religious minorities are not completely free to participate in the iranian government and often face discrimination . while jews and christians can to some extent worship openly in iran , the government cracks down on converts from islam and any effort to proselytize faith other than muslim . there are thousands of cases of discrimination against religious minorities like the baha'is and others who express their own beliefs or any other belief than what the theocratic regime of iran impose , ' noted katrina lantos swett , the vice chairwoman of the u.s. commission on international religious freedom , in an interview last year with cnn . in 2012 , iran arrested saeed abedini , a u.s. citizen who is a christian convert and was openly preaching his christian beliefs . he remains imprisoned in iran , and his wife and others criticized the obama administration for not negotiating his release as part of the nuclear talks . iranian leaders have offered christmas messages in the past citing the teachings of jesus , who is considered a prophet in islam . former president mahmoud ahmedinejad , a hardliner notorious for virulent anti-israel rhetoric , had on occasion issued positive statements about christmas or rosh hashanah , the jewish celebration of a new year . he was much more widely known , however , for saying that israel should be eliminated and calling the holocaust a myth . usually , ahmadinejad would caution that he was criticizing zionists , ' not all jews . the more moderate rouhani easily won the june election to succeed ahmedinejad , then signaled a major shift when a tweet in september on his english-language account said : as the sun is about to set here in # tehran i wish all jews , especially iranian jews , a blessed rosh hashanah . ' at the opening of the u.n. general assembly that same month , rouhani promised that iran had the political will to reach nuclear agreement with the united states and its allies . rumors that he would meet with obama in new york proved unfounded , but the two men spoke by telephone before rouhani flew home -- the first direct conversation between u.s. and iranian top leaders since the 1979 islamic revolution . over the weekend , rouhani made clear his intention to ease tensions with the west . a post on his twitter account declared : we want to rebuild and improve our relations to european and north american countries on a basis of mutual respect . ' the christmas tweets continued the iranian outreach , this time joined by khamenei , whose account included multiple tweets that implied jesus might side with iran against what he has in the past criticized as western imperialism . if # christ were among us today , he would not spare even a single moment to fight the despotism & global # arrogance , ' said one of the tweets on khamenei 's account . khamenei 's messages appeared to be an effort to communicate directly with the international community by the 74-year-old religious cleric . it was impossible to know who actually writes on the twitter accounts of rouhani and khamenei , while zarif , a fluent english speaker , previously has said he writes his own tweets . just the existence of official accounts for rouhani and khamenei makes them authoritative in a nation where twitter and other social media websites such as facebook and youtube are controlled and limited . in an interview with cnn in september , iranian tourism minister mohammad-ali najafi said he expected more openness to social media under rouhani , a close political ally . social media is actually a great tool that can be used to express beliefs and reveal the reality and truth , ' najafi said . during the previous administration , social media and the iranian 's presence on social media was considered to be illegal . but i think based on the policies of the new administration , there would certainly be changes made in those limitations . ' | the social media outreach comes as iran seeks a nuclear deal to end sanctions |
ntsb <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- a helicopter that crashed into the east river , killing two of the five people aboard , was over its weight capacity when it went down in october 2011 , the national transportation safety board said in a report released thursday . the initial aviation accident report from the ntsb did not specify the exact cause of the crash . however , it stated the weight of the helicopter at takeoff was over its capacity by more than 250 pounds . the report said the bell 206 chopper had a capacity of 3,200 pounds , based on the manufacturer 's specifications . when the helicopter was weighed two days after the accident by a company that specializes in aircraft weight-and-balance services , that company said the takeoff weight at the time of the accident was calculated to be 3,461.2 pounds . ' it was reported at the time of the crash that the flight was to take friends visiting from abroad on a sightseeing flight around new york city . shortly after takeoff , the helicopter , its pilot and his four passengers went down into the east river and sank in 35-feet-deep water . in addition to the two killed in the crash , a third passenger died about a month afterward from injuries suffered in the incident , the ntsb said . the pilot paul dudley , 56 , reported that he had calculated the total load at takeoff to be 1,131 pounds . however , the ntsb report cited a post-accident interview in which the front-seat passenger said dudley did not ask for anyone 's weight nor did he execute any paperwork , or perform any calculations before takeoff . dudley released a statement thursday noting several inconsistencies ' in the ntsb report and claiming the cause of the crash was due to an unanticipated loss of tail rotor effectiveness . ' the statement went on to mention dudley 's unblemished ' 28-year aviation record and said that he is still recovering and mourning the loss of his friends every day . the final report from the ntsb is expected to be released within the next few months and it will officially state the probable cause of the crash , according to keith holloway , public affairs officer of the agency . | a third person died later from injuries , the ntsb says |
ntsb <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- a helicopter that crashed into the east river , killing two of the five people aboard , was over its weight capacity when it went down in october 2011 , the national transportation safety board said in a report released thursday . the initial aviation accident report from the ntsb did not specify the exact cause of the crash . however , it stated the weight of the helicopter at takeoff was over its capacity by more than 250 pounds . the report said the bell 206 chopper had a capacity of 3,200 pounds , based on the manufacturer 's specifications . when the helicopter was weighed two days after the accident by a company that specializes in aircraft weight-and-balance services , that company said the takeoff weight at the time of the accident was calculated to be 3,461.2 pounds . ' it was reported at the time of the crash that the flight was to take friends visiting from abroad on a sightseeing flight around new york city . shortly after takeoff , the helicopter , its pilot and his four passengers went down into the east river and sank in 35-feet-deep water . in addition to the two killed in the crash , a third passenger died about a month afterward from injuries suffered in the incident , the ntsb said . the pilot paul dudley , 56 , reported that he had calculated the total load at takeoff to be 1,131 pounds . however , the ntsb report cited a post-accident interview in which the front-seat passenger said dudley did not ask for anyone 's weight nor did he execute any paperwork , or perform any calculations before takeoff . dudley released a statement thursday noting several inconsistencies ' in the ntsb report and claiming the cause of the crash was due to an unanticipated loss of tail rotor effectiveness . ' the statement went on to mention dudley 's unblemished ' 28-year aviation record and said that he is still recovering and mourning the loss of his friends every day . the final report from the ntsb is expected to be released within the next few months and it will officially state the probable cause of the crash , according to keith holloway , public affairs officer of the agency . | the ntsb says the chopper was over its weight limit |
tutu <tsp> johannesburg ( cnn ) -- south african archbishop desmond tutu turned 80 on friday , days after a spat with the government over a visa delay that forced the dalai lama to cancel a trip to the nation . tutu celebrated thursday by dancing with the soweto gospel choir during a church celebration to mark his birthday . music and laughter rang out in the cathedral during the event attended by irish rocker bono of u2 . the dalai lama had hoped to deliver birthday greetings personally but scrapped his planned visit after south africa failed to issue him a visa in time . instead , the tibetan spiritual leader wished tutu well in a webcast . please take care , ' the dalai lama said . i will pray both to god as well as buddha for your long life and healthy body . ' i am quite sad , ' he said . and also this time , i was very much hoping to see nelson mandela , ( who is ) now very old . now i have doubt whether i will have the occasion to meet nelson mandela or not . ' mandela turned 93 this year . tutu lashed out at his government tuesday , saying it had forgotten what the nation stood for . when we used to apply for passports under the apartheid government , we never knew until the last moment what their decision was , ' tutu said at a news conference . our government is worse than the apartheid government because at least you were expecting it from the apartheid government . the dalai lama had been invited to the country to receive a peace award and speak at various events , including a lecture in honor of tutu 's birthday . tutu and the dalai lama are recipients of the nobel peace prize . south africa denies the visa was linked to pressure from china , a major trade partner . the dalai lama fled tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against chinese rule , and the nation pressures governments worldwide to deny him any legitimacy . despite the setback , tributes came in early friday for the man known fondly as the people 's priest ' and hailed for his fight for human rights . in a birthday message , the u.s. embassy in south africa said he continues to provide a moral voice for the voiceless . ' we congratulate archbishop desmond tutu ... and join south africa and the global community in honoring a man who is recognized for his fearlessness in speaking truth to power , ' the embassy in pretoria said in a statement . from his work against apartheid in south africa , to his championing of democracy , freedom and human rights , and advocacy for those still living under the scourge of homophobia , racism or xenophobia , archbishop tutu has served as the vocal conscience of a generation . ' this is not the first time the dalai lama has not been able to visit south africa . two years ago , south africa refused the tibetan spiritual leader a visa to attend an international peace conference , saying it was not in the country 's interest for him to attend . cnn 's kim norgaard contributed to this report . | south african archbishop desmond tutu turns 80 |
tutu <tsp> johannesburg ( cnn ) -- south african archbishop desmond tutu turned 80 on friday , days after a spat with the government over a visa delay that forced the dalai lama to cancel a trip to the nation . tutu celebrated thursday by dancing with the soweto gospel choir during a church celebration to mark his birthday . music and laughter rang out in the cathedral during the event attended by irish rocker bono of u2 . the dalai lama had hoped to deliver birthday greetings personally but scrapped his planned visit after south africa failed to issue him a visa in time . instead , the tibetan spiritual leader wished tutu well in a webcast . please take care , ' the dalai lama said . i will pray both to god as well as buddha for your long life and healthy body . ' i am quite sad , ' he said . and also this time , i was very much hoping to see nelson mandela , ( who is ) now very old . now i have doubt whether i will have the occasion to meet nelson mandela or not . ' mandela turned 93 this year . tutu lashed out at his government tuesday , saying it had forgotten what the nation stood for . when we used to apply for passports under the apartheid government , we never knew until the last moment what their decision was , ' tutu said at a news conference . our government is worse than the apartheid government because at least you were expecting it from the apartheid government . the dalai lama had been invited to the country to receive a peace award and speak at various events , including a lecture in honor of tutu 's birthday . tutu and the dalai lama are recipients of the nobel peace prize . south africa denies the visa was linked to pressure from china , a major trade partner . the dalai lama fled tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against chinese rule , and the nation pressures governments worldwide to deny him any legitimacy . despite the setback , tributes came in early friday for the man known fondly as the people 's priest ' and hailed for his fight for human rights . in a birthday message , the u.s. embassy in south africa said he continues to provide a moral voice for the voiceless . ' we congratulate archbishop desmond tutu ... and join south africa and the global community in honoring a man who is recognized for his fearlessness in speaking truth to power , ' the embassy in pretoria said in a statement . from his work against apartheid in south africa , to his championing of democracy , freedom and human rights , and advocacy for those still living under the scourge of homophobia , racism or xenophobia , archbishop tutu has served as the vocal conscience of a generation . ' this is not the first time the dalai lama has not been able to visit south africa . two years ago , south africa refused the tibetan spiritual leader a visa to attend an international peace conference , saying it was not in the country 's interest for him to attend . cnn 's kim norgaard contributed to this report . | tutu says the government is acting worse than apartheid regime |
tutu <tsp> johannesburg ( cnn ) -- south african archbishop desmond tutu turned 80 on friday , days after a spat with the government over a visa delay that forced the dalai lama to cancel a trip to the nation . tutu celebrated thursday by dancing with the soweto gospel choir during a church celebration to mark his birthday . music and laughter rang out in the cathedral during the event attended by irish rocker bono of u2 . the dalai lama had hoped to deliver birthday greetings personally but scrapped his planned visit after south africa failed to issue him a visa in time . instead , the tibetan spiritual leader wished tutu well in a webcast . please take care , ' the dalai lama said . i will pray both to god as well as buddha for your long life and healthy body . ' i am quite sad , ' he said . and also this time , i was very much hoping to see nelson mandela , ( who is ) now very old . now i have doubt whether i will have the occasion to meet nelson mandela or not . ' mandela turned 93 this year . tutu lashed out at his government tuesday , saying it had forgotten what the nation stood for . when we used to apply for passports under the apartheid government , we never knew until the last moment what their decision was , ' tutu said at a news conference . our government is worse than the apartheid government because at least you were expecting it from the apartheid government . the dalai lama had been invited to the country to receive a peace award and speak at various events , including a lecture in honor of tutu 's birthday . tutu and the dalai lama are recipients of the nobel peace prize . south africa denies the visa was linked to pressure from china , a major trade partner . the dalai lama fled tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against chinese rule , and the nation pressures governments worldwide to deny him any legitimacy . despite the setback , tributes came in early friday for the man known fondly as the people 's priest ' and hailed for his fight for human rights . in a birthday message , the u.s. embassy in south africa said he continues to provide a moral voice for the voiceless . ' we congratulate archbishop desmond tutu ... and join south africa and the global community in honoring a man who is recognized for his fearlessness in speaking truth to power , ' the embassy in pretoria said in a statement . from his work against apartheid in south africa , to his championing of democracy , freedom and human rights , and advocacy for those still living under the scourge of homophobia , racism or xenophobia , archbishop tutu has served as the vocal conscience of a generation . ' this is not the first time the dalai lama has not been able to visit south africa . two years ago , south africa refused the tibetan spiritual leader a visa to attend an international peace conference , saying it was not in the country 's interest for him to attend . cnn 's kim norgaard contributed to this report . | new : the dalai lama wishes tutu well and says he is sad about his canceled trip |
tutu <tsp> johannesburg ( cnn ) -- south african archbishop desmond tutu turned 80 on friday , days after a spat with the government over a visa delay that forced the dalai lama to cancel a trip to the nation . tutu celebrated thursday by dancing with the soweto gospel choir during a church celebration to mark his birthday . music and laughter rang out in the cathedral during the event attended by irish rocker bono of u2 . the dalai lama had hoped to deliver birthday greetings personally but scrapped his planned visit after south africa failed to issue him a visa in time . instead , the tibetan spiritual leader wished tutu well in a webcast . please take care , ' the dalai lama said . i will pray both to god as well as buddha for your long life and healthy body . ' i am quite sad , ' he said . and also this time , i was very much hoping to see nelson mandela , ( who is ) now very old . now i have doubt whether i will have the occasion to meet nelson mandela or not . ' mandela turned 93 this year . tutu lashed out at his government tuesday , saying it had forgotten what the nation stood for . when we used to apply for passports under the apartheid government , we never knew until the last moment what their decision was , ' tutu said at a news conference . our government is worse than the apartheid government because at least you were expecting it from the apartheid government . the dalai lama had been invited to the country to receive a peace award and speak at various events , including a lecture in honor of tutu 's birthday . tutu and the dalai lama are recipients of the nobel peace prize . south africa denies the visa was linked to pressure from china , a major trade partner . the dalai lama fled tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against chinese rule , and the nation pressures governments worldwide to deny him any legitimacy . despite the setback , tributes came in early friday for the man known fondly as the people 's priest ' and hailed for his fight for human rights . in a birthday message , the u.s. embassy in south africa said he continues to provide a moral voice for the voiceless . ' we congratulate archbishop desmond tutu ... and join south africa and the global community in honoring a man who is recognized for his fearlessness in speaking truth to power , ' the embassy in pretoria said in a statement . from his work against apartheid in south africa , to his championing of democracy , freedom and human rights , and advocacy for those still living under the scourge of homophobia , racism or xenophobia , archbishop tutu has served as the vocal conscience of a generation . ' this is not the first time the dalai lama has not been able to visit south africa . two years ago , south africa refused the tibetan spiritual leader a visa to attend an international peace conference , saying it was not in the country 's interest for him to attend . cnn 's kim norgaard contributed to this report . | dalai lama scraps a planned visit to attend tutu 's birthday after a visa delay |
fda <tsp> tegucigalpa , honduras ( cnn ) -- he 's no julia child , but honduran president manuel zelaya showed tuesday he can attack a cantaloupe and u.s. government claims in a single motion . president manuel zelaya chews on a slice of honduran melon to demonstrate its safety . it 's not in our fruit , ' he said about last week 's report by the u.s. food and drug administration that some honduran cantaloupes may be contaminated with salmonella . it 's not true what they are saying . logically , we believe it is an error . ' then , the 55-year-old father of four asked the viewers of cnn en español to indulge him as he engaged in a show-and-tell demonstration . permit me a second , ' he said as he stretched his left arm across the tabletop and outside the view of the camera , then pulled into view a box of fruit . here i have the box of melons that we are exporting to the united states ; here are the protective bags , ' he said . zelaya lifted a cantaloupe from the box , placed it in front of him , then grabbed a knife and a fork . permit me to make a demonstration , ' he said , then cut open the fruit , sliced off a chunk , put it in his mouth and chewed vigorously . i eat this fruit without any fear , ' he said with his mouth full . it 's a delicious fruit . nothing happens to me ! ' though the symptoms of salmonella infection -- nausea , vomiting , fever , diarrhea and abdominal cramps -- typically do not occur for several hours after eating tainted food , the point was made . the demonstration came three days after the fda said it had linked 50 cases of salmonella in 16 states and nine in canada to melons from agropecuaria montelibana , a grower and packer in san lorenzo , honduras . though there have been no reports of fatalities , 14 people have been hospitalized in arizona , california , colorado , georgia , illinois , missouri , new jersey , new mexico , new york , ohio , oklahoma , oregon , tennessee , utah , washington and wisconsin , the fda said . while the company has continued exporting to europe and central america and has received no reports of illness , the daily export of 45 containers of melon to the united states has halted , a company official said monday . as a result , some 1,500 workers have been laid off , most of them single mothers , and company losses have exceeded $ 3 million , company officials said . the fda alert advised u.s. grocers , food-service operators and produce processors to remove from their stock any cantaloupes from the company . the agency also recommended consumers throw away any cantaloupes determined to be from the company . e-mail to a friend cnn 's elvin sandoval contributed to this story . | fda links 50 cases of salmonella to honduran grower |
adam scott <tsp> ( cnn ) -- nick price is not one to shy away from a battle . he is a hardened warrior -- a man who has fought on the golf course and on the soil of his beloved zimbabwe . he lost his father when he was a child before watching his friends die during the rhodesian war . and yet now , at the age of 56 , he remains philosophical about his life -- one in which he emerged to become one of the greatest to have ever played the game of golf . i 'm so grateful to my family for instilling values since an early age , ' price told cnn 's living golf . i 've carried them through me throughout this time . i lost my father when i was 10 and sometimes that has an adverse effect on the family but for us it brought us closer together . it was a huge time in my life . i went to the military for a year-and-a-half and all those things shape you . you ca n't go through life without help and support . i 've had a great time . when you think of how i started playing golf i still have to pinch myself every now and againt because this is my life . ' price , who will captain the international team at this week 's presidents cup at muirfield village , ohio , has taken the long road to the top . born in south africa and raised in rhodesia , before it became zimbabwe , price spent his time as a child hitting plastic balls at tomato cans . it was only in 1974 at the age of 17 when he won the optimist junior world title at torrey pines in san diego that he realized he could make a career in golf . from there he was catapulted to stardom -- winning three major titles and claiming 15 pga wins during an illustrious career which saw him stay at no.1 in the world in 1994 for 43 consecutive weeks . but there is one victory away from all of his personal success which stands out -- the victory of the international team over the u.s. at the 1998 presidents cup at melbourne . the tournament which pitches a u.s. team of 12 against a team of non-europeans has been held every two years since 1994 and includes two rounds of foursomes , two rounds of four balls and a singles finale . for a man who has played in five of these tournaments , price is only too aware of how glorious victory would be , especially following the 19-15 defeat two years ago . and yet the prospect of beating the u.s. brings up conflicting feelings for price , who says he could never repay the country for what it has given me . ' our three kids were born here and i 've just had the best time ever here , ' said price , who lives in florida . honestly , i sometimes get recognized more often here than i do in my own home country , which is kind of sad . i had more awards and everything given to me in this country than i did in my own country , which hurts a lot . what has happened in the country in the last 33 years is not what we all expected . ' history is not on price 's side -- the u.s. has dominated the competition , losing just once and being held once in the previous nine editions . the international team boasts an array of talent including masters champion adam scott , four-time major winner ernie els , argentina 's two-time major winner angel cabrera and south africa 's louis oosthuizen . price believes that victory for his side is vital if the competition is to recapture the imagination of the public with the dominance of the americans leaving several golf fans disillusioned with the dual . but while he expects passions to run high , price wants his men to keep their cool against tiger woods and co. ' i 'm a big one for confrontations , ' said price . i keep telling my guys ,'let 's go out and win this cup .' i do n't want to see them become enemies for one week -- what i want to see is great competition . i want to see them go out there and want to beat each other and look at each other in the eye after you 've finished and say'congratulations , you played better today .' i do n't want people coming up with excuses and walking off the greens while the other player is putting . to me that brings the whole game into a very sad state . ' the u.s. team boasts a wealth of talent and experience with the likes of phil mickelson , brandt snedeker , jason dufner lining up alongside world no.1 woods . price realizes his team faces a difficult challenge to triumph in columbus , ohio but says he will do all that he can as captain to inspire his men to a momentous victory . being captain is a doubled edged sword -- it can hurt you and it can help you a lot , ' he said . i 'm trying to be a captain that is going to be very supportive of my team but not over captain them and there 's a very fine line between that . you want to give the guys advice . i 'm certainly not in the seve ballesteros type -- running out over the course and saying'hit here and do this'but that was seve , that was the way guys expected when he was captain . i just want them to know i 'm going to be there to support them in anything they need to know or need to use me as a sounding board . i 'm going to be there . ' | adam scott , jason day , ernie els amongst big names for international side |
nick price <tsp> ( cnn ) -- nick price is not one to shy away from a battle . he is a hardened warrior -- a man who has fought on the golf course and on the soil of his beloved zimbabwe . he lost his father when he was a child before watching his friends die during the rhodesian war . and yet now , at the age of 56 , he remains philosophical about his life -- one in which he emerged to become one of the greatest to have ever played the game of golf . i 'm so grateful to my family for instilling values since an early age , ' price told cnn 's living golf . i 've carried them through me throughout this time . i lost my father when i was 10 and sometimes that has an adverse effect on the family but for us it brought us closer together . it was a huge time in my life . i went to the military for a year-and-a-half and all those things shape you . you ca n't go through life without help and support . i 've had a great time . when you think of how i started playing golf i still have to pinch myself every now and againt because this is my life . ' price , who will captain the international team at this week 's presidents cup at muirfield village , ohio , has taken the long road to the top . born in south africa and raised in rhodesia , before it became zimbabwe , price spent his time as a child hitting plastic balls at tomato cans . it was only in 1974 at the age of 17 when he won the optimist junior world title at torrey pines in san diego that he realized he could make a career in golf . from there he was catapulted to stardom -- winning three major titles and claiming 15 pga wins during an illustrious career which saw him stay at no.1 in the world in 1994 for 43 consecutive weeks . but there is one victory away from all of his personal success which stands out -- the victory of the international team over the u.s. at the 1998 presidents cup at melbourne . the tournament which pitches a u.s. team of 12 against a team of non-europeans has been held every two years since 1994 and includes two rounds of foursomes , two rounds of four balls and a singles finale . for a man who has played in five of these tournaments , price is only too aware of how glorious victory would be , especially following the 19-15 defeat two years ago . and yet the prospect of beating the u.s. brings up conflicting feelings for price , who says he could never repay the country for what it has given me . ' our three kids were born here and i 've just had the best time ever here , ' said price , who lives in florida . honestly , i sometimes get recognized more often here than i do in my own home country , which is kind of sad . i had more awards and everything given to me in this country than i did in my own country , which hurts a lot . what has happened in the country in the last 33 years is not what we all expected . ' history is not on price 's side -- the u.s. has dominated the competition , losing just once and being held once in the previous nine editions . the international team boasts an array of talent including masters champion adam scott , four-time major winner ernie els , argentina 's two-time major winner angel cabrera and south africa 's louis oosthuizen . price believes that victory for his side is vital if the competition is to recapture the imagination of the public with the dominance of the americans leaving several golf fans disillusioned with the dual . but while he expects passions to run high , price wants his men to keep their cool against tiger woods and co. ' i 'm a big one for confrontations , ' said price . i keep telling my guys ,'let 's go out and win this cup .' i do n't want to see them become enemies for one week -- what i want to see is great competition . i want to see them go out there and want to beat each other and look at each other in the eye after you 've finished and say'congratulations , you played better today .' i do n't want people coming up with excuses and walking off the greens while the other player is putting . to me that brings the whole game into a very sad state . ' the u.s. team boasts a wealth of talent and experience with the likes of phil mickelson , brandt snedeker , jason dufner lining up alongside world no.1 woods . price realizes his team faces a difficult challenge to triumph in columbus , ohio but says he will do all that he can as captain to inspire his men to a momentous victory . being captain is a doubled edged sword -- it can hurt you and it can help you a lot , ' he said . i 'm trying to be a captain that is going to be very supportive of my team but not over captain them and there 's a very fine line between that . you want to give the guys advice . i 'm certainly not in the seve ballesteros type -- running out over the course and saying'hit here and do this'but that was seve , that was the way guys expected when he was captain . i just want them to know i 'm going to be there to support them in anything they need to know or need to use me as a sounding board . i 'm going to be there . ' | nick price will captain the international team int the presidents cup |
zimbabwe <tsp> chinhoyi , zimbabwe ( cnn ) -- zimbabwe president robert mugabe was celebrating his 85th birthday with a lavish all-day party saturday despite the fact that the country is gripped by an economic and health crisis . president robert mugabe and his wife , grace , attend a cake-cutting ceremony for his birthday saturday . mugabe 's zanu-pf party said it raised at least $ 250,000 to hold the party in mugabe 's hometown of chinhoyi , about 120 kilometers ( 75 miles ) outside of the capital , harare . critics of the president say the country is desperate for that amount of money to be spent instead on its citizens , who are suffering from a cholera outbreak , food shortages , and spiraling hyperinflation . on friday , prime minister morgan tsvangirai visited a hospital 's closed intensive care unit that he said needed $ 30,000 to resume operating . during the celebrations , mugabe announced that his controversial land reform would not be reversed . the program is designed to have white-owned farms given to blacks , and there have been violent seizures of such farms since the program began in 2000 . watch mugabe 's birthday bash » he emphasized that the country 's indigenization program ' -- which forces all major foreign companies operating in zimbabwe to have at least 51 percent black ownership -- will be carried out . it began last year and has n't been implemented yet . mugabe 's birthday falls on february 21 but his party loyalists postponed the celebrations as they were raising money for the event . i think it is going to be a great day for the legend and icon whose birthday we are celebrating today here , ' said mugabe 's nephew patrick zhuwawo , one of the fund-raisers for the birthday . the country might be having problems , but we need to have a day to honor the sacrifices the president has made for this country . ' what do you think about the celebrations ? zhuwawo said about 100 beasts would be slaughtered for the birthday bash . ireport.com : what do you think about mugabe 's lavish party ? mugabe also invited schoolchildren from around the country to attend the party , being held at chinhoyi university . the farming town of chinhoyi is usually quiet , but saturday 's event has changed everything . cars with mugabe 's supporters could be seen hooting and some zanu-pf supporters sang mugabe 's praises . a banner in chinhoyi read , age ai n't nothing but a number . ' mugabe invited tsvangirai , his new partner in a power-sharing government , but a tsvangirai spokesman said the opposition party leader turned it down . he said it is political party function , with most of the attendees being zanu-pf elite . as the prime minister , tsvangirai is not obligated to attend , the spokesman said . the spokesman would not acknowledge whether tsvangirai had initially agreed to attend , but it was widely reported in zimbabwean media that he had agreed to do so . mr. tsvangirai has other commitments , as far as i know , ' said nelson chamisa , a spokesman for tsvangirai 's movement for democratic change . tsvangirai last year said mugabe 's birthday party was a gathering of the satisfied few . ' but at that point , he and the president were preparing to face off in a hotly contested presidential election . as saturday 's celebrations began in a carnival atmosphere , just less than a kilometer ( 0.62 miles ) away stood a deserted chinhoyi government hospital -- a reflection of the country 's dire health situation . a few nurses are attending to patients . there are no medicines . these patients have no option but to come here , but there is nothing we can do , ' said one nurse at the hospital . on friday tsvangirai visited harare hospital , one of the country 's biggest , and said its intensive care unit will need $ 30,000 in order to start operating again after a funding shortage . once a darling of zimbabwe , mugabe is blamed for driving the country into a meltdown . a cholera epidemic that broke out in august has since hit every corner of the country , killing 3,731 people and infecting nearly 80,000 , according to the world health organization , which quoted zimbabwe 's ministry of health . the preventable disease has spread through zimbabwe 's 10 provinces through lack of access to clean water , faulty sewage systems , and uncollected refuse , according to medecins sans frontieres ( doctors without borders ) , which released a report this month on the outbreak . the problems , msf said , are clear symptoms of the breakdown in infrastructure resulting from zimbabwe 's political and economic meltdown . ' on sunday , tsvangirai appealed to the international community to help zimbabwe 's crippled economy , saying it would take $ 5 billion to stabilize the country . the cholera outbreak has worsened zimbabwe 's economic crisis . failed government policies and an acute food shortage because of years of poor agricultural production and widespread corruption have ravaged the currency of zimbabwe , which has the world 's highest inflation rate . cnn 's nkepile mabuse contributed to this report . | zimbabwe is struggling to cope with a cholera epidemic due to funding shortages |
mugabe <tsp> chinhoyi , zimbabwe ( cnn ) -- zimbabwe president robert mugabe was celebrating his 85th birthday with a lavish all-day party saturday despite the fact that the country is gripped by an economic and health crisis . president robert mugabe and his wife , grace , attend a cake-cutting ceremony for his birthday saturday . mugabe 's zanu-pf party said it raised at least $ 250,000 to hold the party in mugabe 's hometown of chinhoyi , about 120 kilometers ( 75 miles ) outside of the capital , harare . critics of the president say the country is desperate for that amount of money to be spent instead on its citizens , who are suffering from a cholera outbreak , food shortages , and spiraling hyperinflation . on friday , prime minister morgan tsvangirai visited a hospital 's closed intensive care unit that he said needed $ 30,000 to resume operating . during the celebrations , mugabe announced that his controversial land reform would not be reversed . the program is designed to have white-owned farms given to blacks , and there have been violent seizures of such farms since the program began in 2000 . watch mugabe 's birthday bash » he emphasized that the country 's indigenization program ' -- which forces all major foreign companies operating in zimbabwe to have at least 51 percent black ownership -- will be carried out . it began last year and has n't been implemented yet . mugabe 's birthday falls on february 21 but his party loyalists postponed the celebrations as they were raising money for the event . i think it is going to be a great day for the legend and icon whose birthday we are celebrating today here , ' said mugabe 's nephew patrick zhuwawo , one of the fund-raisers for the birthday . the country might be having problems , but we need to have a day to honor the sacrifices the president has made for this country . ' what do you think about the celebrations ? zhuwawo said about 100 beasts would be slaughtered for the birthday bash . ireport.com : what do you think about mugabe 's lavish party ? mugabe also invited schoolchildren from around the country to attend the party , being held at chinhoyi university . the farming town of chinhoyi is usually quiet , but saturday 's event has changed everything . cars with mugabe 's supporters could be seen hooting and some zanu-pf supporters sang mugabe 's praises . a banner in chinhoyi read , age ai n't nothing but a number . ' mugabe invited tsvangirai , his new partner in a power-sharing government , but a tsvangirai spokesman said the opposition party leader turned it down . he said it is political party function , with most of the attendees being zanu-pf elite . as the prime minister , tsvangirai is not obligated to attend , the spokesman said . the spokesman would not acknowledge whether tsvangirai had initially agreed to attend , but it was widely reported in zimbabwean media that he had agreed to do so . mr. tsvangirai has other commitments , as far as i know , ' said nelson chamisa , a spokesman for tsvangirai 's movement for democratic change . tsvangirai last year said mugabe 's birthday party was a gathering of the satisfied few . ' but at that point , he and the president were preparing to face off in a hotly contested presidential election . as saturday 's celebrations began in a carnival atmosphere , just less than a kilometer ( 0.62 miles ) away stood a deserted chinhoyi government hospital -- a reflection of the country 's dire health situation . a few nurses are attending to patients . there are no medicines . these patients have no option but to come here , but there is nothing we can do , ' said one nurse at the hospital . on friday tsvangirai visited harare hospital , one of the country 's biggest , and said its intensive care unit will need $ 30,000 in order to start operating again after a funding shortage . once a darling of zimbabwe , mugabe is blamed for driving the country into a meltdown . a cholera epidemic that broke out in august has since hit every corner of the country , killing 3,731 people and infecting nearly 80,000 , according to the world health organization , which quoted zimbabwe 's ministry of health . the preventable disease has spread through zimbabwe 's 10 provinces through lack of access to clean water , faulty sewage systems , and uncollected refuse , according to medecins sans frontieres ( doctors without borders ) , which released a report this month on the outbreak . the problems , msf said , are clear symptoms of the breakdown in infrastructure resulting from zimbabwe 's political and economic meltdown . ' on sunday , tsvangirai appealed to the international community to help zimbabwe 's crippled economy , saying it would take $ 5 billion to stabilize the country . the cholera outbreak has worsened zimbabwe 's economic crisis . failed government policies and an acute food shortage because of years of poor agricultural production and widespread corruption have ravaged the currency of zimbabwe , which has the world 's highest inflation rate . cnn 's nkepile mabuse contributed to this report . | new : at party mugabe said controversial land reform would not be reversed |
mugabe <tsp> chinhoyi , zimbabwe ( cnn ) -- zimbabwe president robert mugabe was celebrating his 85th birthday with a lavish all-day party saturday despite the fact that the country is gripped by an economic and health crisis . president robert mugabe and his wife , grace , attend a cake-cutting ceremony for his birthday saturday . mugabe 's zanu-pf party said it raised at least $ 250,000 to hold the party in mugabe 's hometown of chinhoyi , about 120 kilometers ( 75 miles ) outside of the capital , harare . critics of the president say the country is desperate for that amount of money to be spent instead on its citizens , who are suffering from a cholera outbreak , food shortages , and spiraling hyperinflation . on friday , prime minister morgan tsvangirai visited a hospital 's closed intensive care unit that he said needed $ 30,000 to resume operating . during the celebrations , mugabe announced that his controversial land reform would not be reversed . the program is designed to have white-owned farms given to blacks , and there have been violent seizures of such farms since the program began in 2000 . watch mugabe 's birthday bash » he emphasized that the country 's indigenization program ' -- which forces all major foreign companies operating in zimbabwe to have at least 51 percent black ownership -- will be carried out . it began last year and has n't been implemented yet . mugabe 's birthday falls on february 21 but his party loyalists postponed the celebrations as they were raising money for the event . i think it is going to be a great day for the legend and icon whose birthday we are celebrating today here , ' said mugabe 's nephew patrick zhuwawo , one of the fund-raisers for the birthday . the country might be having problems , but we need to have a day to honor the sacrifices the president has made for this country . ' what do you think about the celebrations ? zhuwawo said about 100 beasts would be slaughtered for the birthday bash . ireport.com : what do you think about mugabe 's lavish party ? mugabe also invited schoolchildren from around the country to attend the party , being held at chinhoyi university . the farming town of chinhoyi is usually quiet , but saturday 's event has changed everything . cars with mugabe 's supporters could be seen hooting and some zanu-pf supporters sang mugabe 's praises . a banner in chinhoyi read , age ai n't nothing but a number . ' mugabe invited tsvangirai , his new partner in a power-sharing government , but a tsvangirai spokesman said the opposition party leader turned it down . he said it is political party function , with most of the attendees being zanu-pf elite . as the prime minister , tsvangirai is not obligated to attend , the spokesman said . the spokesman would not acknowledge whether tsvangirai had initially agreed to attend , but it was widely reported in zimbabwean media that he had agreed to do so . mr. tsvangirai has other commitments , as far as i know , ' said nelson chamisa , a spokesman for tsvangirai 's movement for democratic change . tsvangirai last year said mugabe 's birthday party was a gathering of the satisfied few . ' but at that point , he and the president were preparing to face off in a hotly contested presidential election . as saturday 's celebrations began in a carnival atmosphere , just less than a kilometer ( 0.62 miles ) away stood a deserted chinhoyi government hospital -- a reflection of the country 's dire health situation . a few nurses are attending to patients . there are no medicines . these patients have no option but to come here , but there is nothing we can do , ' said one nurse at the hospital . on friday tsvangirai visited harare hospital , one of the country 's biggest , and said its intensive care unit will need $ 30,000 in order to start operating again after a funding shortage . once a darling of zimbabwe , mugabe is blamed for driving the country into a meltdown . a cholera epidemic that broke out in august has since hit every corner of the country , killing 3,731 people and infecting nearly 80,000 , according to the world health organization , which quoted zimbabwe 's ministry of health . the preventable disease has spread through zimbabwe 's 10 provinces through lack of access to clean water , faulty sewage systems , and uncollected refuse , according to medecins sans frontieres ( doctors without borders ) , which released a report this month on the outbreak . the problems , msf said , are clear symptoms of the breakdown in infrastructure resulting from zimbabwe 's political and economic meltdown . ' on sunday , tsvangirai appealed to the international community to help zimbabwe 's crippled economy , saying it would take $ 5 billion to stabilize the country . the cholera outbreak has worsened zimbabwe 's economic crisis . failed government policies and an acute food shortage because of years of poor agricultural production and widespread corruption have ravaged the currency of zimbabwe , which has the world 's highest inflation rate . cnn 's nkepile mabuse contributed to this report . | mugabe 's zanu-pf raised $ 250,000 in order to hold the party |
