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china <tsp> ( cnn ) -- china 's star hurdler liu xiang bounced back from his olympic games disappointment to claim his third successive asian games gold medal , but wednesday 's action was marred by a second positive drug test by a uzbekistani athlete . liu limped out before his first 110-meters hurdles heat in beijing two years ago , but has since recovered from an achilles injury and returned to form on home soil with victory in guangzhou . the 27-year-old headed off teammate shi dongpeng in a record time of 13.09 seconds in front of 80,000 people as he bettered the marks he set in winning in qatar four years ago and south korea in 2002 . my coach always has confidence in me . i am confident of myself too . i am quite sure of my form , ' the former world record holder told the xinhua news agency . the asian games is important to me , and after that i will focus on the preparation for the 2011 world championships as well as the 2012 london olympics . ' shi clocked a season 's best time of 13.38 while south korea 's park taek yong claimed the bronze medal in 13.48 . china also won gold in the women 's pole vault as li caixia claimed her first asiad title from teammate li ling and japan 's tomomi abiko . with three days of competition remaining , china leads with 173 gold medals and 352 in total -- beating its previous record of 342 in beijing 20 years ago . the nation is also on target to beat its unprecedented 183 titles from that same year . xu linyin and wu penggen won the men 's beach volleyball , the women 's hockey team triumphed over south korea , and he min earned gold in the men 's 1m springboard diving and wu minxia in the women 's event . south korea is second on 71 as kim deok hyeon won the men 's long jump to become the first male from the republic to win an athletics gold . japan has 36 golds after tatsuhiro yonemitsu 's win in men 's 66kg freestyle wrestling and rika usami 's victory in women 's karate 's individual kata . iran moved up to fourth on 16 after ehsan hadadi won the men 's discus and wrestler jamal mirzaei claimed victory in the men 's 84kg freestyle division . uzbekistan is 11th on five golds after yuliya tarasova won the women 's heptathlon , but wrestler jakhongir muminov followed judoka shokir muminov in testing positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine . jakhongir failed an out-of-competition doping test on november 19 , while shokir -- who is not related -- lost his silver medal last friday . the duo joined a growing list of international athletes who have tested positive for the drug , which is generally used as a nasal decongestant . | hurdler 's gold helps china beat games record total medals with three days to go |
british <tsp> ( cnn ) ' i have nothing to offer but blood , toil , tears and sweat , ' winston churchill once told the british house of commons . a uk auction house is taking the former prime minister 's words literally . duke 's auction house has announced it will auction a vial of churchill 's blood , taken during a hospital stay in 1962 , three years before his death . churchill had fallen out of bed and fractured a hip , necessitating a multiweek stay at middlesex hospital . the blood was drawn by nursing student patricia fitzgibbon , according to the auction house . the sample was never used and the hospital was set to dispose of it when fitzgibbon asked to keep it . before her death , fitzgibbon gave the vial to a friend , who has decided to sell it . this is probably the first time that such a personal piece of churchill 's history has been offered on the open market , ' duke 's said . this year marks the 50th anniversary of churchill 's death -- the blood is a poignant reminder of an injury which marked the beginning of the end for churchill , and as such we expect there to be great interest in it . ' churchill died in 1965 at age 90 . the iconic british leader is best known for his leadership of britain during world war ii . the blood will go up for auction on march 12 in dorchester , england , along with a signed declaration from fitzgibbon attesting to its origins . cnn 's sam stringer contributed to this report . | blood reportedly taken from the former british prime minister will be auctioned on march 12 |
crime stoppers <tsp> atlanta ( cnn ) -- a robbery suspect nicknamed the grandma bandit ' died in a shootout friday in atlanta , georgia , authorities said . later , authorities discovered that grandma was actually grandpa . after further investigation , detectives have determined the person believed to be a female suspect in fact is a male , ' dekalb county police spokeswoman mekka parish said friday evening . his name is roxanne taylor , a 57-year-old man . ' police had issued an arrest warrant on thursday for someone they thought was a 58-year-old woman , roxanne taylor , charging her with three robberies . the grandma bandit ' gained notoriety because of the apparent woman 's age and signature robbing style -- approaching cashiers at atlanta-area cvs and rite-aid pharmacies and demanding cash after producing a revolver from her purse . she was a distinctive-looking woman with swollen cheeks who wore oversize , dark sunglasses and a baseball cap , according to surveillance video and witness accounts . on friday morning , taylor was spotted at a wendy 's fast-food restaurant . witnesses identified him as the grandma bandit ' because he was profiled on a crime stoppers piece earlier in the week , parish said . the individuals called 9-1-1 and nearby atlanta police officers arrived to investigate , leading to a pursuit , ' she said . taylor led police on a car chase that ended with a multi-car accident off an interstate exit . when officers pursued to investigate the accident , they heard a shot ring out , ' parish said . the responding officers returned fire . ' it was not immediately known whether taylor 's fatal gunshot wounds were self-inflicted or caused by police , parish said . the arrest warrant for taylor said he had netted about $ 400 from the three holdups . | crime stoppers profiled the suspect earlier in the week |
obama <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- so just why is 1999 suddenly such a flashpoint in campaign 2012 ? team obama says 1999 is the birth year of the big bain lie ' and goes on to suggest that mitt romney might have committed a felony . that provoked a rare statement from romney campaign manager matt rhoades , who called on president barack obama to apologize for the out of control behavior of his staff , which demeans the office that he holds . ' pointed rhetoric aside , just what is the 1999 debate about and why is it potentially significant in the obama versus romney race ? fortune : documents -- romney did n't manage bain funds at issue is whether romney , the former governor of massachusetts , is telling the truth when he says he had no role in investment and operations decisions at bain capital once he left in february 1999 to take over the salt lake city olympic games . talking points memo this week questioned romney 's claim by citing securities and exchange commission filings listing romney as bain 's top officer after 1999 . the boston globe on thursday carried a similar account -- and that was seized upon by team obama . either mitt romney , through his own words and his own signature , was misrepresenting his position at bain to the sec , which is a felony , or he was misrepresenting his position at bain to the american people to avoid responsibility for some of the consequences of his investments , ' stephanie cutter , deputy obama campaign manager , said on a campaign conference call . remember that last part of cutter 's statement -- about responsibility for his ' investments . but first , is there anything other than the sec filings to suggest a hands-on romney role at bain post-february 1999 ? no is the word from four sources who communicated with cnn on thursday -- all of whom have firsthand knowledge of bain 's operations at the time in question . three of the four are democrats , and two of the four are active obama supporters in campaign 2012 . all four told me romney is telling the truth . only one , bain managing director steve pagliuca , would talk on the record . the others spoke only on condition of anonymity , citing either bain 's low-key culture or the desire not to anger friends in the obama campaign . pagliuca , a democrat who unsuccessfully ran for senate in 2010 , told cnn : mitt romney left bain capital in february 1999 to run the olympics and has had absolutely no involvement with the management or investment activities of the firm or with any of its portfolio companies since the day of his departure . ' in explaining the sec documents filed in 2000 and 2001 , pagliuca said , due to the sudden nature of mr. romney 's departure , he remained the sole stockholder for a time while formal ownership was being documented and transferred to the group of partners who took over management of the firm in 1999 . accordingly , mr. romney was reported in various capacities on sec filings during this period . ' another bain democrat who did not want to be identified by name said romney had no role after taking the olympics post ' nothing . nothing . nothing . he was just gone . and it happened very suddenly . ... after that , he was not on calls or writing memos . he was gone . ' to be clear , all four of the sources voiced professional loyalty and personal respect for romney . and all four have a vested interest in defending the work of bain . but they were consistent in describing romney 's departure as abrupt and in saying they could not recall him around the office in the months that followed . two highly reputable arbiters of political debate -- the washington post 's fact-checking arm and factcheck.org -- also on thursday stood by their earlier findings that romney stepped away from any active role at bain when he accepted the olympics post . and fortune reported that it obtained private bain documents that support the romney account . but the obama campaign and its liberal allies continue to hang their claim on the sec filings . why so important for them to try to stretch the calendar of romney 's bain tenure ? for starters , just suggesting romney is n't telling the truth fits the arc of recent obama character attacks on the republican hopeful , including questions about why he wo n't release more of his tax records . more significant , though , is that cutter statement about responsibility for his ' investments . liberal blogs were quick to list bain-tied companies that lost jobs in late 1999 and beyond -- and just as quick to suggest it is now fair game to blame romney . and inside both bain and the romney campaign , there is a strong belief that either the obama campaign or a democratic ally wants to use another bain investment against romney late in the campaign but can not do so with any credibility under the february 1999 departure scenario . the investment in question : stericycle , a medical waste company that , among other things , disposed of aborted fetuses . how could the stericycle investment be used against romney ? bain 's involvement in a company that disposed of aborted fetuses could make a powerful final week direct mail piece or attack ad on christian radio . and in a close election , turnout of the religious right is one of the keys to a romney victory in november . bain negotiated the stericyle investment deal in november 1999 , nine months after romney said he left . bain 's investors pour money into numbered investment pools . several sources said that fund vii was the main investment vehicle at that time . you do n't see his name anywhere -- in the meetings list , the investor documents , the manager paperwork -- it would have to be there if he was involved in any way , ' one current bain officer said of romney and fund vii . he was long gone then . ' | obama campaign says romney lying about involvement with bain after he left |
obama <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- so just why is 1999 suddenly such a flashpoint in campaign 2012 ? team obama says 1999 is the birth year of the big bain lie ' and goes on to suggest that mitt romney might have committed a felony . that provoked a rare statement from romney campaign manager matt rhoades , who called on president barack obama to apologize for the out of control behavior of his staff , which demeans the office that he holds . ' pointed rhetoric aside , just what is the 1999 debate about and why is it potentially significant in the obama versus romney race ? fortune : documents -- romney did n't manage bain funds at issue is whether romney , the former governor of massachusetts , is telling the truth when he says he had no role in investment and operations decisions at bain capital once he left in february 1999 to take over the salt lake city olympic games . talking points memo this week questioned romney 's claim by citing securities and exchange commission filings listing romney as bain 's top officer after 1999 . the boston globe on thursday carried a similar account -- and that was seized upon by team obama . either mitt romney , through his own words and his own signature , was misrepresenting his position at bain to the sec , which is a felony , or he was misrepresenting his position at bain to the american people to avoid responsibility for some of the consequences of his investments , ' stephanie cutter , deputy obama campaign manager , said on a campaign conference call . remember that last part of cutter 's statement -- about responsibility for his ' investments . but first , is there anything other than the sec filings to suggest a hands-on romney role at bain post-february 1999 ? no is the word from four sources who communicated with cnn on thursday -- all of whom have firsthand knowledge of bain 's operations at the time in question . three of the four are democrats , and two of the four are active obama supporters in campaign 2012 . all four told me romney is telling the truth . only one , bain managing director steve pagliuca , would talk on the record . the others spoke only on condition of anonymity , citing either bain 's low-key culture or the desire not to anger friends in the obama campaign . pagliuca , a democrat who unsuccessfully ran for senate in 2010 , told cnn : mitt romney left bain capital in february 1999 to run the olympics and has had absolutely no involvement with the management or investment activities of the firm or with any of its portfolio companies since the day of his departure . ' in explaining the sec documents filed in 2000 and 2001 , pagliuca said , due to the sudden nature of mr. romney 's departure , he remained the sole stockholder for a time while formal ownership was being documented and transferred to the group of partners who took over management of the firm in 1999 . accordingly , mr. romney was reported in various capacities on sec filings during this period . ' another bain democrat who did not want to be identified by name said romney had no role after taking the olympics post ' nothing . nothing . nothing . he was just gone . and it happened very suddenly . ... after that , he was not on calls or writing memos . he was gone . ' to be clear , all four of the sources voiced professional loyalty and personal respect for romney . and all four have a vested interest in defending the work of bain . but they were consistent in describing romney 's departure as abrupt and in saying they could not recall him around the office in the months that followed . two highly reputable arbiters of political debate -- the washington post 's fact-checking arm and factcheck.org -- also on thursday stood by their earlier findings that romney stepped away from any active role at bain when he accepted the olympics post . and fortune reported that it obtained private bain documents that support the romney account . but the obama campaign and its liberal allies continue to hang their claim on the sec filings . why so important for them to try to stretch the calendar of romney 's bain tenure ? for starters , just suggesting romney is n't telling the truth fits the arc of recent obama character attacks on the republican hopeful , including questions about why he wo n't release more of his tax records . more significant , though , is that cutter statement about responsibility for his ' investments . liberal blogs were quick to list bain-tied companies that lost jobs in late 1999 and beyond -- and just as quick to suggest it is now fair game to blame romney . and inside both bain and the romney campaign , there is a strong belief that either the obama campaign or a democratic ally wants to use another bain investment against romney late in the campaign but can not do so with any credibility under the february 1999 departure scenario . the investment in question : stericycle , a medical waste company that , among other things , disposed of aborted fetuses . how could the stericycle investment be used against romney ? bain 's involvement in a company that disposed of aborted fetuses could make a powerful final week direct mail piece or attack ad on christian radio . and in a close election , turnout of the religious right is one of the keys to a romney victory in november . bain negotiated the stericyle investment deal in november 1999 , nine months after romney said he left . bain 's investors pour money into numbered investment pools . several sources said that fund vii was the main investment vehicle at that time . you do n't see his name anywhere -- in the meetings list , the investor documents , the manager paperwork -- it would have to be there if he was involved in any way , ' one current bain officer said of romney and fund vii . he was long gone then . ' | romney campaign chief says obama should apologize for out of control ' campaign |
obama <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- so just why is 1999 suddenly such a flashpoint in campaign 2012 ? team obama says 1999 is the birth year of the big bain lie ' and goes on to suggest that mitt romney might have committed a felony . that provoked a rare statement from romney campaign manager matt rhoades , who called on president barack obama to apologize for the out of control behavior of his staff , which demeans the office that he holds . ' pointed rhetoric aside , just what is the 1999 debate about and why is it potentially significant in the obama versus romney race ? fortune : documents -- romney did n't manage bain funds at issue is whether romney , the former governor of massachusetts , is telling the truth when he says he had no role in investment and operations decisions at bain capital once he left in february 1999 to take over the salt lake city olympic games . talking points memo this week questioned romney 's claim by citing securities and exchange commission filings listing romney as bain 's top officer after 1999 . the boston globe on thursday carried a similar account -- and that was seized upon by team obama . either mitt romney , through his own words and his own signature , was misrepresenting his position at bain to the sec , which is a felony , or he was misrepresenting his position at bain to the american people to avoid responsibility for some of the consequences of his investments , ' stephanie cutter , deputy obama campaign manager , said on a campaign conference call . remember that last part of cutter 's statement -- about responsibility for his ' investments . but first , is there anything other than the sec filings to suggest a hands-on romney role at bain post-february 1999 ? no is the word from four sources who communicated with cnn on thursday -- all of whom have firsthand knowledge of bain 's operations at the time in question . three of the four are democrats , and two of the four are active obama supporters in campaign 2012 . all four told me romney is telling the truth . only one , bain managing director steve pagliuca , would talk on the record . the others spoke only on condition of anonymity , citing either bain 's low-key culture or the desire not to anger friends in the obama campaign . pagliuca , a democrat who unsuccessfully ran for senate in 2010 , told cnn : mitt romney left bain capital in february 1999 to run the olympics and has had absolutely no involvement with the management or investment activities of the firm or with any of its portfolio companies since the day of his departure . ' in explaining the sec documents filed in 2000 and 2001 , pagliuca said , due to the sudden nature of mr. romney 's departure , he remained the sole stockholder for a time while formal ownership was being documented and transferred to the group of partners who took over management of the firm in 1999 . accordingly , mr. romney was reported in various capacities on sec filings during this period . ' another bain democrat who did not want to be identified by name said romney had no role after taking the olympics post ' nothing . nothing . nothing . he was just gone . and it happened very suddenly . ... after that , he was not on calls or writing memos . he was gone . ' to be clear , all four of the sources voiced professional loyalty and personal respect for romney . and all four have a vested interest in defending the work of bain . but they were consistent in describing romney 's departure as abrupt and in saying they could not recall him around the office in the months that followed . two highly reputable arbiters of political debate -- the washington post 's fact-checking arm and factcheck.org -- also on thursday stood by their earlier findings that romney stepped away from any active role at bain when he accepted the olympics post . and fortune reported that it obtained private bain documents that support the romney account . but the obama campaign and its liberal allies continue to hang their claim on the sec filings . why so important for them to try to stretch the calendar of romney 's bain tenure ? for starters , just suggesting romney is n't telling the truth fits the arc of recent obama character attacks on the republican hopeful , including questions about why he wo n't release more of his tax records . more significant , though , is that cutter statement about responsibility for his ' investments . liberal blogs were quick to list bain-tied companies that lost jobs in late 1999 and beyond -- and just as quick to suggest it is now fair game to blame romney . and inside both bain and the romney campaign , there is a strong belief that either the obama campaign or a democratic ally wants to use another bain investment against romney late in the campaign but can not do so with any credibility under the february 1999 departure scenario . the investment in question : stericycle , a medical waste company that , among other things , disposed of aborted fetuses . how could the stericycle investment be used against romney ? bain 's involvement in a company that disposed of aborted fetuses could make a powerful final week direct mail piece or attack ad on christian radio . and in a close election , turnout of the religious right is one of the keys to a romney victory in november . bain negotiated the stericyle investment deal in november 1999 , nine months after romney said he left . bain 's investors pour money into numbered investment pools . several sources said that fund vii was the main investment vehicle at that time . you do n't see his name anywhere -- in the meetings list , the investor documents , the manager paperwork -- it would have to be there if he was involved in any way , ' one current bain officer said of romney and fund vii . he was long gone then . ' | obama campaign wants to tie story to other attacks on romney 's character |
romney <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- so just why is 1999 suddenly such a flashpoint in campaign 2012 ? team obama says 1999 is the birth year of the big bain lie ' and goes on to suggest that mitt romney might have committed a felony . that provoked a rare statement from romney campaign manager matt rhoades , who called on president barack obama to apologize for the out of control behavior of his staff , which demeans the office that he holds . ' pointed rhetoric aside , just what is the 1999 debate about and why is it potentially significant in the obama versus romney race ? fortune : documents -- romney did n't manage bain funds at issue is whether romney , the former governor of massachusetts , is telling the truth when he says he had no role in investment and operations decisions at bain capital once he left in february 1999 to take over the salt lake city olympic games . talking points memo this week questioned romney 's claim by citing securities and exchange commission filings listing romney as bain 's top officer after 1999 . the boston globe on thursday carried a similar account -- and that was seized upon by team obama . either mitt romney , through his own words and his own signature , was misrepresenting his position at bain to the sec , which is a felony , or he was misrepresenting his position at bain to the american people to avoid responsibility for some of the consequences of his investments , ' stephanie cutter , deputy obama campaign manager , said on a campaign conference call . remember that last part of cutter 's statement -- about responsibility for his ' investments . but first , is there anything other than the sec filings to suggest a hands-on romney role at bain post-february 1999 ? no is the word from four sources who communicated with cnn on thursday -- all of whom have firsthand knowledge of bain 's operations at the time in question . three of the four are democrats , and two of the four are active obama supporters in campaign 2012 . all four told me romney is telling the truth . only one , bain managing director steve pagliuca , would talk on the record . the others spoke only on condition of anonymity , citing either bain 's low-key culture or the desire not to anger friends in the obama campaign . pagliuca , a democrat who unsuccessfully ran for senate in 2010 , told cnn : mitt romney left bain capital in february 1999 to run the olympics and has had absolutely no involvement with the management or investment activities of the firm or with any of its portfolio companies since the day of his departure . ' in explaining the sec documents filed in 2000 and 2001 , pagliuca said , due to the sudden nature of mr. romney 's departure , he remained the sole stockholder for a time while formal ownership was being documented and transferred to the group of partners who took over management of the firm in 1999 . accordingly , mr. romney was reported in various capacities on sec filings during this period . ' another bain democrat who did not want to be identified by name said romney had no role after taking the olympics post ' nothing . nothing . nothing . he was just gone . and it happened very suddenly . ... after that , he was not on calls or writing memos . he was gone . ' to be clear , all four of the sources voiced professional loyalty and personal respect for romney . and all four have a vested interest in defending the work of bain . but they were consistent in describing romney 's departure as abrupt and in saying they could not recall him around the office in the months that followed . two highly reputable arbiters of political debate -- the washington post 's fact-checking arm and factcheck.org -- also on thursday stood by their earlier findings that romney stepped away from any active role at bain when he accepted the olympics post . and fortune reported that it obtained private bain documents that support the romney account . but the obama campaign and its liberal allies continue to hang their claim on the sec filings . why so important for them to try to stretch the calendar of romney 's bain tenure ? for starters , just suggesting romney is n't telling the truth fits the arc of recent obama character attacks on the republican hopeful , including questions about why he wo n't release more of his tax records . more significant , though , is that cutter statement about responsibility for his ' investments . liberal blogs were quick to list bain-tied companies that lost jobs in late 1999 and beyond -- and just as quick to suggest it is now fair game to blame romney . and inside both bain and the romney campaign , there is a strong belief that either the obama campaign or a democratic ally wants to use another bain investment against romney late in the campaign but can not do so with any credibility under the february 1999 departure scenario . the investment in question : stericycle , a medical waste company that , among other things , disposed of aborted fetuses . how could the stericycle investment be used against romney ? bain 's involvement in a company that disposed of aborted fetuses could make a powerful final week direct mail piece or attack ad on christian radio . and in a close election , turnout of the religious right is one of the keys to a romney victory in november . bain negotiated the stericyle investment deal in november 1999 , nine months after romney said he left . bain 's investors pour money into numbered investment pools . several sources said that fund vii was the main investment vehicle at that time . you do n't see his name anywhere -- in the meetings list , the investor documents , the manager paperwork -- it would have to be there if he was involved in any way , ' one current bain officer said of romney and fund vii . he was long gone then . ' | four sources -- three of them democrats -- support romney side of dispute |
romney <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- so just why is 1999 suddenly such a flashpoint in campaign 2012 ? team obama says 1999 is the birth year of the big bain lie ' and goes on to suggest that mitt romney might have committed a felony . that provoked a rare statement from romney campaign manager matt rhoades , who called on president barack obama to apologize for the out of control behavior of his staff , which demeans the office that he holds . ' pointed rhetoric aside , just what is the 1999 debate about and why is it potentially significant in the obama versus romney race ? fortune : documents -- romney did n't manage bain funds at issue is whether romney , the former governor of massachusetts , is telling the truth when he says he had no role in investment and operations decisions at bain capital once he left in february 1999 to take over the salt lake city olympic games . talking points memo this week questioned romney 's claim by citing securities and exchange commission filings listing romney as bain 's top officer after 1999 . the boston globe on thursday carried a similar account -- and that was seized upon by team obama . either mitt romney , through his own words and his own signature , was misrepresenting his position at bain to the sec , which is a felony , or he was misrepresenting his position at bain to the american people to avoid responsibility for some of the consequences of his investments , ' stephanie cutter , deputy obama campaign manager , said on a campaign conference call . remember that last part of cutter 's statement -- about responsibility for his ' investments . but first , is there anything other than the sec filings to suggest a hands-on romney role at bain post-february 1999 ? no is the word from four sources who communicated with cnn on thursday -- all of whom have firsthand knowledge of bain 's operations at the time in question . three of the four are democrats , and two of the four are active obama supporters in campaign 2012 . all four told me romney is telling the truth . only one , bain managing director steve pagliuca , would talk on the record . the others spoke only on condition of anonymity , citing either bain 's low-key culture or the desire not to anger friends in the obama campaign . pagliuca , a democrat who unsuccessfully ran for senate in 2010 , told cnn : mitt romney left bain capital in february 1999 to run the olympics and has had absolutely no involvement with the management or investment activities of the firm or with any of its portfolio companies since the day of his departure . ' in explaining the sec documents filed in 2000 and 2001 , pagliuca said , due to the sudden nature of mr. romney 's departure , he remained the sole stockholder for a time while formal ownership was being documented and transferred to the group of partners who took over management of the firm in 1999 . accordingly , mr. romney was reported in various capacities on sec filings during this period . ' another bain democrat who did not want to be identified by name said romney had no role after taking the olympics post ' nothing . nothing . nothing . he was just gone . and it happened very suddenly . ... after that , he was not on calls or writing memos . he was gone . ' to be clear , all four of the sources voiced professional loyalty and personal respect for romney . and all four have a vested interest in defending the work of bain . but they were consistent in describing romney 's departure as abrupt and in saying they could not recall him around the office in the months that followed . two highly reputable arbiters of political debate -- the washington post 's fact-checking arm and factcheck.org -- also on thursday stood by their earlier findings that romney stepped away from any active role at bain when he accepted the olympics post . and fortune reported that it obtained private bain documents that support the romney account . but the obama campaign and its liberal allies continue to hang their claim on the sec filings . why so important for them to try to stretch the calendar of romney 's bain tenure ? for starters , just suggesting romney is n't telling the truth fits the arc of recent obama character attacks on the republican hopeful , including questions about why he wo n't release more of his tax records . more significant , though , is that cutter statement about responsibility for his ' investments . liberal blogs were quick to list bain-tied companies that lost jobs in late 1999 and beyond -- and just as quick to suggest it is now fair game to blame romney . and inside both bain and the romney campaign , there is a strong belief that either the obama campaign or a democratic ally wants to use another bain investment against romney late in the campaign but can not do so with any credibility under the february 1999 departure scenario . the investment in question : stericycle , a medical waste company that , among other things , disposed of aborted fetuses . how could the stericycle investment be used against romney ? bain 's involvement in a company that disposed of aborted fetuses could make a powerful final week direct mail piece or attack ad on christian radio . and in a close election , turnout of the religious right is one of the keys to a romney victory in november . bain negotiated the stericyle investment deal in november 1999 , nine months after romney said he left . bain 's investors pour money into numbered investment pools . several sources said that fund vii was the main investment vehicle at that time . you do n't see his name anywhere -- in the meetings list , the investor documents , the manager paperwork -- it would have to be there if he was involved in any way , ' one current bain officer said of romney and fund vii . he was long gone then . ' | obama campaign says romney lying about involvement with bain after he left |
romney <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- so just why is 1999 suddenly such a flashpoint in campaign 2012 ? team obama says 1999 is the birth year of the big bain lie ' and goes on to suggest that mitt romney might have committed a felony . that provoked a rare statement from romney campaign manager matt rhoades , who called on president barack obama to apologize for the out of control behavior of his staff , which demeans the office that he holds . ' pointed rhetoric aside , just what is the 1999 debate about and why is it potentially significant in the obama versus romney race ? fortune : documents -- romney did n't manage bain funds at issue is whether romney , the former governor of massachusetts , is telling the truth when he says he had no role in investment and operations decisions at bain capital once he left in february 1999 to take over the salt lake city olympic games . talking points memo this week questioned romney 's claim by citing securities and exchange commission filings listing romney as bain 's top officer after 1999 . the boston globe on thursday carried a similar account -- and that was seized upon by team obama . either mitt romney , through his own words and his own signature , was misrepresenting his position at bain to the sec , which is a felony , or he was misrepresenting his position at bain to the american people to avoid responsibility for some of the consequences of his investments , ' stephanie cutter , deputy obama campaign manager , said on a campaign conference call . remember that last part of cutter 's statement -- about responsibility for his ' investments . but first , is there anything other than the sec filings to suggest a hands-on romney role at bain post-february 1999 ? no is the word from four sources who communicated with cnn on thursday -- all of whom have firsthand knowledge of bain 's operations at the time in question . three of the four are democrats , and two of the four are active obama supporters in campaign 2012 . all four told me romney is telling the truth . only one , bain managing director steve pagliuca , would talk on the record . the others spoke only on condition of anonymity , citing either bain 's low-key culture or the desire not to anger friends in the obama campaign . pagliuca , a democrat who unsuccessfully ran for senate in 2010 , told cnn : mitt romney left bain capital in february 1999 to run the olympics and has had absolutely no involvement with the management or investment activities of the firm or with any of its portfolio companies since the day of his departure . ' in explaining the sec documents filed in 2000 and 2001 , pagliuca said , due to the sudden nature of mr. romney 's departure , he remained the sole stockholder for a time while formal ownership was being documented and transferred to the group of partners who took over management of the firm in 1999 . accordingly , mr. romney was reported in various capacities on sec filings during this period . ' another bain democrat who did not want to be identified by name said romney had no role after taking the olympics post ' nothing . nothing . nothing . he was just gone . and it happened very suddenly . ... after that , he was not on calls or writing memos . he was gone . ' to be clear , all four of the sources voiced professional loyalty and personal respect for romney . and all four have a vested interest in defending the work of bain . but they were consistent in describing romney 's departure as abrupt and in saying they could not recall him around the office in the months that followed . two highly reputable arbiters of political debate -- the washington post 's fact-checking arm and factcheck.org -- also on thursday stood by their earlier findings that romney stepped away from any active role at bain when he accepted the olympics post . and fortune reported that it obtained private bain documents that support the romney account . but the obama campaign and its liberal allies continue to hang their claim on the sec filings . why so important for them to try to stretch the calendar of romney 's bain tenure ? for starters , just suggesting romney is n't telling the truth fits the arc of recent obama character attacks on the republican hopeful , including questions about why he wo n't release more of his tax records . more significant , though , is that cutter statement about responsibility for his ' investments . liberal blogs were quick to list bain-tied companies that lost jobs in late 1999 and beyond -- and just as quick to suggest it is now fair game to blame romney . and inside both bain and the romney campaign , there is a strong belief that either the obama campaign or a democratic ally wants to use another bain investment against romney late in the campaign but can not do so with any credibility under the february 1999 departure scenario . the investment in question : stericycle , a medical waste company that , among other things , disposed of aborted fetuses . how could the stericycle investment be used against romney ? bain 's involvement in a company that disposed of aborted fetuses could make a powerful final week direct mail piece or attack ad on christian radio . and in a close election , turnout of the religious right is one of the keys to a romney victory in november . bain negotiated the stericyle investment deal in november 1999 , nine months after romney said he left . bain 's investors pour money into numbered investment pools . several sources said that fund vii was the main investment vehicle at that time . you do n't see his name anywhere -- in the meetings list , the investor documents , the manager paperwork -- it would have to be there if he was involved in any way , ' one current bain officer said of romney and fund vii . he was long gone then . ' | romney campaign chief says obama should apologize for out of control ' campaign |
romney <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- so just why is 1999 suddenly such a flashpoint in campaign 2012 ? team obama says 1999 is the birth year of the big bain lie ' and goes on to suggest that mitt romney might have committed a felony . that provoked a rare statement from romney campaign manager matt rhoades , who called on president barack obama to apologize for the out of control behavior of his staff , which demeans the office that he holds . ' pointed rhetoric aside , just what is the 1999 debate about and why is it potentially significant in the obama versus romney race ? fortune : documents -- romney did n't manage bain funds at issue is whether romney , the former governor of massachusetts , is telling the truth when he says he had no role in investment and operations decisions at bain capital once he left in february 1999 to take over the salt lake city olympic games . talking points memo this week questioned romney 's claim by citing securities and exchange commission filings listing romney as bain 's top officer after 1999 . the boston globe on thursday carried a similar account -- and that was seized upon by team obama . either mitt romney , through his own words and his own signature , was misrepresenting his position at bain to the sec , which is a felony , or he was misrepresenting his position at bain to the american people to avoid responsibility for some of the consequences of his investments , ' stephanie cutter , deputy obama campaign manager , said on a campaign conference call . remember that last part of cutter 's statement -- about responsibility for his ' investments . but first , is there anything other than the sec filings to suggest a hands-on romney role at bain post-february 1999 ? no is the word from four sources who communicated with cnn on thursday -- all of whom have firsthand knowledge of bain 's operations at the time in question . three of the four are democrats , and two of the four are active obama supporters in campaign 2012 . all four told me romney is telling the truth . only one , bain managing director steve pagliuca , would talk on the record . the others spoke only on condition of anonymity , citing either bain 's low-key culture or the desire not to anger friends in the obama campaign . pagliuca , a democrat who unsuccessfully ran for senate in 2010 , told cnn : mitt romney left bain capital in february 1999 to run the olympics and has had absolutely no involvement with the management or investment activities of the firm or with any of its portfolio companies since the day of his departure . ' in explaining the sec documents filed in 2000 and 2001 , pagliuca said , due to the sudden nature of mr. romney 's departure , he remained the sole stockholder for a time while formal ownership was being documented and transferred to the group of partners who took over management of the firm in 1999 . accordingly , mr. romney was reported in various capacities on sec filings during this period . ' another bain democrat who did not want to be identified by name said romney had no role after taking the olympics post ' nothing . nothing . nothing . he was just gone . and it happened very suddenly . ... after that , he was not on calls or writing memos . he was gone . ' to be clear , all four of the sources voiced professional loyalty and personal respect for romney . and all four have a vested interest in defending the work of bain . but they were consistent in describing romney 's departure as abrupt and in saying they could not recall him around the office in the months that followed . two highly reputable arbiters of political debate -- the washington post 's fact-checking arm and factcheck.org -- also on thursday stood by their earlier findings that romney stepped away from any active role at bain when he accepted the olympics post . and fortune reported that it obtained private bain documents that support the romney account . but the obama campaign and its liberal allies continue to hang their claim on the sec filings . why so important for them to try to stretch the calendar of romney 's bain tenure ? for starters , just suggesting romney is n't telling the truth fits the arc of recent obama character attacks on the republican hopeful , including questions about why he wo n't release more of his tax records . more significant , though , is that cutter statement about responsibility for his ' investments . liberal blogs were quick to list bain-tied companies that lost jobs in late 1999 and beyond -- and just as quick to suggest it is now fair game to blame romney . and inside both bain and the romney campaign , there is a strong belief that either the obama campaign or a democratic ally wants to use another bain investment against romney late in the campaign but can not do so with any credibility under the february 1999 departure scenario . the investment in question : stericycle , a medical waste company that , among other things , disposed of aborted fetuses . how could the stericycle investment be used against romney ? bain 's involvement in a company that disposed of aborted fetuses could make a powerful final week direct mail piece or attack ad on christian radio . and in a close election , turnout of the religious right is one of the keys to a romney victory in november . bain negotiated the stericyle investment deal in november 1999 , nine months after romney said he left . bain 's investors pour money into numbered investment pools . several sources said that fund vii was the main investment vehicle at that time . you do n't see his name anywhere -- in the meetings list , the investor documents , the manager paperwork -- it would have to be there if he was involved in any way , ' one current bain officer said of romney and fund vii . he was long gone then . ' | obama campaign wants to tie story to other attacks on romney 's character |
europe <tsp> madrid ( cnn ) -- a gang that smuggled chinese citizens into the united states and europe , sometimes forcing them to work as prostitutes , has been busted with 75 arrests in spain and france , authorities announced saturday . the trafficking ring was based in -- and directed from -- china , but its two suspected leaders in europe were arrested in the operation , in barcelona , spanish national police said in a statement . besides the two main suspects , spanish police arrested 49 others carrying forged passports at the airports in barcelona , madrid , palma de mallorca and five other cities . in france , there were 24 arrests . the smugglers charged 40,000 to 50,000 euros ( $ 53,000 to $ 66,000 ) to transport chinese citizens , assigned with false identities , to the united states , spain , france , greece , italy , britain , ireland and turkey , the statement said . spain was the next-to-last stop for many before they went to the preferred locations of the united states and britain , the statement said . twins rescued as china hospital trafficking probe continues the arrests were made last june and the case , at spain 's national court , has been under seal until now , a national police spokesman told cnn on saturday . all of the suspects are chinese , or from elsewhere in asia . all have had initial court appearances and have been ordered to remain in prison while the investigation continues or have been released by the judge , with conditions , said the spokesman , who by custom is not identified . the suspects include those who allegedly formed part of the smuggling ring and also those who paid for the forged documents , the spokesman said . police seized 81 forged passports , ostensibly from japan , malaysia , hong kong , singapore , south korea and taiwan -- but all made in china , they said . investigators also found three laptop computers , printers and 22 rubber stamps used to forge documents at homes they said the gang used in barcelona , police said . the probe began two years ago . investigators said the trafficking ring was intricately structured , divided into independent and virtually isolated cells to avoid detection , police said . the smugglers used their own set of trustworthy travel enforcers , well-versed in the airports and cities where the chinese were taken . they kept the travelers under control , sometimes trying to pass them off unnoticed among groups of legitimate chinese tourists . the ring was quick to react to security changes on the ground at a given airport , swiftly changing to another destination where it would be easier to have their people slip past security controls , the statement said . once a delivery of smuggled chinese citizens had been completed , the travel enforcers would return to their bases in china and malaysia to await further instructions , and to avoid detection by western police forces , police said . spanish police have been active in recent years in fighting human trafficking rings that lured citizens from asia , africa or eastern europe to spain . the victims are often promised a better life , but then subjected to harsh forced labor conditions in clandestine factories or forced them into prostitution . | smugglers charged up to $ 66,000 to bring migrants into europe and the u.s. , police say |
galaxy quest <tsp> ( cnn ) a tv series based on the 1999 sci-fi film galaxy quest ' is in the works at paramount television . the dreamworks film centered on the cast of a canceled space tv show who are accidentally sent to a spaceship and must save an alien nation . tv land 's'younger'renewed for second season the film 's scribe robert gordon is expected to write the tv version and executive produce with the film 's director dean parisot , producer mark johnson and johnson 's producing partner melissa bernstein .'the voice'coaches ceelo green , gwen stefani and usher to return the film starred tim allen , sigourney weaver , alan rickman , tony shalhoub , sam rockwell , daryl mitchell and enrico colantoni . pbs to conduct internal review ' over ben affleck 's request to hide slave-owner ancestry ' galaxy quest ' is the latest movie to be adapted for the small screen . this pilot season , abc has uncle buck , ' cbs has rush hour ' and fox has minority report . ' paramount television specifically has turned several of the studio 's hit films into tv series . school of rock ' will debut on nickelodeon later this year , and usa recently ordered a pilot for shooter , ' based on the mark wahlberg film . ©2015 the hollywood reporter . all rights reserved . | galaxy quest ' tv series in the works |
