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congress <tsp> washington ( cnn ) the boys — and girls — of capitol hill are back in town . lawmakers new and old picked up their keys to their new offices and got sworn in for the 114th congress on tuesday . unlike any other day of the year , all was not pomp and circumstance , but rather chaos and confusion . animals ( at least , a pet or two ) roamed the halls ; desks and debris lined the capitol basement walls ; republicans congratulated democrats and vice-versa . even florida sen. marco rubio and texas sen. ted cuz , two potential gop presidential primary opponents , hugged it out in the hallways . it marked a rare moment of camaraderie between parties and potential political foes as they prepare for what looks to be as contentious a new congress as ever . on the house side , an attempt orchestrated by conservatives to unseat john boehner from his position as speaker came closer to success than many expected , with more than two dozen republicans voting against him — a show of discontent not seen , according to the washington post , since 1860 . and expressed openness from president barack obama and senate majority leader mitch mcconnell to work together seemed already forgotten as the white house promised to veto a bill to approve the keystone xl pipeline , which republicans had promised would be the very first part of their agenda after they took full control . massachusetts sen. ed markey , a member of the new democratic minority in the senate and a former member of the house , said he was committed to getting something done on capitol hill even with republicans at the helm — but sounded less than confident it was possible . whether in the majority or the minority , you have to work with the other party , ' he said , noting during his decades on the hill passing hundreds of bills he had always worked with republicans . but asked whether he felt republicans were sincere in their stated openness to working with democrats , markey admitted : my hope is that there is a pent-up desire to legislate . ' there was , however , some bipartisan love seen in the halls of congress on tuesday , perhaps brought on — or allowed to slip out — by the chaos of the day . republican sen. pat roberts of kansas received a congratulatory handshake from virginia democratic sen. mark warner in the hallway off the old senate chamber , before turning to say hi ' to newly-minted gop sen. steve daines of montana . daines had lost his family in the crush of people waiting for their picture and the potential for a kiss on the cheek from vice president joe biden . watch : joe biden swearing in senators makes great tv ' well , we 've got four kids , my wife , my mom and dad ! ' daines shrugged when asked how he managed to lose his family on day one . florida rep. patrick murphy , who was joined by his look-a-like older brother , planned like many of his colleagues to bring a young family member onto the floor — his younger nephew — while he was sworn in . former michigan sen. carl levin was meting out kisses of his own , planting one right on washington democratic sen. patty murray 's cheek after scooping her and his successor , new sen. gary peters , into a group hug during peters'introductory party . iowa sen. chuck grassley — who braved a storm in des moines to make it in and marveled that he was only 45 minutes late — party-hopped . just get to as many receptions as you can , ' he said , and if you 're a new member having a reception , stay around and greet and thank as many people that helped you get here . ' he said he had already stopped by receptions for newly-minted gop colleagues sens . dan sullivan , mike rounds and thom tillis , and had about a dozen receptions he planned to hit — but he 'd spend most of my time ' with his new colleague from iowa , sen. joni ernst . ernst was one of a handful of rising stars on the campaign trail who were finally anointed as full members of their parties on capitol hill on tuesday . mia love , an african-american mormon representative from utah , got a special visit from rep. paul ryan — who thanked her friends and family for bringing this budding star ' to congress — before heading to the house floor for the first business of the new congress . looking somewhat shell-shocked at being accosted by a reporter in the hallways , love summed up the first day for many congressional newbies : i 'm excited , ' she said . do n't know what to expect . ' i 'm just going ' with it , she added . but there ran , underneath the fun and excitement , an undercurrent of tension that was difficult to ignore . conservatives who voted against boehner were grumbling before days end about punishments they were already being given or warned about by the speaker and others . some democrats , like west virginia sen. joe manchin , who remains a perennial thorn in the president 's side , criticized his opposition to the keystone bill , while still others sought to support him and the green elements in their base . senate minority whip dick durbin delayed a planned committee hearing on the legislation by objecting to it on the floor of the senate . indeed , it seemed despite tuesday 's fun , the dirty work of legislating was n't far from lawmakers'minds . it 's more or less ceremony today , ' grassley said . the hard work begins tomorrow . ' | members old and new were sworn in to congress on tuesday and moved into new digs |
republicans <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- over the next few days , the drama of a potential government shutdown will collide with the promise of a new health insurance system known as obamacare . here are answers to eight of the most pressing questions about both : 1 . what happens on october 1 with obamacare and the government shutdown ? first , the health insurance exchanges established by the affordable care act -- or obamacare -- will be open for business . millions of uninsured americans will be able to enroll in health plans before the law kicks in on january 1 , 2014 . second , the u.s. government might shut down ' if lawmakers ca n't agree to pass a funding bill that has attached to it a provision to defund obamacare . these two events are linked . the reason both houses of congress may not be able to agree on a funding bill -- also known as a continuing resolution -- is that some senators and representatives see this as their last chance to stop obamacare . but that 's really where the link ends . shutdown showdown over obamacare moves to senate 2 . does a government shutdown shut down obamacare ? not really . most of the funding for obamacare comes from new taxes and fees , from cost cuts to other programs like medicare and other types of funding that carry on even in the event of a government shutdown . congress'research arm , the congressional research service , prepared a memo for republican sen. tom coburn , r-oklahoma , that suggested an effort to use the government shutdown as leverage to force democrats to delay implementing the law would not really work because the law will continue regardless of a shutdown . plus , the law would still be in effect , so its many new requirements -- everything from forcing insurance companies to cover anyone who wants insurance to forcing everyday americans to carry health insurance or pay a fine -- would still be in effect , too . government shutdown : again ? seriously ? 3 . do i have to sign up for a new health insurance plan on october 1 when open enrollment for obamacare begins ? maybe -- take this quick survey and we 'll find out : a . do you get health insurance from your employer ? if the answer is yes -- and this is by far the no . 1 way americans get health insurance -- go on about your business . obamacare does n't really affect you . at least not yet . a lot of people think that because of obamacare , fewer companies will offer health insurance , particularly to low-paid workers and retirees . there is some evidence of this . these employers would have to pay a per-worker fine to the government , but it might be cheaper for them in the long run to pay this fine to the government rather than offer insurance . other companies might cut hours for some workers , making them part-timers working fewer than 30 hours a week in order to avoid helping pay their health insurance . but it will take some years to see if it really comes to pass . however , if you get health insurance at work , you could probably drop that coverage and buy health insurance on the obamacare exchanges . but you might not want to . you wo n't qualify for any government help to buy your insurance and your employer would n't be contributing any of the money it is now . b . do you get health insurance from the government ? if the answer is yes , go on about your business . obamacare does n't really affect you . at least not yet . while obamacare relies on making medicare more efficient as a way to pay for some new services for younger people , it is not supposed to change the services offered by medicare . one big test of this promise is medicare advantage . these are privately administered insurance plans that provide medicare services to seniors . they cost the government more per person to provide medicare . so , obamacare seeks to bring their spending back in line with the rest of medicare . this could lead to changes in medicare advantage options , like gym memberships and other items that are offered as enticements . but the same core medicare services are supposed to remain in effect . the same goes for medicaid . if you get your insurance from one of the 50 state-run medicaid programs , obamacare should not affect you . but you 'll have a lot more company in these programs , which will grow to insure a larger portion of americans . zelizer : gop strategy on shutdown courts doom 4 . do you have an individual health insurance plan ? if yes , obamacare is going to affect you . it is possible that your insurance plan wo n't change , but it 's just as likely that your plan does n't meet all the minimum requirements the law imposes . these include new rules for how much profit companies can take for plans , new rules for coverage of women 's services , new rules for how much more insurance companies can charge for women than men , and a lot more . so , you might have to buy a more expensive plan . in this case , your insurance company has probably already let you know . it 's also possible you might want a new plan . check out your new state health insurance exchange or the one the federal government set up in your state if your state government refused to do so . people who like and dislike obamacare have something to like about costs of individual plans . prelminary estimates have come in lower than some government prognosticators expected . so it is fair to say obamacare might be cheaper than expected for some individuals . but it is also accurate to say that premiums are likely to rise for healthy people on the individual market . why ? they 're going to get more robust insurance plans that cover more things . at the same time , a lot of sick people who get private insurance now pay a ton for it ; their costs could decrease . congress : will it be a government shutdown or budget compromise ? 5 . do you have no health insurance ? if so , obamacare is for you , like it or not . you 're either going to have to enroll in medicaid or buy health insurance from a private company on an exchange ' organized by either your state government or the federal government . if you 're single and you make less than $ 15,281.70 ( $ 31,321.50 for a family of four ) , you 're likely to get medicaid , although some states have refused to expand their programs . those income levels for medicaid -- 133 % of the federal poverty level -- will increase from year to year . 10 ways a government shutdown would affect your daily life 6 . how much is obamacare going to cost me ? it depends . what if you make more than $ 15,281.70 , but not that much more ? you do n't get medcaid . you do n't have employer-sponsored health insurance and you do want coverage . how are you supposed to afford a new health insurance plan ? the government is going to help a lot of people pay for it . if you 're single and you make less than $ 45,960 ( $ 94,200 for a family of four ) , you 'll qualify for a government-sponsored subsidy to help you buy insurance . the kaiser family foundation has estimated the average government subsidy for a family will be about $ 2,700 and the average premium costs will be about $ 8,250 . those costs will vary depending on the age and number of family members and the level of plan they choose to buy . try your own scenario here . q & a : the lowdown on the shutdown , or why you should care about the cr 7 . is obamacare health insurance government insurance ? no . many state medicaid programs will grow to insure much larger portions of their state populations . but the core of the law is the creation of new health insurance exchanges . these are places -- online , mostly -- where people who do n't get insurance can buy it from a private company . on the one hand , the government is making people either carry insurance or pay a fine , on the other hand the government is making insurance companies provide insurance to anyone who wants it and they 're controlling how much the insurance companies can charge . 8 . what happens if i do n't buy health insurance ? you 're young and healthy . you do n't really want health insurance . no sweat . you do n't have to buy it . you can opt out . ' but then you 'll have to pay a fine of between $ 95 for every adult in your house or 1 % of your income after $ 10,000 , whichever is larger . so if you 're single and you make $ 50,000 , you 'd have to pay a $ 400 fine for not having health insurance . the supreme court called this fine a tax . you can look at it that way . or you can view it as an upfront payment for having hospital and ambulance services able to come get you if you need them . or you can look at it as horrible government overreach . some people do . 5 strange things about debt ceilings | republicans have tied the key spending bill to stopping money for obamacare |
canada <tsp> ( cnn ) -- while america slept -- or at least while the left ate their organic ostrich burgers , drank their jackfruit-guava-flavored vitamin water and tweeted cleverly ' about marco rubio 's watergate ' -- canada was preparing to counter a growing threat to the nation . patriotic members of the canadian parliament stood up to political correctness last week by declaring that canada will not tolerate an influx of zombies . foreign affairs minister john baird even went as far as to boldly state that canada will never become a safe haven for zombies , ever . ' of course , the lamestream media did n't cover this story . they prefer you worry about things like meteors and cruise ships instead of a growing zombie threat . but it 's time for americans to wake up ! canada 's zombie preparedness means one thing for us : zombies will be driven out of canada and into the united states . and once they are here , good luck getting them out of the country .'the walking dead': five explosive moments sure , some will argue that we can make conditions so tough for zombies that they will self-deport . but i 'm not buying it . why ? a few reasons . one , zombies have no sense of direction . sure , you can point zombies in the direction of canada and hope they keep walking as a pack over the border , but they 're easily distracted . second , americans are fatter than canadians , which means we are more appealing for zombies to eat than our slimmer northern neighbors . third , and most important , america is the greatest country in the world , so why would a zombie want to live anywhere else ? ! i know some will dismiss me as an alarmist , but i wonder how you will feel when one these zombies steals your job . sure , zombie expert max brooks , author of the books the zombie survival guide ' and world war z , ' informed me that zombies ca n't be trained to take our jobs . but i have two things to say about brooks . one , he 's part of the liberal hollywood elite who tries to sell us on the notion that zombies are n't a threat to our nation 's exceptionalism . check out the recent hollywood film warm bodies , ' which is a romantic comedy about a girl falling in love with a zombie . sorry , max and hollywood : zombies do n't need a hug ; they need a swift kick out of our country . what it takes to make a'walking dead'zombie second , just because zombies are n't skilled enough to take our jobs today , what about in the future ? the zombie virus could mutate , and before you know it , some undead person is doing your job for half the pay . i , for one , do n't want to tell a red-blooded american human kid that his dream of being of a dog-walker is over because some zombie learned how to hold a leash . plus , keep in mind that if even only a few zombies make it over the border , these anchor zombies ' will create more and more zombies . this is a threat to our very existence . i 'm not just talking the danger of them eating our brains , which could happen . i 'm talking about the greater risk they pose to our federal deficit because they will want handouts from our government . it 's just a matter of time until gov . andrew cuomo of new york or house minority leader nancy pelosi says zombies should receive government benefits . how long after that do you think it will be until these people argue that zombies should be covered under obamacare ? ! keep in mind that zombies far outlive humans , so they will be a great drain on medicare . why zombies , robots , clowns freak us out and we all know where this is all ultimately leading . two words : zombie amnesty . the living dead will then have an easier path to citizenship than the living . brooks and i did agree that we need the federal government to respond to the dangers posed by an influx of zombies . ( while i 'm usually against new government programs , i do support any that will benefit me directly . ) but brooks , in typical liberal fashion , advocates a coordinated global response to the zombie threat . nice try , max , but that 's just another ploy by you and your elitist friends to get us to give up control of our nation to the united nations . not on my watch , buddy . i see these zombies for what they truly are : un-american . they do n't speak english , they do n't share our values , and they eat human beings . plus , they 're probably all liberals . after all , you ca n't be pro-life if you eat people . i hope my fellow americans wake up before it 's too late . we need to secure our borders now before we talk about allowing any zombie reform legislation allowing them to enter or remain in our country . if not , then i hope the rosetta stone starts teaching us how to speak zombie , because we are all going to need it . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of dean obeidallah . | canadian politicians said canada will not tolerate an influx of zombies |
brega <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) -- rebels marched toward tripoli wednesday , capturing a town southwest of the capital from libyan leader moammar gadhafi 's forces , a rebel fighter told cnn . fighting also engulfed misrata , east of tripoli , where 14 rebels were killed and 42 others wounded , according to mohamed ibrahim , a rebel spokesman in the city . three civilians also died in rocket attacks launched by gadhafi 's men , ibrahim said . cnn could not verify the information . just west of misrata , in dafniya , 14 rebel fighters were killed and 42 were wounded wednesday during a firefight with gadhafi forces , said ibrahim . the rebels ran over al-qawalish , a town of about 4,000 residents 50 kilometers ( 31 miles ) southwest of tripoli , a stronghold for gadhafi since the start of the uprising in february . their attacks got under way around 7 a.m. from the north , the west and the south . on the western front , journalist david adams said rebels were using grad launchers , two russian tanks and a number of other vehicles , rockets and guns . the rebels captured the town around 2:30 p.m. , entering from all three fronts , some having captured vehicles belonging to gadhafi forces . some rebel fighters could be seen breaking windows , shooting doors of houses and rummaging through families'belongings . some said they were looking for weapons , but they appeared to be looting . after they had lost control of the town , gadhafi forces began shelling its periphery with grad rockets . at least 12 government soldiers died , six were wounded and seven were captured , said adams . rebels , whose casualties included at least seven dead and 15 wounded , said their next target would be al assabiah , said adams . hassan al-jiwali , a rebel fighter from the nafusa mountains , said 50 of gadhafi 's men were killed and 15 were captured in the offensive . fighting has erupted in the western mountains in recent weeks as more than four months of battles have failed to yield a decisive victory for either side . the first united nations joint mission to reach the devastated mountain region found many people in dire need of food . a world food programme statement said markets were not functioning due to limited fuel and cash , and basic services such as electricity and water were lacking in some areas . the rebels said they were moving northward , closer to the capital on the mediterranean sea . they intended to march to the city of garyan , which sits on the main highway to tripoli . also wednesday , nato said its air forces targeted military re-fueling equipment in the brega area southwest of the rebel stronghold of benghazi . these precision strikes will limit the ability of pro-gadhafi forces to threaten libyan civilians and significantly degrade logistical support for gadhafi 's campaign in eastern libya , ' said lt. gen. charles bouchard , commander of operation unified protector , in a news release . france has acknowledged arming the rebels , saying the weapons were for self-defense . however , french defense minister gerard longuet said tuesday the weapons were no longer necessary because the rebels were becoming more autonomous . ' but debate continued over france 's decisions . in a contentious closed-door u.n. security council meeting tuesday , russia argued that , by sending weapons , france had violated the council 's resolution that authorized the use of nato force in libya . cnn 's kareem khadder and kathryn tancos contributed to this report . | new : nato warplanes targeted military refueling equipment near brega |
lionel messi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- real madrid restored their six-point lead at the top of spain 's la liga with a 5-1 thrashing of real sociedad saturday . real were held 1-1 at villarreal in midweek but in their own santiago bernabeu stadium were back to winning ways . gonzalo higuain put los blancos ahead early in the first half before two goals apiece from cristiano ronaldo and karim benzema completed the rout . ronaldo 's double left him level with barcelona superstar lionel messi on 35 league goals as the superstar pair match each other goal for goal to maintain their incredible scoring rates . xavi prieto was on target late on for the well beaten visitors . barcelona had earlier briefly cut real 's lead to just three points after messi and gerard pique scored in a 2-0 win at mallorca . the victory came despite the reigning champions having to play the last half hour with only 10 men after thiago alcantara was shown red . messi , who became barcelona 's all-time leading scorer in midweek , got on the scoresheet in the first half . alexis sanchez was originally credited with the goal from messi 's free kick but it was discovered he did not get a touch . thiago 's dismissal for a second yellow left barca on the back foot , but when messi 's late shot hit the post , central defender pique was the first to react to grab the clinching second . | lionel messi credited with opener in the win |
thailand open <tsp> ( cnn ) -- britain 's andy murray claimed his third title of the season with a straight sets thrashing of donald young of the united states to win the thailand open sunday . top seed murray made no mistake as he swept aside young 6-2 6-0 in just 47 minutes to add to his victories in cincinnati and at queen 's club in london . i just played really well , ' murray told the official atp website . towards the end of the first set he started to play a bit better , but once i got up in the second i hardly made any mistakes . ' murray will now head to the japan open in tokyo where the draw is headed by world number two rafael nadal , who beat him in the semifinals of the u.s. open . murray is hoping to overtake roger federer for the world number three spot by the end of the season . it 's a very good start . roger ( federer ) always plays very well on the european indoor courts , so i 'm sure i 'm going to have to win a lot more matches if i want to finish no . 3 . that 's the goal and i 'll keep working hard to give myself a shot at doing that , ' he added . young could not repeat his success over murray at indian wells but will move into the top 50 for the first time after his run to the final . in other atp final action sunday , serbia 's janko tipsarevic captured the first career title as he beat marcos baghdatis of cyprus 6-4 7-5 in the malaysian open . tipsarevic , seeded third , had been the only player in the top 20 without an atp title and had lost his previous four finals . on the wta tour , french open champion li na suffered a shock defeat in front of her home fans as she lost in straight sets to romanian qualifier monica niculescu . li has struggled since her roland garros triumph and lost 6-4 6-0 for her second straight first round exit , leaving the crowd in beijing stunned . | murray beats donald young 6-2 6-0 to win thailand open in bangkok |
britain <tsp> ( cnn ) -- britain 's andy murray claimed his third title of the season with a straight sets thrashing of donald young of the united states to win the thailand open sunday . top seed murray made no mistake as he swept aside young 6-2 6-0 in just 47 minutes to add to his victories in cincinnati and at queen 's club in london . i just played really well , ' murray told the official atp website . towards the end of the first set he started to play a bit better , but once i got up in the second i hardly made any mistakes . ' murray will now head to the japan open in tokyo where the draw is headed by world number two rafael nadal , who beat him in the semifinals of the u.s. open . murray is hoping to overtake roger federer for the world number three spot by the end of the season . it 's a very good start . roger ( federer ) always plays very well on the european indoor courts , so i 'm sure i 'm going to have to win a lot more matches if i want to finish no . 3 . that 's the goal and i 'll keep working hard to give myself a shot at doing that , ' he added . young could not repeat his success over murray at indian wells but will move into the top 50 for the first time after his run to the final . in other atp final action sunday , serbia 's janko tipsarevic captured the first career title as he beat marcos baghdatis of cyprus 6-4 7-5 in the malaysian open . tipsarevic , seeded third , had been the only player in the top 20 without an atp title and had lost his previous four finals . on the wta tour , french open champion li na suffered a shock defeat in front of her home fans as she lost in straight sets to romanian qualifier monica niculescu . li has struggled since her roland garros triumph and lost 6-4 6-0 for her second straight first round exit , leaving the crowd in beijing stunned . | britain 's andy murray claims third atp title of the season |
lindsay mills <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the girlfriend of self-avowed national security agency leaker edward snowden wrote that she was adrift in a sea of chaos ' after he spilled government secrets and decamped to hong kong . in a post on her blog , lindsay mills -- who described herself as a pole-dancing superhero ' -- said she was typing on a tear-streaked keyboard . ' for those of you that know me without my super hero cape , you can probably understand why i 'll be refraining from blog posts for awhile . my world has opened and closed all at once . leaving me lost at sea without a compass , ' she wrote monday , a day after american and british newspapers published snowden 's identity as the source behind their reports on the u.s. surveillance programs . no sign of nsa leaker as u.s. investigation builds steam ' surely there will be villainous pirates , distracting mermaids , and tides of change in this new open water chapter of my journey . but at the moment all i can feel is alone . and for the first time in my life i feel strong enough to be on my own . though i never imagined my hand would be so forced . ' the same day , on the photo-sharing website flickr , mills wrote , i have lost my compass and find myself adrift in a sea of chaos . goodbye my friends . i 'll see you when the waves calmly set my vessel back on dry land . ' her blog has since been taken down . snowden , 29 , touched off a washington firestorm when he leaked classified documents that revealed the scope of the nsa 's collection of telephone and internet data . there is no evidence that mills knew of snowden 's actions . is snowden a hero or a traitor ? her father spoke to reporters tuesday outside his home in laurel , maryland . he described snowden as nice , shy , reserved . ' his daughter and snowden dated for four to five years . he 's always had strong convictions of right and wrong , and it kind of makes sense , but ( i 'm ) still shocked , ' jonathan mills said . julian assange to snowden :'go to latin america' he wished snowden good luck : he 's got my love . ' snowden told the british newspaper the guardian , one of the two outlets that broke stories on the programs last week , that he left his job with an nsa contractor in hawaii without telling either his family or mills . my family does not know what is happening , ' he said . my primary fear is that they will come after my family , my friends , my partner . anyone i have a relationship with ... i will have to live with that for the rest of my life . ' what next for snowden ? | lindsay mills describes herself as a pole-dancing superhero ' |
colorado <tsp> a respiratory virus is sending hundreds of children to hospitals throughout the midwest and beyond , health officials say . the unusually high number of hospitalizations reported could be just the tip of the iceberg in terms of severe cases , ' said mark pallansch , a virologist and director of the centers for disease control and prevention 's division of viral diseases . twelve states have contacted the cdc for assistance in investigating clusters of enterovirus : alabama , colorado , michigan , georgia , ohio , iowa , illinois , missouri , kansas , oklahoma , kentucky and utah . four -- colorado , illinois , missouri and iowa -- have confirmed cases of enterovirus d68 , also known as ev-d68 . what is enterovirus ev-d68 ? at a news briefing monday , the cdc confirmed that samples it tested from children who had been hospitalized in illinois and in kansas city , missouri , did show signs of the ev-d68 virus , meaning there is a possible regional outbreak . the iowa department of public health confirmed that ev-d68 cases have been identified in iowa . officials are hearing of illnesses across the state , they say , though there is not a firm count of how many people have been infected . dr. christine nyquist , medical director of infection control at children 's hospital colorado , said the hospital sent around 25 samples to the cdc from patients with respiratory illness . around 75 % were confirmed to be ev-d68 . the hospital has seen a 12 % to 15 % increase in emergency room visits and admissions this month compared with the same time frame last year , she said . enteroviruses , which bring on symptoms like a very intense cold , are n't unusual . it 's important to remember that these infections are very common , ' said dr. anne schuchat . schuchat is the assistant surgeon general for the u.s. public health service and the director of the national center for immunization and respiratory diseases . when you have a bad summer cold , often what you have is an enterovirus . the cdc estimates there are 10 to 15 million viral infections each year in the united states . the season often hits its peak in september . this particular type of enterovirus -- ev-d68 -- is uncommon but not new . it was identified in the 1960s , and there have been fewer than 100 reported cases since that time . but it 's possible that the relatively low number of reports might be because ev-d68 is hard to identify . it 's one that we do n't know as much about as we would like , ' schuchat said . ev-d68 was seen last year in the united states and this year in various parts of the world . over the years , clusters have been reported in georgia , pennsylvania , arizona and various countries including the philippines , japan and the netherlands . the reason health officials are concerned this year is that there have been so many hospitalizations . that 's the scary part -- the unpredictability , i think , ' nyquist said . what parents should know about ev-d68 missouri the virus has sent more than 30 children a day to a kansas city , missouri , hospital , where about 15 % of the youngsters were placed in intensive care , officials said . in kansas city , about 475 children were recently treated at children 's mercy hospital , and at least 60 of them received intensive hospitalization , spokesman jake jacobson said . it 's worse in terms of scope of critically ill children who require intensive care . i would call it unprecedented . i 've practiced for 30 years in pediatrics , and i 've never seen anything quite like this , ' said dr. mary anne jackson , the hospital 's division director for infectious diseases . we 've had to mobilize other providers , doctors , nurses . it 's big , ' she said . the kansas city hospital treats 90 % of that area 's ill children . staff members noticed an initial spike on august 15 , jackson said . it could have taken off right after school started . our students start back around august 17 , and i think it blew up at that point , ' jackson said . our peak appears to be between the 21st and the 30th of august . we 've seen some leveling of cases at this point . ' an analysis by the cdc showed at least 30 of the kansas city children tested positive for ev-d68 , according to the missouri department of health and senior services . vaccines for ev-d68 are n't currently available , and there is no specific treatment for infections , the missouri agency said . many infections will be mild and self-limited , requiring only symptomatic treatment , ' it said . some people with several respiratory illness caused by ev-d68 may need to be hospitalized and receive intensive supportive therapy . ' some cases of the virus might contribute to death , but none of the missouri cases resulted in death , and no data are available for overall morbidity and mortality from the virus in the united states , the agency said . it 's not usually fatal , thank god for that , ' schuchat said . but i 'm not sure why it 's infecting so many kids as opposed to so many people . ' symptoms include coughing , difficulty breathing and rash . sometimes they can be accompanied by fever or wheezing . the majority of the children who have been hospitalized with the virus , at least on the samples the cdc tested , did have asthma to start with . the virus made their symptoms worse . we want parents to know that it 's important to make sure your children with asthma are on their medicines and keeping up with their medication routine , ' schuchat said . jackson said physicians in other midwest states reported cases with similar symptoms . the full scope is yet to be known , but it would appear it 's in the midwest . in our community , meticulous hand-washing is not happening . it 's just the nature of kids , ' jackson said . colorado denver also is seeing a spike in respiratory illnesses resembling the virus , cnn affiliate kusa said . more than 900 children have gone to children 's hospital colorado emergency and urgent care locations since august 18 for treatment of severe respiratory illnesses , including enterovirus and viral infections , hospital spokeswoman melissa vizcarra said . of those , 86 have been sick enough to be admitted to the aurora facility . and rocky mountain hospital for children had five children in intensive care and 20 more in the pediatric unit , kusa said last week . this is the worst i 've seen in my time here at rocky mountain hospital for children , ' dr. raju meyeppan told the outlet . we 're going to have a pretty busy winter at this institution and throughout the hospitals of denver . ' will cornejo , 13 , was among the children in intensive care at rocky mountain hospital for children after he came down with a cold last weekend and then woke up tuesday night with an asthma attack that could n't be controlled with his medicine albuterol . his mother , jennifer , called 911 when her son 's breathing became shallow , and her son was airlifted to the denver hospital , she told kusa . her son was put on a breathing tube for 24 hours . it was like nothing we 've ever seen , ' jennifer cornejo told kusa . he was unresponsive . he was laying on the couch . he could n't speak to me . he was turning white , and his lips turned blue . we 're having a hard time believing that it really happened , ' she added . we 're much better now because he is breathing on his own . we 're on the mend . ' risk of infection in east columbus , ohio , nationwide children 's hospital saw a 20 % increase in patients with respiratory illnesses last weekend , and dr. dennis cunningham said patient samples are being tested to determine whether ev-d68 is behind the spike , cnn affiliate wtte rep blessing hospital in quincy , illinois , saw more than 70 children with respiratory issues last weekend , and seven of them were admitted , cnn affiliate wgem reported . the hospital 's dr. robert merrick believes that the same virus that hit kansas city is causing the rash of illnesses seen at the quincy and hannibal hospitals , which both imposed restrictions this week on children visiting patients , the affiliate said . mostly we 're concerned about them bringing it in to a vulnerable patient . we do n't feel that the hospital is more dangerous to any other person at this time , ' merrick told wgem . like other enteroviruses , ev-d68 appears to spread through close contact with infected people , the agency said . unlike the majority of enteroviruses that cause a clinical disease manifesting as a mild upper respiratory illness , febrile rash illness , or neurologic illness ( such as aseptic meningitis and encephalitis ) , ev-d68 has been associated almost exclusively with respiratory disease , ' the missouri health agency said . clusters of the virus have struck asia , europe and the united states from 2008 to 2010 , and the infection caused relatively mild to severe illness , with some intensive care and mechanical ventilation , the health agency said . to reduce the risk of infection , individuals should wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds , especially after changing diapers ; avoid touching eyes , nose and mouth with unwashed hands ; avoid kissing , hugging and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick ; disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as toys and doorknobs ; and stay home when feeling sick , the missouri agency said . rare outbreak in tokyo as who warns of spread of dengue fever sierra leone plans nationwide lockdown to stop spread of ebola | iowa , colorado , missouri and illinois have confirmed ev-d68 cases |
waldorf astoria <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- she may be out of washington and on the road for the week , but the heavy machinery of office has followed secretary of state hillary clinton to new york as she attends the annual united nations general assembly meetings . to be sure , the secretary always has a traveling staff with her wherever she may be in the world . but unga , with its hundreds of diplomats , ministers and heads of state converging on new york every september , is a much different animal from a trip to a world capitol . basically , foggy bottom moves up to the big apple and sets up a mini-state department on the 24th floor of the waldorf astoria . cnn was granted rare and exclusive access to this massive operation , one that involves hundreds of employees , planeloads full of equipment and a ton of coffee . as we exited the elevator on the 24th floor , it became clear this was indeed a secure work space , with numerous diplomatic security guards and several signs reminding staff not to discuss classified information in the hallways . it seemed as if u.s. foreign policy had n't skipped a beat despite being a few hundred miles removed from home base . with the beds in each room removed ( though the head boards where still bolted to the wall ) , the rooms have been transformed into working offices with secure telephone lines , computers , fax machines and all of the equipment needed to do the job of executing the nation 's diplomacy . as we were escorted down one of the halls , capricia penavic marshall , the department 's chief of protocol , was working with her staff to prepare for what was already shaping up to be an marathon of a week . marshall 's office is responsible for advising on matters of international diplomatic protocol , making sure the right atmosphere is created for conducting diplomacy . even though marshall was congratulating the staff for an earlier event that went off successfully , staff members have a long week ahead assuring there are no diplomatic glitches when president barack obama and secretary clinton meet with many of their counterparts . helping manage protocol for more than 190 u.n. member states is a juggling act marshall 's protocol team has to perfect every unga . every regional office , such as the bureau of african affairs , the bureau of east asian affairs , and the bureau of near east affairs , which oversees the middle east , had taken over a room or two and had staff busy working the phones trying to set up meetings for clinton while she is in town . benjamin sand with international organization affairs -- the bureau responsible for managing the u.s. relationship with united nations and all other international organizations -- said the pressure of managing the week 's itinerary was more like finals week ' in college , except that it would be the entire world grading his office 's performance as opposed to a lone professor . despite the enormity of the task at hand , some of his staff was already at work preparing for next year 's unga . tuli mushing set up clinton 's executive office at the waldorf . he said brought a lot ' of people up from washington to make sure the secretary had everything at her disposal to operate effectively . special agent t.j. lunardi of the diplomatic security service has an office set up to oversee the security for clinton as she travels around new york for her meetings , as well as the security for all other non-head of state dignitaries . lunardi says he has to create a protective bubble ' so the state department can move into a hotel building where employees can handle and discuss sensitive information the department needs in order to function . lunardi 's work also extends to the 34th floor of the waldorf , the floor where obama and clinton will hold bilateral meetings with their counterparts this week . a separate staff works on the 34th floor , preparing the room where clinton would be meeting with the japanese and russian foreign ministers , and the pool of reporters who would shuffle in to ask questions and take pictures of the two shaking hands . linda dewan works on 34th floor setting up the bi-lat ' room . each has what looks like an ordinary conference table dressed up with flowers , but linda explains how every name card , glass of water and pencil is placed just so , according to diplomatic procedure established under former secretary of state james baker . back on 24 , the general services office is busy preparing briefing books of information for clinton to cover the subject of every meeting on her daily schedule . george rowland , a senior support specialist in the office , said he expected to go through 40 to 50 cases of paper this week to prepare the books . many of the rooms had the large brown burn bags ' -- the final destination for much of that paper -- in which the shredded remains of sensitive documents are placed before they are burned . down the hall in room 24m , members of the press are getting ready for clinton 's photo-op ' with the japanese foreign minister . bomb dogs are sniffing cameras and gladys boggs is rounding up the journalists and cameramen . boggs has been running these photo ops for decades . it 's not just shuffling the press into a room : boggs spends months advancing the site , making sure the media gets a good shot to illustrate the diplomacy secretaries of state are conducting . matt lee , a veteran state department reporter , says unga week is always a big hassle because of the famous new york city traffic , but it 's a good opportunity to see lots of sources and get a better sense of the full diplomatic picture . lee is well-known for his tough questions , but he says he would n't be doing his job if he did n't push the state department to explain how all the meetings here at unga translate in to u.s. foreign policy . as we take the freight elevator up to the 34th floor and wait in a elevator vestibule , reporters are discussing what question to toss out to clinton . along with cami mccormack from cbs , we ask clinton about her hopes to avert a showdown with palestinian president mahmoud abbas at the u.n. security council over the palestinian statehood issue . usually clinton does n't speak at the photo-ops , but she had a message to deliver : the united states does n't think action at the united nations will lead to a peace deal and she hopes to find a compromise before abbas'speech on friday . it 's not breaking news , but reporters fly back down to 24m file the comments for their outlets . as obama and clinton continue a whirlwind schedule of meetings and dinners , the frenetic pace of work will continue on the 24th floor of the waldorf . when clinton leaves the secure lines will be removed and the sensitive documents destroyed , and a new set of guests will take their place . until next year . | the waldorf astoria hosts the huge state department contingent |
keith anderson <tsp> ( the hollywood reporter ) ben powers , who played thelma 's ( bernnadette stanis ) husband keith anderson on the final season of the classic cbs sitcom good times , ' has died . he was 64 . powers died april 6 in new bedford , mass. , his family announced . no cause of death was revealed . powers joined the cast of good times ' for its sixth and final season from 1978 to 1979 season , playing keith , a professional football player . his character and thelma wed in the third episode of that season , but he injures his leg while walking out of the church , straining their relationship . powers also had a regular role as moochie ' on the cbs detective drama show , mickey spillane 's mike hammer , from 1984 to 1985 . powers had a small part in cheech & chong 's next movie ' ( 1980 ) . he was back with the comedy pair in things are tough all over ' ( 1982 ) . he also appeared in the man who loved women ' ( 1983 ) starring burt reynolds . he also guest-starred on shows such as gim me a break , ' flamingo road , ' the greatest american hero ' and laverne & shirley . ' born in brooklyn and raised in providence , r.i. , by his grandparents , alton ben ' powers attended the rhode island school of design for painting and sketching before focusing on acting . he performed stand-up comedy routines in providence , incorporating impressions and songs into his act , where he was discovered by a hollywood agent . gigs at the playboy clubs in los angeles , new york and boston led to a job in 1977 on the revived version of laugh-in . ' survivors include his mother and his sisters yvonne and maya . people we 've lost in 2015 ©2015 the hollywood reporter . all rights reserved . | he played thelma 's husband keith anderson |
ben powers <tsp> ( the hollywood reporter ) ben powers , who played thelma 's ( bernnadette stanis ) husband keith anderson on the final season of the classic cbs sitcom good times , ' has died . he was 64 . powers died april 6 in new bedford , mass. , his family announced . no cause of death was revealed . powers joined the cast of good times ' for its sixth and final season from 1978 to 1979 season , playing keith , a professional football player . his character and thelma wed in the third episode of that season , but he injures his leg while walking out of the church , straining their relationship . powers also had a regular role as moochie ' on the cbs detective drama show , mickey spillane 's mike hammer , from 1984 to 1985 . powers had a small part in cheech & chong 's next movie ' ( 1980 ) . he was back with the comedy pair in things are tough all over ' ( 1982 ) . he also appeared in the man who loved women ' ( 1983 ) starring burt reynolds . he also guest-starred on shows such as gim me a break , ' flamingo road , ' the greatest american hero ' and laverne & shirley . ' born in brooklyn and raised in providence , r.i. , by his grandparents , alton ben ' powers attended the rhode island school of design for painting and sketching before focusing on acting . he performed stand-up comedy routines in providence , incorporating impressions and songs into his act , where he was discovered by a hollywood agent . gigs at the playboy clubs in los angeles , new york and boston led to a job in 1977 on the revived version of laugh-in . ' survivors include his mother and his sisters yvonne and maya . people we 've lost in 2015 ©2015 the hollywood reporter . all rights reserved . | ben powers joined the cast of good times ' for its sixth and final season |
thelma <tsp> ( the hollywood reporter ) ben powers , who played thelma 's ( bernnadette stanis ) husband keith anderson on the final season of the classic cbs sitcom good times , ' has died . he was 64 . powers died april 6 in new bedford , mass. , his family announced . no cause of death was revealed . powers joined the cast of good times ' for its sixth and final season from 1978 to 1979 season , playing keith , a professional football player . his character and thelma wed in the third episode of that season , but he injures his leg while walking out of the church , straining their relationship . powers also had a regular role as moochie ' on the cbs detective drama show , mickey spillane 's mike hammer , from 1984 to 1985 . powers had a small part in cheech & chong 's next movie ' ( 1980 ) . he was back with the comedy pair in things are tough all over ' ( 1982 ) . he also appeared in the man who loved women ' ( 1983 ) starring burt reynolds . he also guest-starred on shows such as gim me a break , ' flamingo road , ' the greatest american hero ' and laverne & shirley . ' born in brooklyn and raised in providence , r.i. , by his grandparents , alton ben ' powers attended the rhode island school of design for painting and sketching before focusing on acting . he performed stand-up comedy routines in providence , incorporating impressions and songs into his act , where he was discovered by a hollywood agent . gigs at the playboy clubs in los angeles , new york and boston led to a job in 1977 on the revived version of laugh-in . ' survivors include his mother and his sisters yvonne and maya . people we 've lost in 2015 ©2015 the hollywood reporter . all rights reserved . | he played thelma 's husband keith anderson |
united continental <tsp> ( mashable ) -- united airlines announced tuesday that it is replacing its pilots'flight decks with ipads . rather than carry around 38 pounds of operating manuals , charts and logbooks , the 11,000 pilots at united and continental will use a pre-loaded ipad . united started distributing ipads to pilots earlier this month and plans to have devices to all pilots by the end of the year . united joins a growing list of airlines that have started converting some or all of their pilots to using electronic flight bags . alaska airlines announced in may its intentions to switch from paper to the ipad . last week , delta and british airways started testing the use of ipad and other consumer tablets as replacements for traditional paper flight bags . according to united , moving away from paper to the ipad will do more than increase efficiency and improve safety : ' each ipad , which weighs less than 1.5 pounds , will replace approximately 38 pounds of paper operating manuals , navigation charts , reference handbooks , flight checklists , logbooks and weather information in a pilot 's flight bag . a conventional flight bag full of paper materials contains an average of 12,000 sheets of paper per pilot . the green benefits of moving to efbs are two-fold it significantly reduces paper use and printing , and , in turn , reduces fuel consumption . the airline projects efbs will save nearly 16 million sheets of paper a year which is equivalent to more than 1,900 trees not cut down . saving 326,000 gallons of jet fuel a year reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 3,208 metric tons . ' electronic flight decks will allow pilots to update their materials instead of waiting for printed distribution , and the decrease in weight will also be easier on a pilot 's luggage . our question is : what happens in the event of a device failure ? we assume that backup systems will be in place so that paper flight kits or replacement ipad devices will be available in the event of a broken pre-flight tablet . see the original article at mashable.com | united continental plans to replace its pilots'flight decks with ipads |