apoel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- football 's version of the fabled david vs. goliath battle will begin on tuesday as europe 's top club competition kicks off its quarterfinal stage . in one corner , modern-day giants real madrid -- one of the richest sporting teams in the world , with a squad featuring the planet 's most expensive player , cristiano ronaldo . seeking to find a suitable slingshot are the players of apoel nicosia , a tiny cypriot club playing in the last eight of the uefa champions league for the first time -- indeed , being the first team from the mediterranean island to even reach the knockout stage . the gulf in pedigree between the two teams is immense . real , with revenue of more than €400 million ( $ 530 million ) last year , will seek to notch a record 200th win in the competition in the first leg in nicosia . the spanish league leaders last won the competition in 2002 , but have an unmatched nine crowns since the first staging in 1955-56 . apoel have a yearly budget of €9 million ( $ 12 million ) and a squad featuring no big names , bolstered by several south americans . both teams have a brazilian player named kaka -- real 's is an $ 85 million former world player of the year , while apoel 's is a defender on loan from german club hertha berlin who also played for the club 's nicosia rivals omonia in 2010 . they have another thing in common , this time an argentine link which further highlights the clubs'different worlds . santiago solari was a midfielder who enjoyed a glittering career which saw him win the champions league with real in 2002 and spanish league titles in 2001 and 2003 . but while santiago played alongside galacticos ' such as zinedine zidane , luis figo and brazilian world cup winner ronaldo , his younger brother esteban solari was beginning his career with buenos aires club defensa y justice . santiago turned out for historic teams such as argentina 's river plate and italy 's inter milan during 15 years as a player , but esteban has enjoyed a more modest career . the 31-year-old has played for nine clubs across three continents , waiting patiently for the chance to step out of his sibling 's shadow . i spoke to my brother and other members of my family after the draw , ' esteban solari told uefa 's official website . we spoke a bit about the history of the club ( real ) and who they are . but that does n't change my feelings about this tie with respects to my brother having played for them . i go into this game just like any other player in the team . we are confident and we believe in ourselves . ' apoel , who have played just 49 champions league matches compared to real 's record total of 343 , have already upset the odds to make it this far in the competition . ivan jovanovic 's team finished top of a group which contained russia 's zenit st. petersburg , portuguese champions porto and ukrainian title winners shakhtar donetsk -- three teams who have all tasted glory in the second-tier europa league in the last four years . apoel 's unlikely run continued in the round of 16 with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over former french champions lyon -- who had reached the knockout stages in each of the previous eight seasons . esteban solari hopes his brother would not begrudge apoel a semifinal berth , where the minnows would face either 1993 winners marseille of france or germany 's four-time european champions and 2012 final hosts bayern munich . my brother is obviously a big supporter of real and he will be hoping that they can go on to lift the trophy , ' the striker said . but somehow , i believe there will be a piece of his heart rooting for my team as well . ' real will be motivated by the prospect of an el clasico ' final against archrivals and champions league holders barcelona , after the two teams were kept apart in the quarterfinal and semifinal draw earlier this month . barca , who beat real in the semifinals last year before going on to defeat manchester united in the final , face a heavyweight clash against italy 's seven-time winners ac milan on wednesday . tuesday 's other quarterfinal tie pits 2008 runners-up chelsea -- who have enjoyed an upturn in domestic form since sacking manager andre villas-boas earlier this month -- against portugal 's benfica , who lifted the european cup twice in the 1960s . | apoel are the first cypriot team to have reached the champions league knockout stages |
apoel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- football 's version of the fabled david vs. goliath battle will begin on tuesday as europe 's top club competition kicks off its quarterfinal stage . in one corner , modern-day giants real madrid -- one of the richest sporting teams in the world , with a squad featuring the planet 's most expensive player , cristiano ronaldo . seeking to find a suitable slingshot are the players of apoel nicosia , a tiny cypriot club playing in the last eight of the uefa champions league for the first time -- indeed , being the first team from the mediterranean island to even reach the knockout stage . the gulf in pedigree between the two teams is immense . real , with revenue of more than €400 million ( $ 530 million ) last year , will seek to notch a record 200th win in the competition in the first leg in nicosia . the spanish league leaders last won the competition in 2002 , but have an unmatched nine crowns since the first staging in 1955-56 . apoel have a yearly budget of €9 million ( $ 12 million ) and a squad featuring no big names , bolstered by several south americans . both teams have a brazilian player named kaka -- real 's is an $ 85 million former world player of the year , while apoel 's is a defender on loan from german club hertha berlin who also played for the club 's nicosia rivals omonia in 2010 . they have another thing in common , this time an argentine link which further highlights the clubs'different worlds . santiago solari was a midfielder who enjoyed a glittering career which saw him win the champions league with real in 2002 and spanish league titles in 2001 and 2003 . but while santiago played alongside galacticos ' such as zinedine zidane , luis figo and brazilian world cup winner ronaldo , his younger brother esteban solari was beginning his career with buenos aires club defensa y justice . santiago turned out for historic teams such as argentina 's river plate and italy 's inter milan during 15 years as a player , but esteban has enjoyed a more modest career . the 31-year-old has played for nine clubs across three continents , waiting patiently for the chance to step out of his sibling 's shadow . i spoke to my brother and other members of my family after the draw , ' esteban solari told uefa 's official website . we spoke a bit about the history of the club ( real ) and who they are . but that does n't change my feelings about this tie with respects to my brother having played for them . i go into this game just like any other player in the team . we are confident and we believe in ourselves . ' apoel , who have played just 49 champions league matches compared to real 's record total of 343 , have already upset the odds to make it this far in the competition . ivan jovanovic 's team finished top of a group which contained russia 's zenit st. petersburg , portuguese champions porto and ukrainian title winners shakhtar donetsk -- three teams who have all tasted glory in the second-tier europa league in the last four years . apoel 's unlikely run continued in the round of 16 with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over former french champions lyon -- who had reached the knockout stages in each of the previous eight seasons . esteban solari hopes his brother would not begrudge apoel a semifinal berth , where the minnows would face either 1993 winners marseille of france or germany 's four-time european champions and 2012 final hosts bayern munich . my brother is obviously a big supporter of real and he will be hoping that they can go on to lift the trophy , ' the striker said . but somehow , i believe there will be a piece of his heart rooting for my team as well . ' real will be motivated by the prospect of an el clasico ' final against archrivals and champions league holders barcelona , after the two teams were kept apart in the quarterfinal and semifinal draw earlier this month . barca , who beat real in the semifinals last year before going on to defeat manchester united in the final , face a heavyweight clash against italy 's seven-time winners ac milan on wednesday . tuesday 's other quarterfinal tie pits 2008 runners-up chelsea -- who have enjoyed an upturn in domestic form since sacking manager andre villas-boas earlier this month -- against portugal 's benfica , who lifted the european cup twice in the 1960s . | real have played 343 matches in the competition , apoel have played just 49 |
apoel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- football 's version of the fabled david vs. goliath battle will begin on tuesday as europe 's top club competition kicks off its quarterfinal stage . in one corner , modern-day giants real madrid -- one of the richest sporting teams in the world , with a squad featuring the planet 's most expensive player , cristiano ronaldo . seeking to find a suitable slingshot are the players of apoel nicosia , a tiny cypriot club playing in the last eight of the uefa champions league for the first time -- indeed , being the first team from the mediterranean island to even reach the knockout stage . the gulf in pedigree between the two teams is immense . real , with revenue of more than €400 million ( $ 530 million ) last year , will seek to notch a record 200th win in the competition in the first leg in nicosia . the spanish league leaders last won the competition in 2002 , but have an unmatched nine crowns since the first staging in 1955-56 . apoel have a yearly budget of €9 million ( $ 12 million ) and a squad featuring no big names , bolstered by several south americans . both teams have a brazilian player named kaka -- real 's is an $ 85 million former world player of the year , while apoel 's is a defender on loan from german club hertha berlin who also played for the club 's nicosia rivals omonia in 2010 . they have another thing in common , this time an argentine link which further highlights the clubs'different worlds . santiago solari was a midfielder who enjoyed a glittering career which saw him win the champions league with real in 2002 and spanish league titles in 2001 and 2003 . but while santiago played alongside galacticos ' such as zinedine zidane , luis figo and brazilian world cup winner ronaldo , his younger brother esteban solari was beginning his career with buenos aires club defensa y justice . santiago turned out for historic teams such as argentina 's river plate and italy 's inter milan during 15 years as a player , but esteban has enjoyed a more modest career . the 31-year-old has played for nine clubs across three continents , waiting patiently for the chance to step out of his sibling 's shadow . i spoke to my brother and other members of my family after the draw , ' esteban solari told uefa 's official website . we spoke a bit about the history of the club ( real ) and who they are . but that does n't change my feelings about this tie with respects to my brother having played for them . i go into this game just like any other player in the team . we are confident and we believe in ourselves . ' apoel , who have played just 49 champions league matches compared to real 's record total of 343 , have already upset the odds to make it this far in the competition . ivan jovanovic 's team finished top of a group which contained russia 's zenit st. petersburg , portuguese champions porto and ukrainian title winners shakhtar donetsk -- three teams who have all tasted glory in the second-tier europa league in the last four years . apoel 's unlikely run continued in the round of 16 with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over former french champions lyon -- who had reached the knockout stages in each of the previous eight seasons . esteban solari hopes his brother would not begrudge apoel a semifinal berth , where the minnows would face either 1993 winners marseille of france or germany 's four-time european champions and 2012 final hosts bayern munich . my brother is obviously a big supporter of real and he will be hoping that they can go on to lift the trophy , ' the striker said . but somehow , i believe there will be a piece of his heart rooting for my team as well . ' real will be motivated by the prospect of an el clasico ' final against archrivals and champions league holders barcelona , after the two teams were kept apart in the quarterfinal and semifinal draw earlier this month . barca , who beat real in the semifinals last year before going on to defeat manchester united in the final , face a heavyweight clash against italy 's seven-time winners ac milan on wednesday . tuesday 's other quarterfinal tie pits 2008 runners-up chelsea -- who have enjoyed an upturn in domestic form since sacking manager andre villas-boas earlier this month -- against portugal 's benfica , who lifted the european cup twice in the 1960s . | spanish giants real madrid take on cypriot minnows apoel nicosia on tuesday |
jo-wilfried tsonga <tsp> ( cnn ) -- serena williams maintained her dominance of denmark 's former world number one caroline wozniacki with a typical fightback in the quarterfinals of the rogers cup in montreal . williams has only lost once to wozniacki in eight meetings , back in 2012 , but looked in danger of a rare defeat when she trailed a set and 4-2 . the world number one fell 15-30 on her next service game before hammering home one of her 15 aces of the day on the way to a run of 10 straight points to level at 4-4 . a further break of service saw williams take the second set and she led 2-0 and 4-2 in the decider . wozniacki , who was playing some of her best tennis of the year , twice leveled but the top seed pulled ahead again to close out the match 4-6 7-5 7-5 in two hours 41 minutes . it was to set up a semifinal match with her elder sister venus , who later also came from a set down to beat carla suarez navarro . the spaniard had put out maria sharapova in the last 16 and she led williams a set and 2-0 before the seven-time grand slam champion hit back . she won 10 of the next 11 games to go 4-1 up in the decider and although navarro briefly rallied she was always trailing . venus eventually closed it out 4-6 6-2 6-3 in two hours 11 minutes to earn her 25th career match up with serena , who leads 14-10 in wins . at the men 's rogers cup tournament , the masters 1000 event in toronto , jo-wilfried tsonga continued his fine run with a three-set victory over former wimbledon champion andy murray . 13th seed tsonga had won the first set on a tiebreak , but after murray had leveled at one set all , the frenchman trailed 0-3 in the decider and looked set to go out . however , he rallied to win six of the next seven games to reach the semifinals . tsonga , who beat top seed novak djokovic in the previous round , will take bulgaria 's rising your star grigor dimitrov for a place in the final . dimitrov , the seventh seed , accounted for south africa 's kevin anderson in a marathon three-setter 5-7 7-5 7-6 . | jo-wilfried tsonga extends fine run at toronto masters 1000 event |
montreal <tsp> ( cnn ) -- serena williams maintained her dominance of denmark 's former world number one caroline wozniacki with a typical fightback in the quarterfinals of the rogers cup in montreal . williams has only lost once to wozniacki in eight meetings , back in 2012 , but looked in danger of a rare defeat when she trailed a set and 4-2 . the world number one fell 15-30 on her next service game before hammering home one of her 15 aces of the day on the way to a run of 10 straight points to level at 4-4 . a further break of service saw williams take the second set and she led 2-0 and 4-2 in the decider . wozniacki , who was playing some of her best tennis of the year , twice leveled but the top seed pulled ahead again to close out the match 4-6 7-5 7-5 in two hours 41 minutes . it was to set up a semifinal match with her elder sister venus , who later also came from a set down to beat carla suarez navarro . the spaniard had put out maria sharapova in the last 16 and she led williams a set and 2-0 before the seven-time grand slam champion hit back . she won 10 of the next 11 games to go 4-1 up in the decider and although navarro briefly rallied she was always trailing . venus eventually closed it out 4-6 6-2 6-3 in two hours 11 minutes to earn her 25th career match up with serena , who leads 14-10 in wins . at the men 's rogers cup tournament , the masters 1000 event in toronto , jo-wilfried tsonga continued his fine run with a three-set victory over former wimbledon champion andy murray . 13th seed tsonga had won the first set on a tiebreak , but after murray had leveled at one set all , the frenchman trailed 0-3 in the decider and looked set to go out . however , he rallied to win six of the next seven games to reach the semifinals . tsonga , who beat top seed novak djokovic in the previous round , will take bulgaria 's rising your star grigor dimitrov for a place in the final . dimitrov , the seventh seed , accounted for south africa 's kevin anderson in a marathon three-setter 5-7 7-5 7-6 . | serena williams beats caroline wozniacki in montreal |
kenya <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after years of setbacks and controversies , the kenyan deputy president went on trial tuesday at the international criminal court in the netherlands for alleged crimes against humanity . william ruto denied charges that include murder and persecution for allegedly orchestrating attacks that left more than 1,000 people dead after the disputed presidential election nearly six years ago . can mobiles help stop kenya election violence ? his boss , president uhuru kenyatta , has been indicted on similar charges and is set to appear before the court in the hague in november . a third suspect , radio personality joshua arap sang , is being tried alongside ruto on the same charges . he also denies the accusations against him . in addition to the deaths , hundreds of thousands were displaced when ethnic groups loyal to leading candidates in the december 2007 election torched homes and hacked rivals to death . kenyatta and ruto have denied accusations that they coordinated violence among their respective ethnic groups after the disputed 2007 election . in one of a number of setbacks in the run-up to the trial , the kenyan parliament voted last week to withdraw from the icc 's jurisdiction , a move that would take a while to implement because it involves various steps , including a formal notification to the united nations . the international criminal court said the trials would proceed despite the withdrawal . in her opening statement , the icc 's top prosecutor , fatou bensouda , said the prosecution would demonstrate that ruto and his powerful allies sought to exploit the country 's tensions for their own political and personal ends . the evidence would show that the outbreaks of violence were not just random and spontaneous acts of brutality -- on the contrary , this was a carefully planned , coordinated and executed campaign of violence ' that targeted perceived supporters of the ruling pnu party , she said . mr. ruto 's ultimate goal was to seize power for himself and his party through violent means , ' if they failed to do so through the ballot box , she said . to do so , ruto built up a network of influential allies from the kalenjin ethnic group and recruited kalenjin youths to take part in attacks , the prosecution said . he and sang , a popular radio presenter , then both used public platforms to stir up sentiment against the kikuyu ethnic group in the rift valley . sang used his prime-time radio show to help ruto and his allies to broadcast anti-kikuyu rhetoric and even helped to coordinate attacks through coded messages , ' and in this way contributed to the violence , bensouda said . defense : ruto is an innocent man opening for the defense , lawyer karim khan said that the case against ruto was based on an exceptionally deficient ' investigation and that the deputy president should never have been accused . khan said an inquiry would be needed at the end of a trial , to ask how was it that someone innocent has come before this court to answer charges that will be shown to be patently false ? ' he said there was a rotten underbelly ' to the prosecution 's investigation , chiefly conducted under former icc prosecutor luis moreno-ocampo , which khan said had failed to recognize the lying witnesses ' directing untrue accusations against his client . the icc investigation was set up to target ruto he said , and sought to squeeze evidence into that box , however uncomfortable , however ill-fitting , however bizarre . ' khan said his client deserved praise for being the first serving deputy head of state to come willingly before the icc to face charges . ruto 's electoral record demonstrated that he appealed to voters across ethnic groups and had no antipathy toward the kikuyu ethnic group , the lawyer said . his whole reason for being in politics was to serve the whole of kenya , khan added . a lawyer for sang will give his opening statement wednesday , the court said .'atrocities ... pain and suffering' a representative of the victims of the violence in late 2007 and early 2008 told the court that those affected included many women , children and elderly people . the unrest left more than 400,000 forcibly displaced from their homes , besides the hundreds who lost their lives , wilfred nderitu told the court . he represents more than 300 victims of the violence in the case . one victim was quoted as saying : if there were no victims , there would be no case . if there was no suffering , would there be any reason to accuse the accused ? we are the ones who experienced the atrocities the court cites , because there were atrocities , and there was pain and suffering by the victims . ' the trial is being held before presiding judge chile eboe-osuji , from nigeria , with judges olga herrera carbuccia and robert fremr , from the dominican republic and czech republic , respectively . it is expected to last for several months . avoiding a power vacuum after the disastrous 2007 election , kenyatta and ruto teamed up and formed a coalition , which won the most recent poll held this year . jittery western nations watched as the two took office in april , raising the prospect of complicated diplomatic ties . kenyatta maintains that they will cooperate with the court to clear their names and has asked that their proceedings be held on different days to avoid a power vacuum . we will work with icc , but it must understand that kenya has a constitution . ruto and myself can not therefore be away at the same time , ' he said . the court has encountered a number of obstacles leading up to the trial . charges against three other suspects were dropped for lack of evidence after witnesses dropped out or recanted their testimonies . bensouda has previously said that some of the witnesses , including a few who were set to testify against both leaders , pulled out because of intimidation . lawyers for kenyatta and ruto have denied any witness intimidation . stepping in the icc was set up in 2002 to try claims of genocide , crimes against humanity and war crimes . kenya 's previous administration reneged on a deal to set up a special tribunal to try suspects in the post-election violence , forcing the international court to step in . the icc is not , under any circumstances , a substitute for domestic criminal justice systems ; it only intervenes if the national judicial system is either unwilling or unable to ensure that justice is done , ' the court said in a statement . that message was repeated by the prosecutor in her opening statement . the icc intervened only after the kenyan efforts to establish a domestic mechanism to investigate the violence failed , ' bensouda said . ahead of the trial , rights group amnesty international urged kenyan authorities to cooperate fully with the icc to ensure a fair and effective process for those directly involved in the case , and for the kenyan people . six years after post-election violence rocked the country , it is high time to prioritize the pursuit of justice for the hundreds and thousands of people who lost their lives or homes , ' said netsanet belay , amnesty international 's africa program director . the government 's recent efforts to politicize the icc trials are deplorable , and must not be allowed to affect the commencement and future proceedings of this landmark trial . the authorities should focus their energy on ensuring justice , truth and reparation for the victims of many other crimes that the icc is not able to deal with . ' eyes on kenya kenya is the second african nation after sudan to have a sitting president facing charges at the international criminal court . it is east africa 's biggest economy and a crucial trade route into the rest of the continent , so neighboring nations are watching the trial keenly . kenya provides an important buffer of stability in a region that includes the fledgling somali government and the politically tense sudan and south sudan . most importantly -- at least to the west -- kenya is a major u.s. ally in the war against islamist militants in the region and has remained relatively peaceful amid civil wars in neighboring nations . the first phase of ruto 's trial is expected to end on october 4 . | william ruto is on trial at the hague over the 2007 post-election violence in kenya |
beijing <tsp> ( financial times ) -- china 's smog-ridden capital issued an unprecedented set of new anti-pollution measures at the weekend , as the authorities scramble to respond to rising public pressure over the city 's deteriorating air quality . the far-reaching measures target everything from outdoor barbecues and dusty construction sites , to paint fumes and idling car engines , representing the city 's broadest effort yet to fight the persistent pollution haze over beijing . the beijing city government published a draft of the new rules on its website on saturday and asked for public feedback -- an unusual step that illustrates how carefully the government is treading around the hot-button issue . earlier this month , an episode of extraordinarily bad pollution in beijing sparked public outcry over air quality , as well as causing a sudden increase in hospital admissions for respiratory illnesses and heart attacks . china 's double-digit economic growth in the past three decades has been accompanied by widespread environmental degradation , of which air pollution in the capital has become the latest , and most visible , symbol . although the beijing city government has in the past tried to conceal its pollution problem by manipulating air quality data , public pressure has forced it adopt a radically more open stance . the city government now publishes hourly pollution data and even pollution forecasts to help citizens deal with the haze . in a sign of the growing severity of the problem , the new regulations published on saturday describe emergency measures ' for days when pollution becomes a danger to human health ' , including mandatory factory closures and restrictions on vehicles . the draft rules also outline a new cap-and-trade scheme for key pollutants , and will require the largest culprits to publicly disclose their emissions -- which environmentalists said was a step toward greater transparency . the draft law it is really trying to tackle the issue in a proactive way , trying to tackle the pollution at its source , ' said ma jun , a prominent environmentalist in beijing and author of china 's water crisis . however , he added that firm implementation of the rules , which has thwarted similar environmental laws in the past , would continue to be a challenge . the draft regulations , which span dozens of pages , also describe a range of smaller measures that could change some of the key features of life in the capital , if strictly implemented . restaurants and caterers will be banned from burning coal -- a measure that will threaten beijing 's beloved lamb kebabs , known as yangrou chuan . vehicles will be prohibited from idling their engines for more than three minutes if parked near a school or a hospital , and cars will be subject to random testing for emissions compliance . some parts of the new regulations simply reiterate rules that were already in place -- such as requirements for dust-control measures at construction sites -- but have been poorly implemented because the environmental authorities have lacked clout . to make this happen the key thing is oversight , ' said zhou rong , air pollution specialist at greenpeace in beijing . the government put this up on the web because they understand that everyone is watching this issue -- this is a big improvement . ' © the financial times limited 2013 | earlier this month , an episode of extraordinarily bad pollution in beijing sparked public outcry |
beijing <tsp> ( financial times ) -- china 's smog-ridden capital issued an unprecedented set of new anti-pollution measures at the weekend , as the authorities scramble to respond to rising public pressure over the city 's deteriorating air quality . the far-reaching measures target everything from outdoor barbecues and dusty construction sites , to paint fumes and idling car engines , representing the city 's broadest effort yet to fight the persistent pollution haze over beijing . the beijing city government published a draft of the new rules on its website on saturday and asked for public feedback -- an unusual step that illustrates how carefully the government is treading around the hot-button issue . earlier this month , an episode of extraordinarily bad pollution in beijing sparked public outcry over air quality , as well as causing a sudden increase in hospital admissions for respiratory illnesses and heart attacks . china 's double-digit economic growth in the past three decades has been accompanied by widespread environmental degradation , of which air pollution in the capital has become the latest , and most visible , symbol . although the beijing city government has in the past tried to conceal its pollution problem by manipulating air quality data , public pressure has forced it adopt a radically more open stance . the city government now publishes hourly pollution data and even pollution forecasts to help citizens deal with the haze . in a sign of the growing severity of the problem , the new regulations published on saturday describe emergency measures ' for days when pollution becomes a danger to human health ' , including mandatory factory closures and restrictions on vehicles . the draft rules also outline a new cap-and-trade scheme for key pollutants , and will require the largest culprits to publicly disclose their emissions -- which environmentalists said was a step toward greater transparency . the draft law it is really trying to tackle the issue in a proactive way , trying to tackle the pollution at its source , ' said ma jun , a prominent environmentalist in beijing and author of china 's water crisis . however , he added that firm implementation of the rules , which has thwarted similar environmental laws in the past , would continue to be a challenge . the draft regulations , which span dozens of pages , also describe a range of smaller measures that could change some of the key features of life in the capital , if strictly implemented . restaurants and caterers will be banned from burning coal -- a measure that will threaten beijing 's beloved lamb kebabs , known as yangrou chuan . vehicles will be prohibited from idling their engines for more than three minutes if parked near a school or a hospital , and cars will be subject to random testing for emissions compliance . some parts of the new regulations simply reiterate rules that were already in place -- such as requirements for dust-control measures at construction sites -- but have been poorly implemented because the environmental authorities have lacked clout . to make this happen the key thing is oversight , ' said zhou rong , air pollution specialist at greenpeace in beijing . the government put this up on the web because they understand that everyone is watching this issue -- this is a big improvement . ' © the financial times limited 2013 | beijing published a draft of the new rules on its website on saturday and asked for public feedback |
british <tsp> pakistani police are searching for two youths suspected of shooting a teenage activist for girls'education and the man they believe drove them to the scene , the country 's interior minister said sunday . the guys who actually made this assassination attempt , they were two young boys , ' rehman malik said . but he said they were brought to malala yousufzai 's hometown of swat by atta ullah khan , a 23-year-old man identified by police as their primary suspect . malik said one of the youths distracted the driver of the car that carried malala , while the other asked a bystander to identify her . obviously they had done their homework , ' malik told cnn in london . they had seen the vehicle of malala going up and down , and accordingly they acted on that . ' messages for malala police said last week that they had arrested six men in connection with the shooting , but were still searching for khan , who was studying for a master 's degree in chemistry . malik defended the investigation into the shooting , telling cnn , within 24 hours we were in a position to identify almost everybody . ' and he rejected calls from some in pakistan to bring the country 's military to bear on the attackers , saying a military solution is not the solution . ' the 15-year-old malala initially gained international attention in 2009 , writing a blog about her life as the taliban gained a foothold in her home region , in northwest pakistan near the border with afghanistan . taliban leaders claimed responsibility for the shooting , but they do n't appear to have anticipated the level of condemnation it would provoke . thousands of people in pakistan and elsewhere have attended rallies and vigils honoring her courage and praying for her recovery . malik called her the pride of pakistan ' and said we would love her to come back . ' he said police had offered to protect malala three times before the incident , but her father had refused . he said her entire family would be under guard when they return to pakistan after her treatment , for which the government will pay . he said that will require two cordons of police -- female officers to surround malala , with male officers surrounding the female contingent . but he added , i assure to the world community that when she goes back , we do have the ability to protect her . ' malik is scheduled to visit malala on monday in her hospital in birmingham , england , where she is recovering from her head wound . he 'll also meet with the foreign ministers of britain and the united arab emirates , which provided the air ambulance that flew malala to the united kingdom . malala was shot at point-blank range while on her way home from school on october 9 . she was flown to britain six days later . her father , ziauddin yousufzai , visited her in birmingham last week and described her survival as a miracle for us . ' malik said she and her parents can stay in the uk as long as needed , until she is fully rehabilitated . ' he said she had asked for her school books so she can study for exams , which he said will be given to her when she returns . | malala yousufzai is recovering from a head wound in a british hospital |
dozier school <tsp> miami , florida ( cnn ) -- their stories were chilling : students at a reform school recounted beatings and sexual assaults at the hands of school administrators and other employees who were supposed to be taking care of them . but a state investigation into the claims -- which date back to the 1950s and 1960s -- found insufficient evidence to prosecute any former workers at the dozier school for boys in marianna , florida . results of the investigation , which was conducted by the florida department of law enforcement at the request of gov . charlie crist , were released thursday . the fdle investigated allegations made by a group of men who said they were beaten and sexually abused when they attended the school about five decades ago . read the fdle 's final report state attorney glenn hess told the fdle he would not pursue any prosecutions in a letter dated february 25 . the primary obstacles to bringing criminal cases based on events alleged to have occurred more than 40 years ago are the constitutional rights to a speedy trial and to due process , ' hess wrote . florida 's statute placing time limitations on prosecutions must also be considered . in a nutshell , citizens are protected from being prosecuted for crimes that occurred so long ago that preparing a defense would be difficult or impossible . the claims provided here are an example , ' he said . the allegations against school workers were made by a group of men -- now in their 60s -- who call themselves the white house boys ' after a nondescript white concrete building on the school grounds where they say the beatings and torture were carried out , often with a thick leather strap . one member of the group , dick colon , told cnn the outcome of the investigation shows florida is running with a scam and everybody 's behind it . ' fdle is whitewashing this thing like you would n't believe , ' said colon , who was interviewed by the fdle in the investigation . colon said he was sent to the school for stealing cars , and went to the white house ' 11 times during his 30 months there , where he suffered unimaginable beatings . he remembers them as if they happened yesterday , he said . colon said he was forced to lie face-down on a blood-soaked pillow that had small pieces of lip , tongue and skin from the previous boy 's beating . he 'd clench the metal bar of the bed as the strap struck him . after that tick , you 'd go'aaaahh ,'and then you 'd grab that bar , and go'ooooohhhhhhh ,'and the spindles of the bed would bounce , and sometimes the bed would come off the ground , ' colon told cnn . the fdle said its investigators interviewed six former staff members from dozier and more than 100 former students and their relatives . but the agency acknowledged that most staff members who could have provided information have died . the report said there were inconsistent accounts from the men about various incidents , and a forensics examination of the white house ' building found no evidence of any blood . most of the former students interviewed during the investigation agreed that a wooden paddle or leather strap was used for punishment , the report said , but there was disagreement about the number of spankings and the severity . there was little to no evidence of visible residual scarring , ' the report said . with the passage of over 50 years , no tangible physical evidence was found to either support or refute the allegations of physical or sexual abuse , ' it added . hess cited another example in his letter , in which a former student said he had been sexually assaulted in a rape room , ' but then admitted he was not sure he had been raped . time has blunted even the accuser 's memory . due process demands that the accused be informed of the charge he is to answer with specificity . these claims do not suffice , ' hess wrote . crist also asked the agency to look into 32 unidentified graves on the school grounds . some of the accusers said the graves -- marked only by white steel crosses , rusted with the passage of time -- contained the bodies of boys who were beaten to death by school workers . but the fdle investigation announced findings in 2009 that it had accounted for all the students . enough information has been corroborated on who is buried there , ' mark perez , chief of investigations for the fdle , said in 2009 . we went and identified all of the individuals who perished while in custody . ' colon said he reacted to the beatings and other events he witnessed by burying the pain inside . he also said another boy 's terror has left him wrestling with his own best and worst instincts . he said he walked into the school 's laundry room one day and saw a black teenager inside a large tumble dryer that was running . he wanted to save the boy , colon said , and tried to talk himself into being brave . i said ,'do it ! do it ! do it !' he recalled , his eyes brimming with tears . and then i thought to myself ,'if you do it , they 're gon na put you in there . you 're gon na be next .'and i walked away . ' but the fdle report said there were inconsistencies in the story and a lack of evidence . they have no evidence , they say , of any deaths ? ' colon said angrily . when i told them i came out and saw this black boy in the dryer -- did i witness a death or a goddamn birthday party ? ' about 300 of the former reform school students sued former school administrators . the lawsuit was recently dismissed . we 're attempting to move forward with a claims bill in the florida state legislature to try and achieve justice for our clients , ' said gregory hoag , one of the students'attorneys . one of the men named in the original lawsuit is troy tidwell , a former reform school administrator , who still lives near the school grounds in marianna . tidwell refused to cooperate with the fdle investigation , the agency 's report said , because his cooperation could result in a criminal prosecution . now in his 80s , tidwell did give a videotaped deposition in the civil case last year . he said the boys at the school who misbehaved were spanked . ' never was a boy beat in my presence , ' he said . tidwell 's attorney did not respond to cnn 's calls for comment . colon says the fdle 's report about what happened at the school is wrong , and he wants to do his own investigation . we 're going to get some ground-penetrating radar , and we have guys who will go and find the bodies , ' he said . | state finds insufficient evidence to prosecute ex-workers at dozier school for boys |
ktvu <tsp> the national football league 's new domestic violence policy will be tested just three days after it was implemented by commissioner roger goodell . san jose , california , police arrested the san francisco 49ers'starting defensive end ray mcdonald on sunday on felony domestic violence charges . police say they responded at 2:48 a.m. to a reported incident , and after the domestic violence allegation was substantiated , ' they took the 6-foot-3 , 290 pound lineman into custody and booked him . cnn affiliate ktvu reports that several of mcdonald 's 49er teammates were at his house at the time of the arrest . the 49ers organization is aware of the recent reports regarding ray mcdonald and we take such matters seriously . as we continue to gather the facts , we will reserve further comment , ' team general manager trent baalke said in a statement . after he posted bail and was released from jail later sunday , mcdonald told ktvu he could n't say much about what happened . the truth will come out , ' he said . everybody knows what kind of person i am .... a good-hearted person . ' this is n't mcdonald 's first brush with the law , according to ktvu . the station says in 2010 , mcdonald was arrested for an outstanding warrant stemming from a dui arrest . goodell announced on thursday that the league was instituting a six-game unpaid ban for personnel who violate the league 's policy on domestic violence . a second domestic violence incident would be punished by a lifetime ban from the league , goodell said in a letter and memo to the owners of the league 's 32 teams . the nfl had endured relentless criticism after only suspending baltimore ravens running back ray rice for two games , several months after video showed rice dragging his unconscious fiancee -- whom he later married -- from an elevator . without referring to rice by name , goodell acknowledged in his letter that he made the wrong decision in that case . i did n't get it right . simply put , we have to do better . and we will , ' he wrote . the nfl players association responded on thursday to goodell 's enhanced penalties ' we were informed [ thursday ] of the nfl 's decision to increase penalties on domestic violence offenders under the personal conduct policy for all nfl employees . as we do in all disciplinary matters , if we believe that players'due process rights are infringed upon during the course of discipline , we will assert and defend our members'rights , ' said the association 's statement . mcdonald , 29 , is expected to play a key role in the 49ers defense this coming season . the team has already lost outside linebacker aldon smith , arguably its best defensive player , to a nine-game suspension for violating the nfl 's substance abuse and personal conduct policies . mcdonald has played almost all of the 49ers'games since 2008 . he was drafted out of the university of florida in 2007 . | the truth will come out , ' ray mcdonald tells cnn affiliate ktvu |
pakistani <tsp> islamabad , pakistan ( cnn ) -- a teenage suicide bomber killed at least 27 army recruits and wounded 42 others thursday when he blew himself up at a military training center in northwest pakistan , officials said . the pakistani taliban claimed responsibility for the blast , saying it was a message for those who wish to join ( the ) pro-american military . ' we will continue targeting pakistan military until it stops supporting the u.s. , ' said azam tariq , the central spokesman for the group . the suicide bomber , who was about 14-years-old , was wearing a school uniform , a senior pakistani military official said . the military official asked not to be named because he was not authorized to talk to the media . the teenager detonated his explosives after walking onto the grounds where army recruits were receiving their morning training , according to police chief abdullah khan . the bomber was either carrying the explosives in a bag or wearing a suicide vest , officials said . a school for children of military recruits is located inside the training facility . the attacker was probably pretending to be a student there , the military official said . the attack took place in mardan , a district 50 kilometers ( 31 miles ) north of peshawar in pakistan 's khyber-pakhtunkhwa province , formerly known as the north west frontier province . peshawar is the gateway to the country 's tribal region where security forces have been battling an insurgency led by the pakistani taliban . journalist nasir habib contributed to this report . | new : the pakistani taliban claims responsibility for the blast |
texas rangers <tsp> ( cnn ) -- how much is playing the same video game for a month worth ? to an exasperated parent of an obsessed young gamer , probably not much . but to justin chavvarria , it 's worth a quarter of a million dollars . the former high school pitcher earned $ 250,000 as winner of the mlb 2k13 ' perfect game challenge , a nationwide contest pitting virtual hurlers against each other in the popular baseball video game . chavarria , 21 , of eugene , oregon , defeated two other players in a single-elimination tournament during festivities surrounding tuesday 's mlb all-star game in new york city . the four finalists all threw perfect games in mlb 2k13 ' during the qualifying month , but chavarria and the other three were the most perfect . 2k sports , the publisher of the game , said they verified more than 2,500 perfect games and used an algorithm to rank perfect games based on degree of difficulty and perfection . a perfect game is one in which a winning pitcher records at least 27 consecutive outs -- a full nine innings -- without allowing a runner on base .'mlb2k12', david price and the quest for the perfect game chavarria said he played the game for about 30 days before finally getting a perfect game that qualified him for the playoffs . his basic strategy , he said , was to use the best ( available ) pitcher against the worst team . ' chavarria got his perfect game with pitcher kevin slowey of the light-hitting miami marlins . the real slowey has never had a perfect game or even a no-hitter in his major league career . he is 42-35 in his sixth year in the big leagues . chavarria , who was a pitcher in high school and for one year in college , said having a pitcher 's mentality helped him devise a game plan against the batters . he also thinks having that mind-set gave him an edge as his perfect game reached the later innings . yeah , it really helped a lot , like when to throw pitches in certain counts , ' he told cnn in an interview . it is a video game , so you do n't have to be a star athlete or a pitcher in the mlb . it helps to have that knowledge ... to know the art of pitching . ' mlb pitcher battles cancer , never quits for the tournament , chavarria chose the texas rangers as his team , despite the fact he says he 's a lifetime new york yankees fan . he said the rangers had a pretty strong lineup for the past couple of years and i felt comfortable with what they gave me . ' they 've got guys who can hit home runs against lefties and righties , ' he said . their pitching is not bad . ' after demolishing his opening-round opponent by a 9-3 score , chavarria was matched up in the final against brad holland of garland , texas . holland used the oakland a 's in his attempt to win the prize , but chavarria 's rangers were too much . i hit a two-run home run in the first inning . that was a lot of pressure gone and i did n't have to worry about it as much ( after that ) , ' he said . chavarria added another home run later in the game , and his pitching kept holland 's a 's off balance as he won 3-1 . chavarria , a student at the university of oregon , said most of his winnings will go toward tuition and other related expenses . but he added , i plan to spoil myself a little bit and my dad and some other family members . ' for gamers who are thinking about trying for next year 's challenge , chavarria has a bit of advice . just do n't give up . i had plenty of times where i thought this was stupid and i ... ( was ) never going to get it , ' he said . just keep playing . i got mine in the last week . you just never know . ' | chavarria , a yankees fan , chose the texas rangers as his team in the finals |