sudan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in the 1970s the world was coming to an end . famines in bangladesh , the sahel and ethiopia seemed to prove malthus finally right . population growth was outstripping food supplies , food prices skyrocketed : people like paul ehrlich warned of a population bomb ' . yet , the apocalypse did not happen . agricultural productivity growth not only fed more people , but also accommodated a resource guzzling boom in meat consumption . if skeptics pointed to inequalities and persisting hunger , the neoliberal orthodoxy would tell them to be patient until trickle-down effects would have worked their magic . african agriculture key if it has ever worked , it does so no more . the number of chronically hungry people has hovered around one billion for more than a decade . large swathes of the developing world , including africa , have seen a worrying decoupling from the trend of long-term economic growth . given that the livelihoods of most africans are linked to the agricultural sector , there is widespread agreement that african agriculture is the key battlefront to tackle hunger and poverty . heated debate in the last three years , a virulent debate has unfolded between two camps with diametrically opposed views . in one corner , we find global agro-business , the international financial institutions and governments of emerging powers like china , india and the gulf arab states . they advocate a transformation of african agriculture through commercialization and large-scale foreign investment with the goal of increasing food supply and augmenting productivity of african farms . this , or so the theory goes , is generating income , employment and export revenues for impoverished african states , while providing food to the arabian peninsula and industrial inputs like cotton to east asia . the other camp , consisting of international and african ngos and skeptical academics , rejects this logic as an unconvincing excuse for lucrative collusion between african and foreign elites , largely at the expense of the rural masses . they denounce these land grabs ' by referring to large-scale displacement of farmers deemed unproductive ' and claim that the investments increase rather than decrease global hunger , as the benefits accrue to transnational partnerships while producing little food or income for locals . groundwork so what is actually happening on the ground ? the truth is that , despite years of heated debate , we still know very little . the much hyped land matrix ' -initiative claims to have put together the single largest , most comprehensive database so far on international agricultural investments ( land grabs ' ) to further inform policy . yet , it reports deals that have never happened , like the alleged acquisition of millions of hectares in madagascar and congo by south-korean daewoo and chinese zte . there is a fairly uncritical reliance on extensive media reporting of big deals .'landgrabs'sell newspapers and raise funds for ngos and academics , so why ruin a good story ? case study : sudan still , it is worth insisting : what is actually happening on the ground ? an interesting case in point is sudan . it has been the focal point of agro-investments by gulf countries in the 1970s and again today . the country is best known for decades of violent conflict and devastating hunger . yet the controversy in western media over the secession of south sudan and the war in darfur has sometimes obscured the important hydro-agricultural dynamics of recent years . while the land matrix , to our surprise , scarcely reports any major agricultural investment in northern and central sudan and uncritically copies a report on south sudan with unimplemented project announcements , the military-islamist government has spent the better part of the last decade positioning itself as a potential breadbasket ' for east africa and the arabian peninsula . omar al-bashir 's khartoum hopes to attract one billion dollars annually in investments from kuwait , china , qatar and other emerging powers , partly to offset the loss of 75 % of oil revenues due to the southern secession , partly to build new political alliances domestically and internationally to entrench the regime in power for another decade . untapped resources the basic logic , as presented by the sudanese government and its gulf arab partners during grand televised conferences , is sound : sudan has historically underused its vast agricultural potential and low productivity is one of the key problems locking farming communities in poverty . investment , foreign or domestic , in agriculture has been woefully low for 30 years ; the agricultural crisis of rural sudan is one of the great drivers of widening inequality , vulnerability to climatic changes and civil strife in the peripheries . sceptical voices at the same time , more sceptical voices have been right to warn against the euphoria of a possible agricultural revolution in sudan with the assistance of arab capital . the memories of the last time such an ambitious project was launched , back in the 1970s , are still vivid : the projects never got off the ground or were unprofitable and the vision violently crashed when tens of thousands of smallholders were forcibly driven off their land to make way for big mechanised farming in central sudan . this contributed to a country-wide civil war between 1983 and 2005 . these ghosts of the past understandably influence alarmist accounts surrounding foreign direct investment ( fdi ) in sudan and south sudan . headline v reality but the emerging picture is neither one of grand capitalist transformation and agricultural revival , nor one of all-out land grab that is leading to dispossession and growing impoverishment of ever more sudanese . there is a striking gap between the spectacular headline announcements and the reality that little actual investment seems to have transpired . there are gulf funds that have announced humungous agro-projects without a single agro-engineer among their ranks . according to confidential ministry of investment statistics that one of the authors was able to see , only about 20 % of all agricultural partnerships concluded between sudanese and foreign investors actually have seen some degree of implementation . perhaps only a quarter of all promised fdi sums for commercial agriculture reach sudan . an africa-wide issue the reasons for this botched agricultural revolution are many but they seem to apply not just to sudan , but also elsewhere in africa . whilst high commodity prices and growing resource pressures heighten the interest of emerging powers and western investors , the fundamental obstacles that have held african agriculture back previously still remain largely in place . a chaotic regulatory framework ; political instability ; high costs of training local workers ; poor infrastructure to bring produce to local and international markets ; weakly integrated national and regional agricultural development strategies ; hidden taxes and corruption ; and elites looking for quick gains rather than long-term empowerment of rural areas which are left out of the process . mirage in the desert the land grab phenomenon in sudan and in many ( though not all ) african countries thus increasingly resembles a fata morgana , a mirage in the desert which completely distorts the object on which it is based . not only is far more thorough and non-ideology driven research needed on foreign investment and , where it actually takes place , its impact on local communities and national welfare . above all , the fata morgana nature of agricultural development in africa calls for a serious re-examination of how the continent 's farmers can move from being among the main victims of global hunger to becoming more productive cultivators of the commodities that africa and the world sorely need . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of harry verhoeven and dr eckart woertz | agricultural crisis of rural sudan is one of great drivers of widening inequality |
sudan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in the 1970s the world was coming to an end . famines in bangladesh , the sahel and ethiopia seemed to prove malthus finally right . population growth was outstripping food supplies , food prices skyrocketed : people like paul ehrlich warned of a population bomb ' . yet , the apocalypse did not happen . agricultural productivity growth not only fed more people , but also accommodated a resource guzzling boom in meat consumption . if skeptics pointed to inequalities and persisting hunger , the neoliberal orthodoxy would tell them to be patient until trickle-down effects would have worked their magic . african agriculture key if it has ever worked , it does so no more . the number of chronically hungry people has hovered around one billion for more than a decade . large swathes of the developing world , including africa , have seen a worrying decoupling from the trend of long-term economic growth . given that the livelihoods of most africans are linked to the agricultural sector , there is widespread agreement that african agriculture is the key battlefront to tackle hunger and poverty . heated debate in the last three years , a virulent debate has unfolded between two camps with diametrically opposed views . in one corner , we find global agro-business , the international financial institutions and governments of emerging powers like china , india and the gulf arab states . they advocate a transformation of african agriculture through commercialization and large-scale foreign investment with the goal of increasing food supply and augmenting productivity of african farms . this , or so the theory goes , is generating income , employment and export revenues for impoverished african states , while providing food to the arabian peninsula and industrial inputs like cotton to east asia . the other camp , consisting of international and african ngos and skeptical academics , rejects this logic as an unconvincing excuse for lucrative collusion between african and foreign elites , largely at the expense of the rural masses . they denounce these land grabs ' by referring to large-scale displacement of farmers deemed unproductive ' and claim that the investments increase rather than decrease global hunger , as the benefits accrue to transnational partnerships while producing little food or income for locals . groundwork so what is actually happening on the ground ? the truth is that , despite years of heated debate , we still know very little . the much hyped land matrix ' -initiative claims to have put together the single largest , most comprehensive database so far on international agricultural investments ( land grabs ' ) to further inform policy . yet , it reports deals that have never happened , like the alleged acquisition of millions of hectares in madagascar and congo by south-korean daewoo and chinese zte . there is a fairly uncritical reliance on extensive media reporting of big deals .'landgrabs'sell newspapers and raise funds for ngos and academics , so why ruin a good story ? case study : sudan still , it is worth insisting : what is actually happening on the ground ? an interesting case in point is sudan . it has been the focal point of agro-investments by gulf countries in the 1970s and again today . the country is best known for decades of violent conflict and devastating hunger . yet the controversy in western media over the secession of south sudan and the war in darfur has sometimes obscured the important hydro-agricultural dynamics of recent years . while the land matrix , to our surprise , scarcely reports any major agricultural investment in northern and central sudan and uncritically copies a report on south sudan with unimplemented project announcements , the military-islamist government has spent the better part of the last decade positioning itself as a potential breadbasket ' for east africa and the arabian peninsula . omar al-bashir 's khartoum hopes to attract one billion dollars annually in investments from kuwait , china , qatar and other emerging powers , partly to offset the loss of 75 % of oil revenues due to the southern secession , partly to build new political alliances domestically and internationally to entrench the regime in power for another decade . untapped resources the basic logic , as presented by the sudanese government and its gulf arab partners during grand televised conferences , is sound : sudan has historically underused its vast agricultural potential and low productivity is one of the key problems locking farming communities in poverty . investment , foreign or domestic , in agriculture has been woefully low for 30 years ; the agricultural crisis of rural sudan is one of the great drivers of widening inequality , vulnerability to climatic changes and civil strife in the peripheries . sceptical voices at the same time , more sceptical voices have been right to warn against the euphoria of a possible agricultural revolution in sudan with the assistance of arab capital . the memories of the last time such an ambitious project was launched , back in the 1970s , are still vivid : the projects never got off the ground or were unprofitable and the vision violently crashed when tens of thousands of smallholders were forcibly driven off their land to make way for big mechanised farming in central sudan . this contributed to a country-wide civil war between 1983 and 2005 . these ghosts of the past understandably influence alarmist accounts surrounding foreign direct investment ( fdi ) in sudan and south sudan . headline v reality but the emerging picture is neither one of grand capitalist transformation and agricultural revival , nor one of all-out land grab that is leading to dispossession and growing impoverishment of ever more sudanese . there is a striking gap between the spectacular headline announcements and the reality that little actual investment seems to have transpired . there are gulf funds that have announced humungous agro-projects without a single agro-engineer among their ranks . according to confidential ministry of investment statistics that one of the authors was able to see , only about 20 % of all agricultural partnerships concluded between sudanese and foreign investors actually have seen some degree of implementation . perhaps only a quarter of all promised fdi sums for commercial agriculture reach sudan . an africa-wide issue the reasons for this botched agricultural revolution are many but they seem to apply not just to sudan , but also elsewhere in africa . whilst high commodity prices and growing resource pressures heighten the interest of emerging powers and western investors , the fundamental obstacles that have held african agriculture back previously still remain largely in place . a chaotic regulatory framework ; political instability ; high costs of training local workers ; poor infrastructure to bring produce to local and international markets ; weakly integrated national and regional agricultural development strategies ; hidden taxes and corruption ; and elites looking for quick gains rather than long-term empowerment of rural areas which are left out of the process . mirage in the desert the land grab phenomenon in sudan and in many ( though not all ) african countries thus increasingly resembles a fata morgana , a mirage in the desert which completely distorts the object on which it is based . not only is far more thorough and non-ideology driven research needed on foreign investment and , where it actually takes place , its impact on local communities and national welfare . above all , the fata morgana nature of agricultural development in africa calls for a serious re-examination of how the continent 's farmers can move from being among the main victims of global hunger to becoming more productive cultivators of the commodities that africa and the world sorely need . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of harry verhoeven and dr eckart woertz | land grab phenomenon in sudan resembles a fata morgana -- mirage in the desert |
taylor <tsp> miami , florida ( cnn ) -- four men have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of nfl player sean taylor , authorities announced friday evening . police have more than one confession in the case and the individuals will be charged with murder , said robert parker , director of the miami-dade police department . the suspects were identified as venjah k. hunte , 20 ; eric rivera jr. , 17 ; jason scott mitchell , 17 ; and charles kendrick lee wardlow , 18 . additional arrests are possible , parker said . the key to solving this case was citizen 's tips , ' he said . taylor , 24 , died tuesday , a day after he was shot during an apparent burglary at his miami home . the police investigation revealed the suspects thought the house was empty , parker said . they were certainly not looking to go there and kill anyone , ' he said . they were expecting a residence that was not occupied , so murder or shooting someone was not their initial motive . ... their obvious motive was to go there and steal the contents of the house . ' the men knew taylor lived at the house , parker said . at 1:45 a.m. monday , taylor 's girlfriend , jackie garcia , called 911 and said someone had been shot . authorities have said she told police she was hiding under the bedding during the attack . garcia did not see what happened and could not provide a suspect description , parker told reporters on wednesday . police said garcia and taylor were awakened by noise in the living room , and that taylor got up and locked the bedroom door , but the door was kicked in and two shots were fired , one striking him in the leg . garcia tried to call 911 but was unable to , and used her cell phone instead , police said . there was no evidence the line had been cut , parker said wednesday . a break-in was also reported eight days earlier , miami-dade police said . a police report said someone forced a window open and left a kitchen knife on a bed . several drawers and a bedroom safe were searched during the break-in , according to the report . taylor was home unexpectedly because of an injury , his former attorney , richard sharpstein , told reporters tuesday . i think he was surprised or they were surprised to find him there , ' he said . taylor spent four years with the washington redskins , but had been out with a sprained right knee . he did not play in sunday 's game against tampa bay . taylor was a first-round pick in the 2004 draft , according to his team 's web site . he played at the university of miami , where he was an all-american in 2003 , and was also a high school standout in the city . dubbing him the prototype nfl free safety , ' the redskins credited taylor 's team-leading tackling prowess for sending him to his first pro bowl after 2006 . he was regarded as one of the hardest hitting players in the league . taylor recorded 257 tackles ( 206 solo ) during his brief career , two sacks and seven interceptions . e-mail to a friend cnn 's rich phillips contributed to this report . copyright 2007 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report . | taylor shot during an apparent burglary at his miami home |
taylor <tsp> miami , florida ( cnn ) -- four men have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of nfl player sean taylor , authorities announced friday evening . police have more than one confession in the case and the individuals will be charged with murder , said robert parker , director of the miami-dade police department . the suspects were identified as venjah k. hunte , 20 ; eric rivera jr. , 17 ; jason scott mitchell , 17 ; and charles kendrick lee wardlow , 18 . additional arrests are possible , parker said . the key to solving this case was citizen 's tips , ' he said . taylor , 24 , died tuesday , a day after he was shot during an apparent burglary at his miami home . the police investigation revealed the suspects thought the house was empty , parker said . they were certainly not looking to go there and kill anyone , ' he said . they were expecting a residence that was not occupied , so murder or shooting someone was not their initial motive . ... their obvious motive was to go there and steal the contents of the house . ' the men knew taylor lived at the house , parker said . at 1:45 a.m. monday , taylor 's girlfriend , jackie garcia , called 911 and said someone had been shot . authorities have said she told police she was hiding under the bedding during the attack . garcia did not see what happened and could not provide a suspect description , parker told reporters on wednesday . police said garcia and taylor were awakened by noise in the living room , and that taylor got up and locked the bedroom door , but the door was kicked in and two shots were fired , one striking him in the leg . garcia tried to call 911 but was unable to , and used her cell phone instead , police said . there was no evidence the line had been cut , parker said wednesday . a break-in was also reported eight days earlier , miami-dade police said . a police report said someone forced a window open and left a kitchen knife on a bed . several drawers and a bedroom safe were searched during the break-in , according to the report . taylor was home unexpectedly because of an injury , his former attorney , richard sharpstein , told reporters tuesday . i think he was surprised or they were surprised to find him there , ' he said . taylor spent four years with the washington redskins , but had been out with a sprained right knee . he did not play in sunday 's game against tampa bay . taylor was a first-round pick in the 2004 draft , according to his team 's web site . he played at the university of miami , where he was an all-american in 2003 , and was also a high school standout in the city . dubbing him the prototype nfl free safety , ' the redskins credited taylor 's team-leading tackling prowess for sending him to his first pro bowl after 2006 . he was regarded as one of the hardest hitting players in the league . taylor recorded 257 tackles ( 206 solo ) during his brief career , two sacks and seven interceptions . e-mail to a friend cnn 's rich phillips contributed to this report . copyright 2007 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report . | washington redskins safety sean taylor died tuesday |
harry <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- the uk 's prince harry has been serving on the frontline in afghanistan and seen combat , but his deployment will be reviewed after the news was leaked by a u.s . web site , the uk ministry of defense confirmed thursday . he was deployed 10 weeks ago and his fellow soldiers were sworn to secrecy . at the end of the day i like to sort of be a normal person , and for once i think this is about as normal as i 'm ever going to get , ' the 23-year-old prince said in a recent interview . harry is third in line to the british throne and serves with the blues and royals . the information had been kept secret for security reasons , said gen. richard dannatt , the chief of britain 's general staff . because of the unique circumstances of the deployment . cnn , as well as other news organizations , chose to honor an embargo requested by the military . the prince is a member of a group called joint tactical air control , or jtac . he holds the rank of cornet -- equivalent to a second lieutenant -- and serves as a forward air controller . watch prince harry on the front lines in afghanistan » his duties include calling in airstrikes and air support when necessary , guaranteeing the accuracy of bombing on the ground and guarding against incidents of friendly fire . as far as i 'm concerned , i 'm out here as a normal jtac on the ground and not as prince harry , ' he said . harry is the younger son of prince charles , the heir to the british throne , and the late princess diana , who died in a paris car crash in 1997 . the military confirmed his assignment after a u.s . web site broke the news blackout -- and dannatt expressed displeasure at the report . watch how a top secret operation deployed prince harry » ' i am very disappointed that foreign web sites have decided to run this story without consulting us , ' dannatt said in a written statement . it was my judgment that with an understanding with the media not to broadcast his whereabouts , the risk in ( deploying him to afghanistan ) was manageable . now that the story is in the public domain , the chief of defence staff and i will take advice from the operational commanders about whether his deployment can continue . ' last year , the military ruled harry could not be sent to iraq because publicity about the deployment could put him and his unit at risk . but dannatt said the experience has demonstrated that it is perfectly possible for prince harry to be employed just the same as other army officers of his rank and experience . ' his conduct on operations in afghanistan has been exemplary , ' the general said . he has been fully involved in operations and has run the same risks as everyone else in his battle group . in common with all of his generation in the army today , he is a credit to the nation . ' watch prince harry on the front lines » shortly after the news of the prince 's deployment broke , several islamist web sites posted messages alerting their brethren ' in afghanistan to be on the lookout for the royal soldier . o brothers of monotheism , if you find anyone with unusual security in his battalion , know that this could be the prince harry . we ask god that he gets caught on your hands , ' one such posting read . several members of the british royal family have seen combat over the past century . harry 's grandfather , prince phillip , served aboard warships in world war ii ; his great-grandfather -- king george vi -- took part in the world war i naval battle of jutland ; and prince andrew , harry 's uncle , flew navy helicopters during britain 's 1982 war with argentina over the falkand islands . harry 's brother , prince william , is also an army officer . but as second in line for the throne , he is specifically barred from combat . the last sitting british monarch to lead troops in battle was george ii , who defeated a french force at the battle of dettingen in 1743 . e-mail to a friend | new : prince harry 's afghanistan deployment is being reviewed |
harry <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- the uk 's prince harry has been serving on the frontline in afghanistan and seen combat , but his deployment will be reviewed after the news was leaked by a u.s . web site , the uk ministry of defense confirmed thursday . he was deployed 10 weeks ago and his fellow soldiers were sworn to secrecy . at the end of the day i like to sort of be a normal person , and for once i think this is about as normal as i 'm ever going to get , ' the 23-year-old prince said in a recent interview . harry is third in line to the british throne and serves with the blues and royals . the information had been kept secret for security reasons , said gen. richard dannatt , the chief of britain 's general staff . because of the unique circumstances of the deployment . cnn , as well as other news organizations , chose to honor an embargo requested by the military . the prince is a member of a group called joint tactical air control , or jtac . he holds the rank of cornet -- equivalent to a second lieutenant -- and serves as a forward air controller . watch prince harry on the front lines in afghanistan » his duties include calling in airstrikes and air support when necessary , guaranteeing the accuracy of bombing on the ground and guarding against incidents of friendly fire . as far as i 'm concerned , i 'm out here as a normal jtac on the ground and not as prince harry , ' he said . harry is the younger son of prince charles , the heir to the british throne , and the late princess diana , who died in a paris car crash in 1997 . the military confirmed his assignment after a u.s . web site broke the news blackout -- and dannatt expressed displeasure at the report . watch how a top secret operation deployed prince harry » ' i am very disappointed that foreign web sites have decided to run this story without consulting us , ' dannatt said in a written statement . it was my judgment that with an understanding with the media not to broadcast his whereabouts , the risk in ( deploying him to afghanistan ) was manageable . now that the story is in the public domain , the chief of defence staff and i will take advice from the operational commanders about whether his deployment can continue . ' last year , the military ruled harry could not be sent to iraq because publicity about the deployment could put him and his unit at risk . but dannatt said the experience has demonstrated that it is perfectly possible for prince harry to be employed just the same as other army officers of his rank and experience . ' his conduct on operations in afghanistan has been exemplary , ' the general said . he has been fully involved in operations and has run the same risks as everyone else in his battle group . in common with all of his generation in the army today , he is a credit to the nation . ' watch prince harry on the front lines » shortly after the news of the prince 's deployment broke , several islamist web sites posted messages alerting their brethren ' in afghanistan to be on the lookout for the royal soldier . o brothers of monotheism , if you find anyone with unusual security in his battalion , know that this could be the prince harry . we ask god that he gets caught on your hands , ' one such posting read . several members of the british royal family have seen combat over the past century . harry 's grandfather , prince phillip , served aboard warships in world war ii ; his great-grandfather -- king george vi -- took part in the world war i naval battle of jutland ; and prince andrew , harry 's uncle , flew navy helicopters during britain 's 1982 war with argentina over the falkand islands . harry 's brother , prince william , is also an army officer . but as second in line for the throne , he is specifically barred from combat . the last sitting british monarch to lead troops in battle was george ii , who defeated a french force at the battle of dettingen in 1743 . e-mail to a friend | ministry of defense says prince harry was deployed in december |
bundesliga <tsp> ( cnn ) -- mainz made it seven wins out of seven in the bundesliga on saturday as they overcame 10-man hoffenheim 4-2 at the stadion am bruchweg . the win equals the record -- held by kaisterslautern and bayern munich -- for most wins at the start of a bundesliga season . tunisia striker sami allagui opened the scoring for mainz after just two minutes . hoffenheim hit back before half time with a strike from demba ba , but hungarian striker adam szalai restored the home side 's lead two minutes into the second half . midfielder lewis holtby added a third before 19-year-old striker andre schuerrle added a fourth from the penalty spot after josip simunic was shown a red card for bringing down holtby in the 73rd minute . how germany 's'carnival club'is finding success mainz , who beat bayern munich 2-1 last week , face hamburg in their next bundesliga fixture and will be hoping to create bundesliga history by claiming their eighth straight win . but coach thomas tuchel says he 's not interested in records . during the game , i did n't even think about records , for me it is not even an issue , ' tuchel said , afp reported . ex-england boss steve mcclaren was denied a fourth straight win as wolfsburg drew 1-1 with moenchengladbach . danish midfielder thomas kahlenberg gave wolfsburg the lead after 27 minutes but thorben marx tied the scores with a 65th minute strike . freiburg moved up to fourth place in the table after a 3-2 home win over cologne , while hamburg are now seventh after they came from behind to beat kaiserslautern 2-1 . schalke went down to their fifth defeat of the season losing 2-1 to nuremberg , leaving last year 's runners-up languishing in second to last place in the table . sunday 's fixtures see bayern munich travel to second-placed dortmund , bottom-placed stuttgart host frankfurt and fifth-placed bayer leverkusen take on werder bremen . | mainz need one more win to secure record for most wins at start of bundesliga season |
bundesliga <tsp> ( cnn ) -- mainz made it seven wins out of seven in the bundesliga on saturday as they overcame 10-man hoffenheim 4-2 at the stadion am bruchweg . the win equals the record -- held by kaisterslautern and bayern munich -- for most wins at the start of a bundesliga season . tunisia striker sami allagui opened the scoring for mainz after just two minutes . hoffenheim hit back before half time with a strike from demba ba , but hungarian striker adam szalai restored the home side 's lead two minutes into the second half . midfielder lewis holtby added a third before 19-year-old striker andre schuerrle added a fourth from the penalty spot after josip simunic was shown a red card for bringing down holtby in the 73rd minute . how germany 's'carnival club'is finding success mainz , who beat bayern munich 2-1 last week , face hamburg in their next bundesliga fixture and will be hoping to create bundesliga history by claiming their eighth straight win . but coach thomas tuchel says he 's not interested in records . during the game , i did n't even think about records , for me it is not even an issue , ' tuchel said , afp reported . ex-england boss steve mcclaren was denied a fourth straight win as wolfsburg drew 1-1 with moenchengladbach . danish midfielder thomas kahlenberg gave wolfsburg the lead after 27 minutes but thorben marx tied the scores with a 65th minute strike . freiburg moved up to fourth place in the table after a 3-2 home win over cologne , while hamburg are now seventh after they came from behind to beat kaiserslautern 2-1 . schalke went down to their fifth defeat of the season losing 2-1 to nuremberg , leaving last year 's runners-up languishing in second to last place in the table . sunday 's fixtures see bayern munich travel to second-placed dortmund , bottom-placed stuttgart host frankfurt and fifth-placed bayer leverkusen take on werder bremen . | mainz their 100 percent record in the bundesliga with a 4-2 defeat of hoffenheim |
super glue <tsp> ( cnn ) -- harry wesley coover , best-known as the inventor of super glue , has died at his home in kingsport , tennessee , a funeral home there said sunday . he was 94 . the cause of death was congestive heart failure . coover got the idea for super glue during a lab accident while working for eastman kodak , said hamlett-dobson funeral homes . he was studying compounds for use in optically perfect gun sights and impact-resistant jet canopies when an assistant complained that new refractometer prisms were wrecked because they got glued together , according to the funeral home . in fact , cyanoacrylate -- the chemical name for the glue -- was rejected by researchers at first because it bound everything together . but coover saw its potential . the glue was first sold as a commercial product in 1958 , according to the super glue corp. 's website . it has since become synonymous with curiously powerful adhesives . coover was awarded the national medal of technology and innovation last year for his work . he is survived by two sons , a daughter and four grandchildren . | he hit upon the idea of super glue during a lab accident |
ramadan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in focus : ramadan ratings across the middle east , muslims are observing the holy month of ramadan . from the uae to turkey , mme takes a look at how ramadan is affecting businesses . from the change in working hours to what 's being watched on the small screen . facetime : saad al barrak although businesses generally slow down during ramadan , it 's a peak period for advertising . some ad agencies spend around 20 % of their annual budget at this time of year . it 's a profitable time for big name companies , and as mme found out especially for middle eastern brands aiming to go global . saad al barrak , former ceo of zain telecom shares his experience . marketplace middle east airs weekly at the following times ( all gmt ) : thursday : 1545 , friday : 0845 , saturday : 0615 sunday : 0515 , 1545 | across the middle east , muslims are observing the holy month of ramadan |
ramadan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in focus : ramadan ratings across the middle east , muslims are observing the holy month of ramadan . from the uae to turkey , mme takes a look at how ramadan is affecting businesses . from the change in working hours to what 's being watched on the small screen . facetime : saad al barrak although businesses generally slow down during ramadan , it 's a peak period for advertising . some ad agencies spend around 20 % of their annual budget at this time of year . it 's a profitable time for big name companies , and as mme found out especially for middle eastern brands aiming to go global . saad al barrak , former ceo of zain telecom shares his experience . marketplace middle east airs weekly at the following times ( all gmt ) : thursday : 1545 , friday : 0845 , saturday : 0615 sunday : 0515 , 1545 | mme takes a look at how ramadan is affecting businesses |
pyongyang <tsp> seoul , south korea ( cnn ) -- north korea fired several short-range missiles toward the sea of japan on saturday , an act that the u.s. watched closely and south korea called provocative . n. korean army soldiers , back , look at a s. korean soldier , center , in the demilitarized zone in june . pyongyang fired seven short-range missiles in less than seven hours , south korea 's foreign ministry said . the missiles were apparently scud-type , estimated to have a range of about 500 kilometers ( 310 miles ) , according to south korea 's yonhap news agency . south korean intelligence estimates that north korea has about 700 such missiles in its arsenal . pyongyang test-fired four such missiles off the east coast thursday , yonhap reported . south korea called the launches a provocative act , according to a government statement . north korea had issued a warning to mariners to avoid an area in the sea of japan at certain times between june 24 and july 9 because of a military firing exercise , ' according to a u.s. military communication about the warning provided to cnn . the recent firings come amid heightened tensions on the korean peninsula . north korea conducted a nuclear test in may , fired test rockets and threatened u.s. and south korean ships near its territorial waters . watch s. korea confirm firing of missiles » the first two missiles were fired about 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. , yonhap reported . another missile was launched about 10:45 a.m. , the agency reported . a fourth one came some time after that . the u.s. navy and other u.s. officials said they are ready to track any missiles . the united states is aware of possible missile launches by north korea . we are closely monitoring north korea 's activities and intentions , ' a u.s. official said . this type of north korea behavior is not helpful . what north korea needs to do is fulfill its international obligations and commitments . ' earlier this week analyst daniel pinkston said the reported test might be training for a future test but it could also just be a routine military exercise . it is worrisome to some degree , but it is different from a ballistic missile launch , ' said pinkston , of the international crisis group in seoul , south korea . it 's part of military training , but there seem to be no movements of troops or anything that would suggest preparations for military operations . so yes , people are watching it , the military is watching it here , but i do n't think it 's related to any plans or operations to attack anyone . ' cnn 's sohn jie-ah in seoul , korea , and charley keyes in washington , d.c. , contributed to this report | pyongyang test-fired four such missiles off the east coast thursday |
jaycee dugard <tsp> ( cnn ) -- jaycee dugard will testify against the couple that allegedly held her captive in an elaborate compound hidden in their backyard for 18 years if there is a trial , a lawyer for her family said at a news conference thursday . this photo of jaycee dugard was taken at the 1991 rose bowl parade . she was abducted later that year . attorney mcgregor scott admitted it has been a difficult transition for dugard and her two children -- who police say were fathered by her captor -- given her captivity spanned more than half her life and was the only world she knew for so long . but there is no question that she knows that terrible and wrong things were done to her and that those people must be held accountable , ' scott said . scott said he had no idea when a trial would be set for phillip and nancy garrido , who have both pleaded not guilty to charges relating to dugard 's alleged kidnapping and subsequent abuse . he acknowledged dugard would have to relive the trauma ' in court by sharing the very , very sordid tale . ' scott also said that because of phillip garrido 's previous criminal history , which includes a kidnapping and rape charge for which he was registered as a sex offender , garrido would automatically receive a sentence of 25 years to life if he were found guilty on only one felony charge . but scott said the family is trying not to focus on any of that and instead work on building a new life together . he said he had met with dugard and her family twice for a couple of hours and was happy to see how well they had been doing . ' even more encouraging was the second time i met with them , i saw progress , ' he said . i 'm just very pleasantly surprised watching the dynamics , and i think it 's a very positive thing going forward . ' scott said dugard 's daughters , who police said never went to school or a doctor , were receiving tutoring . dugard has been participating and observing . this is a woman whose [ own ] formal education ended in the fifth grade , ' he said . she has a brain that she wants to develop , so it 's a very positive thing . ' the family received medical attention and counseling beginning the day dugard and her children were discovered , scott said . he also said they had received donations of more than $ 100,000 from the public , which would help the girls as they get older . he praised law enforcement and family members for helping protect dugard and her children after her discovery . [ they are ] very guarded in allowing the girls access to tv news , internet , etc. , ' he said . because they 're being a mother , a grandmother , protecting the girls from too much information too early . ' he said he knows there is a curiosity about where the family is , but pleaded that the public and the media give the family time to heal . more than anything , scott said , dugard 's family is working to make life as normal as possible and allow them to make up for lost time . to watch the interaction between jaycee and her mother ... after 18 years is remarkable , ' scott said . the emotions there , i think they 're still wrestling with all of that but i think they 're making great progress . ' | lawyer : jaycee dugard knows that terrible and wrong things were done to her ' |
schriver <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in his september 4 op-ed , jack schlossberg presents his case that young americans should cast their ballots for president obama this fall . published on the same day it was widely reported that the national debt had hit $ 16 trillion , his piece is as ill-timed as it is unconvincing . seeking to speak to and for his generation , he characterizes obama as our biggest ally in washington . ' he neglects , of course , to recount the harsh realities of the obama economy . instead , his message rests on the flimsy notion that we should hang on a little bit longer because enduring change takes time . you may be wondering what happened to we ca n't wait ' and yes we can . ' schlossberg concedes that we 're a little more cynical , ' but contends that just because our politics and government can disappoint us sometimes does n't mean we should forget how far we 've come . ' how far we 've come ? unfortunately , such an argument demonstrates a sloppiness with the facts . take , for instance , the fact that unemployment has remained above 8 % since the beginning of obama 's term . or , according to this analysis , that half of recent college graduates are jobless or underemployed or that under obama , the national debt has risen $ 5 trillion . or that obama presided over the first credit downgrade in american history . i could go on . the point is , these facts are overwhelming . and they are neither fair to young americans nor signs of the progress for which we yearn . rather , they are the residue of generational theft , of promises unmet , of false hopes and of crushed dreams . in a word , travesty . to argue otherwise is to fall out of a fairy tale . schlossberg begins his piece with the catcher in the rye 's ' holden caulfield . he compares caulfield 's desire to escape phonies to young people 's support for barack obama in his first presidential campaign . but the problem with that analysis is that it 's four years out of date . in 2008 , obama regaled us with promises of hope and change , but his time in office has exposed the emptiness of these promises . and there 's more than meets to the eye to the president 's self-proclaimed achievements . while his allies may credit his health care law with allowing members of my generation to stay on our parents'health care until we 're in our mid-20s , the real question is , why ca n't we find jobs in the first place ? obama regards students as beneficiaries of his achievements . schlossberg praises the president 's insistence on keeping student interest rates low , ' but that has n't kept student loan debt from reaching record levels . schlossberg 's discussion of obama 's energy policy is equally selective . he talks about the president 's investments in clean energy projects and jobs , ' but fails to mention that some of these investments ' came at a high price and on the dime of taxpayers . the saying goes that brevity is the soul of wit , so this argument merits a one-word refutation : solyndra . but of all of schlossberg 's claims , perhaps the most misguided is the notion that obama has displayed political courage in the white house . he has refused to reform entitlements in a way that will ensure they remain solvent for future generations -- which is to say , us . instead , he started a brand new trillion-dollar entitlement program in the affordable care act , or obamacare , an unaffordable government takeover of our nation 's health care system . his fiscal stewardship has been nothing short of a disaster . four consecutive years of trillion-dollar deficits is n't courageous ; it 's immoral . schlossberg does get one thing correct , however : part of growing up is coming to terms with heartbreaking truths . but in this case , it 's about coming to terms with the fact that obama has had his chance to lead and his policies have failed . we do n't have to fall into line once again only to be taken for granted . we can vote for a new direction . we can reward truth-telling . we can elect mitt romney . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of alex schriver . | schriver : grads ca n't find work , are burdened with student loan debt |
schriver <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in his september 4 op-ed , jack schlossberg presents his case that young americans should cast their ballots for president obama this fall . published on the same day it was widely reported that the national debt had hit $ 16 trillion , his piece is as ill-timed as it is unconvincing . seeking to speak to and for his generation , he characterizes obama as our biggest ally in washington . ' he neglects , of course , to recount the harsh realities of the obama economy . instead , his message rests on the flimsy notion that we should hang on a little bit longer because enduring change takes time . you may be wondering what happened to we ca n't wait ' and yes we can . ' schlossberg concedes that we 're a little more cynical , ' but contends that just because our politics and government can disappoint us sometimes does n't mean we should forget how far we 've come . ' how far we 've come ? unfortunately , such an argument demonstrates a sloppiness with the facts . take , for instance , the fact that unemployment has remained above 8 % since the beginning of obama 's term . or , according to this analysis , that half of recent college graduates are jobless or underemployed or that under obama , the national debt has risen $ 5 trillion . or that obama presided over the first credit downgrade in american history . i could go on . the point is , these facts are overwhelming . and they are neither fair to young americans nor signs of the progress for which we yearn . rather , they are the residue of generational theft , of promises unmet , of false hopes and of crushed dreams . in a word , travesty . to argue otherwise is to fall out of a fairy tale . schlossberg begins his piece with the catcher in the rye 's ' holden caulfield . he compares caulfield 's desire to escape phonies to young people 's support for barack obama in his first presidential campaign . but the problem with that analysis is that it 's four years out of date . in 2008 , obama regaled us with promises of hope and change , but his time in office has exposed the emptiness of these promises . and there 's more than meets to the eye to the president 's self-proclaimed achievements . while his allies may credit his health care law with allowing members of my generation to stay on our parents'health care until we 're in our mid-20s , the real question is , why ca n't we find jobs in the first place ? obama regards students as beneficiaries of his achievements . schlossberg praises the president 's insistence on keeping student interest rates low , ' but that has n't kept student loan debt from reaching record levels . schlossberg 's discussion of obama 's energy policy is equally selective . he talks about the president 's investments in clean energy projects and jobs , ' but fails to mention that some of these investments ' came at a high price and on the dime of taxpayers . the saying goes that brevity is the soul of wit , so this argument merits a one-word refutation : solyndra . but of all of schlossberg 's claims , perhaps the most misguided is the notion that obama has displayed political courage in the white house . he has refused to reform entitlements in a way that will ensure they remain solvent for future generations -- which is to say , us . instead , he started a brand new trillion-dollar entitlement program in the affordable care act , or obamacare , an unaffordable government takeover of our nation 's health care system . his fiscal stewardship has been nothing short of a disaster . four consecutive years of trillion-dollar deficits is n't courageous ; it 's immoral . schlossberg does get one thing correct , however : part of growing up is coming to terms with heartbreaking truths . but in this case , it 's about coming to terms with the fact that obama has had his chance to lead and his policies have failed . we do n't have to fall into line once again only to be taken for granted . we can vote for a new direction . we can reward truth-telling . we can elect mitt romney . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of alex schriver . | alex schriver says writer overlooks the failure of obama to fix the economy |