namibia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- former finnish president martti ahtisaari has won the 2008 nobel peace prize , the norwegian nobel committee announced friday . former finland president martii ahtisaari twice worked to find a solution in kosovo . ahtisaari is an outstanding international mediator , ' said ole danbolt mjoes , chairman of the norwegian nobel committee . through his untiring efforts and good results , he has shown what role mediation of various kinds can play in the resolution of international conflicts . ' the committee cited ahtisaari 's significant ' part in establishing namibia 's independence and his central ' role in solving the question of the indonesian province of aceh in 2005 . watch as finland celebrates the announcement » ahtisaari twice worked to find a solution in kosovo -- first in 1999 and again between 2005 and 2007 . he also worked with others this year to find a peaceful solution to the problems in iraq , the committee said . ahtisaari and his group , crisis management initiative , also contributed to resolving other conflicts in northern ireland , central asia , and the horn of africa , the committee said . the norwegian nobel committee wishes to express the hope that others may be inspired by his efforts and his achievements , ' mjoes said . the committee awards the peace prize annually according to guidelines laid down in the will of its founder , alfred nobel . he specified the prize should go to whoever shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations , for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses . ' the prestigious prize includes a medal , a personal diploma , and 10 million swedish crowns ( $ 1.4 million ) in prize money . former u.s. vice president al gore shared last year 's prize with the intergovernmental panel of climate change . the committee plans to award the prize to ahtisaari on december 10 at oslo city hall in norway . the peace prize is one of five nobel prizes awarded annually . the others -- for physics , chemistry , physiology or medicine , and literature -- were announced this week and will be awarded in stockholm , sweden later this year . | committee cited ahtisaari 's significant ' part in namibia 's independence |
english <tsp> edinburgh , scotland ( cnn ) -- let 's not pretend queen elizabeth does n't have opinions . she 's human and must have strong views on the potential break-up of the united kingdom , which she represents . what matters is whether she expresses those views in public , which would compromise her constitutional role to remain impartial , and could undermine the position of the monarchy . the queen has managed to stay above politics ' for more than 60 years -- and with scotland voting on independence thursday she 's not about to upset things now . the closest elizabeth ii has come to commenting on the referendum was something she said to a well-wisher outside a scottish church on sunday , that she hopes people think very carefully about the future . ' this is a rare moment of candor for someone who 's well aware that anything she says to a member of the public has the potential to be picked up by reporters , who she also knows have the referendum at the forefront of their minds . this came amid uk newspaper reports that the queen felt a great deal of concern over independence . her grandson , prince william , also appeared to step into the debate , according to some newspapers , when he was asked about his wife 's second pregnancy on the day it was announced . of course , he said , the couple were thrilled -- but then he added : it 's important that we focus on the big news , the big international and domestic thing going on at the moment . ' that comment was seen by parts of the uk media as a reference to the scottish referendum . so what 's the official line ? a palace spokeswoman told me : any suggestion that the queen would wish to influence the outcome of the current referendum campaign is categorically wrong . her majesty is firmly of the view that this is a matter for the people of scotland . ' the queen has come under pressure from some politicians to step into the debate but that idea was given short shrift . the queen is above politics and those in political office have a duty to ensure that this remains the case , ' said the spokeswoman . one of the queen 's great achievements has been to retain cross-party support in parliament throughout her reign ( remember , she came to the throne in 1952 ) . she 's done this by refusing to take sides , in public at least . due to her popularity , she could sway opinion but royalty is about the long game . if she involves herself in policy then she risks alienating people and parliamentarians who could ultimately de-throne her and bring in a president . the queen 's role in scotland is n't actually at any immediate risk . the frontman of the pro-independence campaign , scottish first minister alex salmond , says he looks forward to the queen remaining as queen of scots ' in an independent scotland . that does n't , however , do justice to the historic significance of the moment . the united kingdom was born out of the merger of the english and scottish royal families more than 400 years ago , which in turn led to the treaty of union of 1707 and the joining of parliaments . this new country went on to build an empire that spanned the globe , at various points taking in the united states , india , australia , canada and much of africa . the managed decline of the empire after world war ii is held up as one of queen elizabeth 's great achievements . as territories broke away , she helped rebrand a commonwealth of independent nations . but bringing scotland into that fold has an entirely different significance . scotland is n't some breakaway outpost of the british empire ; it 's home turf which has remained uncontested since the renaissance . breaking up the united kingdom now would prompt an identity crisis for queen and country . factor in that her mother was scottish and it 's intrinsically personal too . the last time elizabeth ii touched publicly on this idea was in 1977 during a speech to mark her silver jubilee . at the time , scotland and wales were voting on forming national assemblies . she said : i can not forget that i was crowned queen of the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland . perhaps this jubilee is a time to remind ourselves of the benefits which union has conferred , at home and in our international dealings , on the inhabitants of all parts of the united kingdom . ' empires may come and go , but the queen 's facing the break-up of her home country . it 's personal and professional for her . | the uk resulted from a merger of the english and scottish royal families 400 years ago |
america <tsp> gun debate ? what gun debate ? americans seem to have this settled . yes , we witnessed on our tv screens this week yet another parade of children being evacuated from their school — this time in oregon -- their arms held high to show they were not armed as they fled a 15-year-old shooter who police said took the life of their 14-year-old classmate . but americans , ever more desensitized to the school/mall/navy yard attacks that come , weekly , into their lives , do n't seem to want to talk about a gun problem . americans remain pleased for the general population -- even 15-year-old kids -- to have nearly unfettered access to all manner of firearms , including assault rifles . even the president seems to have acquiesced . a tweet from @ whitehouse : 'if public opinion does not demand change in congress , it will not change .'-- president obama on legislation to prevent gun violence . ' what this means is that we 've accepted school shootings and other random mass shootings as a normal part of life in america , no matter how they affect the life , liberty and pursuit of happiness that was first announced in the declaration of independence , some 13 years before our oft-quoted constitution and the bill of rights . i guess that 's not surprising : we accept collateral damage for other privileges we enjoy . we tolerate a certain number of drunk driving deaths , more than 10,000 in 2012 , and there 's little public outcry for greater restrictions . we 've been willing to sacrifice nearly 7,000 soldiers ( and tens of thousands wounded ) in two wars to maintain our political influence in the middle east . about 400 children drown each year in pools and spas , but we 're not scrambling to outlaw summer fun . why should guns be any different ? in the united states only about 10 people out of every 100,000 are killed by guns , or a little more than 30,000 per year ( as a reference , we lost about 60,000 soldiers in the vietnam war ) . this is clearly an acceptable sacrifice to make to maintain our sacred , un-infringed right to bear arms , no ? after all , i 've been told by some gun-rights advocates that reasonable restrictions on gun ownership will undoubtedly send us down a slippery slope to the abolition of all guns in america . and if we did n't have unfettered access to guns , think about what would happen : we would be overrun by a foreign power ; our government would assume totalitarian control and burn the constitution ; and criminal gangs , the only people left with guns , would run roughshod over all law-abiding citizens . if you suggest , as i have , that we should place reasonable restrictions on guns , then you are clearly a delusional or ignorant pacifist who has been dropped on his head . what part of shall not be infringed ' do n't you understand ? they ask . ( for the record , i 'm a responsible gun owner . ) i 'm confident that in the next few weeks there will be another school shooting . i 'm confident because there have been 74 shootings on or around schools or colleges in the year and a half since the sandy hook massacre . that 's averaging one a week . i 'll repeat : we have a gun problem in this country . reasonable restrictions on guns will not lead to totalitarianism and anarchy . suffering 30,000 gun deaths annually is not a reasonable sacrifice to make in order to blindly maintain our unrestricted gun culture , particularly when the rallying cry is an outdated reference concerning infringement which , known to anyone who has actually studied the constitution and our founding fathers who drafted it , was a reference to the then-existing reality that young men , when called upon to defend the state and the laws of the state , were expected to provide their own arms . listen , reasonable restrictions are necessary to assure the continued viability of our second amendment rights , and to curb the unnecessary bloodshed caused by the proliferation of guns into hands of irresponsible people who care little about constitutional rights , and less about the sanctity of life . like that of a boy in oregon , who was shot dead . | mark o'mara : america appears to have settled its gun debate |
abc news <tsp> ( cnn ) -- christiane amanpour will return to cnn with a weekday program on cnn international while continuing at abc news as a global affairs anchor , the networks announced tuesday . amanpour will begin hosting a program on cnn international in 2012 as part of a unique arrangement ' with abc news , cnn worldwide president jim walton said in an e-mail message to cnn staff . christiane amanpour has been synonymous with international reporting and with cnn for many years , ' walton said in a statement . we could not be happier that through this unique arrangement with abc news , her experience and global perspective are returning to a nightly news broadcast for our international audience . ' amanpour , who left cnn in 2010 to become host of abc 's this week , ' said in a statement that she was thrilled and honored ' by the opportunity to host multiple specials for primetime abc news and return to cnn . i am looking forward to getting back into the field to report stories on global issues that matter greatly to the american people , ' she said . at the same time , i will be broadcasting once again to hundreds of millions of people across the world with a weekday show on cnn international . ' former this week ' host george stephanopoulos will return to the program and continue his role as an anchor for good morning america , ' abc news spokesman jeffrey schneider said . christiane has had an absolutely remarkable year at abc news , with world-beating exclusives , ' abc news president ben sherwood said in a statement . we 're thrilled that she will be able to get back out in the field , bringing these important global stories back to our audiences , particularly primetime . ' amanpour spent more than 25 years reporting from around the globe for cnn . most recently , she was cnn 's chief international correspondent and anchored amanpour , ' a 30-minute daily interview program that aired on cnn international from september 2009 to april 2010 . her body of work has earned nine news and documentary emmys , four george foster peabody awards , two george polk awards , three dupont-columbia awards , the courage in journalism award , an edward r. murrow award , an inaugural television academy honor and nine honorary degrees . in 2007 , amanpour was made a commander of the most excellent order of the british empire by queen elizabeth ii for her highly distinguished , innovative contribution ' to the field of journalism . cnn 's catherine e. shoichet contributed to this report . | cnn worldwide president : her return is part of a unique arrangement ' with abc news |
botswana <tsp> harare , zimbabwe ( cnn ) -- deaths in zimbabwe related to the cholera epidemic are approaching 2,000 , the world health organization said tuesday , and close to 40,000 people have been affected by the preventable water-borne disease . two men rest in a cholera rehydration tent on the south africa-zimbabwe border in december . statistics released by the geneva , switzerland-based organization who on tuesday show 1,937 people have died in the raging epidemic from the 38,334 who contracted the disease since its outbreak in august . cholera has spread to neighboring countries south africa and botswana . the epidemic comes at a time when president robert mugabe 's government is facing its worst economic crisis , manifested in shortages of all essentials from food , fuel , cash , foreign currency and electricity and a hyperinflationary economy . health experts have said harare 's failure to import adequate stocks of water-treating chemicals is the main driver of the disease . most residents have resorted to rivers and shallow wells for drinking water , because taps are usually dry . on top of that problem , the waste-disposing system has collapsed . children can be seen playing on heaps of uncollected garbage in the suburbs of most urban areas in zimbabwe . last month , mugabe 's government declared the cholera epidemic a national emergency . since then , international governments and organizations such as who , doctors without borders , oxfam , usaid and other u.n. groups have moved in to combat the disease that has engulfed all of zimbabwe 's provinces . but the situation has not immediately improved . zimbabwean health minister david parirenyatwa warned this month that the epidemic could get worse as the rainy season develops . harare issued a warning monday that some parts of the country are going to experience floods during rainy season , further compounding the fight against the disease . the season peaks in january or february and ends in late march . mugabe and rival morgan tsvangirai signed a power-sharing deal in september to run the government after a hotly contested presidential election . it was widely hoped that the deal would be the panacea to the humanitarian and economic problems bewildering the once-prosperous zimbabwe , but the pact is yet to take effect . the sides continue to debate the sharing of key cabinet ministries such as information , local government , finance , defense and home affairs . | cholera has spread to neighboring countries south africa and botswana |
indian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- on december 16 , a young medical student in one of india 's major cities was gang-raped , her body destroyed by the bodies of the men who allegedly assaulted her and also by the rusting metal bar doctors say they used to penetrate her . the bar removed part of her intestines . the rest were removed in a hospital far from home where she struggled for her life for just a few days . it has taken an attack that lies nearly outside of comprehension to prompt demonstrations , but the outcry has begun . over the weekend , women rose up in nepal , protesting outside the prime minister 's house against gender-based violence . what are your experiences of being a woman in india ? send us your stories egyptian women have faced ceaseless sexualized violence since the start of that country 's revolution , but are now protesting to stop the ever-present sexual harassment and assault . according to eve ensler , the head of v-day and one billion rising , a movement calling for women to rise up on february 14 , 2013 , and demand an end to violence , women in somalia are planning what may be their first-ever major demonstrations against rape and violence . ensler will be in mumbai jan. 4 and delhi jan. 7 and will meet with activists and leaders for events aimed at raising awareness of the movement . this groundswell -- what ensler calls a catalytic moment ' -- is the perfect chance for us to consider how we think about subjugation , rape , and degradation of women globally . gloria steinem and i have written about how a cult of masculinity is behind the constant violation of women around the world -- that some men brutalize women against their own self-interest because of an addiction to control or domination . to put it plainly : rape is not about sex . opinion : misogyny in india -- we are all guilty ' rape is about violence , ' steinem says , proving'masculine'superiority ; often inserting guns and other objects into women 's bodies ; playing out hostility to other men by invading the bodies of'their'females , including old women and babies ; occupying wombs with sperm of a conquering group ; owning female bodies as the means of reproduction ; and raping men and boys to make them as inferior as females . ' this is born out everywhere that rape occurs but especially in war zones like the democratic republic of congo , where dr. denis mukwege , the medical director of panzi hospital , told me men use objects as a means to mark a woman -- to indicate that she now carries the message of violence impressed on her body . she becomes an emblem of terror meant to warn the world that nobody is safe . and while rape in war zones carries its own particular kind of horror , there is no escaping the cult of masculinity geographically . the culture of rape imbues whatever space we inhabit . for women , peacetime ' does not exist . nearly 1 in 5 women in this country surveyed said they had been raped or had experienced an attempted rape at some point , according to the national intimate partner and sexual violence survey . that women are expected to put up and shut up is universally understood : a 2012 unicef report found that 57 percent of indian boys and 53 percent of girls between ages of 15 and 19 think wife-beating is justified . a recent study by two nonprofits found that 65 percent of men surveyed in the democratic republic of congo believe women should accept partner violence to keep the family together . ' and , as in india , where the appalling remarks of andhra pradesh congress chief botsa satyanarayana appeared to place blame on the delhi gang-rape victim -- she chose a strange private bus , she should n't have been out after dark -- politicians , clergymen , husbands , and others around the world perpetually blame rape survivors . ( see this beauty from an italian priest . or reacquaint yourself with the stunners from rep. todd akin or senate candidate richard mourdock . ) these are more than just manipulative words ; victim-blaming has consequences . women are literally dying from fault-finding from syria to sudan in honor killings , suicides , and murders because they are blamed for their sexual assaults . we have to move the focus off the victim . indian prime minister manmohan singh has said that the safety and security of women is of the highest concern to our government . ' ok. that 's one part of the equation . but what about the larger part -- what about prosecuting men who are committing these crimes ? yes , women often do not report sexualized violence . but they do not report because they know that , at least in this country , only three of every 100 men accused of rape will ever spend a day in jail . it 's time to focus on the perpetrators . and it 's also time for men and women to engage in a consistent dialogue on stopping rape . let 's publicly and privately declare all sexualized violence unacceptable . let 's hold perpetrators legally accountable and once and for all change laws and justice systems that continue to fail women . let 's understand that rape is not a problem that affects only women : it affects families , communities , entire cultures . it is not an inevitability , but the outcome of a system based in discrimination , just as slavery was . let 's declare 2013 the year to end rape . if this is a problem that men have created , this is a problem that men can help solve . the time is now . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of lauren wolfe . | lauren wolfe : brutal rape that killed an indian women has caused a global outcry |
carradine <tsp> ( cnn ) -- american actor david carradine has been found dead , hanging by a nylon rope in a hotel room closet in bangkok , thailand , according to a thai police official . david carradine became famous in the 1970s after starring in the television series kung fu . ' carradine became famous in the 1970s when he starred in the television series kung fu . ' the rope was believed taken from the hotel room curtains , bangkok police lt . colonel pirom chanpirom said . investigators found no sign of a forced entry into carradine 's room , chanpirom said . an autopsy was being conducted at a bangkok hospital , but no results will be available for another day , he said . a carradine family spokeswoman issued a short statement saying the family is devastated by the news of david 's passing . ' circumstances surrounding his death are still unknown , and there will be no further comment until more information can be confirmed , ' the statement said . the family appreciates the many expressions of condolence , and asks for privacy at this time . ' carradine 's personal co-manager , tiffany smith , said police provided the family with information about their investigation . carradine 's friends and personal managers said they were in complete shock ' and brushed aside suggestions that carradine might have taken his own life . actor michael madsen told cnn 's larry king that the one thing carradine 's wife , annie bierman , wanted everyone to know is david was not suicidal . ' chuck binder , carradine 's manager for the last six years , said he spoke with a producer in thailand who thought there was foul play . i do n't know if i 'd call it accidental , ' binder said , adding that carradine 's career was on a roll and his life was on an upswing . carradine was in bangkok for filming of the movie stretch , ' being produced by a united kingdom-based company , smith said . he was the only american cast member , ' she said . carradine , who portrayed the traveling shaolin monk kwai chang caine in the television series kung fu , ' was 72 . watch carradine talk about his kung fu ' role » modern audiences may best know him as bill ' in quentin tarantino 's kill bill ' films . he earned a 2005 golden globe nomination for his role in the second movie in the two-part saga . watch flowers left at his star in hollywood » tarantino , also appearing on larry king live , ' called carradine one of hollywood 's great mad geniuses . ' he was a rock star at the time'kung fu'came out , ' tarantino said , holding up a vintage metal lunch box with an image from the popular show . i 'm in shock , ' he said . carradine 's career included more than 100 feature films , two dozen television movies and theater work , according to the internet movie database . see photos of some of his notable roles » ' he was clearly an actor who followed his own path , ' said leah rozen , movie critic for people magazine . he was never a guy who talked a whole lot . you knew as an actor , the characters he played , you knew they had a past , you knew there was probably some unhappiness there , but he was n't going to talk about it . ' carradine was nominated for a golden globe for his role as folk music legend woody guthrie in the 1976 movie bound for glory , ' according to a biography on his official web site . ireport : share memories of david carradine he also made appearances in television series such as gunsmoke ' and alfred hitchcock presents . ' his first starring role in a series was as the title character in shane ' in 1966 . carradine was married five times and divorced four , according to people magazine . he was the son of actor john carradine , a character actor who appeared in hundreds of films , plays and television episodes . david 's career as an artist did not begin on the stage , though some of his early career was on and off broadway . his earliest work was as a sculptor and painter , ' carradine 's official web site says . the site also includes an art bio ' in which the actor opens up about his life . i 've always had an especially hard time with everything i 've tried to do , ' carradine wrote . i 've made it pretty big as an actor in spite of being terminally shy . ... invariably , i had huge obstacles to overcome in anything i tried . had to work against my genes to achieve my dreams . ' cnn 's jack hannah , kocha olarn and a. pawlowski contributed to this report . | carradine , 72 , was also known as bill ' in quentin tarantino 's kill bill ' films |
carradine <tsp> ( cnn ) -- american actor david carradine has been found dead , hanging by a nylon rope in a hotel room closet in bangkok , thailand , according to a thai police official . david carradine became famous in the 1970s after starring in the television series kung fu . ' carradine became famous in the 1970s when he starred in the television series kung fu . ' the rope was believed taken from the hotel room curtains , bangkok police lt . colonel pirom chanpirom said . investigators found no sign of a forced entry into carradine 's room , chanpirom said . an autopsy was being conducted at a bangkok hospital , but no results will be available for another day , he said . a carradine family spokeswoman issued a short statement saying the family is devastated by the news of david 's passing . ' circumstances surrounding his death are still unknown , and there will be no further comment until more information can be confirmed , ' the statement said . the family appreciates the many expressions of condolence , and asks for privacy at this time . ' carradine 's personal co-manager , tiffany smith , said police provided the family with information about their investigation . carradine 's friends and personal managers said they were in complete shock ' and brushed aside suggestions that carradine might have taken his own life . actor michael madsen told cnn 's larry king that the one thing carradine 's wife , annie bierman , wanted everyone to know is david was not suicidal . ' chuck binder , carradine 's manager for the last six years , said he spoke with a producer in thailand who thought there was foul play . i do n't know if i 'd call it accidental , ' binder said , adding that carradine 's career was on a roll and his life was on an upswing . carradine was in bangkok for filming of the movie stretch , ' being produced by a united kingdom-based company , smith said . he was the only american cast member , ' she said . carradine , who portrayed the traveling shaolin monk kwai chang caine in the television series kung fu , ' was 72 . watch carradine talk about his kung fu ' role » modern audiences may best know him as bill ' in quentin tarantino 's kill bill ' films . he earned a 2005 golden globe nomination for his role in the second movie in the two-part saga . watch flowers left at his star in hollywood » tarantino , also appearing on larry king live , ' called carradine one of hollywood 's great mad geniuses . ' he was a rock star at the time'kung fu'came out , ' tarantino said , holding up a vintage metal lunch box with an image from the popular show . i 'm in shock , ' he said . carradine 's career included more than 100 feature films , two dozen television movies and theater work , according to the internet movie database . see photos of some of his notable roles » ' he was clearly an actor who followed his own path , ' said leah rozen , movie critic for people magazine . he was never a guy who talked a whole lot . you knew as an actor , the characters he played , you knew they had a past , you knew there was probably some unhappiness there , but he was n't going to talk about it . ' carradine was nominated for a golden globe for his role as folk music legend woody guthrie in the 1976 movie bound for glory , ' according to a biography on his official web site . ireport : share memories of david carradine he also made appearances in television series such as gunsmoke ' and alfred hitchcock presents . ' his first starring role in a series was as the title character in shane ' in 1966 . carradine was married five times and divorced four , according to people magazine . he was the son of actor john carradine , a character actor who appeared in hundreds of films , plays and television episodes . david 's career as an artist did not begin on the stage , though some of his early career was on and off broadway . his earliest work was as a sculptor and painter , ' carradine 's official web site says . the site also includes an art bio ' in which the actor opens up about his life . i 've always had an especially hard time with everything i 've tried to do , ' carradine wrote . i 've made it pretty big as an actor in spite of being terminally shy . ... invariably , i had huge obstacles to overcome in anything i tried . had to work against my genes to achieve my dreams . ' cnn 's jack hannah , kocha olarn and a. pawlowski contributed to this report . | carradine became famous in the 1970s after starring in the tv series kung fu ' |
london <tsp> ( cnn ) -- viking raiders once landed on british soil to change the face of the nation -- and 1200 years later a group of muscly minnesota vikings gained further ground in the nfl 's sporting invasion of the british isles . the victorious vikings landed another blow for american football sunday as the team staged an exciting 34-27 victory over the pittsburgh steelers in london . the team 's 28-year-old star running back adrian peterson and greg jennings scored two touchdowns apiece . it was an important first win of the season for the vikings but the entertaining game could have even greater significance for the nfl 's hopes of establishing a european franchise . a regular season game was first played in london in 2007 but , for the first time this season , two games were scheduled on the opposite side of the atlantic . next month the jackonsonville jaguars face the san francisco 49ers . both nfl games at wembley stadium sold out within hours . organizers of the nfl 's london foray stirred the fever further saturday as they held a block party for an estimated half a million fans on the streets of central london tailgate yearning ' it is a sign that the game is growing globally , ' nfl commissioner roger goodell told nfluk.com earlier this year . i think the message is clear . there are passionate fans who love the nfl in the uk . ' there were also plenty of domestic fans who were happy to travel to london to support their teams . i love it , ' richard from pittsburgh , who now lives in hollywood , told cnn . it 's a really good idea . it gets the steelers brand out there internationally as a big team . ' dan from new york added : i love the pub atmosphere in london . although american culture is the tailgate , which i 'm not seeing here ! ' perhaps not every facet of the american football experience can so easily translate to british shores where soccer , rugby and cricket hold sway as the most popular spectator sports . but that is not deterring the nfl from pressing on with its mission to gain new ground in europe . american football is just that , an american sport , but if the sport can successfully go global ' that presents the nfl with new markets and new business opportunities . profit not a priority ' this is an investment and we are trying to grow something , ' alistair kirkwood , managing director of nfl uk , told cnn . we are not concerned about profit yet . but for the last two years our games have broken merchandise records for wembley for all events -- and that includes pop concerts . ' developing the nfl in london , or any european franchise for that matter , does not come without its problems . there are multiple challenges , ' usa today 's nfl writer tom pelissero , who was at the game in london , explained to cnn . travel would scare off a lot of potential free agents , it could be hard for a team to be competitive just because of that . the tax [ in the uk ] is another issue , 45 % is the top tax bracket . that is something that , again , could scare off players from coming over . it also comes down to the fan base being large enough . you can fill wembley with 80,000 people once , twice this year , but can you do that for 10 games a year ? i think that 's the one of the many unknowns . if you put a team in london , i do n't think it would be difficult to make a profit . but what do you do when [ they ] have to play 10 games in the united states ? how do you get them to travel ? do any of the visiting fans travel at all ? that 's an entirely different sort of issue . ' troublesome travels steve , who made the journey from london to new york , was also skeptical about the reality that nfl could become a regular fixture in london . the time zones and travel present a serious issue , ' he told cnn . to have a global sport that 's weekly is troublesome . if you break it up into something that is less frequent than weekly and that allows for serious travel then it makes sense . [ a london franchise ] is a great idea , the nfl would make a ton of money out of it . i just have n't figured out how it could work ! ' the man in charge of the game , commissioner goodell , is also juggling the numbers to work out how to develop the game away from north american shores . what is the next step ? do we move to three games , are there other ways to grow the game in the uk ? ' he said . this is a market where we need to be more active and to grow our game . ' for now , peterson -- who had never been outside the u.s. before his trip to london -- and his fellow viking raiders can feel satisfied with winning the game , as well as perhaps inching the nfl a little closer to a permanent place on sport 's european map . | the nfl returned to london for first of two games at wembley stadium this season |
pittsburgh steelers <tsp> ( cnn ) -- viking raiders once landed on british soil to change the face of the nation -- and 1200 years later a group of muscly minnesota vikings gained further ground in the nfl 's sporting invasion of the british isles . the victorious vikings landed another blow for american football sunday as the team staged an exciting 34-27 victory over the pittsburgh steelers in london . the team 's 28-year-old star running back adrian peterson and greg jennings scored two touchdowns apiece . it was an important first win of the season for the vikings but the entertaining game could have even greater significance for the nfl 's hopes of establishing a european franchise . a regular season game was first played in london in 2007 but , for the first time this season , two games were scheduled on the opposite side of the atlantic . next month the jackonsonville jaguars face the san francisco 49ers . both nfl games at wembley stadium sold out within hours . organizers of the nfl 's london foray stirred the fever further saturday as they held a block party for an estimated half a million fans on the streets of central london tailgate yearning ' it is a sign that the game is growing globally , ' nfl commissioner roger goodell told nfluk.com earlier this year . i think the message is clear . there are passionate fans who love the nfl in the uk . ' there were also plenty of domestic fans who were happy to travel to london to support their teams . i love it , ' richard from pittsburgh , who now lives in hollywood , told cnn . it 's a really good idea . it gets the steelers brand out there internationally as a big team . ' dan from new york added : i love the pub atmosphere in london . although american culture is the tailgate , which i 'm not seeing here ! ' perhaps not every facet of the american football experience can so easily translate to british shores where soccer , rugby and cricket hold sway as the most popular spectator sports . but that is not deterring the nfl from pressing on with its mission to gain new ground in europe . american football is just that , an american sport , but if the sport can successfully go global ' that presents the nfl with new markets and new business opportunities . profit not a priority ' this is an investment and we are trying to grow something , ' alistair kirkwood , managing director of nfl uk , told cnn . we are not concerned about profit yet . but for the last two years our games have broken merchandise records for wembley for all events -- and that includes pop concerts . ' developing the nfl in london , or any european franchise for that matter , does not come without its problems . there are multiple challenges , ' usa today 's nfl writer tom pelissero , who was at the game in london , explained to cnn . travel would scare off a lot of potential free agents , it could be hard for a team to be competitive just because of that . the tax [ in the uk ] is another issue , 45 % is the top tax bracket . that is something that , again , could scare off players from coming over . it also comes down to the fan base being large enough . you can fill wembley with 80,000 people once , twice this year , but can you do that for 10 games a year ? i think that 's the one of the many unknowns . if you put a team in london , i do n't think it would be difficult to make a profit . but what do you do when [ they ] have to play 10 games in the united states ? how do you get them to travel ? do any of the visiting fans travel at all ? that 's an entirely different sort of issue . ' troublesome travels steve , who made the journey from london to new york , was also skeptical about the reality that nfl could become a regular fixture in london . the time zones and travel present a serious issue , ' he told cnn . to have a global sport that 's weekly is troublesome . if you break it up into something that is less frequent than weekly and that allows for serious travel then it makes sense . [ a london franchise ] is a great idea , the nfl would make a ton of money out of it . i just have n't figured out how it could work ! ' the man in charge of the game , commissioner goodell , is also juggling the numbers to work out how to develop the game away from north american shores . what is the next step ? do we move to three games , are there other ways to grow the game in the uk ? ' he said . this is a market where we need to be more active and to grow our game . ' for now , peterson -- who had never been outside the u.s. before his trip to london -- and his fellow viking raiders can feel satisfied with winning the game , as well as perhaps inching the nfl a little closer to a permanent place on sport 's european map . | minnesota vikings defeated pittsburgh steelers 34-27 in thrilling game |
tfr <tsp> for the third time in less than 24 hours , f-16 fighter jets were scrambled thursday to escort a hapless pilot out of a restricted area in place for president obama 's visit to los angeles . fighter jets intercepted a single-engine cherokee piper around 9:30 a.m. ( 12:30 p.m . et ) minutes after intercepting a cessna for the same violation . hours earlier , fighter jets intercepted a single-engine airplane northwest of los angeles for breaching a temporary airspace restriction , according to a military news release . the federal aviation administration investigates all violations of restricted airspace , and faa spokesman allen kenitzer told cnn the agency is investigating the three cases over los angeles . pilots refer to the area off limits to general aviation as a temporary flight restriction ' or tfr . the faa keeps an up-to-date list of restricted airspace on its website , something pilots are supposed to check prior to departure . the penalties for violating restricted airspace can be severe according to the faa . pilots face possible suspension or loss of their pilot 's license . not all aircraft are equal when it comes to restricted air space . commercial flights are in contact with the faa during their flights and have a flight plan , so they 're allowed to fly into and out of the cordoned-off area , according to the faa . police helicopters and air ambulance aircraft are also permitted in the no-fly zone . flight restriction orders are usually put in place surrounding stadiums during large sporting events , scenes of natural disasters and areas around the president 's movements . currently there are 49 tfrs over airspace in the u.s. according to the faa 's website , including one restriction that 's been in place since 2008 over mt . kilauea in hawaii , an active volcano . | the area off limits to general aviation is called a temporary flight restriction ' or tfr |
espn <tsp> days after being dropped from espn 's monday night football , ' hank williams jr. fired back at that network , fox and friends ' and what he called the united socialist states of america ' in his signature style -- a song bellowing biting lyrics in between guitar licks . this country sure as hell has gone down the drain , ' williams sings in a tune posted monday on his official website . we know what we need . we know who to blame . ' in the song , the 62-year-old son of the legendary country singer hank williams did not appear to accept any blame for his part in a recent controversy stemming from an appearance last monday on fox and friends , ' fox news'morning show . on the program , he said that the golf outing involving president barack obama and house speaker john boehner , an ohio republican , was like hitler playing golf with ( israeli prime minister benjamin ) netanyahu . ok. not hardly . ' when one of the fox news'interviewers pointed out that williams invoked one of the most hated people in all of the world to describe ... the president , ' williams responded : that is true , but i 'm telling you like it is , you know . that just was n't a good thing . it just did n't fly . ' the next day , the singer offered an explanation , saying , my analogy was extreme -- but it was to make a point . ... the thought of the leaders of both parties jukin'and high fiven'on a golf course , while so many families are struggling to get by , simply made me boil over and make a dumb statement , and i am very sorry if it offended anyone . ' then , last thursday , espn announced that it decided to part ways ' with williams . his song all my rowdy friends ' had been the monday night football ' theme on both abc and espn since 1991 . no remorse was evident in williams'latest song , titled keep the change ' -- an apparent dig at obama 's 2008 campaign promise to bring change to washington . the singer has criticized obama in the past , and he supported the 2008 republican presidential ticket of sen. john mccain and running mate gov . sarah palin . williams sang that he 'd keep his freedom , guns , money , religion and my christian name , ' among other things . he added that he 'd like to keep the government out of my business . ' the singer said that he had expected to talk about his father 's new cd on the fox and friends ' program , and accused the show of playing the gotcha game . ' ask for my opinion , then twist it all around , ' williams sang . just wait and see , do n't tread on me . ' williams was born may 26 , 1949 , and his iconic father nicknamed him bocephus ' after a ventriloquist dummy used by rod brasfield , a country comedian , williams'website says . he debuted on the grand ole opry in nashville , tennessee , at age 11 . in addition to all my rowdy friends , ' his other hits include long gone lonesome blues , ' whiskey bent and hell bound , ' old habits , ' born to boogie ' and a country boy can survive . ' the bearded williams , who wears a hat and sunglasses during performances , suffered facial and head injuries in a 1975 mountain climbing accident . at the end of his song posted monday , williams urged people to keep'fox and friends'and espn out of your homes ' in light of the flare-up . because bocephus and all his rowdy friends -- and his song -- is outta there , ' he concluded . | espn dropped use of his songs from its broadcasts , and he apologized |
espn <tsp> days after being dropped from espn 's monday night football , ' hank williams jr. fired back at that network , fox and friends ' and what he called the united socialist states of america ' in his signature style -- a song bellowing biting lyrics in between guitar licks . this country sure as hell has gone down the drain , ' williams sings in a tune posted monday on his official website . we know what we need . we know who to blame . ' in the song , the 62-year-old son of the legendary country singer hank williams did not appear to accept any blame for his part in a recent controversy stemming from an appearance last monday on fox and friends , ' fox news'morning show . on the program , he said that the golf outing involving president barack obama and house speaker john boehner , an ohio republican , was like hitler playing golf with ( israeli prime minister benjamin ) netanyahu . ok. not hardly . ' when one of the fox news'interviewers pointed out that williams invoked one of the most hated people in all of the world to describe ... the president , ' williams responded : that is true , but i 'm telling you like it is , you know . that just was n't a good thing . it just did n't fly . ' the next day , the singer offered an explanation , saying , my analogy was extreme -- but it was to make a point . ... the thought of the leaders of both parties jukin'and high fiven'on a golf course , while so many families are struggling to get by , simply made me boil over and make a dumb statement , and i am very sorry if it offended anyone . ' then , last thursday , espn announced that it decided to part ways ' with williams . his song all my rowdy friends ' had been the monday night football ' theme on both abc and espn since 1991 . no remorse was evident in williams'latest song , titled keep the change ' -- an apparent dig at obama 's 2008 campaign promise to bring change to washington . the singer has criticized obama in the past , and he supported the 2008 republican presidential ticket of sen. john mccain and running mate gov . sarah palin . williams sang that he 'd keep his freedom , guns , money , religion and my christian name , ' among other things . he added that he 'd like to keep the government out of my business . ' the singer said that he had expected to talk about his father 's new cd on the fox and friends ' program , and accused the show of playing the gotcha game . ' ask for my opinion , then twist it all around , ' williams sang . just wait and see , do n't tread on me . ' williams was born may 26 , 1949 , and his iconic father nicknamed him bocephus ' after a ventriloquist dummy used by rod brasfield , a country comedian , williams'website says . he debuted on the grand ole opry in nashville , tennessee , at age 11 . in addition to all my rowdy friends , ' his other hits include long gone lonesome blues , ' whiskey bent and hell bound , ' old habits , ' born to boogie ' and a country boy can survive . ' the bearded williams , who wears a hat and sunglasses during performances , suffered facial and head injuries in a 1975 mountain climbing accident . at the end of his song posted monday , williams urged people to keep'fox and friends'and espn out of your homes ' in light of the flare-up . because bocephus and all his rowdy friends -- and his song -- is outta there , ' he concluded . | he blasts espn , fox and what he calls the united socialist states of america |
united socialist states of america <tsp> days after being dropped from espn 's monday night football , ' hank williams jr. fired back at that network , fox and friends ' and what he called the united socialist states of america ' in his signature style -- a song bellowing biting lyrics in between guitar licks . this country sure as hell has gone down the drain , ' williams sings in a tune posted monday on his official website . we know what we need . we know who to blame . ' in the song , the 62-year-old son of the legendary country singer hank williams did not appear to accept any blame for his part in a recent controversy stemming from an appearance last monday on fox and friends , ' fox news'morning show . on the program , he said that the golf outing involving president barack obama and house speaker john boehner , an ohio republican , was like hitler playing golf with ( israeli prime minister benjamin ) netanyahu . ok. not hardly . ' when one of the fox news'interviewers pointed out that williams invoked one of the most hated people in all of the world to describe ... the president , ' williams responded : that is true , but i 'm telling you like it is , you know . that just was n't a good thing . it just did n't fly . ' the next day , the singer offered an explanation , saying , my analogy was extreme -- but it was to make a point . ... the thought of the leaders of both parties jukin'and high fiven'on a golf course , while so many families are struggling to get by , simply made me boil over and make a dumb statement , and i am very sorry if it offended anyone . ' then , last thursday , espn announced that it decided to part ways ' with williams . his song all my rowdy friends ' had been the monday night football ' theme on both abc and espn since 1991 . no remorse was evident in williams'latest song , titled keep the change ' -- an apparent dig at obama 's 2008 campaign promise to bring change to washington . the singer has criticized obama in the past , and he supported the 2008 republican presidential ticket of sen. john mccain and running mate gov . sarah palin . williams sang that he 'd keep his freedom , guns , money , religion and my christian name , ' among other things . he added that he 'd like to keep the government out of my business . ' the singer said that he had expected to talk about his father 's new cd on the fox and friends ' program , and accused the show of playing the gotcha game . ' ask for my opinion , then twist it all around , ' williams sang . just wait and see , do n't tread on me . ' williams was born may 26 , 1949 , and his iconic father nicknamed him bocephus ' after a ventriloquist dummy used by rod brasfield , a country comedian , williams'website says . he debuted on the grand ole opry in nashville , tennessee , at age 11 . in addition to all my rowdy friends , ' his other hits include long gone lonesome blues , ' whiskey bent and hell bound , ' old habits , ' born to boogie ' and a country boy can survive . ' the bearded williams , who wears a hat and sunglasses during performances , suffered facial and head injuries in a 1975 mountain climbing accident . at the end of his song posted monday , williams urged people to keep'fox and friends'and espn out of your homes ' in light of the flare-up . because bocephus and all his rowdy friends -- and his song -- is outta there , ' he concluded . | he blasts espn , fox and what he calls the united socialist states of america |