eugene <tsp> ( cnn ) -- how much is playing the same video game for a month worth ? to an exasperated parent of an obsessed young gamer , probably not much . but to justin chavvarria , it 's worth a quarter of a million dollars . the former high school pitcher earned $ 250,000 as winner of the mlb 2k13 ' perfect game challenge , a nationwide contest pitting virtual hurlers against each other in the popular baseball video game . chavarria , 21 , of eugene , oregon , defeated two other players in a single-elimination tournament during festivities surrounding tuesday 's mlb all-star game in new york city . the four finalists all threw perfect games in mlb 2k13 ' during the qualifying month , but chavarria and the other three were the most perfect . 2k sports , the publisher of the game , said they verified more than 2,500 perfect games and used an algorithm to rank perfect games based on degree of difficulty and perfection . a perfect game is one in which a winning pitcher records at least 27 consecutive outs -- a full nine innings -- without allowing a runner on base .'mlb2k12', david price and the quest for the perfect game chavarria said he played the game for about 30 days before finally getting a perfect game that qualified him for the playoffs . his basic strategy , he said , was to use the best ( available ) pitcher against the worst team . ' chavarria got his perfect game with pitcher kevin slowey of the light-hitting miami marlins . the real slowey has never had a perfect game or even a no-hitter in his major league career . he is 42-35 in his sixth year in the big leagues . chavarria , who was a pitcher in high school and for one year in college , said having a pitcher 's mentality helped him devise a game plan against the batters . he also thinks having that mind-set gave him an edge as his perfect game reached the later innings . yeah , it really helped a lot , like when to throw pitches in certain counts , ' he told cnn in an interview . it is a video game , so you do n't have to be a star athlete or a pitcher in the mlb . it helps to have that knowledge ... to know the art of pitching . ' mlb pitcher battles cancer , never quits for the tournament , chavarria chose the texas rangers as his team , despite the fact he says he 's a lifetime new york yankees fan . he said the rangers had a pretty strong lineup for the past couple of years and i felt comfortable with what they gave me . ' they 've got guys who can hit home runs against lefties and righties , ' he said . their pitching is not bad . ' after demolishing his opening-round opponent by a 9-3 score , chavarria was matched up in the final against brad holland of garland , texas . holland used the oakland a 's in his attempt to win the prize , but chavarria 's rangers were too much . i hit a two-run home run in the first inning . that was a lot of pressure gone and i did n't have to worry about it as much ( after that ) , ' he said . chavarria added another home run later in the game , and his pitching kept holland 's a 's off balance as he won 3-1 . chavarria , a student at the university of oregon , said most of his winnings will go toward tuition and other related expenses . but he added , i plan to spoil myself a little bit and my dad and some other family members . ' for gamers who are thinking about trying for next year 's challenge , chavarria has a bit of advice . just do n't give up . i had plenty of times where i thought this was stupid and i ... ( was ) never going to get it , ' he said . just keep playing . i got mine in the last week . you just never know . ' | justin chavarria , 21 , of eugene , oregon , defeated two other players in a tournament |
jobs <tsp> ( cnn ) -- apple co-founder steve jobs , who died wednesday at 56 , made the world immeasurably better , ' the company 's board of directors said in a statement . the company also released an e-mail sent to apple employees in which ceo tim cook announced jobs'death , saying , apple has lost a visionary and creative genius , and the world has lost an amazing human being . those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor . steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built , and his spirit will forever be the foundation of apple . ' cook 's comments were repeated on the apple website . visitors were invited to share their thoughts , memories and condolences ' at rememberingsteve @ apple.com . there was no immediate word on any funeral services . cook said the company is planning a celebration of steve 's extraordinary life for apple employees that will take place soon . ' jobs'family also released a statement through apple , saying that jobs died peacefully today surrounded by his family . ' in his public life , steve was known as a visionary ; in his private life , he cherished his family . we are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of steve 's illness . ' jobs : visionary in a black turtleneck the family said a website will be provided for those wishing to offer tributes and memories . we are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for steve , ' the family statement said . we know many of you will mourn with us and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief . ' printed copies of a picture of jobs -- posted on apple 's website announcing his passing -- appeared wednesday night on a marble wall outside the apple store on new york 's fifth avenue , with notes written on them . we love you , ' one said . rip . ' outside the original apple store in cupertino , california , a makeshift memorial was created wednesday , with people leaving flowers and other items . a bagpiper played as onlookers visited the site , some wiping their eyes . apple 's board of directors said jobs' brilliance , passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives . the world is immeasurably better because of steve . ' world reacts to jobs'death jobs'greatest love was for his wife , laurene , and his family , the statement said . our hearts go out to them and all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts . ' no words can adequately express our sadness at steve 's death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him , ' cook told apple employees . we will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much . ' cnn 's susan candiotti contributed to this report . | jobs'family says he died peacefully surrounded by relatives |
jobs <tsp> ( cnn ) -- apple co-founder steve jobs , who died wednesday at 56 , made the world immeasurably better , ' the company 's board of directors said in a statement . the company also released an e-mail sent to apple employees in which ceo tim cook announced jobs'death , saying , apple has lost a visionary and creative genius , and the world has lost an amazing human being . those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor . steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built , and his spirit will forever be the foundation of apple . ' cook 's comments were repeated on the apple website . visitors were invited to share their thoughts , memories and condolences ' at rememberingsteve @ apple.com . there was no immediate word on any funeral services . cook said the company is planning a celebration of steve 's extraordinary life for apple employees that will take place soon . ' jobs'family also released a statement through apple , saying that jobs died peacefully today surrounded by his family . ' in his public life , steve was known as a visionary ; in his private life , he cherished his family . we are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of steve 's illness . ' jobs : visionary in a black turtleneck the family said a website will be provided for those wishing to offer tributes and memories . we are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for steve , ' the family statement said . we know many of you will mourn with us and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief . ' printed copies of a picture of jobs -- posted on apple 's website announcing his passing -- appeared wednesday night on a marble wall outside the apple store on new york 's fifth avenue , with notes written on them . we love you , ' one said . rip . ' outside the original apple store in cupertino , california , a makeshift memorial was created wednesday , with people leaving flowers and other items . a bagpiper played as onlookers visited the site , some wiping their eyes . apple 's board of directors said jobs' brilliance , passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives . the world is immeasurably better because of steve . ' world reacts to jobs'death jobs'greatest love was for his wife , laurene , and his family , the statement said . our hearts go out to them and all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts . ' no words can adequately express our sadness at steve 's death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him , ' cook told apple employees . we will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much . ' cnn 's susan candiotti contributed to this report . | new : company to schedule celebration of jobs'life for employees |
jobs <tsp> ( cnn ) -- apple co-founder steve jobs , who died wednesday at 56 , made the world immeasurably better , ' the company 's board of directors said in a statement . the company also released an e-mail sent to apple employees in which ceo tim cook announced jobs'death , saying , apple has lost a visionary and creative genius , and the world has lost an amazing human being . those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor . steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built , and his spirit will forever be the foundation of apple . ' cook 's comments were repeated on the apple website . visitors were invited to share their thoughts , memories and condolences ' at rememberingsteve @ apple.com . there was no immediate word on any funeral services . cook said the company is planning a celebration of steve 's extraordinary life for apple employees that will take place soon . ' jobs'family also released a statement through apple , saying that jobs died peacefully today surrounded by his family . ' in his public life , steve was known as a visionary ; in his private life , he cherished his family . we are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of steve 's illness . ' jobs : visionary in a black turtleneck the family said a website will be provided for those wishing to offer tributes and memories . we are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for steve , ' the family statement said . we know many of you will mourn with us and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief . ' printed copies of a picture of jobs -- posted on apple 's website announcing his passing -- appeared wednesday night on a marble wall outside the apple store on new york 's fifth avenue , with notes written on them . we love you , ' one said . rip . ' outside the original apple store in cupertino , california , a makeshift memorial was created wednesday , with people leaving flowers and other items . a bagpiper played as onlookers visited the site , some wiping their eyes . apple 's board of directors said jobs' brilliance , passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives . the world is immeasurably better because of steve . ' world reacts to jobs'death jobs'greatest love was for his wife , laurene , and his family , the statement said . our hearts go out to them and all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts . ' no words can adequately express our sadness at steve 's death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him , ' cook told apple employees . we will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much . ' cnn 's susan candiotti contributed to this report . | apple 's board of directors praises jobs' brilliance , passion and energy ' |
jamaica <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the world 's fastest man , usain bolt , has escaped serious injury in a car crash in his native jamaica which wrecked his high-speed sports car . jamaican flyer bolt claimed 100 meters gold in beijing in a new world record time . the iaaf , the world governing body of athletics , gave graphic details of bolt 's lucky escape on its official web site www.iaaf.org . the 22-year-old , who was driving his bmw m3 with two female passengers , lost control and went off a rain-soaked road . the car ended up overturned in a ditch and bolt and his passengers had to clamber out through a bed of thorns before being taken to hospital in spanish town , near kingston , as a precaution . bolt was released after three hours , with his feet strapped with bandages , after undergoing a minor operation to remove embedded thorns from his foot . he told a local reporter : me good man . me all right , a just few cuts man , me all right . ' as a result of the accident , bolt will miss saturday 's jamaica international invitational meeting and is expected to be sidelined for at least a week . we will continue to monitor his progress over the next few days , ' bolt 's agent ricky simms told reporters . it 's too early to say if this will have any impact on his training and racing program in the next few weeks . ' bolt is also set to come to england in mid-may to run in a special 150 meters street race in manchester . a spokesman for the organizers told cnn that they were hopeful the sprint sensation would be fit to turn up . we are in constant contact with his management team and everything remains on track for him to come , ' said norman hart . bolt set world records in winning the 100 and 200 meters gold in the beijing oiympics and claimed a third gold as jamaica took the 4x100 meters relay . he was given the bmw by his sponsors as reward for his incredible success which catapulted him to global stardom . | sprinter usain bolt fortunate to escape from car crash in his native jamaica |
wii u <tsp> ( cnn ) -- nintendo announced a november release date for its next-generation wii u on thursday while looking to shore up two key constituencies -- those still puzzling over the console 's second screen ' controller and hardcore gamers who still view the wii as geared toward families and kids . the wii u will launch in the united states on november 18 . two configurations will be available : a basic set for $ 299 and a $ 349 deluxe ' edition that will have additional memory , a stand and charger for the gamepad and the nintendoland ' game . at a new york press conference , the company also introduced nintendo tvii , a free tv and movie service that utilizes the wii u 's handheld controller , with its built-in screen , as a remote control and tablet-of-sorts for additional content . nintendo of america president reggie fils-aime acknowledged that , while players who have gotten their hands on the new console have enjoyed it , others remain confused . we 've come here today not just to make news , but to give you a better sense for how wii u will change the way you play games , how it will connect your gaming friends and how it will change the way you watch television , ' he said . the agent of that change is the wii u gamepad -- a second screen that does not exist anywhere else . ' the u 's major advance on the company 's top-selling wii console is the gamepad , which has a 6.2-inch touchscreen that interacts in various ways with games that are designed for it . players can play together , with one person using a tv screen and the other using the game pad , or a single player can get additional content on the gamepad that enhances the game on the big screen . e3 : with new titles , nintendo works to explain wii u while it 's not certain how many new titles will be available at launch time , at least 50 games will be available for the wii u by march , fils-aime said . and while thursday 's events showcased new titles in venerable nintendo franchises like mario bros. , ' there was heavy focus on games favored by more hardcore and adult players . those titles included call of duty : black ops 2 , ' mass effect iii , ' assassin 's creed iii ' and 007 legends . ' the wonderful 101 ' and bayonetta 2 , ' both from platinum games , will be exclusive to the wii u . the company has trumpeted enhanced video and memory capabilities on the new system as a way to provide an experience that 's at least on par with the rival microsoft xbox 360 and sony playstation consoles , which are preferred by many diehard gamers . activision ceo eric hirshberg , who attended the event , called the wii u the most capable nintendo platform ever , especially for the kind of games we make . ' he touted planned titles like skylanders giants , ' wipeout 3 ' and transformers prime , ' as well as the 007 ' and call of duty ' games . we 've never been able to achieve this level of realism before on a nintendo platform , ' he said . nintendo tvii brings together a way to stream , watch and record shows and movies from sites like netflix , amazon , hulu , and youtube . via the gamepad , it lets users get additional information about shows and share thoughts via sites like facebook and twitter . richard george , an executive editor at gaming site ign who covers nintendo , said thursday 's presentation may have been the moment the company finally hammered home the value of the new system . nintendo 's presentation and vision is far more comprehensive and compelling than what they showed at the past two e3s , ' he said , referring to a summer video game conference . he said the price may be slightly more than many had predicted but that the free inclusion of nintendo tvii , which he called a key selling point , offsets that . the presentation made strides with the hardcore gaming crowd , but that key holes remain , he said , notably titles like bioshock : infinite , ' tomb raider ' and grand theft auto v. ' questions still remain about which , if any , of those titles will be coming after the launch period . but while reaching out to new audiences may be a focus , nintendo has sold 630 million gaming consoles since 1983 and george says that 's a big deal . loyal nintendo fans will snatch this up like crazy , ' he said . | wii u launches november 18 ; $ 299 for basic package and $ 349 for deluxe |
wii u <tsp> ( cnn ) -- nintendo announced a november release date for its next-generation wii u on thursday while looking to shore up two key constituencies -- those still puzzling over the console 's second screen ' controller and hardcore gamers who still view the wii as geared toward families and kids . the wii u will launch in the united states on november 18 . two configurations will be available : a basic set for $ 299 and a $ 349 deluxe ' edition that will have additional memory , a stand and charger for the gamepad and the nintendoland ' game . at a new york press conference , the company also introduced nintendo tvii , a free tv and movie service that utilizes the wii u 's handheld controller , with its built-in screen , as a remote control and tablet-of-sorts for additional content . nintendo of america president reggie fils-aime acknowledged that , while players who have gotten their hands on the new console have enjoyed it , others remain confused . we 've come here today not just to make news , but to give you a better sense for how wii u will change the way you play games , how it will connect your gaming friends and how it will change the way you watch television , ' he said . the agent of that change is the wii u gamepad -- a second screen that does not exist anywhere else . ' the u 's major advance on the company 's top-selling wii console is the gamepad , which has a 6.2-inch touchscreen that interacts in various ways with games that are designed for it . players can play together , with one person using a tv screen and the other using the game pad , or a single player can get additional content on the gamepad that enhances the game on the big screen . e3 : with new titles , nintendo works to explain wii u while it 's not certain how many new titles will be available at launch time , at least 50 games will be available for the wii u by march , fils-aime said . and while thursday 's events showcased new titles in venerable nintendo franchises like mario bros. , ' there was heavy focus on games favored by more hardcore and adult players . those titles included call of duty : black ops 2 , ' mass effect iii , ' assassin 's creed iii ' and 007 legends . ' the wonderful 101 ' and bayonetta 2 , ' both from platinum games , will be exclusive to the wii u . the company has trumpeted enhanced video and memory capabilities on the new system as a way to provide an experience that 's at least on par with the rival microsoft xbox 360 and sony playstation consoles , which are preferred by many diehard gamers . activision ceo eric hirshberg , who attended the event , called the wii u the most capable nintendo platform ever , especially for the kind of games we make . ' he touted planned titles like skylanders giants , ' wipeout 3 ' and transformers prime , ' as well as the 007 ' and call of duty ' games . we 've never been able to achieve this level of realism before on a nintendo platform , ' he said . nintendo tvii brings together a way to stream , watch and record shows and movies from sites like netflix , amazon , hulu , and youtube . via the gamepad , it lets users get additional information about shows and share thoughts via sites like facebook and twitter . richard george , an executive editor at gaming site ign who covers nintendo , said thursday 's presentation may have been the moment the company finally hammered home the value of the new system . nintendo 's presentation and vision is far more comprehensive and compelling than what they showed at the past two e3s , ' he said , referring to a summer video game conference . he said the price may be slightly more than many had predicted but that the free inclusion of nintendo tvii , which he called a key selling point , offsets that . the presentation made strides with the hardcore gaming crowd , but that key holes remain , he said , notably titles like bioshock : infinite , ' tomb raider ' and grand theft auto v. ' questions still remain about which , if any , of those titles will be coming after the launch period . but while reaching out to new audiences may be a focus , nintendo has sold 630 million gaming consoles since 1983 and george says that 's a big deal . loyal nintendo fans will snatch this up like crazy , ' he said . | nintendo announces launch date , price for wii u console |
europe <tsp> ( cnn ) -- russia will not cede control of the crimea any time soon . western saber-rattling would prove hollow : nato has insufficient forces in the region to challenge russian control and economic sanctions are not likely to work . paranoia about western threats to its security incline russians to endure great costs to assert the sphere of privileged interest ' vladimir putin claims regarding former soviet republics now outside the russian federation . near term , russia holds the cards . it supplies europe with about 30 % of its natural gas , or 8 % of its energy overall . while that gas can be replaced , europe ca n't change course overnight . europe has substantial shale deposits that france , germany and several others have chosen not to develop . exploiting shale deposits , building more nuclear plants and solar facilities , importing more oil and gas from north america and the middle east , and building infrastructure to effectively deploy those resources would take several years . longer term , russia has much more to lose . since the end of the cold war , russia has become acutely dependent on western markets to drive its economy , but it has not fundamentally modernized its industries or its geopolitical thinking about the west . oil and gas account for roughly 70 % of russian exports , and it sends the west significant amounts of aluminum and other metals . but russia 's manufacturing sector as a whole remains profoundly inefficient and uncompetitive , and the country relies on the west for sophisticated financial services and a broad range of technology and consumer products . crony capitalism and the dominance of billionaire oligarchs squeeze out small entrepreneurs that drive so much innovation and progress in the west . the russian federation depends on the petroleum industry for 50 % of its revenue . if europe finds substitutes for its oil and gas , russia simply would not be able to pay for the western products it has become accustomed to buying . moscow wo n't be able to finance its military and foreign adventures , or pay for the extensive patronage system that has kept vladimir putin in power since 1999 . the oligarchs would be a lot poorer and much less able to enjoy penthouses in new york and ski retreats in colorado . however , most russians would rather risk becoming much poorer than relent to u.s. and european pressures , because of their ingrained fears about western threats to their security . with or without putin at the helm , the west should not anchor policy on false notions it can change moscow 's thinking about the ukraine or other former soviet states by reasoning with its leaders or with threats to freeze assets , cut off trade and the like . unless the west can impose significant costs on russia for its aggressive policies , reduce europe 's vulnerability to a natural gas embargo and curtail moscow 's financial resources , it can count on russia asserting military power when its leaders perceive threats to russian interests in neighboring states . joint efforts with the europeans are essential . an across-the-board u.s.-european freeze on assets would be foolhardy . russia could easily retaliate against u.s. and european investments in petroleum , autos , banking , and other sectors . however , targeted visa restrictions on travel to the united states and europe , and limited freezes on access to the bank accounts and real estate assets , for the russian political and military leaders responsible for the crimean invasion would send a clear and poignant message . europeans should move quickly and decisively to develop their own natural gas and other alternatives . eliminating dependence on russian gas might not end russia 's paranoia -- in fact it could feed it -- but it would at least deprive moscow of its ability to threaten europeans with embargoes and neighboring states with military actions . russians could try to sell more natural gas in asia , but those prospects are limited . already , russian oil producers simply burn off huge amounts of gas they ca n't sell in europe . the united states should not quickly volunteer to send europe liquefied natural gas . france , germany and several other european countries have shunned the environmental risks of developing shale gas and nuclear power . the united states should insist europeans share the environmental risks the high cost of liquefying and shipping u.s. gas to europe requires that europe also develop its own resources to fully unyoke itself from dependence on russia and limit their strategic vulnerability . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of peter morici . | morici : near time , russia has upper hand since it supplies europe with energy |
europe <tsp> ( cnn ) -- russia will not cede control of the crimea any time soon . western saber-rattling would prove hollow : nato has insufficient forces in the region to challenge russian control and economic sanctions are not likely to work . paranoia about western threats to its security incline russians to endure great costs to assert the sphere of privileged interest ' vladimir putin claims regarding former soviet republics now outside the russian federation . near term , russia holds the cards . it supplies europe with about 30 % of its natural gas , or 8 % of its energy overall . while that gas can be replaced , europe ca n't change course overnight . europe has substantial shale deposits that france , germany and several others have chosen not to develop . exploiting shale deposits , building more nuclear plants and solar facilities , importing more oil and gas from north america and the middle east , and building infrastructure to effectively deploy those resources would take several years . longer term , russia has much more to lose . since the end of the cold war , russia has become acutely dependent on western markets to drive its economy , but it has not fundamentally modernized its industries or its geopolitical thinking about the west . oil and gas account for roughly 70 % of russian exports , and it sends the west significant amounts of aluminum and other metals . but russia 's manufacturing sector as a whole remains profoundly inefficient and uncompetitive , and the country relies on the west for sophisticated financial services and a broad range of technology and consumer products . crony capitalism and the dominance of billionaire oligarchs squeeze out small entrepreneurs that drive so much innovation and progress in the west . the russian federation depends on the petroleum industry for 50 % of its revenue . if europe finds substitutes for its oil and gas , russia simply would not be able to pay for the western products it has become accustomed to buying . moscow wo n't be able to finance its military and foreign adventures , or pay for the extensive patronage system that has kept vladimir putin in power since 1999 . the oligarchs would be a lot poorer and much less able to enjoy penthouses in new york and ski retreats in colorado . however , most russians would rather risk becoming much poorer than relent to u.s. and european pressures , because of their ingrained fears about western threats to their security . with or without putin at the helm , the west should not anchor policy on false notions it can change moscow 's thinking about the ukraine or other former soviet states by reasoning with its leaders or with threats to freeze assets , cut off trade and the like . unless the west can impose significant costs on russia for its aggressive policies , reduce europe 's vulnerability to a natural gas embargo and curtail moscow 's financial resources , it can count on russia asserting military power when its leaders perceive threats to russian interests in neighboring states . joint efforts with the europeans are essential . an across-the-board u.s.-european freeze on assets would be foolhardy . russia could easily retaliate against u.s. and european investments in petroleum , autos , banking , and other sectors . however , targeted visa restrictions on travel to the united states and europe , and limited freezes on access to the bank accounts and real estate assets , for the russian political and military leaders responsible for the crimean invasion would send a clear and poignant message . europeans should move quickly and decisively to develop their own natural gas and other alternatives . eliminating dependence on russian gas might not end russia 's paranoia -- in fact it could feed it -- but it would at least deprive moscow of its ability to threaten europeans with embargoes and neighboring states with military actions . russians could try to sell more natural gas in asia , but those prospects are limited . already , russian oil producers simply burn off huge amounts of gas they ca n't sell in europe . the united states should not quickly volunteer to send europe liquefied natural gas . france , germany and several other european countries have shunned the environmental risks of developing shale gas and nuclear power . the united states should insist europeans share the environmental risks the high cost of liquefying and shipping u.s. gas to europe requires that europe also develop its own resources to fully unyoke itself from dependence on russia and limit their strategic vulnerability . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of peter morici . | he says europe must move quickly to develop its own gas and oil industries |
europe <tsp> ( cnn ) -- russia will not cede control of the crimea any time soon . western saber-rattling would prove hollow : nato has insufficient forces in the region to challenge russian control and economic sanctions are not likely to work . paranoia about western threats to its security incline russians to endure great costs to assert the sphere of privileged interest ' vladimir putin claims regarding former soviet republics now outside the russian federation . near term , russia holds the cards . it supplies europe with about 30 % of its natural gas , or 8 % of its energy overall . while that gas can be replaced , europe ca n't change course overnight . europe has substantial shale deposits that france , germany and several others have chosen not to develop . exploiting shale deposits , building more nuclear plants and solar facilities , importing more oil and gas from north america and the middle east , and building infrastructure to effectively deploy those resources would take several years . longer term , russia has much more to lose . since the end of the cold war , russia has become acutely dependent on western markets to drive its economy , but it has not fundamentally modernized its industries or its geopolitical thinking about the west . oil and gas account for roughly 70 % of russian exports , and it sends the west significant amounts of aluminum and other metals . but russia 's manufacturing sector as a whole remains profoundly inefficient and uncompetitive , and the country relies on the west for sophisticated financial services and a broad range of technology and consumer products . crony capitalism and the dominance of billionaire oligarchs squeeze out small entrepreneurs that drive so much innovation and progress in the west . the russian federation depends on the petroleum industry for 50 % of its revenue . if europe finds substitutes for its oil and gas , russia simply would not be able to pay for the western products it has become accustomed to buying . moscow wo n't be able to finance its military and foreign adventures , or pay for the extensive patronage system that has kept vladimir putin in power since 1999 . the oligarchs would be a lot poorer and much less able to enjoy penthouses in new york and ski retreats in colorado . however , most russians would rather risk becoming much poorer than relent to u.s. and european pressures , because of their ingrained fears about western threats to their security . with or without putin at the helm , the west should not anchor policy on false notions it can change moscow 's thinking about the ukraine or other former soviet states by reasoning with its leaders or with threats to freeze assets , cut off trade and the like . unless the west can impose significant costs on russia for its aggressive policies , reduce europe 's vulnerability to a natural gas embargo and curtail moscow 's financial resources , it can count on russia asserting military power when its leaders perceive threats to russian interests in neighboring states . joint efforts with the europeans are essential . an across-the-board u.s.-european freeze on assets would be foolhardy . russia could easily retaliate against u.s. and european investments in petroleum , autos , banking , and other sectors . however , targeted visa restrictions on travel to the united states and europe , and limited freezes on access to the bank accounts and real estate assets , for the russian political and military leaders responsible for the crimean invasion would send a clear and poignant message . europeans should move quickly and decisively to develop their own natural gas and other alternatives . eliminating dependence on russian gas might not end russia 's paranoia -- in fact it could feed it -- but it would at least deprive moscow of its ability to threaten europeans with embargoes and neighboring states with military actions . russians could try to sell more natural gas in asia , but those prospects are limited . already , russian oil producers simply burn off huge amounts of gas they ca n't sell in europe . the united states should not quickly volunteer to send europe liquefied natural gas . france , germany and several other european countries have shunned the environmental risks of developing shale gas and nuclear power . the united states should insist europeans share the environmental risks the high cost of liquefying and shipping u.s. gas to europe requires that europe also develop its own resources to fully unyoke itself from dependence on russia and limit their strategic vulnerability . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of peter morici . | morici : russia 's aggressive policies wo n't go away unless europe gets more leverage |
vonn <tsp> ( cnn ) norway 's kjetil jansrud clinched the biggest prize in men 's skiing after winning the kitzbuehel downhill , considered the'super bowl'of the sport . jansrud , who had not performed well during friday 's super-g , recorded a time of 58.16 seconds , two-hundredths of a second ahead of the italian dominik paris . shortened course the time was half of what would usually be expected to win the title . appalling weather conditions , including heavy fog and snow , severally curtailed the race . such was the poor visibility that the organizers moved the start to the seidelalm jump , half way down the two mile course . it meant that many of the course 's most terrifying features , including the opening mausefalle -- or mousetrap -- which sees competitors reach speeds of close to 100 mph , had to be bypassed .'tiger turned into a kitten' jansrud had predicted that the course would be easier than usual . in a tweet sent before the race he said that the course was now a tiger turned into a kitten , but still : safety first . ' but that did n't detract from what must rank as the highlight of jansrud 's career so far . winning in kitzbuehel has been a goal for many years , ' the 29-year-old said after his victory . to make it happen is pretty extraordinary . ' vonn flops , finally in the women 's downhill in st moritz lindsey vonn finally proved she was fallible after a rare mistake saw her finish 23rd . vonn , who wore the slogan i 'm the best ' on her bib , had the chance to extend her world cup win record . instead switzerland 's lara gut gave the home crowd something to cheer with a winning time of 1 minute 43.82 seconds . i simply looked to find the shortest line , ' gut said after her victory . it was very tough to ski . ' | vonn flops in st moritz . |
cuba <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if i had to pick the most important moves of 2014 , i would put russian president vladimir putin 's flouting of international law and european security norms near the top . his swift annexation of crimea -- despite a 1994 treaty signed by russia and western allies to guarantee ukraine 's territorial integrity -- as well as his military intervention and support for pro-russian separatists in eastern ukraine have destabilized the continent . but putin 's moves on the european chessboard are now checkmating russia , too . the year ended with the country in financial chaos , because of western sanctions over ukraine , the falling price of oil and central bank missteps . the slavish pro-putin propaganda and the stifling of an independent press had brought nationalist fervor to fever pitch and put the majority of russians behind him , but when their ruble and their living standards started to collapse by year 's end , the grumbling also started . how much political trouble will this spell for putin ? will he double down and seek more diversionary foreign ( mis ) adventures , or will he try to address russia 's isolation , abide by the ceasefire he signed recently for eastern ukraine , start getting sanctions unraveled and his economy back on track ? 2015 is a year to watch for russia 's next moves . similarly , russia could also change tactics and play a constructive role in the horrendous disaster that is syria . over nearly four years of war , russia has given bashar al-assad political cover , while iran has provided most of the syrian leader 's military muscle . more than 200,000 people have now been killed , while the united nations says there are now more than 3.2 million registered refugees . and this year , there was the horrible evidence of al-assad 's torture and death squads , as reported on my show . after years of the united states and its allies refusing to intervene in syria , the big winner of 2014 in that region has been the brutal islamic state of iraq and syria . the rise of isis was largely ignored until it swept into mosul in iraq and started the gruesome public beadings of journalist colleagues in the summer . the brutal executions of james foley , steven sotloff and aid workers alan henning and peter kassig did serve to increase airstrikes and efforts that have somewhat halted the momentum of isis . and by the end of 2014 , a new government in iraq , trying to be more inclusive , had taken encouraging first steps . but the challenge for 2015 remains that few believe isis will be stopped , that iraq will be saved , or that the syrian war will end until al-assad leaves power , as president barack obama demanded back in 2011 . at the end of yet another year of war there , valerie amos , the u.n. under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator , told me the lack of a political resolution and the continuing carnage is a stain on the international community . in his own hemisphere , obama took bold executive action and formally declared america 's isolation of cuba to be a bankrupt policy that just has n't worked . after a half-century of trying to overthrow the castros with things like the bay of pigs fiasco , exploding cigars and even an attempt to infiltrate cuba 's hip-hop scene , obama threw up america 's hands the week before christmas and announced the united states would be changing tack . it would now engage with cuba , like allies in latin america , canada and europe . the president said the two countries would restore diplomatic ties as well as major increases in trade and travel . president raul castro , for his part , thanked pope francis for his help in pushing the two sides together . however , 2015 will likely be marked by a furious backlash inside congress , where republican opponents can be expected to use their new majority to try to block any new u.s. ambassador to cuba , refuse funding and especially refuse to lift the embargo . yet the question remains how much a new generation of cuban-americans will appreciate this ? after all , demographics have changed , and they are much more eager to engage than their parents , grandparents and the remaining hard-liners in congress . | amanpour : 2015 will be partly shaped by response to russia , syria , cuba stories of this year |
toyota production system <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's like a scene out of the terminator . ' rows upon rows of giant robot arms weave in and out of a tightly packed assembly line of unpainted car skeletons . there are no humans in sight -- just huge machines working in jerks and spasms , but quickly , each massive arm doing something different . some spew sparks and fire , some brush , some drill . others wipe or probe with their strangely shaped tips . from a second floor glass bridge inside toyota 's motomachi plant , our tour group stares down at production lines on either side of us , noses pressed to the glass . ninety-six percent of the production process is completed by robots , ' says our guide , who may or may not be a robot herself , if her monotone delivery is a hint . thirty workers take care of the robots . they have an average life of 10 to 12 years . ' the robots , that is . this giant factory full of giant robots produces cars for the world 's best selling automaker -- toyota sold 9.98 million vehicles in 2013 . we need to talk about your tps reports . ' studied at universities and schools around the world , the toyota production system is considered by many to be the most well-run and efficient self-correcting production system in the world although toyota has been remarkably transparent about its renowned system -- opening its plants to anyone who wants to observe or study them -- emulators ( automotive and beyond ) have struggled to match its remarkable success . many companies have focused on tangible'artifacts'of the toyota approach , ' says steven spear , senior lecturer at the mit sloan school of management and co-author of the harvard business review article decoding the dna of the toyota production system . ' very few have recognized and incorporated the high speed learning dynamic that is essential . the differential results between the tool-oriented imitators and the behavior-oriented emulators are profound . ' the company itself officially explains its system this way : the practical expression of toyota 's people and customer-oriented philosophy is known as the toyota production system ( tps ) . this is not a rigid company-imposed procedure but a set of principles that have been proven in day-to-day practice over many years . ' future on display located two train rides and a short cab trip from nagoya , the tour begins at the toyota kaikan museum , a bland-looking building at the automaker 's headquarters . while 50 % of the company 's 69,000 employees are located in this area , between the train station and toyota 's headquarters there 's hardly anyone in sight . the building 's exterior looks pure , corporate generic . inside its glass doors , however , things get futuristic . hologram engine displays , alien-like vehicles and formula 1-winning cars glisten on the floor . fascinating as they all are , one exhibit demands my attention -- a slender , blue and white robot that starts playing the trumpet . i 'd heard about this robot , with its piston-powered lungs and rubber lips ; i was n't prepared for how stirring its music would be . the notes are tender , the vibrato , achingly human . if i were a musician , i think , i 'd be worried about the future of my profession . alongside the trumpet-playing robot is a scaled-down replica of the toyota production system , a safety simulator that works like an arcade game and a new lexus bike . auto pilgrims after the museum , it 's time for the motomachi plant tour , located 15 minutes away . we 're taken there , of course , on a toyota bus . all phones and cameras are left behind in lockers . no pictures allowed . the tour is well off japan 's mainstream tourist path -- most visitors have to travel several hours out of their way to get here . there are nine people in my english-language tour group -- a mix of nationalities . all are rapt with attention throughout the tour . henk van brummelen , a traveler from holland , arrived on the train from tokyo the same morning . he tells me he once ran a chocolate factory in holland that adopted the toyota production system ; he 's always wanted to check out the production line in person . it 's so amazing to see how calm and easygoing the atmosphere is in spite of the incredible quality control , ' he says . three australian engineers who are backpacking through japan say the toyota stop is a priority of their trip . during the bus ride , our guide tells us a quirky fact about toyota 's name . although the founding family 's name was toyoda , the name of the company was switched to toyota as the latter requires eight strokes to write in japanese , and eight is considered a lucky number . mama the welding factory is the site of the terminator-like scene of robotic arms working as fire and sparks shoot over car frames . this plant produces 70,000 cars per year , or approximately 400 per day . that breaks down to a vehicle being completed every 135 seconds . more than 30,000 parts go into each car , and the plant houses 760 robots . after the welding plant , many more human workers fill the assembly line . we walk through a series of bridges above the workers , who glance up occasionally and smile at us while working on car guts . constant ding dong ' sounds chime in the background , making us feel like we 're in a giant video game arcade . these sounds are actually part of a just in time ' pull system . they signal that something has gone wrong or a problem has been detected and a worker has called for a supervisor . yet the lines keep moving quickly . another geeky fact shared by our guide : toyota invented a doorless system , ' meaning they take the doors off the cars so that workers can get in and out of the car more quickly to assemble parts . the doors are re-attached later in the assembly line . at the end of the tour , we play a series of timed games meant to demonstrate the remarkable skills required of toyota 's plant workers . one involves looping ropes on pegs , and screwing and unscrewing bolts . another feels like a less-colorful version of hungry hungry hippos . the entire tour takes two and half hours . when it 's time to head back to the museum and visit the gift shop , i find a large display featuring boxes of car-themed curry , of all things . i buy one , of course -- at least under factory conditions , everything toyota produces looks incredible . touring toyota toyota kaikan museum and plant tour , 1 toyota-cho , toyota , aichi ; advance online booking required . free entry . recommended itinerary from nagoya station : take the jr tokaido line , new rapid service bound for toyohashi , departing 8:45 a.m. , arriving 9:18 a.m. at okazaki . transfer to aichikanjo line , local service bound for kozoji , departing 9:27 a.m. , arriving 9:59 a.m. at mikawa-toyota station . from mikawa-toyota station take a taxi to toyota kaikan museum . total travel time : 90 minutes . train fare approximately â¥1,030 ( $ 10 ) . the factory tour starts at 10:30 a.m. and lasts until 1 p.m . | the toyota production system is considered by many the best in the world |