schriver <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in his september 4 op-ed , jack schlossberg presents his case that young americans should cast their ballots for president obama this fall . published on the same day it was widely reported that the national debt had hit $ 16 trillion , his piece is as ill-timed as it is unconvincing . seeking to speak to and for his generation , he characterizes obama as our biggest ally in washington . ' he neglects , of course , to recount the harsh realities of the obama economy . instead , his message rests on the flimsy notion that we should hang on a little bit longer because enduring change takes time . you may be wondering what happened to we ca n't wait ' and yes we can . ' schlossberg concedes that we 're a little more cynical , ' but contends that just because our politics and government can disappoint us sometimes does n't mean we should forget how far we 've come . ' how far we 've come ? unfortunately , such an argument demonstrates a sloppiness with the facts . take , for instance , the fact that unemployment has remained above 8 % since the beginning of obama 's term . or , according to this analysis , that half of recent college graduates are jobless or underemployed or that under obama , the national debt has risen $ 5 trillion . or that obama presided over the first credit downgrade in american history . i could go on . the point is , these facts are overwhelming . and they are neither fair to young americans nor signs of the progress for which we yearn . rather , they are the residue of generational theft , of promises unmet , of false hopes and of crushed dreams . in a word , travesty . to argue otherwise is to fall out of a fairy tale . schlossberg begins his piece with the catcher in the rye 's ' holden caulfield . he compares caulfield 's desire to escape phonies to young people 's support for barack obama in his first presidential campaign . but the problem with that analysis is that it 's four years out of date . in 2008 , obama regaled us with promises of hope and change , but his time in office has exposed the emptiness of these promises . and there 's more than meets to the eye to the president 's self-proclaimed achievements . while his allies may credit his health care law with allowing members of my generation to stay on our parents'health care until we 're in our mid-20s , the real question is , why ca n't we find jobs in the first place ? obama regards students as beneficiaries of his achievements . schlossberg praises the president 's insistence on keeping student interest rates low , ' but that has n't kept student loan debt from reaching record levels . schlossberg 's discussion of obama 's energy policy is equally selective . he talks about the president 's investments in clean energy projects and jobs , ' but fails to mention that some of these investments ' came at a high price and on the dime of taxpayers . the saying goes that brevity is the soul of wit , so this argument merits a one-word refutation : solyndra . but of all of schlossberg 's claims , perhaps the most misguided is the notion that obama has displayed political courage in the white house . he has refused to reform entitlements in a way that will ensure they remain solvent for future generations -- which is to say , us . instead , he started a brand new trillion-dollar entitlement program in the affordable care act , or obamacare , an unaffordable government takeover of our nation 's health care system . his fiscal stewardship has been nothing short of a disaster . four consecutive years of trillion-dollar deficits is n't courageous ; it 's immoral . schlossberg does get one thing correct , however : part of growing up is coming to terms with heartbreaking truths . but in this case , it 's about coming to terms with the fact that obama has had his chance to lead and his policies have failed . we do n't have to fall into line once again only to be taken for granted . we can vote for a new direction . we can reward truth-telling . we can elect mitt romney . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of alex schriver . | we need mitt romney to move country in a new direction , schriver writes |
amgen tour of california <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a one-of-a-kind bicycle belonging to u.s. cycling legend lance armstrong was stolen from a team truck in california just hours after he rode it saturday on the first day of a nine-day race . lance armstrong is racing in the california amgen tour as he attempts a comeback after retiring in 2005 . cancer survivor and seven-time tour de france champion armstrong is racing in the amgen tour of california this week as he continues his latest comeback after retiring from the sport in 2005 . armstrong 's first comeback came in 1998 , two years after he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain . doctors gave him a less than 50 percent chance of survival . armstrong announced the bike theft on his twitter account sunday morning and posted a photograph . there is only one like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off . reward being offered , ' the texan wrote before going out and finishing fifth in sunday 's testing first stage won by spain 's francisco mancebo . swiss olympic champion fabian cancellara , who started the day in the yellow jersey after winning saturday 's time-trial prologue , pulled out midway through the stage feeling unwell . armstrong improved from 10th to fifth overall , one minute five seconds adrift , with astana teammate levi leipheimer , the two-time defending champion , in second place behind mancebo . holy hell . that was terrible , ' commented armstrong who had a puncture . maybe one of the toughest days i 've had on a bike , purely based on the conditions . i 'm still freezing . ' the bicycle that was stolen is not the one that armstrong rides every day during the race . the stolen bike is used only for time trials , a race in which cyclists ride individually at staggered intervals over a set distance and try to get the best time . the thieves took four bikes from a truck armstrong 's astana team had parked behind a hotel in sacramento . the other three bicycles belonged to team members janez brajkovic , steve morabito and yaroslav popovych , astana said . armstrong , 37 , won the tour de france , considered the premiere bicycle race in the world , a record seven times from 1999-2005 . the 750-mile amgen tour of california ends sunday . it is the second major race in which armstrong has participated since announcing his comeback in september . he raced last month in the tour down under in australia , finishing 29th . armstrong said he is aiming for another tour de france victory this summer and was not expected to contend in the australian race , which he used to gauge his fitness level after more than three years out of the saddle . | cancer survivor armstrong is currently fifth overall in amgen tour of california |
california <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a one-of-a-kind bicycle belonging to u.s. cycling legend lance armstrong was stolen from a team truck in california just hours after he rode it saturday on the first day of a nine-day race . lance armstrong is racing in the california amgen tour as he attempts a comeback after retiring in 2005 . cancer survivor and seven-time tour de france champion armstrong is racing in the amgen tour of california this week as he continues his latest comeback after retiring from the sport in 2005 . armstrong 's first comeback came in 1998 , two years after he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain . doctors gave him a less than 50 percent chance of survival . armstrong announced the bike theft on his twitter account sunday morning and posted a photograph . there is only one like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off . reward being offered , ' the texan wrote before going out and finishing fifth in sunday 's testing first stage won by spain 's francisco mancebo . swiss olympic champion fabian cancellara , who started the day in the yellow jersey after winning saturday 's time-trial prologue , pulled out midway through the stage feeling unwell . armstrong improved from 10th to fifth overall , one minute five seconds adrift , with astana teammate levi leipheimer , the two-time defending champion , in second place behind mancebo . holy hell . that was terrible , ' commented armstrong who had a puncture . maybe one of the toughest days i 've had on a bike , purely based on the conditions . i 'm still freezing . ' the bicycle that was stolen is not the one that armstrong rides every day during the race . the stolen bike is used only for time trials , a race in which cyclists ride individually at staggered intervals over a set distance and try to get the best time . the thieves took four bikes from a truck armstrong 's astana team had parked behind a hotel in sacramento . the other three bicycles belonged to team members janez brajkovic , steve morabito and yaroslav popovych , astana said . armstrong , 37 , won the tour de france , considered the premiere bicycle race in the world , a record seven times from 1999-2005 . the 750-mile amgen tour of california ends sunday . it is the second major race in which armstrong has participated since announcing his comeback in september . he raced last month in the tour down under in australia , finishing 29th . armstrong said he is aiming for another tour de france victory this summer and was not expected to contend in the australian race , which he used to gauge his fitness level after more than three years out of the saddle . | cancer survivor armstrong is currently fifth overall in amgen tour of california |
california <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a one-of-a-kind bicycle belonging to u.s. cycling legend lance armstrong was stolen from a team truck in california just hours after he rode it saturday on the first day of a nine-day race . lance armstrong is racing in the california amgen tour as he attempts a comeback after retiring in 2005 . cancer survivor and seven-time tour de france champion armstrong is racing in the amgen tour of california this week as he continues his latest comeback after retiring from the sport in 2005 . armstrong 's first comeback came in 1998 , two years after he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain . doctors gave him a less than 50 percent chance of survival . armstrong announced the bike theft on his twitter account sunday morning and posted a photograph . there is only one like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off . reward being offered , ' the texan wrote before going out and finishing fifth in sunday 's testing first stage won by spain 's francisco mancebo . swiss olympic champion fabian cancellara , who started the day in the yellow jersey after winning saturday 's time-trial prologue , pulled out midway through the stage feeling unwell . armstrong improved from 10th to fifth overall , one minute five seconds adrift , with astana teammate levi leipheimer , the two-time defending champion , in second place behind mancebo . holy hell . that was terrible , ' commented armstrong who had a puncture . maybe one of the toughest days i 've had on a bike , purely based on the conditions . i 'm still freezing . ' the bicycle that was stolen is not the one that armstrong rides every day during the race . the stolen bike is used only for time trials , a race in which cyclists ride individually at staggered intervals over a set distance and try to get the best time . the thieves took four bikes from a truck armstrong 's astana team had parked behind a hotel in sacramento . the other three bicycles belonged to team members janez brajkovic , steve morabito and yaroslav popovych , astana said . armstrong , 37 , won the tour de france , considered the premiere bicycle race in the world , a record seven times from 1999-2005 . the 750-mile amgen tour of california ends sunday . it is the second major race in which armstrong has participated since announcing his comeback in september . he raced last month in the tour down under in australia , finishing 29th . armstrong said he is aiming for another tour de france victory this summer and was not expected to contend in the australian race , which he used to gauge his fitness level after more than three years out of the saddle . | lance armstrong 's one-of-a-kind bicycle stolen from team truck in california |
weimar republic <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a seismic shift is taking place in the greek political system . the series of bailouts and austerity measures implemented during the last two years has led to a fundamental political crisis affecting both the function of government and the standing of key politicians and political parties . sunday 's debate in parliament regarding the latest austerity and bailout package was marked by unprecedented scenes of tension both inside and outside the building . the bill passed but left both historic buildings in central athens , as well as both major parties of the interim coalition government , in tatters . yet , it would be a mistake to attribute sunday 's destruction to the austerity measures -- similar events took place in december 2008 , well before any talk of a debt crisis had reached greece . what these events symbolize is the mainstreaming of extremism in greece and the rejection of the rule of law . extremism -- both from the far left and from the far right -- is visible throughout the public sphere : it has permeated the political rhetoric ; it has polarized social groups against each other ; it is present in the everyday discourse of ordinary citizens who single-handedly condemn not only individual politicians but the institutions of representative democracy altogether . what the politics of extreme austerity does is to offer the ideal excuse -- the perfect cover -- for the further breeding of extremism . it looks as if public opinion in greece can tolerate the continuous and widespread destruction of central athens , but would not accept any police or state action that would contain those few extremist groups that cause mayhem . the reasons for this self-destructive pattern are historical and cultural . they stem from the long divide between left and right in greece , which in fact goes back almost one century . right-wing governments -- either elected or imposed -- dominated greek politics for much of the 20th century . the army and the police were instrumental in containing communism and suppressing the left , culminating in the 1967-1974 military junta which scarred the greek psyche . in the minds of many greeks , police action is associated with the suppression of fundamental civil liberties . however , what many do n't see is that greece has now reached the other extreme , in which the lack of law and order hurts those who need it the most . widespread tax evasion , which creates huge deficits , hurts pensioners and the working classes . ongoing strikes and protests hurt commuters , workers and tourists . greeks have a love-hate relationship with the state -- they have historically depended on it , while always trying to undermine it . the role of the state and of the public sector is usually at the heart of political debates between left and right . yet , for the first time in recent memory , the political battle lines in greece are not drawn between left and right , but between the modernizers and the populists existing in most political parties across the spectrum . the modernizers support greece 's position within the eurozone at all costs and favor radical reforms , including a smaller and more efficient role for the public sector . the populists reject the austerity packages arguing that they will eventually lead to a default anyway . the former camp has so far failed to prove that austerity works . however , the latter camp has not offered an alternative . on sunday night , greek tv carried two live feeds . the first feed was from inside the parliament building , showing a disconnected political class engaging in their usual micro-political infighting and self-congratulation ; the other feed was of ongoing semi-apocalyptic destruction in the streets of athens . the juxtaposition could not have been more telling . it bore a chilling resemblance to the last days of germany 's weimar republic in the 1930s . one thing is certain -- the political system in greece is changing and the repercussions may well be felt across europe and the world . sunday 's vote led to the expulsion of 45 mps from the caucuses of three parties . no political party now holds an absolute majority on its own . in addition to international skepticism , the greek prime minister lucas papademos is facing a power vacuum at the heart of the political system . while unelected , he has a unique opportunity to reframe the political debate and realign the political system utilizing an emerging social movement in support of stability , rationality and reform . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of roman gerodimos . | tv feeds from inside and outside parliament'bore a chilling resemblance to the last days of germany 's weimar republic in the 1930s ' |
germany <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a seismic shift is taking place in the greek political system . the series of bailouts and austerity measures implemented during the last two years has led to a fundamental political crisis affecting both the function of government and the standing of key politicians and political parties . sunday 's debate in parliament regarding the latest austerity and bailout package was marked by unprecedented scenes of tension both inside and outside the building . the bill passed but left both historic buildings in central athens , as well as both major parties of the interim coalition government , in tatters . yet , it would be a mistake to attribute sunday 's destruction to the austerity measures -- similar events took place in december 2008 , well before any talk of a debt crisis had reached greece . what these events symbolize is the mainstreaming of extremism in greece and the rejection of the rule of law . extremism -- both from the far left and from the far right -- is visible throughout the public sphere : it has permeated the political rhetoric ; it has polarized social groups against each other ; it is present in the everyday discourse of ordinary citizens who single-handedly condemn not only individual politicians but the institutions of representative democracy altogether . what the politics of extreme austerity does is to offer the ideal excuse -- the perfect cover -- for the further breeding of extremism . it looks as if public opinion in greece can tolerate the continuous and widespread destruction of central athens , but would not accept any police or state action that would contain those few extremist groups that cause mayhem . the reasons for this self-destructive pattern are historical and cultural . they stem from the long divide between left and right in greece , which in fact goes back almost one century . right-wing governments -- either elected or imposed -- dominated greek politics for much of the 20th century . the army and the police were instrumental in containing communism and suppressing the left , culminating in the 1967-1974 military junta which scarred the greek psyche . in the minds of many greeks , police action is associated with the suppression of fundamental civil liberties . however , what many do n't see is that greece has now reached the other extreme , in which the lack of law and order hurts those who need it the most . widespread tax evasion , which creates huge deficits , hurts pensioners and the working classes . ongoing strikes and protests hurt commuters , workers and tourists . greeks have a love-hate relationship with the state -- they have historically depended on it , while always trying to undermine it . the role of the state and of the public sector is usually at the heart of political debates between left and right . yet , for the first time in recent memory , the political battle lines in greece are not drawn between left and right , but between the modernizers and the populists existing in most political parties across the spectrum . the modernizers support greece 's position within the eurozone at all costs and favor radical reforms , including a smaller and more efficient role for the public sector . the populists reject the austerity packages arguing that they will eventually lead to a default anyway . the former camp has so far failed to prove that austerity works . however , the latter camp has not offered an alternative . on sunday night , greek tv carried two live feeds . the first feed was from inside the parliament building , showing a disconnected political class engaging in their usual micro-political infighting and self-congratulation ; the other feed was of ongoing semi-apocalyptic destruction in the streets of athens . the juxtaposition could not have been more telling . it bore a chilling resemblance to the last days of germany 's weimar republic in the 1930s . one thing is certain -- the political system in greece is changing and the repercussions may well be felt across europe and the world . sunday 's vote led to the expulsion of 45 mps from the caucuses of three parties . no political party now holds an absolute majority on its own . in addition to international skepticism , the greek prime minister lucas papademos is facing a power vacuum at the heart of the political system . while unelected , he has a unique opportunity to reframe the political debate and realign the political system utilizing an emerging social movement in support of stability , rationality and reform . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of roman gerodimos . | tv feeds from inside and outside parliament'bore a chilling resemblance to the last days of germany 's weimar republic in the 1930s ' |
gerodimos <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a seismic shift is taking place in the greek political system . the series of bailouts and austerity measures implemented during the last two years has led to a fundamental political crisis affecting both the function of government and the standing of key politicians and political parties . sunday 's debate in parliament regarding the latest austerity and bailout package was marked by unprecedented scenes of tension both inside and outside the building . the bill passed but left both historic buildings in central athens , as well as both major parties of the interim coalition government , in tatters . yet , it would be a mistake to attribute sunday 's destruction to the austerity measures -- similar events took place in december 2008 , well before any talk of a debt crisis had reached greece . what these events symbolize is the mainstreaming of extremism in greece and the rejection of the rule of law . extremism -- both from the far left and from the far right -- is visible throughout the public sphere : it has permeated the political rhetoric ; it has polarized social groups against each other ; it is present in the everyday discourse of ordinary citizens who single-handedly condemn not only individual politicians but the institutions of representative democracy altogether . what the politics of extreme austerity does is to offer the ideal excuse -- the perfect cover -- for the further breeding of extremism . it looks as if public opinion in greece can tolerate the continuous and widespread destruction of central athens , but would not accept any police or state action that would contain those few extremist groups that cause mayhem . the reasons for this self-destructive pattern are historical and cultural . they stem from the long divide between left and right in greece , which in fact goes back almost one century . right-wing governments -- either elected or imposed -- dominated greek politics for much of the 20th century . the army and the police were instrumental in containing communism and suppressing the left , culminating in the 1967-1974 military junta which scarred the greek psyche . in the minds of many greeks , police action is associated with the suppression of fundamental civil liberties . however , what many do n't see is that greece has now reached the other extreme , in which the lack of law and order hurts those who need it the most . widespread tax evasion , which creates huge deficits , hurts pensioners and the working classes . ongoing strikes and protests hurt commuters , workers and tourists . greeks have a love-hate relationship with the state -- they have historically depended on it , while always trying to undermine it . the role of the state and of the public sector is usually at the heart of political debates between left and right . yet , for the first time in recent memory , the political battle lines in greece are not drawn between left and right , but between the modernizers and the populists existing in most political parties across the spectrum . the modernizers support greece 's position within the eurozone at all costs and favor radical reforms , including a smaller and more efficient role for the public sector . the populists reject the austerity packages arguing that they will eventually lead to a default anyway . the former camp has so far failed to prove that austerity works . however , the latter camp has not offered an alternative . on sunday night , greek tv carried two live feeds . the first feed was from inside the parliament building , showing a disconnected political class engaging in their usual micro-political infighting and self-congratulation ; the other feed was of ongoing semi-apocalyptic destruction in the streets of athens . the juxtaposition could not have been more telling . it bore a chilling resemblance to the last days of germany 's weimar republic in the 1930s . one thing is certain -- the political system in greece is changing and the repercussions may well be felt across europe and the world . sunday 's vote led to the expulsion of 45 mps from the caucuses of three parties . no political party now holds an absolute majority on its own . in addition to international skepticism , the greek prime minister lucas papademos is facing a power vacuum at the heart of the political system . while unelected , he has a unique opportunity to reframe the political debate and realign the political system utilizing an emerging social movement in support of stability , rationality and reform . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of roman gerodimos . | gerodimos : the political system in greece is changing and the repercussions may well be felt across europe and the world |
gerodimos <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a seismic shift is taking place in the greek political system . the series of bailouts and austerity measures implemented during the last two years has led to a fundamental political crisis affecting both the function of government and the standing of key politicians and political parties . sunday 's debate in parliament regarding the latest austerity and bailout package was marked by unprecedented scenes of tension both inside and outside the building . the bill passed but left both historic buildings in central athens , as well as both major parties of the interim coalition government , in tatters . yet , it would be a mistake to attribute sunday 's destruction to the austerity measures -- similar events took place in december 2008 , well before any talk of a debt crisis had reached greece . what these events symbolize is the mainstreaming of extremism in greece and the rejection of the rule of law . extremism -- both from the far left and from the far right -- is visible throughout the public sphere : it has permeated the political rhetoric ; it has polarized social groups against each other ; it is present in the everyday discourse of ordinary citizens who single-handedly condemn not only individual politicians but the institutions of representative democracy altogether . what the politics of extreme austerity does is to offer the ideal excuse -- the perfect cover -- for the further breeding of extremism . it looks as if public opinion in greece can tolerate the continuous and widespread destruction of central athens , but would not accept any police or state action that would contain those few extremist groups that cause mayhem . the reasons for this self-destructive pattern are historical and cultural . they stem from the long divide between left and right in greece , which in fact goes back almost one century . right-wing governments -- either elected or imposed -- dominated greek politics for much of the 20th century . the army and the police were instrumental in containing communism and suppressing the left , culminating in the 1967-1974 military junta which scarred the greek psyche . in the minds of many greeks , police action is associated with the suppression of fundamental civil liberties . however , what many do n't see is that greece has now reached the other extreme , in which the lack of law and order hurts those who need it the most . widespread tax evasion , which creates huge deficits , hurts pensioners and the working classes . ongoing strikes and protests hurt commuters , workers and tourists . greeks have a love-hate relationship with the state -- they have historically depended on it , while always trying to undermine it . the role of the state and of the public sector is usually at the heart of political debates between left and right . yet , for the first time in recent memory , the political battle lines in greece are not drawn between left and right , but between the modernizers and the populists existing in most political parties across the spectrum . the modernizers support greece 's position within the eurozone at all costs and favor radical reforms , including a smaller and more efficient role for the public sector . the populists reject the austerity packages arguing that they will eventually lead to a default anyway . the former camp has so far failed to prove that austerity works . however , the latter camp has not offered an alternative . on sunday night , greek tv carried two live feeds . the first feed was from inside the parliament building , showing a disconnected political class engaging in their usual micro-political infighting and self-congratulation ; the other feed was of ongoing semi-apocalyptic destruction in the streets of athens . the juxtaposition could not have been more telling . it bore a chilling resemblance to the last days of germany 's weimar republic in the 1930s . one thing is certain -- the political system in greece is changing and the repercussions may well be felt across europe and the world . sunday 's vote led to the expulsion of 45 mps from the caucuses of three parties . no political party now holds an absolute majority on its own . in addition to international skepticism , the greek prime minister lucas papademos is facing a power vacuum at the heart of the political system . while unelected , he has a unique opportunity to reframe the political debate and realign the political system utilizing an emerging social movement in support of stability , rationality and reform . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of roman gerodimos . | for many greeks , police action is associated with the suppression of civil liberties , says roman gerodimos |
saenz <tsp> editor 's note : the fbi had three openings on its list of the ten most wanted fugitives . monday night , fbi assistant director kevin perkins joined cnn 's rick sanchez exclusively on campbell brown ' to announce who filled the first open spot . tune in at 8 p.m . et to campbell brown ' over the next two nights to find out who else will fill the slots . officials say joe saenz is thought to be linked with mexican drug cartels . ( cnn ) -- joe saenz rubbed his hands together and smiled as he walked up to a los angeles county , california , home . his demeanor gave no clues as to what would happen next . once in the front yard of the home , police said , he drew a gun and shot the victim several times , then in the head , execution-style . the slaying , caught on tape in october 2008 , was over drug money , police said . los angeles county sheriff 's department detective traci gonzales knew there were drug and gang ties to the slaying , so she showed the videotape to los angeles police department detective ron chavarria , a veteran on the gang beat . watch why saenz made the list » at the time , gonzales had no idea that videotape would break open a case that has frustrated local and federal authorities for a decade . saenz had eluded authorities for so long , they thought he might be dead . now , they knew saenz , wanted in connection with four murders , a kidnapping and a rape , was still out there . saenz is the newest person on the fbi 's most wanted list , after three fugitives on the list were recently caught . a member of the cuatro flats gang , saenz first stepped into police crosshairs in 1998 . he was wanted for shooting and killing two rival gang members at a housing complex in the hollenbeck area of los angeles . then , he was a fresh-faced 22-year-old with a dark side . just gruesome , gruesome , cold-blooded , ' chavarria said . just walks right up to these guys , shoots them and then just walks over and stands over them and shoots them each in the head and casually walks away . ' they knew he was dangerous , and they had to find him . we had pictures of him constantly on our dashboard so that there was no question if we saw this guy we knew who he was , ' chavarria said . within days , saenz -- also known as jose saenz , louie louie and more than two dozen other aliases -- was wanted for a third murder . investigators said saenz suspected the mother of his child , sigreta hernandez , would turn him in , so he kidnapped , raped and murdered her at his grandmother 's house . he leaves a note indicating that his grandmother has nothing to do with the murder and that he left the scene . and from that point on he became a fugitive for the next 10 years , ' gonzales said . fbi special agent scott garriola believes saenz graduated from local gangs to international drug trafficking -- crossing the border with falsified documents . he 's believed to be linked with the cartels in mexico , bringing large amounts of narcotics into the los angeles area , garriola said . and i think the reason for the last crime was a direct relationship to the cartels . ' he 's eluded police for years , and has reportedly made statements that he plans to kill a police officer if they ever find him and arrest him , according to the fbi 's most wanted web site . now , authorities are hoping the video from october 2008 will help them get one step closer to the man who they say terrifies those who know him just as much as his victims . we heard rumors that not only citizens were afraid of him , but also his own gang members were afraid of him , ' chavarria said . the chilling video , chavarria said , shows why saenz is so dangerous . it looks like he really enjoys what he does , he enjoys killing people , ' he said . | saenz , a member of cuatro flats gang , reportedly kills man on video |
saenz <tsp> editor 's note : the fbi had three openings on its list of the ten most wanted fugitives . monday night , fbi assistant director kevin perkins joined cnn 's rick sanchez exclusively on campbell brown ' to announce who filled the first open spot . tune in at 8 p.m . et to campbell brown ' over the next two nights to find out who else will fill the slots . officials say joe saenz is thought to be linked with mexican drug cartels . ( cnn ) -- joe saenz rubbed his hands together and smiled as he walked up to a los angeles county , california , home . his demeanor gave no clues as to what would happen next . once in the front yard of the home , police said , he drew a gun and shot the victim several times , then in the head , execution-style . the slaying , caught on tape in october 2008 , was over drug money , police said . los angeles county sheriff 's department detective traci gonzales knew there were drug and gang ties to the slaying , so she showed the videotape to los angeles police department detective ron chavarria , a veteran on the gang beat . watch why saenz made the list » at the time , gonzales had no idea that videotape would break open a case that has frustrated local and federal authorities for a decade . saenz had eluded authorities for so long , they thought he might be dead . now , they knew saenz , wanted in connection with four murders , a kidnapping and a rape , was still out there . saenz is the newest person on the fbi 's most wanted list , after three fugitives on the list were recently caught . a member of the cuatro flats gang , saenz first stepped into police crosshairs in 1998 . he was wanted for shooting and killing two rival gang members at a housing complex in the hollenbeck area of los angeles . then , he was a fresh-faced 22-year-old with a dark side . just gruesome , gruesome , cold-blooded , ' chavarria said . just walks right up to these guys , shoots them and then just walks over and stands over them and shoots them each in the head and casually walks away . ' they knew he was dangerous , and they had to find him . we had pictures of him constantly on our dashboard so that there was no question if we saw this guy we knew who he was , ' chavarria said . within days , saenz -- also known as jose saenz , louie louie and more than two dozen other aliases -- was wanted for a third murder . investigators said saenz suspected the mother of his child , sigreta hernandez , would turn him in , so he kidnapped , raped and murdered her at his grandmother 's house . he leaves a note indicating that his grandmother has nothing to do with the murder and that he left the scene . and from that point on he became a fugitive for the next 10 years , ' gonzales said . fbi special agent scott garriola believes saenz graduated from local gangs to international drug trafficking -- crossing the border with falsified documents . he 's believed to be linked with the cartels in mexico , bringing large amounts of narcotics into the los angeles area , garriola said . and i think the reason for the last crime was a direct relationship to the cartels . ' he 's eluded police for years , and has reportedly made statements that he plans to kill a police officer if they ever find him and arrest him , according to the fbi 's most wanted web site . now , authorities are hoping the video from october 2008 will help them get one step closer to the man who they say terrifies those who know him just as much as his victims . we heard rumors that not only citizens were afraid of him , but also his own gang members were afraid of him , ' chavarria said . the chilling video , chavarria said , shows why saenz is so dangerous . it looks like he really enjoys what he does , he enjoys killing people , ' he said . | joe saenz wanted in connection with four murders , a kidnapping and a rape |
saenz <tsp> editor 's note : the fbi had three openings on its list of the ten most wanted fugitives . monday night , fbi assistant director kevin perkins joined cnn 's rick sanchez exclusively on campbell brown ' to announce who filled the first open spot . tune in at 8 p.m . et to campbell brown ' over the next two nights to find out who else will fill the slots . officials say joe saenz is thought to be linked with mexican drug cartels . ( cnn ) -- joe saenz rubbed his hands together and smiled as he walked up to a los angeles county , california , home . his demeanor gave no clues as to what would happen next . once in the front yard of the home , police said , he drew a gun and shot the victim several times , then in the head , execution-style . the slaying , caught on tape in october 2008 , was over drug money , police said . los angeles county sheriff 's department detective traci gonzales knew there were drug and gang ties to the slaying , so she showed the videotape to los angeles police department detective ron chavarria , a veteran on the gang beat . watch why saenz made the list » at the time , gonzales had no idea that videotape would break open a case that has frustrated local and federal authorities for a decade . saenz had eluded authorities for so long , they thought he might be dead . now , they knew saenz , wanted in connection with four murders , a kidnapping and a rape , was still out there . saenz is the newest person on the fbi 's most wanted list , after three fugitives on the list were recently caught . a member of the cuatro flats gang , saenz first stepped into police crosshairs in 1998 . he was wanted for shooting and killing two rival gang members at a housing complex in the hollenbeck area of los angeles . then , he was a fresh-faced 22-year-old with a dark side . just gruesome , gruesome , cold-blooded , ' chavarria said . just walks right up to these guys , shoots them and then just walks over and stands over them and shoots them each in the head and casually walks away . ' they knew he was dangerous , and they had to find him . we had pictures of him constantly on our dashboard so that there was no question if we saw this guy we knew who he was , ' chavarria said . within days , saenz -- also known as jose saenz , louie louie and more than two dozen other aliases -- was wanted for a third murder . investigators said saenz suspected the mother of his child , sigreta hernandez , would turn him in , so he kidnapped , raped and murdered her at his grandmother 's house . he leaves a note indicating that his grandmother has nothing to do with the murder and that he left the scene . and from that point on he became a fugitive for the next 10 years , ' gonzales said . fbi special agent scott garriola believes saenz graduated from local gangs to international drug trafficking -- crossing the border with falsified documents . he 's believed to be linked with the cartels in mexico , bringing large amounts of narcotics into the los angeles area , garriola said . and i think the reason for the last crime was a direct relationship to the cartels . ' he 's eluded police for years , and has reportedly made statements that he plans to kill a police officer if they ever find him and arrest him , according to the fbi 's most wanted web site . now , authorities are hoping the video from october 2008 will help them get one step closer to the man who they say terrifies those who know him just as much as his victims . we heard rumors that not only citizens were afraid of him , but also his own gang members were afraid of him , ' chavarria said . the chilling video , chavarria said , shows why saenz is so dangerous . it looks like he really enjoys what he does , he enjoys killing people , ' he said . | fbi believes saenz graduated from local gangs to international drug trafficking |
saenz <tsp> editor 's note : the fbi had three openings on its list of the ten most wanted fugitives . monday night , fbi assistant director kevin perkins joined cnn 's rick sanchez exclusively on campbell brown ' to announce who filled the first open spot . tune in at 8 p.m . et to campbell brown ' over the next two nights to find out who else will fill the slots . officials say joe saenz is thought to be linked with mexican drug cartels . ( cnn ) -- joe saenz rubbed his hands together and smiled as he walked up to a los angeles county , california , home . his demeanor gave no clues as to what would happen next . once in the front yard of the home , police said , he drew a gun and shot the victim several times , then in the head , execution-style . the slaying , caught on tape in october 2008 , was over drug money , police said . los angeles county sheriff 's department detective traci gonzales knew there were drug and gang ties to the slaying , so she showed the videotape to los angeles police department detective ron chavarria , a veteran on the gang beat . watch why saenz made the list » at the time , gonzales had no idea that videotape would break open a case that has frustrated local and federal authorities for a decade . saenz had eluded authorities for so long , they thought he might be dead . now , they knew saenz , wanted in connection with four murders , a kidnapping and a rape , was still out there . saenz is the newest person on the fbi 's most wanted list , after three fugitives on the list were recently caught . a member of the cuatro flats gang , saenz first stepped into police crosshairs in 1998 . he was wanted for shooting and killing two rival gang members at a housing complex in the hollenbeck area of los angeles . then , he was a fresh-faced 22-year-old with a dark side . just gruesome , gruesome , cold-blooded , ' chavarria said . just walks right up to these guys , shoots them and then just walks over and stands over them and shoots them each in the head and casually walks away . ' they knew he was dangerous , and they had to find him . we had pictures of him constantly on our dashboard so that there was no question if we saw this guy we knew who he was , ' chavarria said . within days , saenz -- also known as jose saenz , louie louie and more than two dozen other aliases -- was wanted for a third murder . investigators said saenz suspected the mother of his child , sigreta hernandez , would turn him in , so he kidnapped , raped and murdered her at his grandmother 's house . he leaves a note indicating that his grandmother has nothing to do with the murder and that he left the scene . and from that point on he became a fugitive for the next 10 years , ' gonzales said . fbi special agent scott garriola believes saenz graduated from local gangs to international drug trafficking -- crossing the border with falsified documents . he 's believed to be linked with the cartels in mexico , bringing large amounts of narcotics into the los angeles area , garriola said . and i think the reason for the last crime was a direct relationship to the cartels . ' he 's eluded police for years , and has reportedly made statements that he plans to kill a police officer if they ever find him and arrest him , according to the fbi 's most wanted web site . now , authorities are hoping the video from october 2008 will help them get one step closer to the man who they say terrifies those who know him just as much as his victims . we heard rumors that not only citizens were afraid of him , but also his own gang members were afraid of him , ' chavarria said . the chilling video , chavarria said , shows why saenz is so dangerous . it looks like he really enjoys what he does , he enjoys killing people , ' he said . | saenz allegedly killed mother of his child out of fear she 'd turn him in |
fbi <tsp> editor 's note : the fbi had three openings on its list of the ten most wanted fugitives . monday night , fbi assistant director kevin perkins joined cnn 's rick sanchez exclusively on campbell brown ' to announce who filled the first open spot . tune in at 8 p.m . et to campbell brown ' over the next two nights to find out who else will fill the slots . officials say joe saenz is thought to be linked with mexican drug cartels . ( cnn ) -- joe saenz rubbed his hands together and smiled as he walked up to a los angeles county , california , home . his demeanor gave no clues as to what would happen next . once in the front yard of the home , police said , he drew a gun and shot the victim several times , then in the head , execution-style . the slaying , caught on tape in october 2008 , was over drug money , police said . los angeles county sheriff 's department detective traci gonzales knew there were drug and gang ties to the slaying , so she showed the videotape to los angeles police department detective ron chavarria , a veteran on the gang beat . watch why saenz made the list » at the time , gonzales had no idea that videotape would break open a case that has frustrated local and federal authorities for a decade . saenz had eluded authorities for so long , they thought he might be dead . now , they knew saenz , wanted in connection with four murders , a kidnapping and a rape , was still out there . saenz is the newest person on the fbi 's most wanted list , after three fugitives on the list were recently caught . a member of the cuatro flats gang , saenz first stepped into police crosshairs in 1998 . he was wanted for shooting and killing two rival gang members at a housing complex in the hollenbeck area of los angeles . then , he was a fresh-faced 22-year-old with a dark side . just gruesome , gruesome , cold-blooded , ' chavarria said . just walks right up to these guys , shoots them and then just walks over and stands over them and shoots them each in the head and casually walks away . ' they knew he was dangerous , and they had to find him . we had pictures of him constantly on our dashboard so that there was no question if we saw this guy we knew who he was , ' chavarria said . within days , saenz -- also known as jose saenz , louie louie and more than two dozen other aliases -- was wanted for a third murder . investigators said saenz suspected the mother of his child , sigreta hernandez , would turn him in , so he kidnapped , raped and murdered her at his grandmother 's house . he leaves a note indicating that his grandmother has nothing to do with the murder and that he left the scene . and from that point on he became a fugitive for the next 10 years , ' gonzales said . fbi special agent scott garriola believes saenz graduated from local gangs to international drug trafficking -- crossing the border with falsified documents . he 's believed to be linked with the cartels in mexico , bringing large amounts of narcotics into the los angeles area , garriola said . and i think the reason for the last crime was a direct relationship to the cartels . ' he 's eluded police for years , and has reportedly made statements that he plans to kill a police officer if they ever find him and arrest him , according to the fbi 's most wanted web site . now , authorities are hoping the video from october 2008 will help them get one step closer to the man who they say terrifies those who know him just as much as his victims . we heard rumors that not only citizens were afraid of him , but also his own gang members were afraid of him , ' chavarria said . the chilling video , chavarria said , shows why saenz is so dangerous . it looks like he really enjoys what he does , he enjoys killing people , ' he said . | fbi believes saenz graduated from local gangs to international drug trafficking |