free tibet <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the unrest among tibetans in western areas of china appeared to take another macabre turn over the weekend with reports that a mother of four and a middle school student died after setting themselves on fire in separate protests against chinese rule . the acts -- which the chinese government has not confirmed -- would bring the total number of reported self-immolations by tibetans in china during the past year to more than 20 , according to estimates from advocacy groups . they follow an increase in security measures by the chinese authorities in the region in response to the unrest of recent months and ahead of the sensitive anniversary of protests by tibetan monks four years ago that ended in bloodshed . the mother of four , a 32-year-old woman named rinchen , set herself alight sunday in front of kirti monastery in the county of aba , which tibetans call ngaba , in sichuan province , the tibetan advocacy group free tibet said in a statement . a mother of four young children travelled to ngaba to set fire to herself in the town that has become the heart of both protest and repression in tibet , ' stephanie brigden , the director of free tibet , said in the statement . brigden declined by telephone to specify how the organization , which campaigns against chinese rule in the tibetan region , got the information for fear of endangering its sources . rinchen 's death was also reported by radio free asia , a nonprofit group funded by the u.s. government . radio free asia cited kanyak tsering , a tibetan monk with connections to kirti monastery who lives in dharamsala , the indian town where the tibetan government in exile resides . an official from aba county 's politics and law committee office said monday that the authorities had heard nothing about any self-immolation this weekend . ' he declined to give his name . calls seeking comment from the local police station in the town of aba went unanswered . the other reported self-immolation was carried out saturday by tsering kyi , a female middle school student aged 18 or 19 , at a vegetable market in the county of maqu , or machu in tibetan , in gansu province , according to brigden of free tibet . the chinese authorities closed the market following the act and still hold tsering kyi 's body , brigden said , attributing the information to three unidentified people in the area , including one who said they witnessed the events first hand . radio free asia also reported the death of a female middle school student in maqu on saturday , citing an exile source ' with local contacts . local officials in maqu were not available for comment on the matter monday . chinese state-run media have confirmed that some self-immolations have taken place in the provinces of sichuan and qinghai in recent months . this month will mark the fourth anniversary of protest marches by tibetan monks in lhasa that ended violently in 2008 . tibetans say the situation escalated to violence when chinese police beat monks who had been protesting peacefully ; chinese authorities claim tibetans launched attacks on chinese businesses . officially the death toll is under 20 ; tibetans in exile say the death toll is near 150 . cnn 's jethro mullen contributed to this report . | a female middle school student also set herself on fire , according to free tibet |
penny knight <tsp> ( cnn ) -- nike co-founder phil knight stunned backers of the oregon health & science university 's cancer institute by announcing he and his wife would put up half of a billion-dollar push for cancer research . the $ 500 million gift from phil and penny knight is contingent on the portland university 's ability to raise $ 500 million from other donors over the next two years . knight made the announcement at a friday night gala for 400 top supporters of the university 's knight cancer institute , which the couple previously had backed with $ 100 million in 2008 , said dr. joseph robertson , president of the university . this was probably the biggest surprise of my professional life , ' robertson said . he said university leaders were already at work saturday planning a national fund-raising campaign to match the knights'gift . he said the knights support the university 's advances in targeted cancer treatments -- shutting down cells that enable cancer without harming healthy cells . this great step forward will result in new treatments and earlier detection , ' robertson said . cnn 's miriam falco contributed to this report . | phil and penny knight promise $ 500 million if others put up same amount in two years |
867-5309/jenny <tsp> 1 . für elise ' bob dylan wrote it ai n't me , babe ' for joan baez . written by : ludwig van beethoven written for : some girl probably not named elise . in fact , as far as most historians can tell , beethoven did n't even know an elise . instead , the song was originally titled bagatelle in a minor ' based on some handwritten notation a beethoven researcher claimed to have seen on a now-lost copy of the sheet music . further complicating things , beethoven had hideous handwriting -- to the point that some scholars speculate the song was actually written for therese , ' as in therese malfatti , one of several women who turned down a marriage proposal from the notoriously lovesick maestro . 2 . philadelphia freedom ' written by : elton john & bernie taupin written for : billie jean king , as a thank-you for a tracksuit she gave elton . and what a tracksuit it must have been ! the 1975 song remains one of the most popular disco hits ever , leaving thousands of hustle enthusiasts wondering just what billie jean king had to do with philadelphia , anyway . turns out , the song was a reference to king 's pro tennis team , the philadelphia freedoms . prior to 1968 , tennis players were all considered amateurs ' and were n't eligible to receive prize money . so , if you did n't have the wealth to support yourself , you could n't play . billie jean king fought against those constraints , ultimately founding professional world team tennis in 1974 and turning tennis into a paid league sport . 3 . lola ' written by : the kinks'ray davies written for : a transvestite . but the question is , which one ? according to rolling stone , lola ' was inspired by candy darling , a member of andy warhol 's entourage , whom ray davies briefly ( and cluelessly ) dated . if that 's the case , then lola ' is just another notch on darling 's song belt -- she 's also referred to in lou reed 's walk on the wild side . ' ( candy came from out on the island/ in the backroom she was everybody 's darlin'. ' ) but , in the kinks'official biography , davies tells a different story . he says lola ' was written after the band 's manager spent a very drunken night dancing with a woman whose five o'clock shadow was apparently obvious to everyone but him . 4 . 867-5309/jenny ' written by : jim keller ( of tommy tutone ) and alex call written for : unknown , as the songwriters apparently make up a different story about its inspiration every time they 're asked . while the woman continues to remain a mystery , however , the phone number is all too real . in fact , it 's been wreaking havoc ever since 1982 and the passage of time has n't quelled of the number of crank calls . in 1999 , brown university freshman roommates nina clemente and jahanaz mirza found that out the hard way , when the school adopted an 867 exchange number for its on-campus phone system . immediately , the girls'innocuous room no . 5309 became a magnet for every drunk college kid with a 1980s fetish . other unfortunate phone customers have fought back with creative and profitable solutions , like the holder of 212-867-5309 , who put his phone number up for auction on ebay in 2004 . bids approached $ 100,000 before ebay pulled the item at the request of verizon , the number 's actual owner . 5 . oh , carol ' written by : neil sedaka written for : carole king , naturally . sedaka and king actually dated briefly in high school -- a romance sedaka was able to successfully milk with oh , carol , ' a then top-10 ( if now somewhat forgettable ) 1959 pop song . however , the real success of oh , carol ' came a few months later , when it inspired king to write a rebuttal entitled oh , neil . ' at the time , king and her husband , gerry goffin , were fledgling songwriters in need of a hit tune . oh , neil ' was n't that , but it did pay off . after sedaka gave a tape of the song to his boss , king and goffin landed jobs at the legendary brill building pop music factory , where the duo went on to write chart-toppers like will you still love me tomorrow ' and the loco-motion . ' 6 . it ai n't me , babe ' written by : bob dylan written for : joan baez , though it clearly was n't the nicest gift dylan could have given her . the two met in 1961 , when baez was an up-and-coming folk singer and dylan was a nobody from minnesota . desperate to make his break in the music biz , dylan worked like crazy to get baez 's attention . he eventually ended up going on tour with her , which is how he first became famous , and also how the two began dating . for a while , they seemed like the golden couple , but things soon went downhill . during a european concert tour together in early 1965 , they had a huge fight and parted ways . that may , dylan was holed up in a hotel after being hospitalized with a virus , and baez , hoping to remain friends , decided to bring him flowers . sadly , that 's how she found out that her ex was already dating someone else . that someone else was sara lownds , whom dylan married a mere six months later . 7 . our house ' written by : graham nash ( of crosby , stills , nash & young ) written for : joni mitchell . in december 1968 , nash and mitchell moved into a cozy little house in the laurel canyon section of los angeles . though commonly left out of the hippy pantheon , laurel canyon was sort of a commune-home away from commune-home for san francisco society -- not just csn & y , but also jim morrison , the eagles , frank zappa , and more . our house ' was directly inspired by a lazy sunday in the nash/mitchell household . the couple went out to brunch , hit an antiques store , and then returned to find the house just a bit chilly , at which point nash literally lit a fire , ' while mitchell placed the flowers in the vase that she bought that day . ' no , really . the whole tableau seemed so ridiculously domestic to nash that he immediately sat down and spent the rest of the day writing about it . e-mail to a friend | songwriters make up stories about who is behind 867-5309/jenny ' |
duchess of cambridge <tsp> ( cnn ) -- any minute , the duchess of cambridge will birth a new heir to the british throne . cnn has tried to answer every question you did n't even know you had about this kid who 's famous before his or her first picture has been snapped . read more : the royal baby it seems like forever that catherine middleton has been pregnant , but the world first learned the news in december , when she was hospitalized with acute morning sickness . since then , her every mommy-to-be move and maternity outfit has been scrutinized . read more : privacy vs. pregnancy the baby is expected to debut at st. mary 's hospital in london . read more : q & a -- what will happen when the baby is born ? will you be the first to know ? well , you 'll definitely know as soon as an official public announcement is made , but grandma and some other vips get dibs . queen elizabeth ii , british prime minister david cameron and the governors general of each of the commonwealth nations will be told , along with the rest of the royal and middleton families . an announcement will be made in the form of a formal bulletin , signed by medical staff and rushed in a car with a police escort to buckingham palace , royal sources have told cnn . there , the notice will be placed on an easel on the palace forecourt , the sources say . this will be the first chance for the nation and those watching around the world to find out whether the new baby is a boy or a girl . after it goes onto the easel , a press notice will be dispatched , and it 's expected -- but not confirmed -- that twitter will carry the news . speaking of the grand gender reveal , if you placed bets on pink , you might win that office pool . supposedly , the duchess let it slip in june that she might be having a daughter when she bought a teddy bear . that tidbit led to a media frenzy and a royal source telling cnn that the couple did n't know the sex . again , your money is probably good if you 're predicting frilly smocks and hair bows . scientists say the baby is slightly more likely to be a girl . bookies have been taking bets for names . alexandra is one of the most predicted ones . read more : what 's in a royal name ? besides being adorable , the girl could one day have a fantastic career . she could be queen . read more : catherine 's baby : heir for a new century ? until 2011 , any daughter born to the duke and duchess of cambridge would not have enjoyed an equal right to inherit the british throne . rules dating back centuries decreed that the crown passed to the eldest son and was only bestowed on a daughter when there were no sons . but the rules of succession were changed . the child will be next in line to the british throne after william , whose father , charles , is first in line . but first , the child will be ... well , a child . and margaret rhodes , a cousin and lifelong friend of the queen , said elizabeth 's parents -- king george vi and queen elizabeth , later known as the queen mother -- tried to keep their daughter 's childhood sacrosanct . ' it was just a time for learning and enjoying . and i think that they succeeded , ' rhodes said . as for the expected royal arrival , she told cnn 's christiane amanpour , i 'm prepared to be excited . ' i imagine and hope that its early life , until it 's at least in its teens , will be just a jolly , happy , ordinary child 's life , ' said rhodes , who still periodically has a nice little drink and a chat ' with her old friend after church . read more : who can inherit the british throne ? meanwhile , let 's get back to what really matters . is this baby going to be ridiculously good-looking ? light hair like dad , dark hair like mom , ears like prince charles ? this baby might win the day all around because its mother is the first commoner to marry into the royal family since the 17th century . it 's very good that they 're bringing in new genes , ' dr. anand saggar , a consultant in the south west thames regional genetics department at st. george 's hospital medical school in london , recently told cnn . it freshens up the gene pool . ' read more : what -- and who -- will the royal baby look like ? cnn 's max foster and bryony jones contributed to this report . | catherine , the duchess of cambridge , is expected to give birth any day now |
hangzhou <tsp> ( travel + leisure ) -- eight centuries ago , marco polo anointed hangzhou the most splendid city in the world . ' today it 's one of china 's best-preserved destinations , thanks to the careful stewardship of its pagodas and pavilions , mountain-fringed west lake , and terraced plantations growing the region 's famous longjing green tea . here , an essential guide to the best hotels , restaurants , and sights for the modern-day explorer . stay the second property in china from those wizards of the luxurious exotic , amanresorts , amanfayun ( doubles from $ 580 ) includes 42 residences in traditional courtyard dwellings . do n't miss the spa , with its japanese-style deep soaking tubs , though an early morning walk to the neighboring lingyin buddhist temple is just as invigorating . a 25-minute drive away , banyan tree hangzhou ( doubles from $ 550 ) abuts the 2,800-acre xixi national wetland park . all 72 spacious suites and villas are decorated with chinese antiques ( porcelain snuff bottles ; calligraphy brushes ) and are scattered across the grounds like a traditional village , complete with arched bridges and a lagoon . hangzhou 's latest entry this fall is also the city 's first western luxury hotel group : the four seasons hotel hangzhou ( doubles from $ 372 ) will have hand-painted silk panels and such high-tech touches as plasma tv 's in its 78 guest rooms and three villas . travel + leisure : america 's best and worst airports eat you 'll want to book several days ahead for a table at dragon well manor ( set meal for two $ 118 ) . dai jianjun is one of the country 's most obsessive locavore chefs : his 10-course dinners , served in eight wooden pavilions in a landscaped garden , raise the bar for organic , farm-to-table cuisine in china . seasonal dishes may include preserved mustard greens with pine nuts , slow-braised pork belly , and ham-infused duck soup . a number of restaurants offer views of west lake , but west lake one ( dinner for two $ 45 ) stands out with its covered terrace and extensive menu featuring dishes from throughout china . regional specialties include longjing xiaren , shrimp cooked with longjing tea . also facing the lake , the hyatt regency 's atmospheric , antiques-filled 28 hubin road ( dinner for two $ 66 ) serves classic hangzhou fare , such as beggar 's chicken and dongpo rou -- a fork-tender pork dish named after the city 's 11th-century poet su dongpo . travel + leisure : world 's strangest places to get married sip aside from its pagodas and picturesque landscapes , hangzhou is also synonymous with longjing , a locally grown green tea prized for its light , sweet taste and aroma . guo 's villa is a perfect respite from the tourist throngs along west lake . inside the low tiled wall is a garden with lotus-covered ponds and a courtyard where locals gather for tea and gossip . tea fanatics might head to old dragon well imperial tea garden to pay homage to the 18 bushes set aside for the ch'ing dynasty emperor qianlong . nearby is longjing village , where you 'll see plenty of tea farmers peddling their wares . but head straight to our favorite : the hospitable qi family will pour you a cup of their green elixir before you buy . see a short stroll from the train station , pedestrianized hefang road is a collection of ch'ing dynasty houses ( and replicas nearby ) . visit huqingyu tang , a 130-year-old medicine shop where traditional pharmacists fill prescriptions made with ancient remedies ( ginseng , angelica ) in an elaborately carved central hall . close by , on the edge of the verdant , waterway-filled xixi national wetland park , the national wetland museum ( free admission ) will open an arata isozaki -- designed viewing platform later this year . travel + leisure : worldwide guide to restaurant tipping facts when to go : visit during autumn and spring , as summer months are sweltering and winter temperatures often dip below freezing . avoid peak-season crowds during chinese new year ( january or february ) and national day ( october ) . getting there : hangzhou is a 100-minute train ride from shanghai ; express trains launching next month will take 38 minutes . from hong kong , take the two-hour flight on dragonair ( dragonair.com ) , which departs three times weekly . t+l tip : beyond west lake , hangzhou is a sprawling city . arrange a car and driver through your hotel to access hard-to-reach destinations . planning a beach getaway ? do n't miss travel + leisure 's guide to affordable beach resorts . copyright 2010 american express publishing corporation . all rights reserved . | here is a guide to the best hotels , restaurants , and sights in hangzhou for visitors |
hangzhou <tsp> ( travel + leisure ) -- eight centuries ago , marco polo anointed hangzhou the most splendid city in the world . ' today it 's one of china 's best-preserved destinations , thanks to the careful stewardship of its pagodas and pavilions , mountain-fringed west lake , and terraced plantations growing the region 's famous longjing green tea . here , an essential guide to the best hotels , restaurants , and sights for the modern-day explorer . stay the second property in china from those wizards of the luxurious exotic , amanresorts , amanfayun ( doubles from $ 580 ) includes 42 residences in traditional courtyard dwellings . do n't miss the spa , with its japanese-style deep soaking tubs , though an early morning walk to the neighboring lingyin buddhist temple is just as invigorating . a 25-minute drive away , banyan tree hangzhou ( doubles from $ 550 ) abuts the 2,800-acre xixi national wetland park . all 72 spacious suites and villas are decorated with chinese antiques ( porcelain snuff bottles ; calligraphy brushes ) and are scattered across the grounds like a traditional village , complete with arched bridges and a lagoon . hangzhou 's latest entry this fall is also the city 's first western luxury hotel group : the four seasons hotel hangzhou ( doubles from $ 372 ) will have hand-painted silk panels and such high-tech touches as plasma tv 's in its 78 guest rooms and three villas . travel + leisure : america 's best and worst airports eat you 'll want to book several days ahead for a table at dragon well manor ( set meal for two $ 118 ) . dai jianjun is one of the country 's most obsessive locavore chefs : his 10-course dinners , served in eight wooden pavilions in a landscaped garden , raise the bar for organic , farm-to-table cuisine in china . seasonal dishes may include preserved mustard greens with pine nuts , slow-braised pork belly , and ham-infused duck soup . a number of restaurants offer views of west lake , but west lake one ( dinner for two $ 45 ) stands out with its covered terrace and extensive menu featuring dishes from throughout china . regional specialties include longjing xiaren , shrimp cooked with longjing tea . also facing the lake , the hyatt regency 's atmospheric , antiques-filled 28 hubin road ( dinner for two $ 66 ) serves classic hangzhou fare , such as beggar 's chicken and dongpo rou -- a fork-tender pork dish named after the city 's 11th-century poet su dongpo . travel + leisure : world 's strangest places to get married sip aside from its pagodas and picturesque landscapes , hangzhou is also synonymous with longjing , a locally grown green tea prized for its light , sweet taste and aroma . guo 's villa is a perfect respite from the tourist throngs along west lake . inside the low tiled wall is a garden with lotus-covered ponds and a courtyard where locals gather for tea and gossip . tea fanatics might head to old dragon well imperial tea garden to pay homage to the 18 bushes set aside for the ch'ing dynasty emperor qianlong . nearby is longjing village , where you 'll see plenty of tea farmers peddling their wares . but head straight to our favorite : the hospitable qi family will pour you a cup of their green elixir before you buy . see a short stroll from the train station , pedestrianized hefang road is a collection of ch'ing dynasty houses ( and replicas nearby ) . visit huqingyu tang , a 130-year-old medicine shop where traditional pharmacists fill prescriptions made with ancient remedies ( ginseng , angelica ) in an elaborately carved central hall . close by , on the edge of the verdant , waterway-filled xixi national wetland park , the national wetland museum ( free admission ) will open an arata isozaki -- designed viewing platform later this year . travel + leisure : worldwide guide to restaurant tipping facts when to go : visit during autumn and spring , as summer months are sweltering and winter temperatures often dip below freezing . avoid peak-season crowds during chinese new year ( january or february ) and national day ( october ) . getting there : hangzhou is a 100-minute train ride from shanghai ; express trains launching next month will take 38 minutes . from hong kong , take the two-hour flight on dragonair ( dragonair.com ) , which departs three times weekly . t+l tip : beyond west lake , hangzhou is a sprawling city . arrange a car and driver through your hotel to access hard-to-reach destinations . planning a beach getaway ? do n't miss travel + leisure 's guide to affordable beach resorts . copyright 2010 american express publishing corporation . all rights reserved . | hangzhou is one of china 's best-preserved destinations |
isis <tsp> turkish-syrian border ( cnn ) -- in the besieged syrian city of kobani , precious medicine rains from the sky . antibiotics , anesthetics , sanitary supplies and bandages -- all desperately needed to treat local fighters and civilians wounded during the siege of this crucial town near the turkish border . u.s. airplanes are dropping medical supplies and weapons into this kurdish city as defenders try to beat back the islamic state in iraq and syria , or isis . not long ago , kobani 's fall to isis seemed certain . but foreign airstrikes and airdropped supplies could help turn the tide . we thank the people who brought these medical supplies , ' said dr. walat omar , who has been braving enemy artillery for weeks to treat the wounded at a makeshift clinic . in exclusive video obtained by cnn from inside kobani , omar showed boxes of medicine in his clinic received from the airdrops . even though local defenders control some 70 % of the city , kobani is cut off , and isis forces have been shelling it with mortars from the east and south , local government official anwar muslim said this week . more than 100,000 refugees have fled to turkey amid weeks of intense fighting by kurdish forces for full control of kobani , a border town that 's one of the last in the region to resist falling to isis . opinion : isis reveals its strategy in the wrong hands ? but some of the supplies may have landed in the hands of isis . one of the 28 bundles dropped in and around kobani on monday drifted away from its target zone , a u.s. official said . the u.s. military said it went back and blasted it . but a video posted on social media shows what appears to be an isis fighter next to a parachute bundle . he goes on to show what appears to be the contents of the bundle , including crates of hand grenades and mortar rounds . cnn can not independently confirm whether the items in the video are from a u.s. airdrop . officials : denver girls played hooky from school , tried to join isis fighting in kobani continued wednesday , with six kurdish defenders killed and the bodies of 10 isis fighters recovered , a kurdish fighter there said . mortars fired from the city 's east -- presumably by isis -- hit the city center , the fighter said . battles in iraq continue as kurdish fighters keep battling isis in syria , the militant group continues its offensive in iraq . the iraqi military and tribal forces tried to repel an attack on amriyat al falluja on wednesday , said anbar province deputy gov . faleh al-essawi . amriyat al falluja is about 30 kilometers ( 19 miles ) south of falluja . at least six suicide bombings and more than 70 mortar attacks targeting government forces were counted wednesday , al-essawi said . he said there are casualties on both sides , but the numbers were not immediately known . ivan watson reported from the turkish-syrian border ; holly yan reported and wrote from atlanta . cnn 's barbara starr , kareem khadder and brian walker and journalist odai sadik contributed to this report . | a video shows what appears to be an isis fighter next to a bundle |
republicans <tsp> republicans already are steaming about president barack obama 's expected executive action to potentially allow millions of undocumented workers to remain in the country . but another debate on immigration will refocus on internal gop splits and raise questions about whether the party is taking any of its own advice about being more open to hispanics . pointing to inaction by congress , obama signaled last wednesday that he 's done waiting for republicans to negotiate a compromise on any immigration measures . i promise you , the american people do n't want me just standing around twiddling my thumbs and waiting for congress to get something done , ' he said . how far can the president go on executive actions ? house speaker john boehner warned obama that any move to expand earlier executive action would be a grievous mistake . ' in an opinion piece in politico last friday , boehner insisted any action to fix immigration must be done by congress , and it must be done in a common-sense , step-by-step fashion so that the american people have a say in what we are doing . ' boehner was one of the first top republicans after mitt romney lost the 2012 presidential election to say that the party needed to deal with immigration . but a bipartisan senate bill approved last year and backed by some prominent republicans hit a wall in the gop-led house . because most house republican districts are solidly red , most of the party 's rank and file feared primary challenges from the right . the incentive was to stop immigration reform , not move it forward . recent actions contradict efforts to be inclusive with congress divided , obama to go his own way on immigration many republican party leaders and possible presidential candidates , however , say the gop needs a more inclusive message to hispanics if it hopes to win the white house in 2016 . but the message they 're hearing on immigration from many in the party could make it harder to build relationships with the latino community . house bill right before leaving town for the august recess , the house passed a bill that would prevent the president from renewing deportation deferments — or granting new ones -- for the roughly 600,000 young people brought into the country illegally by undocumented immigrant parents . if the bill were to become law , it would mean those people could be deported . the vote was largely along party lines and republicans pressing for broader reform said that ending the obama administration 's program easing such deportations sent the wrong message . why are republicans continuing to shoot themselves in the foot ? ' carlos gutierrez , a republican himself and a former commerce secretary for george w. bush , asked in a cnn interview . a chief proponent of the house bill , iowa rep. steve king , was confronted in his home state last week at an event with sen. rand paul , a likely 2016 presidential candidate . with media present covering paul , a woman claiming that she would be deported if the measure became law confronted king about the legislation . paul was seen leaving before the matter turned into a heated debate . paul has made broadening the republican party 's appeal a cornerstone of his message . he helped open gop offices in minority neighborhoods in his home state and appeared before numerous african-american groups , highlighting his support for reforming criminal sentencing guidelines . former 2012 vice presidential candidate paul ryan has also traveled to more than a dozen communities around the country to discuss poverty issues and promote his economic growth policies . but democrats have pounced on king 's iowa dust-up as well as others trying to paint the gop as more extreme on immigration . rick perry says youths crossing the border is a'side issue' alabama rep. mo brooks said in a recent interview that he believed some were waging a war on whites . ' brooks was responding to a reporter pointing out the gop 's own fears about its dwindling appeal among hispanics . but he argued that democrats are claiming that whites hate everybody else , ' which he insisted was not true . ' republicans nervous rep. jeff denham of california was one of 11 house republicans to oppose the house bill and told cnn the decision by gop leaders to allow a vote on it was disappointing . ' echoing the same sentiment expressed by obama , denham said the measure was a messaging bill ' and would never see the light of day ' over in the senate . we 've got kids who are going to high schools that know of no other country to call home and we 've got to address all aspects of immigration reform , ' denham said . senate majority leader harry reid has no plans to take it up in the democratic-led senate and obama has said he would veto it anyway . boehner did n't want to turn the discussion over addressing the crisis of central american migrant youth streaming across the southern border into a broader debate over immigration . he agreed that congress needed to work with the white house and democrats to pass narrow legislation to deal with the issues that caused the surge of immigrants and provide resources to handle the tens of thousands who already arrived . number of unaccompanied minors crossing into u.s. tops 60,000 a political wedge but texas republican sen. ted cruz , a tea party hero , insisted that halting obama 's ability to defer future deportations had to be part of the gop 's response to the border situation . as part of a deal to pass a $ 694 million border funding bill , boehner and his top lieutenants agreed to allow a separate vote on a measure promoted by house conservatives that went even further than cruz 's proposal . the bill would end all deportation deferments because they worried obama would use his executive authority to expand them . florida republican rep. mario diaz-balart also voted against that bill and told cnn that the gop proposal helps democrats continue to use immigration as a political wedge . it gives them another bullet point in their narrative , ' diaz-balart said . both denham and diaz-balart criticized obama 's actions on immigration . they said it was appropriate for congress to respond to when it believes he is overstepping his legal authority . if the message is perceived as strictly to protect the civil liberties and basic rights of our democracy , that is one thing . but if the message is perceived to be anti-immigrant , that is very , very negative , ' diaz-balart said . party not taking its own advice the recent actions show republicans are n't taking their own advice on growing their party . last spring , the republican national committee issued a report that examined its 2012 loss and called for the gop to address immigration reform . the so-called autopsy report ' warned that if hispanic americans perceive that a gop nominee or candidate does not want them in the united states , they will not pay attention to our next sentence . ' henry barbour , a top party strategist and a report co-author , told cnn that tone is important . ' he conceded that taking on immigration reform takes political courage . ' but he also warned against talking in a way that 's not too hot and comes across as negative or exclusive . ' barbour added , we 're a big , broad party -- we 're not all going to agree on immigration -- not going to agree on everything , but we certainly have to have people in washington on the republican and democratic side that want to get things done . ' house republicans also heard about it on the editorial page of the wall street journal , which does n't usually criticize republicans . a party whose preoccupation is deporting children is going to alienate many conservatives , never mind minority voters . the episode is also sure to raise doubts among swing voters about whether republicans would be prepared to govern if they do win control of the entire congress , ' the journal said . advice on what to do even if republicans ca n't enact immigration reform in a divided congress , others advise it has to look like it is at least trying to do something . republican support among hispanic voters does not hinge on immigration reform but inaction . our inaction and poor optics can eviscerate any future we have right now , ' leslie sanchez , a republican strategist and author of los republicanos -- why hispanics & republicans need each other , ' said . gutierrez said that he saw a scenario for republicans to be on the offense if the party is able to retake control of the senate in november . he suggested the house and senate could come together on a proposal that would both secure the border but also provide some path to legal status for the 11 million undocumented workers . presenting a bill to obama would put the onus on him to respond and make him the subject of blame if he rejected it . i think this is one of those'nixon goes to china'things -- it will be a republican who reforms immigration . i do n't believe that democrats have the credibility , ' gutierrez said . expanding the wedge ? many republicans interviewed by cnn said the challenge next year will be even greater because democrats will want to use any divisions on the issue to further expand the wedge between the gop and latino voters going into the 2016 election . but they warned that the party ca n't use that as an excuse to not promote a message of positive reform . this is what people are elected to do , ' barbour said . just do your job -- i 'm talking to republicans and democrats alike . this is a two-way street . ' campaign officials from both parties say immigration is not a top-tier issue for the midterms . there are only a handful of house republicans in competitive races in districts with significant latino populations . the gop is well positioned to win control of the senate in november , and immigration is expected to be a factor in just one key contest in colorado , where there is a sizable number of hispanic voters . but the 2016 vote is again expected to come down to a handful of key swing states where both parties will work hard to win over independents . and many republicans agree that the party 's record on immigration will be important in states like colorado , nevada , arizona , and florida , which are home to expanding populations of latino voters . calling immigration reform the 800-pound gorilla in the room , ' diaz-balart said if latinos perceive that republicans do n't want to deal with immigration , then that is a major , major , major stumbling block to get over . ' | some republicans are worried about impact of some anti-immigration hardliners |
hispanics <tsp> republicans already are steaming about president barack obama 's expected executive action to potentially allow millions of undocumented workers to remain in the country . but another debate on immigration will refocus on internal gop splits and raise questions about whether the party is taking any of its own advice about being more open to hispanics . pointing to inaction by congress , obama signaled last wednesday that he 's done waiting for republicans to negotiate a compromise on any immigration measures . i promise you , the american people do n't want me just standing around twiddling my thumbs and waiting for congress to get something done , ' he said . how far can the president go on executive actions ? house speaker john boehner warned obama that any move to expand earlier executive action would be a grievous mistake . ' in an opinion piece in politico last friday , boehner insisted any action to fix immigration must be done by congress , and it must be done in a common-sense , step-by-step fashion so that the american people have a say in what we are doing . ' boehner was one of the first top republicans after mitt romney lost the 2012 presidential election to say that the party needed to deal with immigration . but a bipartisan senate bill approved last year and backed by some prominent republicans hit a wall in the gop-led house . because most house republican districts are solidly red , most of the party 's rank and file feared primary challenges from the right . the incentive was to stop immigration reform , not move it forward . recent actions contradict efforts to be inclusive with congress divided , obama to go his own way on immigration many republican party leaders and possible presidential candidates , however , say the gop needs a more inclusive message to hispanics if it hopes to win the white house in 2016 . but the message they 're hearing on immigration from many in the party could make it harder to build relationships with the latino community . house bill right before leaving town for the august recess , the house passed a bill that would prevent the president from renewing deportation deferments — or granting new ones -- for the roughly 600,000 young people brought into the country illegally by undocumented immigrant parents . if the bill were to become law , it would mean those people could be deported . the vote was largely along party lines and republicans pressing for broader reform said that ending the obama administration 's program easing such deportations sent the wrong message . why are republicans continuing to shoot themselves in the foot ? ' carlos gutierrez , a republican himself and a former commerce secretary for george w. bush , asked in a cnn interview . a chief proponent of the house bill , iowa rep. steve king , was confronted in his home state last week at an event with sen. rand paul , a likely 2016 presidential candidate . with media present covering paul , a woman claiming that she would be deported if the measure became law confronted king about the legislation . paul was seen leaving before the matter turned into a heated debate . paul has made broadening the republican party 's appeal a cornerstone of his message . he helped open gop offices in minority neighborhoods in his home state and appeared before numerous african-american groups , highlighting his support for reforming criminal sentencing guidelines . former 2012 vice presidential candidate paul ryan has also traveled to more than a dozen communities around the country to discuss poverty issues and promote his economic growth policies . but democrats have pounced on king 's iowa dust-up as well as others trying to paint the gop as more extreme on immigration . rick perry says youths crossing the border is a'side issue' alabama rep. mo brooks said in a recent interview that he believed some were waging a war on whites . ' brooks was responding to a reporter pointing out the gop 's own fears about its dwindling appeal among hispanics . but he argued that democrats are claiming that whites hate everybody else , ' which he insisted was not true . ' republicans nervous rep. jeff denham of california was one of 11 house republicans to oppose the house bill and told cnn the decision by gop leaders to allow a vote on it was disappointing . ' echoing the same sentiment expressed by obama , denham said the measure was a messaging bill ' and would never see the light of day ' over in the senate . we 've got kids who are going to high schools that know of no other country to call home and we 've got to address all aspects of immigration reform , ' denham said . senate majority leader harry reid has no plans to take it up in the democratic-led senate and obama has said he would veto it anyway . boehner did n't want to turn the discussion over addressing the crisis of central american migrant youth streaming across the southern border into a broader debate over immigration . he agreed that congress needed to work with the white house and democrats to pass narrow legislation to deal with the issues that caused the surge of immigrants and provide resources to handle the tens of thousands who already arrived . number of unaccompanied minors crossing into u.s. tops 60,000 a political wedge but texas republican sen. ted cruz , a tea party hero , insisted that halting obama 's ability to defer future deportations had to be part of the gop 's response to the border situation . as part of a deal to pass a $ 694 million border funding bill , boehner and his top lieutenants agreed to allow a separate vote on a measure promoted by house conservatives that went even further than cruz 's proposal . the bill would end all deportation deferments because they worried obama would use his executive authority to expand them . florida republican rep. mario diaz-balart also voted against that bill and told cnn that the gop proposal helps democrats continue to use immigration as a political wedge . it gives them another bullet point in their narrative , ' diaz-balart said . both denham and diaz-balart criticized obama 's actions on immigration . they said it was appropriate for congress to respond to when it believes he is overstepping his legal authority . if the message is perceived as strictly to protect the civil liberties and basic rights of our democracy , that is one thing . but if the message is perceived to be anti-immigrant , that is very , very negative , ' diaz-balart said . party not taking its own advice the recent actions show republicans are n't taking their own advice on growing their party . last spring , the republican national committee issued a report that examined its 2012 loss and called for the gop to address immigration reform . the so-called autopsy report ' warned that if hispanic americans perceive that a gop nominee or candidate does not want them in the united states , they will not pay attention to our next sentence . ' henry barbour , a top party strategist and a report co-author , told cnn that tone is important . ' he conceded that taking on immigration reform takes political courage . ' but he also warned against talking in a way that 's not too hot and comes across as negative or exclusive . ' barbour added , we 're a big , broad party -- we 're not all going to agree on immigration -- not going to agree on everything , but we certainly have to have people in washington on the republican and democratic side that want to get things done . ' house republicans also heard about it on the editorial page of the wall street journal , which does n't usually criticize republicans . a party whose preoccupation is deporting children is going to alienate many conservatives , never mind minority voters . the episode is also sure to raise doubts among swing voters about whether republicans would be prepared to govern if they do win control of the entire congress , ' the journal said . advice on what to do even if republicans ca n't enact immigration reform in a divided congress , others advise it has to look like it is at least trying to do something . republican support among hispanic voters does not hinge on immigration reform but inaction . our inaction and poor optics can eviscerate any future we have right now , ' leslie sanchez , a republican strategist and author of los republicanos -- why hispanics & republicans need each other , ' said . gutierrez said that he saw a scenario for republicans to be on the offense if the party is able to retake control of the senate in november . he suggested the house and senate could come together on a proposal that would both secure the border but also provide some path to legal status for the 11 million undocumented workers . presenting a bill to obama would put the onus on him to respond and make him the subject of blame if he rejected it . i think this is one of those'nixon goes to china'things -- it will be a republican who reforms immigration . i do n't believe that democrats have the credibility , ' gutierrez said . expanding the wedge ? many republicans interviewed by cnn said the challenge next year will be even greater because democrats will want to use any divisions on the issue to further expand the wedge between the gop and latino voters going into the 2016 election . but they warned that the party ca n't use that as an excuse to not promote a message of positive reform . this is what people are elected to do , ' barbour said . just do your job -- i 'm talking to republicans and democrats alike . this is a two-way street . ' campaign officials from both parties say immigration is not a top-tier issue for the midterms . there are only a handful of house republicans in competitive races in districts with significant latino populations . the gop is well positioned to win control of the senate in november , and immigration is expected to be a factor in just one key contest in colorado , where there is a sizable number of hispanic voters . but the 2016 vote is again expected to come down to a handful of key swing states where both parties will work hard to win over independents . and many republicans agree that the party 's record on immigration will be important in states like colorado , nevada , arizona , and florida , which are home to expanding populations of latino voters . calling immigration reform the 800-pound gorilla in the room , ' diaz-balart said if latinos perceive that republicans do n't want to deal with immigration , then that is a major , major , major stumbling block to get over . ' | gop struggling internally on message they 're sending to hispanics |
china <tsp> ( cnn ) police rescued 37 babies and a 3-year-old girl after busting a child trafficking ring in eastern china 's shandong province , reported the state-run china central television . the newborn babies , many suffering from hiv/aids and malnutrition , were sold for between 50,000 yuan to 80,000 yuan ( $ 8,000 to $ 12,912 dollars ) . the boys fetched higher prices than girls , according to the online video report published on tuesday . babies were often transported in large handbags and suitcases to prospective buyers . and they were allegedly fed instant noodles and leftover vegetables , according to chinese state media . authorities have arrested 103 people , suspected of trafficking or purchasing the infants . police spotted a suspicious group of pregnant women being ushered into an abandoned factory in the city of jining , last july , where they found baby diapers and other evidence of it being used as an underground delivery room . ' we noticed there has been some new developments in the methods for child trafficking related crimes , ' chen shiqu , director of the ministry of public security 's anti-trafficking office told cctv . for example , some criminal gangs would send pregnant women who are about to give birth via public transport to another city . the babies are then sold after the women give birth , ' says chen . squalid conditions an investigator who was on the case said they detained seven suspects and found one baby nearly smothered under blankets in the run-down factory with squalid living conditions . at that time , the baby 's face was already turning purple , if we did n't search through those blankets , that baby may have already died , ' said liu yang , a police investigator . in a two-month sting operation following the raid , police discovered that the babies were often transported from the factory in bags to a hospital for infectious diseases in a nearby suburb where they were kept , awaiting buyers . out of the 37 babies we rescued , almost none of them were healthy . all had varying levels of some sickness . they let the babies eat instant noodles , ' said hou jun , a local police officer . one of the buyers , liu zhiyou said an agent told him it was an illegitimate child from a student . some of the babies have remained with their adoptive parents , while others are in orphanages . the 3-year-old was reunited with her mother , according to chinese media . according to chinese law , child traffickers can be imprisoned up to 10 years for selling more than three children or sentenced to death in more serious cases . major concern child trafficking has become a major concern in china , as traffickers seek to profit off a growing demand for healthy babies from potential adoptive parents both in china and beyond . in march last year , chinese officials uncovered four child-trafficking rings and arrested more than a thousand people for using websites and instant messaging groups to sell babies . a chinese obstetrician was also convicted for selling babies after telling their parents they were sick in early 2014 . | police rescued 37 babies and a 3-year-old girl in a trafficking ring bust in china , reported cctv |