sudan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- several diplomatic facilities were shuttered friday as many brace for intensified protests over the anti-islam movie innocence of muslims , ' as well as recently published cartoons in a french publication of a figure resembling the prophet mohammed . demonstrations have raged for days as many in the muslim world are angry about the u.s.-made prophet mohammed mocking film and the french cartoon . and some believe friday prayers , a time of protest recently in the middle east and north africa , could add fuel to the fire . demonstrations occurred in pakistan , afghanistan and iran thursday . the developments include : protesters set blaze in pakistan protesters in peshawar , pakistan torched two movie theaters in the city friday morning , in protest against the film and the cartoon , a fire official said . firefighters were able to extinguish one blaze in about 90 minutes but were not able to get to the other fire , said nadir shah , a fire brigade official . we were informed by the police that the two cinemas had been set ablaze by rioters and so we responded immediately , ' said shah . there were also protests reported in rawalpindi and karachi , cnn affiliate geo tv reported . children chant'death to america' this comes a day after about 100 small children in karachi repeated anti-american slogans during a protest in the coastal pakistani city , a police official said . video showed children repeating an adult voice , death to america ' and any friend of america is a traitor . ' punish the blasphemer , ' children chanted thursday . one placard read , shut down website of blasphemous film . ' the film reference is to the innocence of muslims , ' which mocks mohammed as a womanizer , child molester and killer . a 14-minute trailer for the movie was first posted online in july , though it was n't until this month that it came to the global consciousness . since september 11 , muslims have staged a wave of protests in more than 20 countries decrying the film and the nation in which it was privately produced , the united states . the children in karachi -- seemingly between the ages of 6 and 8 -- demonstrated across from the karachi press club , said ghulam qadir , a karachi police official charged with keeping track of all demonstrations at the club . the event was not formal or planned , so authorities did n't know ahead of time it would happen , he said . in general , pakistani parents are not informed about every event organized by a school . at least four teachers accompanied the children to the demonstration , qadir said . there did not appear to be any parents there . facilities close in indonesia the u.s. embassy in jakarta , , the u.s. consulate general in surabaya and u.s. consular agency in bali and two other facilities would all be closed friday because of the potential for significant demonstrations that might be held in front of these facilities . ' officials said in a news statement . protests have demonstrated in indonesia last week . about 100 demonstrators gathered last tuesday near a u.s. diplomatic facility in medan , indonesia , the u.s. embassy in jakarta said . german embassy to close in sudan the german embassy in sudan 's capital city khartuom will be closed friday as authorities anticipate protests over the cartoon published in french magazine charlie hebdo , state-run ashorooq tv reported . security measures have been tightened at other diplomatic mission abroad , ' foreign minister guido westerwelle said . tunisian authorities ban all demonstrations friday seeking to avoid a repeat of what happened exactly one week earlier , tunisia 's interior ministry banned all demonstrations friday , the state-run tunisian news agency ( tap ) reported , citing a statement from the ministry . the report said the protest ban is in accordance with the provisions of the state of emergency ' that has been in place since the ouster january of its longtime president , zine el abidine ben ali . the statement refers to calls launched via social networks ' to demonstrate over the charlie hebdo cartoons . and it comes six days after four protesters died and 49 were wounded during an assault friday on the u.s. embassy in the capital of tunis , tap previously reported , citing charles nicolle hospital interim general director souad sadraoui . presidential spokesman adnene mansar denounced charlie hebdo 's publication of the cartoons as a deliberate insult , ' adding that some circles are deliberately seeking to stir up tension in relations binding the muslim and western worlds . ' we should not fall in the trap of provocation , we should rather denounce these acts by peaceful means , ' mansar said , according to a tap report . national constituent assembly speaker mustapha ben jaafar said , in another tap story , that the bloody september 14 protests do not reflect the mood of the moderate and tolerant tunisian people . ' political , ideological and religious violence is ( no ) longer tolerated in present-day tunisia , ' jaafar said strasbourg in eastern france , calling abiding by the rule of law ... an absolute priority . ' cnn 's amir ahmed contributed to this report . | diplomatic facilites closed in indonesia and sudan |
tunisia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- several diplomatic facilities were shuttered friday as many brace for intensified protests over the anti-islam movie innocence of muslims , ' as well as recently published cartoons in a french publication of a figure resembling the prophet mohammed . demonstrations have raged for days as many in the muslim world are angry about the u.s.-made prophet mohammed mocking film and the french cartoon . and some believe friday prayers , a time of protest recently in the middle east and north africa , could add fuel to the fire . demonstrations occurred in pakistan , afghanistan and iran thursday . the developments include : protesters set blaze in pakistan protesters in peshawar , pakistan torched two movie theaters in the city friday morning , in protest against the film and the cartoon , a fire official said . firefighters were able to extinguish one blaze in about 90 minutes but were not able to get to the other fire , said nadir shah , a fire brigade official . we were informed by the police that the two cinemas had been set ablaze by rioters and so we responded immediately , ' said shah . there were also protests reported in rawalpindi and karachi , cnn affiliate geo tv reported . children chant'death to america' this comes a day after about 100 small children in karachi repeated anti-american slogans during a protest in the coastal pakistani city , a police official said . video showed children repeating an adult voice , death to america ' and any friend of america is a traitor . ' punish the blasphemer , ' children chanted thursday . one placard read , shut down website of blasphemous film . ' the film reference is to the innocence of muslims , ' which mocks mohammed as a womanizer , child molester and killer . a 14-minute trailer for the movie was first posted online in july , though it was n't until this month that it came to the global consciousness . since september 11 , muslims have staged a wave of protests in more than 20 countries decrying the film and the nation in which it was privately produced , the united states . the children in karachi -- seemingly between the ages of 6 and 8 -- demonstrated across from the karachi press club , said ghulam qadir , a karachi police official charged with keeping track of all demonstrations at the club . the event was not formal or planned , so authorities did n't know ahead of time it would happen , he said . in general , pakistani parents are not informed about every event organized by a school . at least four teachers accompanied the children to the demonstration , qadir said . there did not appear to be any parents there . facilities close in indonesia the u.s. embassy in jakarta , , the u.s. consulate general in surabaya and u.s. consular agency in bali and two other facilities would all be closed friday because of the potential for significant demonstrations that might be held in front of these facilities . ' officials said in a news statement . protests have demonstrated in indonesia last week . about 100 demonstrators gathered last tuesday near a u.s. diplomatic facility in medan , indonesia , the u.s. embassy in jakarta said . german embassy to close in sudan the german embassy in sudan 's capital city khartuom will be closed friday as authorities anticipate protests over the cartoon published in french magazine charlie hebdo , state-run ashorooq tv reported . security measures have been tightened at other diplomatic mission abroad , ' foreign minister guido westerwelle said . tunisian authorities ban all demonstrations friday seeking to avoid a repeat of what happened exactly one week earlier , tunisia 's interior ministry banned all demonstrations friday , the state-run tunisian news agency ( tap ) reported , citing a statement from the ministry . the report said the protest ban is in accordance with the provisions of the state of emergency ' that has been in place since the ouster january of its longtime president , zine el abidine ben ali . the statement refers to calls launched via social networks ' to demonstrate over the charlie hebdo cartoons . and it comes six days after four protesters died and 49 were wounded during an assault friday on the u.s. embassy in the capital of tunis , tap previously reported , citing charles nicolle hospital interim general director souad sadraoui . presidential spokesman adnene mansar denounced charlie hebdo 's publication of the cartoons as a deliberate insult , ' adding that some circles are deliberately seeking to stir up tension in relations binding the muslim and western worlds . ' we should not fall in the trap of provocation , we should rather denounce these acts by peaceful means , ' mansar said , according to a tap report . national constituent assembly speaker mustapha ben jaafar said , in another tap story , that the bloody september 14 protests do not reflect the mood of the moderate and tolerant tunisian people . ' political , ideological and religious violence is ( no ) longer tolerated in present-day tunisia , ' jaafar said strasbourg in eastern france , calling abiding by the rule of law ... an absolute priority . ' cnn 's amir ahmed contributed to this report . | tunisia bans protests on friday , a week after 4 die amid demonstrations |
europe <tsp> as the european union continues its expansion into eastern europe and the balkans , serbia 's prime minister says he is certain ' his country will be the bloc 's next member . ivica dacic told cnn : we would like serbia to become a member of the european union as quickly as possible . ' serbia is aiming to become the third country from former yugoslavia to join europe 's political and economic union , following in the footsteps of slovenia and neighbor croatia , who joined earlier this year . but dacic believes serbia does not have a lot of time to wait ' as its economy has suffered great consequences ' following the breakup of former yugoslavia in the 1990s . read more : croatia looks to oil and gas fields in adriatic sea ' the rate of unemployment is the biggest problem , ' dacic said , referring to serbia 's 25 % unemployment rate , which sits below only spain and greece in the eu . he added that discussing economic reforms in serbia is futile ' until industrial productivity increases . dacic also highlighted the importance of foreign investment to country 's economic prospects . read more : germany 's modest mutti merkel is no iron lady thatcher ' these foreign investments will not happen if serbia is not a part of the modern world , ' dacic said . serbia 's economy contracted 1.7 % in 2012 , according to eurostat estimates , due to its close ties with embattled eurozone nations . serbia , which has a lower minimum wage than china , is also struggling to cope with an exodus of skilled workers , as the country 's young leave in search of work abroad . the phenomenon has left the country heavily reliant on remittance income . read more : croatia pm : we need italy to recover eu membership is a chance for serbia to join the world 's largest trading bloc and will offer access to funding for infrastructure projects and the country 's poorer regions . but dacic said : we do n't see the european union accession as a straightforward financial aid package , or that it would enable our citizens to work in other countries across europe . ' despite serbia 's ambitions , accession can be a slow process . croatia only joined the eu as its 28th member in july after talks to join officially opened in 2005 . read more : did croatia get lucky on eu membership ? although the eu never gives specific time frames on accession , dacic is confident serbia will join europe 's exclusive club within the next 10 years . peter stano , a spokesman for european enlargement commissioner stefan fule , told cnn that the speed of accession depends solely ' on serbia . he said : serbia has already met the political and economic criteria needed to become candidate status and to start the negotiations . ' james ker-lindsay , a balkans expert and author of'kosovo : the path to contested statehood in the balkans'estimates that the process will take eight to ten years . he told cnn : it might well be the case that montenegro , which has already started eu accession talks , is going to be the next one to join ... getting montenegro ready for membership is likely to be easier . ' serbia also faces questions over kosovo , after it declared independence in 2008 . serbia does not recognize the declaration , and the european union is trying to encourage talks between the two sides . dacic said : we have always made it clear that we can not and will not try to bring our problems to the eu with us . this is another reason why we are conducting this open dialogue in order to normalize the relationship and solve our problems before accession . ' kosovo was plunged into war in the late 1990s , pitting kosovo albanian insurgents against serb security forces and belgrade-backed kosovo serb paramilitaries . william bartlett , author of'europe 's troubled region ,'believes eu membership for serbia will help ease some of the political tensions with kosovo . he said : by reducing political tensions , you are reducing country risk for investors and that will have a positive knock on effect for the economy . ' | serbia 's unemployment rate is at 25 % , only greece and spain are higher in europe |
cobb <tsp> editor 's note : william jelani cobb is associate professor of history at spelman college , and author of the forthcoming change has come : barack obama and the meaning of progress . ' he blogs at http : //americanexception.com/ william jelani cobb says somalia 's piracy problem was fueled by environmental and political events . ( cnn ) -- the drama of an american ship captain held hostage by somali pirates led last sunday 's talk shows . just hours before maersk alabama capt . richard phillips was rescued , the piracy incident was discussed as one of the tests ' of president obama that joe biden warned about during the campaign . others wondered whether wars in iraq and afghanistan have stretched our military resources too thin to respond effectively to these kinds of provocations . many expressed outrage at the brand of naval gangsterism that by some estimates generated as much as $ 80 million in 2008 . clearly this escalating pattern of pirate attacks may soon constitute an international crisis . but what this situation actually reveals is how little we 've learned in the nearly eight years since george w. bush declared war on terror . somalia is like afghanistan in that we had a great deal of interest in the place during the cold war and more or less forgot about it afterward . the united states supported the government of said barre during the 1980s primarily for the same reason we began funneling aid to the afghan rebels : anticommunism . barre was a regional counterpoint to the marxist regime next door in ethiopia and strategically important enough for his human rights abuses to be tolerated . and like afghanistan , somalia quickly fell into disarray after the cold war ended and the united states cut off support . during the early post-cold war era , the united states developed a more narrowly defined set of interests and it was common to hear american foreign policy circles express disdain for nation-building ' projects . but two decades later we continue to deal with the consequences of our abrupt exit from both countries . our fleeting humanitarian concern with somalia ended with the downing of two blackhawk helicopters in 1993 . but that incident actually served as a kind of foreshadowing and highlighted yet another link to afghanistan : the forces that attacked american troops in mogadishu were reportedly linked to al qaeda . the 9/11 attacks and afghanistan 's role in sheltering al qaeda should have given us reason to re-examine other regions where similar blowback might take place . in short , we might well have looked at what was going on in afghanistan after september 11 , 2001 , and seen trouble on the horizon elsewhere . the somali situation was further complicated by a series of economic and ecological problems that have struck the region in the past decade . in the wake of the government collapse , the somali coast became a target of illegal commercial fishing . this is a problem across east and southern africa but rampant in somalia . according to one report , some 700 vessels were illegally operating in the region and fishing the local stock to near depletion . as recently as 2006 somali fishermen complained to the u.n. that illegal fishing was driving them to the brink of economic collapse . to add to the burden , the coast also became a favorite locale for nuclear waste dumping . in 2005 , u.n. officials confirmed that barrels containing illegally dumped nuclear waste had cracked open during the tsunami that year and begun washing ashore . the situation was widely reported by international news outlets with virtually no consequences . no matter what we think of their current methods , it 's impossible to solve the piracy problem without addressing the illegal fishing issue . somalia lacks a functioning navy -- or government . similarly , we were not talking about the over-fishing and nuclear waste issues -- to the extent we do talk about them now -- before the somalis began to respond in kind . these environmental violations will undoubtedly cost lives and the west has more or less ignored somali pleas . our intense and highly selective outrage began when the somalis started targeting commercial vehicles . faced with this response it 's hard to avoid the conclusion that the western consumer products , carried by these ships are more valuable than somali lives . given the recent history of unstable states like afghanistan and iraq , piracy is actually one of the milder problems we could have expected from the region . in a worst-case scenario , the region could become an incubator for terrorist cells or a depot for training international jihadists -- if it has n't already . resolving this problem will likely involve precisely the kind of nation-building the united states once disdained and are now engaged in with afghanistan . they amount to the back-end costs of the cold war . these pirates are not romantic heroes and their actions have generated an entirely different set of problems in somalia , but they have our attention . in light of this incident we should recognize there are two sets of victims here : innocent workers taken hostage by pirates and those people living along the poisoned and depleted somali coast who may well see these pirates as heroes . we should also know that part of combating terrorism means addressing the conditions in which it flourishes . extortion and kidnapping on the high seas is certainly wrong , but by ignoring the dumping of nuclear waste and the threats to the regional food supply , we effectively created a niche for these pirates . and capt . phillips'ordeal is a clear signal that humanitarian concerns are not the soft aspects of foreign policy , but rather the key to protecting our national interests abroad . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of william jelani cobb . | cobb : u.s. cared about somalia , like afghanistan , during the cold war |
cobb <tsp> editor 's note : william jelani cobb is associate professor of history at spelman college , and author of the forthcoming change has come : barack obama and the meaning of progress . ' he blogs at http : //americanexception.com/ william jelani cobb says somalia 's piracy problem was fueled by environmental and political events . ( cnn ) -- the drama of an american ship captain held hostage by somali pirates led last sunday 's talk shows . just hours before maersk alabama capt . richard phillips was rescued , the piracy incident was discussed as one of the tests ' of president obama that joe biden warned about during the campaign . others wondered whether wars in iraq and afghanistan have stretched our military resources too thin to respond effectively to these kinds of provocations . many expressed outrage at the brand of naval gangsterism that by some estimates generated as much as $ 80 million in 2008 . clearly this escalating pattern of pirate attacks may soon constitute an international crisis . but what this situation actually reveals is how little we 've learned in the nearly eight years since george w. bush declared war on terror . somalia is like afghanistan in that we had a great deal of interest in the place during the cold war and more or less forgot about it afterward . the united states supported the government of said barre during the 1980s primarily for the same reason we began funneling aid to the afghan rebels : anticommunism . barre was a regional counterpoint to the marxist regime next door in ethiopia and strategically important enough for his human rights abuses to be tolerated . and like afghanistan , somalia quickly fell into disarray after the cold war ended and the united states cut off support . during the early post-cold war era , the united states developed a more narrowly defined set of interests and it was common to hear american foreign policy circles express disdain for nation-building ' projects . but two decades later we continue to deal with the consequences of our abrupt exit from both countries . our fleeting humanitarian concern with somalia ended with the downing of two blackhawk helicopters in 1993 . but that incident actually served as a kind of foreshadowing and highlighted yet another link to afghanistan : the forces that attacked american troops in mogadishu were reportedly linked to al qaeda . the 9/11 attacks and afghanistan 's role in sheltering al qaeda should have given us reason to re-examine other regions where similar blowback might take place . in short , we might well have looked at what was going on in afghanistan after september 11 , 2001 , and seen trouble on the horizon elsewhere . the somali situation was further complicated by a series of economic and ecological problems that have struck the region in the past decade . in the wake of the government collapse , the somali coast became a target of illegal commercial fishing . this is a problem across east and southern africa but rampant in somalia . according to one report , some 700 vessels were illegally operating in the region and fishing the local stock to near depletion . as recently as 2006 somali fishermen complained to the u.n. that illegal fishing was driving them to the brink of economic collapse . to add to the burden , the coast also became a favorite locale for nuclear waste dumping . in 2005 , u.n. officials confirmed that barrels containing illegally dumped nuclear waste had cracked open during the tsunami that year and begun washing ashore . the situation was widely reported by international news outlets with virtually no consequences . no matter what we think of their current methods , it 's impossible to solve the piracy problem without addressing the illegal fishing issue . somalia lacks a functioning navy -- or government . similarly , we were not talking about the over-fishing and nuclear waste issues -- to the extent we do talk about them now -- before the somalis began to respond in kind . these environmental violations will undoubtedly cost lives and the west has more or less ignored somali pleas . our intense and highly selective outrage began when the somalis started targeting commercial vehicles . faced with this response it 's hard to avoid the conclusion that the western consumer products , carried by these ships are more valuable than somali lives . given the recent history of unstable states like afghanistan and iraq , piracy is actually one of the milder problems we could have expected from the region . in a worst-case scenario , the region could become an incubator for terrorist cells or a depot for training international jihadists -- if it has n't already . resolving this problem will likely involve precisely the kind of nation-building the united states once disdained and are now engaged in with afghanistan . they amount to the back-end costs of the cold war . these pirates are not romantic heroes and their actions have generated an entirely different set of problems in somalia , but they have our attention . in light of this incident we should recognize there are two sets of victims here : innocent workers taken hostage by pirates and those people living along the poisoned and depleted somali coast who may well see these pirates as heroes . we should also know that part of combating terrorism means addressing the conditions in which it flourishes . extortion and kidnapping on the high seas is certainly wrong , but by ignoring the dumping of nuclear waste and the threats to the regional food supply , we effectively created a niche for these pirates . and capt . phillips'ordeal is a clear signal that humanitarian concerns are not the soft aspects of foreign policy , but rather the key to protecting our national interests abroad . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of william jelani cobb . | william jelani cobb : somalia piracy being seen as test of obama 's foreign policy |
afghanistan <tsp> editor 's note : william jelani cobb is associate professor of history at spelman college , and author of the forthcoming change has come : barack obama and the meaning of progress . ' he blogs at http : //americanexception.com/ william jelani cobb says somalia 's piracy problem was fueled by environmental and political events . ( cnn ) -- the drama of an american ship captain held hostage by somali pirates led last sunday 's talk shows . just hours before maersk alabama capt . richard phillips was rescued , the piracy incident was discussed as one of the tests ' of president obama that joe biden warned about during the campaign . others wondered whether wars in iraq and afghanistan have stretched our military resources too thin to respond effectively to these kinds of provocations . many expressed outrage at the brand of naval gangsterism that by some estimates generated as much as $ 80 million in 2008 . clearly this escalating pattern of pirate attacks may soon constitute an international crisis . but what this situation actually reveals is how little we 've learned in the nearly eight years since george w. bush declared war on terror . somalia is like afghanistan in that we had a great deal of interest in the place during the cold war and more or less forgot about it afterward . the united states supported the government of said barre during the 1980s primarily for the same reason we began funneling aid to the afghan rebels : anticommunism . barre was a regional counterpoint to the marxist regime next door in ethiopia and strategically important enough for his human rights abuses to be tolerated . and like afghanistan , somalia quickly fell into disarray after the cold war ended and the united states cut off support . during the early post-cold war era , the united states developed a more narrowly defined set of interests and it was common to hear american foreign policy circles express disdain for nation-building ' projects . but two decades later we continue to deal with the consequences of our abrupt exit from both countries . our fleeting humanitarian concern with somalia ended with the downing of two blackhawk helicopters in 1993 . but that incident actually served as a kind of foreshadowing and highlighted yet another link to afghanistan : the forces that attacked american troops in mogadishu were reportedly linked to al qaeda . the 9/11 attacks and afghanistan 's role in sheltering al qaeda should have given us reason to re-examine other regions where similar blowback might take place . in short , we might well have looked at what was going on in afghanistan after september 11 , 2001 , and seen trouble on the horizon elsewhere . the somali situation was further complicated by a series of economic and ecological problems that have struck the region in the past decade . in the wake of the government collapse , the somali coast became a target of illegal commercial fishing . this is a problem across east and southern africa but rampant in somalia . according to one report , some 700 vessels were illegally operating in the region and fishing the local stock to near depletion . as recently as 2006 somali fishermen complained to the u.n. that illegal fishing was driving them to the brink of economic collapse . to add to the burden , the coast also became a favorite locale for nuclear waste dumping . in 2005 , u.n. officials confirmed that barrels containing illegally dumped nuclear waste had cracked open during the tsunami that year and begun washing ashore . the situation was widely reported by international news outlets with virtually no consequences . no matter what we think of their current methods , it 's impossible to solve the piracy problem without addressing the illegal fishing issue . somalia lacks a functioning navy -- or government . similarly , we were not talking about the over-fishing and nuclear waste issues -- to the extent we do talk about them now -- before the somalis began to respond in kind . these environmental violations will undoubtedly cost lives and the west has more or less ignored somali pleas . our intense and highly selective outrage began when the somalis started targeting commercial vehicles . faced with this response it 's hard to avoid the conclusion that the western consumer products , carried by these ships are more valuable than somali lives . given the recent history of unstable states like afghanistan and iraq , piracy is actually one of the milder problems we could have expected from the region . in a worst-case scenario , the region could become an incubator for terrorist cells or a depot for training international jihadists -- if it has n't already . resolving this problem will likely involve precisely the kind of nation-building the united states once disdained and are now engaged in with afghanistan . they amount to the back-end costs of the cold war . these pirates are not romantic heroes and their actions have generated an entirely different set of problems in somalia , but they have our attention . in light of this incident we should recognize there are two sets of victims here : innocent workers taken hostage by pirates and those people living along the poisoned and depleted somali coast who may well see these pirates as heroes . we should also know that part of combating terrorism means addressing the conditions in which it flourishes . extortion and kidnapping on the high seas is certainly wrong , but by ignoring the dumping of nuclear waste and the threats to the regional food supply , we effectively created a niche for these pirates . and capt . phillips'ordeal is a clear signal that humanitarian concerns are not the soft aspects of foreign policy , but rather the key to protecting our national interests abroad . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of william jelani cobb . | cobb : u.s. cared about somalia , like afghanistan , during the cold war |
cold war <tsp> editor 's note : william jelani cobb is associate professor of history at spelman college , and author of the forthcoming change has come : barack obama and the meaning of progress . ' he blogs at http : //americanexception.com/ william jelani cobb says somalia 's piracy problem was fueled by environmental and political events . ( cnn ) -- the drama of an american ship captain held hostage by somali pirates led last sunday 's talk shows . just hours before maersk alabama capt . richard phillips was rescued , the piracy incident was discussed as one of the tests ' of president obama that joe biden warned about during the campaign . others wondered whether wars in iraq and afghanistan have stretched our military resources too thin to respond effectively to these kinds of provocations . many expressed outrage at the brand of naval gangsterism that by some estimates generated as much as $ 80 million in 2008 . clearly this escalating pattern of pirate attacks may soon constitute an international crisis . but what this situation actually reveals is how little we 've learned in the nearly eight years since george w. bush declared war on terror . somalia is like afghanistan in that we had a great deal of interest in the place during the cold war and more or less forgot about it afterward . the united states supported the government of said barre during the 1980s primarily for the same reason we began funneling aid to the afghan rebels : anticommunism . barre was a regional counterpoint to the marxist regime next door in ethiopia and strategically important enough for his human rights abuses to be tolerated . and like afghanistan , somalia quickly fell into disarray after the cold war ended and the united states cut off support . during the early post-cold war era , the united states developed a more narrowly defined set of interests and it was common to hear american foreign policy circles express disdain for nation-building ' projects . but two decades later we continue to deal with the consequences of our abrupt exit from both countries . our fleeting humanitarian concern with somalia ended with the downing of two blackhawk helicopters in 1993 . but that incident actually served as a kind of foreshadowing and highlighted yet another link to afghanistan : the forces that attacked american troops in mogadishu were reportedly linked to al qaeda . the 9/11 attacks and afghanistan 's role in sheltering al qaeda should have given us reason to re-examine other regions where similar blowback might take place . in short , we might well have looked at what was going on in afghanistan after september 11 , 2001 , and seen trouble on the horizon elsewhere . the somali situation was further complicated by a series of economic and ecological problems that have struck the region in the past decade . in the wake of the government collapse , the somali coast became a target of illegal commercial fishing . this is a problem across east and southern africa but rampant in somalia . according to one report , some 700 vessels were illegally operating in the region and fishing the local stock to near depletion . as recently as 2006 somali fishermen complained to the u.n. that illegal fishing was driving them to the brink of economic collapse . to add to the burden , the coast also became a favorite locale for nuclear waste dumping . in 2005 , u.n. officials confirmed that barrels containing illegally dumped nuclear waste had cracked open during the tsunami that year and begun washing ashore . the situation was widely reported by international news outlets with virtually no consequences . no matter what we think of their current methods , it 's impossible to solve the piracy problem without addressing the illegal fishing issue . somalia lacks a functioning navy -- or government . similarly , we were not talking about the over-fishing and nuclear waste issues -- to the extent we do talk about them now -- before the somalis began to respond in kind . these environmental violations will undoubtedly cost lives and the west has more or less ignored somali pleas . our intense and highly selective outrage began when the somalis started targeting commercial vehicles . faced with this response it 's hard to avoid the conclusion that the western consumer products , carried by these ships are more valuable than somali lives . given the recent history of unstable states like afghanistan and iraq , piracy is actually one of the milder problems we could have expected from the region . in a worst-case scenario , the region could become an incubator for terrorist cells or a depot for training international jihadists -- if it has n't already . resolving this problem will likely involve precisely the kind of nation-building the united states once disdained and are now engaged in with afghanistan . they amount to the back-end costs of the cold war . these pirates are not romantic heroes and their actions have generated an entirely different set of problems in somalia , but they have our attention . in light of this incident we should recognize there are two sets of victims here : innocent workers taken hostage by pirates and those people living along the poisoned and depleted somali coast who may well see these pirates as heroes . we should also know that part of combating terrorism means addressing the conditions in which it flourishes . extortion and kidnapping on the high seas is certainly wrong , but by ignoring the dumping of nuclear waste and the threats to the regional food supply , we effectively created a niche for these pirates . and capt . phillips'ordeal is a clear signal that humanitarian concerns are not the soft aspects of foreign policy , but rather the key to protecting our national interests abroad . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of william jelani cobb . | cobb : u.s. cared about somalia , like afghanistan , during the cold war |
yankee stadium <tsp> editor 's note : for 85 years , yankee stadium has hosted some of the greatest moments in sports . on sunday , the yankees will play their last game before the stadium is torn down . former yankee pitcher jim bouton played on the 1963 american league all-star team and in two world series . he wrote the classic baseball book , ball four , ' named as one of the books of the century ' by the new york public library , and has been a sportscaster and actor . for bouton 's web site , click here jim bouton was photographed as a rookie in 1962 at yankee stadium , before the renovation of the ballpark . egremont , massachusetts ( cnn ) -- i 'll never forget my first day in the house that ruth built : april 9 , 1962 , the day before opening day . i made the team that spring as a non-roster player , having pitched in the texas league ( aa ) the year before . and i had just turned 23 . the yankees had scheduled an afternoon workout , but i was so excited that i could n't sleep and i drove in from my parents'house in new jersey at 7 in the morning . after introducing myself to a skeptical guard , he led me down two flights of stairs and through a hallway , where i was greeted by the clubhouse man pete sheehy ( who died in 1985 and for whom the room is now named ) . the yankee clubhouse in 1962 was like a large subterranean living room . a wall-to-wall grayish green carpet muffled all sound , and the overhead lighting was subdued . three walls of walk-in wood lockers faced a wall of large frosted windows that cast shafts of light from the street above . everything was painted a muted gray green to match the carpet , including the exposed ductwork in the ceiling above . a cleat-dented wooden stool sat in front of each locker . and hanging in the lockers , with military precision , were the classic yankee uniforms . your locker is right here by the door , ' said pete . i could n't help smiling when i saw whitey ford 's nameplate just one locker away . i asked pete if this was the same room that babe ruth and lou gehrig and all those guys used . he pointed to a locker across the room where he used to bring a bi-carb and coffee ' each day to the babe . pete returned to his duties and i touched my uniform reverently . with no one around , i decided to try it on . perfect fit . i adjusted my hat in a mirror . that looked good , too . ireport.com : share your memories of yankee stadium then i grabbed my glove and went out to the field -- you know , just to get oriented . after sitting in the dugout a few minutes , i trotted out to the mound . looking up at the three tiers of stands was like being in the roman coliseum . of course , i had to toe the rubber and look in for the sign . fortunately , at that hour of the morning , it was just me and the pigeons . what would it be like to pitch there when the stands were filled with people ? my big chance came on may 7 , 1962 , in the second game of a double-header against the washington senators , in front of a real crowd that included my mom and dad , my brothers and a whole bunch of neighbors from new jersey . i was thrilled and scared at the same time -- maybe a little more on the scared side . i walked the bases loaded with nobody out . then i fell behind 3 and 1 on the fourth hitter . my next pitch was a little bit high and manager ralph houk stepped out of the dugout - either to calm me down or remove me from the premises . but the umpire , bless him , called it a strike and houk stepped back into the dugout . the inning seemed to last forever , but i finally got out of it and ended up pitching a complete game shutout . maybe the worst shutout in history - 7 walks and 7 hits . after the game houk said to me , any more shutouts like that and we 're going to need a new bullpen . ' the best part was when i walked into the clubhouse after the game . i arrived a few minutes late because i 'd done a tv interview in the dugout . and when i opened the door , there was a path of white towels leading to my locker -- and mickey mantle was laying down the last towel . this is my favorite memory of yankee stadium . unless it was mantle 's 9th inning walk-off home run in'64 world series that beat the cardinals 2-1 , which also happened to be my first world series win . after that it was all down hill . in 1968 a sore arm got me traded to the seattle pilots for a bag of batting practice balls . that 's the year i kept a diary that became ball four -- a book that also mentioned mantle hitting a home run with a hangover -- which got me banned from old timers day at yankee stadium for 28 years . my eventual return to yankee stadium came after my son michael wrote a letter to the new york times , saying the yankees should let bygones be bygones and invite me back . it was such a beautiful letter the yankees were embarrassed into inviting me . after 28 years , yankee stadium was a different place -- a strange and garish place . a makeover in 1973-75 , under the new owner george steinbrenner , added cantilevered stands that destroyed the elegant upper façade , and exterior elevators which spoiled the view of the of the lower facade . inside , the grayish green carpet was now bright blue and featured a giant yankee logo . the honest ceiling with its exposed pipes was now a dropped ceiling with stark white tiles . everything was painted blue and white -- the yankee colors , get it ? now , instead of restoring the stadium , they 're going to tear it down . raze the clubhouse where pete sheehy made coffee for ruth . destroy the dugout where stengel slept . bulldoze the field where mantle roamed and level the mound where larsen pitched the only perfect world series game . and they 're going to build an underground parking garage on the site ! this will no doubt be the garage that ruth built ' -- which could produce a reverse curse of the bambino . ' if you check the current standings , you 'll see this may already be happening . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer . | former yankee jim bouton recalls his debut at yankee stadium in the 1960s |
brenda t. buck <tsp> editor 's note : on cnn 's state of the union , ' host and chief national correspondent john king goes outside the beltway to report on issues affecting communities across the country . county administrator brenda t. buck is trying hard to help create eight to 10 sawmill jobs for jefferson county . fayette , mississippi ( cnn ) -- the odds are against brenda t. buck , and she knows it . so she counts on what she calls the sandwich philosophy : take it one bite at a time . ' buck is the county administrator in jefferson county , a rural area in southwest mississippi dotted with small churches , modest homes and markers noting a civil war skirmish . it is a great small town , and everybody knows everybody , ' buck says . if you look through the statistics , three things jump out : • the census bureau lists the population of jefferson county as 86 percent african american , the highest percentage of any county in the united states . • it is the fourth-poorest county in the united states , with a median income of $ 15,037 . • the unemployment rate in august was 18.6 percent , the highest of mississippi 's 82 counties . it has not always been this way , ' says angelia shelvy , a single mother of three who is among the unemployed . i think we are forgotten . ' shelvy had a job making $ 10,000 a year as a teacher 's assistant , but she left it to take a job paying twice as much , signing on with a union that provides workers to nuclear power plants . her parents agreed to care for her children when she had to travel , for months at a time , as far away as arizona . shelvy thought it was the right thing to do for her family , but phone calls to home at bedtime proved otherwise . her 4-year-old , especially , had a rough time adjusting . i 'm like ,'you have granny .'he 's like ,'no , i do n't want granny ; i want you to hold me ,' shelvy told us . i missed mother 's day twice ; for two years i missed it . ... so i decided that it was more important for me to be here with my children . ' back home now , she has been searching for work since march , looking as far as 90 minutes away from fayette . i did internet searching , different jobs , hospitals , different schools , ' she said . they 're not hiring . they either say they are not hiring , or i 'm not qualified . i do n't have enough years of experience .'we 'll call you later .' get back with us .'and it 's been stressful for me . ' buck spends hours a day trying to help , and most of her time with the board of supervisors is spent debating economic development ideas . at home , too , she is reminded of the bleak local jobs market . her husband is n't there . he 's working 900 miles away , at the moment , in indiana . he works with a company that has been going into a lot of the car plants ' during refittings and downsizing , buck said . we have four kids . ... he is here basically maybe a total combination of , maybe , two months out of the year . ' the county got a modest amount of federal money to buy new police cruisers . but its requests for stimulus money to improve its roads have been ignored , at least to date , and as buck continues to press those requests , she also is pushing smaller economic development grants . reliable mat llc is her current obsession . the screeching hum of a giant saw greets visitors , and inside the warehouse are dozens of pallets of neatly stacked firewood , waiting to be loaded on 18-wheelers and distributed across the country for the coming winter . on the grounds , there are 10 workers , some running giant logs through the saw , others stacking and wrapping the wood for shipment . on average , the men make about $ 100 day , and paul southerland , the company 's general manager , says the noise and activity attracts others who are down on their luck . i see a lot of people come by looking for jobs , yeah , ' southerland says during a tour of the grounds . the company 's main product is giant wooden mats used to create flat surfaces to provide access -- on foot and in vehicles -- to oil and gas fields . all of the work has shifted to the firewood production because orders for the mats have dropped dramatically . mississippi is always last to feel the effects of a recession , and most of the time it is the last to pick back up , ' southerland said . it hit us about june . .. it really hit us hard , too . ' still , southerland expects orders to pick up early next year . he hopes to expand the business by then if the county secures an economic development grant to help him buy a bigger sawmill . if we had that sawmill , we would be able to add eight or 10 more folks , ' southerland said . eight or 10 more jobs might not seem like much in many places . but jefferson county 's population is just shy of 9,000 , and when nearly one in five are unemployed , buck invokes her sandwich philosophy . my short term goal is to get that grant , to get those eight people working , ' she says . my philosophy , when i walk through the doors in the morning , just like a sandwich : take one bite at a time . ' she also sees a bigger gain than just eight or 10 jobs . just imagine , eight people , if it were eight men making $ 10 to $ 11 an hour could actually come home and be home at night with their families , ' she said . the impact that it would make not just from the economical standpoint but from the social standpoint . that father 's presence there in that household and not having to travel so far . i mean you have a double whammy . it 's a win-win for any family . ' | county administrator brenda t. buck wants to bring jobs close to home |