iranian <tsp> tehran , iran ( cnn ) -- an iranian airliner that crashed wednesday , killing all 168 passengers and crew , plunged into the ground and disintegrated on impact , according to a security official . debris from the plane was littered around the crash site . images of the crash site show a smoldering crater scattered with charred pieces of the plane and tattered passports . ten members of the country 's youth judo team were aboard the caspian airlines plane , said several sources , including iran 's press tv . the government-backed network said the dead included eight athletes and two coaches . the plane disintegrated into pieces , ' said col. masood jafari nasab , security commander of qazvin , the city nearest to the crash site in northwestern iran . the aircraft all of a sudden fell out of the sky and exploded on impact , where you see the crater , ' a witness told press tv from the crash site . watch images of the crash site » the plane 's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been found , state television reported late wednesday . the crash was at least the fifth major airline accident in the world this year , following crashes of planes flown by colgan air , turkish airlines , air france and yemenia airways . a us airways pilot managed to land his plane safely on the hudson river in new york city in january , with no major injuries , after the plane lost power . but aviation safety expert john wiley said there is no reason to fear air travel in general , and no single airline or aircraft is particularly dangerous . the three most recent crashes -- in which a total of 548 people died -- involved different planes , flown by different airlines , in different stages of flight , he said . caspian airlines flight 7908 -- a russian-made tupolev tu-154m plane -- went down near the village of jannatabad near qazvin at 11:33 a.m. ( 2:03 a.m . et ) wednesday , press tv reported . conversations between the pilot and the ground were normal and did not indicate any technical problems , the network 's web site reported , citing the managing director of iran 's airport authority without naming him . some witnesses say the plane caught fire before crashing , press tv said . the plane descended very quickly , wiley told cnn , but it may have been circling , trying to land , rather than plummeting to the ground . qazvin police chief hossein behzadpour and mohammad reza montazer khorasan , the head of the disaster management center in iran 's health ministry , both confirmed that all 168 people on board died , press tv reported . the u.s. state department , in a statement , extended its condolences to the victims . department spokesman ian kelly said officials were working to determine whether any americans were on board . aviation analyst kieran daly told cnn that many aircraft operating in iran are aging tupolevs , some dating back to the 1970s . he described tupolevs as workhorses of the old soviet aviation system . ' but he said the caspian airlines fleet is based on a slightly newer design , dating to the late 1980s and early 1990s . pictures from the scene were consistent with a high-speed impact , ' he said . but he added that there could be large debris not seen on television , and that could change his analysis . watch daly talk about the crash » a team of investigators from the russian interstate aviation committee is flying to the crash scene to join the investigation , the agency said in a posting on its web site . they will work alongside iranian aviation authorities , the agency said . an agency official declined to comment further , saying the plane was operated by an iranian company and nothing is known about it . a tupolev representative told cnn the manufacturer will not comment until the aviation committee releases its report on the crash . the tupolev 154 is essentially banned in the west because it does not comply with european noise and pollution regulations , but it has a safer-than-average accident record , wiley said . wednesday 's crash is the first on record for caspian airlines , which was founded in 1993 , he added . the iranian newspaper hamshahri reported that the plane was flying from tehran and was headed to yerevan , armenia . the semi-official mehr news agency listed the names of 153 passengers and 15 crew members . at least 42 of the names appeared to be armenian , but it was not clear if they were from the former soviet republic or if they were ethnically armenian citizens of iran . the plane crashed 16 minutes after takeoff , said the newspaper , quoting a spokesman from iran 's civil aviation organization . see a map of the crash location » that would have put the flight in one of the safest stages of travel , according to international air transport association data . only about 5 percent of accidents take place during the phase called en-route climb , 16 to 20 minutes into a flight , when a plane climbs to a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet . about half of accidents take place during landing . iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad expressed his condolences to the victims'families , as did the european union . russian president dmitry medvedev sent his sympathies to the presidents of iran and armenia , the kremlin said . qazvin is the largest city in the province of qazvin and is its capital , with an estimated population of 330,000 . it is about 90 miles ( 145 kilometers ) northwest of tehran , the capital of iran . the last crash in iran involving a tupolev plane occurred in 2006 , according to the web site airdisaster.com . that crash occurred on an iran air tour flight from the port city of bandar abbas ; it crashed and caught fire during landing , the web site reported . twenty-nine of the 147 people on board died in that crash . cnn 's shirzad bozorgmehr , maxim tkachenko in moscow , russia , and ayesha durgahee in london , england , contributed to this report . | all 168 aboard believed to be dead in iranian plane crash |
iranian <tsp> tehran , iran ( cnn ) -- an iranian airliner that crashed wednesday , killing all 168 passengers and crew , plunged into the ground and disintegrated on impact , according to a security official . debris from the plane was littered around the crash site . images of the crash site show a smoldering crater scattered with charred pieces of the plane and tattered passports . ten members of the country 's youth judo team were aboard the caspian airlines plane , said several sources , including iran 's press tv . the government-backed network said the dead included eight athletes and two coaches . the plane disintegrated into pieces , ' said col. masood jafari nasab , security commander of qazvin , the city nearest to the crash site in northwestern iran . the aircraft all of a sudden fell out of the sky and exploded on impact , where you see the crater , ' a witness told press tv from the crash site . watch images of the crash site » the plane 's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been found , state television reported late wednesday . the crash was at least the fifth major airline accident in the world this year , following crashes of planes flown by colgan air , turkish airlines , air france and yemenia airways . a us airways pilot managed to land his plane safely on the hudson river in new york city in january , with no major injuries , after the plane lost power . but aviation safety expert john wiley said there is no reason to fear air travel in general , and no single airline or aircraft is particularly dangerous . the three most recent crashes -- in which a total of 548 people died -- involved different planes , flown by different airlines , in different stages of flight , he said . caspian airlines flight 7908 -- a russian-made tupolev tu-154m plane -- went down near the village of jannatabad near qazvin at 11:33 a.m. ( 2:03 a.m . et ) wednesday , press tv reported . conversations between the pilot and the ground were normal and did not indicate any technical problems , the network 's web site reported , citing the managing director of iran 's airport authority without naming him . some witnesses say the plane caught fire before crashing , press tv said . the plane descended very quickly , wiley told cnn , but it may have been circling , trying to land , rather than plummeting to the ground . qazvin police chief hossein behzadpour and mohammad reza montazer khorasan , the head of the disaster management center in iran 's health ministry , both confirmed that all 168 people on board died , press tv reported . the u.s. state department , in a statement , extended its condolences to the victims . department spokesman ian kelly said officials were working to determine whether any americans were on board . aviation analyst kieran daly told cnn that many aircraft operating in iran are aging tupolevs , some dating back to the 1970s . he described tupolevs as workhorses of the old soviet aviation system . ' but he said the caspian airlines fleet is based on a slightly newer design , dating to the late 1980s and early 1990s . pictures from the scene were consistent with a high-speed impact , ' he said . but he added that there could be large debris not seen on television , and that could change his analysis . watch daly talk about the crash » a team of investigators from the russian interstate aviation committee is flying to the crash scene to join the investigation , the agency said in a posting on its web site . they will work alongside iranian aviation authorities , the agency said . an agency official declined to comment further , saying the plane was operated by an iranian company and nothing is known about it . a tupolev representative told cnn the manufacturer will not comment until the aviation committee releases its report on the crash . the tupolev 154 is essentially banned in the west because it does not comply with european noise and pollution regulations , but it has a safer-than-average accident record , wiley said . wednesday 's crash is the first on record for caspian airlines , which was founded in 1993 , he added . the iranian newspaper hamshahri reported that the plane was flying from tehran and was headed to yerevan , armenia . the semi-official mehr news agency listed the names of 153 passengers and 15 crew members . at least 42 of the names appeared to be armenian , but it was not clear if they were from the former soviet republic or if they were ethnically armenian citizens of iran . the plane crashed 16 minutes after takeoff , said the newspaper , quoting a spokesman from iran 's civil aviation organization . see a map of the crash location » that would have put the flight in one of the safest stages of travel , according to international air transport association data . only about 5 percent of accidents take place during the phase called en-route climb , 16 to 20 minutes into a flight , when a plane climbs to a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet . about half of accidents take place during landing . iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad expressed his condolences to the victims'families , as did the european union . russian president dmitry medvedev sent his sympathies to the presidents of iran and armenia , the kremlin said . qazvin is the largest city in the province of qazvin and is its capital , with an estimated population of 330,000 . it is about 90 miles ( 145 kilometers ) northwest of tehran , the capital of iran . the last crash in iran involving a tupolev plane occurred in 2006 , according to the web site airdisaster.com . that crash occurred on an iran air tour flight from the port city of bandar abbas ; it crashed and caught fire during landing , the web site reported . twenty-nine of the 147 people on board died in that crash . cnn 's shirzad bozorgmehr , maxim tkachenko in moscow , russia , and ayesha durgahee in london , england , contributed to this report . | plane is thought to have crashed near the iranian city of qazvin |
qazvin <tsp> tehran , iran ( cnn ) -- an iranian airliner that crashed wednesday , killing all 168 passengers and crew , plunged into the ground and disintegrated on impact , according to a security official . debris from the plane was littered around the crash site . images of the crash site show a smoldering crater scattered with charred pieces of the plane and tattered passports . ten members of the country 's youth judo team were aboard the caspian airlines plane , said several sources , including iran 's press tv . the government-backed network said the dead included eight athletes and two coaches . the plane disintegrated into pieces , ' said col. masood jafari nasab , security commander of qazvin , the city nearest to the crash site in northwestern iran . the aircraft all of a sudden fell out of the sky and exploded on impact , where you see the crater , ' a witness told press tv from the crash site . watch images of the crash site » the plane 's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been found , state television reported late wednesday . the crash was at least the fifth major airline accident in the world this year , following crashes of planes flown by colgan air , turkish airlines , air france and yemenia airways . a us airways pilot managed to land his plane safely on the hudson river in new york city in january , with no major injuries , after the plane lost power . but aviation safety expert john wiley said there is no reason to fear air travel in general , and no single airline or aircraft is particularly dangerous . the three most recent crashes -- in which a total of 548 people died -- involved different planes , flown by different airlines , in different stages of flight , he said . caspian airlines flight 7908 -- a russian-made tupolev tu-154m plane -- went down near the village of jannatabad near qazvin at 11:33 a.m. ( 2:03 a.m . et ) wednesday , press tv reported . conversations between the pilot and the ground were normal and did not indicate any technical problems , the network 's web site reported , citing the managing director of iran 's airport authority without naming him . some witnesses say the plane caught fire before crashing , press tv said . the plane descended very quickly , wiley told cnn , but it may have been circling , trying to land , rather than plummeting to the ground . qazvin police chief hossein behzadpour and mohammad reza montazer khorasan , the head of the disaster management center in iran 's health ministry , both confirmed that all 168 people on board died , press tv reported . the u.s. state department , in a statement , extended its condolences to the victims . department spokesman ian kelly said officials were working to determine whether any americans were on board . aviation analyst kieran daly told cnn that many aircraft operating in iran are aging tupolevs , some dating back to the 1970s . he described tupolevs as workhorses of the old soviet aviation system . ' but he said the caspian airlines fleet is based on a slightly newer design , dating to the late 1980s and early 1990s . pictures from the scene were consistent with a high-speed impact , ' he said . but he added that there could be large debris not seen on television , and that could change his analysis . watch daly talk about the crash » a team of investigators from the russian interstate aviation committee is flying to the crash scene to join the investigation , the agency said in a posting on its web site . they will work alongside iranian aviation authorities , the agency said . an agency official declined to comment further , saying the plane was operated by an iranian company and nothing is known about it . a tupolev representative told cnn the manufacturer will not comment until the aviation committee releases its report on the crash . the tupolev 154 is essentially banned in the west because it does not comply with european noise and pollution regulations , but it has a safer-than-average accident record , wiley said . wednesday 's crash is the first on record for caspian airlines , which was founded in 1993 , he added . the iranian newspaper hamshahri reported that the plane was flying from tehran and was headed to yerevan , armenia . the semi-official mehr news agency listed the names of 153 passengers and 15 crew members . at least 42 of the names appeared to be armenian , but it was not clear if they were from the former soviet republic or if they were ethnically armenian citizens of iran . the plane crashed 16 minutes after takeoff , said the newspaper , quoting a spokesman from iran 's civil aviation organization . see a map of the crash location » that would have put the flight in one of the safest stages of travel , according to international air transport association data . only about 5 percent of accidents take place during the phase called en-route climb , 16 to 20 minutes into a flight , when a plane climbs to a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet . about half of accidents take place during landing . iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad expressed his condolences to the victims'families , as did the european union . russian president dmitry medvedev sent his sympathies to the presidents of iran and armenia , the kremlin said . qazvin is the largest city in the province of qazvin and is its capital , with an estimated population of 330,000 . it is about 90 miles ( 145 kilometers ) northwest of tehran , the capital of iran . the last crash in iran involving a tupolev plane occurred in 2006 , according to the web site airdisaster.com . that crash occurred on an iran air tour flight from the port city of bandar abbas ; it crashed and caught fire during landing , the web site reported . twenty-nine of the 147 people on board died in that crash . cnn 's shirzad bozorgmehr , maxim tkachenko in moscow , russia , and ayesha durgahee in london , england , contributed to this report . | qazvin is the largest city in the province of qazvin |
qazvin <tsp> tehran , iran ( cnn ) -- an iranian airliner that crashed wednesday , killing all 168 passengers and crew , plunged into the ground and disintegrated on impact , according to a security official . debris from the plane was littered around the crash site . images of the crash site show a smoldering crater scattered with charred pieces of the plane and tattered passports . ten members of the country 's youth judo team were aboard the caspian airlines plane , said several sources , including iran 's press tv . the government-backed network said the dead included eight athletes and two coaches . the plane disintegrated into pieces , ' said col. masood jafari nasab , security commander of qazvin , the city nearest to the crash site in northwestern iran . the aircraft all of a sudden fell out of the sky and exploded on impact , where you see the crater , ' a witness told press tv from the crash site . watch images of the crash site » the plane 's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have been found , state television reported late wednesday . the crash was at least the fifth major airline accident in the world this year , following crashes of planes flown by colgan air , turkish airlines , air france and yemenia airways . a us airways pilot managed to land his plane safely on the hudson river in new york city in january , with no major injuries , after the plane lost power . but aviation safety expert john wiley said there is no reason to fear air travel in general , and no single airline or aircraft is particularly dangerous . the three most recent crashes -- in which a total of 548 people died -- involved different planes , flown by different airlines , in different stages of flight , he said . caspian airlines flight 7908 -- a russian-made tupolev tu-154m plane -- went down near the village of jannatabad near qazvin at 11:33 a.m. ( 2:03 a.m . et ) wednesday , press tv reported . conversations between the pilot and the ground were normal and did not indicate any technical problems , the network 's web site reported , citing the managing director of iran 's airport authority without naming him . some witnesses say the plane caught fire before crashing , press tv said . the plane descended very quickly , wiley told cnn , but it may have been circling , trying to land , rather than plummeting to the ground . qazvin police chief hossein behzadpour and mohammad reza montazer khorasan , the head of the disaster management center in iran 's health ministry , both confirmed that all 168 people on board died , press tv reported . the u.s. state department , in a statement , extended its condolences to the victims . department spokesman ian kelly said officials were working to determine whether any americans were on board . aviation analyst kieran daly told cnn that many aircraft operating in iran are aging tupolevs , some dating back to the 1970s . he described tupolevs as workhorses of the old soviet aviation system . ' but he said the caspian airlines fleet is based on a slightly newer design , dating to the late 1980s and early 1990s . pictures from the scene were consistent with a high-speed impact , ' he said . but he added that there could be large debris not seen on television , and that could change his analysis . watch daly talk about the crash » a team of investigators from the russian interstate aviation committee is flying to the crash scene to join the investigation , the agency said in a posting on its web site . they will work alongside iranian aviation authorities , the agency said . an agency official declined to comment further , saying the plane was operated by an iranian company and nothing is known about it . a tupolev representative told cnn the manufacturer will not comment until the aviation committee releases its report on the crash . the tupolev 154 is essentially banned in the west because it does not comply with european noise and pollution regulations , but it has a safer-than-average accident record , wiley said . wednesday 's crash is the first on record for caspian airlines , which was founded in 1993 , he added . the iranian newspaper hamshahri reported that the plane was flying from tehran and was headed to yerevan , armenia . the semi-official mehr news agency listed the names of 153 passengers and 15 crew members . at least 42 of the names appeared to be armenian , but it was not clear if they were from the former soviet republic or if they were ethnically armenian citizens of iran . the plane crashed 16 minutes after takeoff , said the newspaper , quoting a spokesman from iran 's civil aviation organization . see a map of the crash location » that would have put the flight in one of the safest stages of travel , according to international air transport association data . only about 5 percent of accidents take place during the phase called en-route climb , 16 to 20 minutes into a flight , when a plane climbs to a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet . about half of accidents take place during landing . iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad expressed his condolences to the victims'families , as did the european union . russian president dmitry medvedev sent his sympathies to the presidents of iran and armenia , the kremlin said . qazvin is the largest city in the province of qazvin and is its capital , with an estimated population of 330,000 . it is about 90 miles ( 145 kilometers ) northwest of tehran , the capital of iran . the last crash in iran involving a tupolev plane occurred in 2006 , according to the web site airdisaster.com . that crash occurred on an iran air tour flight from the port city of bandar abbas ; it crashed and caught fire during landing , the web site reported . twenty-nine of the 147 people on board died in that crash . cnn 's shirzad bozorgmehr , maxim tkachenko in moscow , russia , and ayesha durgahee in london , england , contributed to this report . | plane is thought to have crashed near the iranian city of qazvin |
new england <tsp> ( cnn ) -- there are just a few days until spring , but winter is n't done with some of us yet . a significant storm will threaten the northeast on monday into tuesday , and areas of minnesota , north dakota and south dakota could see blizzard conditions through the night . forecasters said boston will get 3 to 6 inches of snow and sleet before rain begins to fall tuesday night . all public schools in the city will be closed tuesday , according to an announcement monday evening on the official twitter account of boston 's public school system . cnn affiliate wcvb warned its viewers that by tuesday morning , the commute to work will be slow . we 'll have at least a couple of inches of snow on the ground with heavy snow still falling . mix/freezing rain will develop from south to north during the morning . this will keep overall snow totals down , but traveling will still be difficult , ' meteorologist j.c. monahan said . the new england mountains will get between 10 and 14 inches with snow falling at up to 2 inches per hour monday night , forecasters said . other areas of new england could get up to 8 inches . fewer than 300 flights were canceled monday , but delays are expected at airports from ohio to new york . it was unusually cold and blustery in new york , where a little snow was expected to fall before changing to rain overnight . track the winter storm the low visibility was causing delays of almost an hour at newark international airport and laguardia airport in the new york area . there will be storms in the south and while the rain could help firefighters near the tourist destination of pigeon forge , tennessee , as they try to contain a wildfire that has burned more than 35 buildings , they will also battle wind gusts of up to 20 mph . a tornado touched down monday afternoon in rutherford county near nashville , tennessee , county officials said . the tornado was on the ground for about 4 1/2 miles , said joe gourley of the rutherford county emergency management agency . fewer than a dozen homes suffered minor to moderate damage , trees were toppled and roads were blocked , gourley said . just to the west , students at fairview middle school were evacuated after lightning struck the school and started a fire on the roof , cnn affiliate wtvf reported . in north dakota , a no-travel advisory was issued by the state department of transportation for the eastern half of the state . the warning said there were areas where visibility was almost zero because of blowing snow , and there was significant ice on the highways and streets . one highway was blocked because of snow drifts covering the road , cnn affiliate kxjb reported . minnesota officials had also closed three highways in the west central part of that state , kxjb reported . cnn 's justin jones and janet digiacomo contributed to this report . | new england mountains should see more than a foot of precipitation |
americans <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the obama administration calculates it 's likely north korea may test fire mobile ballistic missiles at any time , based on the most recent intelligence showing pyongyang probably has completed launch preparations , a u.s. official said tuesday . the administration believes a test launch could happen without north korea issuing a standard notice to commercial aviation and maritime shipping warning them to stay away from the missile 's path , according to the official , who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the information . he cautioned most of the information comes from satellite imagery , so it 's impossible to reach a definitive conclusion because the united states has no means to gather information on the ground . we hope they issue a notification , but at this point we do n't expect it . we are working on the assumption they wo n't , the official said . he said the launch could be imminent , ' but also cautioned that the united states simply does n't know . ' the official , along with a pentagon official , said that the united states has been able to keep satellites over the suspected launch area for most of the past week . the united states thinks the missiles remain at a point about halfway down the eastern coast of north korea and are about 10 miles inland . imagery has been impeded by some bad weather , which means there is less than perfect knowledge about what is happening on the ground . but based on what the united states has seen , the belief is that the missiles have received their liquid fuel and are ready for launch . after any launch , u.s. satellites and radars in the region would be able to calculate the trajectory of missiles within minutes and quickly conclude whether they are on a test path headed for open ocean or potentially headed for land areas such as japan . the united states and japan would then have to decide whether to try to shoot the missiles down , the officials said .'clear and direct'threat to u.s. security also tuesday , the top u.s. commander in the pacific called repeated north korean violations of u.n. security council resolutions forbidding the building and testing ' of long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons a clear and direct threat to u.s. national security and regional peace and stability . ' a major conflict in korea could have unpredictable , long term and far reaching impacts due to the central location of the korean peninsula in northeast asia and the vital importance of northeast asian trade to the global economy , ' said adm. samuel j. locklear , commander of the u.s. pacific command . the admiral spoke at a senate armed services hearing and submitted testimony to the committee . he said he 's confident that the united states would be able to help defend u.s. forces and its friends . he acknowledged the importance of china 's role in reducing tensions on the korean peninsula . the hearing came as north korea issued its latest dispatch of ominous rhetoric tuesday , telling foreigners in south korea they should take steps to protect themselves in the event of a conflict . kim jong un 's stated emphasis on economic development and promises of economic growth have so far yielded little , and are undermined by north korean missile launches and nuclear tests that lead to further sanctions and international isolation , ' locklear said , referring to north korea 's leader . north korea 's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs , its illicit sales of conventional arms , and its ongoing proliferation activities remain a threat to regional stability and underscore the requirement for effective missile defense , ' he said . the admiral was asked whether there 's ever been a time of greater tension among north korea , south korea and the united states since the end of the korean war in the 1950s . i would agree in my recollection , i do n't know a greater time , ' he said . the question of china asked about china and its longtime close relationship with north korea , he said the country could play a key role in persuading the north korean government to engage in restraint , ' but they could do more . ' senators expressed concerns , skepticism and outright criticism of china . sen. lindsey graham , r-south carolina , called the country a communist dictatorship ' that fears individual freedoms . locklear regards china as neither a friend nor a foe . he said that sometimes , china can be more nuanced ' than the united states , and he noted some reporting that the leadership in china has made some statements about the issue . over the weekend , chinese president xi jinping was quoted as saying that no nation should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gain . ' while he did n't mention north korea , the comments were seen as a reference to pyongyang . there no benefit to the chinese of having this type of activity occurring on their borders , no possible benefit that i can see from this . so they will , i believe , in time , work this problem to their national interest just like we do and the south koreans do , ' locklear said . the saber rattling is making an impact , poll says meanwhile , the storm of warlike words coming from pyongyang appears to have rattled americans , with more than four in 10 saying they see the reclusive nation as an immediate threat to the united states , a new cnn/orc international poll shows . that 's up 13 percentage points in less than a month , cnn polling director keating holland said . if north korean leader kim jong un wanted to get the attention of the american public , his strategy is starting to work , ' holland said . north korea 's unnerving message advising foreigners to secure shelter or evacuate in case of hostilities came as japan set up missile defenses in tokyo and north korean workers failed to turn up for work in the industrial complex jointly operated by north and south korea . interactive map : north korea 's missile capabilities in the statement published by state-run media tuesday , the north 's korea asia-pacific peace committee reiterated accusations that washington and seoul are seeking to provoke a war with pyongyang . once a war is ignited on the peninsula , it will be an all-out war , ' the committee said , adding that north korea does n't want foreigners in south korea to fall victim ' to a conflict . but staff at the british embassy in seoul appeared unimpressed . we are not commenting on the specifics of every piece of rhetoric from north korea , ' said colin gray , head of media affairs at the embassy . our travel advice remains unchanged . at this moment , we see no immediate threat to british citizens in south korea . ' and foreign visitors in seoul did n't appear to be panicking tuesday . seoul 's message to tourists : do n't be afraid ' i am concerned , but not enough not to make the trip , ' said vicky polashock , who was visiting from atlanta . cnn poll : worries about north korean threat at all-time high threat after threat north korea has unleashed a torrent of dramatic threats against the united states and south korea in recent weeks , including that of a possible nuclear strike . but many analysts have cautioned that much of what kim 's regime is saying is bluster , noting that it is believed to still be years away from developing an operational nuclear missile . a more likely scenario , they say , is a localized provocative move . amid the fiery words from pyongyang and annual military training exercises by u.s. and south korean forces in the region , government officials in washington and seoul say they are taking the north korean threat seriously . in the days before north korea 's latest round of threats and provocations , u.s. and north korean officials met in new york , although nothing came of the meeting , said a source familiar with what happened . the source described the meeting as part of regular back channel exchanges between the countries . clifford hart , the u.s. envoy for six-party talks aimed at north korean denuclearization , met with north korea 's deputy un ambassador han song-ryol in mid-march , according to the source . hart repeated the obama administration 's call for north korea to avoid provocative actions and urged a return to diplomacy . han promised to carry the messages back to pyongyang , the source said . the north was blamed for two attacks on south korea in 2010 , one on a navy vessel and another on the island of yeonpyeong . those attacks killed 50 people . pyongyang still denies responsibility for the sinking of the south korean warship , the cheonan , in which 46 sailors died . japan deploys missile defense batteries on tuesday , japan said it had deployed missile defense systems around tokyo amid expectations that the north could carry out a missile test in the coming days . the japanese government is making every possible effort to protect the japanese people and ensure their safety , ' said prime minister shinzo abe . south korean government officials have said they think north korea could conduct the test launch of a missile as soon as wednesday , following reports that the north had loaded as many as two medium-range missiles onto mobile launchers on its east coast . the united states had previously said it was moving missile defense systems to guam , a western pacific territory that is home to u.s. naval and air bases . north korea has cited those bases when listing possible targets for missile attacks . how does north korea make its money ? a symbol of cooperation at risk the souring situation on the korean peninsula was in evidence in the failure of more than 50,000 north korean workers to show up for work tuesday morning at the kaesong industrial complex , the manufacturing zone shared by the two koreas that had operated without such an interruption for eight years . the north had declared monday that it would pull out its workers and temporarily suspend activities at the complex , which sits on its side of the heavily fortified border but houses the operations of more than 120 south korean companies . on tuesday , the south korean unification ministry said the north korean workers had n't reported for work in the district , which is the last major symbol of cooperation between the two koreas . analysts had expressed skepticism that pyongyang would follow through on previous threats to shut down the complex , noting that it is an important source of hard currency to kim 's regime . the move also is likely to put pressure on the city of kaesong itself , where the north korean workers and their families live . with an estimated population of between 200,000 and 300,000 people , it is one of the impoverished country 's largest cities . opinion : an accident , then war with north korea ? cnn 's elise labott , k.j . kwon , tim schwarz , kyung lah , judy kwon , jim clancy , yoko wakatsuki , junko ogura , tom cohen and dana ford contributed to this report . | 41 % of americans see north korea as an immediate threat , ' a new poll shows |
germany <tsp> ( cnn ) -- glamorous tennis star ana ivanovic has reached the quarterfinals of the generali ladies linz tournament -- despite being penalized a game for taking too long in the toilet . the former world no . 1 , who was given a wildcard entry into the austrian event after the late withdrawal of the injured serena williams , had been leading 1-0 in the second set on thursday when she needed to leave the court . when she finally returned , the 22-year-old serbian -- whose last tournament win came in liz in 2008 -- discovered that her opponent barbora zahlavova strycova had been awarded the next game of the second-round match . i 'm really embarrassed because i had yogurt right before i walked on . do n't ever have yogurt before you have to play ! ' ivanovic , among the sport 's top earners despite her recent lack of form , explained at her later press conference . when i left the court i was really feeling sick . i said i really have to go to the bathroom and he [ the umpire ] said i could n't go now before her serve , but i said i have to . then he said i could go on my own time . when i came back he said for every 20 seconds i got a point penalty . he said i was gone a long time and it added up to a game . i was not sure about the rules and just had to keep on playing . i could not argue because he said that 's how it is . it turned out to be good . i think i was so consumed with trying to feel a little bit better , but i think in normal circumstances it would make me really mad . ' ivanovic went on to triumph 6-3 6-2 , and the seventh seed will next face julia gorges for a place in the semifinals . the unseeded german upset fifth seed petra kvitova 6-2 6-1 as the 20-year-old czech left-hander joined compatriot strycova in exiting the tournament . second seed daniela hantuchova came back from 3-1 down in the first set to beat spain 's carla suarez navarro and set up a quarterfinal with patty schnyder . the swiss left-hander shocked eighth-seeded czech klara zakopalova 6-2 6-0 . greek qualifier eleni daniilidou also made it through after defeating austrian wildcard sybille bammer 6-1 7-6 ( 7-2 ) , and she will next play german sixth seed andrea petkovic . meanwhile , third seed shahar peer reached the quarterfinals of the hp japan women 's open with a hard-fought 3-6 6-1 6-3 win over local player ryoko fuda in osaka on thursday . the israeli will next play czech seventh seed iveta benesova , who defeated italy 's alberta brianti 6-1 7-5 . japanese veteran kimiko date krumm earned a clash with top seed samantha stosur as the 40-year-old beat compatriot aiko nakamura 6-2 6-0 . american jill craybas thrashed ukraine 's olga savchuk 6-1 6-1 , and the 36-year-old will next play french second seed marion bartoli . | seventh seed recovers to reach quarterfinals , where she will play julia gorges of germany |
lloyd <tsp> the investigation into the actions of former nfl tight end aaron hernandez , who is accused of killing friend odin lloyd , has turned to hernandez 's fiancee as law enforcement searches for the .45 caliber gun used in the slaying . lloyd 's bullet-riddled body was found in a massachusetts industrial park on june 17 , father 's day , about a mile from hernandez 's massachusetts home . he was shot five times , and the gun has not been found . prosecutors have accused the former new england patriot of orchestrating what they call lloyd 's execution-style slaying . hernandez , 23 , has pleaded not guilty to murder and is being held without bail . search warrant affidavits obtained by cnn contain new details about fiancée shayanna jenkins . in them , authorities alleged that hernandez , jenkins , his cousin tanya singleton and ernest wallace have all made overt attempts to hide evidence , render assistance for suspect to elude law enforcement , and to hinder and mislead this investigation . ' shayanna jenkins has not been charged in connection with the investigation , and lawyers representing her fiancé , hernandez , have not responded to requests for comment . official : lake search did n't turn up weapon wallace has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder . the documents indicate investigators became suspicious of shayanna jenkins after they spoke with her sister shaneah jenkins . shaneah jenkins was lloyd 's girlfriend . the court papers describe the following allegations : the day after lloyd 's body was found , shaneah jenkins told authorities she was with her sister , shayanna , and two uncles at hernandez 's home . during that time , shaneah jenkins said she saw her sister go into the basement with an empty trash bag . shayanna asked shaneah to borrow her car and had a cell phone communication ' with hernandez . the women 's uncle told shayanna that mr. hernandez wanted weapons taken out of the house ' and told shaneah that weapons were discarded into'the woods .'' did hernandez store guns in a box after killing ? the documents go on to describe a mysterious , if not cryptic , text message obtained by investigators from hernandez to his fiancée that allegedly read : go back in back of the screen in movie room when u ( sic ) get home an ( sic ) there is a box ... jus ( sic ) in case u ( sic ) were looking for it ! ! ! member ( sic ) how you ruined the big tv imao was just thinkin bout that lol wink wink love u ttyl .... k ' ' ttyl ' is common shorthand for talk to you later . ' according to the court papers , jenkins allegedly answers : ok-that was awful ... perfect tv ... love u . ' about an hour later , a home surveillance video shows jenkins leaving the house carrying something rigid ' and consistent to a lock box or safe ' placed inside a garbage bag and covered with clothing , according to the documents . police state jenkins drove away and returned an hour later , but she was not carrying the rigid ' item back into the house . prosecutors have said no lock box was found in the home . a search of a rented storage unit in bristol , connecticut , allegedly paid for by hernandez , did not locate the weapon used to kill lloyd , according to law enforcement officials . singleton , hernandez'cousin , remained jailed on a contempt of court charge for failing to cooperate with a grand jury , according to two law enforcement sources . grand jury indictments are expected in the case as early as next week , officials have said . hernandez responds from jail to fan letter | hernandez has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in lloyd 's killing |
lloyd <tsp> the investigation into the actions of former nfl tight end aaron hernandez , who is accused of killing friend odin lloyd , has turned to hernandez 's fiancee as law enforcement searches for the .45 caliber gun used in the slaying . lloyd 's bullet-riddled body was found in a massachusetts industrial park on june 17 , father 's day , about a mile from hernandez 's massachusetts home . he was shot five times , and the gun has not been found . prosecutors have accused the former new england patriot of orchestrating what they call lloyd 's execution-style slaying . hernandez , 23 , has pleaded not guilty to murder and is being held without bail . search warrant affidavits obtained by cnn contain new details about fiancée shayanna jenkins . in them , authorities alleged that hernandez , jenkins , his cousin tanya singleton and ernest wallace have all made overt attempts to hide evidence , render assistance for suspect to elude law enforcement , and to hinder and mislead this investigation . ' shayanna jenkins has not been charged in connection with the investigation , and lawyers representing her fiancé , hernandez , have not responded to requests for comment . official : lake search did n't turn up weapon wallace has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder . the documents indicate investigators became suspicious of shayanna jenkins after they spoke with her sister shaneah jenkins . shaneah jenkins was lloyd 's girlfriend . the court papers describe the following allegations : the day after lloyd 's body was found , shaneah jenkins told authorities she was with her sister , shayanna , and two uncles at hernandez 's home . during that time , shaneah jenkins said she saw her sister go into the basement with an empty trash bag . shayanna asked shaneah to borrow her car and had a cell phone communication ' with hernandez . the women 's uncle told shayanna that mr. hernandez wanted weapons taken out of the house ' and told shaneah that weapons were discarded into'the woods .'' did hernandez store guns in a box after killing ? the documents go on to describe a mysterious , if not cryptic , text message obtained by investigators from hernandez to his fiancée that allegedly read : go back in back of the screen in movie room when u ( sic ) get home an ( sic ) there is a box ... jus ( sic ) in case u ( sic ) were looking for it ! ! ! member ( sic ) how you ruined the big tv imao was just thinkin bout that lol wink wink love u ttyl .... k ' ' ttyl ' is common shorthand for talk to you later . ' according to the court papers , jenkins allegedly answers : ok-that was awful ... perfect tv ... love u . ' about an hour later , a home surveillance video shows jenkins leaving the house carrying something rigid ' and consistent to a lock box or safe ' placed inside a garbage bag and covered with clothing , according to the documents . police state jenkins drove away and returned an hour later , but she was not carrying the rigid ' item back into the house . prosecutors have said no lock box was found in the home . a search of a rented storage unit in bristol , connecticut , allegedly paid for by hernandez , did not locate the weapon used to kill lloyd , according to law enforcement officials . singleton , hernandez'cousin , remained jailed on a contempt of court charge for failing to cooperate with a grand jury , according to two law enforcement sources . grand jury indictments are expected in the case as early as next week , officials have said . hernandez responds from jail to fan letter | jenkins has not been charged in connection with odin lloyd 's june death |
somali <tsp> ( cnn ) -- somalia 's new president , hassan sheikh mohamud , escaped an apparent assassination attempt in the capital , mogadishu , on wednesday , just two days after being selected as the troubled country 's new leader . according to a presidential press officer and several journalists at the scene , early indications are that the attack was carried out by two suicide bombers who set off explosives at the gates of the jazeera palace hotel , where the president was having high-level meetings . at least four somali government soldiers and one african union soldier were killed in the attack , according to journalists at the scene . cnn affiliate ktn reported that kenyan foreign affairs minister sam ongeri was in the hotel at the time of the blast . mohamud , a political newcomer who has worked for the united nations and several other international organizations , was voted in by somali lawmakers monday . somalia picks political newcomer as president in landmark vote his election marked a milestone for the nation , which plunged into chaos after dictator mohamed siad barre was overthrown 21 years ago . following his ouster , clan warlords and militants battled for control , sparking a civil war and mayhem nationwide . somalia has not had an effective central government since then and has mostly remained under a shaky transitional federal government . on tuesday , the islamic militant group al-shabaab , which has been fighting to overthrow the authorities , released a statement dismissing the elections and calling them a western plot . it vowed to oppose the newly named government . al-shabaab does not regard the so called elections as being in the interests of the somali people . they represent western interests , and interests of their agents in the region , ' the statement said . | hassan sheikh mohamud was voted in by somali lawmakers monday |
somali <tsp> ( cnn ) -- somalia 's new president , hassan sheikh mohamud , escaped an apparent assassination attempt in the capital , mogadishu , on wednesday , just two days after being selected as the troubled country 's new leader . according to a presidential press officer and several journalists at the scene , early indications are that the attack was carried out by two suicide bombers who set off explosives at the gates of the jazeera palace hotel , where the president was having high-level meetings . at least four somali government soldiers and one african union soldier were killed in the attack , according to journalists at the scene . cnn affiliate ktn reported that kenyan foreign affairs minister sam ongeri was in the hotel at the time of the blast . mohamud , a political newcomer who has worked for the united nations and several other international organizations , was voted in by somali lawmakers monday . somalia picks political newcomer as president in landmark vote his election marked a milestone for the nation , which plunged into chaos after dictator mohamed siad barre was overthrown 21 years ago . following his ouster , clan warlords and militants battled for control , sparking a civil war and mayhem nationwide . somalia has not had an effective central government since then and has mostly remained under a shaky transitional federal government . on tuesday , the islamic militant group al-shabaab , which has been fighting to overthrow the authorities , released a statement dismissing the elections and calling them a western plot . it vowed to oppose the newly named government . al-shabaab does not regard the so called elections as being in the interests of the somali people . they represent western interests , and interests of their agents in the region , ' the statement said . | at least four somali soldiers and one african union soldier were killed , witnesses say |
california <tsp> ( cnn ) -- capt . chesley sullenberger , the hero pilot who safely landed a full passenger jet in the hudson river , was once again honored with cheers and applause tuesday during a ceremony for him hosted by the governor of his home state . gov . arnold schwarzenegger gives hero pilot chesley sullenberger a flag and license plate . california gov . arnold schwarzenegger , first lady maria shriver and other dignitaries greeted sullenberger at the state capitol rotunda in sacramento . taking a break from difficult negotiations over a troubled state budget , the governor presented sullenberger with a jacket with the state seal , a california state flag that had flown over the state capitol , a proclamation and a california hero ' license plate . today is a very important day , ' schwarzenegger said . there are legislators upstairs that are negotiating and working on a budget -- [ we ] need a great hero in a state capitol . ' the sullenberger family lives in danville , california . sullenberger 's response was understated -- as it has been at other ceremonies , including a new york city hall event when he was given the key to the city by mayor michael bloomberg . on behalf of the other four crew members of flight 1549 and also on behalf of the many thousands of aviation professionals whose daily devotion to duty keeps air travel safe , i gratefully accept this recognition , ' he said . sullenberger and his crew safely landed the damaged airplane , believed to have hit a flock of birds , in the hudson on january 15 . all 155 passengers aboard the us airways flight survived . cnn 's scott thompson contributed to this report . | california governor honors u.s. airways pilot capt . chesley sullenberger |