bush <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the justices on the supreme court know very well their rulings can send immediate political shock waves , and those just intensify in a presidential election year . so there is an unusual internal dynamic at work of what cases the court hears and when . unlike the other parts of the judiciary , the supreme court is a discretionary body . they stingily pick which cases go on the docket and when . in fact , only about 1 % of appeals are accepted and fully reviewed . but certain legal fights are so important and time-sensitive , this court of last resort is often powerless to refuse or delay . that is true of the current challenges to the health care reform law , which will be argued monday through wednesday . an expected june ruling in an election year will put the court front and center for voters come november . the justices by nature are loathe to get involved in such highly partisan disputes . but sometimes often have no choice . preview :'the implications ... are impossible to overstate' the 2000 bush v. gore case ultimately settled the fight over counting florida 's ballots , giving george w. bush the presidency . several justices have since said they were not eager to decide the matter and place themselves as competing political saviors or demons . read a transcript of monday 's health-care arguments here are some landmark , presidential election-year legal disputes -- judicial blockbusters if you will -- handled by the supreme court : -- 1824 / gibbons v. ogden , striking down a new york law granting a monopoly to a hudson river ferry company . the court under chief justice john marshall clarified the commerce clause , concluding state law conflicted with overriding congressional power to regulate interstate commerce . it is interpretation of that clause that is central to the current legal fight over health care expansion . -- 1856 / dred scott v. sandford , declaring congress could not ban slavery in the territories and that blacks were barred from citizenship . the appeal was argued february 1856 , and a ruling came two days after president james buchanan 's inauguration in march 1857 . the new president in fact had asked the court to time its decision until after the election but before being sworn into office . he hoped that would defuse the slavery issue by putting it beyond political debate . and like others , the democrat hoped the court 's ruling would carry legitimacy among citizens in the north and south , an ultimately naive view . two families , two views on health care law historians also note the president-elect had quietly persuaded northern justice robert grier to change his vote and join the southern majority in the scott case , to give the impression the decision was not made along regional lines . this ruling is widely viewed as the court 's darkest moment , a sentiment expressed by most current members of the high court . -- 1896 / plessy v. ferguson , blessing the separate but equal ' state doctrine of racial segregation . by an 8 to 1 margin , the court upheld a louisiana law requiring federal rail cars to provide different facilities for white and black passengers . the justices said that did not violate federal authority over interstate commerce , nor the 13th and 14th amendments . that precedent was overturned dramatically in the 1954 brown v. board series of appeals . -- 1908 / muller v. oregon , allowing a state law limiting the working hours of women . attorney for the state louis brandeis -- soon to join the court -- successfully argued that long , unregulated hours on the job affected the health and morals of employees , especially those in factories . a landmark decision affirming government control over the workplace . -- 1972 / furman v. georgia , invalidating all existing capital punishment laws . the 5-4 court said the death penalty was being applied unconstitutionally . states responded by revising their laws , leading the court four years later , in another presidential election year , to end its moratorium and allow states to resume executions . -- 1972 / roe v. wade , legalizing abortion as a fundamental right of a woman 's privacy ' under the 14th amendment and concluding a fetus was not a person ' with constitutionally protected rights . the court tried to strike a balance between that individual right and states'duty in limited regulation , for the sake of prenatal life and a woman 's health , a governmental interest that grows stronger as the pregnancy develops over time . the companion cases first came to the court in 1970 , and arguments were scheduled for 1971 , then postponed until spring 1972 , then reargued october 1972 , a month before the presidential elections . the landmark ruling came out january 1973 , just days after president richard nixon 's inauguration . -- 2000 / bush v. gore , ruling manual recounts of presidential ballots in florida could not move ahead because of inconsistent evaluation standards in different counties . the court 's conservative majority cited the equal protection clause of the constitution for its reasoning . stopping the tally meant republican george w. bush , who was then narrowly leading in the decisive state , would become president , defeating vice president al gore . -- 2008 / district of columbia v. heller , tossing out the district 's strict ban on private handgun ownership . the conservative majority said citizens have a basic individual ' right to possess and keep guns in the home for self-defense . the court reaffirmed its holding two years later in a challenge to a similarly restrictive law from chicago . a cnn guide to frequently asked questions sometimes the high court itself becomes the story . here are some presidential election years where the supreme court as an institution or the justices became a major campaign issue : -- 1800 : jeffersonian republicans aimed criticism at the federalist-dominated high court over how much power the central government should hold . the tight election race -- called by some the revolution of 1800 ' -- ushered in an era of democratic-republican party executive rule . new president thomas jefferson had campaigned on remaking the federal courts as well , but it was chief justice john marshall , taking office two months before jefferson , who succeeded on that front . through his 35-year leadership on the bench , his federalist leanings helped strengthen the power of the u.s. government in the face of state authority . -- 1860 : the infamous dred scott decision shaped the debate of this election , indirectly helped put abraham lincoln in the white house and carried the nation into its seemingly inevitable path to the civil war . lincoln had sharply criticized the scott ruling in his stump speeches , and the new republican party 's convention platform officially condemned it . -- 1876 : the 2000 election was not our first disputed one . in 1876 , democrat samuel tilden won the popular vote in the presidential race , with republican rutherford b. hayes also trailing in the initial electoral vote . republicans protested , and to resolve the dispute , congress created a bipartisan commission that included five supreme court justices . it was justice joseph bradley who proved the swing vote , siding with hayes and giving the republican a 185-184 electoral vote win . an insider 's guide : how the supreme court works -- 1896 : the high court a year earlier had invalidated a nationwide federal income tax . liberals made that and other decisions considered pro-business ' a political rallying point . democrats campaigned against court usurpation ' of congressional reform efforts , a divisive political issue that would carry in into the 1930s . -- 1924 : the question here was a proposal by progressive party candidate sen. robert lafollete 's ( who served wisconsin as a republican ) for a one-up ' constitutional amendment . it would give congress the power to overturn supreme court decisions that overturned acts of congress . incumbent president calvin coolidge defended the federal courts , then dominated by conservative , as protectors of our fundamental law . ' -- 1936 : the fight between the courts and the other branches reached their zenith with the re-election efforts of president franklin roosevelt . he charged that the courts were undermining his sweeping economic reform programs during a national emergency , the depression . fdr was privately maneuvering for ways to go around the judiciary , including his audacious court-packing plan ' to expand the number of justices . that would allow the president to immediately name new , presumably more sympathetic , members to the court . the plan unveiled in 1937 ultimately failed , but the democrat 's 12-plus years in office did give him a chance to eventually appoint a record number of justices to that bench . -- 1968 : republican candidate richard nixon made the court 's 15-year record of liberal ' decisions under chief justice earl warren a big law and order ' campaign theme . nixon said those rulings were seriously hamstringing the peace forces in our society and strengthening the criminal forces . ' warren retired a year later , and nixon eventually named four justices to the high court . the subsequent appointments of ronald reagan and george h.w . bush also helped move the federal judiciary to the right for decades . | 2000 : so who 's your president -- bush or gore ? the high court has to decide |
dred scott <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the justices on the supreme court know very well their rulings can send immediate political shock waves , and those just intensify in a presidential election year . so there is an unusual internal dynamic at work of what cases the court hears and when . unlike the other parts of the judiciary , the supreme court is a discretionary body . they stingily pick which cases go on the docket and when . in fact , only about 1 % of appeals are accepted and fully reviewed . but certain legal fights are so important and time-sensitive , this court of last resort is often powerless to refuse or delay . that is true of the current challenges to the health care reform law , which will be argued monday through wednesday . an expected june ruling in an election year will put the court front and center for voters come november . the justices by nature are loathe to get involved in such highly partisan disputes . but sometimes often have no choice . preview :'the implications ... are impossible to overstate' the 2000 bush v. gore case ultimately settled the fight over counting florida 's ballots , giving george w. bush the presidency . several justices have since said they were not eager to decide the matter and place themselves as competing political saviors or demons . read a transcript of monday 's health-care arguments here are some landmark , presidential election-year legal disputes -- judicial blockbusters if you will -- handled by the supreme court : -- 1824 / gibbons v. ogden , striking down a new york law granting a monopoly to a hudson river ferry company . the court under chief justice john marshall clarified the commerce clause , concluding state law conflicted with overriding congressional power to regulate interstate commerce . it is interpretation of that clause that is central to the current legal fight over health care expansion . -- 1856 / dred scott v. sandford , declaring congress could not ban slavery in the territories and that blacks were barred from citizenship . the appeal was argued february 1856 , and a ruling came two days after president james buchanan 's inauguration in march 1857 . the new president in fact had asked the court to time its decision until after the election but before being sworn into office . he hoped that would defuse the slavery issue by putting it beyond political debate . and like others , the democrat hoped the court 's ruling would carry legitimacy among citizens in the north and south , an ultimately naive view . two families , two views on health care law historians also note the president-elect had quietly persuaded northern justice robert grier to change his vote and join the southern majority in the scott case , to give the impression the decision was not made along regional lines . this ruling is widely viewed as the court 's darkest moment , a sentiment expressed by most current members of the high court . -- 1896 / plessy v. ferguson , blessing the separate but equal ' state doctrine of racial segregation . by an 8 to 1 margin , the court upheld a louisiana law requiring federal rail cars to provide different facilities for white and black passengers . the justices said that did not violate federal authority over interstate commerce , nor the 13th and 14th amendments . that precedent was overturned dramatically in the 1954 brown v. board series of appeals . -- 1908 / muller v. oregon , allowing a state law limiting the working hours of women . attorney for the state louis brandeis -- soon to join the court -- successfully argued that long , unregulated hours on the job affected the health and morals of employees , especially those in factories . a landmark decision affirming government control over the workplace . -- 1972 / furman v. georgia , invalidating all existing capital punishment laws . the 5-4 court said the death penalty was being applied unconstitutionally . states responded by revising their laws , leading the court four years later , in another presidential election year , to end its moratorium and allow states to resume executions . -- 1972 / roe v. wade , legalizing abortion as a fundamental right of a woman 's privacy ' under the 14th amendment and concluding a fetus was not a person ' with constitutionally protected rights . the court tried to strike a balance between that individual right and states'duty in limited regulation , for the sake of prenatal life and a woman 's health , a governmental interest that grows stronger as the pregnancy develops over time . the companion cases first came to the court in 1970 , and arguments were scheduled for 1971 , then postponed until spring 1972 , then reargued october 1972 , a month before the presidential elections . the landmark ruling came out january 1973 , just days after president richard nixon 's inauguration . -- 2000 / bush v. gore , ruling manual recounts of presidential ballots in florida could not move ahead because of inconsistent evaluation standards in different counties . the court 's conservative majority cited the equal protection clause of the constitution for its reasoning . stopping the tally meant republican george w. bush , who was then narrowly leading in the decisive state , would become president , defeating vice president al gore . -- 2008 / district of columbia v. heller , tossing out the district 's strict ban on private handgun ownership . the conservative majority said citizens have a basic individual ' right to possess and keep guns in the home for self-defense . the court reaffirmed its holding two years later in a challenge to a similarly restrictive law from chicago . a cnn guide to frequently asked questions sometimes the high court itself becomes the story . here are some presidential election years where the supreme court as an institution or the justices became a major campaign issue : -- 1800 : jeffersonian republicans aimed criticism at the federalist-dominated high court over how much power the central government should hold . the tight election race -- called by some the revolution of 1800 ' -- ushered in an era of democratic-republican party executive rule . new president thomas jefferson had campaigned on remaking the federal courts as well , but it was chief justice john marshall , taking office two months before jefferson , who succeeded on that front . through his 35-year leadership on the bench , his federalist leanings helped strengthen the power of the u.s. government in the face of state authority . -- 1860 : the infamous dred scott decision shaped the debate of this election , indirectly helped put abraham lincoln in the white house and carried the nation into its seemingly inevitable path to the civil war . lincoln had sharply criticized the scott ruling in his stump speeches , and the new republican party 's convention platform officially condemned it . -- 1876 : the 2000 election was not our first disputed one . in 1876 , democrat samuel tilden won the popular vote in the presidential race , with republican rutherford b. hayes also trailing in the initial electoral vote . republicans protested , and to resolve the dispute , congress created a bipartisan commission that included five supreme court justices . it was justice joseph bradley who proved the swing vote , siding with hayes and giving the republican a 185-184 electoral vote win . an insider 's guide : how the supreme court works -- 1896 : the high court a year earlier had invalidated a nationwide federal income tax . liberals made that and other decisions considered pro-business ' a political rallying point . democrats campaigned against court usurpation ' of congressional reform efforts , a divisive political issue that would carry in into the 1930s . -- 1924 : the question here was a proposal by progressive party candidate sen. robert lafollete 's ( who served wisconsin as a republican ) for a one-up ' constitutional amendment . it would give congress the power to overturn supreme court decisions that overturned acts of congress . incumbent president calvin coolidge defended the federal courts , then dominated by conservative , as protectors of our fundamental law . ' -- 1936 : the fight between the courts and the other branches reached their zenith with the re-election efforts of president franklin roosevelt . he charged that the courts were undermining his sweeping economic reform programs during a national emergency , the depression . fdr was privately maneuvering for ways to go around the judiciary , including his audacious court-packing plan ' to expand the number of justices . that would allow the president to immediately name new , presumably more sympathetic , members to the court . the plan unveiled in 1937 ultimately failed , but the democrat 's 12-plus years in office did give him a chance to eventually appoint a record number of justices to that bench . -- 1968 : republican candidate richard nixon made the court 's 15-year record of liberal ' decisions under chief justice earl warren a big law and order ' campaign theme . nixon said those rulings were seriously hamstringing the peace forces in our society and strengthening the criminal forces . ' warren retired a year later , and nixon eventually named four justices to the high court . the subsequent appointments of ronald reagan and george h.w . bush also helped move the federal judiciary to the right for decades . | 1856 : dred scott ruling barring blacks from citizenship called court 's darkest moment |
african <tsp> ( cnn ) -- she may be a fully-fledged pop star with a growing global appeal but nigerian singer , asa , is determined to remain true to her african roots . the 29 year old artist initially found fame on her home continent thanks to her soulful musical melodies , which have since proved popular with audiences in europe and beyond . she has since opened live shows for the musical superstars such as beyonce , snoop dogg , akon and john legend . ghana 's bob marley spreads message of brotherhood but despite sampling the sweet taste of global recognition , it is nigeria and africa that remain the singer 's main sources of inspiration . i 'm proud to be nigerian and i also hope other nigerians feel proud that they have a great country , she adds ' ' people have preconceptions of nigeria ... so for other nigerians we need to know that we can not hide , we need to defend , and how do we defend , we need to be good at whatever we do , ' she adds . asa is just the latest in a long line of african artists to make it big on the world stage . singer nneka tells world of love and injustice in nigeria traditional acts such as ladysmith black mambazo and salif keita have blazed a trail in years gone by , while up-and-coming hip hop artists such as k'naan and 2face idibia have taken on the mantle in recent times . in the gallery above , cnn takes a look at some of the continent 's most famous and much-loved musical exports . | the 29-year-old artist is the latest in a long line of african musicians to make it on world stage |
microsoft <tsp> ( cnn ) -- most of the big tech companies implicated in the ongoing controversy over secret government web surveillance insist they turned over data about users to the national security agency only after being compelled by court orders . but a new report claims that microsoft willingly collaborated with the nsa and even allowed federal agents to circumvent the company 's own encryption system to spy on users'messages . the latest bombshell from the uk 's guardian newspaper , which along with the washington post broke the nsa snooping story last month , says that microsoft helped the nsa circumvent its encryption to intercept web chats on its new outlook.com portal . the guardian , citing top-secret ' documents , said the nsa already had access to pre-encrypted e-mail on microsoft 's outlook , including hotmail . the nsa allegedly listened in on numerous video calls made via skype , which microsoft bought two years ago . and microsoft also worked with the fbi this year to give the nsa easier access to its cloud storage service skydrive , which has more than 250 million users worldwide , according to the guardian 's report , published thursday . in a statement , microsoft immediately denied many of the guardian 's claims , saying the company turns over data on customers only in response to legal requests . first , we take our commitments to our customers and to compliance with applicable law very seriously , so we provide customer data only in response to legal processes . second , our compliance team examines all demands very closely , and we reject them if we believe they are n't valid . third , we only ever comply with orders about specific accounts or identifiers , and we would not respond to the kind of blanket orders discussed in the press over the past few weeks , as the volumes documented in our most recent disclosure clearly illustrate , ' the company said . to be clear , microsoft does not provide any government with blanket or direct access to skydrive , outlook.com , skype or any microsoft product . ' news reports , based in part on documents provided by former nsa contractor edward snowden , have described a classified u.s. intelligence system called prism that examines e-mails , videos , online chats and other data that it collects via requests made under the foreign intelligence surveillance act . the revelations about prism have alarmed everyone from members of congress and foreign leaders to privacy activists and citizens who organized anti-nsa protests across the united states on the fourth of july . like apple , facebook , google , yahoo and other tech titans linked by news reports to the prism program , microsoft has been working in recent weeks to convince customers that it values their privacy and safeguards their personal data against wanton snooping by a government trying to root out terrorists . in lobbying for greater transparency on national security-related requests , microsoft revealed last month that it had received between 6,000 and 7,000 criminal and national security warrants , subpoenas and other orders in the last six months of 2012 . these requests affected between 31,000 and 32,000 consumer accounts -- a tiny fraction of the company 's hundreds of millions of users -- and came from local , state and federal agencies , microsoft said . when we upgrade or update products legal obligations may in some circumstances require that we maintain the ability to provide information in response to a law enforcement or national security request , ' microsoft said in its statement thursday . there are aspects of this debate that we wish we were able to discuss more freely . that 's why we 've argued for additional transparency that would help everyone understand and debate these important issues . ' | report : microsoft allowed feds to circumvent its encryption system to spy on users |
microsoft <tsp> ( cnn ) -- most of the big tech companies implicated in the ongoing controversy over secret government web surveillance insist they turned over data about users to the national security agency only after being compelled by court orders . but a new report claims that microsoft willingly collaborated with the nsa and even allowed federal agents to circumvent the company 's own encryption system to spy on users'messages . the latest bombshell from the uk 's guardian newspaper , which along with the washington post broke the nsa snooping story last month , says that microsoft helped the nsa circumvent its encryption to intercept web chats on its new outlook.com portal . the guardian , citing top-secret ' documents , said the nsa already had access to pre-encrypted e-mail on microsoft 's outlook , including hotmail . the nsa allegedly listened in on numerous video calls made via skype , which microsoft bought two years ago . and microsoft also worked with the fbi this year to give the nsa easier access to its cloud storage service skydrive , which has more than 250 million users worldwide , according to the guardian 's report , published thursday . in a statement , microsoft immediately denied many of the guardian 's claims , saying the company turns over data on customers only in response to legal requests . first , we take our commitments to our customers and to compliance with applicable law very seriously , so we provide customer data only in response to legal processes . second , our compliance team examines all demands very closely , and we reject them if we believe they are n't valid . third , we only ever comply with orders about specific accounts or identifiers , and we would not respond to the kind of blanket orders discussed in the press over the past few weeks , as the volumes documented in our most recent disclosure clearly illustrate , ' the company said . to be clear , microsoft does not provide any government with blanket or direct access to skydrive , outlook.com , skype or any microsoft product . ' news reports , based in part on documents provided by former nsa contractor edward snowden , have described a classified u.s. intelligence system called prism that examines e-mails , videos , online chats and other data that it collects via requests made under the foreign intelligence surveillance act . the revelations about prism have alarmed everyone from members of congress and foreign leaders to privacy activists and citizens who organized anti-nsa protests across the united states on the fourth of july . like apple , facebook , google , yahoo and other tech titans linked by news reports to the prism program , microsoft has been working in recent weeks to convince customers that it values their privacy and safeguards their personal data against wanton snooping by a government trying to root out terrorists . in lobbying for greater transparency on national security-related requests , microsoft revealed last month that it had received between 6,000 and 7,000 criminal and national security warrants , subpoenas and other orders in the last six months of 2012 . these requests affected between 31,000 and 32,000 consumer accounts -- a tiny fraction of the company 's hundreds of millions of users -- and came from local , state and federal agencies , microsoft said . when we upgrade or update products legal obligations may in some circumstances require that we maintain the ability to provide information in response to a law enforcement or national security request , ' microsoft said in its statement thursday . there are aspects of this debate that we wish we were able to discuss more freely . that 's why we 've argued for additional transparency that would help everyone understand and debate these important issues . ' | a new report from the guardian newspaper claims microsoft willingly collaborated with the nsa |
microsoft <tsp> ( cnn ) -- most of the big tech companies implicated in the ongoing controversy over secret government web surveillance insist they turned over data about users to the national security agency only after being compelled by court orders . but a new report claims that microsoft willingly collaborated with the nsa and even allowed federal agents to circumvent the company 's own encryption system to spy on users'messages . the latest bombshell from the uk 's guardian newspaper , which along with the washington post broke the nsa snooping story last month , says that microsoft helped the nsa circumvent its encryption to intercept web chats on its new outlook.com portal . the guardian , citing top-secret ' documents , said the nsa already had access to pre-encrypted e-mail on microsoft 's outlook , including hotmail . the nsa allegedly listened in on numerous video calls made via skype , which microsoft bought two years ago . and microsoft also worked with the fbi this year to give the nsa easier access to its cloud storage service skydrive , which has more than 250 million users worldwide , according to the guardian 's report , published thursday . in a statement , microsoft immediately denied many of the guardian 's claims , saying the company turns over data on customers only in response to legal requests . first , we take our commitments to our customers and to compliance with applicable law very seriously , so we provide customer data only in response to legal processes . second , our compliance team examines all demands very closely , and we reject them if we believe they are n't valid . third , we only ever comply with orders about specific accounts or identifiers , and we would not respond to the kind of blanket orders discussed in the press over the past few weeks , as the volumes documented in our most recent disclosure clearly illustrate , ' the company said . to be clear , microsoft does not provide any government with blanket or direct access to skydrive , outlook.com , skype or any microsoft product . ' news reports , based in part on documents provided by former nsa contractor edward snowden , have described a classified u.s. intelligence system called prism that examines e-mails , videos , online chats and other data that it collects via requests made under the foreign intelligence surveillance act . the revelations about prism have alarmed everyone from members of congress and foreign leaders to privacy activists and citizens who organized anti-nsa protests across the united states on the fourth of july . like apple , facebook , google , yahoo and other tech titans linked by news reports to the prism program , microsoft has been working in recent weeks to convince customers that it values their privacy and safeguards their personal data against wanton snooping by a government trying to root out terrorists . in lobbying for greater transparency on national security-related requests , microsoft revealed last month that it had received between 6,000 and 7,000 criminal and national security warrants , subpoenas and other orders in the last six months of 2012 . these requests affected between 31,000 and 32,000 consumer accounts -- a tiny fraction of the company 's hundreds of millions of users -- and came from local , state and federal agencies , microsoft said . when we upgrade or update products legal obligations may in some circumstances require that we maintain the ability to provide information in response to a law enforcement or national security request , ' microsoft said in its statement thursday . there are aspects of this debate that we wish we were able to discuss more freely . that 's why we 've argued for additional transparency that would help everyone understand and debate these important issues . ' | microsoft : we do not provide any government with blanket or direct access to ... any microsoft product ' |
microsoft <tsp> ( cnn ) -- most of the big tech companies implicated in the ongoing controversy over secret government web surveillance insist they turned over data about users to the national security agency only after being compelled by court orders . but a new report claims that microsoft willingly collaborated with the nsa and even allowed federal agents to circumvent the company 's own encryption system to spy on users'messages . the latest bombshell from the uk 's guardian newspaper , which along with the washington post broke the nsa snooping story last month , says that microsoft helped the nsa circumvent its encryption to intercept web chats on its new outlook.com portal . the guardian , citing top-secret ' documents , said the nsa already had access to pre-encrypted e-mail on microsoft 's outlook , including hotmail . the nsa allegedly listened in on numerous video calls made via skype , which microsoft bought two years ago . and microsoft also worked with the fbi this year to give the nsa easier access to its cloud storage service skydrive , which has more than 250 million users worldwide , according to the guardian 's report , published thursday . in a statement , microsoft immediately denied many of the guardian 's claims , saying the company turns over data on customers only in response to legal requests . first , we take our commitments to our customers and to compliance with applicable law very seriously , so we provide customer data only in response to legal processes . second , our compliance team examines all demands very closely , and we reject them if we believe they are n't valid . third , we only ever comply with orders about specific accounts or identifiers , and we would not respond to the kind of blanket orders discussed in the press over the past few weeks , as the volumes documented in our most recent disclosure clearly illustrate , ' the company said . to be clear , microsoft does not provide any government with blanket or direct access to skydrive , outlook.com , skype or any microsoft product . ' news reports , based in part on documents provided by former nsa contractor edward snowden , have described a classified u.s. intelligence system called prism that examines e-mails , videos , online chats and other data that it collects via requests made under the foreign intelligence surveillance act . the revelations about prism have alarmed everyone from members of congress and foreign leaders to privacy activists and citizens who organized anti-nsa protests across the united states on the fourth of july . like apple , facebook , google , yahoo and other tech titans linked by news reports to the prism program , microsoft has been working in recent weeks to convince customers that it values their privacy and safeguards their personal data against wanton snooping by a government trying to root out terrorists . in lobbying for greater transparency on national security-related requests , microsoft revealed last month that it had received between 6,000 and 7,000 criminal and national security warrants , subpoenas and other orders in the last six months of 2012 . these requests affected between 31,000 and 32,000 consumer accounts -- a tiny fraction of the company 's hundreds of millions of users -- and came from local , state and federal agencies , microsoft said . when we upgrade or update products legal obligations may in some circumstances require that we maintain the ability to provide information in response to a law enforcement or national security request , ' microsoft said in its statement thursday . there are aspects of this debate that we wish we were able to discuss more freely . that 's why we 've argued for additional transparency that would help everyone understand and debate these important issues . ' | microsoft says it turns over data on customers only in response to legal requests |
tibetans <tsp> ( cnn ) -- they lined up hundreds strong to touch the dirt . some fell to their knees , clutching the gritty stuff as though it were a long-lost child . others lifted it to their lips to savor a taste of the home they left behind decades ago . exiles -- who face never returning to tibet as long as it is under chinese rule -- stood on tibetan soil this week , fulfilling a desire that has burned within since they fled westward across the himalayas . only , this week , they were able to do it in dharamsala , the indian hilltown that functions as the de facto capital of the refugee community . the display was the work of new york artist tenzing rigdol , 29 , who clandestinely trucked in sacks containing 22 tons of dirt from tibet to dharamsala to construct his installation . he did not want to disclose details of the soil 's journey , fearful of the repercussions of the act of smuggling . all he would say is that it was a complicated process that took 17 months . ' rigdol then spread the dirt over a stage the size of a basketball court and called it our land , our people . ' he invited tibetans to walk on his dirt , write on it or pick up a microphone to express themselves . he knew it could never be the same as actually returning to tibet , but perhaps , he thought , it would spark a sliver of that feeling . he thought of his father on wednesday when the installation opened and people lined up , many overwhelmed with emotion . the only wish his father had was to see tibet one more time . but he fell ill in 2007 and died . a father 's unfulfilled wish drove his artist son to create something that would allow the displaced to be able to return ' home again . and others like him , who were born outside of tibet , to finally feel native earth they have never had under their feet . there are so many like my father who wanted to return , ' rigdol said . and many more who have never been to tibet . ' tenzin dorjee , 31 , remembers receiving cell phone texts at 4:30 in the morning when his excited friend first came up with his idea . the message was so long that it got broken into three . he was saying he had this idea to transport a large amount of soil from tibet , ' dorjee said . i was blown away . my first reaction was : how is that possible ? ' but then dorjee began visualizing the project and how much of an impact it was sure to have on tibetan exiles . the implications , ' he said , seemed historic . ' known as the roof of the world , ' tibet is a remote buddhist region governed by communist china . beijing claims its sovereignty over tibet goes back centuries and views the tibetan spiritual leader , the dalai lama , as a separatist . about 150,000 tibetans live in exile , a majority of them in dharamsala , according to their governing body . the dalai lama set up residence there after chinese forces crushed a 1959 tibetan uprising . the dalai lama summoned rigdol to his residence after the opening of the installation wednesday , rigdol said . rigdol carried with him some of the tibetan dirt . using his index finger , the dalai lama , wrote tibet in the dirt and blessed the soil . meanwhile , monks in their flowing maroon and saffron robes queued up , as did parents holding babies . it was very exciting , ' said tenzing geche , 22 , a monk who was a baby when his family left tibet . he touched the dirt and felt a connection like no other . i felt i was back in my own country , ' he said . tenzing tfuengue , 17 , has never been to tibet -- he was born and raised in india . he has longed to go to tibet , feel the air there , drink the water , see the land that possesses his soul . today , ( rigdol ) made it a little bit possible , ' tfuengue said . for lhadon tethong , 35 , a canadian visiting family in dharamsala , the installation was bittersweet . it was completely inspiring at one moment and in another , as she watched elderly tibetans fall to the ground , sadness overcame her . i am normally better with words than this , ' she said , unable to complete her sentence . there was no overt political statement in rigdol 's art , but some tibetans hoped it would inspire resistance to chinese rule . china blames tibetan unrest on the exiled community . but no matter the consequences , rigdol 's art will carry on . the installation will stay up until friday . but when it closes , tibetan exiles will be allowed to take some of the dirt with them , a reminder always of the land they long to see . | the dirt was spread on a stage so tibetans could walk on it |
tibetans <tsp> ( cnn ) -- they lined up hundreds strong to touch the dirt . some fell to their knees , clutching the gritty stuff as though it were a long-lost child . others lifted it to their lips to savor a taste of the home they left behind decades ago . exiles -- who face never returning to tibet as long as it is under chinese rule -- stood on tibetan soil this week , fulfilling a desire that has burned within since they fled westward across the himalayas . only , this week , they were able to do it in dharamsala , the indian hilltown that functions as the de facto capital of the refugee community . the display was the work of new york artist tenzing rigdol , 29 , who clandestinely trucked in sacks containing 22 tons of dirt from tibet to dharamsala to construct his installation . he did not want to disclose details of the soil 's journey , fearful of the repercussions of the act of smuggling . all he would say is that it was a complicated process that took 17 months . ' rigdol then spread the dirt over a stage the size of a basketball court and called it our land , our people . ' he invited tibetans to walk on his dirt , write on it or pick up a microphone to express themselves . he knew it could never be the same as actually returning to tibet , but perhaps , he thought , it would spark a sliver of that feeling . he thought of his father on wednesday when the installation opened and people lined up , many overwhelmed with emotion . the only wish his father had was to see tibet one more time . but he fell ill in 2007 and died . a father 's unfulfilled wish drove his artist son to create something that would allow the displaced to be able to return ' home again . and others like him , who were born outside of tibet , to finally feel native earth they have never had under their feet . there are so many like my father who wanted to return , ' rigdol said . and many more who have never been to tibet . ' tenzin dorjee , 31 , remembers receiving cell phone texts at 4:30 in the morning when his excited friend first came up with his idea . the message was so long that it got broken into three . he was saying he had this idea to transport a large amount of soil from tibet , ' dorjee said . i was blown away . my first reaction was : how is that possible ? ' but then dorjee began visualizing the project and how much of an impact it was sure to have on tibetan exiles . the implications , ' he said , seemed historic . ' known as the roof of the world , ' tibet is a remote buddhist region governed by communist china . beijing claims its sovereignty over tibet goes back centuries and views the tibetan spiritual leader , the dalai lama , as a separatist . about 150,000 tibetans live in exile , a majority of them in dharamsala , according to their governing body . the dalai lama set up residence there after chinese forces crushed a 1959 tibetan uprising . the dalai lama summoned rigdol to his residence after the opening of the installation wednesday , rigdol said . rigdol carried with him some of the tibetan dirt . using his index finger , the dalai lama , wrote tibet in the dirt and blessed the soil . meanwhile , monks in their flowing maroon and saffron robes queued up , as did parents holding babies . it was very exciting , ' said tenzing geche , 22 , a monk who was a baby when his family left tibet . he touched the dirt and felt a connection like no other . i felt i was back in my own country , ' he said . tenzing tfuengue , 17 , has never been to tibet -- he was born and raised in india . he has longed to go to tibet , feel the air there , drink the water , see the land that possesses his soul . today , ( rigdol ) made it a little bit possible , ' tfuengue said . for lhadon tethong , 35 , a canadian visiting family in dharamsala , the installation was bittersweet . it was completely inspiring at one moment and in another , as she watched elderly tibetans fall to the ground , sadness overcame her . i am normally better with words than this , ' she said , unable to complete her sentence . there was no overt political statement in rigdol 's art , but some tibetans hoped it would inspire resistance to chinese rule . china blames tibetan unrest on the exiled community . but no matter the consequences , rigdol 's art will carry on . the installation will stay up until friday . but when it closes , tibetan exiles will be allowed to take some of the dirt with them , a reminder always of the land they long to see . | tibetans who long to see their homeland were able to touch native soil again |
virginia <tsp> falls church , virginia ( cnn ) -- garrulous and active , 79-year-old joy bricker presides over her hotel suite in a manner befitting a grander home . she offers tea to the staff and media with the ease of a person schooled in proper etiquette . like many hotel guests , bricker has learned to make herself feel comfortable , making her room a home away from home . only , bricker has called the towne place suites by marriott , in falls church , virginia , home for more than 10 years . a former pilot , the 5-foot tour de force is finally turning in her key card , as movers wait to carry off the few labeled belongings she 'd brought in to room 202 . i had this chair brought up from my condo in florida , ' says bricker . a divider serves as a mantel for framed pictures of family , separating the kitchenette and living area of her 500-square-foot suite . she 's made the hotel furniture , identical in all rooms , more personal with a blanket on a sofa and stuffed animal over a lampshade . extended hotel stays are not so unusual , according to carla berberich , a general manager at the towne place suites , especially for business travelers . this virginia location is nearly half-filled , at 46 percent . but , no one has stayed as long as bricker , who checked in on august 4 , 2001 . she is the longest extended-stay guest any marriott hotel has seen . what brought bricker here was a job with the department of housing and urban development , the second politically-appointed position the onetime homemaker says she accepted . but this one came when she was 68 , when many senior citizens are well settled into retirement . but , bricker began her professional career at 50 . years of political organizing she says led to a friendship with elizabeth and bob dole and ultimately to her first job during the reagan administration in the department of transportation in 1981 . a stint followed at the white house , where she worked in the campaign for a drug free america starting in 1986 . for the pennsylvania native , who spent the better part of her adult life in rural ashland , new hampshire , the beltway is where she has felt most at home . the death of her husband , glenn , from cancer gave her no pause in returning to work in 2001 , which landed her at the towne place suites . for less than the price of many apartment rentals in the washington metro area ( roughly $ 1,500- $ 1,700 a month ) bricker 's room was supplied with wifi , which fueled her hours of daily online research and reading a day , and the added benefit of daily room cleaning , and round-the-clock security . though she says she still makes her bed each day , though not nearly as well . bricker has become a pillar of the transient , makeshift community . she 's made friends of staff and short-term neighbors alike . next door , her new kuwaiti friend brings traditional meals of spiced stew for them to share . it 's helped my appetite , ' says bricker as she acknowledges her frail frame . i call it community planning , ' she adds , i turned it into a community . ' her daughter , chris winton , explains further , she turned them into family , and they accepted . ' and , it was this family of hotel staff who came to her aid when last year a late-night fall landed her in the hospital with a broken hip . general manager bobby bellinger was the first person bricker saw when she awoke in her hospital bed . it ran through my mind how many people would have been this lucky , ' says bricker as she holds bellinger 's hand on what will be a final visit together . now , compounded ailments of osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis are forcing the fiercely independent bricker to move in with her daughter in upstate new york . for a woman who once flew a cherokee 180 ( which she says is still in the air ) , she wo n't be grounded by this next phase of her life . she plans to devote her time to church . if i 've set a goal , i 'm going to reach it , she says . ' her goal now : continue offering whatever i am able to give . i have to help . i 'm not a sitter . ' | joy bricker has lived at a falls church , virginia , hotel for over a decade |
africa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- undisturbed tropical forests are absorbing nearly one-fifth of the co2 released by burning fossil fuels , a new study has found . trees in undisturbed tropical forests are soaking up more co2 than people realized . the scientific report published in nature ' magazine suggests that the world 's remaining tropical forests remove 4.8 billion tons of co2 emissions from the atmosphere each year . this includes a previously unknown carbon sink in africa , which annually absorbs 1.2 billion tons of co2 . the study was based on taken data on african tropical forests from the past 40 years and has shown that for at least the past few decades each hectare of intact african forest has trapped an extra 0.6 tonnes of carbon per year . the scientists then analyzed the new african data together with south american and asian findings to assess the total sink in tropical forests . analysis of these 250,000 tree records reveals that , on average , remaining undisturbed forests are trapping carbon , showing that they are a globally significant carbon sink . we are receiving a free subsidy from nature , ' said dr. simon lewis from the university of leeds , and the lead author of the paper , in a press statement . tropical forest trees are absorbing about 18 percent of the co2 added to the atmosphere each year from burning fossil fuels , substantially buffering the rate of climate change . ' the study also found that trees of comparable age are gaining girth , though the reasons are unclear . for example , a 20-year-old tree is on average bigger than a 20-year-old tree measured a decade ago . a leading suspect is the extra co2 in the atmosphere , which may act as a fertilizer .. however , lewis warns , whatever the cause , we can not rely on this sink forever . even if we preserve all remaining tropical forest , these trees will not continue getting bigger indefinitely . ' the intergovernmental panel on climate change reports that each year human activity emits 32 billion tons of co2 , but only 15 billion tons actually remain in the atmosphere adding to climate change . the new research suggests just where some of the missing ' 17 billion tons per year is going . it 's well known that about half of the'missing'carbon is being dissolved in to the oceans , and that the other half is going somewhere on land in vegetation and soils , but we were not sure precisely where . according to our study about half the total carbon'land sink'is in tropical forest trees , ' lewis said . the protection of tropical forests is likely to become a key theme at the u.n . climate change conference in november in copenhagen , denmark . co-author on the study , dr. lee white , gabon 's chief climate change scientist said , to get an idea of the value of the sink , the removal of nearly 5 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by intact tropical forests , based on realistic prices for a ton of carbon , should be valued at around £13 billion ( $ 18.5 billion ) per year . this is a compelling argument for conserving tropical forests . ' dr. lewis added , predominantly rich polluting countries should be transferring substantial resources to countries with tropical forests to reduce deforestation rates and promote alternative development pathways . ' | new carbon sink discovered in africa that mops up 1.2 billion tons of co2 |
french <tsp> ( cnn ) -- german medical groups joined the french health ministry friday in recommending that women seek removal of breast implants made by a french company , saying they need not hurry but the devices could pose eventual health problems . england 's national health service also weighed in friday , stopping short of recommending routine removal of implants made by poly implant prostheses , or pip , but agreeing to pay to have them taken out in some cases . french authorities announced last month that the government would pay for the removal of the bankrupt company 's implants , which a british medical group says were made from non-medical grade silicone believed by the manufacturers to be made for mattresses . ' authorities in france and england have dismissed fears of cancer from the implants , but have said the devices are prone to rupture and could cause inflammation , scarring and fibrosis . more than 500 french women have had the implants removed since last year , according to the french government agency that evaluates the safety of medical products . since then , more than 1,000 implants have ruptured , the agency said . german medical groups representing plastic surgeons , breast care specialists and gynecologists said friday that while the implants do not pose any immediate health threat , they raise the risk of ruptures , difficulties with breast imaging and other complications . we recommend removal without hurry , just as the french expert commission has recommended , ' the groups said in a joint release . in britain , david nicholson , chief executive of the national health service , said an advisory medical group found there was no evidence to support routine removal of the implants or suggestions that they could increase the risk of cancer . however , the group also acknowledges that many of the implants are made up of non-medical grade silicone and should not have been implanted in women in the first place , ' nicholson said in a letter to medical workers released friday . nicholson said the government would pay to have the implants removed from women who received them as part of reconstructive care provided by the publicly funded national health service . women who paid for cosmetic implants from private clinics would not be eligible for government funded care in most cases , the nhs said . but nicholson said he hoped private practitioners would also pay for the removal of implants if patients request it . we want the private sector to offer the same service to its patients as the nhs is offering and we are working with them to best ensure an equivalent model of care is provided , ' he said . an estimated 300,000 women in 65 countries received breast implants from the company . the implants were banned in 2010 and the company went bankrupt later that year . the implants are not approved for use in the united states . cnn 's diana magnay and stefan simons contributed to this report . | german medical groups back the removal of breast implants made by a french company |