arizona <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with four phoenix , arizona , boys ages 9 to 14 charged with sexual assault on an 8-year-old girl , a prosecutor vowed thursday his office will seek justice for the young victim in this heartrending situation . ' police say a girl was lured to a storage shed at an apartment complex where she was sexually assaulted . this is a deeply disturbing case that has gripped our community , ' said maricopa county attorney andrew thomas . according to phoenix police , the girl was lured to a storage shed at an apartment complex on july 16 . the four boys , who had offered the girl chewing gum , allegedly restrained and sexually assaulted her . at a news conference about the case wednesday , police did not release any information on the girl 's condition , but officers called the case one of the worst they have investigated in many years . the 14-year-old was charged as an adult and will face two counts of sexual assault and one count of kidnapping , thomas said thursday . the other three boys were charged in juvenile court with sexual assault , and two of them also were charged with kidnapping , thomas said . all the suspects except for the 14-year-old live in the same apartment complex , according to phoenix police sgt . andy hill . the victim and the boys charged are all from refugee families that have come to the united states from the war-torn west african nation of liberia , police said . detectives said the girl was placed in the custody of phoenix child protective services after the attack because of her parents'attitude toward her . the parents felt that they had been shamed or embarrassed by their child , ' phoenix police sgt . andy hill said . the phoenix police department has a community response unit that assists with such sensitive cases . they made some initial contacts with the refugee community . they acted as liaison and were present when the child protective services agency took the victim , ' hill said . protective services officers will determine what 's going to happen in the days ahead and they 'll look at the past history with that family , if there is one , ' he said . cnn affiliate ktvk said it interviewed the girl 's 23-year-old sister , who said she was baby-sitting the girl at the time of the alleged attack . the sister , who was not identified by name by the station , expressed mixed feelings about her sister 's attack . i came to her and said it 's not good for you to be following guys because you are still little , ' the sister told ktvk . she also said that she wanted the suspects to be released from jail because we are the same people . ' when she comes back i 'm going to tell her do n't ever do that again because all of us , we are the same family , we are from the same place . now she is just bringing confusion among us . now the other people , they do n't want to see her , ' the sister told ktvk . tony weedor , a liberian who fled civil war with his family and now lives in the denver , colorado , area , told cnn that cultural aspects are deep in the case . in liberia rape was not against the law until 2006 , he said . the family [ believes they ] have been shamed by her , not a crime , but the name of the family has been degraded and news will get back to liberia . and they 're more concerned about that than the crime , ' said weedor , who is co-founder of the centerpoint international foundation , which aids liberian refugees in the united states and provides aid for those still in liberia . edwin sele , the deputy ambassador of liberia to the united states , also responded to the incident . having heard the story myself , i 'm outraged , ' he said . in liberia , the family and law enforcement officers would be embracing the victim . to hear that the family is not doing that , that should be an isolated case . ' resettlement groups around the country help refugees settle into life in the united states . among them is the refugee and immigrants relief center in phoenix , where omar dolleh , a refugee from sierra leone in west africa , is the program director . as a part of the refugee orientation program , he said , his group touches upon the laws in the united states , but the most immediate goal for refugees and organizations that help them is finding employment and places to live . cnn 's sara pratley contributed to this report . | police in phoenix , arizona , say 8-year-old girl lured to vacant shed with gum |
susie wolff <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- female drivers in formula one are few and far between , but one woman aiming to change this is susie wolff . the 29-year-old is a development driver for williams f1 , where she works with engineers in a simulator and on track tests . she is about to compete in her seventh dtm racing car season for mercedes benz . she tells cnn about her journey so far . beginnings : i grew up in the west of scotland . my dad had a motorbike dealership and my mother met my father when she went to buy her first bike . i have an older brother and we got little karts . that 's how it all started . he spurred me on . it was never about him wanting to beat his little sister . he 's a film director and he 's just been commissioned to make a documentary on my job in formula one . when i was 13 , the engineer that ran me in karts took me to a formula three race at donington park . a very young jenson button ended up winning that day and that 's when i said to myself'okay : this is what i want to do when i 'm older .'i went to edinburgh university to study international business but gave it up after two years to follow my dream . big break : the young driver of the year award is a very prestigious award in great britain and i was the first ever female to make the final six . that got me noticed by mercedes benz . i joined their german touring car ( dtm ) program as a factory driver . ( team founder ) frank williams was always very interested in the fact that one of his board members ( wolff 's husband , toto wolff ) had a wife who raced . two years ago he visited and was interested to see what i could do . i 'd had opportunities to be in a formula one car but only as a publicity stunt -- three laps , end of story . now , they are giving me the chance to be a development driver -- not just a one year deal , a proper chance to show what i can do . see also : where do the world 's most entrepreneurial women live ? physicality : it 's incredibly physical . i drive up to 280km/h . the hardest thing is the g-force on your body under braking and the high speed cornering . i do a lot of back and stomach exercises and for the braking i need to have quite strong legs as well . some drivers are very aggressive . i 'm a smooth driver . i have very little movement on the steering wheel , which is why i 'm sometimes better at conserving my tires than my teammates . drivers try to stay as slim as they can and that 's where i have a massive advantage -- i 'm 20 to 30 kg less than the guys . blazing a trail : i do n't race to prove how good women can be against men . i race because i love racing . do n't get me wrong , i see these little girls all dressed in pink with susie t-shirts on , and that 's fantastic . many girls who are really interested in motorsport watch formula one and see no females there , so maybe they do n't understand what they could do . i appreciate that i can have a positive influence in some kind of way . but i feel i still have a lot more to achieve before i can turn around and say i did something special , as a female in a man 's world . bikinis : it 's a very fine line : i 'm representing a car manufacturer and all the sponsors so of course you have to make an effort to look nice at the racetrack . on the other hand , you have these promo girls walking around in tiny bikinis . i have a lot of respect for them , because i could never walk in a paddock of men in a bikini . everyone does what they can and what they 're good at . see also : new wave of activists challenge notions of beauty role models : my role models are my mother and grandmother . they never said to me ,'you 're doing something unusual .'i do n't think my mother 's ever watched the start of any of my races -- she gets nervous because that 's when big accidents can happen -- but she 's very supportive . my grandmother was incredibly strong . when my grandfather was 39 , he ended up paralyzed from the waist down in a diving accident . she cared for him until she died last year . they never had any outside help . she never complained . she was never negative . she devoted herself to him and i think she had an incredible strength . hardest lesson : in 2005 , i could n't get enough sponsorship to do formula three . i broke my ankle , so i missed some races . i was trying to get a drive in with renault and got dropped by them at the last minute . i phoned my dad and said'i 've been dropped -- what am i going to do now ?'as i put down the phone , it rang and it was mercedes benz . one week later i had a contract . it was quite a journey to get to where i am today and that was a point when i thought it was all going to fall apart . sometimes there 's not a lot of people around who believe in you , but you must always be willing to strive for your goals and never give up , even when things get really tough . see also : 10 most powerful women in tech trust your instincts : what i 've learned in life is , you must follow your gut feeling . if you wake up every morning and are motivated and ambitious to achieve your goals , that gives you the best feeling in life . that brings you a happiness you ca n't get from anything else . relaxation : i like to just chill out with my husband and go for nice dinners . i 'm not a great cook and i hate the thought of spending an hour in the kitchen to make dinner , then spend 10 minutes eating and then tidy it all up again . game face : my family say when they see me on a race weekend , i 'm a different person . i 'm much harder . i 'm more focused on what i 'm doing . away from the racetrack , i 'm a normal wife . | susie wolff was hired as a development driver for williams f1 in april |
south korea <tsp> kuala lumpur , malaysia ( cnn ) -- a malaysia airlines flight to south korea made an emergency landing in hong kong early monday after its main electrical generator stopped working , the airline said . the plane , an airbus a330-300 , landed in hong kong safely around 3 a.m. , malaysia airlines said , and the 271 passengers on board have been transferred onto flights with other airlines . the reason for the diversion of malaysia airlines flight 066 was an inoperative aircraft generator , which supplies normal electrical power , ' the company said . electrical power continued to be supplied by the plane 's auxiliary power unit , it said . malaysia airlines is in the international spotlight following the disappearance more than two weeks ago of one of its passenger jets with 239 people on board . that plane , flight 370 , was on its way from kuala lumpur to beijing when it vanished over southeast asia . the flight that was diverted monday set off from kuala lumpur at 11:37 p.m. sunday and was scheduled to arrive at 6:50 a.m. the next day at incheon international airport , the main airport serving the south korean capital , seoul . hong kong airport said it received a call at 2:30 a.m. alerting it of the flight 's urgent change of course and placed local teams on standby . the plane made its emergency landing without any problems about half an hour later . the scheduled return flight from incheon to kuala lumpur has been canceled , malaysia airlines said , and passengers have been placed on other flights . cnn 's sarita harilela reported from kuala lumpur , and jethro mullen wrote this report from hong kong . cnn 's licia yee contributed to this report . | the flight was meant to go to incheon airport in south korea |
flynn <tsp> ( cnn ) -- brian flynn , brother of a victim aboard downed pan am flight 103 , said thursday that the killing of former libyan strongman moammar gadhafi is a moment of justice . for more than 20 years , ( gadhafi ) continued to haunt the world , ' he said . we can take some satisfaction that justice can be done . ' live blog : latest developments on gadhafi 's death a bomb left 270 people dead when it exploded aboard the boeing 747 as it flew over lockerbie , scotland , less than a week before christmas day in 1988 . the attack ultimately was pinned on libyan intelligence officials . flynn 's brother , john patrick , was one of 35 university students killed in the tragedy . a permanent memorial at new york 's syracuse university was dedicated to the victims . read brian flynn 's essay flynn says he 's been in contact with other victims'families , who likely shared a range of emotions upon hearing news of gadhafi 's death . we 're all together on this , ' he said of the families . this is one of those situations that when ( john patrick flynn ) died , i said i promised him and myself that i would n't let it go , that there would be justice , ' he told cnn . today is an example that after 22 years , finally justice is done . i owed him that . ' he says he felt the libyan people have helped me fulfill my promise to him . ' we commend and admire the courage of the libyans , knowing that their freedom has come at a cost , ' flynn added . it 's taken great courage also on the part of the obama administration to lead the nato forces against challenging political and diplomatic circumstances , ' he said . u.s. and european war planes began a military campaign against libyan government forces in march of this year in support of the country 's rebels , helping to eventually oust the longtime strongman in august after more than four decades of near-absolute rule . gadhafi 's death an answer to little girl 's prayer ' part of me thinks this story had to end this way , ' flynn added , referring to the former libyan leader 's being killed rather than captured . although it 's sometimes hard to celebrate when someone gets killed brutally , ' he said , i think in this case there 's every cause for celebration . he was an unrepentant murderer who was oppressive of his people . ' two years earlier , the only convicted lockerbie plotter , abdelbeset al-megrahi , was freed from a scotland prison after serving eight years of a life sentence . he was set free on compassionate grounds because he was battling prostate cancer . al-megrahi received a hero 's welcome upon his return to tripoli , enraging many in the united states and britain . but a libyan envoy said the new government is not likely to send him back . that country 's ambassador to the united states cited al-megrahi 's poor health as a factor , saying he is a very sick man ' and is living with oxygen beside his bed . ' at the time of his release , doctors had said he had only months to live , but al-megrahi was still alive -- albeit visibly frail -- as of a few weeks ago . so when news reports surfaced thursday of gadhafi 's death , flynn said he took a moment and thought that it 's worth it , to get justice . ' u.s. president barack obama announced later thursday that today we can definitely say the gadhafi regime has come to an end . ' speaking during a white house press conference , he said the united states is committed to libya and will support the country 's democratic transition . you have won your revolution , ' he added , addressing the libyan people . for others , gadhafi 's killing also likely marks an end to more than two decades of documenting the lockerbie tragedy . two years after the 1988 bombing , syracuse university archivist amy s. doherty said she contacted the families of the school 's slain students , offering the archives as a place for families to donate correspondence , journals , diaries , photographs , newspaper clippings , examples of creative work , video and audio tapes by or about their child or about the events following the disaster . ' the first collection from a victim arrived in september 1990 , according to a university statement . since then , materials relating to all 35 students have been added . in 2006 , the scope of the archives was expanded to include items pertaining to all 270 victims . | new : part of me thinks this had to end this way , ' brian flynn says |
flynn <tsp> ( cnn ) -- brian flynn , brother of a victim aboard downed pan am flight 103 , said thursday that the killing of former libyan strongman moammar gadhafi is a moment of justice . for more than 20 years , ( gadhafi ) continued to haunt the world , ' he said . we can take some satisfaction that justice can be done . ' live blog : latest developments on gadhafi 's death a bomb left 270 people dead when it exploded aboard the boeing 747 as it flew over lockerbie , scotland , less than a week before christmas day in 1988 . the attack ultimately was pinned on libyan intelligence officials . flynn 's brother , john patrick , was one of 35 university students killed in the tragedy . a permanent memorial at new york 's syracuse university was dedicated to the victims . read brian flynn 's essay flynn says he 's been in contact with other victims'families , who likely shared a range of emotions upon hearing news of gadhafi 's death . we 're all together on this , ' he said of the families . this is one of those situations that when ( john patrick flynn ) died , i said i promised him and myself that i would n't let it go , that there would be justice , ' he told cnn . today is an example that after 22 years , finally justice is done . i owed him that . ' he says he felt the libyan people have helped me fulfill my promise to him . ' we commend and admire the courage of the libyans , knowing that their freedom has come at a cost , ' flynn added . it 's taken great courage also on the part of the obama administration to lead the nato forces against challenging political and diplomatic circumstances , ' he said . u.s. and european war planes began a military campaign against libyan government forces in march of this year in support of the country 's rebels , helping to eventually oust the longtime strongman in august after more than four decades of near-absolute rule . gadhafi 's death an answer to little girl 's prayer ' part of me thinks this story had to end this way , ' flynn added , referring to the former libyan leader 's being killed rather than captured . although it 's sometimes hard to celebrate when someone gets killed brutally , ' he said , i think in this case there 's every cause for celebration . he was an unrepentant murderer who was oppressive of his people . ' two years earlier , the only convicted lockerbie plotter , abdelbeset al-megrahi , was freed from a scotland prison after serving eight years of a life sentence . he was set free on compassionate grounds because he was battling prostate cancer . al-megrahi received a hero 's welcome upon his return to tripoli , enraging many in the united states and britain . but a libyan envoy said the new government is not likely to send him back . that country 's ambassador to the united states cited al-megrahi 's poor health as a factor , saying he is a very sick man ' and is living with oxygen beside his bed . ' at the time of his release , doctors had said he had only months to live , but al-megrahi was still alive -- albeit visibly frail -- as of a few weeks ago . so when news reports surfaced thursday of gadhafi 's death , flynn said he took a moment and thought that it 's worth it , to get justice . ' u.s. president barack obama announced later thursday that today we can definitely say the gadhafi regime has come to an end . ' speaking during a white house press conference , he said the united states is committed to libya and will support the country 's democratic transition . you have won your revolution , ' he added , addressing the libyan people . for others , gadhafi 's killing also likely marks an end to more than two decades of documenting the lockerbie tragedy . two years after the 1988 bombing , syracuse university archivist amy s. doherty said she contacted the families of the school 's slain students , offering the archives as a place for families to donate correspondence , journals , diaries , photographs , newspaper clippings , examples of creative work , video and audio tapes by or about their child or about the events following the disaster . ' the first collection from a victim arrived in september 1990 , according to a university statement . since then , materials relating to all 35 students have been added . in 2006 , the scope of the archives was expanded to include items pertaining to all 270 victims . | flynn 's brother was one of 35 university students killed in the 1988 bombing |
fort riley <tsp> ( cnn ) a former u.s. army enlistee who posted on facebook about the adrenaline rush ' of dying in jihad was arrested friday and charged with trying to detonate a car bomb at fort riley military base in kansas , authorities said . a second man , who allegedly knew about the bomb plot but did n't call authorities , was charged with failing to report a felony . john t. booker jr. of topeka , an american citizen also known as mohammed abdullah hassan , was taken into custody near manhattan , kansas , in a van that contained what he thought was a bomb , the criminal complaint said . the bomb ' had actually been put together by two confidential informants with nonexplosive materials , the complaint said . fort riley 's security was never breached and no people were in danger , the u.s. justice department said in a press release . booker enlisted in the army last year and was due to ship out to basic training april 7 , 2014 , said army spokesman wayne hall . the criminal complaint said the fbi questioned him march 24 , 2014 about comments posted on facebook , such as , getting ready to be killed in jihad is a huge adrenaline rush . i am so nervous . not because i 'm scare to die but i am eager to meet my lord . ' booker waived his miranda rights and told the agents he enlisted to commit an insider attack against american soldiers like maj. nidal hassan had done at fort hood , texas , the complaint said . hassan opened fire in a building in november 2009 , killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 . his enlistment was terminated march 24 , 2014 , at the request of army criminal investigation command , hall said . booker began communicating with a confidential informant later in 2014 , the complaint said , and often talked about his plans to engage in violent jihad in support of isis . he and the informant watched isis videos together , the complaint said , and booker talked about how he wanted to go to iraq and turn his weapon on american soldiers when ordered to shoot the enemy . on march 9 , booker said he believed isis wanted him to commit a truck bombing in the united states and thought a good target would be nearby fort riley , a large army base that 's home to the 1st infantry division , known as the big red one . ' booker said that detonating a suicide bomb is his no . 1 aspiration because he could n't be captured , all evidence would be destroyed and he would be guaranteed to hit his target , ' the criminal complaint said . he made a video with a fort riley airfield in the background and said isis was coming to kill american soldiers , both abroad and in the united states , the complaint said . booker acquired components for a bomb and rented a storage locker to store the components , the complaint said . the plan was for confidential informants to build a bomb and for booker to drive to fort riley and detonate it , the complaint said . but the bomb was built with inert ' parts and would never explode , the complaint said . on friday , the informants and booker drove to what booker thought was a little-used utility gate near fort riley , the complaint said . while booker was making final connections on the bomb , ' the fbi arrested him , the complaint said . he was charged with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction , one count of attempting to damage property by means of an explosive and one count of attempting to provide material support to the islamic state of iraq , a designated foreign terrorist organization . if convicted , he could face life in prison . alexander e. blair , 28 , of topeka was taken into custody friday and charged with failing to report a felony . the fbi said agents interviewed blair after booker 's arrest . blair said he shared some of booker 's views , knew of his plans to detonate a vehicle bomb at fort riley and loaned him money to rent storage space , according to the fbi 's criminal complaint . he said he thought booker would carry out his plan but did not contact authorities , the complaint said . if convicted , blair faces a maximum of three years in prison . | fort riley 's security was never breached and the device was inert ' and not a threat , authorities say |
justice department <tsp> ( cnn ) a former u.s. army enlistee who posted on facebook about the adrenaline rush ' of dying in jihad was arrested friday and charged with trying to detonate a car bomb at fort riley military base in kansas , authorities said . a second man , who allegedly knew about the bomb plot but did n't call authorities , was charged with failing to report a felony . john t. booker jr. of topeka , an american citizen also known as mohammed abdullah hassan , was taken into custody near manhattan , kansas , in a van that contained what he thought was a bomb , the criminal complaint said . the bomb ' had actually been put together by two confidential informants with nonexplosive materials , the complaint said . fort riley 's security was never breached and no people were in danger , the u.s. justice department said in a press release . booker enlisted in the army last year and was due to ship out to basic training april 7 , 2014 , said army spokesman wayne hall . the criminal complaint said the fbi questioned him march 24 , 2014 about comments posted on facebook , such as , getting ready to be killed in jihad is a huge adrenaline rush . i am so nervous . not because i 'm scare to die but i am eager to meet my lord . ' booker waived his miranda rights and told the agents he enlisted to commit an insider attack against american soldiers like maj. nidal hassan had done at fort hood , texas , the complaint said . hassan opened fire in a building in november 2009 , killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 . his enlistment was terminated march 24 , 2014 , at the request of army criminal investigation command , hall said . booker began communicating with a confidential informant later in 2014 , the complaint said , and often talked about his plans to engage in violent jihad in support of isis . he and the informant watched isis videos together , the complaint said , and booker talked about how he wanted to go to iraq and turn his weapon on american soldiers when ordered to shoot the enemy . on march 9 , booker said he believed isis wanted him to commit a truck bombing in the united states and thought a good target would be nearby fort riley , a large army base that 's home to the 1st infantry division , known as the big red one . ' booker said that detonating a suicide bomb is his no . 1 aspiration because he could n't be captured , all evidence would be destroyed and he would be guaranteed to hit his target , ' the criminal complaint said . he made a video with a fort riley airfield in the background and said isis was coming to kill american soldiers , both abroad and in the united states , the complaint said . booker acquired components for a bomb and rented a storage locker to store the components , the complaint said . the plan was for confidential informants to build a bomb and for booker to drive to fort riley and detonate it , the complaint said . but the bomb was built with inert ' parts and would never explode , the complaint said . on friday , the informants and booker drove to what booker thought was a little-used utility gate near fort riley , the complaint said . while booker was making final connections on the bomb , ' the fbi arrested him , the complaint said . he was charged with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction , one count of attempting to damage property by means of an explosive and one count of attempting to provide material support to the islamic state of iraq , a designated foreign terrorist organization . if convicted , he could face life in prison . alexander e. blair , 28 , of topeka was taken into custody friday and charged with failing to report a felony . the fbi said agents interviewed blair after booker 's arrest . blair said he shared some of booker 's views , knew of his plans to detonate a vehicle bomb at fort riley and loaned him money to rent storage space , according to the fbi 's criminal complaint . he said he thought booker would carry out his plan but did not contact authorities , the complaint said . if convicted , blair faces a maximum of three years in prison . | john t. booker jr. , 20 , of topeka had acquired bomb parts and made a propaganda video , the justice department says |
topeka <tsp> ( cnn ) a former u.s. army enlistee who posted on facebook about the adrenaline rush ' of dying in jihad was arrested friday and charged with trying to detonate a car bomb at fort riley military base in kansas , authorities said . a second man , who allegedly knew about the bomb plot but did n't call authorities , was charged with failing to report a felony . john t. booker jr. of topeka , an american citizen also known as mohammed abdullah hassan , was taken into custody near manhattan , kansas , in a van that contained what he thought was a bomb , the criminal complaint said . the bomb ' had actually been put together by two confidential informants with nonexplosive materials , the complaint said . fort riley 's security was never breached and no people were in danger , the u.s. justice department said in a press release . booker enlisted in the army last year and was due to ship out to basic training april 7 , 2014 , said army spokesman wayne hall . the criminal complaint said the fbi questioned him march 24 , 2014 about comments posted on facebook , such as , getting ready to be killed in jihad is a huge adrenaline rush . i am so nervous . not because i 'm scare to die but i am eager to meet my lord . ' booker waived his miranda rights and told the agents he enlisted to commit an insider attack against american soldiers like maj. nidal hassan had done at fort hood , texas , the complaint said . hassan opened fire in a building in november 2009 , killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 . his enlistment was terminated march 24 , 2014 , at the request of army criminal investigation command , hall said . booker began communicating with a confidential informant later in 2014 , the complaint said , and often talked about his plans to engage in violent jihad in support of isis . he and the informant watched isis videos together , the complaint said , and booker talked about how he wanted to go to iraq and turn his weapon on american soldiers when ordered to shoot the enemy . on march 9 , booker said he believed isis wanted him to commit a truck bombing in the united states and thought a good target would be nearby fort riley , a large army base that 's home to the 1st infantry division , known as the big red one . ' booker said that detonating a suicide bomb is his no . 1 aspiration because he could n't be captured , all evidence would be destroyed and he would be guaranteed to hit his target , ' the criminal complaint said . he made a video with a fort riley airfield in the background and said isis was coming to kill american soldiers , both abroad and in the united states , the complaint said . booker acquired components for a bomb and rented a storage locker to store the components , the complaint said . the plan was for confidential informants to build a bomb and for booker to drive to fort riley and detonate it , the complaint said . but the bomb was built with inert ' parts and would never explode , the complaint said . on friday , the informants and booker drove to what booker thought was a little-used utility gate near fort riley , the complaint said . while booker was making final connections on the bomb , ' the fbi arrested him , the complaint said . he was charged with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction , one count of attempting to damage property by means of an explosive and one count of attempting to provide material support to the islamic state of iraq , a designated foreign terrorist organization . if convicted , he could face life in prison . alexander e. blair , 28 , of topeka was taken into custody friday and charged with failing to report a felony . the fbi said agents interviewed blair after booker 's arrest . blair said he shared some of booker 's views , knew of his plans to detonate a vehicle bomb at fort riley and loaned him money to rent storage space , according to the fbi 's criminal complaint . he said he thought booker would carry out his plan but did not contact authorities , the complaint said . if convicted , blair faces a maximum of three years in prison . | alexander blair , 28 , of topeka accused of knowing about bomb plot but not contacting authorities |
topeka <tsp> ( cnn ) a former u.s. army enlistee who posted on facebook about the adrenaline rush ' of dying in jihad was arrested friday and charged with trying to detonate a car bomb at fort riley military base in kansas , authorities said . a second man , who allegedly knew about the bomb plot but did n't call authorities , was charged with failing to report a felony . john t. booker jr. of topeka , an american citizen also known as mohammed abdullah hassan , was taken into custody near manhattan , kansas , in a van that contained what he thought was a bomb , the criminal complaint said . the bomb ' had actually been put together by two confidential informants with nonexplosive materials , the complaint said . fort riley 's security was never breached and no people were in danger , the u.s. justice department said in a press release . booker enlisted in the army last year and was due to ship out to basic training april 7 , 2014 , said army spokesman wayne hall . the criminal complaint said the fbi questioned him march 24 , 2014 about comments posted on facebook , such as , getting ready to be killed in jihad is a huge adrenaline rush . i am so nervous . not because i 'm scare to die but i am eager to meet my lord . ' booker waived his miranda rights and told the agents he enlisted to commit an insider attack against american soldiers like maj. nidal hassan had done at fort hood , texas , the complaint said . hassan opened fire in a building in november 2009 , killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 . his enlistment was terminated march 24 , 2014 , at the request of army criminal investigation command , hall said . booker began communicating with a confidential informant later in 2014 , the complaint said , and often talked about his plans to engage in violent jihad in support of isis . he and the informant watched isis videos together , the complaint said , and booker talked about how he wanted to go to iraq and turn his weapon on american soldiers when ordered to shoot the enemy . on march 9 , booker said he believed isis wanted him to commit a truck bombing in the united states and thought a good target would be nearby fort riley , a large army base that 's home to the 1st infantry division , known as the big red one . ' booker said that detonating a suicide bomb is his no . 1 aspiration because he could n't be captured , all evidence would be destroyed and he would be guaranteed to hit his target , ' the criminal complaint said . he made a video with a fort riley airfield in the background and said isis was coming to kill american soldiers , both abroad and in the united states , the complaint said . booker acquired components for a bomb and rented a storage locker to store the components , the complaint said . the plan was for confidential informants to build a bomb and for booker to drive to fort riley and detonate it , the complaint said . but the bomb was built with inert ' parts and would never explode , the complaint said . on friday , the informants and booker drove to what booker thought was a little-used utility gate near fort riley , the complaint said . while booker was making final connections on the bomb , ' the fbi arrested him , the complaint said . he was charged with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction , one count of attempting to damage property by means of an explosive and one count of attempting to provide material support to the islamic state of iraq , a designated foreign terrorist organization . if convicted , he could face life in prison . alexander e. blair , 28 , of topeka was taken into custody friday and charged with failing to report a felony . the fbi said agents interviewed blair after booker 's arrest . blair said he shared some of booker 's views , knew of his plans to detonate a vehicle bomb at fort riley and loaned him money to rent storage space , according to the fbi 's criminal complaint . he said he thought booker would carry out his plan but did not contact authorities , the complaint said . if convicted , blair faces a maximum of three years in prison . | john t. booker jr. , 20 , of topeka had acquired bomb parts and made a propaganda video , the justice department says |
virginia <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- two people without invitations crashed president obama 's first white house state dinner , the u.s. secret service said wednesday . the secret service confirmed a washington post report that the couple who crashed tuesday night 's dinner were tareq and michaele salahi . the post described the couple as polo-playing socialites from northern virginia . a secret service checkpoint did not follow proper procedures ' to determine if the two were on the guest list for the dinner , said edwin m. donovan , a secret service special agent , in a statement . playing down any security threat , donovan 's statement said : it is important to note that these individuals went through magnetometers and other levels of security , as did all guests attending the dinner . ' the incident represents a security breach for the white house at the obama administration 's biggest social event to date . more than 300 guests , including cabinet members , diplomats and hollywood celebrities , attended the dinner in honor of visiting indian prime minister manmohan singh . the secret service has tasked our office of professional responsibility with conducting a comprehensive review of the incident , ' donovan 's statement said . video footage of the dinner showed the couple walking past journalists into the event . on wednesday , michaele salahi 's facebook page included photos of the couple at the dinner , including two pictures with vice president joe biden and another with rahm emanuel , the white house chief of staff , who was identified on the page as ron ' emanuel . the couple 's names did not appear on the guest list distributed tuesday by the white house . in an e-mail to cnn , mahogany jones , who identified herself as a publicist for the salahis , said the couple had full clearance to attend the state dinner . ' fran townsend , a homeland security adviser to former president george w. bush , said the incident likely involved a breakdown at the perimeter ' security for the event , which is the first checkpoint that guests encounter . lying to the secret service could bring a felony charge , townsend said . | couple are polo-playing socialites from northern virginia , washington post reports |
tareq <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- two people without invitations crashed president obama 's first white house state dinner , the u.s. secret service said wednesday . the secret service confirmed a washington post report that the couple who crashed tuesday night 's dinner were tareq and michaele salahi . the post described the couple as polo-playing socialites from northern virginia . a secret service checkpoint did not follow proper procedures ' to determine if the two were on the guest list for the dinner , said edwin m. donovan , a secret service special agent , in a statement . playing down any security threat , donovan 's statement said : it is important to note that these individuals went through magnetometers and other levels of security , as did all guests attending the dinner . ' the incident represents a security breach for the white house at the obama administration 's biggest social event to date . more than 300 guests , including cabinet members , diplomats and hollywood celebrities , attended the dinner in honor of visiting indian prime minister manmohan singh . the secret service has tasked our office of professional responsibility with conducting a comprehensive review of the incident , ' donovan 's statement said . video footage of the dinner showed the couple walking past journalists into the event . on wednesday , michaele salahi 's facebook page included photos of the couple at the dinner , including two pictures with vice president joe biden and another with rahm emanuel , the white house chief of staff , who was identified on the page as ron ' emanuel . the couple 's names did not appear on the guest list distributed tuesday by the white house . in an e-mail to cnn , mahogany jones , who identified herself as a publicist for the salahis , said the couple had full clearance to attend the state dinner . ' fran townsend , a homeland security adviser to former president george w. bush , said the incident likely involved a breakdown at the perimeter ' security for the event , which is the first checkpoint that guests encounter . lying to the secret service could bring a felony charge , townsend said . | secret service : tareq and michaele salahi attended state dinner without invitations |
rugby world cup <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's not easy carrying the burden of a sports-mad nation 's lofty expectations of world-beating dominance on your shoulders , especially on home soil , but richie mccaw did it -- with a broken foot . battered and bruised , and knowing that the all blacks'other iconic star player , dan carter , had already been ruled out for the rest of the 2011 rugby world cup , mccaw soldiered on for three crucial matches -- four hours of on-field punishment he hid the extent of his injury from fans , media , his coaches and teammates to keep alive his dream of being the first new zealand captain to lift the webb ellis trophy for almost a quarter of a century . the team had been number one in the world , or close to it , for a lot of years during the disappointment of not winning it , ' mccaw told cnn 's human to hero series . we had a team that was good enough , but it does n't mean anything when you get to a tournament like that , if you do n't put it on the field where it counts . there was heartache along the way , but the appreciation of what you 've done ... i certainly appreciated it . the first emotions were sheer relief that we 'd finally been able to knock it off . had we not gone through that , maybe it would n't mean as much as it did . ' when it comes to rugby , new zealanders expect victory . nothing else will do . defeat is rare -- and as painful as the body blows that are routine for those who play one of the world 's most physically demanding sports . the traditional maori war dance that the all blacks perform before every match -- known as the haka ' -- is one of the most fearsome , and highly anticipated , sights on the international rugby stage . it is something very unique to new zealand , ' mccaw said . it 's who we are and were we come from ... a little island way down south , a long way from anywhere . it 's a pretty powerful symbol of what the all blacks and new zealand is all about . ' so it was a matter of great national hurt that the all blacks had not been world champions since winning the inaugural tournament in 1987 , also at home . up until the ( 2011 ) world cup , everyone acknowledged , ah the all blacks are great ,'but there was always a'but'-- i suppose because they had n't won the world cup . to not have that'but'anymore was pretty satisfying , ' mccaw said . mccaw knows all about winning . having become first all black to achieve a century of test appearances during the 2011 world cup , this year he reached 100 victories from just 112 appearances -- a phenomenal strike rate . he suffered heartbreak in 2003 , losing in the world cup semifinals to arch-rivals australia , and in 2007 the all blacks crashed out ignominiously against france in the quarterfinals , leading mccaw to reconsider his future as captain . instead of making wholesale changes , the new zealanders regrouped and went into the 2011 tournament -- once again -- as hot favorites . mccaw reached his century of caps in the third pool game against france , but his foot problem ruled him out of the match against canada -- and international rugby 's record points scorer carter , who was to replace him as captain , then suffered a tournament-ending injury in training . i did n't know what to say to dan , ' mccaw recalls in his autobiography the open side . ' here 's a guy , a decent humble man , acknowledged to be the best of his generation , perhaps of any generation , who 's been crocked at the top of his game just when he 's about to perform on the biggest stage . i 've had the odd moment since dan went down this afternoon where i thought ,'jesus , it could be the two of us .'but sitting with dan , i know that it ca n't be me now . ca n't happen . no moaning about my foot . unlike dan , i 've still got a chance of playing and somehow , any old how , that 's what i 've got to do . ' mccaw returned for the quarterfinal against argentina , in which teammate mils muliaina became the second all black to win 100 caps but then went off with a fractured shoulder . the injury crisis was mounting , and mccaw had his own worries . if i have to jump or run or push or tackle , i can do it -- adrenaline 's a great painkiller . but when play stops and i have to walk or jog to a lineout or scrum 20 meters away , i 'm really struggling . ' he says in his book . mccaw played the full 80 minutes in a 20-6 crushing of australia , then held on to the bittersweet end in a nerve-wracking 8-7 win over france in the title decider -- a rematch of the 1987 final that he had watched as a boy . i was about age 6 and watching it on tv . the image that i have in my head is john kirwan scoring one of the tries , ' he said . that sort of stuck with me i suppose . i thought it would be pretty cool to be like him . ' while kirwan was one of new zealand 's star backs , mccaw would go on to follow in the rugged boot prints of legendary forwards such wayne shelford , michael jones and josh kronfeld . he has been named world player of the year three times , drawing both respect and anger from opponents and critics for his uncanny ability to tread the fine line between smart thinking and illegal play -- as did one of his predecessors as skipper , 1987 world cup winner sean fitzpatrick . having finally landed new zealand 's holy grail , mccaw is hoping to play at the next world cup in england in 2015 , when he 'll be 35 . but after a long career as one of the most dynamic and influential forwards in rugby , it 's time to take a break -- a six-month sabbatical in which he plans to get away from it all . he has plenty of incentive to come back stronger -- his last match was a shock defeat to england last month which ended the all blacks'20-match unbeaten run . i hope having the time off will make me play a bit longer . so i 'm taking it before i desperately need it , with the hope i 'll come back fresh mentally and physically , ' he said . i 'm pretty keen to get away and have a look at places i 've have n't been before and where rugby is not something people know too much about . that 's part of what wears you down a little bit , when you are living in fishbowl like you do in new zealand , and it 's just nice to have a bit of time to be anonymous . ' mccaw has hinted that he will head to the u.s. and indulge his other passion -- flying . his grandfather was a fighter pilot during world war two , and he has continued the family interest , being named an honorary squadron leader in the new zealand air force . he flies planes , helicopters and gliders , and has even narrated an aviation tv program . dad flies , his brothers fly , a couple of my cousins fly , my aunty flies . we 've got flying in common . when i go home to the old man we sit and talk way more about flying than rugby , ' mccaw says in the open side . ' gliding teaches you that you 've got to be prepared as you possibly can for whatever contingencies of terrain and weather might eventuate when you 're up there . at the same time , you have to acknowledge that no matter how much you prepare , no matter how thorough you are , you ca n't anticipate everything that nature and fate throw at you . ' when he returns from his sabbatical in mid-2013 , mccaw knows that the rugby world will be trying to knock him and the all blacks off their pedestal . a lot of people ask me what 's left to achieve or why do you still want to play . i guess you readjust the challenges , ' he told cnn . you have the tag of world champions for four years -- you try to live up to that every time . i know what it 's like , i 've tried to knock off the world champs the following year . if we have that sort of goal , that sort of attitude , hopefully we will keep that level where it needs to be . ' | richie mccaw is second new zealander to lead all blacks to rugby world cup title |