doha <tsp> ( cnn ) rafael nadal says he 's unsure if he will play at this month 's australian open after slumping to defeat in the opening round of the qatar open in doha . the world no . 3 was dumped out of the season opener by 34-year-old german qualifier michael berrer 1-6 , 6-3 , 6-4 in a match lasting a little under two hours . nadal , who defeated gael monfils in the final 12 months ago , admitted to being nervous in his first tour match since undergoing appendix surgery last november . i was playing with more nerves than usual . i knew that winning a couple of matches here will help me , so that makes me play a little bit more under more tension , ' nadal said , the atp tour website reported . his second defeat inside a week -- nadal lost in straight sets to andy murray at an exhibition tournament in abu dhabi on january 3 -- has cast doubt in his own mind if he is ready for the season 's opening grand slam in melbourne which gets underway on january 19 . this is the third comeback of my career after injury , so we will see how it goes in a couple of months . i wanted to start well , but it was not the case today , ' nadal said , agence france-presse reported . i also want to play in the australian open which is a tournament i like a lot . i do n't know if that will be the case either , but i am going to work for it . if not i will be playing at rio and buenos aires ( atp tour clay court tournaments taking place in february ) . the season is long . after coming back from injury you ca n't see the immediate moment , you have to look further ahead a little bit . ' after suffering a back injury in last year 's australian open final defeat to swiss stanislas wawrinka , and missing the u.s. open in september with a wrist injury , nadal could be forgiven for being cautious about his return . tsonga out of melbourne while nadal 's participation remains in doubt , jo-wilfried tsonga will definitely not be in the draw for melbourne . the 29-year-old frenchman , who reached the final in 2008 , has yet to recover from an arm injury sustained during france 's defeat to switzerland in the davis cup final last november . it is with great disappointment that i have to postpone today the start of my season , pulling out of the australian open , ' tsonga said wednesday . i 'm still suffering from a forearm inflammation ( intersection syndrome ) and that prevents me from being at full capacity . ' there seem to be no such health worries for world no . 1 novak djokovic who was forced to withdraw from last weekend 's final against murray in abu dhabi with a fever . the serb cruised through his opening match in doha , seeing off his compatriot dusan lajovic 6-2 6-1 in 59 minutes . djokovic will play ukraine 's sergiy stakhovsky in round two . | spaniard loses on return to action at qatar open in doha |
harkaway <tsp> the main character in nick harkaway 's new novel , tigerman , ' is a british solider who becomes a self-made superhero . but all sgt . lester ferris really wants to be is dad . ' tigerman ' is about geopolitics , environmental disaster and the 24-hour news culture . but , at its core , harkaways says tigerman ' is a story about fatherhood and the power of paternal and filial love . ' it 's not your typical father-son story , says harkaway , a married father of two and the son of legendary spy novelist john le carré . but , something about the nature of guns and the similarities between being an nco ( noncommissioned officer ) and a parent , ' combined with revelations in the british press in 2010 about rendition , led harkaway to start writing . the book deals with darker themes of justice and vengeance , similar to another hero with father issues , batman . ' despite the comic book overtones and its location on a fictional island scheduled by nato for demolition , harkaway says he tried to keep the story grounded in reality . in other words , no laws of physics are broken , he says . it 's the most real , in a way , of the books i 've written . ' after years of dodging enemy fire in afghanistan and iraq , the main character ferris is sent to the fictional island of mancreu , a spit of land ' in the arabian sea , to serve as the last representative of her majesty 's government . on mancreu , ferris meets a nameless , streetwise boy raised on comic books , action movies and video games . his self-taught english is a mish-mash of leetspeak ' -- the language of the elite -- riddled with pop-culture references and internet slang . most importantly , the boy may be an orphan . ferris is also a man without a family . when he and the boy bond over their mutual love of comic books and afternoon tea , ferris starts to imagine life as a father . ferris'hopes bloom into a plan to adopt the boy ( if he 's willing ) and forge a future together . but the sergeant and the boy face a deadline for their would-be family . after years of ecological abuse , mancreu has become an environmental disaster . nato has earmarked the island for destruction . residents who can afford it are leaving ' with a capital l. ' others are hanging on and facing eventual evacuation . with an end date looming , anarchy and lawlessness spread across the island , think casablanca , only with discharge clouds ' of toxic pollution . when a group of gun-toting thugs kills a mutual friend , the boy inspires ferris to become tigerman , ' part vigilante , part myth and full of win , ' as the boy says . the sergeant dons a homemade mask , body armor and utility belt to battle bad guys and hopefully convince the boy to become his son when the dust settles . comic book fans will recognize elements of the caped crusader , with ferris playfully referring to the boy as robin ' in the book . harkaway names dark knight ' and sandman ' among his childhood favorites . but tigerman ' is n't so much his version of batman ' as it is his take on me , or any of us , shoved into being a costumed hero , ' he says . batman is one of a small number of characters who get the title'superhero'despite having no actual superpowers . although i 've heard it said that he has the best superpower of all , that of being ridiculously rich in a world where technology can make you a god . ' harkaway is the author of two previous genre-bending and critically-acclaimed novels , the gone-away world ' and angelmaker . ' despite his famous lineage , he says he does n't pattern his work after his famous father . we have n't spent a lot of time consciously talking about writing in a master-student kind of way , but we have similar concerns , ethical worries , ( and ) geopolitical perceptions in some areas . i like to think that my thought influences his in some areas , too . ' for now , harkaway is already at work on his next novel about semiotics , murder , alchemy , sharks , banking , game design and the surveillance state , ' he said . he 's also making time for fatherhood , something he describes as the best , and the most extreme ' adventure . | harkaway says the novel is about the power of paternal and filial love ' |
harkaway <tsp> the main character in nick harkaway 's new novel , tigerman , ' is a british solider who becomes a self-made superhero . but all sgt . lester ferris really wants to be is dad . ' tigerman ' is about geopolitics , environmental disaster and the 24-hour news culture . but , at its core , harkaways says tigerman ' is a story about fatherhood and the power of paternal and filial love . ' it 's not your typical father-son story , says harkaway , a married father of two and the son of legendary spy novelist john le carré . but , something about the nature of guns and the similarities between being an nco ( noncommissioned officer ) and a parent , ' combined with revelations in the british press in 2010 about rendition , led harkaway to start writing . the book deals with darker themes of justice and vengeance , similar to another hero with father issues , batman . ' despite the comic book overtones and its location on a fictional island scheduled by nato for demolition , harkaway says he tried to keep the story grounded in reality . in other words , no laws of physics are broken , he says . it 's the most real , in a way , of the books i 've written . ' after years of dodging enemy fire in afghanistan and iraq , the main character ferris is sent to the fictional island of mancreu , a spit of land ' in the arabian sea , to serve as the last representative of her majesty 's government . on mancreu , ferris meets a nameless , streetwise boy raised on comic books , action movies and video games . his self-taught english is a mish-mash of leetspeak ' -- the language of the elite -- riddled with pop-culture references and internet slang . most importantly , the boy may be an orphan . ferris is also a man without a family . when he and the boy bond over their mutual love of comic books and afternoon tea , ferris starts to imagine life as a father . ferris'hopes bloom into a plan to adopt the boy ( if he 's willing ) and forge a future together . but the sergeant and the boy face a deadline for their would-be family . after years of ecological abuse , mancreu has become an environmental disaster . nato has earmarked the island for destruction . residents who can afford it are leaving ' with a capital l. ' others are hanging on and facing eventual evacuation . with an end date looming , anarchy and lawlessness spread across the island , think casablanca , only with discharge clouds ' of toxic pollution . when a group of gun-toting thugs kills a mutual friend , the boy inspires ferris to become tigerman , ' part vigilante , part myth and full of win , ' as the boy says . the sergeant dons a homemade mask , body armor and utility belt to battle bad guys and hopefully convince the boy to become his son when the dust settles . comic book fans will recognize elements of the caped crusader , with ferris playfully referring to the boy as robin ' in the book . harkaway names dark knight ' and sandman ' among his childhood favorites . but tigerman ' is n't so much his version of batman ' as it is his take on me , or any of us , shoved into being a costumed hero , ' he says . batman is one of a small number of characters who get the title'superhero'despite having no actual superpowers . although i 've heard it said that he has the best superpower of all , that of being ridiculously rich in a world where technology can make you a god . ' harkaway is the author of two previous genre-bending and critically-acclaimed novels , the gone-away world ' and angelmaker . ' despite his famous lineage , he says he does n't pattern his work after his famous father . we have n't spent a lot of time consciously talking about writing in a master-student kind of way , but we have similar concerns , ethical worries , ( and ) geopolitical perceptions in some areas . i like to think that my thought influences his in some areas , too . ' for now , harkaway is already at work on his next novel about semiotics , murder , alchemy , sharks , banking , game design and the surveillance state , ' he said . he 's also making time for fatherhood , something he describes as the best , and the most extreme ' adventure . | harkaway 's father is the famous spy novelist john le carré . |
harkaway <tsp> the main character in nick harkaway 's new novel , tigerman , ' is a british solider who becomes a self-made superhero . but all sgt . lester ferris really wants to be is dad . ' tigerman ' is about geopolitics , environmental disaster and the 24-hour news culture . but , at its core , harkaways says tigerman ' is a story about fatherhood and the power of paternal and filial love . ' it 's not your typical father-son story , says harkaway , a married father of two and the son of legendary spy novelist john le carré . but , something about the nature of guns and the similarities between being an nco ( noncommissioned officer ) and a parent , ' combined with revelations in the british press in 2010 about rendition , led harkaway to start writing . the book deals with darker themes of justice and vengeance , similar to another hero with father issues , batman . ' despite the comic book overtones and its location on a fictional island scheduled by nato for demolition , harkaway says he tried to keep the story grounded in reality . in other words , no laws of physics are broken , he says . it 's the most real , in a way , of the books i 've written . ' after years of dodging enemy fire in afghanistan and iraq , the main character ferris is sent to the fictional island of mancreu , a spit of land ' in the arabian sea , to serve as the last representative of her majesty 's government . on mancreu , ferris meets a nameless , streetwise boy raised on comic books , action movies and video games . his self-taught english is a mish-mash of leetspeak ' -- the language of the elite -- riddled with pop-culture references and internet slang . most importantly , the boy may be an orphan . ferris is also a man without a family . when he and the boy bond over their mutual love of comic books and afternoon tea , ferris starts to imagine life as a father . ferris'hopes bloom into a plan to adopt the boy ( if he 's willing ) and forge a future together . but the sergeant and the boy face a deadline for their would-be family . after years of ecological abuse , mancreu has become an environmental disaster . nato has earmarked the island for destruction . residents who can afford it are leaving ' with a capital l. ' others are hanging on and facing eventual evacuation . with an end date looming , anarchy and lawlessness spread across the island , think casablanca , only with discharge clouds ' of toxic pollution . when a group of gun-toting thugs kills a mutual friend , the boy inspires ferris to become tigerman , ' part vigilante , part myth and full of win , ' as the boy says . the sergeant dons a homemade mask , body armor and utility belt to battle bad guys and hopefully convince the boy to become his son when the dust settles . comic book fans will recognize elements of the caped crusader , with ferris playfully referring to the boy as robin ' in the book . harkaway names dark knight ' and sandman ' among his childhood favorites . but tigerman ' is n't so much his version of batman ' as it is his take on me , or any of us , shoved into being a costumed hero , ' he says . batman is one of a small number of characters who get the title'superhero'despite having no actual superpowers . although i 've heard it said that he has the best superpower of all , that of being ridiculously rich in a world where technology can make you a god . ' harkaway is the author of two previous genre-bending and critically-acclaimed novels , the gone-away world ' and angelmaker . ' despite his famous lineage , he says he does n't pattern his work after his famous father . we have n't spent a lot of time consciously talking about writing in a master-student kind of way , but we have similar concerns , ethical worries , ( and ) geopolitical perceptions in some areas . i like to think that my thought influences his in some areas , too . ' for now , harkaway is already at work on his next novel about semiotics , murder , alchemy , sharks , banking , game design and the surveillance state , ' he said . he 's also making time for fatherhood , something he describes as the best , and the most extreme ' adventure . | in nick harkaway 's tigerman , ' a soldier becomes a self-made superhero to impress a kid |
zapeta <tsp> miami , florida ( cnn ) -- an illegal immigrant dishwasher who lost $ 49,000 to the u.s. government as he tried to take it home to guatemala will get some of the money back , his attorney said wednesday . pedro zapeta , an illegal immigrant , managed to save $ 59,000 while working as a dishwasher for 11 years . pedro zapeta was very , very happy ' when he learned about a federal appeals court ruling that says he is entitled to recover some of the money , said attorney robert gershman , who handled the financial end of zapeta 's case . zapeta was carrying $ 59,000 in cash when he was stopped at a security checkpoint at fort lauderdale-hollywood international airport in 2005 . he told authorities he was returning home to guatemala with the money he had saved working illegally as a dishwasher over 11 years . but federal law requires that anyone leaving or entering the country with $ 10,000 or more must declare it . because zapeta had not done so , he was detained , and his money was seized . the 11th u.s . circuit court of appeals ruled monday that the judge who fined zapeta applied an incorrect standard in determining the amount to be forfeited . the appeals court ordered a hearing to set a new fine . i am extremely happy , ' gershman said . even though he is not a citizen , it shows he has equal rights . ' gershman has said zapeta , who does not speak english , was not trying to conceal the money but did not know the law . zapeta had paid taxes on the earnings , he said , and under legal guidelines should be fined at most $ 5,000 for failing to report that he was traveling with the cash . circuit court judge james cohn instead fined zapeta $ 49,000 , all the money he was carrying over the $ 10,000 limit . the government always acted as if the money was their own , ' gershman said . they acted almost entitled to it . but it 's not their money . it was pedro 's , and the [ appeals ] court affirmed that . ' zapeta said last year that he had saved the money to build a house for himself and his family in his home village in the guatemalan mountains . he returned to guatemala this year under the threat of deportation , but his lawyers continued to argue that his fine was excessive . federal prosecutors in miami did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision or on whether they will appeal to the u.s. supreme court . as zapeta 's case was publicized , u.s. residents donated money to him , and gershman set up a trust . it has received about $ 15,000 in donations , he said . | pedro zapeta was stopped in 2005 trying to take $ 59,000 home to guatemala |
zapeta <tsp> miami , florida ( cnn ) -- an illegal immigrant dishwasher who lost $ 49,000 to the u.s. government as he tried to take it home to guatemala will get some of the money back , his attorney said wednesday . pedro zapeta , an illegal immigrant , managed to save $ 59,000 while working as a dishwasher for 11 years . pedro zapeta was very , very happy ' when he learned about a federal appeals court ruling that says he is entitled to recover some of the money , said attorney robert gershman , who handled the financial end of zapeta 's case . zapeta was carrying $ 59,000 in cash when he was stopped at a security checkpoint at fort lauderdale-hollywood international airport in 2005 . he told authorities he was returning home to guatemala with the money he had saved working illegally as a dishwasher over 11 years . but federal law requires that anyone leaving or entering the country with $ 10,000 or more must declare it . because zapeta had not done so , he was detained , and his money was seized . the 11th u.s . circuit court of appeals ruled monday that the judge who fined zapeta applied an incorrect standard in determining the amount to be forfeited . the appeals court ordered a hearing to set a new fine . i am extremely happy , ' gershman said . even though he is not a citizen , it shows he has equal rights . ' gershman has said zapeta , who does not speak english , was not trying to conceal the money but did not know the law . zapeta had paid taxes on the earnings , he said , and under legal guidelines should be fined at most $ 5,000 for failing to report that he was traveling with the cash . circuit court judge james cohn instead fined zapeta $ 49,000 , all the money he was carrying over the $ 10,000 limit . the government always acted as if the money was their own , ' gershman said . they acted almost entitled to it . but it 's not their money . it was pedro 's , and the [ appeals ] court affirmed that . ' zapeta said last year that he had saved the money to build a house for himself and his family in his home village in the guatemalan mountains . he returned to guatemala this year under the threat of deportation , but his lawyers continued to argue that his fine was excessive . federal prosecutors in miami did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision or on whether they will appeal to the u.s. supreme court . as zapeta 's case was publicized , u.s. residents donated money to him , and gershman set up a trust . it has received about $ 15,000 in donations , he said . | zapeta had paid taxes on the money , did n't know he had to declare it , attorney says |
zapeta <tsp> miami , florida ( cnn ) -- an illegal immigrant dishwasher who lost $ 49,000 to the u.s. government as he tried to take it home to guatemala will get some of the money back , his attorney said wednesday . pedro zapeta , an illegal immigrant , managed to save $ 59,000 while working as a dishwasher for 11 years . pedro zapeta was very , very happy ' when he learned about a federal appeals court ruling that says he is entitled to recover some of the money , said attorney robert gershman , who handled the financial end of zapeta 's case . zapeta was carrying $ 59,000 in cash when he was stopped at a security checkpoint at fort lauderdale-hollywood international airport in 2005 . he told authorities he was returning home to guatemala with the money he had saved working illegally as a dishwasher over 11 years . but federal law requires that anyone leaving or entering the country with $ 10,000 or more must declare it . because zapeta had not done so , he was detained , and his money was seized . the 11th u.s . circuit court of appeals ruled monday that the judge who fined zapeta applied an incorrect standard in determining the amount to be forfeited . the appeals court ordered a hearing to set a new fine . i am extremely happy , ' gershman said . even though he is not a citizen , it shows he has equal rights . ' gershman has said zapeta , who does not speak english , was not trying to conceal the money but did not know the law . zapeta had paid taxes on the earnings , he said , and under legal guidelines should be fined at most $ 5,000 for failing to report that he was traveling with the cash . circuit court judge james cohn instead fined zapeta $ 49,000 , all the money he was carrying over the $ 10,000 limit . the government always acted as if the money was their own , ' gershman said . they acted almost entitled to it . but it 's not their money . it was pedro 's , and the [ appeals ] court affirmed that . ' zapeta said last year that he had saved the money to build a house for himself and his family in his home village in the guatemalan mountains . he returned to guatemala this year under the threat of deportation , but his lawyers continued to argue that his fine was excessive . federal prosecutors in miami did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision or on whether they will appeal to the u.s. supreme court . as zapeta 's case was publicized , u.s. residents donated money to him , and gershman set up a trust . it has received about $ 15,000 in donations , he said . | new ruling says judge applied wrong standard and zapeta should get some back |
guatemala <tsp> miami , florida ( cnn ) -- an illegal immigrant dishwasher who lost $ 49,000 to the u.s. government as he tried to take it home to guatemala will get some of the money back , his attorney said wednesday . pedro zapeta , an illegal immigrant , managed to save $ 59,000 while working as a dishwasher for 11 years . pedro zapeta was very , very happy ' when he learned about a federal appeals court ruling that says he is entitled to recover some of the money , said attorney robert gershman , who handled the financial end of zapeta 's case . zapeta was carrying $ 59,000 in cash when he was stopped at a security checkpoint at fort lauderdale-hollywood international airport in 2005 . he told authorities he was returning home to guatemala with the money he had saved working illegally as a dishwasher over 11 years . but federal law requires that anyone leaving or entering the country with $ 10,000 or more must declare it . because zapeta had not done so , he was detained , and his money was seized . the 11th u.s . circuit court of appeals ruled monday that the judge who fined zapeta applied an incorrect standard in determining the amount to be forfeited . the appeals court ordered a hearing to set a new fine . i am extremely happy , ' gershman said . even though he is not a citizen , it shows he has equal rights . ' gershman has said zapeta , who does not speak english , was not trying to conceal the money but did not know the law . zapeta had paid taxes on the earnings , he said , and under legal guidelines should be fined at most $ 5,000 for failing to report that he was traveling with the cash . circuit court judge james cohn instead fined zapeta $ 49,000 , all the money he was carrying over the $ 10,000 limit . the government always acted as if the money was their own , ' gershman said . they acted almost entitled to it . but it 's not their money . it was pedro 's , and the [ appeals ] court affirmed that . ' zapeta said last year that he had saved the money to build a house for himself and his family in his home village in the guatemalan mountains . he returned to guatemala this year under the threat of deportation , but his lawyers continued to argue that his fine was excessive . federal prosecutors in miami did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the decision or on whether they will appeal to the u.s. supreme court . as zapeta 's case was publicized , u.s. residents donated money to him , and gershman set up a trust . it has received about $ 15,000 in donations , he said . | pedro zapeta was stopped in 2005 trying to take $ 59,000 home to guatemala |
sunday times <tsp> ( cnn ) -- some of britain 's most influential former military figures are under investigation after allegedly boasting about their ability to secure arms contracts for private firms in violation of british law . the generals for hire ' scandal broke late saturday following the publication of a sunday times investigation that used hidden cameras to capture the alleged claims by the men , all recently retired military officers . the ministry of defence moved quickly sunday to distance itself from the alleged actions of the retired generals , saying an investigation was under way . equipment is procured in the interests of our armed forces and not in the interests of retired personnel . former military officers have no influence over what ( ministry ) contracts are awarded , ' said philip hammond , the defense secretary . in britain , military personnel are required to wait two years after leaving the service before taking a job where their former position may give their employer or clients an advantage . the sunday times says its three-month investigation focused on the revolving door between the ministry of defence and private arms companies . ' among those named in the newspaper 's investigation was recently retired lt. gen. sir john kiszely , a falklands war hero and former head of the defence academy . kiszely allegedly confided to a reporter posing as a representative of an arms firm that he could use his role as president of the royal british legion to push his clients'agenda with the prime minister and other senior officials . another retired military official , lt. gen. richard applegate -- a former ministry procurement chief -- was captured on video allegedly describing a secret lobbying campaign in parliament on behalf of an israeli arms company . kiszely , applegate and two other high-ranking former officers denied the claims , saying they did nothing wrong and always had the best interests of the services at heart , the newspaper reported . in a statement released following the publication of the sunday times investigation , the ministry of defence said it was looking to see if any of these individuals have broken any rules . ' former chiefs acting in a commercial capacity should not have any privileged access to the ( ministry ) and we will put in place measure to ensure this , ' it said . journalist nicky robertson contributed to this report . | an undercover sunday times investigation secretly filmed retired military officials |
sunday times <tsp> ( cnn ) -- some of britain 's most influential former military figures are under investigation after allegedly boasting about their ability to secure arms contracts for private firms in violation of british law . the generals for hire ' scandal broke late saturday following the publication of a sunday times investigation that used hidden cameras to capture the alleged claims by the men , all recently retired military officers . the ministry of defence moved quickly sunday to distance itself from the alleged actions of the retired generals , saying an investigation was under way . equipment is procured in the interests of our armed forces and not in the interests of retired personnel . former military officers have no influence over what ( ministry ) contracts are awarded , ' said philip hammond , the defense secretary . in britain , military personnel are required to wait two years after leaving the service before taking a job where their former position may give their employer or clients an advantage . the sunday times says its three-month investigation focused on the revolving door between the ministry of defence and private arms companies . ' among those named in the newspaper 's investigation was recently retired lt. gen. sir john kiszely , a falklands war hero and former head of the defence academy . kiszely allegedly confided to a reporter posing as a representative of an arms firm that he could use his role as president of the royal british legion to push his clients'agenda with the prime minister and other senior officials . another retired military official , lt. gen. richard applegate -- a former ministry procurement chief -- was captured on video allegedly describing a secret lobbying campaign in parliament on behalf of an israeli arms company . kiszely , applegate and two other high-ranking former officers denied the claims , saying they did nothing wrong and always had the best interests of the services at heart , the newspaper reported . in a statement released following the publication of the sunday times investigation , the ministry of defence said it was looking to see if any of these individuals have broken any rules . ' former chiefs acting in a commercial capacity should not have any privileged access to the ( ministry ) and we will put in place measure to ensure this , ' it said . journalist nicky robertson contributed to this report . | the officials , all retired generals , denied the allegations by the sunday times |
cnn <tsp> ( cnn ) -- formula one 's 12 teams have struck an agreement to secure the future of the sport until 2020 , bernie ecclestone has exclusively told cnn . the f1 ceo revealed a new eight-year deal that will bind all 12 constructors in the elite division of motorsport beyond the current concorde agreement ' that expires at the end of this season . the contract outlines the terms by which teams compete in formula one and how the lucrative prize money and television revenues on offer are divided . progress on the deal has been complicated by f1 's planned public offering on the singapore stock market that could yield around $ 3 billion . vettel : monaco no place for'sissies' in march the majority of the teams had agreed in principle to tie themselves to an extension of the concorde agreement that was most recently signed in 2009 , but doubts remained over mercedes . the german constructor , who have seven-time world champion michael schumacher in their ranks , were reported to be considering quitting the sport but during an interview in monaco , ecclestone said an agreement had been reached . well we 've just got people now , all the current teams , to sign up until 2020 and then i hope another 10 years after that and then forever . everybody has agreed with it , ' he told cnn world sport anchor amanda davies . you 'll have to wait to see if mercedes have but i 'm confident everything with mercedes will be fine , ' ecclestone added . when asked if his concerns about mercedes pulling out of the sport had gone he replied : absolutely . ' should f1 be so unpredictable ? the concorde agreement is between formula one 's governing body , the fia , the sport 's rights holders and the formula one teams association ( fota ) . high-profile teams red bull , for whom double world champion sebastian vettel drives , and iconic constructor ferrari have recently withdrawn from fota , adding complications to the negotiation process . mercedes were said to be seeking clarification of their part in f1 's future plans , insisting on a more prominent role than offered having been a part of the sport since the 1950s . the iconic silver arrow version of the mercedes led the team to back-to-back championships in the 1950s and immortalized the car in motorsport 's history . and they were said to be threatening to withdraw from the sport altogether but ecclestone 's revelation signals a breakthrough in discussions and an end in sight to a saga that had threatened to rumble on through the current season . i appreciate and support mercedes probably more than anyone in f1 , ' said ecclestone . but the way it was done was on results and we could n't falsify the results because if we did other people would complain . ' ecclestone also suggested that reports of formula one listing on the singapore stock exchange might be premature . the market does n't look too bright after that little bit of a problem with facebook , ' said ecclestone , referring to the social networking website 's recent public offering . so i think they are going to wait and see . ' | formula one chief bernie ecclestone tells cnn sport 's future has been secured |
saturday night live <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- this is how it generally works : jay pharoah or jason sudeikis screams live from new york , it 's saturday night ! ' the house band kicks in , the immortal don pardo announces the cast . and then , the stage door opens , and a smiling celebrity walks out towards the camera . you try and gauge her body language because what you really want to know is : is this going to be funny ? it 's late on saturday night and you just need to know whether you 're going to watch this from start to finish right now ... or whether you should go to bed and simply scan through weekend update ' tomorrow on the dvr . like a football or basketball game , a host ca n't win ' snl ' with a great opening monologue , but he or she sure can screw it up . so it 's no surprise that the best hosts typically come out of the gate revving on all cylinders . good jokes help , and so do pratfalls , but the best of the best remind us that this is live television . it can be messy , and it can even be a trainwreck . but whatever it is , it ca n't be boring .'saturday night live'best-host contest : who deserves a second chance ? for the second straight year , ew.com readers have voted to determine who was snl 's ' best host . throughout the show 's season , the most recent host was pitted against the four most popular previous hosts in a vote , and the one with the least number of voters was eliminated while the four survivors advanced to the next week . like any democracy , it 's a system that 's not without its flaws . this year , we rigged modified the system with what i call the barabbas addendum , which restored a previously eliminated host to the final vote . the electorate rescued seth macfarlane to join our final five : martin short , justin timberlake , melissa mccarthy , kristen wiig and ben affleck . i 've said before that there are very few happy accidents on saturday night live . ' comedy is precise . live comedy is a gauntlet that can expose and undermine the proudest of entertainers . each of our finalists , however , delivered monologues that set the tone for excellent shows that showcased the best of their abilities .'saturday night live'finale recap : ben affleck shines , but stefon and fred armisen steal the show more importantly for the success of the show , all of them also had a blast . i mean , it 's possible they were terrified underneath , but once the show began , all six of them were giggly and daring and totally committed . they 're good at hosting because they embrace the experience , trusting the writers and trusting their own talent . before we announce the winner of mr. ( or mrs. ) saturday night 2013 , though , there are four other non-democratic awards to present . most underrated host : louis ck ( november 3 ) it helps , of course , if you think ck is a comic genius , but even if you 're not tuned in to his brand of comedy , his first time hosting had a refreshingly off-beat vibe . some hosts come in to studio 8h and adhere to the proven formula and trust the writers to protect them . you almost got the sense that ck came with his own ideas †” and the writing staff gave the comic 's comic a wide berth to make the show his own . it was n't perfect , but it felt like a ck joint . the monologue was a seven-minute stand-up bit on helping an ancient , disoriented old world lady get to her airplane on time , and the show wrapped up with the original last call ' sketch , co-starring kate mckinnon . in between there was the brilliant lincoln ' short and the glorious game of thrones ' -inspired misfire . ( the latter literally gets funnier every time you watch it ... because it has to . ) ck lasted a few weeks in our voting contest before being eliminated by jeremy renner , but if he hosts again next year he 's a total must-watch , especially with one show under his belt . best first-time host : seth macfarlane ( september 15 ) in some ways , macfarlane 's first appearance on saturday night live ' was an audition for the oscars . less than a month after hosting the season premiere , the academy awards announced that the creative force behind family guy ' and ted ' would host hollywood 's biggest night . on snl , ' he sang , he provided voices , he mimicked celebrities . he did everything every host tries to do †” he just did all of them well . actually , i suspect macfarlane is one of those whose second and third shows will be even better than his promising debut , in which he leaned on the easy references his biggest fans would most appreciate . with those out of the way , he should be even freer and more unpredictable the next time he visits . seth meyers will return to'snl'this fall , leave for'late night'in 2014 best opening monologue : vince vaughn ( april 13 ) there was a long sad stretch this season where every action star and oscar nominee seemed eager to prove his versatility by singing during his snl ' monologue . i 'll admit it is sorta funny when someone like quarterback tom brady tries something this outlandish , but if you 're an entertainer to start with , you have to be a-maze-ing at singing or dancing to get me to give two hoots about your hidden talent . vaughn went in a completely different direction , wheeling out the classic , rat-tat-tat swingers ' / ' old school ' vince vaughn who likes to perform without a net . was his interaction with the audience scripted ? was it half-scripted ? was it totally ad-libbed ? for a few seconds , i was sweating for him . but as time went on , he seemed perfectly in control . i dug it in a very serious way . if it was simply vaughn being vaughn , then kudos . but if it was the writers , then bully for them . best sketch starring the host : homeland , ' with anne hathaway if you were n't a viewer of showtime 's homeland , ' which stars claire danes as an unstable cia operative intimately involved with her most dangerous suspect , this sketch was likely four minutes of scrunched noses and raised eyebrows . but if you were obsessed with the show , like the nearly 6 million people who watched the season two finale , hathaway 's impression of jazz-freakout carrie was one of the most perceptive caricatures snl ' has ever showcased . hathaway even took time during her farewell later that night to apologize to danes for poking fun , but she had absolutely nothing to be sorry about . can we hope homeland ' is in the middle of a season again the next time hathaway gets the call ? the 2013 mrs. ( or mr. ) saturday night is ... ... justin timberlake . timberlake 's episode , which featured him being inducted into the exclusive five-timers club , had the look and feel of a coronation . the show occurred at the center of a timberlake promotional blitz that was anything but subtle †” he even spent an entire week on late night ' with his history of rap ' partner jimmy fallon . on his much-hyped return to snl , ' he dominated the cold-open as elton john , reunited with andy samberg to meet two wild and crazy czechoslovakian brothers , and brought his foam mascot get-up to veganville . even internet cynics struggled to complain . melissa mccarthy was the runner-up for the second consecutive year . ( you know the saying , always a bridesmaid ... ' ) but she 's certainly now on the short list of essential hosts , along with timberlake , fallon , wiig , zach galifianakis and jon hamm ( who by the way , despite popping up for frequent cameos lately , has n't hosted since 2010 ) . of course , the person i 'm already looking forward to hosting next season was a cast member just five days ago . bill hader will be missed , and i suspect he 'll want to take some time before he returns to the show as a host . nevertheless , it 's tempting to circle september 27 on the calendar , the day that cloudy with a chance of meatballs 2 ' arrives in theaters . bill hader exits'saturday night live' thanks again for voting throughout the year , and congratulations to justin timberlake , mr. saturday night 2013 . see the original story on ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | ew.com hosts a best saturday night live ' host poll |
canadian <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- lenient enforcement of a law requiring u.s. citizens to have passports when re-entering the country at land border crossings has heightened the risk that an imposter might get in , according to a government report released monday . under the law , which took effect in june 2009 , u.s. citizens must show passports or some other authorized travel documents like a military id when returning to the united states . those who do n't are supposed to undergo further screening to confirm their citizenship . but , during a phase-in period that now has stretched over 18 months , very few travelers have been referred to secondary screening , the report from the homeland security department 's inspector general 's office found . that assertion -- the study concluded -- increases the risk that someone could enter the u.s. under false pretense of citizenship . ' the federal customs and border protection agency , though , contends that the program is working , adding that it believes it is better to encourage compliance gradually then to enforce it right away . the inspector general 's report is one of the first to look at compliance with the new passport law , which is known as the western hemisphere travel initiative . the law impacts all u.s. , canadian and bermudian citizens , who previously were able to enter the united states at checkpoints along the canadian and mexican borders without passports . on a typical day , some 700,000 people arrive at u.s. land borders , trying to get into the country . but every day , authorities say , some 4 percent -- or 28,000 people -- do not have the required documents . in an effort to implement the law without clogging international borders , customs and border protection instituted a phase that it called informed compliance ' to transition the law into effect over time . it sought compliance through a carrot-and-stick approach , by promising the benefit of speedier travel and punishment of secondary screening and travel delays . the results have been mixed . compliance has been greatest along the northern border , where 98 percent of travelers had the appropriate documents , the inspector general 's report says . along the southern border , compliance has been spottier , with an average of 93 percent of travelers having required documents . compliance is lowest at texas border crossings , where 91 percent of travelers had everything they needed . the report suggests that the threat of slower travel has not led to higher compliance , noting that compliance rates have leveled off over time . the inspector general says the non-compliance rate could spell trouble when customs and border protection seeks full compliance ' with the law , saying the latter agency does not have the resources to process large numbers of non-compliant travelers through secondary screening . as an example , it said the workload among secondary inspectors at the el paso , texas , border crossing could increase 125 percent with full compliance ' of the law . as the san ysidro crossing in california -- the busiest land border crossing in the united states -- officials have only eight computer workstations at which to process an estimated 1,834 secondary inspections per day . processing this number of travelers with these few computer workstations may cause considerable traveler delays , ' the report says . in a letter to the inspector general , customs and border protection officials took issue with the statement that the passport law 's full benefits will not be felt until the final full enforcement ' phase takes effect . the agency said the program is working , adding that it believes it is better to encourage compliance then to enforce it at this time . travelers are never admitted until identity , citizenship and admissibility are established to the satisfaction of the inspecting officer , ' the agency said . in the event that a traveler does not possess a ( passport or other authorized document ) , the inspecting officer will use all available documentary and system information , as well as oral questioning and inspection techniques , to establish identity and citizenship . ' | compliance rates are much higher along the canadian border than the mexican one |
rebtel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- are immigrants to the u.s. more likely than the general american population to adopt tablet computers ? new research from rebtel , a global mobile voip provider , indicates that this might be true . there are about 37 million foreign-born people living in the u.s . according to the u.s. census bureau , these first-generation immigrants represent about 12 % of the total u.s. population . in november , rebtel surveyed 1,340 immigrants residing in the u.s. about their technology habits . in all , 13 % reported owning a tablet device , representing about 5 million people in the u.s . two-thirds of these own ipads -- not surprising , since apple 's tablet has been around the longest and has the strongest global brand presence . in contrast , a recent pew study found that only 5 % of u.s. adults own a tablet . why the disparity ? part of this might be explained by how rebtel defined tablet . ' in its study , this device category includes e-readers like amazon 's kindle . it 's true that some e-readers have some functionality that 's also seen in tablets ( especially the barnes & noble nook color , which can be hacked into an inexpensive android tablet ) . but frankly it 's a major stretch to consider the kindle to be in the same device class as the ipad . in fact , pew 's study differentiated between tablets and e-readers and found that another 5 % of americans currently own an e-reader . so when you add pew 's tablet and e-reader percentages together , they 're not very far under rebtel 's estimate . still , rebtel 's research begs the question : if immigrants are more likely than the u.s. population at large to buy tablets , why might that be ? rebtel did not speculate on this . however , it occurs to me that many immigrants to the u.s. come from countries where mobile technology proliferated faster and more profoundly than it did here . this might make immigrants more willing to adopt new mobile technology sooner . according to rebtel , tablet ownership figures did vary by nation of origin : french-americans claim the highest percentage of tablet owners ( 17 % ) , followed by mexican-americans ( 15 % ) , nigerian-americans , and ghana-americans at 14 % respectively -- rounded out by ethiopian-americans at eight percent and cuban-americans at seven percent . ' rebtel also noted nation-of-origin differences regarding whether immigrants would purchase a tablet in the near future . immigrants from ghana ( 62 % ) and india ( 58 % ) were most likely to buy a tablet , while only 34 % of french americans and 31 % of ethiopian-americans indicated this intention . the opinions expressed in this post are solely those of amy gahran . | rebtel surveyed 1,340 immigrants residing in the u.s. about their technology habits |
jordan <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- former pharmaceutical executive gigi jordan at first appeared calm as she described for a new york jury the last time she saw her son alive , those now-fuzzy final moments before she gave the 8-year-old autistic boy a lethal drug concoction . she ordered him food . she may have put on a movie for him . little jude mirra 's vocabulary was limited . he typed on a blackberry to communicate with her . we were typing throughout some period of time . we were saying goodbye to each other , ' jordan told the manhattan jury on thursday during her second-degree murder trial . she began to cry . at some point , i put the pills together , ' she recalled . i gave him the pills . ' which drugs did you give him more of ? ' defense lawyer allan brenner asked . a lot more of the ambien , ' she said . i gave him more xanax , but the ambien is the one i gave him the most of . i gave him hydrocodone which were large . i was drinking a vodka orange and there was a little left . i broke up the pill and put it into the juice mixed with vodka . ' the chilling details came during jordan 's second day on the stand . the defense team is trying to convince the jury that jordan was a desperate mother ultimately driven to kill jude because she felt caught between her two ex-husbands . one ex-husband had allegedly threatened to kill her , a crime that would have left jude with her other ex , his biological father , who she believed had sexually abused the boy . the prosecution has sought to show the jury that the february 2010 killing was premeditated and that jordan expected to survive . on the stand thursday , jordan , a former nurse who made millions in a home heath care company , portrayed her actions as a sort of mercy killing . her ex-husband was threatening to kill her . you 're a dead woman , ' she claimed he told her . i made the decision i was going to end my life and jude 's life , ' she recalled , placing her hand over her mouth . she said she checked into the luxury peninsula hotel in manhattan . tell us about your state of mind as you crossed the threshold into the hotel ? ' her lawyer asked . numb , ' she responded . defeated . i felt like it was over . like it was done . there was nothing else i could do . ' jude and jordan spent about six hours in the room before she gave him the pills . she said she had the boy wash down the concoction with orange juice and vodka . jude was knocked out in 15 minutes . were you able to ascertain if jude was asleep or in a coma ? ' brenner asked . jude was covered with a blanket , ' she said . i could n't tell ... i could n't tell but i assume he had passed . ' her son breathed rapidly at one point and then stopped . at that point , what did you feel and what did you do ? ' i had a big surge of adrenaline , ' she said . my heart started pounding . i grabbed him off the bed and put him on the floor . i was crying and started calling jude ! jude ! jude ! and started doing cpr . i titled his head back , grabbed his nose , gave him two breaths , then gave him 15 compressions . i maybe did this 20 times . ' when brenner asked why she attempted to revive her son , the judge adjourned the proceedings for the night . on wednesday , jordan , fighting back tears , testified that she knowingly gave herself and jude enough drugs to kill them both . when her trial opened last month , jordan showed no emotion as a prosecutor described to a jury a chilling and horrifying scenario ' in which jordan allegedly forced the boy to swallow the deadly cocktail . bruises on the boy 's nose , chin and chest indicated that she got on top of him and pressed the poisonous mix of painkillers and anti-inflammatories down his throat with a syringe , the prosecutor alleged . looking gaunt and pale , jordan denied that scenario on the stand wednesday . did you climb on top of jude and grab his jaw and forcibly put liquid drugs down his throat , ' brenner asked . no , ' jordan told the jury . did you knowingly give jude and yourself enough drugs to kill yourself and him ? ' yes , ' she responded , tears welling in her eyes . asked about a history of suicide in her family , jordan said an aunt killed herself when jordan was 12 and her mother tried three times . on wednesday , jordan also suggested that the boy was physically and sexually abused not only by his biological father but also by others , including the woman who took jude to school . she testified that the boy was assaulted by a good number of people . ' she testified that one night jude started screaming , according to jordan : 'dad bad . dad bad . dad bad .'jude was never able to articulate the word and not clearly like he was screaming at the top of his lungs . ' jordan testified that she held her son as jude gestured at his crotch . he pulled jordan in front of him and whispered , dad , butt . finger , finger .'he also kept saying dad , and it was clear he was talking about his dad , ' she told the jury . she testified that the boy had been forced to eat feces and do other gruesome and horrible ' things by his biological father . the boy 's father has denied the allegations and has not been charged , cnn affiliate wcbs reported . in court , no one has disputed the unthinkable manner in which little jude spent his final hours on february 5 , 2010 . police found his cold body after they were dispatched to the hotel . the call to police came after a relative of jordan was unable to reach her . at an autopsy , four of the painkillers and anti-inflammatories used to kill jude were recovered undigested from his stomach , prosecutors said . his fate was sealed , ' assistant district attorney matt bogdanos said in opening statements . he did n't die fast . one by one , his vital organs shut down . it did n't take minutes . it took hours to die . ' while jude lay dying , bogdanos said , jordan sent an email to a financial adviser instructing him to transfer the $ 125,000 trust she set up for her son to her personal account . brenner said jordan , believing she was ultimately protecting her son , brought the drugs to the hotel room with the intention of killing them both , but she survived the suicide attempt . bogdanos said jordan went to the bank , she transferred $ 8 million from savings to checking . she checked in ( at the hotel ) without a reservation and paid cash . ' on the stand , jordan said she planned on giving the money to charity before taking her life . the exact time of the boy 's death could not be determined , but jude 's body temperature was 80 degrees , suggesting that when police arrived , he had been dead for 8 to 14 hours , bogdanos said . brenner has sought to show that jordan acted out of love and desperation . she had been threatened by her first husband and former business partner , brenner said . she had accused the man of raiding her bank accounts and defrauding her of millions in profits from their joint businesses . she filed a lawsuit against him in 2012 , seeking damages for breach of contract and fraud . her first husband filed a lawsuit in august 2013 , claiming jordan defamed him in interviews she gave the media in an effort to advance her defense . jordan believed that if she died , jude 's biological father , a yoga instructor , would have gained custody , according to brenner . brenner said jordan told a therapist and local authorities about the alleged abuse but no action was taken . jordan faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted . cnn 's grace wong contributed to this report . | gigi jordan : i made the decision i was going to end my life and jude 's life ' |