nhs <tsp> ( cnn ) -- german medical groups joined the french health ministry friday in recommending that women seek removal of breast implants made by a french company , saying they need not hurry but the devices could pose eventual health problems . england 's national health service also weighed in friday , stopping short of recommending routine removal of implants made by poly implant prostheses , or pip , but agreeing to pay to have them taken out in some cases . french authorities announced last month that the government would pay for the removal of the bankrupt company 's implants , which a british medical group says were made from non-medical grade silicone believed by the manufacturers to be made for mattresses . ' authorities in france and england have dismissed fears of cancer from the implants , but have said the devices are prone to rupture and could cause inflammation , scarring and fibrosis . more than 500 french women have had the implants removed since last year , according to the french government agency that evaluates the safety of medical products . since then , more than 1,000 implants have ruptured , the agency said . german medical groups representing plastic surgeons , breast care specialists and gynecologists said friday that while the implants do not pose any immediate health threat , they raise the risk of ruptures , difficulties with breast imaging and other complications . we recommend removal without hurry , just as the french expert commission has recommended , ' the groups said in a joint release . in britain , david nicholson , chief executive of the national health service , said an advisory medical group found there was no evidence to support routine removal of the implants or suggestions that they could increase the risk of cancer . however , the group also acknowledges that many of the implants are made up of non-medical grade silicone and should not have been implanted in women in the first place , ' nicholson said in a letter to medical workers released friday . nicholson said the government would pay to have the implants removed from women who received them as part of reconstructive care provided by the publicly funded national health service . women who paid for cosmetic implants from private clinics would not be eligible for government funded care in most cases , the nhs said . but nicholson said he hoped private practitioners would also pay for the removal of implants if patients request it . we want the private sector to offer the same service to its patients as the nhs is offering and we are working with them to best ensure an equivalent model of care is provided , ' he said . an estimated 300,000 women in 65 countries received breast implants from the company . the implants were banned in 2010 and the company went bankrupt later that year . the implants are not approved for use in the united states . cnn 's diana magnay and stefan simons contributed to this report . | but the nhs says routine removal is not necessary |
islam <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) -- hundreds of islamist militants were among the prisoners freed from a notorious tripoli prison this week , according to a former libyan jihadist . the freed militants had been imprisoned in tripoli 's abu salim prison by moammar gadhafi 's regime during the height of the insurgency in iraq , according to noman benotman , once a senior figure in the libyan islamic fighting group . benotman said he believes as many as 600 militants may have been among the prison population at abu salim . it 's not known how many prisoners were held in the vast facility . human rights watch said gadhafi 's prisons have been filled to the limit in the last few months with thousands of people who were arrested for taking part in the anti-gadhafi protests , or because of their suspected support for libya 's democratic opposition . ' the human rights group , which recently had a team visit the prison , estimates that before the uprising , there were a few hundred islamists held at abu salim . benotman said many of the militants released are pro-al qaeda . nobody knows what these released prisoners are going to do next , ' he said . will they take part in the fighting and if they do will they join pre-existing rebel brigades or form a separate fighting force ? ' benotman , now a senior analyst at the quilliam foundation in london , said the freed prisoners are salafists , embracing a puritanical interpretation of islam that has gained ground in libya in recent years . gadhafi 's regime imprisoned thousands of suspected pro-al qaeda militants after the 2003 u.s. invasion of iraq stoked radicalization in libya , especially in its impoverished eastern provinces . according to benotman , those rounded up by the regime included militants who had tried to travel to iraq and some who had returned from fighting against u.s. forces there . he said many of them had already been released by the gadhafi regime . internal al qaeda in iraq records seized by the u.s. military in 2007 indicated that proportionately more libyans traveled to fight with al qaeda in iraq than from any other arab country . some saw fighting in iraq as a a last act of defiance against the gadhafi regime , ' according to a confidential 2008 state department cable made public by the website wikileaks , because of the rapprochement at the time between gadhafi and the united states . wednesday 's prison release , which occurred as rebel forces took control of the abu salim area of tripoli , comes as islamists are taking on an increasingly prominent role in the fight against the gadhafi regime -- to the concern of some in the west . former members of the libyan islamic fighting group ( lifg ) have assumed leadership positions in several rebel brigades , according to benotman . their current prominence , he said , was due to their quick mobilization -- as armed opposition replaced peaceful protests in libya -- and their valued military skills . the former leader of the lifg , abdullah al sadeeq , now commands one of the most powerful rebel brigades in tripoli , according to benotman and , according to reports , took charge of successful rebel efforts earlier this week to storm gadhafi 's bab al-aziziya compound , further bolstering his prominent position in rebel ranks . sadeeq was a well-known figure in the jihadist movement . he fought the soviet-backed government in afghanistan and helped found the libyan islamic fighting group there . in the mid-1990s the lifg conducted a deadly campaign of attacks on libyan security services , before a crackdown largely constrained the group 's ability to operate inside the country . after the fall of the taliban , sadeeq fled afghanistan to iran and was eventually arrested in hong kong in 2004 . according to benotman , he was then held and interrogated by the cia before being transferred to libya where he was held in abu salim prison until his release in march 2010 . but sadeeq has now become a powerful voice against al qaeda 's terrorism , according to benotman , who says that sadeeq always resisted requests by osama bin laden for his libyan group to join forces with al qaeda . in 2009 , sadeeq and other senior lifg leaders formally repudiated al qaeda style terrorism and disbanded their campaign to overthrow the libyan regime . the breakthrough was the result of a two-year dialogue with the regime brokered by benotman . cnn interviewed leading figures of the lifg in abu salim prison in tripoli in september 2009 , shortly before the group 's leaders were released . although they were then behind prison bars , the leaders'disavowal of violence appeared genuine . benotman says that former lifg members who have again taken up arms have fused their efforts with rebel forces and do not operate as a separate armed group . instead they have created a new political organization called the islamic movement for change , which benotman says is committed to working within a future democratic process . he says other islamist units are operating in libya but does not know of any former members of his group who are fighting with them . benotman says that it will be important for the national transitional council to keep a close watch over the militants released from abu salim jail -- especially if they begin operating as a group outside the ntc chain of command . according to benotman , the presence of former lifg leaders in rebel ranks like abdullah sadeeq may help prevent this happening . lifg members and the younger generation of salafi jihadists were often incarcerated in the same wing of abu salim prison . benotman believes the presence of former lifg commanders in rebel front lines will enhance their credibility amongst the released prisoners . but he says some among the younger generation of jihadists have already begun operating outside the orbit of the ntc . in the east , where radicalization has historically run highest , young salafi jihadists have linked up with foreign militants and may even have started their own training camps to train volunteers to fight the gadhafi regime , according to benotman . a number of jihadists , he says , have entered libya from other arab countries . in june , the ntc detained two suspected jordanian jihadists in al-brega in eastern libya and expelled them , according to benotman . neighboring algeria , which waged a long battle against islamist insurgents in the 1990s , has already expressed concern about the instability in libya being exploited by al qaeda in the islamic maghreb and other jihadist groups . algerian officials are also concerned that weapons such as ground-to-air missiles may have fallen into militant hands , a worry that has also been expressed by u.s. commanders . | the former jihadist says the prisoners embrace a puritanical interpretation of islam |
moammar gadhafi <tsp> tripoli , libya ( cnn ) -- hundreds of islamist militants were among the prisoners freed from a notorious tripoli prison this week , according to a former libyan jihadist . the freed militants had been imprisoned in tripoli 's abu salim prison by moammar gadhafi 's regime during the height of the insurgency in iraq , according to noman benotman , once a senior figure in the libyan islamic fighting group . benotman said he believes as many as 600 militants may have been among the prison population at abu salim . it 's not known how many prisoners were held in the vast facility . human rights watch said gadhafi 's prisons have been filled to the limit in the last few months with thousands of people who were arrested for taking part in the anti-gadhafi protests , or because of their suspected support for libya 's democratic opposition . ' the human rights group , which recently had a team visit the prison , estimates that before the uprising , there were a few hundred islamists held at abu salim . benotman said many of the militants released are pro-al qaeda . nobody knows what these released prisoners are going to do next , ' he said . will they take part in the fighting and if they do will they join pre-existing rebel brigades or form a separate fighting force ? ' benotman , now a senior analyst at the quilliam foundation in london , said the freed prisoners are salafists , embracing a puritanical interpretation of islam that has gained ground in libya in recent years . gadhafi 's regime imprisoned thousands of suspected pro-al qaeda militants after the 2003 u.s. invasion of iraq stoked radicalization in libya , especially in its impoverished eastern provinces . according to benotman , those rounded up by the regime included militants who had tried to travel to iraq and some who had returned from fighting against u.s. forces there . he said many of them had already been released by the gadhafi regime . internal al qaeda in iraq records seized by the u.s. military in 2007 indicated that proportionately more libyans traveled to fight with al qaeda in iraq than from any other arab country . some saw fighting in iraq as a a last act of defiance against the gadhafi regime , ' according to a confidential 2008 state department cable made public by the website wikileaks , because of the rapprochement at the time between gadhafi and the united states . wednesday 's prison release , which occurred as rebel forces took control of the abu salim area of tripoli , comes as islamists are taking on an increasingly prominent role in the fight against the gadhafi regime -- to the concern of some in the west . former members of the libyan islamic fighting group ( lifg ) have assumed leadership positions in several rebel brigades , according to benotman . their current prominence , he said , was due to their quick mobilization -- as armed opposition replaced peaceful protests in libya -- and their valued military skills . the former leader of the lifg , abdullah al sadeeq , now commands one of the most powerful rebel brigades in tripoli , according to benotman and , according to reports , took charge of successful rebel efforts earlier this week to storm gadhafi 's bab al-aziziya compound , further bolstering his prominent position in rebel ranks . sadeeq was a well-known figure in the jihadist movement . he fought the soviet-backed government in afghanistan and helped found the libyan islamic fighting group there . in the mid-1990s the lifg conducted a deadly campaign of attacks on libyan security services , before a crackdown largely constrained the group 's ability to operate inside the country . after the fall of the taliban , sadeeq fled afghanistan to iran and was eventually arrested in hong kong in 2004 . according to benotman , he was then held and interrogated by the cia before being transferred to libya where he was held in abu salim prison until his release in march 2010 . but sadeeq has now become a powerful voice against al qaeda 's terrorism , according to benotman , who says that sadeeq always resisted requests by osama bin laden for his libyan group to join forces with al qaeda . in 2009 , sadeeq and other senior lifg leaders formally repudiated al qaeda style terrorism and disbanded their campaign to overthrow the libyan regime . the breakthrough was the result of a two-year dialogue with the regime brokered by benotman . cnn interviewed leading figures of the lifg in abu salim prison in tripoli in september 2009 , shortly before the group 's leaders were released . although they were then behind prison bars , the leaders'disavowal of violence appeared genuine . benotman says that former lifg members who have again taken up arms have fused their efforts with rebel forces and do not operate as a separate armed group . instead they have created a new political organization called the islamic movement for change , which benotman says is committed to working within a future democratic process . he says other islamist units are operating in libya but does not know of any former members of his group who are fighting with them . benotman says that it will be important for the national transitional council to keep a close watch over the militants released from abu salim jail -- especially if they begin operating as a group outside the ntc chain of command . according to benotman , the presence of former lifg leaders in rebel ranks like abdullah sadeeq may help prevent this happening . lifg members and the younger generation of salafi jihadists were often incarcerated in the same wing of abu salim prison . benotman believes the presence of former lifg commanders in rebel front lines will enhance their credibility amongst the released prisoners . but he says some among the younger generation of jihadists have already begun operating outside the orbit of the ntc . in the east , where radicalization has historically run highest , young salafi jihadists have linked up with foreign militants and may even have started their own training camps to train volunteers to fight the gadhafi regime , according to benotman . a number of jihadists , he says , have entered libya from other arab countries . in june , the ntc detained two suspected jordanian jihadists in al-brega in eastern libya and expelled them , according to benotman . neighboring algeria , which waged a long battle against islamist insurgents in the 1990s , has already expressed concern about the instability in libya being exploited by al qaeda in the islamic maghreb and other jihadist groups . algerian officials are also concerned that weapons such as ground-to-air missiles may have fallen into militant hands , a worry that has also been expressed by u.s. commanders . | moammar gadhafi 's regime imprisoned thousands of suspected pro-al qaeda militants |
iranians <tsp> tehran , iran ( cnn ) -- campaign workers distributed campaign leaflets and plastered candidate posters along the iranian capital 's tree-lined streets in the final days before friday 's parliamentary elections . iranian cell phones also lit up with text messages advertising names of candidates . meanwhile , iranian state television broadcast wall-to-wall programming encouraging voters to cast their ballots . with slogans like our progress in science and economics depends on your vote , ' the publicity campaign included an oft-repeated quote from the late founder of the islamic republic , ayatollah ruhollah khomenei , saying , the measure of a nation is its vote . ' but out on the traffic-clogged streets of tehran , some iranians appeared less than enthusiastic about the election . at the al javad mosque where young men were handing out campaign leaflets , an elderly man confronted a passing turbaned cleric , yelling why should we vote ? ' when a cnn reporter asked another man about the election , he hurried away , saying i 'm not going to vote , so i 'm afraid to talk . ' i do n't want to take part in this election , ' said another young man , who asked not to be named . asked why he was boycotting the vote , he answered , everyone has his own viewpoint . for example , someone says'i like the system .'or someone says'i do n't . i 'm the opposite of the system .'and that 's why . ' in iran , elections are traditionally heralded by the revolutionary regime as a popular demonstration that it enjoys the overwhelming support of the population . but this friday 's contest will also mark the first time iranians go to the polls since allegations of vote-rigging during presidential elections in 2009 triggered mass street demonstrations against the regime . security forces subsequently used deadly force to crack down on the opposition green movement . presidential candidates mir hossein mousavi and mehdi kerroubi were placed under house arrest , where they remain . international human rights organization reported the arrest of thousands of other activists . scores of high-ranking opposition campaign workers and political activists fled to exile to neighboring turkey , where some claimed in interviews with cnn that they endured torture in iranian prisons . but at a campaign rally for candidates from the conservative principalist front on wednesday , one lawmaker running for re-election offered a decidedly different account of the aftermath of the 2009 vote . during the 2009 elections , attempts were made to use cheating in the elections as an excuse to plot against the regime , ' said zohreh elahian . attempts were made to show the world that there is no democracy in iran and that the people are not the ones who have the power to elect their leaders , ' she said . that 's why the friday elections represent the people 's will to participate in determining their own future and their country 's fate . ' there are no candidates from the green movement in this year 's parliamentary election . instead , iranian political analysts describe friday 's vote as a contest between rival conservative factions within the government . the underlying issue is whether or not you support [ iranian president mahmoud ] ahmadinejad , ' said sadegh zibakalam , a political scientist at tehran university . it 's a rivalry between ahmadinejad on the one hand and the supreme leader on the other ... not overtly , and not directly of course . ' iran 's supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei publicly supported ahmadinejad 's controversial re-election victory during the dispute over the 2009 ballot results . but tensions have flared between the two leaders over the last year . ahmadinejad disappeared from public view for 11 days after khamenei over-ruled his decision to fire an intelligence minister . several of ahmadinejad 's top political allies have also been subjected to lawsuits and investigations . the keyhan newspaper , which is run by a trusted ally of khamenei , has publicly denounced ahmadinejad 's top adviser , esfandiar raheem mashaie , accusing him of leading a deviant current . ' in the run-up to this week 's vote , khamenei has urged factions to overcome previous divisions , by calling repeatedly for unity . according to iranian state media , there are more then 3,400 candidates competing now for some 290 seats in parliament . iranian analysts said the principalist front represents one of the leading groups of candidates . it faces a challenge from a group of ahmadinejad supporters who announced the creation of their ballot list , the monotheism and justice front , just days before the election . at the principalist front rally on friday , where candidates took turns addressing several hundred people seated on the floor of a mosque , candidate zohreh elahian sought to downplay previous divisions between pro- and anti-ahmadinejad conservative factions . she placed all of these groups under the same principalist ' ideological umbrella . we view all the principalists as members of one family , ' she said . but there are differences in views and tastes which show how dynamic the principalist group still is . ' any possible divisions within the ruling conservative government fade rapidly , however , when confronted by iran 's greatest adversaries , the united states and israel . at a speech before thousands of supporters on wednesday , ayatollah khamenei accused the united states and its allies of trying to stop iranians from voting on friday . intelligence minister heydar moslehi went one step further , saying a high voter turnout will be a punch in the face of arrogant powers , ' according to state-run press tv . this was a view shared by some on the streets of tehran . some iranians blamed increasingly harsh american economic sanctions for the precipitous drop in the value of iran 's currency over the last several months . others pointed to the recent series of assassinations of iranian nuclear scientists , which the iranian government has blamed on foreign agents . amid the rush of commuters moving through tehran 's busy haft-e-tir square was a clerk named ali asgar , who said he would vote for any candidate who was honest , and who followed the supreme leader . ' we hate the politics of the u.s . the u.s. is supporting saudi arabia and betraying iran , ' asgar said . almost as an afterthought , he added , death to america , death to israel , ' before politely shaking hands with his interlocutor and saying goodbye . | some iranians appeared less than enthusiastic about the election |
major league eating <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- competitive eater joey jaws ' chestnut proved himself the official top dog of the hot dog-eating world when he ate 62 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes at the annual nathan 's hot dog eating contest on monday , but his archnemesis takeru kobayashi crushed chestnut 's world record at an off-site event where he pounded down 69 hot dogs and buns . for the fifth year in a row , chestnut beat the 17-man field at the 96th annual major league eating event at coney island in brooklyn , new york . kobayashi , who has been banned from the contest due to a contract dispute with major league eating , competed from afar : on the roof of a manhattan bar , in unison with chestnut and his fellow competitors . kobayashi polished off 69 hot dogs and buns to the tune of a crowd chanting kobi ! kobi ! ' and the official nathan 's hot dog eating contest playing on a television beside him . he beat chestnut 's 2009 world record of 68 hot dogs and buns . but chestnut brushed off the feat since kobayashi was miles away from the cheering crowds in brooklyn . it was n't a competition , ' he said . it was no different than what i do at practice on my own and i 'm able to break a record at my house , ' chestnut added . event organizers agree , arguing that the record is not official if it 's not broken at coney island . i do n't know if it was a magic show or an eating contest , ' said richard shea , president of major league eating . not having been there , it seems like a bit of a farce . the hot dog eating contest is on coney island . ' major league eating will not recognize kobayashi 's 69 hot dogs as a new world record , shea said . kobayashi , who gained 18 pounds during the contest , said his makeshift competition was to remind the world that i 'm still good , that i 'm still in the contest , ' he said through an interpreter . during practice , i had already broken the record , so i had enough confidence that i could beat that , ' he added . kobayashi took home six consecutive nathan 's contest titles from 2001 to 2006 . last year , he was arrested after rushing the stage at the coney island event . but chestnut remains the official champion , and he will share his official title with sonya the black widow ' thomas , who devoured 40 hot dogs and buns to beat eight other eaters in the first women 's nathan 's hot dog eating contest . thomas missed her own personal record by just one hot dog . event organizers split the contest into female and male competitions this year to give the ever-expanding female field of competitors a chance at the big prize . both chestnut and thomas were awarded $ 10,000 . chestnut took home the contest 's signature mustard belt -- a yellow championship belt -- while thomas was the first recipient of a pink belt , meant to promote event sponsor pepto bismol . | major league eating will not recognize kobayashi 's feat as a record |
american <tsp> ( cnn ) -- al-shabaab , al-qaeda 's brutal somali affiliate , has claimed credit for the attack by multiple gunmen at an upscale shopping mall in nairobi , kenya that has already killed at least 59 people . this should not be a surprise . for al-shabaab , the mall was an attractive target because westerners , including americans , frequented it . the mall is also in the capital of kenya , a country that al-shabaab has good reason to dislike , as the kenyan military played a major role in handing their forces a defeat last year when they liberated the key somali port of kismayo from their control . al-shabaab ( the youth ' ) tweeted saturday that all muslims inside # westgate ' -- referring to the mall that was attacked in nairobi -- were escorted out by the mujahideen before ' the armed assault commenced . members of al-shabaab use twitter frequently to communicate their messages to the world . the group has recruited around 40 young american men and also dozens from europe and has shown that it is comfortable with internet technology , despite the fact that somalia is one of the poorest and most anarchic countries on the planet . dozens killed , scores wounded , hostages taken more than 10 % of the kenyan population is muslim . so it is interesting that shabaab took the precaution of evacuating muslims from the nairobi mall they were attacking , suggesting a greater sophistication in the tactics of this attack than the group has shown hitherto in somalia , where they have killed large numbers of civilians indiscriminately in a country that is almost entirely muslim . before he was killed by u.s. navy seals two years ago , even osama bin laden had scolded members of al-shabaab , telling them to try to avoid killing muslim civilians . in a letter that was recovered in the house in pakistan where bin laden was killed , al-qaeda 's leader warned shabaab members that they were killing too many civilians in battles in and around the key bakara market in the somali capital , mogadishu . saturday 's attack on the nairobi mall seems to owe some of its tactics to lashkar-e-taiba , the pakistani terrorist group that attacked upscale hotels catering to westerners in mumbai , india , in november 2008 over the course of more than three days , killing 166 people . al-shabaab grew amid somalia 's lawlessness in both the nairobi and mumbai attacks , a group of armed gunmen shot at civilians indiscriminately and conducted the operation in a manner that would guarantee sustained media coverage over many hours and even days by taking a large number of hostages . in both assaults , the gunmen did not negotiate for the release of hostages but went into the operation seemingly prepared for a fight to the death . al-shabaab has previously shown that it is capable of carrying out operations outside of somalia , bombing two groups of fans watching the world cup on television in kampala , uganda , on july 11 , 2010 , killing more than 70 . the group seemed to have carried out that operation because uganda had provided troops to a united nations-authorized african union mission then fighting al-shabaab in somalia . the group has also shown an interest in targets in the west . eight months before the attack in uganda , a 28-year-old somali man armed with a knife and an ax had forced himself into the home of kurt westergaard -- a danish cartoonist who had depicted the prophet mohammed with a bomb in his turban -- and tried unsuccessfully to break into the panic room where westergaard was hiding . danish intelligence officials said the suspect had links with al-shabaab . al-shabaab has managed to plant al-qaeda-like ideas into the heads of even its american recruits . shirwa ahmed , an ethnic somali , graduated from high school in minneapolis in 2003 , then worked pushing passengers in wheelchairs at the minneapolis airport . during this period ahmed was radicalized ; the exact mechanisms of that radicalization are still murky , but in late 2007 he traveled to somalia . about a year later , on october 29 , 2008 , ahmed drove a truck loaded with explosives toward a government compound in puntland , northern somalia , blowing himself up and killing about 20 people , including united nations peacekeeping troops and international humanitarian assistance workers . the fbi matched ahmed 's finger , recovered at the scene , to fingerprints already on file for him . ahmed was the first american terrorist suicide attacker anywhere . al-shabaab breaks new ground with complex nairobi attack the attack on the nairobi mall may be an attempt by al-shabaab to signal its continued relevance . over the past three years , al-shabaab has lost substantial territory and influence in somalia . al-shabaab controlled much of southern somalia in 2010 , but operations by african union and kenyan forces have ended its domination of southern somalia . in 2011 , the u.n.-sanctioned african union mission partnered with somali troops to fight al-shabaab militants , and in august of that year , african union and somali government forces defeated al-shabaab forces in mogadishu , forcing the militants from a stronghold they had controlled since 2009 . although al-shabaab has long been regarded as a regional offshoot of al-qaeda , its leaders only declared their formal ties to the international terror organization in february 2012 . while the group seems to have been interested in an alliance before then , in 2010 , bin laden instructed the group 's leaders to keep their association with al-qaeda a secret , fearing that openly linking the groups would be bad for al-shabaab 's fundraising efforts . by february 2012 , however , bin laden was dead and al-shabaab had suffered significant losses in its southern somali safe haven . al-qaeda 's new leader , ayman al-zawahiri , who had earlier petitioned bin laden to reconsider his views about the proposed merger between al-shabaab and al-qaeda , believed the time was right to announce formal ties between the two groups . while there are a number of american citizens fighting for a variety of al-qaeda-affiliated or -inspired organizations , al-shabaab seems to boast the most american fighters . according to a 2011 report by the house committee on homeland security , an estimated 40 americans have joined al-shabaab in the last few years , at least 24 of them coming from the somali community in minnesota . al-shabaab has prominently featured these recruits in its propaganda operations , releasing three official videos that starred abu mansoor al-amriki ( the father of mansoor , the american ' ) , who is actually omar hammami , in his late 20s from alabama , who was raised as a baptist and converted to islam in high school . one of the videos shows hammami preparing an ambush and features english rap lyrics extolling jihad . hammami was reported to have been killed on september 12 during the course of some kind of an internal conflict within the al-shabaab group . the news of his death was confirmed on hammami 's twitter account four days later . | the group has recruited around 40 american men and also dozens from europe |
nazi <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- for 65 years , elisabeth mann has carried with her the pain only a holocaust survivor can know . elisabeth mann , the only member of her family to survive the holocaust , sits with her children , nancy and thomas . the only one in her hungarian jewish family to make it out of the nazi death camps , life for a long time felt like punishment . branded in her mind are the images of , for example , a pile of babies set ablaze , snarling dogs and the laughter of an ss officer pointing to the black smoke of incinerated bodies that filled the sky . and on her heavy heart is the anguish , including the blame she feels for her brother laci 's death . he was 13 and not feeling well when the family arrived by cattle car at auschwitz-birkenau . watch mann describe the brutal trip to the camp » ' i told him to go with my mother because mothers are the people who take care of sick children , ' she cried , while sitting in her los angeles , california , home . i did n't know that with my advice i killed my brother because all the mothers and all the children were taken to the gas chamber right away . ' given the horrors she 's lived and witnessed , one might think mann , now in her 80s , would be among those demanding that nazi war criminals be brought to justice . and yet she 's uncomfortable with the ongoing attempts to deport to germany for trial john demjanjuk , an 89-year-old cleveland , ohio , man allegedly linked to mass killings at sobibor , a death camp in poland . demjanjuk insists it was n't him . the pursuit of him -- and of suspects like him -- is n't one mann supports . she said she never wanted revenge , because i did not want to be like them . ' mann does n't think going after war criminals now is worth the cost and energy , nor does she think the legal process will make a difference to such men who 've already lived a full life . watch mann explain why money is wasted in the hunt » ' what is punishment for a person who is capable to do such horror , such horrible things to living people ? ' mann , an artist , wondered aloud . i can not imagine that that person has a soul or conscience or heart . ... he simply would n't feel it . ... what kind of punishment could you give to a person like that ? ' her argument does n't work for efraim zuroff , who has spent nearly 30 years hunting nazis responsible for the holocaust , a systematic effort that wiped out 6 million jews , or two-thirds of european jewry . it has to be clear to everybody that the holocaust was not a natural disaster . ... it was created by man , against man , ' he said from jerusalem , israel , where he coordinates nazi war crimes research for the simon wiesenthal center , a jewish human rights organization . when responsibility can be determined , people have to be held accountable . ' on monday , the day before holocaust remembrance day , the center released its latest status report on nazi war criminal investigations and prosecutions . demjanjuk tops the list of the 10 most wanted . others on the list include sandor kepiro , a former hungarian officer who allegedly helped kill 1,200 people in novi sad , serbia , as well as milivoj asner , a onetime croatian police chief , now believed to be living in austria , who allegedly persecuted and deported to the nazi camps hundreds of jews , serbs and gypsies . in a written statement about the report , zuroff said that since the start of 2001 , there have been 76 convictions , at least 48 indictments , and hundreds of investigations have been launched . central to these actions has been a project zuroff has helped oversee called operation : last chance , a push -- started in 2002 -- to support worldwide government efforts to pursue aging nazi war crime suspects . while some countries have stepped up , including the u.s. , germany , serbia and spain , others , such as australia , austria and ukraine , have shown a lack of political will ' and have failed to act , the statement says . the easiest thing in the world is to just forget , ' zuroff , 60 , said by phone . the passage of time in no way diminishes the guilt of the murderers . ... we do n't think people deserve a prize for reaching an old age . ' mann 's own children could n't agree more . like zuroff , they think pursuing nazi war criminals is the least that can be done to honor victims . i 'm definitely in favor of going after these folks , regardless of their age , ' said mann 's daughter , nancy . a lot of people suffered , and are still suffering , because of the crimes that were done in the past . ' watch daughter explain that'murder is murder'» thomas , mann 's son , said that going after nazi war criminals sends a message to our society and the world that it 's not ok to do these things , ' and that it helps bring awareness to people who do n't know about the holocaust , and there are lots of them . ' watch son on why punishment falls short » he told the story of a college freshman in southern california who stood up during a presentation his mother was giving and said she 'd never heard of the holocaust . that really brings it home , ' thomas said . by pursuing suspected nazi criminals , the process reminds people that this did happen ' and shows that people do care that this happened . ' | her children , and a decades-long nazi hunter , say justice must be served |
nazi <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- for 65 years , elisabeth mann has carried with her the pain only a holocaust survivor can know . elisabeth mann , the only member of her family to survive the holocaust , sits with her children , nancy and thomas . the only one in her hungarian jewish family to make it out of the nazi death camps , life for a long time felt like punishment . branded in her mind are the images of , for example , a pile of babies set ablaze , snarling dogs and the laughter of an ss officer pointing to the black smoke of incinerated bodies that filled the sky . and on her heavy heart is the anguish , including the blame she feels for her brother laci 's death . he was 13 and not feeling well when the family arrived by cattle car at auschwitz-birkenau . watch mann describe the brutal trip to the camp » ' i told him to go with my mother because mothers are the people who take care of sick children , ' she cried , while sitting in her los angeles , california , home . i did n't know that with my advice i killed my brother because all the mothers and all the children were taken to the gas chamber right away . ' given the horrors she 's lived and witnessed , one might think mann , now in her 80s , would be among those demanding that nazi war criminals be brought to justice . and yet she 's uncomfortable with the ongoing attempts to deport to germany for trial john demjanjuk , an 89-year-old cleveland , ohio , man allegedly linked to mass killings at sobibor , a death camp in poland . demjanjuk insists it was n't him . the pursuit of him -- and of suspects like him -- is n't one mann supports . she said she never wanted revenge , because i did not want to be like them . ' mann does n't think going after war criminals now is worth the cost and energy , nor does she think the legal process will make a difference to such men who 've already lived a full life . watch mann explain why money is wasted in the hunt » ' what is punishment for a person who is capable to do such horror , such horrible things to living people ? ' mann , an artist , wondered aloud . i can not imagine that that person has a soul or conscience or heart . ... he simply would n't feel it . ... what kind of punishment could you give to a person like that ? ' her argument does n't work for efraim zuroff , who has spent nearly 30 years hunting nazis responsible for the holocaust , a systematic effort that wiped out 6 million jews , or two-thirds of european jewry . it has to be clear to everybody that the holocaust was not a natural disaster . ... it was created by man , against man , ' he said from jerusalem , israel , where he coordinates nazi war crimes research for the simon wiesenthal center , a jewish human rights organization . when responsibility can be determined , people have to be held accountable . ' on monday , the day before holocaust remembrance day , the center released its latest status report on nazi war criminal investigations and prosecutions . demjanjuk tops the list of the 10 most wanted . others on the list include sandor kepiro , a former hungarian officer who allegedly helped kill 1,200 people in novi sad , serbia , as well as milivoj asner , a onetime croatian police chief , now believed to be living in austria , who allegedly persecuted and deported to the nazi camps hundreds of jews , serbs and gypsies . in a written statement about the report , zuroff said that since the start of 2001 , there have been 76 convictions , at least 48 indictments , and hundreds of investigations have been launched . central to these actions has been a project zuroff has helped oversee called operation : last chance , a push -- started in 2002 -- to support worldwide government efforts to pursue aging nazi war crime suspects . while some countries have stepped up , including the u.s. , germany , serbia and spain , others , such as australia , austria and ukraine , have shown a lack of political will ' and have failed to act , the statement says . the easiest thing in the world is to just forget , ' zuroff , 60 , said by phone . the passage of time in no way diminishes the guilt of the murderers . ... we do n't think people deserve a prize for reaching an old age . ' mann 's own children could n't agree more . like zuroff , they think pursuing nazi war criminals is the least that can be done to honor victims . i 'm definitely in favor of going after these folks , regardless of their age , ' said mann 's daughter , nancy . a lot of people suffered , and are still suffering , because of the crimes that were done in the past . ' watch daughter explain that'murder is murder'» thomas , mann 's son , said that going after nazi war criminals sends a message to our society and the world that it 's not ok to do these things , ' and that it helps bring awareness to people who do n't know about the holocaust , and there are lots of them . ' watch son on why punishment falls short » he told the story of a college freshman in southern california who stood up during a presentation his mother was giving and said she 'd never heard of the holocaust . that really brings it home , ' thomas said . by pursuing suspected nazi criminals , the process reminds people that this did happen ' and shows that people do care that this happened . ' | a holocaust survivor is n't convinced nazi hunting is worth it |
nazi <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- for 65 years , elisabeth mann has carried with her the pain only a holocaust survivor can know . elisabeth mann , the only member of her family to survive the holocaust , sits with her children , nancy and thomas . the only one in her hungarian jewish family to make it out of the nazi death camps , life for a long time felt like punishment . branded in her mind are the images of , for example , a pile of babies set ablaze , snarling dogs and the laughter of an ss officer pointing to the black smoke of incinerated bodies that filled the sky . and on her heavy heart is the anguish , including the blame she feels for her brother laci 's death . he was 13 and not feeling well when the family arrived by cattle car at auschwitz-birkenau . watch mann describe the brutal trip to the camp » ' i told him to go with my mother because mothers are the people who take care of sick children , ' she cried , while sitting in her los angeles , california , home . i did n't know that with my advice i killed my brother because all the mothers and all the children were taken to the gas chamber right away . ' given the horrors she 's lived and witnessed , one might think mann , now in her 80s , would be among those demanding that nazi war criminals be brought to justice . and yet she 's uncomfortable with the ongoing attempts to deport to germany for trial john demjanjuk , an 89-year-old cleveland , ohio , man allegedly linked to mass killings at sobibor , a death camp in poland . demjanjuk insists it was n't him . the pursuit of him -- and of suspects like him -- is n't one mann supports . she said she never wanted revenge , because i did not want to be like them . ' mann does n't think going after war criminals now is worth the cost and energy , nor does she think the legal process will make a difference to such men who 've already lived a full life . watch mann explain why money is wasted in the hunt » ' what is punishment for a person who is capable to do such horror , such horrible things to living people ? ' mann , an artist , wondered aloud . i can not imagine that that person has a soul or conscience or heart . ... he simply would n't feel it . ... what kind of punishment could you give to a person like that ? ' her argument does n't work for efraim zuroff , who has spent nearly 30 years hunting nazis responsible for the holocaust , a systematic effort that wiped out 6 million jews , or two-thirds of european jewry . it has to be clear to everybody that the holocaust was not a natural disaster . ... it was created by man , against man , ' he said from jerusalem , israel , where he coordinates nazi war crimes research for the simon wiesenthal center , a jewish human rights organization . when responsibility can be determined , people have to be held accountable . ' on monday , the day before holocaust remembrance day , the center released its latest status report on nazi war criminal investigations and prosecutions . demjanjuk tops the list of the 10 most wanted . others on the list include sandor kepiro , a former hungarian officer who allegedly helped kill 1,200 people in novi sad , serbia , as well as milivoj asner , a onetime croatian police chief , now believed to be living in austria , who allegedly persecuted and deported to the nazi camps hundreds of jews , serbs and gypsies . in a written statement about the report , zuroff said that since the start of 2001 , there have been 76 convictions , at least 48 indictments , and hundreds of investigations have been launched . central to these actions has been a project zuroff has helped oversee called operation : last chance , a push -- started in 2002 -- to support worldwide government efforts to pursue aging nazi war crime suspects . while some countries have stepped up , including the u.s. , germany , serbia and spain , others , such as australia , austria and ukraine , have shown a lack of political will ' and have failed to act , the statement says . the easiest thing in the world is to just forget , ' zuroff , 60 , said by phone . the passage of time in no way diminishes the guilt of the murderers . ... we do n't think people deserve a prize for reaching an old age . ' mann 's own children could n't agree more . like zuroff , they think pursuing nazi war criminals is the least that can be done to honor victims . i 'm definitely in favor of going after these folks , regardless of their age , ' said mann 's daughter , nancy . a lot of people suffered , and are still suffering , because of the crimes that were done in the past . ' watch daughter explain that'murder is murder'» thomas , mann 's son , said that going after nazi war criminals sends a message to our society and the world that it 's not ok to do these things , ' and that it helps bring awareness to people who do n't know about the holocaust , and there are lots of them . ' watch son on why punishment falls short » he told the story of a college freshman in southern california who stood up during a presentation his mother was giving and said she 'd never heard of the holocaust . that really brings it home , ' thomas said . by pursuing suspected nazi criminals , the process reminds people that this did happen ' and shows that people do care that this happened . ' | meantime , the deportation case of alleged nazi criminal , john demjanjuk , continues |
goerges <tsp> ( cnn ) -- defending champion caroline wozniacki suffered a straight sets defeat to unseeded german julia goerges in the semifinal of the $ 2 million wta tournament in dubai friday . denmark 's wozniacki had no answer to an inspired goerges , who won 7-6 7-5 to set up a final clash against poland 's agnieszka radwanska . sixth seed radwanska had earlier continued her fine recent form to beat serbia 's jelena jankovic 6-2 2-6 6-0 in the first semifinal . goerges , whose passage through the draw was helped by the withdrawal of top seed victoria azarenka through injury , was rewarded for a display of attacking tennis . it 's amazing to beat caroline . i tried to stay aggressive and attack the short balls , ' goerges told eurosport . goerges had beaten former world no.1 wozniacki in their two previous matches , both on clay , with the dane having the better in their other clashes on hard courts . she opened up an advantage in the opening set , but wozniacki broke back to force a tiebreak , which goerges largely dominated to win seven points to three . the second set followed a similar pattern of closely contested games , but wozniacki looked set to level as she carved out a 4-2 lead . but a fruitless challenge on a line call disrupted her rhythm and goerges broke back . a further break gave her a 6-5 lead and she served out for victory . the 22-year-old radwanska will be a tough opponent for goerges in saturday 's final after she saw off jankovic in a topsy-turvy match . she swept through the decider without dropping a game to win after one hour 43 minutes . | wozniacki beaten 7-6 7-5 by germany 's julia goerges in semifinals |
goerges <tsp> ( cnn ) -- defending champion caroline wozniacki suffered a straight sets defeat to unseeded german julia goerges in the semifinal of the $ 2 million wta tournament in dubai friday . denmark 's wozniacki had no answer to an inspired goerges , who won 7-6 7-5 to set up a final clash against poland 's agnieszka radwanska . sixth seed radwanska had earlier continued her fine recent form to beat serbia 's jelena jankovic 6-2 2-6 6-0 in the first semifinal . goerges , whose passage through the draw was helped by the withdrawal of top seed victoria azarenka through injury , was rewarded for a display of attacking tennis . it 's amazing to beat caroline . i tried to stay aggressive and attack the short balls , ' goerges told eurosport . goerges had beaten former world no.1 wozniacki in their two previous matches , both on clay , with the dane having the better in their other clashes on hard courts . she opened up an advantage in the opening set , but wozniacki broke back to force a tiebreak , which goerges largely dominated to win seven points to three . the second set followed a similar pattern of closely contested games , but wozniacki looked set to level as she carved out a 4-2 lead . but a fruitless challenge on a line call disrupted her rhythm and goerges broke back . a further break gave her a 6-5 lead and she served out for victory . the 22-year-old radwanska will be a tough opponent for goerges in saturday 's final after she saw off jankovic in a topsy-turvy match . she swept through the decider without dropping a game to win after one hour 43 minutes . | poland 's agnieszka radwanska to meet goerges in the final |