mccaw <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's not easy carrying the burden of a sports-mad nation 's lofty expectations of world-beating dominance on your shoulders , especially on home soil , but richie mccaw did it -- with a broken foot . battered and bruised , and knowing that the all blacks'other iconic star player , dan carter , had already been ruled out for the rest of the 2011 rugby world cup , mccaw soldiered on for three crucial matches -- four hours of on-field punishment he hid the extent of his injury from fans , media , his coaches and teammates to keep alive his dream of being the first new zealand captain to lift the webb ellis trophy for almost a quarter of a century . the team had been number one in the world , or close to it , for a lot of years during the disappointment of not winning it , ' mccaw told cnn 's human to hero series . we had a team that was good enough , but it does n't mean anything when you get to a tournament like that , if you do n't put it on the field where it counts . there was heartache along the way , but the appreciation of what you 've done ... i certainly appreciated it . the first emotions were sheer relief that we 'd finally been able to knock it off . had we not gone through that , maybe it would n't mean as much as it did . ' when it comes to rugby , new zealanders expect victory . nothing else will do . defeat is rare -- and as painful as the body blows that are routine for those who play one of the world 's most physically demanding sports . the traditional maori war dance that the all blacks perform before every match -- known as the haka ' -- is one of the most fearsome , and highly anticipated , sights on the international rugby stage . it is something very unique to new zealand , ' mccaw said . it 's who we are and were we come from ... a little island way down south , a long way from anywhere . it 's a pretty powerful symbol of what the all blacks and new zealand is all about . ' so it was a matter of great national hurt that the all blacks had not been world champions since winning the inaugural tournament in 1987 , also at home . up until the ( 2011 ) world cup , everyone acknowledged , ah the all blacks are great ,'but there was always a'but'-- i suppose because they had n't won the world cup . to not have that'but'anymore was pretty satisfying , ' mccaw said . mccaw knows all about winning . having become first all black to achieve a century of test appearances during the 2011 world cup , this year he reached 100 victories from just 112 appearances -- a phenomenal strike rate . he suffered heartbreak in 2003 , losing in the world cup semifinals to arch-rivals australia , and in 2007 the all blacks crashed out ignominiously against france in the quarterfinals , leading mccaw to reconsider his future as captain . instead of making wholesale changes , the new zealanders regrouped and went into the 2011 tournament -- once again -- as hot favorites . mccaw reached his century of caps in the third pool game against france , but his foot problem ruled him out of the match against canada -- and international rugby 's record points scorer carter , who was to replace him as captain , then suffered a tournament-ending injury in training . i did n't know what to say to dan , ' mccaw recalls in his autobiography the open side . ' here 's a guy , a decent humble man , acknowledged to be the best of his generation , perhaps of any generation , who 's been crocked at the top of his game just when he 's about to perform on the biggest stage . i 've had the odd moment since dan went down this afternoon where i thought ,'jesus , it could be the two of us .'but sitting with dan , i know that it ca n't be me now . ca n't happen . no moaning about my foot . unlike dan , i 've still got a chance of playing and somehow , any old how , that 's what i 've got to do . ' mccaw returned for the quarterfinal against argentina , in which teammate mils muliaina became the second all black to win 100 caps but then went off with a fractured shoulder . the injury crisis was mounting , and mccaw had his own worries . if i have to jump or run or push or tackle , i can do it -- adrenaline 's a great painkiller . but when play stops and i have to walk or jog to a lineout or scrum 20 meters away , i 'm really struggling . ' he says in his book . mccaw played the full 80 minutes in a 20-6 crushing of australia , then held on to the bittersweet end in a nerve-wracking 8-7 win over france in the title decider -- a rematch of the 1987 final that he had watched as a boy . i was about age 6 and watching it on tv . the image that i have in my head is john kirwan scoring one of the tries , ' he said . that sort of stuck with me i suppose . i thought it would be pretty cool to be like him . ' while kirwan was one of new zealand 's star backs , mccaw would go on to follow in the rugged boot prints of legendary forwards such wayne shelford , michael jones and josh kronfeld . he has been named world player of the year three times , drawing both respect and anger from opponents and critics for his uncanny ability to tread the fine line between smart thinking and illegal play -- as did one of his predecessors as skipper , 1987 world cup winner sean fitzpatrick . having finally landed new zealand 's holy grail , mccaw is hoping to play at the next world cup in england in 2015 , when he 'll be 35 . but after a long career as one of the most dynamic and influential forwards in rugby , it 's time to take a break -- a six-month sabbatical in which he plans to get away from it all . he has plenty of incentive to come back stronger -- his last match was a shock defeat to england last month which ended the all blacks'20-match unbeaten run . i hope having the time off will make me play a bit longer . so i 'm taking it before i desperately need it , with the hope i 'll come back fresh mentally and physically , ' he said . i 'm pretty keen to get away and have a look at places i 've have n't been before and where rugby is not something people know too much about . that 's part of what wears you down a little bit , when you are living in fishbowl like you do in new zealand , and it 's just nice to have a bit of time to be anonymous . ' mccaw has hinted that he will head to the u.s. and indulge his other passion -- flying . his grandfather was a fighter pilot during world war two , and he has continued the family interest , being named an honorary squadron leader in the new zealand air force . he flies planes , helicopters and gliders , and has even narrated an aviation tv program . dad flies , his brothers fly , a couple of my cousins fly , my aunty flies . we 've got flying in common . when i go home to the old man we sit and talk way more about flying than rugby , ' mccaw says in the open side . ' gliding teaches you that you 've got to be prepared as you possibly can for whatever contingencies of terrain and weather might eventuate when you 're up there . at the same time , you have to acknowledge that no matter how much you prepare , no matter how thorough you are , you ca n't anticipate everything that nature and fate throw at you . ' when he returns from his sabbatical in mid-2013 , mccaw knows that the rugby world will be trying to knock him and the all blacks off their pedestal . a lot of people ask me what 's left to achieve or why do you still want to play . i guess you readjust the challenges , ' he told cnn . you have the tag of world champions for four years -- you try to live up to that every time . i know what it 's like , i 've tried to knock off the world champs the following year . if we have that sort of goal , that sort of attitude , hopefully we will keep that level where it needs to be . ' | mccaw is taking a six-month sabbatical from rugby in order to extend his playing career |
mccaw <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's not easy carrying the burden of a sports-mad nation 's lofty expectations of world-beating dominance on your shoulders , especially on home soil , but richie mccaw did it -- with a broken foot . battered and bruised , and knowing that the all blacks'other iconic star player , dan carter , had already been ruled out for the rest of the 2011 rugby world cup , mccaw soldiered on for three crucial matches -- four hours of on-field punishment he hid the extent of his injury from fans , media , his coaches and teammates to keep alive his dream of being the first new zealand captain to lift the webb ellis trophy for almost a quarter of a century . the team had been number one in the world , or close to it , for a lot of years during the disappointment of not winning it , ' mccaw told cnn 's human to hero series . we had a team that was good enough , but it does n't mean anything when you get to a tournament like that , if you do n't put it on the field where it counts . there was heartache along the way , but the appreciation of what you 've done ... i certainly appreciated it . the first emotions were sheer relief that we 'd finally been able to knock it off . had we not gone through that , maybe it would n't mean as much as it did . ' when it comes to rugby , new zealanders expect victory . nothing else will do . defeat is rare -- and as painful as the body blows that are routine for those who play one of the world 's most physically demanding sports . the traditional maori war dance that the all blacks perform before every match -- known as the haka ' -- is one of the most fearsome , and highly anticipated , sights on the international rugby stage . it is something very unique to new zealand , ' mccaw said . it 's who we are and were we come from ... a little island way down south , a long way from anywhere . it 's a pretty powerful symbol of what the all blacks and new zealand is all about . ' so it was a matter of great national hurt that the all blacks had not been world champions since winning the inaugural tournament in 1987 , also at home . up until the ( 2011 ) world cup , everyone acknowledged , ah the all blacks are great ,'but there was always a'but'-- i suppose because they had n't won the world cup . to not have that'but'anymore was pretty satisfying , ' mccaw said . mccaw knows all about winning . having become first all black to achieve a century of test appearances during the 2011 world cup , this year he reached 100 victories from just 112 appearances -- a phenomenal strike rate . he suffered heartbreak in 2003 , losing in the world cup semifinals to arch-rivals australia , and in 2007 the all blacks crashed out ignominiously against france in the quarterfinals , leading mccaw to reconsider his future as captain . instead of making wholesale changes , the new zealanders regrouped and went into the 2011 tournament -- once again -- as hot favorites . mccaw reached his century of caps in the third pool game against france , but his foot problem ruled him out of the match against canada -- and international rugby 's record points scorer carter , who was to replace him as captain , then suffered a tournament-ending injury in training . i did n't know what to say to dan , ' mccaw recalls in his autobiography the open side . ' here 's a guy , a decent humble man , acknowledged to be the best of his generation , perhaps of any generation , who 's been crocked at the top of his game just when he 's about to perform on the biggest stage . i 've had the odd moment since dan went down this afternoon where i thought ,'jesus , it could be the two of us .'but sitting with dan , i know that it ca n't be me now . ca n't happen . no moaning about my foot . unlike dan , i 've still got a chance of playing and somehow , any old how , that 's what i 've got to do . ' mccaw returned for the quarterfinal against argentina , in which teammate mils muliaina became the second all black to win 100 caps but then went off with a fractured shoulder . the injury crisis was mounting , and mccaw had his own worries . if i have to jump or run or push or tackle , i can do it -- adrenaline 's a great painkiller . but when play stops and i have to walk or jog to a lineout or scrum 20 meters away , i 'm really struggling . ' he says in his book . mccaw played the full 80 minutes in a 20-6 crushing of australia , then held on to the bittersweet end in a nerve-wracking 8-7 win over france in the title decider -- a rematch of the 1987 final that he had watched as a boy . i was about age 6 and watching it on tv . the image that i have in my head is john kirwan scoring one of the tries , ' he said . that sort of stuck with me i suppose . i thought it would be pretty cool to be like him . ' while kirwan was one of new zealand 's star backs , mccaw would go on to follow in the rugged boot prints of legendary forwards such wayne shelford , michael jones and josh kronfeld . he has been named world player of the year three times , drawing both respect and anger from opponents and critics for his uncanny ability to tread the fine line between smart thinking and illegal play -- as did one of his predecessors as skipper , 1987 world cup winner sean fitzpatrick . having finally landed new zealand 's holy grail , mccaw is hoping to play at the next world cup in england in 2015 , when he 'll be 35 . but after a long career as one of the most dynamic and influential forwards in rugby , it 's time to take a break -- a six-month sabbatical in which he plans to get away from it all . he has plenty of incentive to come back stronger -- his last match was a shock defeat to england last month which ended the all blacks'20-match unbeaten run . i hope having the time off will make me play a bit longer . so i 'm taking it before i desperately need it , with the hope i 'll come back fresh mentally and physically , ' he said . i 'm pretty keen to get away and have a look at places i 've have n't been before and where rugby is not something people know too much about . that 's part of what wears you down a little bit , when you are living in fishbowl like you do in new zealand , and it 's just nice to have a bit of time to be anonymous . ' mccaw has hinted that he will head to the u.s. and indulge his other passion -- flying . his grandfather was a fighter pilot during world war two , and he has continued the family interest , being named an honorary squadron leader in the new zealand air force . he flies planes , helicopters and gliders , and has even narrated an aviation tv program . dad flies , his brothers fly , a couple of my cousins fly , my aunty flies . we 've got flying in common . when i go home to the old man we sit and talk way more about flying than rugby , ' mccaw says in the open side . ' gliding teaches you that you 've got to be prepared as you possibly can for whatever contingencies of terrain and weather might eventuate when you 're up there . at the same time , you have to acknowledge that no matter how much you prepare , no matter how thorough you are , you ca n't anticipate everything that nature and fate throw at you . ' when he returns from his sabbatical in mid-2013 , mccaw knows that the rugby world will be trying to knock him and the all blacks off their pedestal . a lot of people ask me what 's left to achieve or why do you still want to play . i guess you readjust the challenges , ' he told cnn . you have the tag of world champions for four years -- you try to live up to that every time . i know what it 's like , i 've tried to knock off the world champs the following year . if we have that sort of goal , that sort of attitude , hopefully we will keep that level where it needs to be . ' | richie mccaw is second new zealander to lead all blacks to rugby world cup title |
calvin klein <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- russian supermodel natalia vodianova 's life has been a classic rags-to-riches fairytale , taking her from poverty in provincial russia to a cosmopolitan life of wealth and aristocracy . supermodel natalia vodianova was discovered in moscow in a classic rags-to-riches tale . her intelligence , poise and charm ( as well as stunning features and long limbs ) , have propelled her from anonymity to being one of the most recognizable and respected models in the fashion industry . her success has earned her the nickname supernova . not content to grace the covers of glossy magazines and the catwalks of the world 's glamorous fashion capitals , vodianova has also carved a role as a philanthropist . in 2005 she founded the naked heart foundation , a charity that builds playgrounds for children across russia . giving back just feels so great and i always try to open each play park with myself being present for the children because it makes it more special for them . i go to very remote parts of russia that are far from moscow and it gives these children an extra message of love , ' she told cnn . vodianova was born on february 28 1982 in nizhni novgorod , the fourth largest city in russia . she lived in a poor district of the city with her mother and two sisters , one of whom has cerebral palsy . watch natalia vodianova take cnn on a tour of moscow » the young vodianova was regularly taken to the opera and the ballet by her grandparents . they offered some respite from the troubles at home and taught her the importance of manners . when vodianova was 11 she began to help out on the family 's fruit stall , and at the age of 15 she had moved into her own apartment with her best friend . it was a lot of survival and a lot of struggling but overall we were a good team , ' vodianova told cnn . we worked really hard , all of us , and stood up for each other . my mum was amazing -- she lived for us . i appreciate what she has done for me and the way she raised me ' in 1999 a parisian model scout held an open casting in nizhni novgorod . vodianova impressed him and he sent her to paris to sign with viva models on the condition that she learn english within three months . luckily for her she took his advice . a year later vodianova would find herself settled in paris and sitting at a dinner party in the pompidou center restaurant . it was there she met artistic , english aristocratic playboy the honorable justin portman , third son of the late viscount edward henry berkeley portman . see natalia vodianova 's life in front of the camera . » the portman family is one of the wealthiest in britain , owning over 100 acres of prime land in central london and 3000 acres in herefordshire , as well as expansive properties in antigua and australia . the pair fell in love and after a quick civil wedding vodianova gave birth to their first child , lucas , in december 2001 , when she was still only 19 . vodianova lost a huge amount of weight after the birth and just a few weeks later at the castings for paris fashion week she was the clear favorite among the designers . she opened and closed the prestigious yves saint laurent show , as well as 40 other runway bookings and landed a gucci perfume campaign , shot by iconic fashion photographer mario testino . on september 1 2002 vodianova and portman were married again , this time in a ceremony at st vladimir 's cathedral in st petersburg , followed by a lavish reception for 110 guests at the palace of catherine the great . over the next few years two more children followed . her daughter neva was born in march 2006 and another son , viktor , was born in september 2007 . vodianova still found time to walk the runway for the world 's great fashion houses , including chanel , givenchy , versace , balenciaga , prada , ralph lauren , christian lacroix , dolce & gabbana , gucci and her good friend diane von furstenberg . she officially ' retired from the catwalk after valentino 's emotional final show , during the spring/summer 2008 season . afterwards , vodianova took valentino for a well-deserved holiday to her much-loved city of moscow . moscow is the heart of my country so it gathers the best of what i love about my country - and i can find it all here in this place . i love the people , i love what i find here , i love being here and it 's sad that i do n't actually live here . it would be my dream ' vodianova told cnn . following a brief return to the catwalk for diane von furstenberg and balenciaga at the end of 2008 the supermodel is now fronting campaigns for calvin klein and david yurman jewelry . at the age of 27 natalia vodianova has achieved more than most people could ever dream of . she 's got age on her side , as well as beauty , fame and fortune , and yet she remains admirably grounded . the most important things to me are my children , my family and my husband . it 's really about people in general -- i really love people and i try to never say no if someone needs my help . ' | vodianova now fronts campaigns for calvin klein and david yurman jewelry |
joe cool <tsp> miami , florida ( cnn ) -- one of two men charged with killing the crew of the joe cool charter fishing boat last year has agreed to plead guilty to first-degree murder , a victim 's relative said . kirby archer is expected to plead guilty in exchange for prosecutors dropping the death penalty . kirby archer is expected to change his plea to guilty in exchange for a prosecutors'agreement not to seek the death penalty against him , according to jeff branam , an uncle of slain boat captain jake branam . he said prosecutors told the victims'relatives about the plea deal . the u.s. attorney 's office in miami , florida , declined to comment . court documents filed friday show that archer is scheduled to change his plea at a hearing thursday . archer and guillermo zarabozo are charged with four counts each of first-degree murder , kidnapping and robbery in the deaths of branam ; his wife , kelly ; his half-brother scott gamble ; and first mate samuel kairy . none of the victims'bodies has been found , and authorities have said it is unlikely they will be . the abandoned joe cool was found by the u.s. coast guard on september 23 , floating about 60 miles south of the island of bimini . zarabozo and archer were found a few hours later , about 10 miles away on a life raft . the two had paid the joe cool crew $ 4,000 in cash to take them to the bahamas from miami , where they said they were planning to meet some girlfriends . the trip should have taken about an hour each way . the boat did not return . zarabozo told authorities the boat had been hijacked by pirates who fatally shot jake and kelly branam and ordered the crew thrown overboard but spared the two of them . this spring , zarabozo said in court documents that archer killed the crew , using zarabozo 's gun . no gun was found . police believe that the bodies of the crew were pitched overboard between miami and cuba . jeff branam said the victims'relatives met with prosecutors a few days ago . they said he was going to plead guilty , ' he said of archer . i would have liked to have seen him get the death penalty , but if he 's going to be in prison for the rest of his life with no chance of getting out , that 'll work . ' cnn was unable to reach archer 's defense attorney . jeff branam said the government 's case against the two appears strong but said he 's glad a jury wo n't decide archer 's fate . i think they have a lot of circumstantial evidence , ' he said . if you have just one person on a jury who might feel there were pirates , they might not [ convict ] , ' he said . without bodies , it could be an uphill battle . ' archer , 36 , was once an army mp who served at the u.s . naval base at guantanamo bay , cuba . investigators and victims'family members say they were told he wanted to go back to cuba . archer befriended zarabozo , 20 , who left cuba with his family . last year , archer fled to florida after he was accused of stealing $ 92,000 from an arkansas wal-mart where he was working . zarabozo 's lawyer , william matthewman , had little to say about archer 's pending plea . all i can say is , mr. zarabozo pled not guilty . he maintains his not guilty plea , and he plans to proceed to trial . ' no trial date has been set . jake and kelly branam are survived by their children : a girl who was 2 at the time of their deaths and a boy who was 4 months old . a court has awarded custody of the children to kelly branam 's stepsister , according to relatives . | kirby archer , guillermo zarabozo accused of killing crew of joe cool |
oosthuizen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the little-known south african louis oosthuizen shocked the world of golf as he stormed to his first ever major win on sunday with a runaway seven-shot victory at the british open at st. andrews . not bad for a farm boy who failed to make the cut in seven of his previous eight major championships . oosthuizen joins bobby locke , gary player and ernie els as south african winners of the famous claret jug . despite many having difficulty pronouncing his name , few will forget lodewicus theodorus louis ' oosthuizen 's dazzling performance at st. andrews . the win really is a fairytale story for the 27-year-old who lives on a farm in gourits river , south africa , next door to his parents . oosthuizen , who also has a home in manchester , england , was born in mossel bay , south africa . his father was a farmer by trade yet all young oosthuizen wanted to do growing up was play golf and tennis . oosthuizen decided to ditch the tennis racket for good in favor of the club when he was 10 before spending three years at the ernie els & fancourt foundation during his teenage years . oosthuizen seals runaway british open victory oosthuizen is eternally grateful to the foundation , which was set up by els in 1999 to help nurture south africa 's next generation of star golfers . it gave him financial support and coaching on the course his family could never offer their son . it was unbelievable what he ( ernie els ) did for me , ' oosthuizen told the official british open website . he is such a good mentor and probably without him , those three years in his foundation , i would n't have been here . ' it was not long before the future british open champion started tasting success after teaming up with compatriot charl schwartzel to win his first title at the world junior team championships in 2000 . the teenager then claimed six amateur titles including the irish amateur open stroke play title in 2002 before turning professional at 19 in the same year . but despite hitting a 57 during a practice round on the par-72 mossel bay golf club course , along with gaining his european tour card in 2003 , his early performances in the paid ranks were less impressive . he did manage to record the first of his eight professional wins on home soil at the 2004 vodacom origins of golf tour . but joy was quickly turned into despair as shrek ' -- as he is fondly known to his friends due to his gap-tooth smile -- failed to qualify for his first british open at st andrews in 2005 . the season ended in disappointment as oosthuizen finished 139th on the money list forcing him to return to qualifying school to regain his european tour card .'shrek'takes charge at st.andrews the south african responded to the early setback by making 2007 his best year so far on the golf circuit , winning three titles on the sunshine tour including the telkcom pga championship . however , oosthuizen 's stop-start career continued as he failed to play in a major after missing the cuts for the masters , the british open and the pga championship in 2009 . but 2010 is without doubt his most successful and memorable year on and off the course to date . first , oosthuizen became a father after his wife nel-marie gave birth to their baby daughter jana . then in march he finally won his first european tour event at the open de andalucia in spain beating england 's richard finch and peter whiteford of scotland , who were tied second by three strokes . a victory of sorts in america was next , as the south african won the par 3 contest at the 2010 masters in april , but he missed the cut in the tournament proper at augusta . he also missed the weekend action in the u.s. open at pebble beach so the signs were not promising as he traveled to the east coast of scotland for the third major of the season . having missed the cut at the british open in 2004 , 2006 and 2009 , few , if any , envisaged him collecting the trophy at the end of play on sunday . yet oosthuizen left paul casey , lee westwood and the world number one tiger woods in his wake , with his final round of one-under-par 71 giving him a 16-under total of 272 and his only major title so far . | oosthuizen is a graduate from the ernie els foundation before turning professional at 19 |
oosthuizen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the little-known south african louis oosthuizen shocked the world of golf as he stormed to his first ever major win on sunday with a runaway seven-shot victory at the british open at st. andrews . not bad for a farm boy who failed to make the cut in seven of his previous eight major championships . oosthuizen joins bobby locke , gary player and ernie els as south african winners of the famous claret jug . despite many having difficulty pronouncing his name , few will forget lodewicus theodorus louis ' oosthuizen 's dazzling performance at st. andrews . the win really is a fairytale story for the 27-year-old who lives on a farm in gourits river , south africa , next door to his parents . oosthuizen , who also has a home in manchester , england , was born in mossel bay , south africa . his father was a farmer by trade yet all young oosthuizen wanted to do growing up was play golf and tennis . oosthuizen decided to ditch the tennis racket for good in favor of the club when he was 10 before spending three years at the ernie els & fancourt foundation during his teenage years . oosthuizen seals runaway british open victory oosthuizen is eternally grateful to the foundation , which was set up by els in 1999 to help nurture south africa 's next generation of star golfers . it gave him financial support and coaching on the course his family could never offer their son . it was unbelievable what he ( ernie els ) did for me , ' oosthuizen told the official british open website . he is such a good mentor and probably without him , those three years in his foundation , i would n't have been here . ' it was not long before the future british open champion started tasting success after teaming up with compatriot charl schwartzel to win his first title at the world junior team championships in 2000 . the teenager then claimed six amateur titles including the irish amateur open stroke play title in 2002 before turning professional at 19 in the same year . but despite hitting a 57 during a practice round on the par-72 mossel bay golf club course , along with gaining his european tour card in 2003 , his early performances in the paid ranks were less impressive . he did manage to record the first of his eight professional wins on home soil at the 2004 vodacom origins of golf tour . but joy was quickly turned into despair as shrek ' -- as he is fondly known to his friends due to his gap-tooth smile -- failed to qualify for his first british open at st andrews in 2005 . the season ended in disappointment as oosthuizen finished 139th on the money list forcing him to return to qualifying school to regain his european tour card .'shrek'takes charge at st.andrews the south african responded to the early setback by making 2007 his best year so far on the golf circuit , winning three titles on the sunshine tour including the telkcom pga championship . however , oosthuizen 's stop-start career continued as he failed to play in a major after missing the cuts for the masters , the british open and the pga championship in 2009 . but 2010 is without doubt his most successful and memorable year on and off the course to date . first , oosthuizen became a father after his wife nel-marie gave birth to their baby daughter jana . then in march he finally won his first european tour event at the open de andalucia in spain beating england 's richard finch and peter whiteford of scotland , who were tied second by three strokes . a victory of sorts in america was next , as the south african won the par 3 contest at the 2010 masters in april , but he missed the cut in the tournament proper at augusta . he also missed the weekend action in the u.s. open at pebble beach so the signs were not promising as he traveled to the east coast of scotland for the third major of the season . having missed the cut at the british open in 2004 , 2006 and 2009 , few , if any , envisaged him collecting the trophy at the end of play on sunday . yet oosthuizen left paul casey , lee westwood and the world number one tiger woods in his wake , with his final round of one-under-par 71 giving him a 16-under total of 272 and his only major title so far . | louis oosthuizen stormed to his first major win at the british open at st. andrews |
tocopilla <tsp> ( cnn ) -- thousands of chileans may have to sleep in the streets wednesday night after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled the north part of the country , killing at least two people , injuring dozens and destroying hundreds of homes . valentina bustos shot this photo wednesday of earthquake damage at a hotel in antofagasta , chile . there are more than a thousand , 1,200 houses , at least , that were totally flattened , and others in bad shape , ' tocopilla mayor luis moyano said in an interview that aired on radio cooperativo . tocopilla , chile , north of santiago , is about 35 km ( 21 miles ) from the quake 's epicenter . tonight , people are going to have to sleep in the street , because there are a great number of houses that are uninhabitable , ' said moyano . places that could be used as shelters , such as schools and gyms , were damaged in the quake , the mayor said . moyano put the number of people without shelter at 4,000 . tocopilla 's population is 24,000 . moyano described going through the damaged city and running into people asking , mayor , my house collapsed . what do i do ? mayor , i do n't have water . what do i do ? ' it gets to you , ' he said . paula saez with the aid organization world vision told cnn she was on a treacherous drive attempting to reach tocopilla . there 's no electricity and there 's a lot of landslides ' covering the road in spots , she said , and the highway was spotted with holes . once in tocopilla , saez said , she was prepared to offer tents , blankets and medicine to citizens and assess additional needs . the government 's office of national emergency reported that two women had died and others were injured in the city . officials identified one of those killed as 54-year-old olga petronila ortiz cisternas . the other fatality was an 88-year-old woman . watch what a 7.7 earthquake can do » municipal official ljubica ukurtovic , in an interview with chilean tv station tvn , said that approximately 100 people ' had sought treatment at a tocopilla hospital . the quake collapsed a roadway tunnel , temporarily trapping about 50 construction workers . see where the quake struck » high-level government sources said the workers had been rescued . repair work on the 793-meter ( 2,600-foot ) pedro galleguillos tunnel , completed in 1994 , began on october 1 and was to be finished early next year . tocopilla is about 1,245 km ( 780 miles ) north of santiago and the quake was felt in peru and bolivia , according to the u.s. geological survey . the temblor was centered at a depth of 60 km ( 37 miles ) , the usgs said . a tsunami warning was issued for the south pacific coast after the quake hit , but was canceled within an hour . chile has been the scene of hundreds of strong earthquakes throughout history , including the largest one of the 20th century on may 22 , 1960 . the quake that struck southern chile that day registered a magnitude 9.5 and launched a tsunami that caused damage as far away as hawaii , japan and the philippines . nearly 6,000 people died as a result of the quake and its tsunami . a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck southern chile on january 25 , 1939 , killed 28,000 people . a magnitude 9.0 earthquake in what was then southern peru but is now northern chile killed 25,000 people in 1868 . e-mail to a friend | new : tocopilla mayor : more than 1,200 homes flattened , shelters damaged |
tocopilla <tsp> ( cnn ) -- thousands of chileans may have to sleep in the streets wednesday night after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled the north part of the country , killing at least two people , injuring dozens and destroying hundreds of homes . valentina bustos shot this photo wednesday of earthquake damage at a hotel in antofagasta , chile . there are more than a thousand , 1,200 houses , at least , that were totally flattened , and others in bad shape , ' tocopilla mayor luis moyano said in an interview that aired on radio cooperativo . tocopilla , chile , north of santiago , is about 35 km ( 21 miles ) from the quake 's epicenter . tonight , people are going to have to sleep in the street , because there are a great number of houses that are uninhabitable , ' said moyano . places that could be used as shelters , such as schools and gyms , were damaged in the quake , the mayor said . moyano put the number of people without shelter at 4,000 . tocopilla 's population is 24,000 . moyano described going through the damaged city and running into people asking , mayor , my house collapsed . what do i do ? mayor , i do n't have water . what do i do ? ' it gets to you , ' he said . paula saez with the aid organization world vision told cnn she was on a treacherous drive attempting to reach tocopilla . there 's no electricity and there 's a lot of landslides ' covering the road in spots , she said , and the highway was spotted with holes . once in tocopilla , saez said , she was prepared to offer tents , blankets and medicine to citizens and assess additional needs . the government 's office of national emergency reported that two women had died and others were injured in the city . officials identified one of those killed as 54-year-old olga petronila ortiz cisternas . the other fatality was an 88-year-old woman . watch what a 7.7 earthquake can do » municipal official ljubica ukurtovic , in an interview with chilean tv station tvn , said that approximately 100 people ' had sought treatment at a tocopilla hospital . the quake collapsed a roadway tunnel , temporarily trapping about 50 construction workers . see where the quake struck » high-level government sources said the workers had been rescued . repair work on the 793-meter ( 2,600-foot ) pedro galleguillos tunnel , completed in 1994 , began on october 1 and was to be finished early next year . tocopilla is about 1,245 km ( 780 miles ) north of santiago and the quake was felt in peru and bolivia , according to the u.s. geological survey . the temblor was centered at a depth of 60 km ( 37 miles ) , the usgs said . a tsunami warning was issued for the south pacific coast after the quake hit , but was canceled within an hour . chile has been the scene of hundreds of strong earthquakes throughout history , including the largest one of the 20th century on may 22 , 1960 . the quake that struck southern chile that day registered a magnitude 9.5 and launched a tsunami that caused damage as far away as hawaii , japan and the philippines . nearly 6,000 people died as a result of the quake and its tsunami . a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck southern chile on january 25 , 1939 , killed 28,000 people . a magnitude 9.0 earthquake in what was then southern peru but is now northern chile killed 25,000 people in 1868 . e-mail to a friend | 7.7 quake north of tocopilla happened at 12:40 p.m. ( 10:40 a.m . et ) |
new mexico <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the federal government said monday it is proceeding with a plan to require gun dealers in four southwest border states -- california , arizona , new mexico and texas -- to report the sales of high-power rifles under certain conditions in an effort to stem the flow of guns to mexican drug cartels . critics immediately called the move an illegal expansion of gun-control laws and an effort to divert attention from the operation fast and furious ' gun controversy . and the national rifle association said it will file suit to stop the move . under the new policy , gun dealers in the four border states will have the same reporting requirements for certain long guns that gun dealers nationwide currently have for hand guns . they will be required to give purchaser information to the bureau of alcohol , tobacco , firearms and explosives ( atf ) if someone purchases two or more semi-automatic rifles in a five-day period , but only if the guns are greater than .22 caliber and have the ability to accept a detachable magazine . if no investigative leads result from the information , the information will be purged in two years . deputy attorney general james cole said in a statement the new rule is tailored to focus on guns that are highly sought after ' by criminal organizations near the border . the rule , he said , will improve the ability of the ( atf ) to detect and disrupt the illegal weapons transfers ' from gun buyers in the u.s. to drug traffickers in mexico and along the border . rep. elijah cummings , d-maryland , praised the action , saying atf agents testified to congress recently they needed the ability to track weapons to disrupt the cartels . brady campaign acting president dennis henigan urged president barack obama to do all in his power to protect this valuable new initiative from the gun lobby 's inevitable efforts to attack it in congress and the courts . ' he also called for stricter laws to prevent trafficking in the first place . but critics called the action a diversionary tactic ' to take attention away from congress 's ongoing investigation into the fast and furious ' program , in which the atf allowed people suspected of being straw-purchasers of weapons to sell their weapons , hoping to build bigger cases against mexican criminal organizations . this political maneuver seems designed to protect the careers of political appointees at the justice department and not public safety , ' rep. darrell issa , r-california , said in a statement . the national rifle association agreed . this ( fast and furious ) has become a full-blown scandal , and i think they 're trying to change the subject from fast and furious to something else , ' said nra executive vice president wayne lapierre . lapierre said the action defies the clear intent of congress regarding the reporting of gun sales . what you 've got here is the obama administration stepping into the shoes of congress and essentially legislating , ' lapierre said . we are immediately filing lawsuit in federal courts . ' lapierre said the nra would file suit as soon as the atf delivers the first demand letter ' requiring a licensee to report the sale of a long gun . lapierre said the new rule is an attempt to inch president obama 's ( anti-gun ) agenda down the road . once they get into four states , they 'll expand it to tennessee , rhode island , wyoming . i think it 's a nose in the tent , ' he said . the long-gun reporting proposal pre-dates disclosures about the fast and furious ' controversy . the atf first published the proposal in the federal register , seeking public comment , on dec. 17 , 2010 , and published a second notice on april 29 , 2011 , requesting public comments for 30 days . but critics said the administration moved forward with the proposal to re-frame the fast and furious ' debate . rep. cummings , meanwhile , said he plans to introduce legislation with rep. carolyn maloney , d-new york , to establish a dedicated firearms trafficking statute to provide law enforcement with an additional tool to combat gun traffickers . ' cummings issued a report last month that recommended atf collect reports of multiple long gun sales . | the policy applies to gun dealers in california , arizona , new mexico and texas |
california <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the federal government said monday it is proceeding with a plan to require gun dealers in four southwest border states -- california , arizona , new mexico and texas -- to report the sales of high-power rifles under certain conditions in an effort to stem the flow of guns to mexican drug cartels . critics immediately called the move an illegal expansion of gun-control laws and an effort to divert attention from the operation fast and furious ' gun controversy . and the national rifle association said it will file suit to stop the move . under the new policy , gun dealers in the four border states will have the same reporting requirements for certain long guns that gun dealers nationwide currently have for hand guns . they will be required to give purchaser information to the bureau of alcohol , tobacco , firearms and explosives ( atf ) if someone purchases two or more semi-automatic rifles in a five-day period , but only if the guns are greater than .22 caliber and have the ability to accept a detachable magazine . if no investigative leads result from the information , the information will be purged in two years . deputy attorney general james cole said in a statement the new rule is tailored to focus on guns that are highly sought after ' by criminal organizations near the border . the rule , he said , will improve the ability of the ( atf ) to detect and disrupt the illegal weapons transfers ' from gun buyers in the u.s. to drug traffickers in mexico and along the border . rep. elijah cummings , d-maryland , praised the action , saying atf agents testified to congress recently they needed the ability to track weapons to disrupt the cartels . brady campaign acting president dennis henigan urged president barack obama to do all in his power to protect this valuable new initiative from the gun lobby 's inevitable efforts to attack it in congress and the courts . ' he also called for stricter laws to prevent trafficking in the first place . but critics called the action a diversionary tactic ' to take attention away from congress 's ongoing investigation into the fast and furious ' program , in which the atf allowed people suspected of being straw-purchasers of weapons to sell their weapons , hoping to build bigger cases against mexican criminal organizations . this political maneuver seems designed to protect the careers of political appointees at the justice department and not public safety , ' rep. darrell issa , r-california , said in a statement . the national rifle association agreed . this ( fast and furious ) has become a full-blown scandal , and i think they 're trying to change the subject from fast and furious to something else , ' said nra executive vice president wayne lapierre . lapierre said the action defies the clear intent of congress regarding the reporting of gun sales . what you 've got here is the obama administration stepping into the shoes of congress and essentially legislating , ' lapierre said . we are immediately filing lawsuit in federal courts . ' lapierre said the nra would file suit as soon as the atf delivers the first demand letter ' requiring a licensee to report the sale of a long gun . lapierre said the new rule is an attempt to inch president obama 's ( anti-gun ) agenda down the road . once they get into four states , they 'll expand it to tennessee , rhode island , wyoming . i think it 's a nose in the tent , ' he said . the long-gun reporting proposal pre-dates disclosures about the fast and furious ' controversy . the atf first published the proposal in the federal register , seeking public comment , on dec. 17 , 2010 , and published a second notice on april 29 , 2011 , requesting public comments for 30 days . but critics said the administration moved forward with the proposal to re-frame the fast and furious ' debate . rep. cummings , meanwhile , said he plans to introduce legislation with rep. carolyn maloney , d-new york , to establish a dedicated firearms trafficking statute to provide law enforcement with an additional tool to combat gun traffickers . ' cummings issued a report last month that recommended atf collect reports of multiple long gun sales . | the policy applies to gun dealers in california , arizona , new mexico and texas |