jordan <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- former pharmaceutical executive gigi jordan at first appeared calm as she described for a new york jury the last time she saw her son alive , those now-fuzzy final moments before she gave the 8-year-old autistic boy a lethal drug concoction . she ordered him food . she may have put on a movie for him . little jude mirra 's vocabulary was limited . he typed on a blackberry to communicate with her . we were typing throughout some period of time . we were saying goodbye to each other , ' jordan told the manhattan jury on thursday during her second-degree murder trial . she began to cry . at some point , i put the pills together , ' she recalled . i gave him the pills . ' which drugs did you give him more of ? ' defense lawyer allan brenner asked . a lot more of the ambien , ' she said . i gave him more xanax , but the ambien is the one i gave him the most of . i gave him hydrocodone which were large . i was drinking a vodka orange and there was a little left . i broke up the pill and put it into the juice mixed with vodka . ' the chilling details came during jordan 's second day on the stand . the defense team is trying to convince the jury that jordan was a desperate mother ultimately driven to kill jude because she felt caught between her two ex-husbands . one ex-husband had allegedly threatened to kill her , a crime that would have left jude with her other ex , his biological father , who she believed had sexually abused the boy . the prosecution has sought to show the jury that the february 2010 killing was premeditated and that jordan expected to survive . on the stand thursday , jordan , a former nurse who made millions in a home heath care company , portrayed her actions as a sort of mercy killing . her ex-husband was threatening to kill her . you 're a dead woman , ' she claimed he told her . i made the decision i was going to end my life and jude 's life , ' she recalled , placing her hand over her mouth . she said she checked into the luxury peninsula hotel in manhattan . tell us about your state of mind as you crossed the threshold into the hotel ? ' her lawyer asked . numb , ' she responded . defeated . i felt like it was over . like it was done . there was nothing else i could do . ' jude and jordan spent about six hours in the room before she gave him the pills . she said she had the boy wash down the concoction with orange juice and vodka . jude was knocked out in 15 minutes . were you able to ascertain if jude was asleep or in a coma ? ' brenner asked . jude was covered with a blanket , ' she said . i could n't tell ... i could n't tell but i assume he had passed . ' her son breathed rapidly at one point and then stopped . at that point , what did you feel and what did you do ? ' i had a big surge of adrenaline , ' she said . my heart started pounding . i grabbed him off the bed and put him on the floor . i was crying and started calling jude ! jude ! jude ! and started doing cpr . i titled his head back , grabbed his nose , gave him two breaths , then gave him 15 compressions . i maybe did this 20 times . ' when brenner asked why she attempted to revive her son , the judge adjourned the proceedings for the night . on wednesday , jordan , fighting back tears , testified that she knowingly gave herself and jude enough drugs to kill them both . when her trial opened last month , jordan showed no emotion as a prosecutor described to a jury a chilling and horrifying scenario ' in which jordan allegedly forced the boy to swallow the deadly cocktail . bruises on the boy 's nose , chin and chest indicated that she got on top of him and pressed the poisonous mix of painkillers and anti-inflammatories down his throat with a syringe , the prosecutor alleged . looking gaunt and pale , jordan denied that scenario on the stand wednesday . did you climb on top of jude and grab his jaw and forcibly put liquid drugs down his throat , ' brenner asked . no , ' jordan told the jury . did you knowingly give jude and yourself enough drugs to kill yourself and him ? ' yes , ' she responded , tears welling in her eyes . asked about a history of suicide in her family , jordan said an aunt killed herself when jordan was 12 and her mother tried three times . on wednesday , jordan also suggested that the boy was physically and sexually abused not only by his biological father but also by others , including the woman who took jude to school . she testified that the boy was assaulted by a good number of people . ' she testified that one night jude started screaming , according to jordan : 'dad bad . dad bad . dad bad .'jude was never able to articulate the word and not clearly like he was screaming at the top of his lungs . ' jordan testified that she held her son as jude gestured at his crotch . he pulled jordan in front of him and whispered , dad , butt . finger , finger .'he also kept saying dad , and it was clear he was talking about his dad , ' she told the jury . she testified that the boy had been forced to eat feces and do other gruesome and horrible ' things by his biological father . the boy 's father has denied the allegations and has not been charged , cnn affiliate wcbs reported . in court , no one has disputed the unthinkable manner in which little jude spent his final hours on february 5 , 2010 . police found his cold body after they were dispatched to the hotel . the call to police came after a relative of jordan was unable to reach her . at an autopsy , four of the painkillers and anti-inflammatories used to kill jude were recovered undigested from his stomach , prosecutors said . his fate was sealed , ' assistant district attorney matt bogdanos said in opening statements . he did n't die fast . one by one , his vital organs shut down . it did n't take minutes . it took hours to die . ' while jude lay dying , bogdanos said , jordan sent an email to a financial adviser instructing him to transfer the $ 125,000 trust she set up for her son to her personal account . brenner said jordan , believing she was ultimately protecting her son , brought the drugs to the hotel room with the intention of killing them both , but she survived the suicide attempt . bogdanos said jordan went to the bank , she transferred $ 8 million from savings to checking . she checked in ( at the hotel ) without a reservation and paid cash . ' on the stand , jordan said she planned on giving the money to charity before taking her life . the exact time of the boy 's death could not be determined , but jude 's body temperature was 80 degrees , suggesting that when police arrived , he had been dead for 8 to 14 hours , bogdanos said . brenner has sought to show that jordan acted out of love and desperation . she had been threatened by her first husband and former business partner , brenner said . she had accused the man of raiding her bank accounts and defrauding her of millions in profits from their joint businesses . she filed a lawsuit against him in 2012 , seeking damages for breach of contract and fraud . her first husband filed a lawsuit in august 2013 , claiming jordan defamed him in interviews she gave the media in an effort to advance her defense . jordan believed that if she died , jude 's biological father , a yoga instructor , would have gained custody , according to brenner . brenner said jordan told a therapist and local authorities about the alleged abuse but no action was taken . jordan faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted . cnn 's grace wong contributed to this report . | jordan , charged with second-degree murder , faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted |
gunners <tsp> ( cnn ) -- better late than never . arsenal manager arsene wenger did n't sign a forward or striker in this year 's january transfer window when his team was very much still in the premier league title race , instead relying on unproven 21-year-old yaya sanogo to back up french international olivier giroud . the move backfired , with arsenal -- as in years past -- slipping away in february and march . wenger and arsenal , though , ventured into the market thursday and landed alexis sanchez from barcelona . the 25-year-old agreed to join the gunners from barcelona on a long-term contract ' for an undisclosed fee , ' arsenal said on its website . that fee is about $ 51 million , according to reports . sanchez impressed for chile at the world cup in brazil with his finishing -- scoring twice -- and work rate . he netted 47 goals in 141 games for barcelona , the catalan club said , and he won a league title and the spanish cup in his three years in spain . i 'm so happy to be joining arsenal , a club which has a great manager , a fantastic squad of players , huge support around the world and a great stadium in london , ' sanchez told arsenal 's website . i 'm looking forward to meeting my new teammates and to be playing for arsenal in the premier league and champions league . i will give my best to arsenal and want to make all the supporters happy . ' wenger called sanchez a fantastic ' footballer . alexis will add power , creativity and much quality to our squad and we are all looking forward to him joining up with us in a few weeks , ' wenger told arsenal 's website . he has consistently produced top-quality performances at the highest level for a number of seasons now and we are all excited to see him integrate into the arsenal squad . i 'm sure all arsenal supporters will join me in welcoming alexis to our club . ' as excited as the arsenal fans are bound to be , many will be hoping for more signings . arsenal has n't won the premier league title since going unbeaten in 2003/2004 and only narrowly ended its nine-year trophy drought by beating hull in extra time in may 's fa cup final . sanchez 's departure from barcelona could yet be another sign that luis suarez is close to joining barcelona from liverpool . fc barcelona thanks alexis sanchez for his professionalism and dedication for the three seasons that he has been in the first team squad , and wishes him all the best for the future , ' barcelona said on its website . | the gunners have n't won the premier league title since the 2003/2004 season |
world cup <tsp> ( cnn ) -- pakistan are through to the semifinals of the cricket world cup after crushing west indies by 10 wickets in a one-sided last eight clash in dhaka , bangladesh . captain and leg-spinner shahid afridi inspired his pakistan side to a superb fielding display , after the west indies won the toss and elected to bat . afridi recorded figures of four wickets for 30 runs as the windies crashed to just 112 all out in 44 overs -- their third-lowest score in world cup history . off-spinners mohammad hafeez and saeed ajmal also took two wickets apiece with only veteran batsman shivnarine chanderpaul managing to hold firm against the pakistan spin demons , making 44 not out from 106 deliveries . in reply , hameez ( 61 ) and kamran akmal ( 47 ) cruised to the target with more than 29 overs to spare -- guiding pakistan to their first world cup semifinal since 1999 . at one stage , west indies were in danger of making their lowest-ever world cup total , when struggling on 71-8 . however , a 40-run partnership between kemar roach and chanderpaul helped them better their worse score of 93 against kenya in 1996 . meanwhile , australian captain ricky ponting has denied media reports that he is set to quit international cricket . the international cricket council ( icc ) official website reported ponting as saying : i have never ever thought about retirement or where the finish line might be . i 've been trying to prepare myself as best i can as a player and lead the team as well as possible . for some reason , these retirement things keep popping up all the time . we 've got a big game coming up against india that i 'm looking forward to , and more importantly i 'm looking forward to getting out there and performing well as a player . ' australia will face india in an explosive-looking quarterfinal showdown in ahmedabad on thursday . | it is the third-lowest world cup score in west indies cricket history |
world cup <tsp> ( cnn ) -- pakistan are through to the semifinals of the cricket world cup after crushing west indies by 10 wickets in a one-sided last eight clash in dhaka , bangladesh . captain and leg-spinner shahid afridi inspired his pakistan side to a superb fielding display , after the west indies won the toss and elected to bat . afridi recorded figures of four wickets for 30 runs as the windies crashed to just 112 all out in 44 overs -- their third-lowest score in world cup history . off-spinners mohammad hafeez and saeed ajmal also took two wickets apiece with only veteran batsman shivnarine chanderpaul managing to hold firm against the pakistan spin demons , making 44 not out from 106 deliveries . in reply , hameez ( 61 ) and kamran akmal ( 47 ) cruised to the target with more than 29 overs to spare -- guiding pakistan to their first world cup semifinal since 1999 . at one stage , west indies were in danger of making their lowest-ever world cup total , when struggling on 71-8 . however , a 40-run partnership between kemar roach and chanderpaul helped them better their worse score of 93 against kenya in 1996 . meanwhile , australian captain ricky ponting has denied media reports that he is set to quit international cricket . the international cricket council ( icc ) official website reported ponting as saying : i have never ever thought about retirement or where the finish line might be . i 've been trying to prepare myself as best i can as a player and lead the team as well as possible . for some reason , these retirement things keep popping up all the time . we 've got a big game coming up against india that i 'm looking forward to , and more importantly i 'm looking forward to getting out there and performing well as a player . ' australia will face india in an explosive-looking quarterfinal showdown in ahmedabad on thursday . | pakistan cruise through to the semfinals of the cricket world cup in dhaka |
chinese <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after my 7-year-old daughter 's sleepover and a few hours before my 9-year-old son 's play date , and just in the middle of quieting my daughter 's whining about her impending piano lesson last saturday morning , i stumbled upon why chinese moms are superior , ' amy chua 's wall street journal article that 's created a firestorm . the article was excerpted from her new book , battle hymn of the tiger mother . ' watch amy chua defend her methods of parenting chua , a second generation chinese american , mother of two and yale law school professor , argues that chinese moms churn out whip-smart kids precisely because they do n't allow childhood frivolity like sleepovers or play dates , along with just about everything else that is social , fun or distracting , including tv , video games , sleepaway camp and auditioning for the school play . they also insist that their children master the violin or piano -- but only those two instruments -- be the top student in every subject with the exception of gym or drama , and receive no grade below an a . let 's be honest , western moms would also relish these dazzling results -- valedictorian and violin virtuosity -- but ca n't imagine themselves , or their kids , committing to the rigid chinese mom-style method to guarantee perfection . but more importantly , western moms , and in particular working moms , just do n't have the time , energy , or well , discipline . the chinese mom ' theory is that nothing is fun until you 're good at it . and to get good at anything , you have to work hard . on their own , ' chua writes , children never want to work , which is why it is crucial to override their preferences . ' this is where western parents fail , she says , by letting our kids give up too quickly . we simply do n't have the fortitude or patience to push through our children 's resistance . maybe modern day parenting in america has become too permissive . maybe we 've gotten too soft . we coddle and cajole our children as we gently nudge them passive aggressively to do their chores and their homework . will you please put your clothes away ? ' let 's study for your spelling test now , ok ? ' sweetie , can you please turn off the tv and do your 15 minutes of assigned homework reading ? ' seriously , 15 minutes . even that 's positioned as a question , not a demand . go to any school today with a progressive ' philosophy and administrators proudly espouse the virtues of addressing the whole child ' and creating an independent , creative , empathetic individual . these are the buzz words that resonate with western parents . it 's true , we want happy , well adjusted , well rounded children who will contribute to society . we also buy into the theory that creativity , critical thinking and social skills are essential for future success . yes , our kids need to excel at algebra , but we want them to not only learn , but to also enjoy learning in a stimulating environment where they can thrive in their own uniqueness . rote learning is out ; individual exploration is in . chua condemns these methods as western foolishness . drill and kill , practice until perfect -- this is the chinese mom way . tenacious practice , practice , practice is crucial for excellence ; rote repetition is underrated in america , ' chua writes . but in our western style of enjoying and embracing , where children always expect warm fuzzies and trophies , even if they actually stink , have we become parental enablers to laziness and mediocrity ? the western touchy-feely approach runs counter to the chinese mom philosophy . chua claims that heaping shame and ridicule on her children drives them to success . in her world , insults motivate . praise only comes with perfection . weak discipline creates failure . you are garbage ! ' chua once screamed at her daughter sophia . for chinese moms , a less-than-perfect child is a disgrace to the family , a slap-in-the-face to the parents -- utter shame . after all , chinese moms are in the trenches , toiling for hours to ensure excellence -- anything short becomes almost pathologically personal . western moms just do n't get this . maybe it 's because we are not as wholly entrenched . how can we be ? we simply do n't have time . do we want our children to succeed academically ? absolutely . do we encourage musical competence ? sure . but the western moms i know , particularly working mothers , have neither the desire nor time to run such an extreme household . after a day at the office , the last thing a working mom wants to do is come home and turn into the drill sergeant . getting kids to do their homework is challenging enough , but tacking on extra hours of mom-generated exercises ? not happening . so this is why we outsource . it 's more practical and better for everyone to have our kids tutored by anyone but us : college students , teachers , or even folks at any of the multitude of educational centers that have sprouted across the country . we 're not lazy ; we 're just exhausted . and during the time we do have to spend at home with our kids , we 'd rather not battle . there are also soccer and baseball games to get to . i think western moms are a little envious of at least part of the chinese mom method . the academic excellence and tightly wound discipline and parental respect are breathtaking , if not a little frightening . but what is the end game ? your child prodigy performing at carnegie hall at age 14 as amy chua 's daughter did ? maybe that was worth missing all of the sleepovers and play dates and summer camp , but then again , maybe not . | mom wendy sachs reacts to amy chua 's editorial on superiority of chinese moms |
united states <tsp> ( time.com ) -- even if you 're not a fan of broccoli , your joints may be . nutritionists have rhapsodized about the various benefits of broccoli †” the cruciferous vegetable is stuffed with vitamins a , b , k , c , as well as nutrients such as potassium , zinc and fiber †” and arthritis sufferers may soon join them . along with its cousins brussel sprouts , cauliflower and cabbage , broccoli contains sulfur compounds that can filter out carcinogens that promote tumor growth . the latest study , published in the journal arthritis & rheumatism , shows that those substances may also battle inflammation , which is at the root of osteoarthritis , a painful , degenerative joint disease in which cartilage that normally protects joints starts to wear away under the influence of the inflammatory factors . for the estimated 12.4 million people affected by arthritis in the united states , these results are certainly welcome news . time.com : acupuncture may offer real relief for chronic pain starting with studies in mice , the researchers found that animals that ate a diet high in the sulforaphane found in broccoli had significantly less cartilage damage and signs of osteoarthritis compared to mice who did not consume sulforaphane . the team then moved to human and cow cartilage cells , and found that the sulforaphane was equally effective in protecting these cells from damage . the sulfur-based compound , they say , may be blocking enzymes that contribute to inflammation in cartilage , and the scientists are starting a trial to see if broccoli can protect a small group of arthritis patients getting knee replacement surgery . if that trial confirms these early results , that could help more people to avoid arthritis to begin with ; although surgery can treat symptoms , protecting joints from irreversible damage would keep joints stronger for a longer period of time . although surgery is very successful , it is not really an answer . once you have osteoarthritis , being able to slow its progress and the progression to surgery is really important , study author ian clark , professor of musculoskeletal biology at the university of east anglia said in a statement . prevention would be preferable and changes to lifestyle , like diet , may be the only way to do that . ' not to mention that a broccoli-rich diet could lower risk of other chronic diseases like obesity , which prior studies have connected to ... arthritis . this story was originally published on time.com & copy 2012 time , inc. time is a registered trademark of time inc. used with permission . | an estimated 12.4 million people are affected by arthritis in the united states |
cameron <tsp> ukrainian prime minister arseniy yatsenyuk signed the political elements of a trade pact with the european union on friday , even as russian lawmakers finalized annexation of ukraine 's crimea region . the signing in brussels signals europe 's solidarity with ukraine -- and carries additional symbolic force because it was the decision by ukrainian president viktor yanukovych in november to ditch the trade pact in favor of closer ties with russia that triggered the protests that led to his ouster in february and spiraled into the current crisis . it also comes a day after the european union and the united states slapped sanctions on russian lawmakers and businessmen ; russia responded with its own list of sanctions against a number of u.s. lawmakers and officials . in another sign of defiance , russian president vladimir putin , flanked by the speakers of both houses of parliament , signed a treaty friday finalizing the accession to russia of the crimea region and its port city of sevastopol . the upper house unanimously approved ratification of the treaty a day after russia 's lower house of parliament , the state duma , passed it by an overwhelming margin . the political crisis has been the biggest blow to russia 's relations with the west since the cold war . in a sign that western sanctions are already weighing on russian authorities , finance minister anton siluanov said friday in moscow that the government will have to pay more to borrow money , state news agency itar-tass said . russia will look at our oil and gas revenues . if the situation is like it is now , we will probably have to give up external borrowings and cut domestic ones , ' siluanov said . yatsenyuk : eu speaking in one voice moscow has doggedly pursued its own course even as western leaders have denounced its actions as violations of ukraine 's sovereignty and a breach of international law . though russia insists that its actions are legitimate , ukraine 's interim government has said kiev will never stop fighting for crimea . human rights watch said in a statement friday that it has concluded that the international law of occupation applies to russian forces in crimea . the occupying party is ultimately responsible for violations of international law committed by local authorities or proxy forces , ' it said . while in brussels , yatsenyuk held talks with european council president herman van rompuy and european commission chief jose manuel barroso . he said russia 's ratification of the treaty annexing crimea is less important than the eu trade pact he has signed with eu leaders . frankly speaking , i do n't care about russia signing this deal ; i care about ukraine , ukrainians and our european future , ' he said . this deal covers more existential and most important issues , mainly security and defense cooperation . ' yatsenyuk said the european union would speak in one single and strong voice ' to protect its values and defend ukraine 's territorial integrity . van rompuy said the deal shows our steadfast support for the course the people of ukraine have courageously pursued . ' eu travel bans , asset freezes the european union confirmed details of the sanctions against 12 russian officials agreed to late thursday at the eu heads of state or government summit . those targeted with travel bans and asset freezes include russian deputy prime minister dmitry rogozin , as well as the chairwoman of the russian upper house , valentina matvienko , and two putin advisers . sanctions are not a question of retaliation ; they are a foreign policy tool , ' van rompuy said . our goal is to stop russian action against ukraine , to restore ukraine 's sovereignty , and to achieve this , we need a negotiated solution . ' he said the european union expected soon to finalize approval of the remaining parts of the deal , particularly its economic provisions . british prime minister david cameron said the european commission will draw up further sanctions -- in finance , military and energy -- for use if the situation escalates . europe is , i think , 25 % or so reliant on russian gas , ' he said . but if you look at gazprom 's revenues , something like 50 % of them come from europe . so , you know , russia needs europe more than europe needs russia . ' cameron said the measures agreed to in brussels will carry a cost for crimea , whose goods would face heavy penalties and tariffs in europe if they are shipped through russia , not ukraine . eu leaders want to see an international observer mission in crimea , preferably under the aegis of the organization for security and cooperation in europe but , if not , sent by the european union , cameron said . ban :'deeply concerned' a day after speaking with putin in moscow , u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon met friday in kiev with acting president oleksandr turchynov , then told reporters he was very deeply concerned ' by the tensions in parts of ukraine and between kiev and moscow . these are some of the most traumatic and difficult times in the history of ukraine , ' he said . ban urged a peaceful , diplomatic resolution to the crisis and said all parties should refrain from inflammatory actions and rhetoric . u.n. assistant secretary-general for human rights ivan simonovic arrived friday in crimea for a two-day visit aimed at laying the groundwork for a u.n. human rights monitoring mission , the united nations said . he and a team were to meet with crimean leaders , the head of the crimean tatar minority and others , including the families of ukrainian servicemen , the united nations said . the united nations and other organizations stand ready to assist with the country 's elections , slated to be held may 25 , ban said . while in kiev , he was also planning to meet with yatsenyuk and other ministers and lawmakers . in another sign of solidarity with ukraine , france is offering to strengthen a nato air-policing mission in the baltic area by sending four jets , a defense ministry spokesman said friday . the offer , accepted by the baltic states , was extended friday as french defense minister jean-yves le drian traveled to lithuania , estonia and poland , said sacha mandel , the minister 's communication adviser . his trip followed a visit to the baltics this week by vice president joe biden . putin 's inner circle the u.s. sanctions announced thursday target 20 people seen as close to putin , as well as a bank , rossiya , believed to serve the president and senior russian officials . putin rejected the putative link . i personally did n't have an account there , but i 'll definitely open it on monday , ' he said friday , according to the kremlin . the individuals named by the u.s. treasury include putin allies in the kremlin and in business . among the 16 government officials are putin 's chief of staff , sergei ivanov ; the speaker of the state duma , sergey naryshkin ; and viktor ozerov , chairman of the security and defense committee of the russian parliament 's upper house . four others were named as members of the government 's inner circle . they are financier yuri kovalchuk , labeled putin 's personal banker by a senior u.s. administration official ; magnate gennady timchenko , whose activities in the energy sector have been directly linked to putin , according to the treasury ; and businessmen arkady and boris rotenberg . washington aid in washington , the house foreign affairs committee introduced a bill friday that provides aid to ukraine . the united states must stand with the people of ukraine in the wake of russia 's attack on and occupation of crimea , ' said ranking member eliot engel , d-new york , in a statement . it sends a clear message to president putin and his corrupt cronies that we will not tolerate russian aggression . ' the house had passed a loan-guarantee bill and a non-binding resolution calling for sanctions , but friday 's legislation proposes statutory language to put those sanctions into law . president barack obama is to meet next week with other leaders of the so-called g7 group of industrialized nations , on the sidelines of a nuclear summit in the netherlands . russia has been excluded from the talks . obama signed an executive order that authorizes further sanctions on key sectors of the russian economy if moscow does not act to deescalate the situation . sanctions affect russian markets washington had already announced sanctions monday on 11 individuals ; the european union had imposed travel bans and asset freezes on 21 people . swedish foreign minister carl bildt told cnn 's christiane amanpour that the new round of u.s. sanctions would be significantly more powerful than the first one . ' the latest round hits significant economic interests that are fairly close to the ruling circles in moscow , ' he said . it will be noticed . ' markets were down friday in moscow , amid uncertainty in the business community . the moscow interbank curency exchange , or micex index , fell more than 2 % -- bringing its 2014 losses to 14 % . the ruble rebounded after falling early in the day ; it has lost about 10 % since the start of the year . in contrast , the markets and ruble had risen monday , when the first round of sanctions was announced and did not appear to target those in putin 's inner circle . the business community now appears to fear that putin is on a collision course with the west , and that that could undermine its interests . russia 's foreign ministry said friday that it had asked putin to draft countermeasures in response to the expanded western sanctions . on thursday , moscow imposed measures against nine u.s. officials and lawmakers , including house speaker john boehner , senate majority leader harry reid and sens . john mccain , robert menendez , daniel coats and mary landrieu , according to the russian foreign ministry . russia sanctions : eu should leave trade alone sanctions on russia : would world cup boycott hit harder ? opinion : putin 's breathtaking lies about russia crimea remarries -- but that divorce will be messy cnn money : u.s. targets putin 's banker , threatens trade editors'note : this article has been edited to remove plagiarized content after cnn discovered multiple instances of plagiarism by marie-louise gumuchian , a former cnn news editor . | russia needs europe more than europe needs russia , ' cameron says |
eu <tsp> ukrainian prime minister arseniy yatsenyuk signed the political elements of a trade pact with the european union on friday , even as russian lawmakers finalized annexation of ukraine 's crimea region . the signing in brussels signals europe 's solidarity with ukraine -- and carries additional symbolic force because it was the decision by ukrainian president viktor yanukovych in november to ditch the trade pact in favor of closer ties with russia that triggered the protests that led to his ouster in february and spiraled into the current crisis . it also comes a day after the european union and the united states slapped sanctions on russian lawmakers and businessmen ; russia responded with its own list of sanctions against a number of u.s. lawmakers and officials . in another sign of defiance , russian president vladimir putin , flanked by the speakers of both houses of parliament , signed a treaty friday finalizing the accession to russia of the crimea region and its port city of sevastopol . the upper house unanimously approved ratification of the treaty a day after russia 's lower house of parliament , the state duma , passed it by an overwhelming margin . the political crisis has been the biggest blow to russia 's relations with the west since the cold war . in a sign that western sanctions are already weighing on russian authorities , finance minister anton siluanov said friday in moscow that the government will have to pay more to borrow money , state news agency itar-tass said . russia will look at our oil and gas revenues . if the situation is like it is now , we will probably have to give up external borrowings and cut domestic ones , ' siluanov said . yatsenyuk : eu speaking in one voice moscow has doggedly pursued its own course even as western leaders have denounced its actions as violations of ukraine 's sovereignty and a breach of international law . though russia insists that its actions are legitimate , ukraine 's interim government has said kiev will never stop fighting for crimea . human rights watch said in a statement friday that it has concluded that the international law of occupation applies to russian forces in crimea . the occupying party is ultimately responsible for violations of international law committed by local authorities or proxy forces , ' it said . while in brussels , yatsenyuk held talks with european council president herman van rompuy and european commission chief jose manuel barroso . he said russia 's ratification of the treaty annexing crimea is less important than the eu trade pact he has signed with eu leaders . frankly speaking , i do n't care about russia signing this deal ; i care about ukraine , ukrainians and our european future , ' he said . this deal covers more existential and most important issues , mainly security and defense cooperation . ' yatsenyuk said the european union would speak in one single and strong voice ' to protect its values and defend ukraine 's territorial integrity . van rompuy said the deal shows our steadfast support for the course the people of ukraine have courageously pursued . ' eu travel bans , asset freezes the european union confirmed details of the sanctions against 12 russian officials agreed to late thursday at the eu heads of state or government summit . those targeted with travel bans and asset freezes include russian deputy prime minister dmitry rogozin , as well as the chairwoman of the russian upper house , valentina matvienko , and two putin advisers . sanctions are not a question of retaliation ; they are a foreign policy tool , ' van rompuy said . our goal is to stop russian action against ukraine , to restore ukraine 's sovereignty , and to achieve this , we need a negotiated solution . ' he said the european union expected soon to finalize approval of the remaining parts of the deal , particularly its economic provisions . british prime minister david cameron said the european commission will draw up further sanctions -- in finance , military and energy -- for use if the situation escalates . europe is , i think , 25 % or so reliant on russian gas , ' he said . but if you look at gazprom 's revenues , something like 50 % of them come from europe . so , you know , russia needs europe more than europe needs russia . ' cameron said the measures agreed to in brussels will carry a cost for crimea , whose goods would face heavy penalties and tariffs in europe if they are shipped through russia , not ukraine . eu leaders want to see an international observer mission in crimea , preferably under the aegis of the organization for security and cooperation in europe but , if not , sent by the european union , cameron said . ban :'deeply concerned' a day after speaking with putin in moscow , u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon met friday in kiev with acting president oleksandr turchynov , then told reporters he was very deeply concerned ' by the tensions in parts of ukraine and between kiev and moscow . these are some of the most traumatic and difficult times in the history of ukraine , ' he said . ban urged a peaceful , diplomatic resolution to the crisis and said all parties should refrain from inflammatory actions and rhetoric . u.n. assistant secretary-general for human rights ivan simonovic arrived friday in crimea for a two-day visit aimed at laying the groundwork for a u.n. human rights monitoring mission , the united nations said . he and a team were to meet with crimean leaders , the head of the crimean tatar minority and others , including the families of ukrainian servicemen , the united nations said . the united nations and other organizations stand ready to assist with the country 's elections , slated to be held may 25 , ban said . while in kiev , he was also planning to meet with yatsenyuk and other ministers and lawmakers . in another sign of solidarity with ukraine , france is offering to strengthen a nato air-policing mission in the baltic area by sending four jets , a defense ministry spokesman said friday . the offer , accepted by the baltic states , was extended friday as french defense minister jean-yves le drian traveled to lithuania , estonia and poland , said sacha mandel , the minister 's communication adviser . his trip followed a visit to the baltics this week by vice president joe biden . putin 's inner circle the u.s. sanctions announced thursday target 20 people seen as close to putin , as well as a bank , rossiya , believed to serve the president and senior russian officials . putin rejected the putative link . i personally did n't have an account there , but i 'll definitely open it on monday , ' he said friday , according to the kremlin . the individuals named by the u.s. treasury include putin allies in the kremlin and in business . among the 16 government officials are putin 's chief of staff , sergei ivanov ; the speaker of the state duma , sergey naryshkin ; and viktor ozerov , chairman of the security and defense committee of the russian parliament 's upper house . four others were named as members of the government 's inner circle . they are financier yuri kovalchuk , labeled putin 's personal banker by a senior u.s. administration official ; magnate gennady timchenko , whose activities in the energy sector have been directly linked to putin , according to the treasury ; and businessmen arkady and boris rotenberg . washington aid in washington , the house foreign affairs committee introduced a bill friday that provides aid to ukraine . the united states must stand with the people of ukraine in the wake of russia 's attack on and occupation of crimea , ' said ranking member eliot engel , d-new york , in a statement . it sends a clear message to president putin and his corrupt cronies that we will not tolerate russian aggression . ' the house had passed a loan-guarantee bill and a non-binding resolution calling for sanctions , but friday 's legislation proposes statutory language to put those sanctions into law . president barack obama is to meet next week with other leaders of the so-called g7 group of industrialized nations , on the sidelines of a nuclear summit in the netherlands . russia has been excluded from the talks . obama signed an executive order that authorizes further sanctions on key sectors of the russian economy if moscow does not act to deescalate the situation . sanctions affect russian markets washington had already announced sanctions monday on 11 individuals ; the european union had imposed travel bans and asset freezes on 21 people . swedish foreign minister carl bildt told cnn 's christiane amanpour that the new round of u.s. sanctions would be significantly more powerful than the first one . ' the latest round hits significant economic interests that are fairly close to the ruling circles in moscow , ' he said . it will be noticed . ' markets were down friday in moscow , amid uncertainty in the business community . the moscow interbank curency exchange , or micex index , fell more than 2 % -- bringing its 2014 losses to 14 % . the ruble rebounded after falling early in the day ; it has lost about 10 % since the start of the year . in contrast , the markets and ruble had risen monday , when the first round of sanctions was announced and did not appear to target those in putin 's inner circle . the business community now appears to fear that putin is on a collision course with the west , and that that could undermine its interests . russia 's foreign ministry said friday that it had asked putin to draft countermeasures in response to the expanded western sanctions . on thursday , moscow imposed measures against nine u.s. officials and lawmakers , including house speaker john boehner , senate majority leader harry reid and sens . john mccain , robert menendez , daniel coats and mary landrieu , according to the russian foreign ministry . russia sanctions : eu should leave trade alone sanctions on russia : would world cup boycott hit harder ? opinion : putin 's breathtaking lies about russia crimea remarries -- but that divorce will be messy cnn money : u.s. targets putin 's banker , threatens trade editors'note : this article has been edited to remove plagiarized content after cnn discovered multiple instances of plagiarism by marie-louise gumuchian , a former cnn news editor . | eu leaders and ukraine 's pm sign the political part of a ukraine-eu trade deal |
eu <tsp> ukrainian prime minister arseniy yatsenyuk signed the political elements of a trade pact with the european union on friday , even as russian lawmakers finalized annexation of ukraine 's crimea region . the signing in brussels signals europe 's solidarity with ukraine -- and carries additional symbolic force because it was the decision by ukrainian president viktor yanukovych in november to ditch the trade pact in favor of closer ties with russia that triggered the protests that led to his ouster in february and spiraled into the current crisis . it also comes a day after the european union and the united states slapped sanctions on russian lawmakers and businessmen ; russia responded with its own list of sanctions against a number of u.s. lawmakers and officials . in another sign of defiance , russian president vladimir putin , flanked by the speakers of both houses of parliament , signed a treaty friday finalizing the accession to russia of the crimea region and its port city of sevastopol . the upper house unanimously approved ratification of the treaty a day after russia 's lower house of parliament , the state duma , passed it by an overwhelming margin . the political crisis has been the biggest blow to russia 's relations with the west since the cold war . in a sign that western sanctions are already weighing on russian authorities , finance minister anton siluanov said friday in moscow that the government will have to pay more to borrow money , state news agency itar-tass said . russia will look at our oil and gas revenues . if the situation is like it is now , we will probably have to give up external borrowings and cut domestic ones , ' siluanov said . yatsenyuk : eu speaking in one voice moscow has doggedly pursued its own course even as western leaders have denounced its actions as violations of ukraine 's sovereignty and a breach of international law . though russia insists that its actions are legitimate , ukraine 's interim government has said kiev will never stop fighting for crimea . human rights watch said in a statement friday that it has concluded that the international law of occupation applies to russian forces in crimea . the occupying party is ultimately responsible for violations of international law committed by local authorities or proxy forces , ' it said . while in brussels , yatsenyuk held talks with european council president herman van rompuy and european commission chief jose manuel barroso . he said russia 's ratification of the treaty annexing crimea is less important than the eu trade pact he has signed with eu leaders . frankly speaking , i do n't care about russia signing this deal ; i care about ukraine , ukrainians and our european future , ' he said . this deal covers more existential and most important issues , mainly security and defense cooperation . ' yatsenyuk said the european union would speak in one single and strong voice ' to protect its values and defend ukraine 's territorial integrity . van rompuy said the deal shows our steadfast support for the course the people of ukraine have courageously pursued . ' eu travel bans , asset freezes the european union confirmed details of the sanctions against 12 russian officials agreed to late thursday at the eu heads of state or government summit . those targeted with travel bans and asset freezes include russian deputy prime minister dmitry rogozin , as well as the chairwoman of the russian upper house , valentina matvienko , and two putin advisers . sanctions are not a question of retaliation ; they are a foreign policy tool , ' van rompuy said . our goal is to stop russian action against ukraine , to restore ukraine 's sovereignty , and to achieve this , we need a negotiated solution . ' he said the european union expected soon to finalize approval of the remaining parts of the deal , particularly its economic provisions . british prime minister david cameron said the european commission will draw up further sanctions -- in finance , military and energy -- for use if the situation escalates . europe is , i think , 25 % or so reliant on russian gas , ' he said . but if you look at gazprom 's revenues , something like 50 % of them come from europe . so , you know , russia needs europe more than europe needs russia . ' cameron said the measures agreed to in brussels will carry a cost for crimea , whose goods would face heavy penalties and tariffs in europe if they are shipped through russia , not ukraine . eu leaders want to see an international observer mission in crimea , preferably under the aegis of the organization for security and cooperation in europe but , if not , sent by the european union , cameron said . ban :'deeply concerned' a day after speaking with putin in moscow , u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon met friday in kiev with acting president oleksandr turchynov , then told reporters he was very deeply concerned ' by the tensions in parts of ukraine and between kiev and moscow . these are some of the most traumatic and difficult times in the history of ukraine , ' he said . ban urged a peaceful , diplomatic resolution to the crisis and said all parties should refrain from inflammatory actions and rhetoric . u.n. assistant secretary-general for human rights ivan simonovic arrived friday in crimea for a two-day visit aimed at laying the groundwork for a u.n. human rights monitoring mission , the united nations said . he and a team were to meet with crimean leaders , the head of the crimean tatar minority and others , including the families of ukrainian servicemen , the united nations said . the united nations and other organizations stand ready to assist with the country 's elections , slated to be held may 25 , ban said . while in kiev , he was also planning to meet with yatsenyuk and other ministers and lawmakers . in another sign of solidarity with ukraine , france is offering to strengthen a nato air-policing mission in the baltic area by sending four jets , a defense ministry spokesman said friday . the offer , accepted by the baltic states , was extended friday as french defense minister jean-yves le drian traveled to lithuania , estonia and poland , said sacha mandel , the minister 's communication adviser . his trip followed a visit to the baltics this week by vice president joe biden . putin 's inner circle the u.s. sanctions announced thursday target 20 people seen as close to putin , as well as a bank , rossiya , believed to serve the president and senior russian officials . putin rejected the putative link . i personally did n't have an account there , but i 'll definitely open it on monday , ' he said friday , according to the kremlin . the individuals named by the u.s. treasury include putin allies in the kremlin and in business . among the 16 government officials are putin 's chief of staff , sergei ivanov ; the speaker of the state duma , sergey naryshkin ; and viktor ozerov , chairman of the security and defense committee of the russian parliament 's upper house . four others were named as members of the government 's inner circle . they are financier yuri kovalchuk , labeled putin 's personal banker by a senior u.s. administration official ; magnate gennady timchenko , whose activities in the energy sector have been directly linked to putin , according to the treasury ; and businessmen arkady and boris rotenberg . washington aid in washington , the house foreign affairs committee introduced a bill friday that provides aid to ukraine . the united states must stand with the people of ukraine in the wake of russia 's attack on and occupation of crimea , ' said ranking member eliot engel , d-new york , in a statement . it sends a clear message to president putin and his corrupt cronies that we will not tolerate russian aggression . ' the house had passed a loan-guarantee bill and a non-binding resolution calling for sanctions , but friday 's legislation proposes statutory language to put those sanctions into law . president barack obama is to meet next week with other leaders of the so-called g7 group of industrialized nations , on the sidelines of a nuclear summit in the netherlands . russia has been excluded from the talks . obama signed an executive order that authorizes further sanctions on key sectors of the russian economy if moscow does not act to deescalate the situation . sanctions affect russian markets washington had already announced sanctions monday on 11 individuals ; the european union had imposed travel bans and asset freezes on 21 people . swedish foreign minister carl bildt told cnn 's christiane amanpour that the new round of u.s. sanctions would be significantly more powerful than the first one . ' the latest round hits significant economic interests that are fairly close to the ruling circles in moscow , ' he said . it will be noticed . ' markets were down friday in moscow , amid uncertainty in the business community . the moscow interbank curency exchange , or micex index , fell more than 2 % -- bringing its 2014 losses to 14 % . the ruble rebounded after falling early in the day ; it has lost about 10 % since the start of the year . in contrast , the markets and ruble had risen monday , when the first round of sanctions was announced and did not appear to target those in putin 's inner circle . the business community now appears to fear that putin is on a collision course with the west , and that that could undermine its interests . russia 's foreign ministry said friday that it had asked putin to draft countermeasures in response to the expanded western sanctions . on thursday , moscow imposed measures against nine u.s. officials and lawmakers , including house speaker john boehner , senate majority leader harry reid and sens . john mccain , robert menendez , daniel coats and mary landrieu , according to the russian foreign ministry . russia sanctions : eu should leave trade alone sanctions on russia : would world cup boycott hit harder ? opinion : putin 's breathtaking lies about russia crimea remarries -- but that divorce will be messy cnn money : u.s. targets putin 's banker , threatens trade editors'note : this article has been edited to remove plagiarized content after cnn discovered multiple instances of plagiarism by marie-louise gumuchian , a former cnn news editor . | tough u.s. and eu sanctions have been imposed on members of putin 's inner circle |