brotherhood <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an attempted breakout by muslim brotherhood prisoners left at least 36 dead sunday as egypt 's military chief urged supporters of ousted president mohamed morsy to quit resisting the new government . egypt has room for everybody , and we are keen to save every drop of egyptian blood , ' gen. abdel fattah al-sisi , the country 's defense minister , said after days of clashes between pro-morsy demonstrators and security forces that left hundreds dead . but he added , confrontation will not be in the interest of those who wish to confront us , because we are determined to protect egypt and its people . ' new protests against the military-installed interim government popped up around the country after sunday evening prayers . and at least three dozen jailed members of the muslim brotherhood , the long-supressed islamist movement that brought morsy to power , were killed during what the interior ministry said was an attempted breakout . the inmates were among a group of more than 600 who were being taken to a prison north of cairo , ministry spokesman hani abdel latif told cnn . they seized a senior officer who was checking out a commotion ' in one of the trucks , he said . the other officers tried to free him , and in the process , they used tear gas , resulting in 36 detainees killed , ' abdel latif said . the captive officer was seriously injured but survived , the ministry said . the freedom and justice party , the brotherhood 's political arm , put the number of dead at 52 and demanded an international investigation into the deaths . al-sisi and interior minister mohammed ibrahim kamel bear full criminal responsibility ' for the deaths , the party said . an earlier report by the state-run news agency egynews said a group of armed men attempted to free the prisoners . abdel latif said that report was still being investigated , however . morsy was toppled in july , triggering weeks of protests by the muslim brotherhood and his supporters . the ouster capped weeks of growing protests against egypt 's first democratically elected leader , who had taken office barely a year before . in a nationally televised speech , al-sisi urged morsy 's supporters to review their national positions and realize very well that the legitimacy belongs to the people . ' the egyptian people are free to choose whoever to govern them , while the armed forces will remain the safeguard of the will of the people and of their choice , ' he said . morsy 's supporters say the military-backed interim government instigated the violence that killed more than 700 in the past week , starting with a dawn raid at two pro-morsy protest camps last week that left more than 500 dead . scores more were killed in the following days as morsy 's supporters tried to continue their protests . among the dead were 70 police officers , with more than 600 police , soldiers and other members of the security forces wounded , the interior ministry reported sunday . the government also announced a ban against popular committees , ' the neighborhood watch groups that have battled protesters in recent days . the interior ministry said sunday evening that some of those groups were taking advantage of their positions to carry out criminal acts . ' but muslim brotherhood spokesman mahmoud ghazlan said al-sisi 's comments are a clear proof that the end of the coup is near , ' ghazlan said . al-sisi and other government leaders were trying to beautify the ugly face of this bloody coup , ' he said . woe unto those who will be fooled by all of these lies . ' the brotherhood canceled a march planned for roxy square in heliopolis , a suburb of cairo , due to concerns about snipers on routes . but it said demonstrations took place around the country , including in alexandria , on the mediterranean coast , and in giza , outside cairo . in qena , in southern egypt , demonstrators chanted , we are all ready to be martyrs ' and down , down with the killers . ' in atfih , south of cairo , protesters called al-sisi a butcher ' and called for his execution . the size of the protests could not be independently confirmed . on saturday , egyptian security forces arrested more than 350 people at a mosque where throngs of morsy supporters were hiding , including a handful from outside egypt -- three irish citizens , one turkish and one syrian , the egyptian interior ministry said . the ministry also said two automatic rifles and 24 molotov cocktail bottles were confiscated . among others in custody was mohamed al-zawahiri , the brother of al qaeda leader ayman al-zawahiri , an egyptian court confirmed sunday . mohamed al-zawahiri and another islamist leader , mustafa hamza , were ordered held for up to 15 days for investigation on charges of joining an organization that seeks to disrupt the social peace and national unity in the country , the state-run news service egynews reported . both men are leaders of another islamist organization , jamaa islamiya . government says news biased toward morsy , islamists morsy 's opponents argued the army needed to step in to protect egypt 's nascent democracy from a leader who was amassing power for himself . the new government urged the global community to listen to its side sunday , accusing international media of being sympathetic to morsy and the muslim brotherhood . in a statement also released sunday , the interim government said it would set up a national council for human rights and document all the events that took place during the crisis . ' but it also said it would set up a national committee for media and questioned whether the qatar-based satellite network al jazeera was operating legally inside egypt . and members of the foreign ministry showed journalists a video-and-photo montage sunday of recent carnage , blaming terrorists ' for the chaos . foreign minister nabil fahmy acknowledged the country is in a state of uncertainty . he said the interim government is trying to identify the political identity so we can move forward . ' we are still open to any ideas or suggestions ' from the global community , fahmy told reporters sunday . but in the end , the decision is egyptian . ' fahmy also said he greatly appreciated the foreign aid that egypt gets . the united states , for example , gives egypt more than $ 1 billion a year . we are very thankful for the aid . but it should not be targeted , ' fahmy said . the threat of stopping aid in this period is not acceptable . ' opinion : why u.s. has n't cut off aid to egypt but the obama administration is facing new calls from u.s. lawmakers to cut off that aid in the wake of last week 's violence . u.s. law bars support of a government that has taken power by extraconstitutional means , but the administration has said it wo n't make a formal determination as to whether morsy 's ouster was a coup . sen. jack reed , a leading democrat on the senate armed services committee , told nbc 's meet the press ' that the the clampdown is completely unconscionable . ' and sen. john mccain , the committee 's ranking republican , said continued american assistance will add fuel to anti-american sentiments in the region . with apache helicopters flying overhead , nothing is more symbolic of the united states of america siding with the generals , ' mccain told cnn 's state of the union . ' other allies in the region have stepped up to support the current government . saudi arabia has pledged $ 5 billion in grants and loans , while the united arab emirates has said it would give $ 1 billion to egypt and lend it an additional $ 2 billion as an interest-free central bank deposit . elbaradei takes off amid the turmoil , cairo 's stock market plunged nearly 4 % on sunday . and mohamed elbaradei , who stepped down last week as interim vice president , boarded a flight to austria , after the interim president accepted his resignation , egynews service reported . the former international atomic energy agency chief was one of morsy 's biggest critics . but elbaradei said in his resignation wednesday that he did n't agree with decisions carried out by the ruling government and can not be responsible for a single ( drop of ) blood . ' egypt : is it still safe to travel ? meanwhile , the turmoil in egypt continues to cause ripples overseas . members of the european union announced sunday that the body will urgently review in the coming days its relations with egypt and adopt measures ' aimed at ending violence , resuming political dialogue and returning to a democratic process . opinion : egypt 's identity torn in two cnn 's saad abedine , schams elwazer , ali younes , hamdi alkhshali , holly yan , ian lee and joseph netto contributed to this report . | new : the end of the coup is near , ' brotherhood spokesman says |
brotherhood <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an attempted breakout by muslim brotherhood prisoners left at least 36 dead sunday as egypt 's military chief urged supporters of ousted president mohamed morsy to quit resisting the new government . egypt has room for everybody , and we are keen to save every drop of egyptian blood , ' gen. abdel fattah al-sisi , the country 's defense minister , said after days of clashes between pro-morsy demonstrators and security forces that left hundreds dead . but he added , confrontation will not be in the interest of those who wish to confront us , because we are determined to protect egypt and its people . ' new protests against the military-installed interim government popped up around the country after sunday evening prayers . and at least three dozen jailed members of the muslim brotherhood , the long-supressed islamist movement that brought morsy to power , were killed during what the interior ministry said was an attempted breakout . the inmates were among a group of more than 600 who were being taken to a prison north of cairo , ministry spokesman hani abdel latif told cnn . they seized a senior officer who was checking out a commotion ' in one of the trucks , he said . the other officers tried to free him , and in the process , they used tear gas , resulting in 36 detainees killed , ' abdel latif said . the captive officer was seriously injured but survived , the ministry said . the freedom and justice party , the brotherhood 's political arm , put the number of dead at 52 and demanded an international investigation into the deaths . al-sisi and interior minister mohammed ibrahim kamel bear full criminal responsibility ' for the deaths , the party said . an earlier report by the state-run news agency egynews said a group of armed men attempted to free the prisoners . abdel latif said that report was still being investigated , however . morsy was toppled in july , triggering weeks of protests by the muslim brotherhood and his supporters . the ouster capped weeks of growing protests against egypt 's first democratically elected leader , who had taken office barely a year before . in a nationally televised speech , al-sisi urged morsy 's supporters to review their national positions and realize very well that the legitimacy belongs to the people . ' the egyptian people are free to choose whoever to govern them , while the armed forces will remain the safeguard of the will of the people and of their choice , ' he said . morsy 's supporters say the military-backed interim government instigated the violence that killed more than 700 in the past week , starting with a dawn raid at two pro-morsy protest camps last week that left more than 500 dead . scores more were killed in the following days as morsy 's supporters tried to continue their protests . among the dead were 70 police officers , with more than 600 police , soldiers and other members of the security forces wounded , the interior ministry reported sunday . the government also announced a ban against popular committees , ' the neighborhood watch groups that have battled protesters in recent days . the interior ministry said sunday evening that some of those groups were taking advantage of their positions to carry out criminal acts . ' but muslim brotherhood spokesman mahmoud ghazlan said al-sisi 's comments are a clear proof that the end of the coup is near , ' ghazlan said . al-sisi and other government leaders were trying to beautify the ugly face of this bloody coup , ' he said . woe unto those who will be fooled by all of these lies . ' the brotherhood canceled a march planned for roxy square in heliopolis , a suburb of cairo , due to concerns about snipers on routes . but it said demonstrations took place around the country , including in alexandria , on the mediterranean coast , and in giza , outside cairo . in qena , in southern egypt , demonstrators chanted , we are all ready to be martyrs ' and down , down with the killers . ' in atfih , south of cairo , protesters called al-sisi a butcher ' and called for his execution . the size of the protests could not be independently confirmed . on saturday , egyptian security forces arrested more than 350 people at a mosque where throngs of morsy supporters were hiding , including a handful from outside egypt -- three irish citizens , one turkish and one syrian , the egyptian interior ministry said . the ministry also said two automatic rifles and 24 molotov cocktail bottles were confiscated . among others in custody was mohamed al-zawahiri , the brother of al qaeda leader ayman al-zawahiri , an egyptian court confirmed sunday . mohamed al-zawahiri and another islamist leader , mustafa hamza , were ordered held for up to 15 days for investigation on charges of joining an organization that seeks to disrupt the social peace and national unity in the country , the state-run news service egynews reported . both men are leaders of another islamist organization , jamaa islamiya . government says news biased toward morsy , islamists morsy 's opponents argued the army needed to step in to protect egypt 's nascent democracy from a leader who was amassing power for himself . the new government urged the global community to listen to its side sunday , accusing international media of being sympathetic to morsy and the muslim brotherhood . in a statement also released sunday , the interim government said it would set up a national council for human rights and document all the events that took place during the crisis . ' but it also said it would set up a national committee for media and questioned whether the qatar-based satellite network al jazeera was operating legally inside egypt . and members of the foreign ministry showed journalists a video-and-photo montage sunday of recent carnage , blaming terrorists ' for the chaos . foreign minister nabil fahmy acknowledged the country is in a state of uncertainty . he said the interim government is trying to identify the political identity so we can move forward . ' we are still open to any ideas or suggestions ' from the global community , fahmy told reporters sunday . but in the end , the decision is egyptian . ' fahmy also said he greatly appreciated the foreign aid that egypt gets . the united states , for example , gives egypt more than $ 1 billion a year . we are very thankful for the aid . but it should not be targeted , ' fahmy said . the threat of stopping aid in this period is not acceptable . ' opinion : why u.s. has n't cut off aid to egypt but the obama administration is facing new calls from u.s. lawmakers to cut off that aid in the wake of last week 's violence . u.s. law bars support of a government that has taken power by extraconstitutional means , but the administration has said it wo n't make a formal determination as to whether morsy 's ouster was a coup . sen. jack reed , a leading democrat on the senate armed services committee , told nbc 's meet the press ' that the the clampdown is completely unconscionable . ' and sen. john mccain , the committee 's ranking republican , said continued american assistance will add fuel to anti-american sentiments in the region . with apache helicopters flying overhead , nothing is more symbolic of the united states of america siding with the generals , ' mccain told cnn 's state of the union . ' other allies in the region have stepped up to support the current government . saudi arabia has pledged $ 5 billion in grants and loans , while the united arab emirates has said it would give $ 1 billion to egypt and lend it an additional $ 2 billion as an interest-free central bank deposit . elbaradei takes off amid the turmoil , cairo 's stock market plunged nearly 4 % on sunday . and mohamed elbaradei , who stepped down last week as interim vice president , boarded a flight to austria , after the interim president accepted his resignation , egynews service reported . the former international atomic energy agency chief was one of morsy 's biggest critics . but elbaradei said in his resignation wednesday that he did n't agree with decisions carried out by the ruling government and can not be responsible for a single ( drop of ) blood . ' egypt : is it still safe to travel ? meanwhile , the turmoil in egypt continues to cause ripples overseas . members of the european union announced sunday that the body will urgently review in the coming days its relations with egypt and adopt measures ' aimed at ending violence , resuming political dialogue and returning to a democratic process . opinion : egypt 's identity torn in two cnn 's saad abedine , schams elwazer , ali younes , hamdi alkhshali , holly yan , ian lee and joseph netto contributed to this report . | new : jailbreak bid kills 36 muslim brotherhood prisoners , ministry says |
amazon <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for more than a year , there have been rumors that amazon is working on a smartphone . now , the wall street journal is reporting that amazon is actually working on two . the journal reported thursday that amazon is developing a wide-ranging line-up of gadgets , ' including two smartphones , one of which will have a 3d screen . citing multiple anonymous sources , the journal says the 3d-capable smartphone will not require special glasses and may even let users navigate just by moving their eyes . in addition to the two smartphone models , amazon is also said to be working on a device for streaming music and a set-top box , the latter of which was also reported by bloomberg businessweek last month . amazon did not immediately respond to our request for comment . until now , amazon 's hardware efforts have centered around its kindle e-readers and tablets . however , ceo jeff bezos suggested in an interview with allthingsd in september that amazon was planning to expand on its hardware offerings in the coming year . we will certainly †” not any time soon †” but next year . we have some more things that we hope people will enjoy , ' he told the publication . it 's premature for me to talk about them . ' while it 's not particularly surprising to hear about amazon working on a smartphone , it is a bit strange to hear news of a possible 3d-enabled device . despite a fair amount of hype a couple years ago , 3d-technology has had mixed success at best in the consumer technology market . amazon 's stock was up by about 1.5 % on the day as of publication . this article originally appeared on mashable . © 2013 mashable.com . all rights reserved . | a new report says amazon is making two smartphones -- one of them in 3d |
amazon <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for more than a year , there have been rumors that amazon is working on a smartphone . now , the wall street journal is reporting that amazon is actually working on two . the journal reported thursday that amazon is developing a wide-ranging line-up of gadgets , ' including two smartphones , one of which will have a 3d screen . citing multiple anonymous sources , the journal says the 3d-capable smartphone will not require special glasses and may even let users navigate just by moving their eyes . in addition to the two smartphone models , amazon is also said to be working on a device for streaming music and a set-top box , the latter of which was also reported by bloomberg businessweek last month . amazon did not immediately respond to our request for comment . until now , amazon 's hardware efforts have centered around its kindle e-readers and tablets . however , ceo jeff bezos suggested in an interview with allthingsd in september that amazon was planning to expand on its hardware offerings in the coming year . we will certainly †” not any time soon †” but next year . we have some more things that we hope people will enjoy , ' he told the publication . it 's premature for me to talk about them . ' while it 's not particularly surprising to hear about amazon working on a smartphone , it is a bit strange to hear news of a possible 3d-enabled device . despite a fair amount of hype a couple years ago , 3d-technology has had mixed success at best in the consumer technology market . amazon 's stock was up by about 1.5 % on the day as of publication . this article originally appeared on mashable . © 2013 mashable.com . all rights reserved . | amazon did not respond to questions about the report |
iran <tsp> ( cnn ) -- shamshiri in tel aviv is as busy as any restaurant might be during the lunch hour rush . nestled in a part of the market area known as little persia , shamshiri is run by jews from iran , providing a home away from home for other iranian jews . moluk , the matriarch of her family , is just one of tens of thousands of iranian jews who immigrated to israel during the course of the last 60 years . she arrived in israel in 1964 from isfahan , where her sister still lives to this day . in iran there are an estimated 25,000 jews remaining in the country , making it the largest middle eastern population center for the religion outside of israel . moluk , like many iranian jews in israel , still keeps in touch with relatives back home . she says there are no problems between jews and muslims in iran . jews , she explains , can practice their faith freely in iran and are not persecuted . but for most in israel , talk of iran focuses on the country 's nuclear program and what the government here believes is tehran 's drive to develop nuclear weapons . the iranian government steadfastly maintains its program is peaceful in nature . for iranian jews living in israel , the debate about their homeland can not be escaped and in their market community in tel aviv there 's a keen awareness of the potential for an israeli strike . take mansour , a spice shop owner . he came to israel from iran forty years ago . he says the iran nuclear issue is a big mess , hard to understand with both israel and iran waiting to see who will act first . there are between 100,000 and 200,000 iranian jews and their descendants in israel , and despite the hostile relations between israel and iran , they 're still able to closely follow events in their country of origin through internet radio stations like radis in which broadcasts from tel aviv . one caller from iran to the station says he wo n't be voting in the country 's upcoming elections as he believes they will be rigged . barouch davidi , one of the station 's presenters , says that after hearing stories from other callers , he believes the economic sanctions are really beginning to hurt the iranian regime . it 's a view shared by analyst meir javedanfar , himself originally from iran and who is now at the herzliya interdisciplinary center college in israel . he says the regime in tehran is in danger because the economic price being paid for its nuclear program as a result of sanctions is actually a bigger existential threat to the islamic republic of iran than to the state of israel . ' the sanctions are beginning to bite , says javedanfar . a strike by israel , he continues , should be only as a last resort . a strike , he argues , would be bad for two reasons . number one , it would help the longevity of the iranian regime . number two , it could motivate it more to build the bomb . ' back at the restaurant , moluk is not concerned about the tension over iran 's nuclear program . i do n't believe it , ' she says . it 's a bluff . we believe in good things . god told us to believe in the best . ' on her wall , as if a throwback to earlier and presumably better times for moluk and before the creation of the islamic republic of iran , hangs a portrait of the late shah and his son . iranian jews like moluk and mansour may be hoping for the best but preparing for the worst as politicians negotiate the future in the corridors of power , far away from this bustling tel aviv neighborhood . | for iranian jews living in israel , the debate about iran can not be escaped |
iran <tsp> ( cnn ) -- shamshiri in tel aviv is as busy as any restaurant might be during the lunch hour rush . nestled in a part of the market area known as little persia , shamshiri is run by jews from iran , providing a home away from home for other iranian jews . moluk , the matriarch of her family , is just one of tens of thousands of iranian jews who immigrated to israel during the course of the last 60 years . she arrived in israel in 1964 from isfahan , where her sister still lives to this day . in iran there are an estimated 25,000 jews remaining in the country , making it the largest middle eastern population center for the religion outside of israel . moluk , like many iranian jews in israel , still keeps in touch with relatives back home . she says there are no problems between jews and muslims in iran . jews , she explains , can practice their faith freely in iran and are not persecuted . but for most in israel , talk of iran focuses on the country 's nuclear program and what the government here believes is tehran 's drive to develop nuclear weapons . the iranian government steadfastly maintains its program is peaceful in nature . for iranian jews living in israel , the debate about their homeland can not be escaped and in their market community in tel aviv there 's a keen awareness of the potential for an israeli strike . take mansour , a spice shop owner . he came to israel from iran forty years ago . he says the iran nuclear issue is a big mess , hard to understand with both israel and iran waiting to see who will act first . there are between 100,000 and 200,000 iranian jews and their descendants in israel , and despite the hostile relations between israel and iran , they 're still able to closely follow events in their country of origin through internet radio stations like radis in which broadcasts from tel aviv . one caller from iran to the station says he wo n't be voting in the country 's upcoming elections as he believes they will be rigged . barouch davidi , one of the station 's presenters , says that after hearing stories from other callers , he believes the economic sanctions are really beginning to hurt the iranian regime . it 's a view shared by analyst meir javedanfar , himself originally from iran and who is now at the herzliya interdisciplinary center college in israel . he says the regime in tehran is in danger because the economic price being paid for its nuclear program as a result of sanctions is actually a bigger existential threat to the islamic republic of iran than to the state of israel . ' the sanctions are beginning to bite , says javedanfar . a strike by israel , he continues , should be only as a last resort . a strike , he argues , would be bad for two reasons . number one , it would help the longevity of the iranian regime . number two , it could motivate it more to build the bomb . ' back at the restaurant , moluk is not concerned about the tension over iran 's nuclear program . i do n't believe it , ' she says . it 's a bluff . we believe in good things . god told us to believe in the best . ' on her wall , as if a throwback to earlier and presumably better times for moluk and before the creation of the islamic republic of iran , hangs a portrait of the late shah and his son . iranian jews like moluk and mansour may be hoping for the best but preparing for the worst as politicians negotiate the future in the corridors of power , far away from this bustling tel aviv neighborhood . | iran is largest middle eastern population center for jews outside of israel |
iran <tsp> ( cnn ) -- shamshiri in tel aviv is as busy as any restaurant might be during the lunch hour rush . nestled in a part of the market area known as little persia , shamshiri is run by jews from iran , providing a home away from home for other iranian jews . moluk , the matriarch of her family , is just one of tens of thousands of iranian jews who immigrated to israel during the course of the last 60 years . she arrived in israel in 1964 from isfahan , where her sister still lives to this day . in iran there are an estimated 25,000 jews remaining in the country , making it the largest middle eastern population center for the religion outside of israel . moluk , like many iranian jews in israel , still keeps in touch with relatives back home . she says there are no problems between jews and muslims in iran . jews , she explains , can practice their faith freely in iran and are not persecuted . but for most in israel , talk of iran focuses on the country 's nuclear program and what the government here believes is tehran 's drive to develop nuclear weapons . the iranian government steadfastly maintains its program is peaceful in nature . for iranian jews living in israel , the debate about their homeland can not be escaped and in their market community in tel aviv there 's a keen awareness of the potential for an israeli strike . take mansour , a spice shop owner . he came to israel from iran forty years ago . he says the iran nuclear issue is a big mess , hard to understand with both israel and iran waiting to see who will act first . there are between 100,000 and 200,000 iranian jews and their descendants in israel , and despite the hostile relations between israel and iran , they 're still able to closely follow events in their country of origin through internet radio stations like radis in which broadcasts from tel aviv . one caller from iran to the station says he wo n't be voting in the country 's upcoming elections as he believes they will be rigged . barouch davidi , one of the station 's presenters , says that after hearing stories from other callers , he believes the economic sanctions are really beginning to hurt the iranian regime . it 's a view shared by analyst meir javedanfar , himself originally from iran and who is now at the herzliya interdisciplinary center college in israel . he says the regime in tehran is in danger because the economic price being paid for its nuclear program as a result of sanctions is actually a bigger existential threat to the islamic republic of iran than to the state of israel . ' the sanctions are beginning to bite , says javedanfar . a strike by israel , he continues , should be only as a last resort . a strike , he argues , would be bad for two reasons . number one , it would help the longevity of the iranian regime . number two , it could motivate it more to build the bomb . ' back at the restaurant , moluk is not concerned about the tension over iran 's nuclear program . i do n't believe it , ' she says . it 's a bluff . we believe in good things . god told us to believe in the best . ' on her wall , as if a throwback to earlier and presumably better times for moluk and before the creation of the islamic republic of iran , hangs a portrait of the late shah and his son . iranian jews like moluk and mansour may be hoping for the best but preparing for the worst as politicians negotiate the future in the corridors of power , far away from this bustling tel aviv neighborhood . | jews can practice faith freely in iran without persecution , says one iranian jew |
marie osmond <tsp> watch the full interview with donny and marie osmond monday . piers morgan tonight ' airs weeknights on cnn/us at 9 p.m . et and on cnn international at 0200 gmt ( live simulcast ) , 1200 gmt , and 2000 gmt and hkt . cnn -- donny osmond was the justin bieber of his day . and while the show biz veteran has not yet met his 2011 pop star counterpart , he has some advice for him . put the seat belt on , buddy , because it 's going to be a bumpy ride . ' donny and marie osmond are guests on monday 's piers morgan tonight . ' the brother-sister duo joined the cnn host from the stage of the flamingo hotel in las vegas where they perform . that kind of success at that age can really bite you in the shorts as it were -- the proverbial shorts so to speak , ' continued donny . i look at the experiences that i 've gone through as a teeny bopper . you know ... i look at justin bieber ... and my heart breaks for him , because i know what he 's going to go through . he knows . everybody knows . ' donny went on to say that bieber is going to go through so much heartache ,'baby , baby , baby . oh my'he 's going to hate that . he probably hates it right now just as much as i hated'puppy love .'' both donny and marie agreed that many young entertainers today just jump into the business , ' that they get a lot of fame and fortune , ' and feel entitled . ' they forget about getting out there and working and doing all those little gigs -- 366 days a year and going through the work , going through the motions , ' said donny . the pair said that their strong work ethic was instilled in them by their father , who donny said taught them if there 's something worth doing , it 's worth doing well . ' marie told morgan she feels blessed ' to have grown up working with sammy davis jr. , dean martin and elvis presley . they did n't look at it as being a celebrity , ' marie said . they looked at it as being an entertainer . it was their job . ' donny said that the mark that a lot of people miss nowadays ' is that they leave out the heart and soul . and that 's what i learned from sammy davis jr. , from frank sinatra , is when you went to ... those shows , you got to know them . ' donny recalled seeing presley 's closing show at the hilton in the 1970s , the night before he and marie were set to open on that same stage . i remember watching the'king'onstage . he could do no wrong . i mean the -- the attitude was in the palm of his hand . ' presley came to visit him in his dressing room the following evening , donny said , and politely said 'hi , everybody . i 'm elvis presley . i just wanted to come say hi and good luck .'' the king of rock and roll just walked through the door , and he 's a real person , ' said donny . it taught me a lot about leaving the star onstage . when you go onstage , you 're just another person . ' donny said that an entertainer 's genuine love for the audience is missing from many of today 's acts . he said he and marie go to great lengths to make sure their audiences walk away feeling that they got to know us better . ' donny said davis once told him , the day you stop caring about your show is the day you should quit . ' marie also spoke about her recent remarriage to her first husband , steve . the couple married 29 years ago but divorced after three years . she wore her original wedding dress , and the couple 's 28-year-old son -- who went through his entire life with separated parents -- served as a witness . marie said that when she broke the news of the engagement to her son , he had n't been aware his parents were even dating . i was recording an album . it 's out . it 's my first inspirational album . ... there 's a song on there called ,'tell me to breathe .'... i went to my son and i said ,'i 'm going to marry your father again and i need a song that says my love to him .'and so he helped write that song . and that 's my song to my husband , steve . ' the couple married in las vegas , and marie chose the birthday shared by her mother , olive osmond , who died in 2004 , and her son michael , who committed suicide last year . that way they could all be there kind of symbolically , ' said marie . as a matter of , we took a picture with -- i took a picture with steve and all the kids . and i had donny stand in for michael . then we 're going to take -- put michael 's face on his body . ' marie said she will never get over the loss michael , who was 18 when he died . there 's always a place that is set in your heart at the dinner table , ' said marie . there 's always a celebration when he 's there . ' she said the proceeds from her inspirational album will go to the children 's miracle network on michael 's behalf . donny , who has been married for 33 years , told morgan that his marriage was the only thing that kept me sane . ' point to another teeny bopper star who did n't go through the drugs , the alcohol , the women , ' continued donny . my wife is the one that got me through it . ' watch piers morgan tonight weeknights 9 p.m . et . for the latest from piers morgan click here . | donny and marie osmond think many young entertainers today just jump into the business ' |
marie osmond <tsp> watch the full interview with donny and marie osmond monday . piers morgan tonight ' airs weeknights on cnn/us at 9 p.m . et and on cnn international at 0200 gmt ( live simulcast ) , 1200 gmt , and 2000 gmt and hkt . cnn -- donny osmond was the justin bieber of his day . and while the show biz veteran has not yet met his 2011 pop star counterpart , he has some advice for him . put the seat belt on , buddy , because it 's going to be a bumpy ride . ' donny and marie osmond are guests on monday 's piers morgan tonight . ' the brother-sister duo joined the cnn host from the stage of the flamingo hotel in las vegas where they perform . that kind of success at that age can really bite you in the shorts as it were -- the proverbial shorts so to speak , ' continued donny . i look at the experiences that i 've gone through as a teeny bopper . you know ... i look at justin bieber ... and my heart breaks for him , because i know what he 's going to go through . he knows . everybody knows . ' donny went on to say that bieber is going to go through so much heartache ,'baby , baby , baby . oh my'he 's going to hate that . he probably hates it right now just as much as i hated'puppy love .'' both donny and marie agreed that many young entertainers today just jump into the business , ' that they get a lot of fame and fortune , ' and feel entitled . ' they forget about getting out there and working and doing all those little gigs -- 366 days a year and going through the work , going through the motions , ' said donny . the pair said that their strong work ethic was instilled in them by their father , who donny said taught them if there 's something worth doing , it 's worth doing well . ' marie told morgan she feels blessed ' to have grown up working with sammy davis jr. , dean martin and elvis presley . they did n't look at it as being a celebrity , ' marie said . they looked at it as being an entertainer . it was their job . ' donny said that the mark that a lot of people miss nowadays ' is that they leave out the heart and soul . and that 's what i learned from sammy davis jr. , from frank sinatra , is when you went to ... those shows , you got to know them . ' donny recalled seeing presley 's closing show at the hilton in the 1970s , the night before he and marie were set to open on that same stage . i remember watching the'king'onstage . he could do no wrong . i mean the -- the attitude was in the palm of his hand . ' presley came to visit him in his dressing room the following evening , donny said , and politely said 'hi , everybody . i 'm elvis presley . i just wanted to come say hi and good luck .'' the king of rock and roll just walked through the door , and he 's a real person , ' said donny . it taught me a lot about leaving the star onstage . when you go onstage , you 're just another person . ' donny said that an entertainer 's genuine love for the audience is missing from many of today 's acts . he said he and marie go to great lengths to make sure their audiences walk away feeling that they got to know us better . ' donny said davis once told him , the day you stop caring about your show is the day you should quit . ' marie also spoke about her recent remarriage to her first husband , steve . the couple married 29 years ago but divorced after three years . she wore her original wedding dress , and the couple 's 28-year-old son -- who went through his entire life with separated parents -- served as a witness . marie said that when she broke the news of the engagement to her son , he had n't been aware his parents were even dating . i was recording an album . it 's out . it 's my first inspirational album . ... there 's a song on there called ,'tell me to breathe .'... i went to my son and i said ,'i 'm going to marry your father again and i need a song that says my love to him .'and so he helped write that song . and that 's my song to my husband , steve . ' the couple married in las vegas , and marie chose the birthday shared by her mother , olive osmond , who died in 2004 , and her son michael , who committed suicide last year . that way they could all be there kind of symbolically , ' said marie . as a matter of , we took a picture with -- i took a picture with steve and all the kids . and i had donny stand in for michael . then we 're going to take -- put michael 's face on his body . ' marie said she will never get over the loss michael , who was 18 when he died . there 's always a place that is set in your heart at the dinner table , ' said marie . there 's always a celebration when he 's there . ' she said the proceeds from her inspirational album will go to the children 's miracle network on michael 's behalf . donny , who has been married for 33 years , told morgan that his marriage was the only thing that kept me sane . ' point to another teeny bopper star who did n't go through the drugs , the alcohol , the women , ' continued donny . my wife is the one that got me through it . ' watch piers morgan tonight weeknights 9 p.m . et . for the latest from piers morgan click here . | marie osmond recently remarried her first husband after 29 years |
dan river <tsp> the coal ash poured out of a broken pipe into the dan river , turning water into dark muck . it took nearly a week to stem the spill , which sent millions of gallons of sludge from a retired power plant into a river that supplies drinking water to communities in north carolina and neighboring virginia . workers stopped the spill by plugging the broken pipe with concrete this weekend . now government scientists and the united states'largest electric utility face a daunting task : cleaning it up . tests since the spill have turned up higher levels of harmful chemicals such as arsenic in the river . but so far , officials say tap water is safe to drink . some environmental activists in the area say they are n't so sure . they fear the consequences for wildlife and say that the situation shows state regulators have n't done enough to crack down on duke energy . the utility has apologized for the spill and vowed to clean up any damage . we 're committed to the dan river and the communities that it serves , ' charlie gates , the company 's senior vice president of power generation operations , said in a statement saturday . we are accountable for what has happened and have plenty of work ahead of us . ' concerns over drinking water , wildlife duke energy announced last week that it found the leak in a 48-inch stormwater pipe at the retired dan river steam station in eden , north carolina , on february 2 . on saturday , six days later , the company said it had plugged the broken pipe that was causing the spill and was working with officials on developing a cleanup plan . coal ash , the material that remains after burning coal for electricity , contains metals such as arsenic , selenium and cadmium . tests of the river last week revealed levels of copper , aluminum , iron and arsenic above state standards for surface water , state environmental officials said . it 's unclear what that could mean for wildlife in the area , said jamie kritzer , a spokesman for the north carolina department of environment and natural resources . it 's certainly cause for concern for the long-term impacts of this coal ash spill on the health of the dan river , ' he said . environmental advocates warn that the damage could be significant , potentially harming fish in the river and impacting the food chain . you have a cleanup effort that is going to be difficult , ' said sam perkins , who works for the catawba riverkeeper foundation , a nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to protecting waterways in the area . this shows even a small spill has an impact on the ecosystem . ' some activists accuse authorities of deliberately playing down the danger of the situation and taking too long to notify the public . this is another shameless attempt by ( environmental officials ) to downplay the risks facing the communities along the dan river downstream , ' peter harrison of the waterkeeper alliance advocacy group said in a written statement to cnn on friday . are we supposed to feel good that there are only four hazardous toxins , including a carcinogen , in our drinking water supply ? ' samples taken by the waterkeeper alliance last week contained extremely high levels of arsenic , chromium , iron , lead and other toxic metals , ' the group said in a statement . state environmental officials said sunday that arsenic levels appeared to be decreasing , but recommended avoiding prolonged direct contact with the river in the area of the spill until further notice . unclear how long cleanup will take kritzer said authorities have been open about what they 've found . we 're not downplaying risks . we 're doing our objective analysis of what we 're seeing so far , and i think we are concerned , ' he said . the dan river is a gem , and people value it throughout the state for not only being a source of drinking water , but also for its aquatic life that it provides a home to and all the recreational uses . this is certainly something that concerns all of us . ' tiffany haworth , executive director of the dan river basin association , first learned about the spill from a mail carrier , who warned that the river 's water had turned black . the situation is heartbreaking , she said . i stood on the bank a day or two after the spill , and i can say that i openly cried , ' she said . i was thinking ,'how can this ever heal ? how can this ever be cleaned up ? and what is this going to do to what i would consider one of the most beautiful parts of our country ?'' now , she said , cleanup is key . the longer it 's allowed to sit there ... t he sediment that has not gone down the river will be constantly churned up as it goes downstream , and the longer that we wait , obviously the more damage can occur , ' she said . the north carolina spill comes weeks after a chemical spill in west virginia left 300,000 people unable to use their water supply for days . now , a federal grand jury is looking into that spill in what one official called a criminal investigation . in north carolina , authorities will investigate the coal ash spill to determine what violations occurred , kritzer said . state and federal agencies are working with duke energy to figure out the next steps for cleanup , he said . at this point , it 's unclear how long that could take . authorities were still working to develop a cleanup plan sunday , duke energy spokeswoman lisa parrish said . simultaneous efforts have been under way to not only plug the pipe and cap the system , which we successfully achieved last night , but also to test water quality . we 've been testing water quality since the leak occurred and will continue to do so , ' she said . water quality tests will inform our cleanup efforts and accelerate our planning for the best long-term solution at the site . ' even before last week 's spill , coal ash contamination was a concern for north carolina officials . the state filed lawsuits against duke energy last year , asking the court to order the utility to deal with groundwater and wastewater violations at 14 sites where the byproducts of coal power plants are stored , according to a statement from gov . pat mccrory 's office . parrish said sunday that the utility is in the midst of plans to close the sites where it stores coal ash in north carolina . ash basin closure planning is already well under way for the ash basins located in north carolina , including the one at dan river , ' parrish said . we look forward to moving ahead with that project . ' governor has close ties with company before he ran for governor , mccrory worked for duke energy for nearly three decades , and critics have claimed he 's shied away from regulation during his time in public office due to his close ties with the utility . in a statement last week , mccrory said his administration was the first in the state 's history to take legal action against the utility over the ponds . we have been moving on this issue since the beginning of my term and will continue to do so , ' he said . environmental advocates say the spill is a reminder of a troubling problem that 's widespread in the state : coal ash ponds storing large amounts of waste close to drinking water supplies . the spill raises questions , the catawba riverkeeper foundation advocacy group said in an online post . key among them -- what chemicals are scientists testing for , was drinking water contaminated and will the utility change its coal ash disposal approach as a result ? according to figures released by duke energy , last week 's spill appears to be similar to , but smaller than , a 2008 coal ash spill at a power plant in kingston , tennessee , which sent 1.1 billion gallons of sludge into the adjacent emory river . state authorities slapped the tennessee valley authority with $ 11.5 million fines after that spill , which authorities said violated state clean-water and solid waste disposal laws . in statements announcing the north carolina spill last week , duke energy said up to 82,000 tons of ash had been released and up to 27 million gallons of basin water had flooded into the river . that amount of ash , the company said , would fill up to 32 olympic-size swimming pools . | a broken stormwater pipe sent millions of gallons of sludge into the dan river |
bethlehem <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as christmas eve became christmas day around the world , services and celebrations marked the holiday . at vatican city on friday night , catholic worshippers packed pews inside st. peter 's basilica to hear pope benedict xvi deliver midnight mass . he prayed to god for peace . grant us the grace of true brotherhood . help us to become like you . help us to recognize your face in others who need our assistance , ' he said . and help us to live together with you as brothers and sisters so as to become one family -- your family . ' celebrants , both young and old , watched in reverence as the choir serenaded the pontiff during his ceremonial march into the church . he was led into st. peter 's for christmas eve services by 30 cardinals , a tradition that was started by pope john paul ii . bells rang out during the holy eucharistic , with chimes that could be heard inside the church as well as throughout vatican city . in 2009 , midnight mass was interrupted when 25-year-old susanna maiolo jumped a barrier and knocked the pontiff down . she had tried to get to the pontiff on christmas eve in 2008 , but was detained , vatican spokesman the rev . federico lombardi said . christmas eve mass was held at 10 p.m last year , so the pope , who was 82 years old at the time , would be well-rested for christmas day services . thousands converged friday on bethlehem to celebrate christmas in the town where jesus is believed to have been born , joining the latin patriarch of jerusalem , fouad twal , and a roman catholic archbishop for midnight mass . twal , the highest-ranking catholic cleric in the holy land , led a procession of priests and believers to the church of the nativity for the traditional service . pilgrims , many of whom visit the city every year at this time , packed manger square outside the church in anticipation of the patriarch 's arrival . when we come , we are saying not only , yes jesus , we are here ; we are all christian , we are all brothers , ' one tourist in the crowd outside the nativity church told cnn . palestinian prime minister salam fayyad and president mahmoud abbas , muslims , traveled to bethlehem to attend the mass . at least 90,000 tourists are expected to visit the city by the end of the christmas season , according to bethlehem mayor victor batarseh . the city is near the high wall that forms part of israel 's west bank barrier . in 1948 , christians represented 80 % of the bethlehem 's population , that number is now just 35 % . inside beijing 's immaculate conception cathedral , more than 1,000 chinese parishioners gathered to say mass on friday . the ceremony was heralded by hymns and christmas carols , and was led by a young priest who asked the congregation to pray for the holy father , pope benedict xvi , and the chinese bishops . ' it 's a stark change from the 1960s and '70s , when religion was suppressed in china . now , the sights and sounds of christmas are all around , making it one of the biggest commercial holiday seasons in chinese cities . while many chinese are taking advantage of the lucrative side of the season , others are searching for the meaning of christmas . my parents are catholic , ' said 19-year-old joseph min . he said many youths are lost in the nation 's wave of social changes , ' but many are seeking a kind of religion or philosophy in life . ' china has become home to more than 6 million catholics , according to a report approved at the eighth national congress of chinese catholics in early december , the china daily said . beijing and the vatican severed diplomatic ties in 1951 , but efforts are reportedly under way to reconcile their differences . cnn 's paula hancock and jaime florcruz contributed to this report . | in bethlehem , thousands flock to the town where jesus is believed to have been born |