shweyga <tsp> shweyga mullah 's face lights up with a smile that spreads like a sunrise across her face . she 's just arrived at a party , organized by the small ethiopian community on malta . it 's the first time she 's seen many of her new friends since being discharged from hospital last week . they raise paper cups of soda in a toast and shweyga bashfully takes the salute and laughs and jokes with her fellow ethiopians . it 's heart-warming to see her finally enjoying herself . all her ethiopian friends here had been lured to libya by promises of lucrative work . but no one we know of has suffered quite like shweyga . one friend emanuel tsegay tells me that on hearing shweyga 's story he burst into tears . shweyga 's unbelievably awful story of torture at the hands of colonel moammar gadhafi 's daughter-in-law aline has touched people around the world and resulted in some $ 40,000 being donated to a special fund for her recovery . we found shweyga abandoned in a gadhafi family compound in august . lying alone on a mattress on the floor , she told me how aline gadhafi and one of her staff poured boiling water over her head and body , simply because she 'd been unable to stop one of the gadhafi children from crying . offers of help poured into cnn center and resulted in her evacuation to the tiny mediterranean nation of malta . she arrived here in september and has undergone surgery and skin grafts since then . now though , surgeons are satisfied enough with her progress to allow her to become an outpatient . she 's staying at a small apartment on the island and is receiving some financial help from the qatari government , which has helped bankroll the libyan revolution and arm its fighters . shweyga 's life here is not ideal though . she yearns to see her family , but red-tape has slowed down efforts to bring her relatives to malta . shweyga says she does n't feel ready physically or emotionally to return to ethiopia and be subjected to the scrutiny of people in her hometown . she remains profoundly self-conscious of her appearance . but the doctors and nurses treating her at the mater dei hospital are pleased with her recovery . nurse mary rose bonnici has been treating her since she arrived . we watched as she delicately trimmed the growing crown of hair on her scalp . it 's growing back fast but for now it must be kept short , in order to prevent infection . nurse bonnici says : she is making very good progress . it was discharging before now it 's getting drier and drier . but now it 's good , very good , she feels it 's good anyway . ' the consultant in charge of her case , francis xavier dermanin , says : ms. mullah had regular physiotherapy for mobilization of her limbs especially the right shoulder which showed signs of early contractures due to immobility from the burns that she had sustained . she also had the support of our psychologists in helping her to get over the horrific trauma that she had sustained . in both aspects she did very well . in general , ms. mullah is more confident and communicating well with the medical and nursing staff . ' it 's encouraging that her hair is growing back in places on her head . but the hair follicles towards the front , where the skin graft was performed , seem to have been permanently killed off . the doctors hope there are enough towards the back to enable her to grow her hair out and disguise the scars . i ask shweyga about aline gadhafi and she speaks rapidly and with conviction . she hopes the former dictator 's daughter-in-law will one day be caught and prosecuted . but like her husband hannibal gadhafi , aline 's whereabouts remains unknown . victims like shweyga are still waiting for justice . | shweyga mullah still faces almost daily hospital appointments |
shweyga <tsp> shweyga mullah 's face lights up with a smile that spreads like a sunrise across her face . she 's just arrived at a party , organized by the small ethiopian community on malta . it 's the first time she 's seen many of her new friends since being discharged from hospital last week . they raise paper cups of soda in a toast and shweyga bashfully takes the salute and laughs and jokes with her fellow ethiopians . it 's heart-warming to see her finally enjoying herself . all her ethiopian friends here had been lured to libya by promises of lucrative work . but no one we know of has suffered quite like shweyga . one friend emanuel tsegay tells me that on hearing shweyga 's story he burst into tears . shweyga 's unbelievably awful story of torture at the hands of colonel moammar gadhafi 's daughter-in-law aline has touched people around the world and resulted in some $ 40,000 being donated to a special fund for her recovery . we found shweyga abandoned in a gadhafi family compound in august . lying alone on a mattress on the floor , she told me how aline gadhafi and one of her staff poured boiling water over her head and body , simply because she 'd been unable to stop one of the gadhafi children from crying . offers of help poured into cnn center and resulted in her evacuation to the tiny mediterranean nation of malta . she arrived here in september and has undergone surgery and skin grafts since then . now though , surgeons are satisfied enough with her progress to allow her to become an outpatient . she 's staying at a small apartment on the island and is receiving some financial help from the qatari government , which has helped bankroll the libyan revolution and arm its fighters . shweyga 's life here is not ideal though . she yearns to see her family , but red-tape has slowed down efforts to bring her relatives to malta . shweyga says she does n't feel ready physically or emotionally to return to ethiopia and be subjected to the scrutiny of people in her hometown . she remains profoundly self-conscious of her appearance . but the doctors and nurses treating her at the mater dei hospital are pleased with her recovery . nurse mary rose bonnici has been treating her since she arrived . we watched as she delicately trimmed the growing crown of hair on her scalp . it 's growing back fast but for now it must be kept short , in order to prevent infection . nurse bonnici says : she is making very good progress . it was discharging before now it 's getting drier and drier . but now it 's good , very good , she feels it 's good anyway . ' the consultant in charge of her case , francis xavier dermanin , says : ms. mullah had regular physiotherapy for mobilization of her limbs especially the right shoulder which showed signs of early contractures due to immobility from the burns that she had sustained . she also had the support of our psychologists in helping her to get over the horrific trauma that she had sustained . in both aspects she did very well . in general , ms. mullah is more confident and communicating well with the medical and nursing staff . ' it 's encouraging that her hair is growing back in places on her head . but the hair follicles towards the front , where the skin graft was performed , seem to have been permanently killed off . the doctors hope there are enough towards the back to enable her to grow her hair out and disguise the scars . i ask shweyga about aline gadhafi and she speaks rapidly and with conviction . she hopes the former dictator 's daughter-in-law will one day be caught and prosecuted . but like her husband hannibal gadhafi , aline 's whereabouts remains unknown . victims like shweyga are still waiting for justice . | shweyga gave thanks to the people who helped pay for her treatment and get her out of libya |
agucadoura <tsp> ( cnn ) -- floating wind farms could soon be powering thousands of european homes after a prototype seaborne turbine sailed through technological trials off the coast of agucadoura , portugal . the 54-meter tall renewable structure sits atop a semi-submersible platform known as a windfloat situated five kilometers from shore . it has been manufactured by windplus , a consortium of energy and clean-tech companies including principle power , energias de portugal and vestas . the group hopes their primary success will help secure european union funding to add another five turbines alongside the existing model , engendering greater electrical production . the ( initial ) turbine is capable of producing 2mw ( megawatts ) instantaneously at any one time , given enough wind , ' says alla weinstein , ceo of principal power . this is equivalent to 1,300 households . the cumulative production thus far in portugal has been 1.7gwh ( gigawatt hours ) , ' she adds . see also : wind turbine creates water from thin air unlike existing offshore wind farms and underwater tidal turbines , floating structures do not have to be permanently fixed to the ocean floor . instead they are kept in place by a drag embedment anchor , much like the devices used to moor oil rigs in deep ocean environments . this means windfloat structures could theoretically be transported to any ocean location where there is a strong wind resource , says weinstein . an undersea cable transmits the energy produced on site back ashore . the costs for transporting electricity rise the further out to sea the structures are placed . we feel the ideal distance is out of sight from land , typically 12-18 miles , ' says weinstein . this distance mitigates stakeholder visual concerns yet decreases the exposure to exorbitant transmission costs . ' weinstein highlights lower construction costs -- the windplus turbine cost €20 million ( $ 24.9 million ) to build and install -- as a major advantage the technology has over existing offshore wind farms . see also : who 's funding green energy the fact that turbines and their platforms can be assembled on land ( unlike bottom-fixed devices which are assembled at sea on specialized vessels and cost as much as $ 250,000 a day to charter ) means the cost and risk profile ... is significantly reduced , ' she says . but while bullish about the technology 's potential , weinstein admits there remains a way to go before floating turbines become profitable enterprises . the initial structure off the coast of portugal is merely a pilot installation to prove the device works and is viable , says weinstein . at the moment we are making money but not enough to cover our costs , ' she says . there is no doubt in my mind however that this is going to be a profitable technology and profitable venture in the future . it just takes time . ' | a floating wind turbine has been inaugurated off the coast of agucadoura , portugal |
iran <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- what had been speculated before is now very public -- the united states and israel differ on how to deal with iran 's nuclear ambitions . while both governments reject any possibility of a nuclear-armed iran , they are clearly at odds over a possible agreement as soon as this week that would loosen economic sanctions against tehran in exchange for a suspension of part of its nuclear program . president barack obama said tuesday that he did n't know if what he called an interim agreement with iran could be reached , but he said the goal was to ensure iran gave up any ambitions to develop nuclear weapons . the negotiations would buy time so we could see if they could get to the end state of a position where we , the israelis and the international community could say iran 's not seeking a nuclear weapon , ' obama told business leaders at a wall street journal forum . however , israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu rejects the agreement sought by u.s. secretary of state john kerry at the international talks that resume wednesday in geneva . it 's a bad deal -- an exceedingly bad deal , ' netanyahu told cnn on sunday . in a sign of the level of disconnect , the two countries were unable to agree on when kerry would next travel to israel for talks with netanyahu on the iranian issue . netanyahu said sunday that kerry would meet with him on friday , but kerry told reporters monday he would be unable to make the trip so soon . the split involves international diplomacy and domestic political issues in both countries , and comes as kerry and obama also push netanyahu to work with palestinian officials on forging a middle east peace agreement . while netanyahu and obama have long acknowledged that close friends can disagree on issues , the direct language on both sides about their differences over a possible agreement with iran shows the volatility of an issue with major regional and global implications . iran insists it seeks to use nuclear power only for peaceful purposes . the international community led by israel , the united states , france and others demands that tehran dismantle its ability to enrich uranium and other technology needed to develop nuclear weapons . on tuesday , iranian foreign minister mohammad javad zarif accused israel of wanting to torpedo ' an agreement on his country 's nuclear program . we have reason to be suspicious of every move they make , ' he said at a news conference in rome , adding that every move they make is about spreading tension and mistrust . ' in the cnn interview sunday , netanyahu made clear he opposes lifting some sanctions now -- as called for under the agreement being negotiated -- without getting further concessions to ensure iran would be unable to continue with uranium enrichment and other steps . i think you should not only keep up the pressure ; i think you should increase the pressure , because it 's finally working , ' netanyahu said , labeling iran 's economy as close to paralysis . if you give it up now , when you have that pressure , and iran does n't even take apart , dismantle one centrifuge , what leverage will you have when you 've eased the pressure ? ' russia : now is time to make deal with iran on nuclear program at the same time , netanyahu repeated his insistence that israel always reserves the right to defend itself against any threat , ' which is diplomat-speak for a military strike on iran 's nuclear facilities to stop development of a weapon . in congress , some legislators , including conservative republicans and liberal democrats , share the concerns of netanyahu and the powerful pro-israel lobby in washington . on tuesday , a bipartisan group of six senators urged the administration to reject the proposed deal with iran under discussion and only accept an agreement that better dismantles iran 's ability to develop nuclear weapons . in a letter to kerry , the senators -- democrats chuck schumer of new york , robert menendez of new jersey and robert casey of pennsylvania , and republicans lindsey graham of south carolina , john mccain of arizona and susan collins of maine -- said any easing of sanctions should require iran to roll back its nuclear program more significantly than now envisioned . ' it is our belief that any interim agreement with the iranians should bring us closer to our ultimate goal which is iran without a nuclear weapons capability , ' the letter said . obama later noted that the current sanctions put in place during his administration had forced iran to the negotiating table because of economic contraction and frozen oil revenue . the interim deal under discussion in geneva would open up the spigot a little bit ' on some of the frozen revenue while leaving in place the bulk of the most effective sanctions involving iranian oil exports and banking , he said . let 's test the proposition over the next six months that we can resolve this in a diplomatic fashion while maintaining the central architecture of the sanctions , ' obama continued . at the same time , he emphasized that all options , including military strikes on iran 's nuclear facilities , remained on the table as far as the united states was concerned . at the white house , spokesman jay carney said tuesday that no daylight ' exists between the united states and israel on the end goal of preventing iran from developing nuclear weapons . kerry told reporters monday that netanyahu had every right in the world ' to state his position and defend his interests . a former u.s. senator , he noted that he had been a consistent supporter of our friends in israel ' throughout his political career , and added that i can assure those friends and everybody watching this that nothing that we are doing here , in my judgment , will put israel at any additional risk . ' mccain calls kerry'a human wrecking ball'on iran negotiations the geneva talks involve iran and the five permanent members of the u.n. security council -- the united states , russia , china , great britain and france -- as well as germany in what is known as the p5+1 in diplomatic shorthand . according to a senior u.s. administration official , the talks are getting close ' to an interim deal with iran that would prevent its nuclear program from advancing , and roll it back ' in key areas . the last round of negotiations broke up without a deal earlier this month , with each side blaming the other 's reluctance . a key issue is enrichment of uranium , which is necessary at different levels for both power production and developing nuclear weapons . iran says it has the right to enrich its own uranium , while the united states and its allies reject enrichment as a right of nations . we 've long said that certainly we 're open to discussing a peaceful program , ' state department spokeswoman jen psaki said tuesday , adding that no right to enrich uranium exists under existing international agreements . obama met tuesday with senate leaders as well as the top democrats and republicans on the senate banking , foreign relations , armed services and intelligence committees to provide an update on the p5+1 negotiations heading into the next round later this week . after the meeting , republican sen. bob corker of tennessee told reporters he remains concerned that the united states and its allies might be about to give away too much to iran , although he cautioned that an agreement this week in geneva remains uncertain . i think you had some folks in the room who were satisfied . i think you had some folks in the room who were very unsatisfied , ' corker said , adding that any senate action on additional sanctions or other measures involving iran would occur only after the coming thanksgiving break . last week , kerry told a senate panel that new sanctions imposed on iran by congress now could be viewed as bad faith ' in the negotiations . it could destroy the ability to be able to get agreement , ' he added , and it could actually wind up setting us back in dialogue that 's taken 30 years to achieve . ' iranian president hassan rouhani , who was elected earlier this year , has made lifting tough economic sanctions against his country a priority . during a visit to the u.n. general assembly in september , rouhani 's moderate diplomatic approach raised hopes in the west of a thaw in relations with tehran and progress in negotiations on its nuclear program . rouhani 's visit culminated in a phone call with obama and a meeting between kerry and his iranian counterpart . it was the first such high-level contact between the two nations since iran 's 1979 revolution . iran recently signed a deal with the international atomic energy agency that agrees to give the u.n. nuclear watchdog agency access to long-unseen nuclear sites , including a heavy-water reactor in arak . on tuesday , british prime minister david cameron called rouhani to talk about this week 's geneva talks and other issues , cameron 's downing street office announced , adding it was the first such call in more than a decade . a downing street spokesman said on traditional condition of not being identified that both leaders agreed that significant progress had been made in the recent geneva negotiations and that it was important to seize the opportunity presented by the further round of talks which get under way tomorrow . ' the prime minister underlined the necessity of iran comprehensively addressing the concerns of the international community about their nuclear program , including the need for greater transparency ' the spokesman said . cnn 's elise labott , jim acosta , jill dougherty , jason seher , ted barrett , jamie crawford , gabe lamonica , virginia nicolaidis and greg botelho contributed to this report . | new : president obama says sanctions that brought iran to the table will continue |
iran <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- what had been speculated before is now very public -- the united states and israel differ on how to deal with iran 's nuclear ambitions . while both governments reject any possibility of a nuclear-armed iran , they are clearly at odds over a possible agreement as soon as this week that would loosen economic sanctions against tehran in exchange for a suspension of part of its nuclear program . president barack obama said tuesday that he did n't know if what he called an interim agreement with iran could be reached , but he said the goal was to ensure iran gave up any ambitions to develop nuclear weapons . the negotiations would buy time so we could see if they could get to the end state of a position where we , the israelis and the international community could say iran 's not seeking a nuclear weapon , ' obama told business leaders at a wall street journal forum . however , israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu rejects the agreement sought by u.s. secretary of state john kerry at the international talks that resume wednesday in geneva . it 's a bad deal -- an exceedingly bad deal , ' netanyahu told cnn on sunday . in a sign of the level of disconnect , the two countries were unable to agree on when kerry would next travel to israel for talks with netanyahu on the iranian issue . netanyahu said sunday that kerry would meet with him on friday , but kerry told reporters monday he would be unable to make the trip so soon . the split involves international diplomacy and domestic political issues in both countries , and comes as kerry and obama also push netanyahu to work with palestinian officials on forging a middle east peace agreement . while netanyahu and obama have long acknowledged that close friends can disagree on issues , the direct language on both sides about their differences over a possible agreement with iran shows the volatility of an issue with major regional and global implications . iran insists it seeks to use nuclear power only for peaceful purposes . the international community led by israel , the united states , france and others demands that tehran dismantle its ability to enrich uranium and other technology needed to develop nuclear weapons . on tuesday , iranian foreign minister mohammad javad zarif accused israel of wanting to torpedo ' an agreement on his country 's nuclear program . we have reason to be suspicious of every move they make , ' he said at a news conference in rome , adding that every move they make is about spreading tension and mistrust . ' in the cnn interview sunday , netanyahu made clear he opposes lifting some sanctions now -- as called for under the agreement being negotiated -- without getting further concessions to ensure iran would be unable to continue with uranium enrichment and other steps . i think you should not only keep up the pressure ; i think you should increase the pressure , because it 's finally working , ' netanyahu said , labeling iran 's economy as close to paralysis . if you give it up now , when you have that pressure , and iran does n't even take apart , dismantle one centrifuge , what leverage will you have when you 've eased the pressure ? ' russia : now is time to make deal with iran on nuclear program at the same time , netanyahu repeated his insistence that israel always reserves the right to defend itself against any threat , ' which is diplomat-speak for a military strike on iran 's nuclear facilities to stop development of a weapon . in congress , some legislators , including conservative republicans and liberal democrats , share the concerns of netanyahu and the powerful pro-israel lobby in washington . on tuesday , a bipartisan group of six senators urged the administration to reject the proposed deal with iran under discussion and only accept an agreement that better dismantles iran 's ability to develop nuclear weapons . in a letter to kerry , the senators -- democrats chuck schumer of new york , robert menendez of new jersey and robert casey of pennsylvania , and republicans lindsey graham of south carolina , john mccain of arizona and susan collins of maine -- said any easing of sanctions should require iran to roll back its nuclear program more significantly than now envisioned . ' it is our belief that any interim agreement with the iranians should bring us closer to our ultimate goal which is iran without a nuclear weapons capability , ' the letter said . obama later noted that the current sanctions put in place during his administration had forced iran to the negotiating table because of economic contraction and frozen oil revenue . the interim deal under discussion in geneva would open up the spigot a little bit ' on some of the frozen revenue while leaving in place the bulk of the most effective sanctions involving iranian oil exports and banking , he said . let 's test the proposition over the next six months that we can resolve this in a diplomatic fashion while maintaining the central architecture of the sanctions , ' obama continued . at the same time , he emphasized that all options , including military strikes on iran 's nuclear facilities , remained on the table as far as the united states was concerned . at the white house , spokesman jay carney said tuesday that no daylight ' exists between the united states and israel on the end goal of preventing iran from developing nuclear weapons . kerry told reporters monday that netanyahu had every right in the world ' to state his position and defend his interests . a former u.s. senator , he noted that he had been a consistent supporter of our friends in israel ' throughout his political career , and added that i can assure those friends and everybody watching this that nothing that we are doing here , in my judgment , will put israel at any additional risk . ' mccain calls kerry'a human wrecking ball'on iran negotiations the geneva talks involve iran and the five permanent members of the u.n. security council -- the united states , russia , china , great britain and france -- as well as germany in what is known as the p5+1 in diplomatic shorthand . according to a senior u.s. administration official , the talks are getting close ' to an interim deal with iran that would prevent its nuclear program from advancing , and roll it back ' in key areas . the last round of negotiations broke up without a deal earlier this month , with each side blaming the other 's reluctance . a key issue is enrichment of uranium , which is necessary at different levels for both power production and developing nuclear weapons . iran says it has the right to enrich its own uranium , while the united states and its allies reject enrichment as a right of nations . we 've long said that certainly we 're open to discussing a peaceful program , ' state department spokeswoman jen psaki said tuesday , adding that no right to enrich uranium exists under existing international agreements . obama met tuesday with senate leaders as well as the top democrats and republicans on the senate banking , foreign relations , armed services and intelligence committees to provide an update on the p5+1 negotiations heading into the next round later this week . after the meeting , republican sen. bob corker of tennessee told reporters he remains concerned that the united states and its allies might be about to give away too much to iran , although he cautioned that an agreement this week in geneva remains uncertain . i think you had some folks in the room who were satisfied . i think you had some folks in the room who were very unsatisfied , ' corker said , adding that any senate action on additional sanctions or other measures involving iran would occur only after the coming thanksgiving break . last week , kerry told a senate panel that new sanctions imposed on iran by congress now could be viewed as bad faith ' in the negotiations . it could destroy the ability to be able to get agreement , ' he added , and it could actually wind up setting us back in dialogue that 's taken 30 years to achieve . ' iranian president hassan rouhani , who was elected earlier this year , has made lifting tough economic sanctions against his country a priority . during a visit to the u.n. general assembly in september , rouhani 's moderate diplomatic approach raised hopes in the west of a thaw in relations with tehran and progress in negotiations on its nuclear program . rouhani 's visit culminated in a phone call with obama and a meeting between kerry and his iranian counterpart . it was the first such high-level contact between the two nations since iran 's 1979 revolution . iran recently signed a deal with the international atomic energy agency that agrees to give the u.n. nuclear watchdog agency access to long-unseen nuclear sites , including a heavy-water reactor in arak . on tuesday , british prime minister david cameron called rouhani to talk about this week 's geneva talks and other issues , cameron 's downing street office announced , adding it was the first such call in more than a decade . a downing street spokesman said on traditional condition of not being identified that both leaders agreed that significant progress had been made in the recent geneva negotiations and that it was important to seize the opportunity presented by the further round of talks which get under way tomorrow . ' the prime minister underlined the necessity of iran comprehensively addressing the concerns of the international community about their nuclear program , including the need for greater transparency ' the spokesman said . cnn 's elise labott , jim acosta , jill dougherty , jason seher , ted barrett , jamie crawford , gabe lamonica , virginia nicolaidis and greg botelho contributed to this report . | iran 's foreign minister says israel is trying to torpedo ' a nuclear deal |
iran <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- what had been speculated before is now very public -- the united states and israel differ on how to deal with iran 's nuclear ambitions . while both governments reject any possibility of a nuclear-armed iran , they are clearly at odds over a possible agreement as soon as this week that would loosen economic sanctions against tehran in exchange for a suspension of part of its nuclear program . president barack obama said tuesday that he did n't know if what he called an interim agreement with iran could be reached , but he said the goal was to ensure iran gave up any ambitions to develop nuclear weapons . the negotiations would buy time so we could see if they could get to the end state of a position where we , the israelis and the international community could say iran 's not seeking a nuclear weapon , ' obama told business leaders at a wall street journal forum . however , israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu rejects the agreement sought by u.s. secretary of state john kerry at the international talks that resume wednesday in geneva . it 's a bad deal -- an exceedingly bad deal , ' netanyahu told cnn on sunday . in a sign of the level of disconnect , the two countries were unable to agree on when kerry would next travel to israel for talks with netanyahu on the iranian issue . netanyahu said sunday that kerry would meet with him on friday , but kerry told reporters monday he would be unable to make the trip so soon . the split involves international diplomacy and domestic political issues in both countries , and comes as kerry and obama also push netanyahu to work with palestinian officials on forging a middle east peace agreement . while netanyahu and obama have long acknowledged that close friends can disagree on issues , the direct language on both sides about their differences over a possible agreement with iran shows the volatility of an issue with major regional and global implications . iran insists it seeks to use nuclear power only for peaceful purposes . the international community led by israel , the united states , france and others demands that tehran dismantle its ability to enrich uranium and other technology needed to develop nuclear weapons . on tuesday , iranian foreign minister mohammad javad zarif accused israel of wanting to torpedo ' an agreement on his country 's nuclear program . we have reason to be suspicious of every move they make , ' he said at a news conference in rome , adding that every move they make is about spreading tension and mistrust . ' in the cnn interview sunday , netanyahu made clear he opposes lifting some sanctions now -- as called for under the agreement being negotiated -- without getting further concessions to ensure iran would be unable to continue with uranium enrichment and other steps . i think you should not only keep up the pressure ; i think you should increase the pressure , because it 's finally working , ' netanyahu said , labeling iran 's economy as close to paralysis . if you give it up now , when you have that pressure , and iran does n't even take apart , dismantle one centrifuge , what leverage will you have when you 've eased the pressure ? ' russia : now is time to make deal with iran on nuclear program at the same time , netanyahu repeated his insistence that israel always reserves the right to defend itself against any threat , ' which is diplomat-speak for a military strike on iran 's nuclear facilities to stop development of a weapon . in congress , some legislators , including conservative republicans and liberal democrats , share the concerns of netanyahu and the powerful pro-israel lobby in washington . on tuesday , a bipartisan group of six senators urged the administration to reject the proposed deal with iran under discussion and only accept an agreement that better dismantles iran 's ability to develop nuclear weapons . in a letter to kerry , the senators -- democrats chuck schumer of new york , robert menendez of new jersey and robert casey of pennsylvania , and republicans lindsey graham of south carolina , john mccain of arizona and susan collins of maine -- said any easing of sanctions should require iran to roll back its nuclear program more significantly than now envisioned . ' it is our belief that any interim agreement with the iranians should bring us closer to our ultimate goal which is iran without a nuclear weapons capability , ' the letter said . obama later noted that the current sanctions put in place during his administration had forced iran to the negotiating table because of economic contraction and frozen oil revenue . the interim deal under discussion in geneva would open up the spigot a little bit ' on some of the frozen revenue while leaving in place the bulk of the most effective sanctions involving iranian oil exports and banking , he said . let 's test the proposition over the next six months that we can resolve this in a diplomatic fashion while maintaining the central architecture of the sanctions , ' obama continued . at the same time , he emphasized that all options , including military strikes on iran 's nuclear facilities , remained on the table as far as the united states was concerned . at the white house , spokesman jay carney said tuesday that no daylight ' exists between the united states and israel on the end goal of preventing iran from developing nuclear weapons . kerry told reporters monday that netanyahu had every right in the world ' to state his position and defend his interests . a former u.s. senator , he noted that he had been a consistent supporter of our friends in israel ' throughout his political career , and added that i can assure those friends and everybody watching this that nothing that we are doing here , in my judgment , will put israel at any additional risk . ' mccain calls kerry'a human wrecking ball'on iran negotiations the geneva talks involve iran and the five permanent members of the u.n. security council -- the united states , russia , china , great britain and france -- as well as germany in what is known as the p5+1 in diplomatic shorthand . according to a senior u.s. administration official , the talks are getting close ' to an interim deal with iran that would prevent its nuclear program from advancing , and roll it back ' in key areas . the last round of negotiations broke up without a deal earlier this month , with each side blaming the other 's reluctance . a key issue is enrichment of uranium , which is necessary at different levels for both power production and developing nuclear weapons . iran says it has the right to enrich its own uranium , while the united states and its allies reject enrichment as a right of nations . we 've long said that certainly we 're open to discussing a peaceful program , ' state department spokeswoman jen psaki said tuesday , adding that no right to enrich uranium exists under existing international agreements . obama met tuesday with senate leaders as well as the top democrats and republicans on the senate banking , foreign relations , armed services and intelligence committees to provide an update on the p5+1 negotiations heading into the next round later this week . after the meeting , republican sen. bob corker of tennessee told reporters he remains concerned that the united states and its allies might be about to give away too much to iran , although he cautioned that an agreement this week in geneva remains uncertain . i think you had some folks in the room who were satisfied . i think you had some folks in the room who were very unsatisfied , ' corker said , adding that any senate action on additional sanctions or other measures involving iran would occur only after the coming thanksgiving break . last week , kerry told a senate panel that new sanctions imposed on iran by congress now could be viewed as bad faith ' in the negotiations . it could destroy the ability to be able to get agreement , ' he added , and it could actually wind up setting us back in dialogue that 's taken 30 years to achieve . ' iranian president hassan rouhani , who was elected earlier this year , has made lifting tough economic sanctions against his country a priority . during a visit to the u.n. general assembly in september , rouhani 's moderate diplomatic approach raised hopes in the west of a thaw in relations with tehran and progress in negotiations on its nuclear program . rouhani 's visit culminated in a phone call with obama and a meeting between kerry and his iranian counterpart . it was the first such high-level contact between the two nations since iran 's 1979 revolution . iran recently signed a deal with the international atomic energy agency that agrees to give the u.n. nuclear watchdog agency access to long-unseen nuclear sites , including a heavy-water reactor in arak . on tuesday , british prime minister david cameron called rouhani to talk about this week 's geneva talks and other issues , cameron 's downing street office announced , adding it was the first such call in more than a decade . a downing street spokesman said on traditional condition of not being identified that both leaders agreed that significant progress had been made in the recent geneva negotiations and that it was important to seize the opportunity presented by the further round of talks which get under way tomorrow . ' the prime minister underlined the necessity of iran comprehensively addressing the concerns of the international community about their nuclear program , including the need for greater transparency ' the spokesman said . cnn 's elise labott , jim acosta , jill dougherty , jason seher , ted barrett , jamie crawford , gabe lamonica , virginia nicolaidis and greg botelho contributed to this report . | international talks on iran resume later this week in geneva |
iran <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- what had been speculated before is now very public -- the united states and israel differ on how to deal with iran 's nuclear ambitions . while both governments reject any possibility of a nuclear-armed iran , they are clearly at odds over a possible agreement as soon as this week that would loosen economic sanctions against tehran in exchange for a suspension of part of its nuclear program . president barack obama said tuesday that he did n't know if what he called an interim agreement with iran could be reached , but he said the goal was to ensure iran gave up any ambitions to develop nuclear weapons . the negotiations would buy time so we could see if they could get to the end state of a position where we , the israelis and the international community could say iran 's not seeking a nuclear weapon , ' obama told business leaders at a wall street journal forum . however , israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu rejects the agreement sought by u.s. secretary of state john kerry at the international talks that resume wednesday in geneva . it 's a bad deal -- an exceedingly bad deal , ' netanyahu told cnn on sunday . in a sign of the level of disconnect , the two countries were unable to agree on when kerry would next travel to israel for talks with netanyahu on the iranian issue . netanyahu said sunday that kerry would meet with him on friday , but kerry told reporters monday he would be unable to make the trip so soon . the split involves international diplomacy and domestic political issues in both countries , and comes as kerry and obama also push netanyahu to work with palestinian officials on forging a middle east peace agreement . while netanyahu and obama have long acknowledged that close friends can disagree on issues , the direct language on both sides about their differences over a possible agreement with iran shows the volatility of an issue with major regional and global implications . iran insists it seeks to use nuclear power only for peaceful purposes . the international community led by israel , the united states , france and others demands that tehran dismantle its ability to enrich uranium and other technology needed to develop nuclear weapons . on tuesday , iranian foreign minister mohammad javad zarif accused israel of wanting to torpedo ' an agreement on his country 's nuclear program . we have reason to be suspicious of every move they make , ' he said at a news conference in rome , adding that every move they make is about spreading tension and mistrust . ' in the cnn interview sunday , netanyahu made clear he opposes lifting some sanctions now -- as called for under the agreement being negotiated -- without getting further concessions to ensure iran would be unable to continue with uranium enrichment and other steps . i think you should not only keep up the pressure ; i think you should increase the pressure , because it 's finally working , ' netanyahu said , labeling iran 's economy as close to paralysis . if you give it up now , when you have that pressure , and iran does n't even take apart , dismantle one centrifuge , what leverage will you have when you 've eased the pressure ? ' russia : now is time to make deal with iran on nuclear program at the same time , netanyahu repeated his insistence that israel always reserves the right to defend itself against any threat , ' which is diplomat-speak for a military strike on iran 's nuclear facilities to stop development of a weapon . in congress , some legislators , including conservative republicans and liberal democrats , share the concerns of netanyahu and the powerful pro-israel lobby in washington . on tuesday , a bipartisan group of six senators urged the administration to reject the proposed deal with iran under discussion and only accept an agreement that better dismantles iran 's ability to develop nuclear weapons . in a letter to kerry , the senators -- democrats chuck schumer of new york , robert menendez of new jersey and robert casey of pennsylvania , and republicans lindsey graham of south carolina , john mccain of arizona and susan collins of maine -- said any easing of sanctions should require iran to roll back its nuclear program more significantly than now envisioned . ' it is our belief that any interim agreement with the iranians should bring us closer to our ultimate goal which is iran without a nuclear weapons capability , ' the letter said . obama later noted that the current sanctions put in place during his administration had forced iran to the negotiating table because of economic contraction and frozen oil revenue . the interim deal under discussion in geneva would open up the spigot a little bit ' on some of the frozen revenue while leaving in place the bulk of the most effective sanctions involving iranian oil exports and banking , he said . let 's test the proposition over the next six months that we can resolve this in a diplomatic fashion while maintaining the central architecture of the sanctions , ' obama continued . at the same time , he emphasized that all options , including military strikes on iran 's nuclear facilities , remained on the table as far as the united states was concerned . at the white house , spokesman jay carney said tuesday that no daylight ' exists between the united states and israel on the end goal of preventing iran from developing nuclear weapons . kerry told reporters monday that netanyahu had every right in the world ' to state his position and defend his interests . a former u.s. senator , he noted that he had been a consistent supporter of our friends in israel ' throughout his political career , and added that i can assure those friends and everybody watching this that nothing that we are doing here , in my judgment , will put israel at any additional risk . ' mccain calls kerry'a human wrecking ball'on iran negotiations the geneva talks involve iran and the five permanent members of the u.n. security council -- the united states , russia , china , great britain and france -- as well as germany in what is known as the p5+1 in diplomatic shorthand . according to a senior u.s. administration official , the talks are getting close ' to an interim deal with iran that would prevent its nuclear program from advancing , and roll it back ' in key areas . the last round of negotiations broke up without a deal earlier this month , with each side blaming the other 's reluctance . a key issue is enrichment of uranium , which is necessary at different levels for both power production and developing nuclear weapons . iran says it has the right to enrich its own uranium , while the united states and its allies reject enrichment as a right of nations . we 've long said that certainly we 're open to discussing a peaceful program , ' state department spokeswoman jen psaki said tuesday , adding that no right to enrich uranium exists under existing international agreements . obama met tuesday with senate leaders as well as the top democrats and republicans on the senate banking , foreign relations , armed services and intelligence committees to provide an update on the p5+1 negotiations heading into the next round later this week . after the meeting , republican sen. bob corker of tennessee told reporters he remains concerned that the united states and its allies might be about to give away too much to iran , although he cautioned that an agreement this week in geneva remains uncertain . i think you had some folks in the room who were satisfied . i think you had some folks in the room who were very unsatisfied , ' corker said , adding that any senate action on additional sanctions or other measures involving iran would occur only after the coming thanksgiving break . last week , kerry told a senate panel that new sanctions imposed on iran by congress now could be viewed as bad faith ' in the negotiations . it could destroy the ability to be able to get agreement , ' he added , and it could actually wind up setting us back in dialogue that 's taken 30 years to achieve . ' iranian president hassan rouhani , who was elected earlier this year , has made lifting tough economic sanctions against his country a priority . during a visit to the u.n. general assembly in september , rouhani 's moderate diplomatic approach raised hopes in the west of a thaw in relations with tehran and progress in negotiations on its nuclear program . rouhani 's visit culminated in a phone call with obama and a meeting between kerry and his iranian counterpart . it was the first such high-level contact between the two nations since iran 's 1979 revolution . iran recently signed a deal with the international atomic energy agency that agrees to give the u.n. nuclear watchdog agency access to long-unseen nuclear sites , including a heavy-water reactor in arak . on tuesday , british prime minister david cameron called rouhani to talk about this week 's geneva talks and other issues , cameron 's downing street office announced , adding it was the first such call in more than a decade . a downing street spokesman said on traditional condition of not being identified that both leaders agreed that significant progress had been made in the recent geneva negotiations and that it was important to seize the opportunity presented by the further round of talks which get under way tomorrow . ' the prime minister underlined the necessity of iran comprehensively addressing the concerns of the international community about their nuclear program , including the need for greater transparency ' the spokesman said . cnn 's elise labott , jim acosta , jill dougherty , jason seher , ted barrett , jamie crawford , gabe lamonica , virginia nicolaidis and greg botelho contributed to this report . | israeli prime minister netanyahu calls a possible iran deal exceedingly bad ' |