brahms <tsp> ( cnn ) -- to some , it may sound like a strange way to spend a vacation . but for many visitors , the carefully manicured grounds of cemeteries can provide beautiful moments to remember history 's fascinating figures . st. louis no . 1 , new orleans new orleans is situated below sea level . early in its history , each time there was a flood , the dead would literally rise . residents soon learned that bodies should n't be buried in the ground . at the colorfully named st. louis cemetery number 1 -- the city 's oldest -- visitors see only above-ground tombs . some are magnificent while others stand in various degrees of ruin . one intriguing figure said to be buried here is voodoo priestess marie laveau ( 1794-1881 ) , who held sway over her wealthy white clients as well as the creole faithful . tours of the cemetery include haunted outings . 425 basin st. , new orleans la recoleta cemetery , buenos aires , argentina the first lady of argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952 , eva peron lies in the duarte family tomb in la recoleta cemetery . every day , tourists pay their respects at the black granite tomb . a public cemetery since 1822 , it was only when the wealthy of buenos aires moved to this area that the elaborate above-ground mausoleums became common . the cemetery is home to a roll call of famous argentineans , from presidents and military leaders to scientists and writers . azcuénaga , buenos aires , argentina highgate cemetery , london in the 1830s , parish cemeteries in central london became a health hazard , leading parliament to authorize seven new cemeteries in outer london . highgate cemetery was dedicated in 1839 . now listed on the english heritage register as one of london 's great victorian cemeteries , its most famous occupant is karl marx , but others buried here include novelist george eliot ( mary ann evans ) and the parents of charles dickens . guided tours are available for the east and west cemeteries -- a tour is the only way to get into the latter . was there ever a highgate vampire ? readers can draw their own conclusions about reports in the 1970s and subsequent investigation by the british psychic and occult society . swain 's lane , london , highgate central cemetery , vienna designed to accommodate expected population growth , the zentralfriedhof opened in 1874 on the outskirts of vienna . it 's central ' in terms of significance , not location . home to 3.3 million souls , many visitors nonetheless focus on its connection to vienna 's musical history . composers beethoven , brahms and strauss lie in rest here , while wolfgang amadeus mozart has an honorary monument in group 32a , his actual grave being in another cemetery . notably , and controversially at the time , the cemetery has a catholic section , a protestant cemetery , a small russian orthodox burial area and two jewish cemeteries . simmeringer hauptstrasse 234 , 1110 vienna bonaventure , georgia , united states located on the site of a former plantation , bonaventure was established as a public cemetery called evergreen in 1847 . it became bonaventure when the city of savannah bought it in 1907 . it 's now listed on the national registry of historic places . notable people buried here include confederate general hugh mercer , novelist and poet conrad aiken and singer-songwriter johnny mercer , who wrote lyrics for hollywood movie songs , including moon river . ' the jewish section has a memorial to victims of the holocaust , whose ashes were brought here from a nazi labor camp . bonaventure 's fame grew when a sculpture of the so-called bird girl from the cemetery was featured as the cover of the 1994 book , midnight in the garden of good and evil . ' 330 bonaventure road , savannah , georgia , united states punta arenas cemetery , chile a small angel stands with head bowed and palms together in prayer , a beautiful figurine atop one of the 19th-century tombs in the municipal cemetery of punta arenas in southern chile . the chapels built in the early part of the 20th century house the remains of some of the wealthiest families of the time , including sara braun . it 's said that when she donated the money for construction of the cemetery entrance , she had but one request : that once she passed through the central doorway in death , the door would remain closed forever . and so it is till this day . 9 , magallanes and antártica chilena region , chile novodevichy cemetery , moscow adjacent to the world heritage listed 16th-century novodevichy convent , the novodevichy cemetery is said to be moscow 's third most popular tourist site . inaugurated in 1898 , it grew in importance from the 1930s when the remains of many muscovites , including writer anton chekhov , were transferred from small cemeteries that were being demolished . it 's now used only for the burial of significant people . among a host of famous russian singers , writers , scientists , cosmonauts and generals buried here lie soviet leader nikita khrushchev and boris yeltsin , first president of the russian federation . luzhnetsky proyezd , 2 , moscow woodlawn cemetery , new york opened in the bronx in 1863 , woodlawn cemetery is one of new york 's largest , with 300,000 souls at rest . it 's a listed national historic landmark . at its entry stands a marble memorial to civil war hero , admiral farragut . within its grounds many larger-than-life figures are interred , including jazz supremo duke ellington , songwriter irving berlin , writer damon runyon and newspaper publisher joseph pulitzer . many monuments and mausoleums were designed by top architectural firms and noted sculptors'talents are in evidence , such as the angel at the angie kinsley monument created by daniel french , whose credits include the seated abraham lincoln at the lincoln memorial . e. 233rd st. , new york waverley cemetery , sydney they may be dead and buried but residents ' of waverley cemetery , set high on the clifftop above bronte in sydney 's east , have spectacular ocean views . while its sculptures and architecture are fascinating , there 's much to notice about the names on the graves . among the 80,000 interments since 1877 are literary figures who helped define australia 's character , including henry lawson and dorothea mackellar . when viewers watch the funeral scenes in baz luhrmann 's film the great gatsby , ' due for release in 2013 , they may think they 're in long island . in fact , those scenes were shot at waverley cemetery . st. thomas street , bronte père lachaise , paris at the cimetiere du pere lachaise , home to a million souls , lies the grave of jim morrison , whose visitors leave tokens of love . a crowd gathers at chopin 's grave , which is adorned by a statue of the muse with a lyre . there are kisses for irish playwright and novelist oscar wilde . the list of the famous goes on . a moving site is the series of sculptures memorializing victims of the nazis . there 's a tribute to those who died in the french resistance and a poignant sculpted figure of an emaciated victim of the concentration camps . others place red roses on the tomb of singer edith piaf , whose funeral in 1963 was attended by 40,000 people . 16 rue du repos , 75020 paris have we missed any ? tell us about any beautiful cemeteries you 've seen on your travels below | beethoven , brahms and strauss share vienna 's central cemetery as final resting place |
beethoven <tsp> ( cnn ) -- to some , it may sound like a strange way to spend a vacation . but for many visitors , the carefully manicured grounds of cemeteries can provide beautiful moments to remember history 's fascinating figures . st. louis no . 1 , new orleans new orleans is situated below sea level . early in its history , each time there was a flood , the dead would literally rise . residents soon learned that bodies should n't be buried in the ground . at the colorfully named st. louis cemetery number 1 -- the city 's oldest -- visitors see only above-ground tombs . some are magnificent while others stand in various degrees of ruin . one intriguing figure said to be buried here is voodoo priestess marie laveau ( 1794-1881 ) , who held sway over her wealthy white clients as well as the creole faithful . tours of the cemetery include haunted outings . 425 basin st. , new orleans la recoleta cemetery , buenos aires , argentina the first lady of argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952 , eva peron lies in the duarte family tomb in la recoleta cemetery . every day , tourists pay their respects at the black granite tomb . a public cemetery since 1822 , it was only when the wealthy of buenos aires moved to this area that the elaborate above-ground mausoleums became common . the cemetery is home to a roll call of famous argentineans , from presidents and military leaders to scientists and writers . azcuénaga , buenos aires , argentina highgate cemetery , london in the 1830s , parish cemeteries in central london became a health hazard , leading parliament to authorize seven new cemeteries in outer london . highgate cemetery was dedicated in 1839 . now listed on the english heritage register as one of london 's great victorian cemeteries , its most famous occupant is karl marx , but others buried here include novelist george eliot ( mary ann evans ) and the parents of charles dickens . guided tours are available for the east and west cemeteries -- a tour is the only way to get into the latter . was there ever a highgate vampire ? readers can draw their own conclusions about reports in the 1970s and subsequent investigation by the british psychic and occult society . swain 's lane , london , highgate central cemetery , vienna designed to accommodate expected population growth , the zentralfriedhof opened in 1874 on the outskirts of vienna . it 's central ' in terms of significance , not location . home to 3.3 million souls , many visitors nonetheless focus on its connection to vienna 's musical history . composers beethoven , brahms and strauss lie in rest here , while wolfgang amadeus mozart has an honorary monument in group 32a , his actual grave being in another cemetery . notably , and controversially at the time , the cemetery has a catholic section , a protestant cemetery , a small russian orthodox burial area and two jewish cemeteries . simmeringer hauptstrasse 234 , 1110 vienna bonaventure , georgia , united states located on the site of a former plantation , bonaventure was established as a public cemetery called evergreen in 1847 . it became bonaventure when the city of savannah bought it in 1907 . it 's now listed on the national registry of historic places . notable people buried here include confederate general hugh mercer , novelist and poet conrad aiken and singer-songwriter johnny mercer , who wrote lyrics for hollywood movie songs , including moon river . ' the jewish section has a memorial to victims of the holocaust , whose ashes were brought here from a nazi labor camp . bonaventure 's fame grew when a sculpture of the so-called bird girl from the cemetery was featured as the cover of the 1994 book , midnight in the garden of good and evil . ' 330 bonaventure road , savannah , georgia , united states punta arenas cemetery , chile a small angel stands with head bowed and palms together in prayer , a beautiful figurine atop one of the 19th-century tombs in the municipal cemetery of punta arenas in southern chile . the chapels built in the early part of the 20th century house the remains of some of the wealthiest families of the time , including sara braun . it 's said that when she donated the money for construction of the cemetery entrance , she had but one request : that once she passed through the central doorway in death , the door would remain closed forever . and so it is till this day . 9 , magallanes and antártica chilena region , chile novodevichy cemetery , moscow adjacent to the world heritage listed 16th-century novodevichy convent , the novodevichy cemetery is said to be moscow 's third most popular tourist site . inaugurated in 1898 , it grew in importance from the 1930s when the remains of many muscovites , including writer anton chekhov , were transferred from small cemeteries that were being demolished . it 's now used only for the burial of significant people . among a host of famous russian singers , writers , scientists , cosmonauts and generals buried here lie soviet leader nikita khrushchev and boris yeltsin , first president of the russian federation . luzhnetsky proyezd , 2 , moscow woodlawn cemetery , new york opened in the bronx in 1863 , woodlawn cemetery is one of new york 's largest , with 300,000 souls at rest . it 's a listed national historic landmark . at its entry stands a marble memorial to civil war hero , admiral farragut . within its grounds many larger-than-life figures are interred , including jazz supremo duke ellington , songwriter irving berlin , writer damon runyon and newspaper publisher joseph pulitzer . many monuments and mausoleums were designed by top architectural firms and noted sculptors'talents are in evidence , such as the angel at the angie kinsley monument created by daniel french , whose credits include the seated abraham lincoln at the lincoln memorial . e. 233rd st. , new york waverley cemetery , sydney they may be dead and buried but residents ' of waverley cemetery , set high on the clifftop above bronte in sydney 's east , have spectacular ocean views . while its sculptures and architecture are fascinating , there 's much to notice about the names on the graves . among the 80,000 interments since 1877 are literary figures who helped define australia 's character , including henry lawson and dorothea mackellar . when viewers watch the funeral scenes in baz luhrmann 's film the great gatsby , ' due for release in 2013 , they may think they 're in long island . in fact , those scenes were shot at waverley cemetery . st. thomas street , bronte père lachaise , paris at the cimetiere du pere lachaise , home to a million souls , lies the grave of jim morrison , whose visitors leave tokens of love . a crowd gathers at chopin 's grave , which is adorned by a statue of the muse with a lyre . there are kisses for irish playwright and novelist oscar wilde . the list of the famous goes on . a moving site is the series of sculptures memorializing victims of the nazis . there 's a tribute to those who died in the french resistance and a poignant sculpted figure of an emaciated victim of the concentration camps . others place red roses on the tomb of singer edith piaf , whose funeral in 1963 was attended by 40,000 people . 16 rue du repos , 75020 paris have we missed any ? tell us about any beautiful cemeteries you 've seen on your travels below | beethoven , brahms and strauss share vienna 's central cemetery as final resting place |
minogue <tsp> ( cnn ) -- australian prime minister julia gillard and opposition leader tony abbott moved their only televised election debate so they would n't clash with the finale of masterchef australia ' sunday -- but their switch forced kylie minogue to change her schedule . the politicians did n't want to go up against the cooking showdown , australia 's most popular program , so they started their debate an hour earlier than tradition dictates . that should have put them up against dancing with the stars , ' where kylie was scheduled to make a guest appearance , australia 's daily telegraph reported . the australian pop star is making her first round of appearances on television down under in a decade . channel 7 , the network that shows dancing with the stars , ' is known for its news coverage , so they had little choice but to cover the debate , the channel 's head of programming told the daily telegraph . we did n't really have any option -- we 're the number one for news and we have to cover the election debate live . it was a very short discussion , ' said the channel 's head of programming , tim worner . that pushed kylie 's dancing with the stars ' show back an hour -- putting it into competition with masterchef . ' masterchef attracted nearly 3 million viewers in last week 's episode , australian associated press reported . about 1.3 million people watched dancing with the stars ' last week , according to worner . gillard last week called an election for august 21 . she ousted kevin rudd as leader of australia 's labor party , and prime minister , in june . gillard was rudd 's deputy prime minister , but labor party members of parliament voted her into the top job as rudd 's public approval declined . conservative opposition leader tony abbott was quick to condemn gillard 's government when she called the election . the prime minister wants to move forward because the recent past is so littered with her own failures , ' he said . gillard , a 48-year-old lawyer , said when she became prime minister that she was aware the move made her the nation 's first woman in that position , and maybe the first redhead . ' but , she said at the time , i did n't set out to crash my head on any glass ceilings ; i set out to keep my feet on the floor . ' since taking over , she has established a sizable lead in public approval polls over opposition leader abbott . a herald/nielsen poll released just before the election was called said 56 percent of those surveyed preferred gillard as prime minister , while only 35 percent supported abbott . cnn 's john raedler contributed to this report . | another channel is forced to change the time of dancing with the stars ' featuring minogue |
masterchef australia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- australian prime minister julia gillard and opposition leader tony abbott moved their only televised election debate so they would n't clash with the finale of masterchef australia ' sunday -- but their switch forced kylie minogue to change her schedule . the politicians did n't want to go up against the cooking showdown , australia 's most popular program , so they started their debate an hour earlier than tradition dictates . that should have put them up against dancing with the stars , ' where kylie was scheduled to make a guest appearance , australia 's daily telegraph reported . the australian pop star is making her first round of appearances on television down under in a decade . channel 7 , the network that shows dancing with the stars , ' is known for its news coverage , so they had little choice but to cover the debate , the channel 's head of programming told the daily telegraph . we did n't really have any option -- we 're the number one for news and we have to cover the election debate live . it was a very short discussion , ' said the channel 's head of programming , tim worner . that pushed kylie 's dancing with the stars ' show back an hour -- putting it into competition with masterchef . ' masterchef attracted nearly 3 million viewers in last week 's episode , australian associated press reported . about 1.3 million people watched dancing with the stars ' last week , according to worner . gillard last week called an election for august 21 . she ousted kevin rudd as leader of australia 's labor party , and prime minister , in june . gillard was rudd 's deputy prime minister , but labor party members of parliament voted her into the top job as rudd 's public approval declined . conservative opposition leader tony abbott was quick to condemn gillard 's government when she called the election . the prime minister wants to move forward because the recent past is so littered with her own failures , ' he said . gillard , a 48-year-old lawyer , said when she became prime minister that she was aware the move made her the nation 's first woman in that position , and maybe the first redhead . ' but , she said at the time , i did n't set out to crash my head on any glass ceilings ; i set out to keep my feet on the floor . ' since taking over , she has established a sizable lead in public approval polls over opposition leader abbott . a herald/nielsen poll released just before the election was called said 56 percent of those surveyed preferred gillard as prime minister , while only 35 percent supported abbott . cnn 's john raedler contributed to this report . | contenders for top job reschedule their debate for masterchef australia ' |
italian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- since 1995 the italian shoe manufacturer geox has worked hard to ensure consumers are spared the inconvenience and embarrassment of sweaty feet . its patented breathable shoe ' technology -- a combination of a membrane insole that absorbs sweat and lets it out through an outer sole filled with holes -- has turned the company into a multi-million dollar shoe empire . the idea of a sole filled with holes came to the company 's founder , mario moretti polegato , when he was on a business trip to reno , nevada , to promote his family 's wine products . after the meeting polegato decided to go for a wander in the hot nevada desert , and necessity turned out to be the mother of invention . as his feat quickly began to overheat polegato decided to make holes in the bottom of his shoes . with my pocket knife i cut holes in the right and left part of the soles and i realized the ventilation in my shoes , ' he said . when polegato returned to italy he started to develop a shoe with holes in the sole that let air in and perspiration out . the design was patented and in 1995 geox was founded with five employees ; today it employs 30,000 people around the world . scientific and technological innovation has been key to geox 's success , and the company has patented numerous new materials in rubber , leather and fabric . each prototype is designed in italy but to shorten delivery times the company outsources much of its manufacturing to asia . we invest a lot in quality control . in every factory where we produce there is an italian technician , a shoemaker , that controls shoe by shoe , ' said polegato . despite being italy 's number one shoe brand , the economic crisis has affected sales in geox 's core market . the company 's distribution network is clogged up with last year 's stock and orders for next season are down . read more : unlocking china 's business potential polegato says the solution is to look further afield than italy and its neighboring countries : our strategy now is to invest more in some countries with economic growth , like the asia pacific area , eastern europe , india and turkey , ' he said . nearly seven years after geox opened a megastore on madison avenue in new york city , the company is looking east to expand its empire . our program now is to open 300 geox stores in china , ' he added . | italian shoemaker geox specializes in creating breathable ' shoes and fabrics |
muslims <tsp> the wife of british hostage alan henning pleaded saturday with isis to release him , describing her husband as a peaceful , selfless man ' who was only in syria to help people in need . i can not see how it could assist any state 's cause to allow the world to see a man like alan dying , ' barbara henning said , according to a message released by the uk foreign office . isis refers to itself as the islamic state . ' alan henning , a taxi driver from near manchester , england , was part of a team of volunteers that traveled to syria in december to deliver food and water to people affected by the middle eastern country 's devastating civil war . he was abducted the day after christmas by masked gunmen , according to other people in the aid convoy . in a videotaped execution of british aid worker david haines , made public last weekend , isis displayed henning and threatened to kill him next . no response to messages the sunni extremist group , which controls large areas of iraq and syria , has already beheaded three western captives in recent weeks -- haines , and the american journalists james foley and steven sotloff . the videos of the executions have pointed to u.s. airstrikes against isis forces in iraq as the motivation . in haines'case , the militant group described the killing as a message to the allies of america . ' henning 's wife said her husband , a father of two , was only trying to do good in syria . alan is a peaceful , selfless man who left his family and his job as a taxi driver in the uk to drive in a convoy all the way to syria with his muslim colleagues and friends to help those most in need , ' she said in the statement . she expressed concern that his captors were n't answering her calls for his release . i have sent some really important messages but they have not been responded to , ' she said .'executing this man is not the answer' isis has shown no regard in recent weeks for pleas from the families of its western hostages . days before foley 's killing was made public on august 19 , his family sent the extremists a message , asking them to show mercy . but they never heard back . the week before sotloff 's execution became known , his mother released a video pleading with isis leader abu bakr al-baghdadi not to kill him . and news of haines'death came the same day that his family released a brief message to his captors through the uk foreign office . henning 's wife urged the militants to respond . i pray that the people holding alan respond to my messages and contact me before it is too late , ' she said . when they hear this message , i implore the people of the islamic state to see it in their hearts to release my husband , alan henning . ' leading muslim figures in the united kingdom have also called for henning 's release in a video posted on youtube in which they say that killing him is n't permitted by islamic law . whatever your grievance with american or british foreign policy , executing this man is not the answer , ' said shaykh haitham al haddad , a judge on the shariah council in london . we ask you to adhere to the shariah ruling on this matter and release him immediately and unconditionally . ' the only non-muslim henning was making his fourth trip to syria with an aid convoy when he was abducted . while part of the convoy stopped at the turkish border , henning -- the only non-muslim in the group -- volunteered to cross into syria with a 10-person advance party . in video shot on that day , he explained part of his rationale for answering the call to help . it 's all worthwhile when you see what is needed actually gets where it needs to go , ' he said , before hugging a colleague . henning was kidnapped the next day . dr. shameela islam-zulfiqar , a volunteer doctor who stayed behind the main part of the convoy at the turkish border , said they got a phone call saying henning had been taken by masked gunmen . this was something that we thought was just a temporary measure , with him being a non-muslim and being visibly english , ' she told cnn . the other members of the convoy thought that they would just question him further and then they would let him go , ' she said . but amid clashes between isis and rival rebel factions in the area , that did n't happen .'he is not to blame' now , islam-zulfiqar says she has a message for the people holding henning . as your sister in islam , i would implore you and beg of you : please spare the life of this innocent man , ' she said . he is not part of your struggle . he is not to blame for the actions of western governments that you fight . ' cage , a muslim-led human rights advocacy group in london , also called for henning 's immediate release , saying he was n't involved in any hostilities toward muslims . but in a marked difference from other groups issuing appeals , cage called on the uk government to negotiate with the hostage takers . asim qureshi , research director of cage , told cnn on sunday that the releases of turkish and continental european hostages through negotiations should act as a wake-up call to the british government . ' he 's called'gadget' islam-zulfiqar said other members of the convoy gave henning the affectionate nickname gadget , ' for his love of all things technical . he really is the guy that fixes everything , ' she told cnn . in henning 's hard-scrabble hometown of eccles in northern england , well-wishers have tied yellow ribbons to lampposts and street signs . none of his workmates at the taxi company nor any of the neighbors on his street were willing to talk to the news media . islam-zulfiqar says the situation is really difficult : we know time is running out . ' asked how people should think of henning in his hour of need , she mentioned his smile , his concern for those around him and his beautiful , beautiful golden heart . ' | leading muslims in the uk say killing henning is n't permitted by islamic law |
twitter <tsp> ( cnn ) a few days ago , when british journalist charlene white posted on twitter an apparently unretouched photo of supermodel cindy crawford , she launched a firestorm of debate over what women 's bodies should look like as they get older . the image showed the 48-year-old crawford looking sultry , but imperfect , in black lingerie , her bared stomach and thighs characterized by what appears to be some cellulite , wrinkles and sun damage . take a bow , mrs. c , ' white tweeted . to many , this was a welcome change from photos of the latest celebrity who 'd gone the cosmetic surgery route . over the last year , when hollywood stars like renee zellweger and uma thurman appeared in public with new faces , there was speculation that they got plastic surgery and the public reacted with harsh judgment . so it 's no surprise that when photo of crawford was shared all over social media , many people commended white for making it public and crawford for having the guts ' to open herself up to such scrutiny . white told cnn , women come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes . i think it 's important to see all sorts of body shapes on our screens and in our magazines so that people have a true reflection of what people look like . ' but the photo was not , it turns out , from marie claire , as white acknowledged . it 's an unpublished outtake from a 2013 photo shoot from marie claire mexico and latin america , which is owned by a different publisher . the image was shared by white without crawford 's knowledge or permission . the irony here , of course , is that white took ownership of an objectified version of crawford 's body in exactly the same way she set out to criticize others of doing . white said to cnn , i want people to feel like magazines are n't responsible for their happiness when it comes to their bodies , but magazines also have a responsibility to show us an array of images . ... no one has the right to tell other people how to feel about their body . ' and yet , is n't that exactly what white did ? crawford lingerie image stirs debate over what'real women'look like if white had done her journalistic due diligence , should n't she have made sure the woman in the photo actually felt comfortable having such an intimate photo of herself broadcast to the world ? white does n't know how crawford feels about that image , and we still do n't know . ( the supermodel has not yet commented on the photo . ) in releasing the image , white made an example of one woman 's body to satisfy a personal agenda -- that magazines should show more realistic ' images of women . on good morning america , ' white said , i thought i would tweet the picture because i found it incredibly empowering to see someone as beautiful and iconic as cindy crawford in her natural form . ' to be sure , there is some comfort to be found in that photo . one of the world 's most famous models has cellulite ! one of the most recognizable female icons grows old and ages just like the rest of us ! but in praising this photo , are we implicitly saying that we respect the aging process only when it mirrors our own or when it shows some imperfections ? after all , what we like here is that cindy , in fact , does n't look all that amazing , and to say she does resonates as more than a little condescending . she is beautiful , to be sure , but what we 're celebrating as real ' are her flaws . the release of the photo and the response it has generated is quite the opposite of inspiring . the message it seems to convey is that the only way we celebrate a woman 's aging body is when we bear witness to its flaws . after all , we call women like 32-year-old australian model erin mcnaught , who released photos of her toned body four weeks after giving birth , vain , ' insecure , ' and attention-seeking ' because we do n't find any comfort in seeing those photos . so let 's call a spade a spade . we do n't like crawford 's image because it 's real . ' we like it because it 's a little startling and a little unattractive , and therefore makes us feel better about ourselves . but that is n't what empowerment is -- using others'faults to downplay or justify our own . we 're also not cheering crawford 's bravery in showing the world what even the most genetically blessed 50-year-old women look like , since the photo was very likely shared without her permission . we 're using her to make ourselves feel better . which , of course , could not be more unattractive . | an unretouched photo of supermodel cindy crawford was posted on twitter by journalist charlene white |
charlene white <tsp> ( cnn ) a few days ago , when british journalist charlene white posted on twitter an apparently unretouched photo of supermodel cindy crawford , she launched a firestorm of debate over what women 's bodies should look like as they get older . the image showed the 48-year-old crawford looking sultry , but imperfect , in black lingerie , her bared stomach and thighs characterized by what appears to be some cellulite , wrinkles and sun damage . take a bow , mrs. c , ' white tweeted . to many , this was a welcome change from photos of the latest celebrity who 'd gone the cosmetic surgery route . over the last year , when hollywood stars like renee zellweger and uma thurman appeared in public with new faces , there was speculation that they got plastic surgery and the public reacted with harsh judgment . so it 's no surprise that when photo of crawford was shared all over social media , many people commended white for making it public and crawford for having the guts ' to open herself up to such scrutiny . white told cnn , women come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes . i think it 's important to see all sorts of body shapes on our screens and in our magazines so that people have a true reflection of what people look like . ' but the photo was not , it turns out , from marie claire , as white acknowledged . it 's an unpublished outtake from a 2013 photo shoot from marie claire mexico and latin america , which is owned by a different publisher . the image was shared by white without crawford 's knowledge or permission . the irony here , of course , is that white took ownership of an objectified version of crawford 's body in exactly the same way she set out to criticize others of doing . white said to cnn , i want people to feel like magazines are n't responsible for their happiness when it comes to their bodies , but magazines also have a responsibility to show us an array of images . ... no one has the right to tell other people how to feel about their body . ' and yet , is n't that exactly what white did ? crawford lingerie image stirs debate over what'real women'look like if white had done her journalistic due diligence , should n't she have made sure the woman in the photo actually felt comfortable having such an intimate photo of herself broadcast to the world ? white does n't know how crawford feels about that image , and we still do n't know . ( the supermodel has not yet commented on the photo . ) in releasing the image , white made an example of one woman 's body to satisfy a personal agenda -- that magazines should show more realistic ' images of women . on good morning america , ' white said , i thought i would tweet the picture because i found it incredibly empowering to see someone as beautiful and iconic as cindy crawford in her natural form . ' to be sure , there is some comfort to be found in that photo . one of the world 's most famous models has cellulite ! one of the most recognizable female icons grows old and ages just like the rest of us ! but in praising this photo , are we implicitly saying that we respect the aging process only when it mirrors our own or when it shows some imperfections ? after all , what we like here is that cindy , in fact , does n't look all that amazing , and to say she does resonates as more than a little condescending . she is beautiful , to be sure , but what we 're celebrating as real ' are her flaws . the release of the photo and the response it has generated is quite the opposite of inspiring . the message it seems to convey is that the only way we celebrate a woman 's aging body is when we bear witness to its flaws . after all , we call women like 32-year-old australian model erin mcnaught , who released photos of her toned body four weeks after giving birth , vain , ' insecure , ' and attention-seeking ' because we do n't find any comfort in seeing those photos . so let 's call a spade a spade . we do n't like crawford 's image because it 's real . ' we like it because it 's a little startling and a little unattractive , and therefore makes us feel better about ourselves . but that is n't what empowerment is -- using others'faults to downplay or justify our own . we 're also not cheering crawford 's bravery in showing the world what even the most genetically blessed 50-year-old women look like , since the photo was very likely shared without her permission . we 're using her to make ourselves feel better . which , of course , could not be more unattractive . | an unretouched photo of supermodel cindy crawford was posted on twitter by journalist charlene white |
bush <tsp> ( cnn ) -- nine sites in the central pacific will be set as sanctuaries for marine life and bases of research for scientists , president bush said tuesday . the new designated areas make up the largest area of ocean set aside for marine conservation in the world . the sites , designated in three regions of the central pacific , will make up the largest expanse of ocean set aside for marine conservation in the world : 195,280 square miles . for sea birds and marine life , they will be sanctuaries to grow and thrive . for scientists , they will be places to extend the frontiers of discovery , ' bush said . and for the american people , they will be places that honor our duty to be good stewards of the almighty 's creation . ' for the designation , bush used the 1906 antiquities act , which president theodore roosevelt first used to set aside public lands such as the grand canyon as national monuments . many areas created under the act later became national parks . watch bush dedicate the central pacific sites » the marine conservation biology institute and the environmental defense fund partnered to identify eight of the nine sites the president set aside tuesday . all but one of those eight remote areas have fish and wildlife service refuge areas at their cores . the eight sites are rose atoll , wake island , johnston island , palmyra island , kingman reef , baker island , howland island and jarvis island . rose atoll , part of american samoa , is the smallest atoll in the world , but more than 500 fish species swim in the waters around it , and it supports 97 percent of america samoa 's seabird population . it is also the nesting ground for several threatened turtle species . the pew environmental fund identified the ninth site : the waters around the northern marianas and the deepest ocean canyon in the world , the mariana trench , 11,033 meters ( 36,201 feet ) at its deepest . the new designations will expand protection to a 50 nautical mile area off the islands , where commercial fishing will be prohibited . other uses of the area -- research or recreational fishing -- will be allowed but will require a permit . bush also announced that the united states will submit a request to establish george washington 's virginia home , mount vernon , and the northwestern hawaiian islands marine national monument as unesco world heritage sites . unesco is the united nations educational , scientific and cultural organization . bush designated 138,000 square miles in hawaii two years ago , making hawaiian islands marine national monument the largest fully protected marine area in the world , ' bush said . cnn 's kc wildmoon contributed to this report . | bush designates 9 sites in 3 areas of central pacific as marine national monuments |
ukrainians <tsp> ( cnn ) -- she was sitting across from me on the bus in odessa when we struck up a conversation . her daughter , maybe 2 years old , was playing with her cell phone . dressed casually in jeans and a shirt , she told me she had finished university and was entering law school . her husband was a linguist . they lived in kiev , but had come to the coastal town of odessa for vacation . she asked what i do . this was midway through my four years of living in odessa . i told her about my organization , this child here , and how we work with orphanages and shelters to help ukrainian children . aside from spending on what you would expect on the kids -- clothes , food and medicine -- i told her that i 've paid for horse therapy , sailing lessons , martial arts , english and math lessons , dance classes and more . she listened patiently . then she said , i am an orphan . ' this shocked me . where did you grow up ? ' in an orphanage in a small town in west ukraine , ' she said . i had two sisters , there was no father around ; mom could n't take care of us . my sisters and i were separated . ' i told her , i have never met an orphan who went to university and started law school . would you mind telling me how you did this ? ' above the noise of the bus , she said , you ca n't believe those people who tell you ,'your mother is an alcoholic , your father does n't want you . you will never be anybody .'you have to believe in yourself . ' russia warns of civil war if ukraine uses force to quell eastern revolts a common reason children end up on their own , in an orphanage , or on the streets , is that they were abused . ukraine is a country that has been abused . the revolution of 1917 , wwii , stalin 's starvation of millions , the collapse of the ussr , have all left their marks on ukraine . russian president vladimir putin is continuing the abuse now by sending troops , tanks and soldiers to ukraine . first putin took crimea . now , pro-russian protesters are calling for regional independence in the eastern ukrainian cities of donetsk , kharkiv and luhansk . this comes on top of the news that a ukrainian naval officer was shot dead by a russian soldier in crimea . no one knows what will happen next . putin is working from the view that russia is the parent and ukraine is a child . but ukraine is n't interested in hearing that narrative any more . the abuse that ukraine has suffered in history is bad enough . but the attitude that says we own you ' is even worse . this conflict is not about russians versus ukrainians . many people in ukraine speak russian . they were russian , now they are ukrainian . language is n't the issue . some russians have been living in crimea for generations . they live in harmony with their ukrainian neighbors . crimea is their home . there are also russians who moved to ukraine for personal , family or business reasons . ukraine is a developing country , with more freedom to start a business or to be left alone . wages are low , but there are many opportunities for growth and investment . until the events in kiev and crimea , people did n't think in terms of who was born in russia and who was born in ukraine . now , that may be changing . putin was enraged by the political fallout in kiev in february when the ukrainian parliament impeached pro-russian president viktor yanukovych after he fled the capital , setting the country up for a new presidential election on may 25 . by annexing crimea , putin is punishing ukraine for standing up for itself . but ukraine is a country learning to believe in itself . brooks said it to his team , at least in the film version , miracle on ice , ' as they faced the older , seasoned russians on the ice . i say it to ukrainians so engaged in this struggle , you were meant to be here . ... this is your time . their time is done . it 's over . ' | gamble : in ukraine , russians and ukrainians have lived peacefully until now |
schwartz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the picture of yahoo ceo marissa mayer tilted on a lounge chair , hair flowing above her and shot from above has sparked a mini-firestorm among women . a significant number of women , feeling not too distanced from the days when women ceos were just a fond hope , much less an aspiration , were less than thrilled at the idea of one of the few women of real power still needing the affirmation of a vogue fashion shoot . the fact that it was kind of sexy added just a little gasoline to the fire . but to be fair , the reaction was far from uniform ; other women slammed back and said , why not ? ' she 's earned the right to do anything she wants , and why not be sexy and a ceo ? we do n't have to wear the same uniform men do , we can do it our way ' . well , i am teetering towards the middle but coming down on the side of the disappointed . on the one hand , marissa mayer ca n't avoid the fact that she 's a role model , even if she did n't start out to be one . her picture seems to say to us , here 's a real me that 's just as important as being a ceo . look at how pretty and sexy i am ! ' now any woman can understand that . sexed up and smart : women debate marissa mayer 's vogue photo posing for the camera is always a narcissistic act , and i dare say , most women 's first reaction to seeing themselves in a photo that surfaces in a newspaper , or in a private family shot , is how do i look ? ' i plead guilty . but still , here 's a woman who has made it to the top because of her brains , does she still need to self-validate by having a beautiful fashion gig ? what does that say to all the women who would never be beautiful enough to do that , but might be brainy enough to have her job ? should they feel less than marissa ' because they ca n't qualify for the vogue slot ? could n't marissa just take pictures that show her as a stylish and good-looking ceo rather than as a babe who is showing her great legs in $ 1,000 shoes ? but then there is the other side . we all do love to look great and be admired . we understand the impulse . and why should she be denied her one month of being a famous fashonista ? she 's worked hard to gain the prominence she earned , and some girls , even very smart girls , do , just like the song says , just want to have fun ' ... at least occasionally . mayer turns heads with photo shoot i get it , and i get why she did it . but she has to take note of how pained a lot of women are about this fashion photo . not just a few women felt hurt looking at the mayer layout , wondering silently or out loud if acquiescing to this kind of shot means that for mayer , and perhaps for other women , that making it ' and having it all ' needs to include being publicly admired for one 's allure . that 's a depressing thought for many talented women who are not beautiful or not sexy . they do not have that card to play and this layout could certainly make them wonder if selection for the top job requires being lovely . we women would like to feel that for at least some of us , sheer competence would make looks a non-issue in our lives . we would like to think that a brainiac like marissa mayer would n't need , perhaps would not want , to have a very public glamor shot as a career capstone . unfortunately , it is not an exaggeration to say that marissa mayer is kind of saying , even though i am sure she did not mean to , that to have it all , sure , you have to be smart , but , let 's face it , you also need to be beautiful . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of pepper schwartz . | pepper schwartz : some women wished mayer did n't need affirmation of such a spread |