ukraine <tsp> ( cnn ) -- fans from across europe will soon be traveling to poland to support their teams during euro 2012 , but so too will police officers from each nation to keep an eye on them . when their national teams are playing , visiting police officers will be at poland 's police headquarters in warsaw , the nerve-center for security operations during the event . poland has a lot riding on the tournament it is co-hosting with ukraine , and is no stranger to football violence . last year 's polish cup final between legia warsaw and lech poznan was a high-profile example of how domestic football in poland is still blighted by hooliganism , as violent fans clashed with police and water cannons had to be used to control the crowd . even before that incident , uefa , european football 's governing body , had criticized poland for football violence which it said was ruining the country 's reputation . however police in the capital have spent years preparing for euro 2012 and reducing the potential of trouble from homegrown and international football hooligans . like all major international events terrorism is the main security concern . the whole security plan is ready ; the right equipment has been bought , ' says mariusz sokolowski , press officer for the polish police force . the sites that needed to be renovated for the tournament have also been completed . and now it 's a time to put all that we have done into practice . ' the new national stadium in warsaw hosted a friendly match between poland and portugal in february this year , when the local police force was able to test their readiness . it was called a success by uefa . we know what we deliver has to be the best , at the top level , ' says beata stelmach , poland 's deputy foreign minister . we are absolutely the best prepared for euro 2012 and welcome everybody who wants not only to see football games , but also to see how hospitable we are and how beautiful the country is . ' poland is following on from lessons learned at recent big european tournaments , like euro 2008 in austria and switzerland , and germany 's staging of the world cup in 2006 . there will be fan zones ' with big screens and entertainment dotted around the major cities , where traveling fans without tickets can watch the matches . the less we are visible and less we need to act the better the event will be as it will show that euro 2012 will be a very safe event , ' says sokolowski . cnn 's jim boulden contributed to this report | the tournament , co-hosted with ukraine , is poland 's first major international sporting event |
musclemag <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- legendary fitness pioneer jack lalanne saved millions of lives by teaching people to eat right and exercise regularly , arnold schwarzenegger said in his eulogy for lalanne on tuesday . lalanne , who died last week at the age of 96 , opened the first american health club in oakland , california , in 1936 , musclemag publisher robert kennedy said . this was the start of the fitness revolution we know today , ' kennedy said . lalanne , who spent decades talking about the benefits of exercise , designed the world 's first leg-extension machine , along with several other pieces of equipment now standard in the fitness industry . it does n't matter where you go , there is a health club and it all started with jack lalanne , ' schwarzenegger , the bodybuilder , actor and former california governor , said . other fitness celebrities , including denise austin , lou ferrigno and richard simmons , eulogized the man who inspired their careers . i really never cared much for him when i was a kid , because he was everything i was n't , ' simmons said . he was fit . he ate healthy . he had self-esteem . he had a great little body and i was n't ready to accept his message . ' but when lalanne appeared on the richard simmons show ' in 1980 , they became friends , he said . i 'm here to pay tribute to a legend , to someone who influenced me and made me a better person , ' simmons said . lalanne 's memorial service at forest lawn cemetery in hollywood hills on tuesday afternoon was filled with laughter about lalanne 's evangelical energy in promoting fitness . jack is now in heaven and , of course , that 's going to be very annoying for a lot of people up there , ' schwarzenegger said . it 's not going to be pretty because we know what 's going to happen . ' residents of heaven have a new wake-up call at 6 a.m. and they are doing thousand of push ups and stretching exercises , ' schwarzenegger said . the people are in a state of shock because they were promised if they were good , they could rest in peace , ' he said . there will be no resting . ' he joked that lalanne is french for do some push ups , you lazy bastards . ' people doubted what lalanne was promoting in his early years , he said . they warned you could get heart problems , become a narcissist , turn gay , or it could reduce your sex drive , ' schwarzenegger said . how do they explain the fact that charlie sheen works out every day , ' he said . so that 's nonsense . ' lalanne swam the san francisco bay in handcuffs when he was 41 . he set a record of 1,033 push ups in 30 minutes the next year . at age 70 , he swam the long beach harbor as he towed 70 boats with 70 people in them . schwarzenegger said he first met lalanne soon after he moved to venice beach , california , as a young bodybuilder . the two worked out together and he soon regretted that . ' i got so pumped up , i could n't move anymore , ' he said . i said ,'this guy is a machine , he 's the real machine ,'' he said . 'this guy 's a monster , he just keeps going and going and going with the exercising .'' lalanne was laid to rest with a weight he was holding in his left hand when he died , said his son , dan lalanne . | lalanne started the fitness revolution , musclemag 's publisher says |
world bank <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- aid started flowing into haiti wednesday in the wake of the earthquake that slammed the impoverished nation late tuesday afternoon . one of two military cargo planes carrying a 30-man assessment team arrived at port-au-prince airport wednesday evening to assess haiti 's needs . one of the team 's first jobs is to get the airport working to a point where it can handle flights from around the world filled with people and supplies to help the victims of the quake . in addition , a unit of u.s. air force special operations forces left hurlburt field in florida , with the unit including airmen , search-and-rescue experts and equipment to set up temporary air traffic control systems . a canadian military plane was to depart trenton , ontario , laden with supplies at 2 a.m. thursday . but the air space was not open to charitable organizations , said franklin graham , president of samaritan 's purse , which was planning to send charter planes loaded with supplies to haiti thursday morning . i hope and pray that they will open that air space first thing in the morning , ' he told cnn . u.s. embassy staff at the port-au-prince airport said the tower and the lights were working , u.s. state department spokesman p.j . crowley said ; a cnn producer said the windows in the tower were broken . as the scope of the disaster began to come into focus , offers of help began pouring in . crowley said the netherlands , iceland , puerto rico , guyana , brazil , canada , belize , cuba , morocco and france all had offered aid . impact your world : how you can help the world bank promised $ 100 million in emergency funds for recovery and reconstruction , subject to approval by the world bank 's board of directors . world health organization personnel were planning to depart thursday morning for haiti , where their priority was to identify hospitals functional enough to treat the injured and coordinating the international health response . after relief organizations found themselves tripping over one another following the 2004 indian ocean tsunami , they decided to coordinate their efforts with those of non-u.n. organizations in what is called the u.n . cluster system . ' in the system , who plays the lead coordinating role for health ; the united nations high commissioner for refugees or the red cross does it for shelter ; and the world food programme does it for food , according to christy feig , who 's director of communications . former u.s. president bill clinton , who in 1975 honeymooned in haiti with the current secretary of state , hillary clinton , urged listeners to donate to http : //www.clintonfoundation.org/haitiearthquake/ . anybody who sends us money , we 're just going to move it into those supplies quickly , ' he promised . he urged world leaders who have already made a commitment at a clinton foundation donors'conference to check to see whether they had fulfilled it . most countries are way behind on fulfilling it , ' he said . they ( haitians ) need your help now . ' he said that , after the 2004 asian tsunami , americans donated more than $ 1 billion , with a median contribution of $ 56 , and half of the money came via the internet . little donations can add up to big amounts , ' he said . five or ten dollars can make a huge difference . these people are just like you and they 're hurting now . ' search-and-rescue teams from cities in the united states headed to haiti , with a team from fairfax , virginia , due to arrive wednesday in port-au-prince , the state department said . the u.s. agency for international development was expected to have an emergency response team on the ground wednesday , crowley said . the united states was also sending aid by ship , and the crew of the usns comfort has been ordered to report to the navy hospital ship . the ship was expected to leave port in baltimore within five days of receiving its orders , but it had not yet been ordered to deploy , capt . john kirby told cnn . it would take about five days to get to haiti . the 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck southern haiti late tuesday afternoon , knocking down buildings and inflicting destruction and casualties yet to be tallied , given limited communications and emergency services in the caribbean nation . many other countries have also offered assistance : • brazil 's ministry of defense ordered its troops in the country to offer whatever assistance they can , brazil 's official news agency reported . the south american nation has 1,266 troops -- including 250 in an engineering unit -- in haiti as part of a united nations stabilization force . • china was preparing to send a 50-member rescue team , including three sniffer dogs , the official news agency xinhua reported . china has 125 peace-keeping police in haiti , but no diplomatic ties with the country , xinhua reported . • spain was sending three planeloads of aid -- two from panama in central america and one from madrid , the spanish capital , cnn affiliate cnn+ reported . spain was also making 3 million euros ( $ 4.35 million ) available for aid and will coordinate the european union response . • france , haiti 's former colonial ruler , dispatched two planeloads of rescue personnel , one from guadeloupe in the caribbean and one from marseilles , france . • russia was sending a mobile hospital with a staff of 45 , including 20 doctors , emergency situations ministry spokeswoman elena chernova told cnn . the mobile hospital has intensive therapy , surgery , diagnostics , ultra-sound , x-ray , electrocardiogram modules as well as a blood test laboratory , ' and can accommodate 50 patients at a time , she said . • cuba sent an additional 30 doctors , plus medical supplies , to join the 344 doctors and paramedics it already had working throughout haiti on humanitarian missions , said foreign minister bruno rodriguez . • iceland was sending a 37-man search-and-rescue team and offered to help evacuate foreign nationals , its foreign ministry said . • canada had a five-man team already in haiti as part of the u.n. relief efforts there . all five were helping with the relief effort , capt . elizabeth tremblay told cnn . • the united kingdom and israel also pledged to send survey teams . • under a u.s. state department program , individuals with u.s. cell phones can donate $ 10 to the red cross by texting haiti ' to 90999 . the state department said wednesday afternoon that the campaign had received nearly 83,000 hits . • musician wyclef jean 's yele foundation is accepting $ 5 donations for texting the word yele ' to 501501 . text the word haiti ' to 25383 to donate $ 5 to the internal rescue committee . the donations will appear on mobile phone bills , in addition to any charges for texting and data . • the jolie-pitt foundation donated $ 1 million to doctors without borders for operations in haiti . it is incredibly horrible to see a catastrophe of this size hit a people who have been suffering from extreme poverty , violence and unrest for so many decades , ' said angelina jolie in a news release . the group , also called medecins sans frontieres , said its medical teams have treated more than 1,000 people since the earthquake hit . prior to the earthquake , its 800 staff members ran three hospitals in port-au-prince , but they were all badly damaged . its teams have been operating out of open-air hospitals since tuesday afternoon . the group was focusing on re-establishing surgical capacity to deal with crushed limbs and head wounds , said paul mcphun , an emergency management expert for the organization , also known as doctors without borders . • the united nations was releasing $ 10 million from its central emergency relief fund ( cerf ) , secretary general ban ki-moon said . it was also mobilizing an emergency response team to coordinate relief efforts . • the american red cross promised $ 1 million in aid and said it was releasing enough supplies -- tarps , mosquito nets and cooking sets -- from its warehouse in panama to meet the immediate needs of 5,000 families . • islamic relief usa , which describes itself as america 's largest muslim relief organization , announced it would fly $ 1 million in aid to haiti in coordination with the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints . • the world food programme was airlifting 86 metric tons of food from its hub in el salvador , enough for more than half a million meals , the agency said . the aid included ready-to-eat food and high-energy biscuits . • americares was sending $ 3 million in medical aid , including antibiotics , pain relievers , bandages and other supplies , plus relief workers to distribute the aid . it was also releasing 10,000 pounds of emergency relief and pledging $ 5 million in aid . • the u.s. fund for unicef , the united nations children 's fund , said it had released $ 500,000 to assist the efforts of the 10 international staff and 34 national staff in its port-au-prince office . in jacmel , southwest of the capital , thousands of people have sought shelter in camps set up by the government , unicef relief worker guido cornale told cnn . unicef is providing clean drinking water to the victims and has distributed 2,500 kitchen kits that can be used to set up kitchens in the camps . at least 1,000 people were to be fed a hot meal wednesday night , cornale said . • the united nations foundation committed $ 1 million to address the most urgent humanitarian and re-construction needs in haiti , unf founder ted turner said in a statement . turner founded cnn but is no longer associated with the network . • the world health organization was sending a 12-person team to haiti to help with the medical response . • the international rescue committee was deploying its emergency response team , focusing on critical medical , water and sanitation . • the salvation army was preparing to send a team from florida that would include emergency disaster services personnel , including haitian salvation army officers who speak creole . the organization has more than 60 church/community centers on the island , it said . • catholic relief services had 340 staff members already in haiti , and pre-positioned supplies in the country . the group said it would also send staff members from its home office in baltimore , maryland , to the neighboring dominican republic . • national nurses united issued an urgent call for registered nurse volunteers to provide assistance . • the international monetary fund was planning to coordinate with other international agencies , and mobilize our assistance as quickly as possible , ' managing director dominique strauss-kahn said in a statement . • businesses pledging relief in amounts exceeding $ 500,000 included ups , google , coca cola , lowe 's , bank of america charitable foundation , wal-mart and conagra foods foundation . the quake , centered about 15 kilometers ( 10 miles ) southwest of port-au-prince , struck shortly before 5 p.m. tuesday . roads in haiti were unsafe because of a lack of lighting and because many buildings had collapsed into the roads or were threatening to do so , said ian rodgers of the relief organization save the children . cnn 's elise labott , adam s. levine , shasta darlington , tom watkins , maxim tkachenko , per nyberg , edvige jean-francois , deb feyerick , matt smith , mike mount , larry shaughnessy , khadijah rentas and pierre meilhan contributed to this report . | world bank promises $ 100 million in emergency funds for recovery and reconstruction |
uk <tsp> ( cnn ) -- he 's yet to score a premier league goal for liverpool , but mario balotelli can claim one first in 2014 -- he had the most retweeted message of the world cup . balotelli 's irreverent promise to kiss britain 's queen elizabeth ii if italy beat costa rica in their world cup group game was retweeted nearly 173,000 times and favorited over 88,000 times . if we beat costa rica i want a kiss , obviously on the cheek , from the uk queen , ' tweeted balotelli , who joined liverpool from ac milan after the world cup . it 's unknown if the queen was relieved after italy were surprisingly beaten 1-0 by costa rica . eight of the uk 's 10 most tweeted about moments in 2014 were sport related , in a year that saw the world cup and champions league dominate the major talking points on the platform , ' said a twitter spokesman . over 35 million tweets were sent during world cup hosts brazil 's humiliating 7-1 semifinal defeat by germany to set a new record for the most-discussed live event on twitter , with 672 million tweets relating to the tournament delivered . balotelli might have had the most retweeted message during hte world cup , but the liverpool forward 's twitter account of just over three million followers is dwarfed by that of real madrid star cristiano ronaldo who surpassed the 30 million mark this year . footballers take eight of the top 10 places of the most globally followed athletes , with basketball stars lebron james and kevin durant fighting the nba 's corner . there was a greater mix of sports stars in the 10 most followed british athletes , with andy murray , diver tom daley , lewis hamilton , rory mcilroy and cricketer kevin pietersen giving the likes of wayne rooney , rio ferdinand , gareth bale , joey barton and ashley cole a run for their money . no end of year social media review would be complete without a mention of sport 's most popular selfies . since january 1 , the term'selfie'has been mentioned more than 92 million times on twitter -- a 500 % increase and 12 times more than in 2013 -- as people from all walks of life have come to twitter to share their photos with followers around the world , ' said a twitter spokesman . arguably 2014 's most memorable sport selfie was lukas podolski 's photographic celebrations to commemorate germany 's world cup final win over argentina . the twitter spokesman added : the'royal photobomb'moment at the commonwealth games in glasgow was when australian hockey player @ _jaydetaylor had her selfie photobombed by hm queen elizabeth ii , starting a trend of'royal photobombs'. ' | sport dominates uk 's most tweeted about moments in 2014 ' |
world cup <tsp> ( cnn ) -- he 's yet to score a premier league goal for liverpool , but mario balotelli can claim one first in 2014 -- he had the most retweeted message of the world cup . balotelli 's irreverent promise to kiss britain 's queen elizabeth ii if italy beat costa rica in their world cup group game was retweeted nearly 173,000 times and favorited over 88,000 times . if we beat costa rica i want a kiss , obviously on the cheek , from the uk queen , ' tweeted balotelli , who joined liverpool from ac milan after the world cup . it 's unknown if the queen was relieved after italy were surprisingly beaten 1-0 by costa rica . eight of the uk 's 10 most tweeted about moments in 2014 were sport related , in a year that saw the world cup and champions league dominate the major talking points on the platform , ' said a twitter spokesman . over 35 million tweets were sent during world cup hosts brazil 's humiliating 7-1 semifinal defeat by germany to set a new record for the most-discussed live event on twitter , with 672 million tweets relating to the tournament delivered . balotelli might have had the most retweeted message during hte world cup , but the liverpool forward 's twitter account of just over three million followers is dwarfed by that of real madrid star cristiano ronaldo who surpassed the 30 million mark this year . footballers take eight of the top 10 places of the most globally followed athletes , with basketball stars lebron james and kevin durant fighting the nba 's corner . there was a greater mix of sports stars in the 10 most followed british athletes , with andy murray , diver tom daley , lewis hamilton , rory mcilroy and cricketer kevin pietersen giving the likes of wayne rooney , rio ferdinand , gareth bale , joey barton and ashley cole a run for their money . no end of year social media review would be complete without a mention of sport 's most popular selfies . since january 1 , the term'selfie'has been mentioned more than 92 million times on twitter -- a 500 % increase and 12 times more than in 2013 -- as people from all walks of life have come to twitter to share their photos with followers around the world , ' said a twitter spokesman . arguably 2014 's most memorable sport selfie was lukas podolski 's photographic celebrations to commemorate germany 's world cup final win over argentina . the twitter spokesman added : the'royal photobomb'moment at the commonwealth games in glasgow was when australian hockey player @ _jaydetaylor had her selfie photobombed by hm queen elizabeth ii , starting a trend of'royal photobombs'. ' | most retweeted message of world cup came from italian international mario balotelli |
world cup <tsp> ( cnn ) -- he 's yet to score a premier league goal for liverpool , but mario balotelli can claim one first in 2014 -- he had the most retweeted message of the world cup . balotelli 's irreverent promise to kiss britain 's queen elizabeth ii if italy beat costa rica in their world cup group game was retweeted nearly 173,000 times and favorited over 88,000 times . if we beat costa rica i want a kiss , obviously on the cheek , from the uk queen , ' tweeted balotelli , who joined liverpool from ac milan after the world cup . it 's unknown if the queen was relieved after italy were surprisingly beaten 1-0 by costa rica . eight of the uk 's 10 most tweeted about moments in 2014 were sport related , in a year that saw the world cup and champions league dominate the major talking points on the platform , ' said a twitter spokesman . over 35 million tweets were sent during world cup hosts brazil 's humiliating 7-1 semifinal defeat by germany to set a new record for the most-discussed live event on twitter , with 672 million tweets relating to the tournament delivered . balotelli might have had the most retweeted message during hte world cup , but the liverpool forward 's twitter account of just over three million followers is dwarfed by that of real madrid star cristiano ronaldo who surpassed the 30 million mark this year . footballers take eight of the top 10 places of the most globally followed athletes , with basketball stars lebron james and kevin durant fighting the nba 's corner . there was a greater mix of sports stars in the 10 most followed british athletes , with andy murray , diver tom daley , lewis hamilton , rory mcilroy and cricketer kevin pietersen giving the likes of wayne rooney , rio ferdinand , gareth bale , joey barton and ashley cole a run for their money . no end of year social media review would be complete without a mention of sport 's most popular selfies . since january 1 , the term'selfie'has been mentioned more than 92 million times on twitter -- a 500 % increase and 12 times more than in 2013 -- as people from all walks of life have come to twitter to share their photos with followers around the world , ' said a twitter spokesman . arguably 2014 's most memorable sport selfie was lukas podolski 's photographic celebrations to commemorate germany 's world cup final win over argentina . the twitter spokesman added : the'royal photobomb'moment at the commonwealth games in glasgow was when australian hockey player @ _jaydetaylor had her selfie photobombed by hm queen elizabeth ii , starting a trend of'royal photobombs'. ' | 35.6 million tweets sent during germany 's 7-1 world cup semifinal win over brazil |
felipe massa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ferrari have been fined $ 100,000 after fernando alonso kept his world title hopes alive with a controversial victory in the german grand prix on sunday , though the result was allowed to stand . the two-time world champion claimed his and ferrari 's first win since the formula one season-opener in march , but motorsport 's ruling body decided that the team had broken rules banning orders to drivers after felipe massa let alonso through late in the race . the race stewards have also referred the incident to the world motor sport council for further consideration , the official f1 website reported . alonso , who started second on the grid behind sebastian vettel , recovered after being overtaken at the beginning by massa , who held off his surging teammate until the 49th lap of 67 . then he appeared to let the spaniard through after being told on his radio that he was the slower of the two drivers . massa 's race engineer rob smedley told him : alonso is faster than you . can you confirm you understand ? ' then when alonso went through , smedley added : good lad -- just stick with it now , sorry . ' it appeared to be a tactical decision by the italian outfit , with brazilian massa trailing alonso by 31 points in the overall standings before the race . alonso , who also won in bahrain , stayed in fifth place but closed to within 34 points of leader lewis hamilton with eight races left . he pulled clear to win by 4.1 seconds , twice setting the fastest lap of the race . f1 championship standings after hockenheim massa held on for second place for his best result of the season since bahrain , with german vettel third and teammate mark webber sixth as red bull failed to follow up the latter 's victory last time out at silverstone . the race came a year to the day after massa suffered a horrific head injury after an accident in qualifying for the hungarian grand prix which ruled him out for the rest of the season . after the race , he refused to criticize his team about the incident but looked visibly disappointed and would not elaborate on how he felt about the events -- while ferrari denied that rules had been broken . was schumacher 's return a big mistake ? massa told reporters : i do n't need to say anything about that . he passed me . we 're doing a good job for the team . ' hamilton , the 2008 world champion , finished fourth to be on 157 points -- extending his lead to 14 over mclaren teammate jenson button , who was fifth . the red bull drivers were left level on 136 points in third and fourth . red bull team principal christian horner said he believed ferrari had broken the rules . the drivers should have been allowed to race . massa did the better job . he was in the lead and the regulations are pretty clear -- team orders are not allowed , ' he told uk race broadcaster the bbc before the fine was announced . i have to say that is the clearest team order i 've ever seen . it will be interesting to see what the stewards make of it because for me it was as clear as 2002 , which is why the rule was brought in . it 's wrong for the sport . ' in 2002 , ferrari told rubens barrichello to let michael schumacher pass in the closing stages of the austrian grand prix . but schumacher , who finished ninth on his return to a race he has won four times , said he believed his former team made the right move . i understand 100 percent and i would do exactly the same -- what are we here for ? we 're fighting for the championship , ' the 41-year-old said . renault 's robert kubica claimed seventh place at hockenheim , but it was a disappointing day for mercedes on the german team 's home track as nico rosberg was eighth ahead of seven-time world champion schumacher . kubica 's russian teammate vitaly petrov claimed the final point on offer in 10th place . | felipe massa led until 49th lap , after being told by team he was the slower driver |
as roma <tsp> ( cnn ) -- bayern munich 's luca toni has returned to serie a football on a six-month loan with as roma , confirmed on thursday . the 32-year-old toni is out of favor at the german giants after falling out with coach louis van gaal and is desperate for first team football to further his claims for a place in the italy side at the 2010 world cup finals . toni was one of the star 's of italy 's winning team in 2006 and moved to bayern from fiorentina the following year . the club 's official web site www.fcbayern.de confirmed a move which had been widely predicted . in a discussion luca toni asked the board of bayern munich to loan him out to roma until the end of the season for personal reasons , ' read a statement . he wants , through regular games in serie a , to still realize his main goal of taking part in the 2010 world cup with the italian national team . ' toni has not played for his national side since their poor showing in the confererations cup in south africa in june . the italian club said in a statement that toni will be with them until june 30 , subject to passing a medical test . toni helped bayern to a league and cup double in his first full season , but since the arrival of dutch coach van gaal has slipped down the pecking order and played just three bundesliga games this season . he was fined by the club in november for leaving the stadium at halftime after being substituted in their disappointing 1-1 home draw with title contenders schalke . toni has interested other clubs in italy and england , but set his heart on going to the capital club to impress italy coach marcello lippi . | bayern munich striker luca toni to move to as roma on six-month loan deal |
argentine <tsp> ( cnn ) -- barcelona striker lionel messi has hailed the performance of his teammates after the spanish giants beat manchester united 3-1 at wembley on saturday to lift their third champions league trophy in six seasons . messi produced a scintillating performance to enhance his reputation as being the world 's greatest player , scoring barcelona 's second goal and tormenting the manchester united defenders throughout the 90 minutes . however , the 23-year-old argentine preferred to pay tribute to the players around him , telling the official uefa website : we 're very happy to lift another trophy . it was a difficult season , but we showed how good we are . champions league crown for barcelona ' we were the better team . to be the man of the match is the least important thing because it was incredible how we played . we were very good in all areas . ' messi added : this team is incredible . i think we ca n't really fully appreciate what we 're doing , what we are achieving . we want to keep winning trophies and we can keep going further and further . we were superior against manchester and deserved the win . it is another cup for us and i managed to score a goal again . now we 're going on holiday -- after taking the cup home to our people -- then we will start thinking about what we can achieve next season . ' meanwhile , brazilian international dani alves paid tribute to fellow-defender eric abidal , who made a remarkable recovery from a liver tumor operation to play against united -- with the frenchman being handed the honor of lifting the trophy . even before all of this we all said that our biggest victory , our most important trophy , was the recovery of abi , ' alves told uefa 's website . we put on a spectacle for everyone who is passionate about football and who loves football -- and i think that people who really like football will be very happy because they have seen a great match . ' barcelona midfielder sergio busquets added : we suffered a bit at the beginning , and at the end , but by then the match was already decided for us . i think it was an almost perfect game -- we had lots of possession and moved the ball very well . thanks to that we managed to win . ' | argentine striker messi starred as barcelona beat manchester united 3-1 |
barcelona <tsp> ( cnn ) -- barcelona striker lionel messi has hailed the performance of his teammates after the spanish giants beat manchester united 3-1 at wembley on saturday to lift their third champions league trophy in six seasons . messi produced a scintillating performance to enhance his reputation as being the world 's greatest player , scoring barcelona 's second goal and tormenting the manchester united defenders throughout the 90 minutes . however , the 23-year-old argentine preferred to pay tribute to the players around him , telling the official uefa website : we 're very happy to lift another trophy . it was a difficult season , but we showed how good we are . champions league crown for barcelona ' we were the better team . to be the man of the match is the least important thing because it was incredible how we played . we were very good in all areas . ' messi added : this team is incredible . i think we ca n't really fully appreciate what we 're doing , what we are achieving . we want to keep winning trophies and we can keep going further and further . we were superior against manchester and deserved the win . it is another cup for us and i managed to score a goal again . now we 're going on holiday -- after taking the cup home to our people -- then we will start thinking about what we can achieve next season . ' meanwhile , brazilian international dani alves paid tribute to fellow-defender eric abidal , who made a remarkable recovery from a liver tumor operation to play against united -- with the frenchman being handed the honor of lifting the trophy . even before all of this we all said that our biggest victory , our most important trophy , was the recovery of abi , ' alves told uefa 's website . we put on a spectacle for everyone who is passionate about football and who loves football -- and i think that people who really like football will be very happy because they have seen a great match . ' barcelona midfielder sergio busquets added : we suffered a bit at the beginning , and at the end , but by then the match was already decided for us . i think it was an almost perfect game -- we had lots of possession and moved the ball very well . thanks to that we managed to win . ' | argentine striker messi starred as barcelona beat manchester united 3-1 |
barcelona <tsp> ( cnn ) -- barcelona striker lionel messi has hailed the performance of his teammates after the spanish giants beat manchester united 3-1 at wembley on saturday to lift their third champions league trophy in six seasons . messi produced a scintillating performance to enhance his reputation as being the world 's greatest player , scoring barcelona 's second goal and tormenting the manchester united defenders throughout the 90 minutes . however , the 23-year-old argentine preferred to pay tribute to the players around him , telling the official uefa website : we 're very happy to lift another trophy . it was a difficult season , but we showed how good we are . champions league crown for barcelona ' we were the better team . to be the man of the match is the least important thing because it was incredible how we played . we were very good in all areas . ' messi added : this team is incredible . i think we ca n't really fully appreciate what we 're doing , what we are achieving . we want to keep winning trophies and we can keep going further and further . we were superior against manchester and deserved the win . it is another cup for us and i managed to score a goal again . now we 're going on holiday -- after taking the cup home to our people -- then we will start thinking about what we can achieve next season . ' meanwhile , brazilian international dani alves paid tribute to fellow-defender eric abidal , who made a remarkable recovery from a liver tumor operation to play against united -- with the frenchman being handed the honor of lifting the trophy . even before all of this we all said that our biggest victory , our most important trophy , was the recovery of abi , ' alves told uefa 's website . we put on a spectacle for everyone who is passionate about football and who loves football -- and i think that people who really like football will be very happy because they have seen a great match . ' barcelona midfielder sergio busquets added : we suffered a bit at the beginning , and at the end , but by then the match was already decided for us . i think it was an almost perfect game -- we had lots of possession and moved the ball very well . thanks to that we managed to win . ' | the victory earned barcelona their third champions league trophy in six seasons |
barcelona <tsp> ( cnn ) -- barcelona striker lionel messi has hailed the performance of his teammates after the spanish giants beat manchester united 3-1 at wembley on saturday to lift their third champions league trophy in six seasons . messi produced a scintillating performance to enhance his reputation as being the world 's greatest player , scoring barcelona 's second goal and tormenting the manchester united defenders throughout the 90 minutes . however , the 23-year-old argentine preferred to pay tribute to the players around him , telling the official uefa website : we 're very happy to lift another trophy . it was a difficult season , but we showed how good we are . champions league crown for barcelona ' we were the better team . to be the man of the match is the least important thing because it was incredible how we played . we were very good in all areas . ' messi added : this team is incredible . i think we ca n't really fully appreciate what we 're doing , what we are achieving . we want to keep winning trophies and we can keep going further and further . we were superior against manchester and deserved the win . it is another cup for us and i managed to score a goal again . now we 're going on holiday -- after taking the cup home to our people -- then we will start thinking about what we can achieve next season . ' meanwhile , brazilian international dani alves paid tribute to fellow-defender eric abidal , who made a remarkable recovery from a liver tumor operation to play against united -- with the frenchman being handed the honor of lifting the trophy . even before all of this we all said that our biggest victory , our most important trophy , was the recovery of abi , ' alves told uefa 's website . we put on a spectacle for everyone who is passionate about football and who loves football -- and i think that people who really like football will be very happy because they have seen a great match . ' barcelona midfielder sergio busquets added : we suffered a bit at the beginning , and at the end , but by then the match was already decided for us . i think it was an almost perfect game -- we had lots of possession and moved the ball very well . thanks to that we managed to win . ' | lionel messi hails the performance of his barcelona teammates at wembley |
nolen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- police in oklahoma said saturday they 've interviewed the man who allegedly beheaded a 54-year-old woman at his former workplace . alton alexander nolen , 30 , was shot inside the vaughn food processing plant but regained consciousness in the hospital , said jeremy lewis , spokesman for the moore police department . nolen was interviewed friday in the hospital ; police have n't revealed what was said . police expect him to be released and moved to a jail by early next week , lewis said . nolen 's facebook page provides no indication he planned to attack anybody . he had recently converted to islam and started the page under the name jah'keem yisrael . the cover photo appears to be of fighters holding weapons . the postings include numerous all-caps messages about islam and quotations from the quran , but make no reference to job dissatisfaction . most postings end with * * * * infofromamuslim * * * * ' some postings are political , such as one that runs with an image of the joker , from batman comics : america so call helps iraq ( which not ) - well why cant u help the gaza citizens against israel lol .. i upload this pik because america and israel are wicked . wake up muslims ! ! ! ' cnn has confirmed with moore police that the facebook page and the images belong to nolen . workplace violence : know the warning signs no terrorism link found nolen had tried to convert co-workers to islam , officials said . u.s. law enforcement officials said there are no indications linking thursday 's attack to terrorism . isis , also known as the islamic state , has made a name for its itself with several videotaped beheadings in the middle east . the oklahoma conference of churches issued a statement on saturday urging all oklahomans and people everywhere not to equate mr. ( nolen 's ) actions with the beliefs and practices of the islamic community in oklahoma . ' the statement said that the islamic community of oklahoma has consistently condemned all violence -- most especially acts of violence ostensibly carried out in the name of islam . along with our muslim brothers and sisters we affirm that true islam is , in fact , a religion of peace and that those inflicting violence in the name of islam are perverting islam for their own ends . ' suspect had lost his job the attack happened very soon after nolen learned he 'd lost his job at the processing plant . police said he walked into the front office of the plant and attacked one of first people he encountered , colleen hufford , 54 . he severed her head with a knife and then attacked 43-year-old traci johnson , who was in stable condition at a nearby hospital for treatment of numerous wounds , ' according to police . he was n't targeting anyone , was n't going specifically after them , ' the police spokesman said . it appears they were just in his way as he came in . ' nolen stopped attacking people when he was shot by mark vaughan , who besides being his company 's ceo has been a reserve deputy with the oklahoma county sheriff 's office , said sheriff john whetsel . nolen had been incarcerated until march 2013 , for possession of a controlled substance , escaping confinement and resisting an officer . cnn affiliate koki reported nolen was arrested in 2006 when an officer saw him throw a bag of crack cocaine and a bag of marijuana out the vehicle window as the officer pulled him over for traffic violations . nolen was put on probation , koki reported . in 2010 , a state trooper stopped nolen for an expired tag and discovered nolen had outstanding warrants , koki reported . the trooper , betsy randolph , told cnn on saturday that nolen started struggling after she put a handcuff on one wrist . nolen ran and was arrested after a 12-hour manhunt . he kept looking over his shoulder because he knew i wanted to shoot him , but obviously i could n't shoot him in the back , ' randolph told cnn . if there had been any way to know the things he is alleged to have done a few days ago i would have killed him when i had a chance . ' a spokesman for gov . mary fallin , alex weintz , noted the governor had blocked nolen from receiving parole in 2012 . weintz said saturday : the suspect came up for parole in 2012 and the governor denied his parole . she reviewed his file and did n't think that he was a good candidate for early parole . ' cnn 's evan perez , pamela brown , shelby lin erdman , mark bixler , greg botelho and john branch contributed to this story . | nolen is suspected of beheading a 54-year-old woman in his former workplace |
nolen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- police in oklahoma said saturday they 've interviewed the man who allegedly beheaded a 54-year-old woman at his former workplace . alton alexander nolen , 30 , was shot inside the vaughn food processing plant but regained consciousness in the hospital , said jeremy lewis , spokesman for the moore police department . nolen was interviewed friday in the hospital ; police have n't revealed what was said . police expect him to be released and moved to a jail by early next week , lewis said . nolen 's facebook page provides no indication he planned to attack anybody . he had recently converted to islam and started the page under the name jah'keem yisrael . the cover photo appears to be of fighters holding weapons . the postings include numerous all-caps messages about islam and quotations from the quran , but make no reference to job dissatisfaction . most postings end with * * * * infofromamuslim * * * * ' some postings are political , such as one that runs with an image of the joker , from batman comics : america so call helps iraq ( which not ) - well why cant u help the gaza citizens against israel lol .. i upload this pik because america and israel are wicked . wake up muslims ! ! ! ' cnn has confirmed with moore police that the facebook page and the images belong to nolen . workplace violence : know the warning signs no terrorism link found nolen had tried to convert co-workers to islam , officials said . u.s. law enforcement officials said there are no indications linking thursday 's attack to terrorism . isis , also known as the islamic state , has made a name for its itself with several videotaped beheadings in the middle east . the oklahoma conference of churches issued a statement on saturday urging all oklahomans and people everywhere not to equate mr. ( nolen 's ) actions with the beliefs and practices of the islamic community in oklahoma . ' the statement said that the islamic community of oklahoma has consistently condemned all violence -- most especially acts of violence ostensibly carried out in the name of islam . along with our muslim brothers and sisters we affirm that true islam is , in fact , a religion of peace and that those inflicting violence in the name of islam are perverting islam for their own ends . ' suspect had lost his job the attack happened very soon after nolen learned he 'd lost his job at the processing plant . police said he walked into the front office of the plant and attacked one of first people he encountered , colleen hufford , 54 . he severed her head with a knife and then attacked 43-year-old traci johnson , who was in stable condition at a nearby hospital for treatment of numerous wounds , ' according to police . he was n't targeting anyone , was n't going specifically after them , ' the police spokesman said . it appears they were just in his way as he came in . ' nolen stopped attacking people when he was shot by mark vaughan , who besides being his company 's ceo has been a reserve deputy with the oklahoma county sheriff 's office , said sheriff john whetsel . nolen had been incarcerated until march 2013 , for possession of a controlled substance , escaping confinement and resisting an officer . cnn affiliate koki reported nolen was arrested in 2006 when an officer saw him throw a bag of crack cocaine and a bag of marijuana out the vehicle window as the officer pulled him over for traffic violations . nolen was put on probation , koki reported . in 2010 , a state trooper stopped nolen for an expired tag and discovered nolen had outstanding warrants , koki reported . the trooper , betsy randolph , told cnn on saturday that nolen started struggling after she put a handcuff on one wrist . nolen ran and was arrested after a 12-hour manhunt . he kept looking over his shoulder because he knew i wanted to shoot him , but obviously i could n't shoot him in the back , ' randolph told cnn . if there had been any way to know the things he is alleged to have done a few days ago i would have killed him when i had a chance . ' a spokesman for gov . mary fallin , alex weintz , noted the governor had blocked nolen from receiving parole in 2012 . weintz said saturday : the suspect came up for parole in 2012 and the governor denied his parole . she reviewed his file and did n't think that he was a good candidate for early parole . ' cnn 's evan perez , pamela brown , shelby lin erdman , mark bixler , greg botelho and john branch contributed to this story . | oklahoma conference of churches : nolen 's actions do n't reflect on muslim community |
nolen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- police in oklahoma said saturday they 've interviewed the man who allegedly beheaded a 54-year-old woman at his former workplace . alton alexander nolen , 30 , was shot inside the vaughn food processing plant but regained consciousness in the hospital , said jeremy lewis , spokesman for the moore police department . nolen was interviewed friday in the hospital ; police have n't revealed what was said . police expect him to be released and moved to a jail by early next week , lewis said . nolen 's facebook page provides no indication he planned to attack anybody . he had recently converted to islam and started the page under the name jah'keem yisrael . the cover photo appears to be of fighters holding weapons . the postings include numerous all-caps messages about islam and quotations from the quran , but make no reference to job dissatisfaction . most postings end with * * * * infofromamuslim * * * * ' some postings are political , such as one that runs with an image of the joker , from batman comics : america so call helps iraq ( which not ) - well why cant u help the gaza citizens against israel lol .. i upload this pik because america and israel are wicked . wake up muslims ! ! ! ' cnn has confirmed with moore police that the facebook page and the images belong to nolen . workplace violence : know the warning signs no terrorism link found nolen had tried to convert co-workers to islam , officials said . u.s. law enforcement officials said there are no indications linking thursday 's attack to terrorism . isis , also known as the islamic state , has made a name for its itself with several videotaped beheadings in the middle east . the oklahoma conference of churches issued a statement on saturday urging all oklahomans and people everywhere not to equate mr. ( nolen 's ) actions with the beliefs and practices of the islamic community in oklahoma . ' the statement said that the islamic community of oklahoma has consistently condemned all violence -- most especially acts of violence ostensibly carried out in the name of islam . along with our muslim brothers and sisters we affirm that true islam is , in fact , a religion of peace and that those inflicting violence in the name of islam are perverting islam for their own ends . ' suspect had lost his job the attack happened very soon after nolen learned he 'd lost his job at the processing plant . police said he walked into the front office of the plant and attacked one of first people he encountered , colleen hufford , 54 . he severed her head with a knife and then attacked 43-year-old traci johnson , who was in stable condition at a nearby hospital for treatment of numerous wounds , ' according to police . he was n't targeting anyone , was n't going specifically after them , ' the police spokesman said . it appears they were just in his way as he came in . ' nolen stopped attacking people when he was shot by mark vaughan , who besides being his company 's ceo has been a reserve deputy with the oklahoma county sheriff 's office , said sheriff john whetsel . nolen had been incarcerated until march 2013 , for possession of a controlled substance , escaping confinement and resisting an officer . cnn affiliate koki reported nolen was arrested in 2006 when an officer saw him throw a bag of crack cocaine and a bag of marijuana out the vehicle window as the officer pulled him over for traffic violations . nolen was put on probation , koki reported . in 2010 , a state trooper stopped nolen for an expired tag and discovered nolen had outstanding warrants , koki reported . the trooper , betsy randolph , told cnn on saturday that nolen started struggling after she put a handcuff on one wrist . nolen ran and was arrested after a 12-hour manhunt . he kept looking over his shoulder because he knew i wanted to shoot him , but obviously i could n't shoot him in the back , ' randolph told cnn . if there had been any way to know the things he is alleged to have done a few days ago i would have killed him when i had a chance . ' a spokesman for gov . mary fallin , alex weintz , noted the governor had blocked nolen from receiving parole in 2012 . weintz said saturday : the suspect came up for parole in 2012 and the governor denied his parole . she reviewed his file and did n't think that he was a good candidate for early parole . ' cnn 's evan perez , pamela brown , shelby lin erdman , mark bixler , greg botelho and john branch contributed to this story . | new : state trooper says nolen struggled with her during 2010 traffic stop |