obama <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- what had been speculated before is now very public -- the united states and israel differ on how to deal with iran 's nuclear ambitions . while both governments reject any possibility of a nuclear-armed iran , they are clearly at odds over a possible agreement as soon as this week that would loosen economic sanctions against tehran in exchange for a suspension of part of its nuclear program . president barack obama said tuesday that he did n't know if what he called an interim agreement with iran could be reached , but he said the goal was to ensure iran gave up any ambitions to develop nuclear weapons . the negotiations would buy time so we could see if they could get to the end state of a position where we , the israelis and the international community could say iran 's not seeking a nuclear weapon , ' obama told business leaders at a wall street journal forum . however , israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu rejects the agreement sought by u.s. secretary of state john kerry at the international talks that resume wednesday in geneva . it 's a bad deal -- an exceedingly bad deal , ' netanyahu told cnn on sunday . in a sign of the level of disconnect , the two countries were unable to agree on when kerry would next travel to israel for talks with netanyahu on the iranian issue . netanyahu said sunday that kerry would meet with him on friday , but kerry told reporters monday he would be unable to make the trip so soon . the split involves international diplomacy and domestic political issues in both countries , and comes as kerry and obama also push netanyahu to work with palestinian officials on forging a middle east peace agreement . while netanyahu and obama have long acknowledged that close friends can disagree on issues , the direct language on both sides about their differences over a possible agreement with iran shows the volatility of an issue with major regional and global implications . iran insists it seeks to use nuclear power only for peaceful purposes . the international community led by israel , the united states , france and others demands that tehran dismantle its ability to enrich uranium and other technology needed to develop nuclear weapons . on tuesday , iranian foreign minister mohammad javad zarif accused israel of wanting to torpedo ' an agreement on his country 's nuclear program . we have reason to be suspicious of every move they make , ' he said at a news conference in rome , adding that every move they make is about spreading tension and mistrust . ' in the cnn interview sunday , netanyahu made clear he opposes lifting some sanctions now -- as called for under the agreement being negotiated -- without getting further concessions to ensure iran would be unable to continue with uranium enrichment and other steps . i think you should not only keep up the pressure ; i think you should increase the pressure , because it 's finally working , ' netanyahu said , labeling iran 's economy as close to paralysis . if you give it up now , when you have that pressure , and iran does n't even take apart , dismantle one centrifuge , what leverage will you have when you 've eased the pressure ? ' russia : now is time to make deal with iran on nuclear program at the same time , netanyahu repeated his insistence that israel always reserves the right to defend itself against any threat , ' which is diplomat-speak for a military strike on iran 's nuclear facilities to stop development of a weapon . in congress , some legislators , including conservative republicans and liberal democrats , share the concerns of netanyahu and the powerful pro-israel lobby in washington . on tuesday , a bipartisan group of six senators urged the administration to reject the proposed deal with iran under discussion and only accept an agreement that better dismantles iran 's ability to develop nuclear weapons . in a letter to kerry , the senators -- democrats chuck schumer of new york , robert menendez of new jersey and robert casey of pennsylvania , and republicans lindsey graham of south carolina , john mccain of arizona and susan collins of maine -- said any easing of sanctions should require iran to roll back its nuclear program more significantly than now envisioned . ' it is our belief that any interim agreement with the iranians should bring us closer to our ultimate goal which is iran without a nuclear weapons capability , ' the letter said . obama later noted that the current sanctions put in place during his administration had forced iran to the negotiating table because of economic contraction and frozen oil revenue . the interim deal under discussion in geneva would open up the spigot a little bit ' on some of the frozen revenue while leaving in place the bulk of the most effective sanctions involving iranian oil exports and banking , he said . let 's test the proposition over the next six months that we can resolve this in a diplomatic fashion while maintaining the central architecture of the sanctions , ' obama continued . at the same time , he emphasized that all options , including military strikes on iran 's nuclear facilities , remained on the table as far as the united states was concerned . at the white house , spokesman jay carney said tuesday that no daylight ' exists between the united states and israel on the end goal of preventing iran from developing nuclear weapons . kerry told reporters monday that netanyahu had every right in the world ' to state his position and defend his interests . a former u.s. senator , he noted that he had been a consistent supporter of our friends in israel ' throughout his political career , and added that i can assure those friends and everybody watching this that nothing that we are doing here , in my judgment , will put israel at any additional risk . ' mccain calls kerry'a human wrecking ball'on iran negotiations the geneva talks involve iran and the five permanent members of the u.n. security council -- the united states , russia , china , great britain and france -- as well as germany in what is known as the p5+1 in diplomatic shorthand . according to a senior u.s. administration official , the talks are getting close ' to an interim deal with iran that would prevent its nuclear program from advancing , and roll it back ' in key areas . the last round of negotiations broke up without a deal earlier this month , with each side blaming the other 's reluctance . a key issue is enrichment of uranium , which is necessary at different levels for both power production and developing nuclear weapons . iran says it has the right to enrich its own uranium , while the united states and its allies reject enrichment as a right of nations . we 've long said that certainly we 're open to discussing a peaceful program , ' state department spokeswoman jen psaki said tuesday , adding that no right to enrich uranium exists under existing international agreements . obama met tuesday with senate leaders as well as the top democrats and republicans on the senate banking , foreign relations , armed services and intelligence committees to provide an update on the p5+1 negotiations heading into the next round later this week . after the meeting , republican sen. bob corker of tennessee told reporters he remains concerned that the united states and its allies might be about to give away too much to iran , although he cautioned that an agreement this week in geneva remains uncertain . i think you had some folks in the room who were satisfied . i think you had some folks in the room who were very unsatisfied , ' corker said , adding that any senate action on additional sanctions or other measures involving iran would occur only after the coming thanksgiving break . last week , kerry told a senate panel that new sanctions imposed on iran by congress now could be viewed as bad faith ' in the negotiations . it could destroy the ability to be able to get agreement , ' he added , and it could actually wind up setting us back in dialogue that 's taken 30 years to achieve . ' iranian president hassan rouhani , who was elected earlier this year , has made lifting tough economic sanctions against his country a priority . during a visit to the u.n. general assembly in september , rouhani 's moderate diplomatic approach raised hopes in the west of a thaw in relations with tehran and progress in negotiations on its nuclear program . rouhani 's visit culminated in a phone call with obama and a meeting between kerry and his iranian counterpart . it was the first such high-level contact between the two nations since iran 's 1979 revolution . iran recently signed a deal with the international atomic energy agency that agrees to give the u.n. nuclear watchdog agency access to long-unseen nuclear sites , including a heavy-water reactor in arak . on tuesday , british prime minister david cameron called rouhani to talk about this week 's geneva talks and other issues , cameron 's downing street office announced , adding it was the first such call in more than a decade . a downing street spokesman said on traditional condition of not being identified that both leaders agreed that significant progress had been made in the recent geneva negotiations and that it was important to seize the opportunity presented by the further round of talks which get under way tomorrow . ' the prime minister underlined the necessity of iran comprehensively addressing the concerns of the international community about their nuclear program , including the need for greater transparency ' the spokesman said . cnn 's elise labott , jim acosta , jill dougherty , jason seher , ted barrett , jamie crawford , gabe lamonica , virginia nicolaidis and greg botelho contributed to this report . | new : president obama says sanctions that brought iran to the table will continue |
chelsea <tsp> ( cnn ) -- chelsea continued their unbeaten start to the english premier league season with a 2-1 win against north london rivals arsenal at the emirates stadium on saturday . goals from spanish duo fernando torres and juan mata earned the blues a fifth win in six league matches while handing arsene wenger 's men their first league defeat this term . torres put chelsea ahead in the 20th minute hooking the ball past mannone in the arsenal goal after some sloppy defending by the home side . but the gunners were back on level terms three minutes before the break when gervinho guided the ball past petr cech after latching on to alex oxlade-chamberlain 's cross . mata 's decisive goal came eight minutes into the second half -- his free-kick deflecting off laurent koscielny before finding the bottom corner of the net . chelsea now have 16 points and remain top of the league while arsenal slip to seventh on nine points . the win was a satisfying end to another turbulent week for john terry . the chelsea captain announced his retirement from international football on sunday , before being handed a four-match ban and a â£220,000 ( $ 356,000 ) by the english football association ( fa ) on thursday for racially abusing queens park rangers defender anton ferdinand during a match in october 2011 . a court cleared terry of the same offense in july , but the fa requires a lower burden of proof . terry is currently considering whether to appeal the ban . elsewhere , tottenham hotspur recorded their first win at old trafford in 23 years as andre villas boas 's side beat manchester united 3-2 . defender jan vertonghen put spurs ahead in the second minute before garath bale doubled the lead half an-hour later . nani halved the deficit six minutes after the break only for clint dempsey to restore the two-goal cushion two minutes later . but united responded immediately as shinji kagawa made it 3-2 , which , despite the home side 's effort was how the score stayed . alex ferguson 's men are now third with 12 points , level with manchester city who had edin dzeko to thank for their 2-1 win against fulham at craven cottage . mladen petric blasted home a penalty to put the cottagers ahead in the 10th minute after pablo zabaleta had brought down john arne riise . sergio aguero equalized for city two minutes before halftime with dzeko scoring the winner in the 87th minute , moments after coming on for francisco javi garcia . everton continued their promising start to the season with a 3-1 over southampton at goodison park . a goal from leon osman ( 25th minute ) and a quickfire brace from nikica jelavic ( 32nd and 38th minute ) earned three points for david moyes'team after gaston ramirez had given southampton the lead in the sixth minute . everton remain three points behind leaders chelsea . merseyside rivals , liverpool posted their first league win under new manager brendan rodgers with a 5-2 thrashing of norwich city . luis suarez scored a hat-trick as the reds ran riot at carrow road with nuri sahin and steven gerrard also getting on the scoresheet . steve morison and grant holt made the scoreline look a bit more respectable with two second-half goals . liverpool rise to 14th , norwich slip to 18th in the table . two goals from peter crouch saw stoke city beat swansea city 2-0 at the britannia stadium -- a win which lifts tony pulis 's side to 12th . demba ba also scored twice to rescue a point for newcastle in a 2-2 draw at reading , while steven fletcher scored the only goal as sunderland beat wigan 1-0 at the stadium of light . | spanish duo earn chelsea a valuable 2-1 win over london rivals arsenal |
chelsea <tsp> ( cnn ) -- chelsea continued their unbeaten start to the english premier league season with a 2-1 win against north london rivals arsenal at the emirates stadium on saturday . goals from spanish duo fernando torres and juan mata earned the blues a fifth win in six league matches while handing arsene wenger 's men their first league defeat this term . torres put chelsea ahead in the 20th minute hooking the ball past mannone in the arsenal goal after some sloppy defending by the home side . but the gunners were back on level terms three minutes before the break when gervinho guided the ball past petr cech after latching on to alex oxlade-chamberlain 's cross . mata 's decisive goal came eight minutes into the second half -- his free-kick deflecting off laurent koscielny before finding the bottom corner of the net . chelsea now have 16 points and remain top of the league while arsenal slip to seventh on nine points . the win was a satisfying end to another turbulent week for john terry . the chelsea captain announced his retirement from international football on sunday , before being handed a four-match ban and a â£220,000 ( $ 356,000 ) by the english football association ( fa ) on thursday for racially abusing queens park rangers defender anton ferdinand during a match in october 2011 . a court cleared terry of the same offense in july , but the fa requires a lower burden of proof . terry is currently considering whether to appeal the ban . elsewhere , tottenham hotspur recorded their first win at old trafford in 23 years as andre villas boas 's side beat manchester united 3-2 . defender jan vertonghen put spurs ahead in the second minute before garath bale doubled the lead half an-hour later . nani halved the deficit six minutes after the break only for clint dempsey to restore the two-goal cushion two minutes later . but united responded immediately as shinji kagawa made it 3-2 , which , despite the home side 's effort was how the score stayed . alex ferguson 's men are now third with 12 points , level with manchester city who had edin dzeko to thank for their 2-1 win against fulham at craven cottage . mladen petric blasted home a penalty to put the cottagers ahead in the 10th minute after pablo zabaleta had brought down john arne riise . sergio aguero equalized for city two minutes before halftime with dzeko scoring the winner in the 87th minute , moments after coming on for francisco javi garcia . everton continued their promising start to the season with a 3-1 over southampton at goodison park . a goal from leon osman ( 25th minute ) and a quickfire brace from nikica jelavic ( 32nd and 38th minute ) earned three points for david moyes'team after gaston ramirez had given southampton the lead in the sixth minute . everton remain three points behind leaders chelsea . merseyside rivals , liverpool posted their first league win under new manager brendan rodgers with a 5-2 thrashing of norwich city . luis suarez scored a hat-trick as the reds ran riot at carrow road with nuri sahin and steven gerrard also getting on the scoresheet . steve morison and grant holt made the scoreline look a bit more respectable with two second-half goals . liverpool rise to 14th , norwich slip to 18th in the table . two goals from peter crouch saw stoke city beat swansea city 2-0 at the britannia stadium -- a win which lifts tony pulis 's side to 12th . demba ba also scored twice to rescue a point for newcastle in a 2-2 draw at reading , while steven fletcher scored the only goal as sunderland beat wigan 1-0 at the stadium of light . | chelsea stay top of the league with five wins in six matches in the english premier league |
europe <tsp> ( cnn ) -- colin montgomerie might have masterminded europe 's charge to wrest the ryder cup back from the united states in 2010 but a hat-trick of the continent 's best players are adamant he should not be allowed to reprise his role . world no . 1 rory mcilroy reiterated his support for 2012 vice captain paul mcginley on the day he announced a new multi-year sponsorship deal with nike . the 23-year-old -- a two-time major winner -- claimed montgomerie would have nothing to gain ' from taking the job on again and his stance was backed by english pair ian poulter and luke donald . mcginley , a three-time ryder cup winner as a player , captained mcilroy at the seve trophy in 2009 , when great britain and ireland played against continental europe . it 's something i feel quite strongly about ; i feel paul deserves his chance , ' mcilroy told cnn from abu dhabi . he 's been vice captain a few times , he 's holed the winning putt in the ryder cup . i played under him as a captain in the seve trophy a few years ago and thought he was the best captain i 've ever played under . i think he 's very deserving and i think it would almost be a little unfair if he did n't get it . ' earlier , at his nike press conference , mcilroy said : i personally do n't feel monty has anything to gain over this . if we go to gleneagles and lose , he 's already a winning ryder cup captain . i 'm fully behind paul and i think paul should get the job and hopefully he does . ' poulter was instrumental in europe 's comeback against the u.s. in the latest installment of the biannual team competition , as they recovered from a 10-6 deficit to retain the trophy in what was known as'the miracle of medinah'in october . donald delivered two vital points -- one in saturday 's fourballs and again in the crucial opening singles match against 2012 masters champion bubba watson . along with mcilroy , both were instrumental in montgomerie 's winning turn at celtic manor in wales in 2010 but none of the trio think the legendary scot should be appointed again . it had seemed to be a straight battle between 2011 british open champion darren clarke , and irish compatriot mcginley , who both served as vice captains to jose maria olazabal in chicago . but when the americans turned once again to tom watson , the last u.s. captain to triumph on european soil in 1993 , montgomerie 's name began to circulate . boulden : what kind of nike poster boy will rory mcilroy be ? ahead of the announcement on either tuesday or wednesday in abu dhabi , montgomerie has emerged as favorite and the 49-year-old has confirmed he would do it again if asked . but poulter took to micro-blogging site twitter to say : darren ( clarke ) has taken his name out of the running for ryder cup captaincy . it would be fantastic to have paul mcginley as the 2014 captain . ' his view was shared by donald , who became the first man to top the money lists on both the european and pga tour in 2011 . he tweeted : i hope paul mcginley gets his chance , he 's been an amazing vice captain and deserves an opportunity . ' the announcement will be made after a 15-man committee that includes montgomerie , clarke and mcginley meets to decide . | world no . 1 backs irishman for europe 's 2014 contest with united states in scotland |
novak djokovic <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the feat has not been achieved since 1936 but with every victory , the pressure on andy murray to deliver a first british winner of the men 's singles at wimbledon since fred perry grows . the expectation is always there for any leading british player but with rafael nadal and roger federer having unexpectedly dropped out of his section of the draw , murray is fancied like never before to finally rewrite history . the beaten finalist in 2012 , the 26-year-old survived a second set scare to beat russian 20th seed mikhail youzhny 6-4 7-5 ( 7-5 ) 6-1 and reach the quarterfinals for the sixth straight year . the second seed will meet the unseeded fernando verdasco for a place in the semifinals , with the scot boasting an 8-1 winning record against the spaniard , who beat kenny de schepper in straight sets . it was a tough match , ' u.s. open and olympic champion murray said later . the first couple of sets especially -- and he also had a chance at the start of the third . but once i got ahead in the third set , i concentrated really hard not to let him back into the match like i did in the second set . ' the turning point of a contest that lasted two hours and 37 minutes came in the second set when murray managed to turn around a 2-5 deficit to win on a tie break . youzhny needed treatment on a shoulder injury early in the third set and faded soon after , so allowing the british number one to reach the last eight without dropping a set . i just have to concentrate on the next match , ' he said when asked about the pressure of being the home favorite . serena williams lost today and she does n't lose particularly often , ' he explained . roger lost , rafa lost -- all these guys and girls are better than me and if they can lose , so can i . ' should murray come through his quarterfinal , he will meet either jerzy janowicz or lukasz kubot in the last four -- with one of the polish duo set to create history . whoever wins their clash will become the first pole to reach the semifinals of a men 's grand slam . the radwanska sisters may have put polish tennis on the map in recent years but they have long been hoping that they will be joined by their male compatriots . without a quarterfinalist at wimbledon since 1980 , two came along on the same day as 24th seed janowicz , 22 , beat austria 's jurgen melzer in five sets while the unseeded kubot was also taken all the way when beating adrian mannarino . despite the significance of their forthcoming encounter , janowicz and kubot , 31 , hugged one another as soon as they met in the locker room after their respective wins . it 's unbelievable what is going on right now , ' the big-serving janowicz told reporters . we have two players in the quarterfinals in the men 's draw . right now , tennis is a really famous sport in our country . i hope we 'll get more fans . ' kubot 's passage to the quarterfinals was first eased by the shock defeat of rafael nadal in the opening round and then further helped as the spaniard 's conqueror steve darcis was forced to pull out of his second round meeting with the pole through injury . in the top half of the draw , david ferrer -- who lost his first grand slam final against compatriot nadal at the french open last month -- reached his second straight wimbledon quarterfinal when beating croatia 's ivan dodig 6-7 7-6 6-1 6-1 . i 'm trying to play more aggressive , ' said ferrer , who has never progressed to the last four at wimbledon . i need to serve better than other courts , obviously when i am playing the second shot . every match i am playing better with my game . i am confident . ' next up for the consistent spaniard , who will rise to a career-high world no . 3 in next week 's rankings , is argentina 's juan martin del potro , who beat 23rd seed andreas seppi in straight sets . he 's a very great player , ' said ferrer . it 's going to be difficult . i need to play my best tennis to beat del potro . and on a grass court i think it is more difficult . he plays better than me on grass . last year i beat him , but i think i played my best match on a grass court . ' whoever wins through will meet either novak djokovic , who beat tommy haas in straight sets late on monday , or tomas berdych , who sunk bernard tomic 7-6 6-7 6-4 6-4 , in the last four . | novak djokovic beats tommy haas to set up quarterfinal against tomas berdych |
tommy haas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the feat has not been achieved since 1936 but with every victory , the pressure on andy murray to deliver a first british winner of the men 's singles at wimbledon since fred perry grows . the expectation is always there for any leading british player but with rafael nadal and roger federer having unexpectedly dropped out of his section of the draw , murray is fancied like never before to finally rewrite history . the beaten finalist in 2012 , the 26-year-old survived a second set scare to beat russian 20th seed mikhail youzhny 6-4 7-5 ( 7-5 ) 6-1 and reach the quarterfinals for the sixth straight year . the second seed will meet the unseeded fernando verdasco for a place in the semifinals , with the scot boasting an 8-1 winning record against the spaniard , who beat kenny de schepper in straight sets . it was a tough match , ' u.s. open and olympic champion murray said later . the first couple of sets especially -- and he also had a chance at the start of the third . but once i got ahead in the third set , i concentrated really hard not to let him back into the match like i did in the second set . ' the turning point of a contest that lasted two hours and 37 minutes came in the second set when murray managed to turn around a 2-5 deficit to win on a tie break . youzhny needed treatment on a shoulder injury early in the third set and faded soon after , so allowing the british number one to reach the last eight without dropping a set . i just have to concentrate on the next match , ' he said when asked about the pressure of being the home favorite . serena williams lost today and she does n't lose particularly often , ' he explained . roger lost , rafa lost -- all these guys and girls are better than me and if they can lose , so can i . ' should murray come through his quarterfinal , he will meet either jerzy janowicz or lukasz kubot in the last four -- with one of the polish duo set to create history . whoever wins their clash will become the first pole to reach the semifinals of a men 's grand slam . the radwanska sisters may have put polish tennis on the map in recent years but they have long been hoping that they will be joined by their male compatriots . without a quarterfinalist at wimbledon since 1980 , two came along on the same day as 24th seed janowicz , 22 , beat austria 's jurgen melzer in five sets while the unseeded kubot was also taken all the way when beating adrian mannarino . despite the significance of their forthcoming encounter , janowicz and kubot , 31 , hugged one another as soon as they met in the locker room after their respective wins . it 's unbelievable what is going on right now , ' the big-serving janowicz told reporters . we have two players in the quarterfinals in the men 's draw . right now , tennis is a really famous sport in our country . i hope we 'll get more fans . ' kubot 's passage to the quarterfinals was first eased by the shock defeat of rafael nadal in the opening round and then further helped as the spaniard 's conqueror steve darcis was forced to pull out of his second round meeting with the pole through injury . in the top half of the draw , david ferrer -- who lost his first grand slam final against compatriot nadal at the french open last month -- reached his second straight wimbledon quarterfinal when beating croatia 's ivan dodig 6-7 7-6 6-1 6-1 . i 'm trying to play more aggressive , ' said ferrer , who has never progressed to the last four at wimbledon . i need to serve better than other courts , obviously when i am playing the second shot . every match i am playing better with my game . i am confident . ' next up for the consistent spaniard , who will rise to a career-high world no . 3 in next week 's rankings , is argentina 's juan martin del potro , who beat 23rd seed andreas seppi in straight sets . he 's a very great player , ' said ferrer . it 's going to be difficult . i need to play my best tennis to beat del potro . and on a grass court i think it is more difficult . he plays better than me on grass . last year i beat him , but i think i played my best match on a grass court . ' whoever wins through will meet either novak djokovic , who beat tommy haas in straight sets late on monday , or tomas berdych , who sunk bernard tomic 7-6 6-7 6-4 6-4 , in the last four . | novak djokovic beats tommy haas to set up quarterfinal against tomas berdych |
belgium <tsp> ( cnn ) -- australia 's prime minister traveled to afghanistan and met with the country 's president on her first international trip since taking office . prime minister julia gillard also met with australian troops serving in afghanistan , her office said in a statement sunday . in discussions with afghan president hamid karzai and government ministers , gillard underscored australia 's intention to continue working with the afghan government to help meet its objectives to improve security , governance and development across the country , ' the statement said . gillard also discussed plans to work with officials to transition to afghan-led security with gen. david petraeus , the commander of nato troops in afghanistan , the statement said . the afghanistan visit was the first of several stops on gillard 's first overseas trip since becoming prime minister , the statement said . she is also traveling to zurich , switzerland , to meet with fifa officials about australia 's bid for the world cup in 2018 and 2022 . fifa is the international football governing body . later in the week , she will travel to brussels , belgium , for a conference discussing trade and security with leaders from europe and asia . | gillard is also scheduled to make stops in switzerland and belgium |
paladino <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- a day after saying homosexuality is not an equally valid or successful option , ' new york gubernatorial candidate carl paladino denied being anti-gay monday but said it was disgusting ' that his opponent took his children to a gay pride parade . i 've been to one ( parade ) in toronto . i saw the men in their little speedos , gyrating on each other . i think that 's disgusting . and any father who would take his children to such things , is not really thinking of the fatherly responsibilities -- is more interested in politics , ' paladino told cnn at the columbus day parade in new york city . andrew cuomo , the new york attorney general and paladino 's democratic opponent , shot back later monday : he 's probably the last person i 'll take advice from ... on how to raise my daughters . ' paladino drew fire for a remark he made to an orthodox jewish group on sunday , in which he said he does n't want children to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option ( compared with heterosexuality ) ... it is n't . ' cuomo criticized his remarks sunday , as did an advocate for gays and lesbians and an organization for gay and lesbian republicans . paladino defended that remark monday , telling both today ' and abc 's good morning america ' that he was referring to the difficult path homosexuals face because of discrimination . it 's a very , very ugly experience for those who are discriminated against , ' he told today , ' adding that he has a nephew who is homosexual and also has homosexuals working for him . it 's terrible , and it should n't be . society should be more accepting of it . ' when i talk about issues such as this , i talk from my heart , ' he told nbc , and i expect that the press will properly interpret my remarks . if they do n't interpret my remarks correctly ... that 's wrong . ' my nephew is a wonderful boy and he 's gay , ' he told good morning america . ' i see the difficulty he suffers with every day with discriminatory people . ' paladino 's nephew , jeffrey hannon , a member of his campaign staff , declined to comment when contacted by cnn early monday . asked whether he believes homosexuality is a choice , paladino said , i 've had difficulty with that . my nephew tells me he did n't have that choice , and i believe it 's a very , very difficult life for a young person . i believe that young people should not necessarily be exposed to that without some really , really mature background first so they can learn to deal with it . it 's a very difficult thing , and i sensitize with it totally . ' he said his sunday remarks were taken out of context . a prepared version of his remarks , obtained by cnn from new york affiliate ny1 , contained two lines that paladino did not deliver . those lines said , there is nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual . that is not how god created us . ' paladino emphasized in a statement sunday night that he did not include those lines when he delivered his remarks , and said monday he had crossed them out from his prepared remarks . there was a couple lines in there that i deleted and never spoke , purposefully , because i did n't want to , ' he told cnn . it was unclear , however , how the lines got into his prepared statements . paladino at first suggested to today ' that the lines were written by members of the jewish group he was speaking to , although he later said he was n't sure whether they originated with a group member or one of his staff . he told good morning america ' he had dictated in general terms his remarks to a staffer who put the lines in his remarks . paladino told cnn he did n't know who wrote the remarks . somebody wrote them and gave them to our staff as their suggested position on something , ' he said . in his sunday statement , paladino said , apparently a few reporters relied upon suggested remarks distributed by my hosts at the synagogue in williamsburg after my departure , not the actual statement i made . ' the written remarks given to reporters were identical to paladino 's spoken comments other than the two sentences in question . paladino on monday denied being homophobic . i am 100 percent in favor of all gay rights and always have been . there 's one reservation . i do n't think they should be married , ' he told cnn . he told nbc he would recruit homosexuals to serve in key roles in his government if he is elected . paladino 's monday remarks came the same day new york police announced the arrest of an ninth suspect in a series of brutal , anti-gay hate crimes against four men . the incident in early october involved three victims being held against their will by as many as nine assailants who beat them in a vacant apartment and sodomized two of them , police said . a fourth victim was beaten and robbed in connection with the attacks . do n't misquote me as wanting to hurt homosexual people in any way , ' paladino said sunday . that would be a dastardly lie -- my approach is live and let live . ' i just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family , ' he said . asked on monday whether the timing of his remark was poor , given the incident , paladino said no . i think my comments were directed at just the confusion that people have had over this issue , ' he said . paladino also criticized cuomo for marching in new york 's gay pride parade in june . that 's not the example that we should be showing the children and certainly not in our schools , ' he said . asked about paladino 's comments later monday , cuomo called them cynical and divisive . they were reckless in light of recent violence that we 've had , ' cuomo said . they were divisive , they were the worst cynical politics trying to pit groups against one another . ' new york celebrates our diversity ' with festivities such as the columbus day parade and the gay rights parade , he said . you 're not going to make it a negative , you 're not going to play one off against another . we wo n't let it happen in new york . ' on sunday , cuomo spokesman josh vlasto called paladino 's comments homophobic and said they showed he was unfit to represent new york . ' gay rights groups also criticized paladino 's remarks . carl paladino 's comments would matter if they were coming from a serious political figure . however , they are not , ' said christopher barron , chairman of the gay conservative group goproud , in an e-mail to cnn . they are instead coming from the imploding campaign of a man with the personal baggage of john edwards and all the electability of alan keyes . ' the log cabin republicans of new york state also took issue with the candidate . carl paladino 's statements are unfortunate and show he lacks an understanding of what it means to be gay , ' said gregory t. angelo , chairman of the group . i think gay men and women -- my neighbors and your neighbors -- would be much better off and much more successful if they were allowed equal rights and the option of getting married and raising a family . i do n't want new yorkers to be brainwashed into thinking that ignorance is an equally valid and successful option . it is n't . ' but paladino 's campaign manager , michael caputo , stood by the gubernatorial candidate 's comments on homosexuality . carl paladino 's position on this is exactly equivalent to the catholic church , ' caputo told cnn . and if andrew cuomo has a problem with the catholic church 's position on abortion and homosexuality , he needs to take it up with his parish priest . ' paladino was seen on cell phone video by cnn affiliate ynn albany last month seemingly threatening new york post statehouse columnist fred dicker , after he was pressed to back up allegations he 'd made that cuomo had been unfaithful in his marriage . you send another goon to my daughter 's house , and i 'll take you out , buddy , ' paladino said , apparently referring to the post 's coverage of a daughter the candidate had out of wedlock . dicker shot back : you gon na take me out ? ' yeah . ' how you gon na do that ? ' watch , ' paladino said before walking off . paladino 's campaign issued a statement the next day claiming that the post sent a photographer to the buffalo-area house where paladino 's 10-year-old daughter lives . on october 5 , a statement on the candidate 's website about his ideas for economic reform in the state said , i 'm a builder , not a career politician . i may not always say things in the most delicate or diplomatic way , but i will always tell you the truth and the truth is new york state is in a death spiral . ' cnn 's cheryl robinson , mark preston and jason kessler contributed to this report . | paladino on sunday said homosexuality is n't equally valid ' with heterosexuality |
paladino <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- a day after saying homosexuality is not an equally valid or successful option , ' new york gubernatorial candidate carl paladino denied being anti-gay monday but said it was disgusting ' that his opponent took his children to a gay pride parade . i 've been to one ( parade ) in toronto . i saw the men in their little speedos , gyrating on each other . i think that 's disgusting . and any father who would take his children to such things , is not really thinking of the fatherly responsibilities -- is more interested in politics , ' paladino told cnn at the columbus day parade in new york city . andrew cuomo , the new york attorney general and paladino 's democratic opponent , shot back later monday : he 's probably the last person i 'll take advice from ... on how to raise my daughters . ' paladino drew fire for a remark he made to an orthodox jewish group on sunday , in which he said he does n't want children to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option ( compared with heterosexuality ) ... it is n't . ' cuomo criticized his remarks sunday , as did an advocate for gays and lesbians and an organization for gay and lesbian republicans . paladino defended that remark monday , telling both today ' and abc 's good morning america ' that he was referring to the difficult path homosexuals face because of discrimination . it 's a very , very ugly experience for those who are discriminated against , ' he told today , ' adding that he has a nephew who is homosexual and also has homosexuals working for him . it 's terrible , and it should n't be . society should be more accepting of it . ' when i talk about issues such as this , i talk from my heart , ' he told nbc , and i expect that the press will properly interpret my remarks . if they do n't interpret my remarks correctly ... that 's wrong . ' my nephew is a wonderful boy and he 's gay , ' he told good morning america . ' i see the difficulty he suffers with every day with discriminatory people . ' paladino 's nephew , jeffrey hannon , a member of his campaign staff , declined to comment when contacted by cnn early monday . asked whether he believes homosexuality is a choice , paladino said , i 've had difficulty with that . my nephew tells me he did n't have that choice , and i believe it 's a very , very difficult life for a young person . i believe that young people should not necessarily be exposed to that without some really , really mature background first so they can learn to deal with it . it 's a very difficult thing , and i sensitize with it totally . ' he said his sunday remarks were taken out of context . a prepared version of his remarks , obtained by cnn from new york affiliate ny1 , contained two lines that paladino did not deliver . those lines said , there is nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual . that is not how god created us . ' paladino emphasized in a statement sunday night that he did not include those lines when he delivered his remarks , and said monday he had crossed them out from his prepared remarks . there was a couple lines in there that i deleted and never spoke , purposefully , because i did n't want to , ' he told cnn . it was unclear , however , how the lines got into his prepared statements . paladino at first suggested to today ' that the lines were written by members of the jewish group he was speaking to , although he later said he was n't sure whether they originated with a group member or one of his staff . he told good morning america ' he had dictated in general terms his remarks to a staffer who put the lines in his remarks . paladino told cnn he did n't know who wrote the remarks . somebody wrote them and gave them to our staff as their suggested position on something , ' he said . in his sunday statement , paladino said , apparently a few reporters relied upon suggested remarks distributed by my hosts at the synagogue in williamsburg after my departure , not the actual statement i made . ' the written remarks given to reporters were identical to paladino 's spoken comments other than the two sentences in question . paladino on monday denied being homophobic . i am 100 percent in favor of all gay rights and always have been . there 's one reservation . i do n't think they should be married , ' he told cnn . he told nbc he would recruit homosexuals to serve in key roles in his government if he is elected . paladino 's monday remarks came the same day new york police announced the arrest of an ninth suspect in a series of brutal , anti-gay hate crimes against four men . the incident in early october involved three victims being held against their will by as many as nine assailants who beat them in a vacant apartment and sodomized two of them , police said . a fourth victim was beaten and robbed in connection with the attacks . do n't misquote me as wanting to hurt homosexual people in any way , ' paladino said sunday . that would be a dastardly lie -- my approach is live and let live . ' i just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family , ' he said . asked on monday whether the timing of his remark was poor , given the incident , paladino said no . i think my comments were directed at just the confusion that people have had over this issue , ' he said . paladino also criticized cuomo for marching in new york 's gay pride parade in june . that 's not the example that we should be showing the children and certainly not in our schools , ' he said . asked about paladino 's comments later monday , cuomo called them cynical and divisive . they were reckless in light of recent violence that we 've had , ' cuomo said . they were divisive , they were the worst cynical politics trying to pit groups against one another . ' new york celebrates our diversity ' with festivities such as the columbus day parade and the gay rights parade , he said . you 're not going to make it a negative , you 're not going to play one off against another . we wo n't let it happen in new york . ' on sunday , cuomo spokesman josh vlasto called paladino 's comments homophobic and said they showed he was unfit to represent new york . ' gay rights groups also criticized paladino 's remarks . carl paladino 's comments would matter if they were coming from a serious political figure . however , they are not , ' said christopher barron , chairman of the gay conservative group goproud , in an e-mail to cnn . they are instead coming from the imploding campaign of a man with the personal baggage of john edwards and all the electability of alan keyes . ' the log cabin republicans of new york state also took issue with the candidate . carl paladino 's statements are unfortunate and show he lacks an understanding of what it means to be gay , ' said gregory t. angelo , chairman of the group . i think gay men and women -- my neighbors and your neighbors -- would be much better off and much more successful if they were allowed equal rights and the option of getting married and raising a family . i do n't want new yorkers to be brainwashed into thinking that ignorance is an equally valid and successful option . it is n't . ' but paladino 's campaign manager , michael caputo , stood by the gubernatorial candidate 's comments on homosexuality . carl paladino 's position on this is exactly equivalent to the catholic church , ' caputo told cnn . and if andrew cuomo has a problem with the catholic church 's position on abortion and homosexuality , he needs to take it up with his parish priest . ' paladino was seen on cell phone video by cnn affiliate ynn albany last month seemingly threatening new york post statehouse columnist fred dicker , after he was pressed to back up allegations he 'd made that cuomo had been unfaithful in his marriage . you send another goon to my daughter 's house , and i 'll take you out , buddy , ' paladino said , apparently referring to the post 's coverage of a daughter the candidate had out of wedlock . dicker shot back : you gon na take me out ? ' yeah . ' how you gon na do that ? ' watch , ' paladino said before walking off . paladino 's campaign issued a statement the next day claiming that the post sent a photographer to the buffalo-area house where paladino 's 10-year-old daughter lives . on october 5 , a statement on the candidate 's website about his ideas for economic reform in the state said , i 'm a builder , not a career politician . i may not always say things in the most delicate or diplomatic way , but i will always tell you the truth and the truth is new york state is in a death spiral . ' cnn 's cheryl robinson , mark preston and jason kessler contributed to this report . | new york ag says he rejects opponent carl paladino 's advice on raising daughters |
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