schwartz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the picture of yahoo ceo marissa mayer tilted on a lounge chair , hair flowing above her and shot from above has sparked a mini-firestorm among women . a significant number of women , feeling not too distanced from the days when women ceos were just a fond hope , much less an aspiration , were less than thrilled at the idea of one of the few women of real power still needing the affirmation of a vogue fashion shoot . the fact that it was kind of sexy added just a little gasoline to the fire . but to be fair , the reaction was far from uniform ; other women slammed back and said , why not ? ' she 's earned the right to do anything she wants , and why not be sexy and a ceo ? we do n't have to wear the same uniform men do , we can do it our way ' . well , i am teetering towards the middle but coming down on the side of the disappointed . on the one hand , marissa mayer ca n't avoid the fact that she 's a role model , even if she did n't start out to be one . her picture seems to say to us , here 's a real me that 's just as important as being a ceo . look at how pretty and sexy i am ! ' now any woman can understand that . sexed up and smart : women debate marissa mayer 's vogue photo posing for the camera is always a narcissistic act , and i dare say , most women 's first reaction to seeing themselves in a photo that surfaces in a newspaper , or in a private family shot , is how do i look ? ' i plead guilty . but still , here 's a woman who has made it to the top because of her brains , does she still need to self-validate by having a beautiful fashion gig ? what does that say to all the women who would never be beautiful enough to do that , but might be brainy enough to have her job ? should they feel less than marissa ' because they ca n't qualify for the vogue slot ? could n't marissa just take pictures that show her as a stylish and good-looking ceo rather than as a babe who is showing her great legs in $ 1,000 shoes ? but then there is the other side . we all do love to look great and be admired . we understand the impulse . and why should she be denied her one month of being a famous fashonista ? she 's worked hard to gain the prominence she earned , and some girls , even very smart girls , do , just like the song says , just want to have fun ' ... at least occasionally . mayer turns heads with photo shoot i get it , and i get why she did it . but she has to take note of how pained a lot of women are about this fashion photo . not just a few women felt hurt looking at the mayer layout , wondering silently or out loud if acquiescing to this kind of shot means that for mayer , and perhaps for other women , that making it ' and having it all ' needs to include being publicly admired for one 's allure . that 's a depressing thought for many talented women who are not beautiful or not sexy . they do not have that card to play and this layout could certainly make them wonder if selection for the top job requires being lovely . we women would like to feel that for at least some of us , sheer competence would make looks a non-issue in our lives . we would like to think that a brainiac like marissa mayer would n't need , perhaps would not want , to have a very public glamor shot as a career capstone . unfortunately , it is not an exaggeration to say that marissa mayer is kind of saying , even though i am sure she did not mean to , that to have it all , sure , you have to be smart , but , let 's face it , you also need to be beautiful . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of pepper schwartz . | schwartz : the unintended message is you have to be smart and beautiful |
tunisia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- what is happening in tunisia ? following a month of largely leaderless popular protests against the government , tunisia 's president zine el abidine ben ali fled the country on friday . fouad mebazaa , the speaker of parliament , was sworn in the following day as interim president , and new elections are due within 60 days . . what were the protests about ? they were sparked by the suicide of an unemployed college graduate in december . the man set himself on fire in front of a government building in the town of sidi bouzid after police confiscated his fruit cart , saying he was selling without a permit , according to amnesty international . he died january 4 from his injuries . the event tore the lid off what appears to have been long-simmering fury at ben ali and his associates . tunisians accuse the ruling circle of rampant corruption and nepotism . recent diplomatic cables from the u.s. embassy in tunisia obtained by wikileaks revealed growing disquiet with the government -- especially over nepotism . why does tunisia matter ? it could be the canary in a coal mine , since it 's far from the only arab nation with a long-time president and a young , underemployed population . riots broke out in neighboring algeria after weeks of demonstrations in tunisia , and egypt , libya and yemen will certainly be watching closely to see what happens in tunis . libya 's moammar gadhafi said he was sad and hurt ' after ben ali fled tunisia , warning that the country was heading for more unjustified chaos . it used to be a safe , secure and friendly nation . development was going on , with job opportunities , work training , education . and suddenly , one day people destroy their own houses , ' gadhafi said in a nationally televised speech . with a population of just over 10 million , tunisia is not one of the major players in the region . it 's not an oil exporter , does not have disputes with its neighbors , and is relatively prosperous and liberal for north africa . so if popular protest can topple a president there , the region 's autocrats must assume they need to be on their guard . how violent have the protests been ? at least 21 people died in protests before ben ali fled , according to the government . local unions put the figure at more than 50 . the u.n. high commissioner for human rights , navi pillay , citing reports , said the protests had been peaceful and that security forces used excessive force . prime minister mohamed ghannouchi on thursday declined to answer a cnn question about whether live ammunition or snipers were used against demonstrators , saying those matters will be part of an investigation into the conduct of the security forces . . does this mean tunisia is becoming a fully-fledged democracy ? it 's too soon to say . the protests have been dubbed the jasmine revolution , ' but cnn 's ben wedeman in tunis , the capital , says the military has moved quickly to fill the power void . curfews are in place and tanks and armored personnel carriers were on the streets of the capital 's main streets . . are events like this unusual in tunisia ? they 're very unusual , not only in tunisia but across the middle east . ben ali was only the second president of tunisia since it gained independence from france in 1956 . his predecessor , president habib bourguiba , ruled for more than 20 years until he was succeeded by ben ali -- then the prime minister -- in 1987 . ben ali claimed victory in five successive presidential elections since then , most recently officially taking nearly 90 % of the vote in november 2009. . | other long-serving leaders in the region will be paying close attention to tunisia |
fivethirtyeight.com <tsp> ( cnn ) -- these are the days of uncertainty . the pollsters tell us so . you would n't know it from the pundits , however . they rend their garments or sing hosannas as if each little survey statistic was handed down from on high , chiseled into tablets . is mitt romney panicking ? ' asked a washington post headline in mid-september after polls indicated president obama had received a post-convention bounce . did obama just throw the entire election away ? ' an alarmed andrew sullivan asked after the first presidential debate , reeling off a flurry of the president 's poor polling numbers . the fact is , every day is a day of uncertainty -- and we hate that . psychologically , it gives us comfort to determine our fates , says dr. david reiss , a san diego-based psychiatrist and expert on personality dynamics . we 're sort of hardwired to predict what is going to happen to protect ourselves , ' he says . after all , for much of mankind 's recorded history , a prediction could literally mean the difference between life and death -- whether it was determining a village 's vulnerability to attack or attempting to figure out the size of the coming harvest . but , he adds , there 's also a sense of power and ego in knowing the future : if i can predict things , i have some control and it releases feelings of helplessness or fear , ' he says . the more i can predict , the smarter i am and the better i look to others . ' throw in the chattering , nattering , opinion-splattering classes -- which traffic in confidence and authority -- and you create a stew of statements that seldom veers from bet-the-house conviction . in his new book , the signal and the noise : why so many predictions fail -- but some do n't , ' statistician and fivethirtyeight.com creator nate silver looked into almost 1,000 predictions of the d.c.-based mclaughlin group ' pundits . they were about half right -- no better than a coin flip . these beltway insiders displayed about as much political acumen as a barbershop quartet , ' silver writes . compare that with weather forecasters , silver says in an interview . the profession , which has improved consistently over the years , makes a virtue out of unknowns , such as the cone of probability ' in hurricane tracking . they 're being honest about how much they know and how much they do n't know , ' he says . so they 've made progress , whereas people who are trying to make the perfect prediction and take political science and treat it as though it 's physics are failing much more often , ' he says . an appreciation of uncertainty requires a dose of humility that the weather forecasters have that the ( pundits ) do n't . ' numbers overload : polling data hype sways voters'you find the uncertainty and kind of wallow in it' we may want to laugh about the mclaughlin ' folks -- they 're providing entertainment , not prophecy -- but the overall point of silver 's book is that poor predictions can cost society dearly . look at the financial crisis , which blindsided most economists , or the early visions of the iraq war , which turned out to be anything but the predicted cakewalk . ' it 's no wonder that , throughout history , kings and emperors put so much stock in soothsayers , or that tales of joseph , daniel , cassandra and the oracle at delphi are still touchstones . we also revel when the experts are wrong . an irish mathematician said speedy trains were impractical because they 'd cause breathing deprivation . a 1901 critic said only one of mark twain 's works would endure : the celebrated jumping frog of calaveras county . ' and then there 's the founder of the onetime technology behemoth digital equipment corp. , who said in 1977 , there 's no reason a person would want a computer in their home . ' digital was bought by home computer-maker compaq in 1998 . ( theweek.com has a whole page devoted to such opinions . ) pollsters should n't get cocky , either . in 1936 , the prestigious literary digest -- which ran what was then considered the gold standard of presidential polls -- proclaimed that republican alf landon would beat president franklin d. roosevelt . instead , roosevelt won the greatest electoral landslide of modern times . the digest , suddenly a laughingstock , folded two years later . the digest 's failure led to the rise of pollster george gallup , who brought statistical rigor to polling . but even gallup could falter : his poll missed the harry truman-thomas dewey contest of 1948 . futurists are professional predictors , some of them paid tidy sums for their expertise in forecasting the direction society , technology and nations are moving . cindy frewen wuellner , an architect and chairwoman of the association of professional futurists , says the key to good forecasting is knowing what you do n't know and doing your research . as a futurist , you find the uncertainty and kind of wallow in it , ' she says . you make sure the uncertainty is explored layer by layer . ' she observes that context is key . we 're always making fun of the fact that we do n't have a jetsons ' -like present of flying cars , she points out , but seldom think about what 's required to build that kind of society . it 's not the innovation , it 's the diffusion of it , ' she says , pointing out that we 'd need to create a whole infrastructure for such vehicles ( which do exist ) . it 's enough to have the faa dealing with all the planes in the air . what if every single car was a plane ? ' people ( like , perhaps , sports talking heads or washington pundits ) often believe predictions are a single scenario , ' she adds . futurists believe in futures with an 's ,'meaning multiple scenarios . and the only scenario that is n't going to happen is business as usual . you ca n't just take today and multiply it out and call it tomorrow . ' which is one of the issues in interpreting polls . too often , observers look at what is so often characterized as a snapshot ' of data and jump to conclusions . it does n't help , says emory university political scientist and polling expert alan abramowitz , that there are more polls than ever . if you go back to the 1950s and '60s , there were only a few polling organizations , ' he says . it 's really in the last two or three presidential election cycles that we 've seen a proliferation of polls . ' moreover , as technology has changed , so have polling methods . polling used to be done face to face . now it 's all done by telephone -- a much cheaper alternative , abramowitz says , but not necessarily more accurate , what with robocalls , lack of callbacks and sampling challenges based on land line and cell phone users . then there 's rational ignorance ' -- the consciously shallow understanding and apathy of many possible respondents . there have been movements to counter these flaws , such as stanford university 's deliberative polling , ' but the general process remains imperfect . some organizations have adjusted well , others have not -- but all the data are thrown into the mix , a haystack of straws for pundits to grasp .'town meeting'or fodder for denialists ? in his book when the people speak , ' james fishkin , a stanford political scientist , observed that george gallup believed polling solved a host of civic ills . along with mass media , polling created a town meeting on a national scale , ' gallup wrote in 1938 . so much for that . instead , many people have used the snapshot statistics as a club with which to pound their opponents -- or they deny their usefulness entirely . indeed , these days , some people hold onto their views so strongly that they resist actual facts . both parties have fallen into the trap : in 2004 , some democrats , lulled by early exit polls that indicated a narrow victory for john kerry , claimed that the election had been stolen . more recently , some republicans have claimed that the polls themselves are skewed . in an essay for slate , law professor richard l. hasen , author of the voting wars , ' asked if republicans would accept an obama victory . he pointed to a rise in distrust of election results -- from members of both parties -- since the 2000 bush v. gore contest . the lesson from these statistics is simple . if my guy won , the election was fair and square . if your guy won , there must have been some kind of chicanery , ' he writes . sigh . sometimes , says futurist frewen wuellner , you just have to accept that you do n't know the future until it occurs . in the meantime , research , prepare -- and expect uncertainty . anybody who says they know for sure -- they 're lying , ' she says . they do n't know . nobody knows for sure . there 's always something that can happen . it 's what makes the prediction business so big . ' | fivethirtyeight.com 's nate silver : a dose of humility ' necessary |
thomas <tsp> ( cnn ) the fbi charged a philadelphia woman on thursday with trying to travel overseas to fight for isis . she 's one of three women arrested this week on terror charges . two new york women were also taken into custody . an fbi complaint cites numerous social media messages dating back to august 2013 that were sent by keonna thomas , 30 , also known as young lioness ' and fatayat al khilafah . ' one twitter message said , if we truly knew the realities ... we all would be rushing to join our brothers in the front lines pray allah accept us as shuhada [ martyrs ] . ' another said , when you 're a mujahid [ violent jihadi fighter ] your death becomes a wedding . ' the fbi said thomas purchased an electronic visa to turkey on march 23 . turkey is known as the easiest place from which to enter syria and join isis . an isis manual advises recruits to buy round-trip tickets to vacation spots such as spain and then purchase tickets for their real destination once they arrive overseas , the fbi said . on march 26 , thomas purchased a ticket to barcelona , with a march 29 departure and an april 15 return to the united states , the complaint said . it 's not clear when or where she was arrested . she was charged with knowingly attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization . she could be sentenced to 15 years in prison . on thursday , noelle velentzas , 28 , and her former roommate , asia siddiqui , 31 , were arrested in new york and accused of planning to build an explosive device for attacks in the united states , federal prosecutors said . in the past 18 months , the justice department 's national security division has prosecuted or is prosecuting more than 30 cases of people attempting to travel abroad to join or provide support to terrorist groups . of those cases , 18 allegedly involve support to isis . the terrorist threat is more decentralized , more diffuse , more complicated , ' homeland security secretary jeh johnson told reporters thursday . it involves the potential lone wolf actor , it involves the effective use of social media , the internet . ' | thomas is one of three women facing federal terror charges this week |
thomas <tsp> ( cnn ) the fbi charged a philadelphia woman on thursday with trying to travel overseas to fight for isis . she 's one of three women arrested this week on terror charges . two new york women were also taken into custody . an fbi complaint cites numerous social media messages dating back to august 2013 that were sent by keonna thomas , 30 , also known as young lioness ' and fatayat al khilafah . ' one twitter message said , if we truly knew the realities ... we all would be rushing to join our brothers in the front lines pray allah accept us as shuhada [ martyrs ] . ' another said , when you 're a mujahid [ violent jihadi fighter ] your death becomes a wedding . ' the fbi said thomas purchased an electronic visa to turkey on march 23 . turkey is known as the easiest place from which to enter syria and join isis . an isis manual advises recruits to buy round-trip tickets to vacation spots such as spain and then purchase tickets for their real destination once they arrive overseas , the fbi said . on march 26 , thomas purchased a ticket to barcelona , with a march 29 departure and an april 15 return to the united states , the complaint said . it 's not clear when or where she was arrested . she was charged with knowingly attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization . she could be sentenced to 15 years in prison . on thursday , noelle velentzas , 28 , and her former roommate , asia siddiqui , 31 , were arrested in new york and accused of planning to build an explosive device for attacks in the united states , federal prosecutors said . in the past 18 months , the justice department 's national security division has prosecuted or is prosecuting more than 30 cases of people attempting to travel abroad to join or provide support to terrorist groups . of those cases , 18 allegedly involve support to isis . the terrorist threat is more decentralized , more diffuse , more complicated , ' homeland security secretary jeh johnson told reporters thursday . it involves the potential lone wolf actor , it involves the effective use of social media , the internet . ' | the fbi cites social media messages sent by keonna thomas , 30 |
isis <tsp> ( cnn ) the fbi charged a philadelphia woman on thursday with trying to travel overseas to fight for isis . she 's one of three women arrested this week on terror charges . two new york women were also taken into custody . an fbi complaint cites numerous social media messages dating back to august 2013 that were sent by keonna thomas , 30 , also known as young lioness ' and fatayat al khilafah . ' one twitter message said , if we truly knew the realities ... we all would be rushing to join our brothers in the front lines pray allah accept us as shuhada [ martyrs ] . ' another said , when you 're a mujahid [ violent jihadi fighter ] your death becomes a wedding . ' the fbi said thomas purchased an electronic visa to turkey on march 23 . turkey is known as the easiest place from which to enter syria and join isis . an isis manual advises recruits to buy round-trip tickets to vacation spots such as spain and then purchase tickets for their real destination once they arrive overseas , the fbi said . on march 26 , thomas purchased a ticket to barcelona , with a march 29 departure and an april 15 return to the united states , the complaint said . it 's not clear when or where she was arrested . she was charged with knowingly attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization . she could be sentenced to 15 years in prison . on thursday , noelle velentzas , 28 , and her former roommate , asia siddiqui , 31 , were arrested in new york and accused of planning to build an explosive device for attacks in the united states , federal prosecutors said . in the past 18 months , the justice department 's national security division has prosecuted or is prosecuting more than 30 cases of people attempting to travel abroad to join or provide support to terrorist groups . of those cases , 18 allegedly involve support to isis . the terrorist threat is more decentralized , more diffuse , more complicated , ' homeland security secretary jeh johnson told reporters thursday . it involves the potential lone wolf actor , it involves the effective use of social media , the internet . ' | she 's accused of trying to travel overseas to join isis |
fbi <tsp> ( cnn ) the fbi charged a philadelphia woman on thursday with trying to travel overseas to fight for isis . she 's one of three women arrested this week on terror charges . two new york women were also taken into custody . an fbi complaint cites numerous social media messages dating back to august 2013 that were sent by keonna thomas , 30 , also known as young lioness ' and fatayat al khilafah . ' one twitter message said , if we truly knew the realities ... we all would be rushing to join our brothers in the front lines pray allah accept us as shuhada [ martyrs ] . ' another said , when you 're a mujahid [ violent jihadi fighter ] your death becomes a wedding . ' the fbi said thomas purchased an electronic visa to turkey on march 23 . turkey is known as the easiest place from which to enter syria and join isis . an isis manual advises recruits to buy round-trip tickets to vacation spots such as spain and then purchase tickets for their real destination once they arrive overseas , the fbi said . on march 26 , thomas purchased a ticket to barcelona , with a march 29 departure and an april 15 return to the united states , the complaint said . it 's not clear when or where she was arrested . she was charged with knowingly attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization . she could be sentenced to 15 years in prison . on thursday , noelle velentzas , 28 , and her former roommate , asia siddiqui , 31 , were arrested in new york and accused of planning to build an explosive device for attacks in the united states , federal prosecutors said . in the past 18 months , the justice department 's national security division has prosecuted or is prosecuting more than 30 cases of people attempting to travel abroad to join or provide support to terrorist groups . of those cases , 18 allegedly involve support to isis . the terrorist threat is more decentralized , more diffuse , more complicated , ' homeland security secretary jeh johnson told reporters thursday . it involves the potential lone wolf actor , it involves the effective use of social media , the internet . ' | the fbi cites social media messages sent by keonna thomas , 30 |
brooke baldwin <tsp> ( cnn ) it 's not hard to get into raqqa . the problem , one prominent activist tells cnn , is getting out . abu ibrahim al-raqqawi 's voice is calm and measured as he describes life inside the city isis claims as the capital of its so-called caliphate . but the horrors he details are harrowing . airstrikes . executions . forced blood donations and marriages to isis fighters . al-raqqawi is n't his real name . it 's the identity the former medical student who helped found an activist group called raqqa is being slaughtered silently ' uses to speak out . isis fighters have already tortured and executed one member of the group , he says , and they 've made it clear they want the others involved dead . still , al-raqqawi tells cnn 's brooke baldwin that wo n't stop him from sharing what he sees . i lost my life ... i do n't have school . i do n't have a future . i do n't have anything , but i did n't want that for me or for my city , ' he says . it 's the situation forcing me to do this . i do n't want to be famous . i do n't want everybody to know who i am or what i 'm doing . it 's just for my city and for my family and for the innocent civilians . ... we are trying our best . we are trying to save our city . ' here 's a look at some of the things al-raqqawi has told cnn he and others from the activist group have seen in raqqa . cnn has n't independently confirmed his claims , but his account provides a rare glimpse into the dramatic transformation of a city once known as one of syria 's most liberal . in two months at least 40 people have been executed in raqqa , al-raqqawi says , for charges including being a fighter for the free syrian army , being gay or killing others . activists , he says , are also targeted . if you are an activist ... inside the city of raqqa , it will take you to death , ' he says . in raqqa , al-raqqawi says , a day might start out with a trip to court over a home robbery , and end up with a forced blood donation . if you have anything in the islamic court , they say ,'go to the hospital and donate your blood and bring me the receipt , and if you do n't have it , i ca n't help you , ' he says . they say to you ,'we ca n't help you until you go to the hospital . there ( are ) a lot of airstrikes , a lot of injured isis fighters .'' for women , al-raqqawi says , the city is like a big prison . ' they are not allowed to leave the city if they are younger than 45 years old . and he says his activist group has documented more than 270 cases of girls forced to marry isis fighters . isis fighters are really sex-mad . ... some of them have two and three wives , and even with that they are trying to find slaves from yazidi girls , ' he says . an effort to repaint buildings in bright colors is n't what you 'd expect to see in a square known as the site of executions , beheadings and crucifixions . but al-raqqawi says that 's just what happened in raqqa several weeks ago . the change is particularly notable , he says , because when isis first came to the city they painted buildings black . now , al-raqqawi says the fresh coats of pink , white , gold and green paint could be a sign that isis is trying to make buildings less of a target for coalition airstrikes . there is a big wall between the civilians and foreign fighters . it 's like two different lives inside the city of raqqa , ' al-raqqawi says . yes it 's heaven for some of these foreign fighters , because they give them a lot of money . they give them the fancy houses . they give them the fancy cars . ' but for some , it 's not the paradise they imagined , al-raqqawi says . rumors swirl , he says , about foreign fighters being killed after trying to defect . isis takes their passports and if anyone tries defection from this , they will kill them immediately , ' he says . the problem , it 's not how to go inside the city of raqqa . the problem is how to get out . ' | we are trying to save our city , ' an activist tells cnn 's brooke baldwin |
cnn <tsp> ( cnn ) it 's not hard to get into raqqa . the problem , one prominent activist tells cnn , is getting out . abu ibrahim al-raqqawi 's voice is calm and measured as he describes life inside the city isis claims as the capital of its so-called caliphate . but the horrors he details are harrowing . airstrikes . executions . forced blood donations and marriages to isis fighters . al-raqqawi is n't his real name . it 's the identity the former medical student who helped found an activist group called raqqa is being slaughtered silently ' uses to speak out . isis fighters have already tortured and executed one member of the group , he says , and they 've made it clear they want the others involved dead . still , al-raqqawi tells cnn 's brooke baldwin that wo n't stop him from sharing what he sees . i lost my life ... i do n't have school . i do n't have a future . i do n't have anything , but i did n't want that for me or for my city , ' he says . it 's the situation forcing me to do this . i do n't want to be famous . i do n't want everybody to know who i am or what i 'm doing . it 's just for my city and for my family and for the innocent civilians . ... we are trying our best . we are trying to save our city . ' here 's a look at some of the things al-raqqawi has told cnn he and others from the activist group have seen in raqqa . cnn has n't independently confirmed his claims , but his account provides a rare glimpse into the dramatic transformation of a city once known as one of syria 's most liberal . in two months at least 40 people have been executed in raqqa , al-raqqawi says , for charges including being a fighter for the free syrian army , being gay or killing others . activists , he says , are also targeted . if you are an activist ... inside the city of raqqa , it will take you to death , ' he says . in raqqa , al-raqqawi says , a day might start out with a trip to court over a home robbery , and end up with a forced blood donation . if you have anything in the islamic court , they say ,'go to the hospital and donate your blood and bring me the receipt , and if you do n't have it , i ca n't help you , ' he says . they say to you ,'we ca n't help you until you go to the hospital . there ( are ) a lot of airstrikes , a lot of injured isis fighters .'' for women , al-raqqawi says , the city is like a big prison . ' they are not allowed to leave the city if they are younger than 45 years old . and he says his activist group has documented more than 270 cases of girls forced to marry isis fighters . isis fighters are really sex-mad . ... some of them have two and three wives , and even with that they are trying to find slaves from yazidi girls , ' he says . an effort to repaint buildings in bright colors is n't what you 'd expect to see in a square known as the site of executions , beheadings and crucifixions . but al-raqqawi says that 's just what happened in raqqa several weeks ago . the change is particularly notable , he says , because when isis first came to the city they painted buildings black . now , al-raqqawi says the fresh coats of pink , white , gold and green paint could be a sign that isis is trying to make buildings less of a target for coalition airstrikes . there is a big wall between the civilians and foreign fighters . it 's like two different lives inside the city of raqqa , ' al-raqqawi says . yes it 's heaven for some of these foreign fighters , because they give them a lot of money . they give them the fancy houses . they give them the fancy cars . ' but for some , it 's not the paradise they imagined , al-raqqawi says . rumors swirl , he says , about foreign fighters being killed after trying to defect . isis takes their passports and if anyone tries defection from this , they will kill them immediately , ' he says . the problem , it 's not how to go inside the city of raqqa . the problem is how to get out . ' | we are trying to save our city , ' an activist tells cnn 's brooke baldwin |
hamid mir <tsp> ( cnn ) -- pakistan 's military is pushing to black out a national news station , calling its citing of a man tying government agents to the attempted assassination of his brother -- a prominent tv news anchor -- false , malicious and irresponsible reporting . ' already wednesday night , multiple people said geo news was suddenly unavailable in large swaths of peshawar , parts of quetta and in military barracks in both cities . on its website , geo news -- a cnn affiliate -- reported similar blackouts in okara , murree and dera ghazi khan as well . and that could be just the beginning . the director general of isi , pakistan 's powerful intelligence agency , formally complained to the nation 's military about geo 's coverage after an attack on one of its anchors , hamid mir . the defense ministry then asked the pakistan electronic media regulatory authority to act against geo news , including possibly suspending and ultimately canceling its license to broadcast . hamid mir was shot three times saturday in karachi by gunmen in a car and on two motorcycles near karachi 's airport , his network reported . he is now recovering after undergoing what his doctor described as a successful operation . the government condemned this attack while also sharply criticizing geo news'subsequent reporting of the account of mir 's brother amir , who is a journalist himself . amir mir said his brother believed isi and specifically its leader , lt. gen. zaheerul islam , had plans to assassinate him . the defense ministry 's complaint -- as cited by the pakistan press foundation -- accuses geo news of waging a vicious campaign ... wherein false accusations were made against a state institution tasked to work for the defense , sovereignty and integrity of pakistan . ' this telecast tried to tarnish state agency 's image by falsely linking it with ... terrorist outfits/activities , ' the complaint said . ( this ) false , malicious and irresponsible reporting is a continuation of the policy of geo network for maligning the state institutions , ' added the complaint . geo has strongly defended itself against these allegations , in addition to citing other journalists and ordinary pakistanis who likewise have rallied to its side . benjamin ismail , the head of reporters without borders asia-pacific desk , said the interview with hamid mir 's brother does not constitute an offense ' and noted that pakistani authorities are perfectly free to address the suspicions against them . his group ranks pakistan 158th out of 180 countries on its latest world press freedom index . and bob dietz , the asia program coordinator for the committee to protect journalists , urged the pakistan electronic media regulatory authority not to act against geo news based on what he called a spurious complaint . ' we call on pakistan 's security services to recognize the critical role of the media and exercise tolerance and maturity , ' dietz said in a statement . the isi is free to rebut allegations in the media but should not try to censor coverage . ' in an earlier statement , dietz had called the targeting of mir an indicator that the government of prime minister nawaz sharif has not been able to reverse the country 's appalling record of violence against journalists , despite pledges to do so . ' a former newspaper reporter and editor , hamid mir writes columns and hosts a political talk show on geo news . his guests have included members of pakistan 's ruling government and the opposition . mir is also writing a book on osama bin laden , the late al qaeda leader whose escape from the tora bora mountains of afghanistan he extensively reported on . two pakistani governments -- once in 2007 and again in 2008 -- banned him from appearing on pakistani television . journalists syed ali shah in quetta , pakistan , and zahir shah sherazi in peshawar contributed to this report . | his brother told geo that pakistan 's spy agency may have targeted hamid mir |
hamid mir <tsp> ( cnn ) -- pakistan 's military is pushing to black out a national news station , calling its citing of a man tying government agents to the attempted assassination of his brother -- a prominent tv news anchor -- false , malicious and irresponsible reporting . ' already wednesday night , multiple people said geo news was suddenly unavailable in large swaths of peshawar , parts of quetta and in military barracks in both cities . on its website , geo news -- a cnn affiliate -- reported similar blackouts in okara , murree and dera ghazi khan as well . and that could be just the beginning . the director general of isi , pakistan 's powerful intelligence agency , formally complained to the nation 's military about geo 's coverage after an attack on one of its anchors , hamid mir . the defense ministry then asked the pakistan electronic media regulatory authority to act against geo news , including possibly suspending and ultimately canceling its license to broadcast . hamid mir was shot three times saturday in karachi by gunmen in a car and on two motorcycles near karachi 's airport , his network reported . he is now recovering after undergoing what his doctor described as a successful operation . the government condemned this attack while also sharply criticizing geo news'subsequent reporting of the account of mir 's brother amir , who is a journalist himself . amir mir said his brother believed isi and specifically its leader , lt. gen. zaheerul islam , had plans to assassinate him . the defense ministry 's complaint -- as cited by the pakistan press foundation -- accuses geo news of waging a vicious campaign ... wherein false accusations were made against a state institution tasked to work for the defense , sovereignty and integrity of pakistan . ' this telecast tried to tarnish state agency 's image by falsely linking it with ... terrorist outfits/activities , ' the complaint said . ( this ) false , malicious and irresponsible reporting is a continuation of the policy of geo network for maligning the state institutions , ' added the complaint . geo has strongly defended itself against these allegations , in addition to citing other journalists and ordinary pakistanis who likewise have rallied to its side . benjamin ismail , the head of reporters without borders asia-pacific desk , said the interview with hamid mir 's brother does not constitute an offense ' and noted that pakistani authorities are perfectly free to address the suspicions against them . his group ranks pakistan 158th out of 180 countries on its latest world press freedom index . and bob dietz , the asia program coordinator for the committee to protect journalists , urged the pakistan electronic media regulatory authority not to act against geo news based on what he called a spurious complaint . ' we call on pakistan 's security services to recognize the critical role of the media and exercise tolerance and maturity , ' dietz said in a statement . the isi is free to rebut allegations in the media but should not try to censor coverage . ' in an earlier statement , dietz had called the targeting of mir an indicator that the government of prime minister nawaz sharif has not been able to reverse the country 's appalling record of violence against journalists , despite pledges to do so . ' a former newspaper reporter and editor , hamid mir writes columns and hosts a political talk show on geo news . his guests have included members of pakistan 's ruling government and the opposition . mir is also writing a book on osama bin laden , the late al qaeda leader whose escape from the tora bora mountains of afghanistan he extensively reported on . two pakistani governments -- once in 2007 and again in 2008 -- banned him from appearing on pakistani television . journalists syed ali shah in quetta , pakistan , and zahir shah sherazi in peshawar contributed to this report . | geo news anchor hamid mir was wounded last saturday by gunmen in karachi |
late edition <tsp> editor 's note : this is an excerpt from cnn contributor bob greene 's new book , late edition : a love story , ' a memoir of his time working at an ohio newspaper in the 1960s . the localness of what we did down at the paper defined everything . even as a kid brand-new to the staff and brand-new to the newspaper business , hired to work during summer vacations , i could tell that . bob greene recalls a 1967 lesson in manners from ohio state university football coach woody hayes . it was a localness not confined to the geographic scope of our news coverage -- it went without saying that the columbus , ohio , citizen-journal was n't about to send its reporters to africa or france ( or even to kentucky or indiana ) . the men and women in the city room arrived at work each day knowing that they were n't going to be assigned to anyplace from where they could n't drive back to the office by deadline . the localness extended beyond that , though , and infused the very feel of the place . one night in the summer of 1967 the phone on the sports desk rang and i picked it up with the customary : sports ! ' the person on the other end said : ' now , that 's no way to answer a telephone , is it ? ' who 's calling ? ' i said . to whom am i speaking ? ' the caller said . this is bob greene , ' i said . now , i 've seen your name in the paper , ' the caller said . it 's bob greene jr. , is n't it ? ' i had been permitted to write a few sports stories that summer ; i used the jr. ' at the end of the byline . yes , ' i said . i thought i recognized the voice from somewhere . now , i believe i know your mother and father , ' the caller said . are your parents robert and phyllis greene , from bexley ? ' yes , ' i said . i know they did n't raise you to answer a phone that way , ' the caller said . when you answer a business telephone , the proper way to do it is to tell the caller your name first . ' all right , sir , ' i said . i know your parents are fine people , and i 'm sure they taught you good manners , ' the caller said . you do n't want to disappoint them by giving a bad impression of yourself on the telephone , do you ? ' no , sir , ' i said . good , ' the caller said . now , this is woody hayes . i was calling to speak with tom pastorius . is tom there , please ? ' and , my hands shaking , i connected him with pastorius , one of the paper 's sportswriters . i knew it really was the head coach of the ohio state university football team because of that phrase early in his lecture to me -- to whom am i speaking ? ' his grammar was always scrupulous -- no who am i speaking to ? ' from woody hayes . the localness was all around us . woody had met my mother and father on a few occasions , he remembered them , and he was setting their son straight . he may have been the most nationally famous person in the community , but he was first and foremost a member of that community -- during all his years as head football coach at ohio state , woody kept his home telephone number listed in the columbus phone book : w.w. hayes , on cardiff road . that made for a lot of late-night crank calls from a lot of insulting or drunken people , but he thought that if he was going to represent the community , then he should be as available as any other man or woman in town . once , years later , i heard a story -- i 'm almost certain that it was citizen-journal sportswriter kaye kessler who told it . it seemed that very early in jack nicklaus 's golf career , nicklaus 's father , charlie , a columbus pharmacist , was following his son on tour , and woody hayes offered to travel with charlie nicklaus to keep him company and provide moral support . apparently at one tournament someone in the gallery kept referring to nicklaus as fat jack ' -- nicklaus was a little hefty in those younger days . and , the way i remember the story , either woody hayes had to physically restrain charlie nicklaus from going after the fan , or charlie nicklaus had to restrain woody . ( i have a feeling i know which one was which . ) it was all part of the localness . woody hayes and charlie nicklaus were two columbus residents on the road to cheer for a local golfer ; the fact that the local golfer would become the greatest ever to play the game was incidental . and we -- in the eyes of our readers , and in our own eyes , too -- were , proudly , the local paper . that was all , and everything , we aspired to be . just like the proud local papers in a thousand other american towns . i know they did n't raise you to answer a phone that way , ' woody said . he thought , by saying it , he was doing me a favor . he was . excerpted by permission from late edition : a love story , ' published this week by st. martin 's press . | bob greene 's new memoir is titled late edition : a love story ' |
house <tsp> ( cnn ) -- my great-grandmother used to laugh in moments of misfortune and confusion . it was a reflex honed by the constant daily pressures of being an immigrant in a country where the language and the culture were alien . years later , she said it was a form of stress release . but thinking back , i can also see how laughter felt like the safest bet when confronted with threatening situations in an unfamiliar world . so , maybe genetics explain my inappropriate hilarity when i heard that the u.s. house killed the violence against women act this week -- or at least stood by and did nothing while it died . the bill has been almost automatically extended every five years since its initial passage in 1994 . this trend came to a sickening halt this week when the senate sought to extend critical protections to immigrant and native american women , as well as lgbt people . the current political climate that allows for this betrayal of the fundamental right to safety of body and being feels as alien to me as early 20th-century texas must have felt to my polish great-grandma . drafted in the mid-'90s by then-sen. joe biden , vawa provided greater authority to investigate and prosecute domestic violence cases . it also beefed up scant funding to support victims . before vawa , women saw little incentive and an ominous downside to reporting abuse . more often than not , their abusers saw no punishment , but victims faced losing jobs , homes , marriages and custody of their children . offer women a safe way out of a terrible situation , however , and the results are impressive . reports of gender-based violence dropped a remarkable 64 % from 1993 to 2010 -- from 2.1 million reported cases to 907,000 reported cases . even better , the more robust reporting incentives and mechanisms illuminated societal blind spots where abuse still occurs . that led the senate to pass an expanded version of the reauthorized bill -- one that extends protections to populations that remain vulnerable . the bill was drafted jointly by sen. patrick leahy , d-vermont , and sen. mike crapo , r-idaho , and passed the senate by a comfortable margin last spring . the need is clear : a full third of native american women will be raped in their lifetimes ; an even higher number will experience physical and emotional abuse . lesbian and gay people will be brutalized at the same rate as general society -- approximately 27 % -- but will have far bleaker prospects of finding help . some 45 % of those seeking refuge at a shelter were turned away , and 55 % who sought restraining orders against abusers were denied . undocumented women in the united states risk being held hostage by abusive spouses who lord citizenship over them as a means of control . these same husbands often threaten deportation and separation from children if their wives seek help or report abuse . opinion : house gop failed women on violence against women act meanwhile , 80 % of migrant workers who work in american agriculture report sexual harassment ; many of those include rape . the crisis is so endemic in those industries that the workers often refer to their workplace as fil de calzon ' or field of panties . ' the reforms in the senate bill that seek to right these devastating and rampant wrongs are modest and simple : tribal authorities can prosecute offenses on reservations when state and federal prosecutors fail to do so , the government can issue a visa to abuse victims to halt deportation if they agree to testify against their abusers and shelters that receive federal grants are prohibited from discriminating against lgbt abuse victims who seek their services . these reforms seem like no-brainers in the face of so many brutalized women . but not to a house gop caucus that is scoring political points off the pain of people reviled by the extreme gop base . it seems that sanctioning an underclass of women who live in fear is a small price to pay for approval ratings at home . even worse , at least one gop supporter actually profited from killing the bill . natasha spivack is the owner of a mail-order bride company successfully sued by a bride who had been continuously beaten by her husband . she is also a top official on the advocacy group stop abusive and violent environments , or save , which , according to a report in the huffington post , lobbied the house of representatives to include a'reform to curb vawa immigration fraud'in its version of the bill . ' more protections for these immigrant women would cost spivack 's company a lot of money . these are among the folks with whom the gop has cast its lot . in the past couple of months , americans lent their voices to the global chorus of horror as a young indian woman died from internal injuries after being gang raped , and we shook our collective heads self-righteously when a pakistani girl was shot by the taliban simply for wanting an education . perhaps keeping our eyes on the horizon distracts us from having to face the unchecked bigotry in our own congress . but the result today is millions of ignored and vulnerable women within our own borders . aside from the moral repugnance of this , the actions of this minority make our great nation a hypocrite in the eyes of so many around the world who have looked to us to be beacons of democracy and equal rights . and that 's not a laughing matter , no matter how alien that makes me feel in my own home country . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of ilyse hogue . | ilyse hogue : the house gop killing vawa is betrayal of women 's right to safety |
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