nolen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- police in oklahoma said saturday they 've interviewed the man who allegedly beheaded a 54-year-old woman at his former workplace . alton alexander nolen , 30 , was shot inside the vaughn food processing plant but regained consciousness in the hospital , said jeremy lewis , spokesman for the moore police department . nolen was interviewed friday in the hospital ; police have n't revealed what was said . police expect him to be released and moved to a jail by early next week , lewis said . nolen 's facebook page provides no indication he planned to attack anybody . he had recently converted to islam and started the page under the name jah'keem yisrael . the cover photo appears to be of fighters holding weapons . the postings include numerous all-caps messages about islam and quotations from the quran , but make no reference to job dissatisfaction . most postings end with * * * * infofromamuslim * * * * ' some postings are political , such as one that runs with an image of the joker , from batman comics : america so call helps iraq ( which not ) - well why cant u help the gaza citizens against israel lol .. i upload this pik because america and israel are wicked . wake up muslims ! ! ! ' cnn has confirmed with moore police that the facebook page and the images belong to nolen . workplace violence : know the warning signs no terrorism link found nolen had tried to convert co-workers to islam , officials said . u.s. law enforcement officials said there are no indications linking thursday 's attack to terrorism . isis , also known as the islamic state , has made a name for its itself with several videotaped beheadings in the middle east . the oklahoma conference of churches issued a statement on saturday urging all oklahomans and people everywhere not to equate mr. ( nolen 's ) actions with the beliefs and practices of the islamic community in oklahoma . ' the statement said that the islamic community of oklahoma has consistently condemned all violence -- most especially acts of violence ostensibly carried out in the name of islam . along with our muslim brothers and sisters we affirm that true islam is , in fact , a religion of peace and that those inflicting violence in the name of islam are perverting islam for their own ends . ' suspect had lost his job the attack happened very soon after nolen learned he 'd lost his job at the processing plant . police said he walked into the front office of the plant and attacked one of first people he encountered , colleen hufford , 54 . he severed her head with a knife and then attacked 43-year-old traci johnson , who was in stable condition at a nearby hospital for treatment of numerous wounds , ' according to police . he was n't targeting anyone , was n't going specifically after them , ' the police spokesman said . it appears they were just in his way as he came in . ' nolen stopped attacking people when he was shot by mark vaughan , who besides being his company 's ceo has been a reserve deputy with the oklahoma county sheriff 's office , said sheriff john whetsel . nolen had been incarcerated until march 2013 , for possession of a controlled substance , escaping confinement and resisting an officer . cnn affiliate koki reported nolen was arrested in 2006 when an officer saw him throw a bag of crack cocaine and a bag of marijuana out the vehicle window as the officer pulled him over for traffic violations . nolen was put on probation , koki reported . in 2010 , a state trooper stopped nolen for an expired tag and discovered nolen had outstanding warrants , koki reported . the trooper , betsy randolph , told cnn on saturday that nolen started struggling after she put a handcuff on one wrist . nolen ran and was arrested after a 12-hour manhunt . he kept looking over his shoulder because he knew i wanted to shoot him , but obviously i could n't shoot him in the back , ' randolph told cnn . if there had been any way to know the things he is alleged to have done a few days ago i would have killed him when i had a chance . ' a spokesman for gov . mary fallin , alex weintz , noted the governor had blocked nolen from receiving parole in 2012 . weintz said saturday : the suspect came up for parole in 2012 and the governor denied his parole . she reviewed his file and did n't think that he was a good candidate for early parole . ' cnn 's evan perez , pamela brown , shelby lin erdman , mark bixler , greg botelho and john branch contributed to this story . | police say they have interviewed suspect alton alexander nolen , 30 |
group of 20 <tsp> berlin , germany ( cnn ) -- the world needs a global new deal ' to haul it out of the economic crisis it faces , prime minister gordon brown of the united kingdom said sunday . gordon brown addresses a press conference following a g20 preparatory meeting in berlin , sunday . we need a global new deal -- a grand bargain between the countries and continents of this world -- so that the world economy can not only recover but ... so the banking system can be based on ... best principles , ' he said , referring to the 1930s american plan to fight the great depression . brown was speaking as the leaders of europe 's biggest economies met to try to forge a common position on the global financial crisis ahead of a major summit in london in april . french president nicolas sarkozy said the world 's response to the global financial meltdown had to be profound and long-lasting , not just tinkering around the edges . europe wants to see an overhaul of the system . we all agree on that . we 're not talking about superficial measures now or transitional measures -- we 're talking about structural measure , which need to be taken , ' he said . german chancellor angela merkel , the host of the meeting , urged nations of the world to work together to fight the problem . confidence can only be restored if people in our countries feel that we are pulling in the same direction and have understood that we really must learn lessons from this crisis , ' she said . and she proposed that a new institution grow out of the crisis , which will take on more responsibility for global [ financial ] mechanisms . ' the europeans say they have agreed international financial markets must be regulated more thoroughly . that also means stricter rules for hedge funds and credit-rating agencies . european and world leaders have been holding frequent summits as they struggle to cope with a financial crisis that has affected banks , homeowners , businesses and employees around the world . london will host a meeting of the group of 20 nations in april . the g-20 includes the g-7 leading industrialized nations -- canada , france , germany , italy , japan , the united kingdom and the united states -- as well as the world 's largest developing economies : argentina , australia , brazil , china , india , indonesia , mexico , russia , saudi arabia , south africa , south korea and turkey , plus the european union . the managing director of the international monetary fund and the president of the world bank , plus the chairs of the international monetary and financial committee and development committee of the imf and world bank , also participate in g-20 meetings . cnn bureau chief frederik pleitgen contributed to this report | london will host a meeting of the group of 20 nations in april |
great depression <tsp> berlin , germany ( cnn ) -- the world needs a global new deal ' to haul it out of the economic crisis it faces , prime minister gordon brown of the united kingdom said sunday . gordon brown addresses a press conference following a g20 preparatory meeting in berlin , sunday . we need a global new deal -- a grand bargain between the countries and continents of this world -- so that the world economy can not only recover but ... so the banking system can be based on ... best principles , ' he said , referring to the 1930s american plan to fight the great depression . brown was speaking as the leaders of europe 's biggest economies met to try to forge a common position on the global financial crisis ahead of a major summit in london in april . french president nicolas sarkozy said the world 's response to the global financial meltdown had to be profound and long-lasting , not just tinkering around the edges . europe wants to see an overhaul of the system . we all agree on that . we 're not talking about superficial measures now or transitional measures -- we 're talking about structural measure , which need to be taken , ' he said . german chancellor angela merkel , the host of the meeting , urged nations of the world to work together to fight the problem . confidence can only be restored if people in our countries feel that we are pulling in the same direction and have understood that we really must learn lessons from this crisis , ' she said . and she proposed that a new institution grow out of the crisis , which will take on more responsibility for global [ financial ] mechanisms . ' the europeans say they have agreed international financial markets must be regulated more thoroughly . that also means stricter rules for hedge funds and credit-rating agencies . european and world leaders have been holding frequent summits as they struggle to cope with a financial crisis that has affected banks , homeowners , businesses and employees around the world . london will host a meeting of the group of 20 nations in april . the g-20 includes the g-7 leading industrialized nations -- canada , france , germany , italy , japan , the united kingdom and the united states -- as well as the world 's largest developing economies : argentina , australia , brazil , china , india , indonesia , mexico , russia , saudi arabia , south africa , south korea and turkey , plus the european union . the managing director of the international monetary fund and the president of the world bank , plus the chairs of the international monetary and financial committee and development committee of the imf and world bank , also participate in g-20 meetings . cnn bureau chief frederik pleitgen contributed to this report | brown was referring to the 1930s american plan to fight the great depression |
formula one <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with ferrari currently enduring one of its least competitive formula 1 seasons in years , the man who helped the team to the top of the sport is to step down as chairman . more than two decades after first taking up the post in 1991 , luca di montezemolo will leave the scuderia on october 13 , with chief executive officer of parent company fiat sergio marchionne is set to succeed him . this is the end of an era and so i have decided to leave my position as chairman after almost 23 marvellous and unforgettable years , ' read a statement from di montezemolo . under the italian success became almost routine for ferrari . eight constructors'world championships arrived in that time , while michael schumacher dominated as a scuderia driver , claiming five straight world championships between 2000 and 2004 . away from the track , di montezemolo also played a key role away in helping to transform the brand into one of the world 's finest luxury car makers . ferrari is the most wonderful company in the world . it has been a great privilege and honour to have been its leader , ' di montezemolo 's statement continued . i devoted all of my enthusiasm and commitment to it over the years . together with my family , it was , and continues to be , the most important thing in my life . ' marchionne paid tribute to the man he is due to succeed -- someone he was appointed alongside to the fiat board of directors in 2003 . we worked side by side , sharing concerns , difficulties and successes , ' said marchionne in a statement . as chairman of ferrari , he drove the company to a new level of technological and organizational excellence which also brought with it outstanding financial results . ' since 2008 , however , ferrari have been starved of such successes , with the team having now gone nearly six years without either a drivers'or constructors'world championship title . the 67-year-old di montezemolo 's future had been the subject of speculation due to ferrari 's poor form on the track this year -- fernando alonso and kimi raikkonen sit fifth and 10th respectively in the world championship standings , while the team itself lie fourth in the constructors'world championship , 292 points off leaders mercedes . reports emerged ahead of sunday 's italian grand prix in monza about a di montezemolo exit , although the italian was insistent afterwards about staying in the role despite ferrari suffering their worst performance of the season -- alonso was forced to retire , while raikkonen had to settle for ninth . marchionne , though , immediately contradicted his colleague -- we are good friends but his statements ... these are things i would n't have said myself . luca and i have discussed the future of ferrari at length , ' marchionne 's statement continued . and our mutual desire to see ferrari achieve its true potential on the track has led to misunderstandings which became clearly visible over the last weekend . i want to thank luca for all he has done for fiat , for ferrari and for me personally . ' di montezemolo first arrived at ferrari in 1973 , becoming assistant to the manufacturer 's founder , enzo ferrari , before going on to manage the team from 1974 . a number of different roles in fiat followed during the 1980s , before he assumed his position as president in 1991 . i wish the shareholders , particularly piero ferrari who has always been by my side , and everyone in the company the many more years of success that ferrari deserves , ' di montezemolo added . | in recent formula one seasons ferrari has struggled |
joe torre <tsp> a 1-year-old boy who plummeted two stories from a fire escape in brooklyn on wednesday was saved when a quick-thinking passerby saw the child and caught him as he fell , according to police . the woman who caught the baby is cristina torre , daughter of famed major league baseball manager and former national league all-star catcher joe torre . joe torre : baseball champ and domestic abuse survivor the boy crawled through the window of a second-story apartment after pushing aside a piece of cardboard that blocked an opening beside the apartment 's air conditioning unit , according to nypd detective james duffy . he then climbed onto the fire escape and fell onto the awning of a frozen yogurt shop directly below the apartment and bounced off , duffy said . that was when 44-year-old cristina torre , who happened to be passing by , saw the situation and positioned herself beneath the awning in time to catch the child , duffy said . the boy was taken to lutheran medical center in brooklyn and was in stable condition , duffy said . joe torre released a statement wednesday night saying , i am very proud of my daughter cristina 's actions today during an incident in brooklyn involving a small child . fortunately for that child she was in the right place at the right time to lend a hand . ' the boy 's parents were charged with child endangerment , duffy said . three other children , aged 2 , 3 and 5 , were taken into the custody of child protective services . | the catcher is cristina torre , daughter of famed mlb manager and player joe torre |
nbc <tsp> ( cnn ) -- concerns about the ebola virus were heightened sunday when a health care worker in texas had a positive preliminary test for the disease . the worker 's case marks the first known transmission of ebola in the united states and the second diagnosis in the country . with developments pouring in from all corners of the world , here 's what you need to know to quickly get caught up : u.s. cases new case in texas : a person who helped to treat thomas eric duncan may be the first person to contract the disease while in the united states . the health care worker from texas health presbyterian hospital tested positive in a preliminary test saturday after reporting a low-grade fever friday . the cdc is working to confirm the diagnosis . cdc head says protocols work : dr. tom frieden , the director of the cdc , told reporters sunday that the health care worker who appears to have contracted in ebola was infected because of a breach in protocols . he mentioned that one of the times that people working in protective clothing are at risk is when they are taking off their gear , but he said cdc investigators are working to determine what happened . the protocols work . ... but we know that even a single lapse or breach can result in infection , ' he said . nbc cameraman 's condition improving : doctors at a nebraska hospital are pleased with the progress being made by nbc cameraman ashoka mukpo , who contracted ebola while working in liberia . mukpo , an american citizen , is receiving an experimental drug called brincidofovir , or cmx001 . with the ebola virus , you never relax completely , but we think he has made great progress , ' said dr. phil smith with the nebraska medical center , where mukpo is being treated . earlier , smith had said that mukpo 's condition had slightly improved . ' he 's been taking in some fluids and drinking gatorade . but everyone needs to be reminded that this is still a very serious illness we 're dealing with and no one has a lot of experience treating it , ' smith said . meanwhile , the nbc crew that had been with mukpo -- and had made an agreement to voluntarily self-confine themselves -- apparently broke its word . unfortunately , the nbc crew violated this agreement and so the department of health friday evening issued a mandatory quarantine order to ensure that the crew will remain confined until october 22 , ' the new jersey department of health said in a statement . the nbc crew remains symptom-free , so there is no reason for concern of exposure to the community , ' it read . massachusetts patient exhibits possible ebola symptoms : a patient who has been to liberia presented himself sunday at a medical center in braintree , massachusetts , complaining of headache and muscle aches . out of an abundance of caution , we immediately notified authorities and the patient was securely removed from the building and put into an ambulance now headed to beth israel deaconess medical center . the building was closed briefly but has now reopened , ' ben kruskal , chief of infectious disease at harvard vanguard medical associates , said in a statement . lab samples have to sent to the cdc for ebola testing , said kelly lawman , spokeswoman for beth israel deaconess . the medical center later issued a statement that said the patient does not appear to be at high risk for ebola , and the likelihood the patient has the disease is extremely low . ' new travel screening : five of america 's biggest , busiest airports are beefing up measures . on saturday , people arriving from the three nations hardest hit by ebola started getting special screening , including having their temperature taken , at new york 's jfk airport . that screening went smoothly , ' frieden said sunday . there are a lot of lessons being learned through that to make sure that screening goes smoothly for passengers , other passengers . ' washington 's dulles , newark , chicago 's o'hare and atlanta international airports will begin screening thursday . cuban doctors train , then fight ebola in africa west africa no relief in sight : the number of deaths attributed to the current ebola outbreak has climbed to 4,033 , the world health organization reported friday . the tally brings the total number of confirmed , probable and suspected cases of ebola to 8,399 . the numbers were reported from guinea , liberia , nigeria , senegal , sierra leone , spain and the united states . complete coverage on ebola u.s. troops arrive in liberia : a group of 90 u.s. marines and airmen arrived in liberia on thursday to help ebola response efforts , along with four v-22 osprey aircraft and two c-130 transport planes . their arrival brings the total number of u.s. troops deployed in liberia to 334 , military spokesman lt. col. dave doherty said . there are more coming . in late october , 700 troops from the 101st airborne division are scheduled to deploy to liberia . u.s. troops battle invisible enemy in liberia in other countries spain ebola patient has no significant change in condition : teresa romero ramos , a nurse 's assistant in spain who is the first person to contract ebola outside africa , is conscious and talking ' but was in stable but serious ' condition saturday after taking a turn for the worse earlier in the week . she has been treated with the anti-influenza drug avigan , hospital sources with knowledge of the case said . sporadic infections unavoidable , the who says : sporadic ebola infections will be unavoidable in some european countries because of direct travel from their hubs to hotspot areas in west africa , the world health organization said wednesday . but the risk of spread , it said , is avoidable and extremely low . united kingdom : the uk 's heathrow and gatwick airports and eurostar railway terminals will begin screening passengers arriving from ebola-affected liberia , sierra leone and guinea , a government spokesman said . screening will involve assessing passengers'recent travel history , who they have been in contact with and future travel arrangements , as well as a possible assessment performed by medical personnel . cnn 's steve almasy , joe sutton , ray sanchez , greg botelho , alexander felton , khushbu shah , saskya vandoorne , richard quest , brent swails and nima elbagir contributed to this report . | nbc crew exposed to ebola patient now under mandatory quarantine |
nbc <tsp> ( cnn ) -- concerns about the ebola virus were heightened sunday when a health care worker in texas had a positive preliminary test for the disease . the worker 's case marks the first known transmission of ebola in the united states and the second diagnosis in the country . with developments pouring in from all corners of the world , here 's what you need to know to quickly get caught up : u.s. cases new case in texas : a person who helped to treat thomas eric duncan may be the first person to contract the disease while in the united states . the health care worker from texas health presbyterian hospital tested positive in a preliminary test saturday after reporting a low-grade fever friday . the cdc is working to confirm the diagnosis . cdc head says protocols work : dr. tom frieden , the director of the cdc , told reporters sunday that the health care worker who appears to have contracted in ebola was infected because of a breach in protocols . he mentioned that one of the times that people working in protective clothing are at risk is when they are taking off their gear , but he said cdc investigators are working to determine what happened . the protocols work . ... but we know that even a single lapse or breach can result in infection , ' he said . nbc cameraman 's condition improving : doctors at a nebraska hospital are pleased with the progress being made by nbc cameraman ashoka mukpo , who contracted ebola while working in liberia . mukpo , an american citizen , is receiving an experimental drug called brincidofovir , or cmx001 . with the ebola virus , you never relax completely , but we think he has made great progress , ' said dr. phil smith with the nebraska medical center , where mukpo is being treated . earlier , smith had said that mukpo 's condition had slightly improved . ' he 's been taking in some fluids and drinking gatorade . but everyone needs to be reminded that this is still a very serious illness we 're dealing with and no one has a lot of experience treating it , ' smith said . meanwhile , the nbc crew that had been with mukpo -- and had made an agreement to voluntarily self-confine themselves -- apparently broke its word . unfortunately , the nbc crew violated this agreement and so the department of health friday evening issued a mandatory quarantine order to ensure that the crew will remain confined until october 22 , ' the new jersey department of health said in a statement . the nbc crew remains symptom-free , so there is no reason for concern of exposure to the community , ' it read . massachusetts patient exhibits possible ebola symptoms : a patient who has been to liberia presented himself sunday at a medical center in braintree , massachusetts , complaining of headache and muscle aches . out of an abundance of caution , we immediately notified authorities and the patient was securely removed from the building and put into an ambulance now headed to beth israel deaconess medical center . the building was closed briefly but has now reopened , ' ben kruskal , chief of infectious disease at harvard vanguard medical associates , said in a statement . lab samples have to sent to the cdc for ebola testing , said kelly lawman , spokeswoman for beth israel deaconess . the medical center later issued a statement that said the patient does not appear to be at high risk for ebola , and the likelihood the patient has the disease is extremely low . ' new travel screening : five of america 's biggest , busiest airports are beefing up measures . on saturday , people arriving from the three nations hardest hit by ebola started getting special screening , including having their temperature taken , at new york 's jfk airport . that screening went smoothly , ' frieden said sunday . there are a lot of lessons being learned through that to make sure that screening goes smoothly for passengers , other passengers . ' washington 's dulles , newark , chicago 's o'hare and atlanta international airports will begin screening thursday . cuban doctors train , then fight ebola in africa west africa no relief in sight : the number of deaths attributed to the current ebola outbreak has climbed to 4,033 , the world health organization reported friday . the tally brings the total number of confirmed , probable and suspected cases of ebola to 8,399 . the numbers were reported from guinea , liberia , nigeria , senegal , sierra leone , spain and the united states . complete coverage on ebola u.s. troops arrive in liberia : a group of 90 u.s. marines and airmen arrived in liberia on thursday to help ebola response efforts , along with four v-22 osprey aircraft and two c-130 transport planes . their arrival brings the total number of u.s. troops deployed in liberia to 334 , military spokesman lt. col. dave doherty said . there are more coming . in late october , 700 troops from the 101st airborne division are scheduled to deploy to liberia . u.s. troops battle invisible enemy in liberia in other countries spain ebola patient has no significant change in condition : teresa romero ramos , a nurse 's assistant in spain who is the first person to contract ebola outside africa , is conscious and talking ' but was in stable but serious ' condition saturday after taking a turn for the worse earlier in the week . she has been treated with the anti-influenza drug avigan , hospital sources with knowledge of the case said . sporadic infections unavoidable , the who says : sporadic ebola infections will be unavoidable in some european countries because of direct travel from their hubs to hotspot areas in west africa , the world health organization said wednesday . but the risk of spread , it said , is avoidable and extremely low . united kingdom : the uk 's heathrow and gatwick airports and eurostar railway terminals will begin screening passengers arriving from ebola-affected liberia , sierra leone and guinea , a government spokesman said . screening will involve assessing passengers'recent travel history , who they have been in contact with and future travel arrangements , as well as a possible assessment performed by medical personnel . cnn 's steve almasy , joe sutton , ray sanchez , greg botelho , alexander felton , khushbu shah , saskya vandoorne , richard quest , brent swails and nima elbagir contributed to this report . | nbc cameraman with ebola has made great progress , ' says nebraska doctor |
brazil <tsp> ( cnn ) -- former brazilian president luiz inacio lula da silva will begin chemotherapy in the coming days to treat a malignant tumor in his larynx , a hospital official said saturday . lula , 66 , will be treated at sao paulo 's syrian-lebanese hospital , said hospital spokeswoman mirtes bogea . it is not clear what day the treatment will begin . he was diagnosed saturday morning after undergoing medical examinations , bogea said . this is a localized tumor , ' noted bogea , meaning that it has not spread elsewhere in the body . she added that the tumor has not metastasized , a characteristic of most cancerous cells . finance minister guido mantega told reporters that he attended lula 's birthday party last week and noticed that his voice sounded hoarse . but since he has been traveling a lot and delivering speeches , we all thought it was normal , ' he told cnn affiliate rede record tv . on saturday , mantega predicted lula would beat cancer . he noted that former first lady marisa leticia has been with lula ever since he came to the hospital for a check-up on friday . he is a fighter , ' mantega told reporters , adding he expected lula will leave the hospital later saturday . he has overcome lesser obstacles and will overcome this one as well . ' raul cutait , one of the doctors treating the former president told rede record tv that lula appears well . he said it is also likely that therapy will begin early next week . sao paulo 's syrian-lebanese hospital is considered one of the region 's top cancer treatment centers . founded in 1921 by syrian and lebanese immigrants , the facility 's staff has also treated paraguay 's president fernando lugo and former brazilian vice president jose alencar , who died in march after a long battle against abdominal cancer . its patients also include current brazilian president dilma rousseff -- lula 's handpicked successor and is the first woman to hold the presidency -- who was treated in 2005 for lymphoma . rousseff said on her twitter account that she 'd spoken to lula 's wife , and in a press release issued saturday wished her predecessor a fast recovery . ' as you all know , i went through the same thing , with the competent team of the syrian-lebanese hospital , which allowed me to completely recover , ' she said . i am sure the same thing will happen to president lula . ' lula , who rose from a childhood of poverty to become a union leader , won elections in 2002 to become brazil 's first working-class president . he is widely credited with helping steer the nation into becoming an economic powerhouse , leaving office last year with high approval ratings . presidents , however , are barred from running for a third consecutive term . when lula turned 66 years-old last thursday , he addressed the brazilian public via the internet , saying that he had dedicated more than half his half to improving brazil 's democracy . the cake is not one of the biggest cakes , ' he said , with a wink , during a speech . but i hope to give to all of you a tiny bite . ' | new : brazil 's finance minister says lula is a fighter ' and will beat cancer |
clinton <tsp> tunis , tunisia ( cnn ) -- world powers meeting friday in tunisia called for a political solution in syria and what one diplomat called a tsunami wave ' of pressure to peel away internal support for the embattled regime of bashar al-assad . we agreed on increasing the pressure on assad , getting humanitarian aid in as quickly as possible and preparing for a democratic transition , ' u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton told reporters . that was my message , and that was the message of the chairman statement that reflected the consensus reached here . ' that consensus was reached during a day of meetings by the friends of syria ' in the cradle of the arab spring , where participants laid out the groundwork for a political transition in syria , not unlike the international planning that preceded the changes in libya , where moammar gadhafi 's regime was toppled last year . representatives of dozens of countries and entities developed a plan to deliver immediate humanitarian aid , to give political legitimacy to the syrian opposition and to endorse the idea of a joint arab-u.n. peacekeeping force . as the conference unfolded , red crescent volunteer rescue crews evacuated seven wounded people in the besieged syrian city of homs to al amin hospital on the outskirts of the city 's baba amr neighborhood , a spokeswoman for the international committee of the red cross said . twenty unhurt syrians were also taken to safety , she said . the evacuation of victims marks a glimmer of hope for residents who 'd been pinned down under shelling and sniper fire for weeks . icrc spokeswoman carla haddad mardini told cnn that the organization planned to ask syrian authorities for a pause in the fighting every day . we would prefer to have a two-hour humanitarian pause daily , where we would enter the different affected areas , including homs , and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid , ' she said in a telephone interview from geneva . asked whether international journalists wounded in the city would be taken out , mardini said the mission was to evacuate all wounded and sick in urgent need of medical assistance without any exception . ' the state-run syrian arab news agency ( sana ) , citing an official source at the foreign ministry , said red crescent vehicles were dispatched friday , for humanitarian considerations , to retrieve the foreign journalists who entered syria illegally . the source added that the armed groups in baba amr declined to hand over an injured journalist and the bodies of two others , which jeopardizes the life of the injured journalist and thwarts efforts to return the two bodies to their countries . ' activists acknowledged that they had declined to turn over the journalists'bodies or the wounded journalists unless civilians also were taken to safety . they said the wounded journalists agreed with that decision . in addition , they said , friday 's ambulance runs were carried out as shelling continued in the area . the meeting in tunis took place as syrian security forces continued a nearly year-long crackdown on civilian protesters . european foreign policy chief catherine ashton said friday that the humanitarian situation and lack of access for food and medical supplies is our most urgent and immediate concern . ' at least 103 people were killed friday . the dead include 18 corpses found in the hama province town of khatab and 30 people in homs , the epicenter of resistance that has endured 21 days of daily shelling , according to the local coordination committees of syria , a network of opposition groups . sana said terrorists shot and killed a law enforcement member and wounded two others friday in homs . it also said that dozens of members of armed terrorist groups ' in the city had surrendered and given their weapons to authorities . regarding events in tunis , syrian state television was dismissive . it is quite ironic that in a conference called'the friends of syria ,'we have n't seen one syrian delivering a speech , ' said an anchor , who added that the conference was dominated by icons from the colonial era who are conspiring against syria and the arab world . ' a guest implied that some of the countries in attendance had been paid , bribed or ordered to show up against their will . at the conference , clinton said the end of al-assad 's regime can mark a new beginning . ' she urged a negotiated political solution and a democratic transition for syria , and announced that the united states is providing $ 10 million for humanitarian efforts . clinton also said the crimes against humanity must stop . ' in a statement , the syrian national council said it was seeking international recognition as the legitimate representative of the syrian people . ' the group formed last october as a coalition of local coordinating committees , political , ethnic and religious groups . it asked for humanitarian assistance and the creation of safe havens inside syria to protect refugees seeking sanctuary . the clear goal of the snc and one for which tens of thousands of syrians have died or suffered is to achieve full regime change through a process controlled by the syrians themselves , ' the statement said . clinton gave the group qualified support , calling it a leading , legitimate representative of syrians seeking peaceful democratic change . ' she continued to hold out hope for a political solution . assad can still make the choice to end the violence , save lives and spare his country from descending further into ruin but , if he continues to reject that choice , we and the syrian people will keep pressure on him until his deadly regime cracks and collapses , because it will , ' she said . and she appealed to assad 's security forces to end the killing . their continuing to kill their brothers and sisters is a stain on their honor , ' she said . their refusal to continue this slaughter will make them heroes in the eyes of not only syrians , but people of conscience everywhere . they can help the guns fall silent . we know from many sources there are people around assad who are beginning to hedge their bets . they did n't sign up to slaughter people , and they are looking for ways out . ' she made no reference to helping the militias fighting the al-assad regime . but saudi arabian foreign minister prince saud al-faisal said that arming the syrian opposition is an excellent idea . ' u.s. officials have said they are not ready to take that step but they have not ruled out other options . clinton said she would address the issue later . in washington , u.s. president barack obama said he was encouraged by the international unity ' displayed in tunis . we are going to continue to keep the pressure up and look for every tool available to prevent the slaughter of innocents in syria , ' he said . neither russia , which is a soviet-era ally and arms dealer to syria , nor china is participating in the tunisia meeting . both countries vetoed the u.n. resolution . the nations participating in the meeting unveiled a plan for delivering emergency aid . it called on al-assad to immediately cease all violence ' and allow unimpeded access for aid , an effort that would be spearheaded by the united nations . the united nations is expected to play a major role in a post-assad syria . former u.n. secretary-general kofi annan was named thursday joint special envoy of the united nations and arab league on the syrian crisis . the friends of syria group stressed that an alternative to al-assad exists and it believes it can persuade traditional regime supporters , such as business elites , the military and minority alawites -- who prevail in the military -- to switch allegiances . to those syrians who still support assad , especially members of the syrian military : understand that this regime has no future , ' clinton said . the longer you carry out its campaign of violence , the more it will stain your honor . but if you refuse to take part in attacks on your fellow citizens , your countrymen will hail you as heroes . ' a senior state department official said members of the council told clinton they were pleased with the conference turnout and the initiative . the syrian people have not surrendered , nor will they give up , ' snc leader burhan ghalioun said. a free people was born in syria and it does not fear death , nor does it accept any bargain to give away its long-deprived rights or give up its sovereignty by any definition . ' the friends of syria intends to address economic issues by creating a working group on economic recovery and development , a diplomat said . the diplomat said the conference communique will endorse the arab league 's request to the security council to form a joint arab-u.n. peacekeeping force after the cessation of violence . cnn 's elizabeth joseph , saad abedine , raja razek , hala gorani , salma abdelaziz , chelsea j. carter , tracey doueiry , kareem khadder and joe sterling contributed to this report . | clinton says syrian security forces can help guns fall silent ' |
homs <tsp> tunis , tunisia ( cnn ) -- world powers meeting friday in tunisia called for a political solution in syria and what one diplomat called a tsunami wave ' of pressure to peel away internal support for the embattled regime of bashar al-assad . we agreed on increasing the pressure on assad , getting humanitarian aid in as quickly as possible and preparing for a democratic transition , ' u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton told reporters . that was my message , and that was the message of the chairman statement that reflected the consensus reached here . ' that consensus was reached during a day of meetings by the friends of syria ' in the cradle of the arab spring , where participants laid out the groundwork for a political transition in syria , not unlike the international planning that preceded the changes in libya , where moammar gadhafi 's regime was toppled last year . representatives of dozens of countries and entities developed a plan to deliver immediate humanitarian aid , to give political legitimacy to the syrian opposition and to endorse the idea of a joint arab-u.n. peacekeeping force . as the conference unfolded , red crescent volunteer rescue crews evacuated seven wounded people in the besieged syrian city of homs to al amin hospital on the outskirts of the city 's baba amr neighborhood , a spokeswoman for the international committee of the red cross said . twenty unhurt syrians were also taken to safety , she said . the evacuation of victims marks a glimmer of hope for residents who 'd been pinned down under shelling and sniper fire for weeks . icrc spokeswoman carla haddad mardini told cnn that the organization planned to ask syrian authorities for a pause in the fighting every day . we would prefer to have a two-hour humanitarian pause daily , where we would enter the different affected areas , including homs , and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid , ' she said in a telephone interview from geneva . asked whether international journalists wounded in the city would be taken out , mardini said the mission was to evacuate all wounded and sick in urgent need of medical assistance without any exception . ' the state-run syrian arab news agency ( sana ) , citing an official source at the foreign ministry , said red crescent vehicles were dispatched friday , for humanitarian considerations , to retrieve the foreign journalists who entered syria illegally . the source added that the armed groups in baba amr declined to hand over an injured journalist and the bodies of two others , which jeopardizes the life of the injured journalist and thwarts efforts to return the two bodies to their countries . ' activists acknowledged that they had declined to turn over the journalists'bodies or the wounded journalists unless civilians also were taken to safety . they said the wounded journalists agreed with that decision . in addition , they said , friday 's ambulance runs were carried out as shelling continued in the area . the meeting in tunis took place as syrian security forces continued a nearly year-long crackdown on civilian protesters . european foreign policy chief catherine ashton said friday that the humanitarian situation and lack of access for food and medical supplies is our most urgent and immediate concern . ' at least 103 people were killed friday . the dead include 18 corpses found in the hama province town of khatab and 30 people in homs , the epicenter of resistance that has endured 21 days of daily shelling , according to the local coordination committees of syria , a network of opposition groups . sana said terrorists shot and killed a law enforcement member and wounded two others friday in homs . it also said that dozens of members of armed terrorist groups ' in the city had surrendered and given their weapons to authorities . regarding events in tunis , syrian state television was dismissive . it is quite ironic that in a conference called'the friends of syria ,'we have n't seen one syrian delivering a speech , ' said an anchor , who added that the conference was dominated by icons from the colonial era who are conspiring against syria and the arab world . ' a guest implied that some of the countries in attendance had been paid , bribed or ordered to show up against their will . at the conference , clinton said the end of al-assad 's regime can mark a new beginning . ' she urged a negotiated political solution and a democratic transition for syria , and announced that the united states is providing $ 10 million for humanitarian efforts . clinton also said the crimes against humanity must stop . ' in a statement , the syrian national council said it was seeking international recognition as the legitimate representative of the syrian people . ' the group formed last october as a coalition of local coordinating committees , political , ethnic and religious groups . it asked for humanitarian assistance and the creation of safe havens inside syria to protect refugees seeking sanctuary . the clear goal of the snc and one for which tens of thousands of syrians have died or suffered is to achieve full regime change through a process controlled by the syrians themselves , ' the statement said . clinton gave the group qualified support , calling it a leading , legitimate representative of syrians seeking peaceful democratic change . ' she continued to hold out hope for a political solution . assad can still make the choice to end the violence , save lives and spare his country from descending further into ruin but , if he continues to reject that choice , we and the syrian people will keep pressure on him until his deadly regime cracks and collapses , because it will , ' she said . and she appealed to assad 's security forces to end the killing . their continuing to kill their brothers and sisters is a stain on their honor , ' she said . their refusal to continue this slaughter will make them heroes in the eyes of not only syrians , but people of conscience everywhere . they can help the guns fall silent . we know from many sources there are people around assad who are beginning to hedge their bets . they did n't sign up to slaughter people , and they are looking for ways out . ' she made no reference to helping the militias fighting the al-assad regime . but saudi arabian foreign minister prince saud al-faisal said that arming the syrian opposition is an excellent idea . ' u.s. officials have said they are not ready to take that step but they have not ruled out other options . clinton said she would address the issue later . in washington , u.s. president barack obama said he was encouraged by the international unity ' displayed in tunis . we are going to continue to keep the pressure up and look for every tool available to prevent the slaughter of innocents in syria , ' he said . neither russia , which is a soviet-era ally and arms dealer to syria , nor china is participating in the tunisia meeting . both countries vetoed the u.n. resolution . the nations participating in the meeting unveiled a plan for delivering emergency aid . it called on al-assad to immediately cease all violence ' and allow unimpeded access for aid , an effort that would be spearheaded by the united nations . the united nations is expected to play a major role in a post-assad syria . former u.n. secretary-general kofi annan was named thursday joint special envoy of the united nations and arab league on the syrian crisis . the friends of syria group stressed that an alternative to al-assad exists and it believes it can persuade traditional regime supporters , such as business elites , the military and minority alawites -- who prevail in the military -- to switch allegiances . to those syrians who still support assad , especially members of the syrian military : understand that this regime has no future , ' clinton said . the longer you carry out its campaign of violence , the more it will stain your honor . but if you refuse to take part in attacks on your fellow citizens , your countrymen will hail you as heroes . ' a senior state department official said members of the council told clinton they were pleased with the conference turnout and the initiative . the syrian people have not surrendered , nor will they give up , ' snc leader burhan ghalioun said. a free people was born in syria and it does not fear death , nor does it accept any bargain to give away its long-deprived rights or give up its sovereignty by any definition . ' the friends of syria intends to address economic issues by creating a working group on economic recovery and development , a diplomat said . the diplomat said the conference communique will endorse the arab league 's request to the security council to form a joint arab-u.n. peacekeeping force after the cessation of violence . cnn 's elizabeth joseph , saad abedine , raja razek , hala gorani , salma abdelaziz , chelsea j. carter , tracey doueiry , kareem khadder and joe sterling contributed to this report . | evacuation of wounded and sick begins in homs |
red cross <tsp> tunis , tunisia ( cnn ) -- world powers meeting friday in tunisia called for a political solution in syria and what one diplomat called a tsunami wave ' of pressure to peel away internal support for the embattled regime of bashar al-assad . we agreed on increasing the pressure on assad , getting humanitarian aid in as quickly as possible and preparing for a democratic transition , ' u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton told reporters . that was my message , and that was the message of the chairman statement that reflected the consensus reached here . ' that consensus was reached during a day of meetings by the friends of syria ' in the cradle of the arab spring , where participants laid out the groundwork for a political transition in syria , not unlike the international planning that preceded the changes in libya , where moammar gadhafi 's regime was toppled last year . representatives of dozens of countries and entities developed a plan to deliver immediate humanitarian aid , to give political legitimacy to the syrian opposition and to endorse the idea of a joint arab-u.n. peacekeeping force . as the conference unfolded , red crescent volunteer rescue crews evacuated seven wounded people in the besieged syrian city of homs to al amin hospital on the outskirts of the city 's baba amr neighborhood , a spokeswoman for the international committee of the red cross said . twenty unhurt syrians were also taken to safety , she said . the evacuation of victims marks a glimmer of hope for residents who 'd been pinned down under shelling and sniper fire for weeks . icrc spokeswoman carla haddad mardini told cnn that the organization planned to ask syrian authorities for a pause in the fighting every day . we would prefer to have a two-hour humanitarian pause daily , where we would enter the different affected areas , including homs , and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid , ' she said in a telephone interview from geneva . asked whether international journalists wounded in the city would be taken out , mardini said the mission was to evacuate all wounded and sick in urgent need of medical assistance without any exception . ' the state-run syrian arab news agency ( sana ) , citing an official source at the foreign ministry , said red crescent vehicles were dispatched friday , for humanitarian considerations , to retrieve the foreign journalists who entered syria illegally . the source added that the armed groups in baba amr declined to hand over an injured journalist and the bodies of two others , which jeopardizes the life of the injured journalist and thwarts efforts to return the two bodies to their countries . ' activists acknowledged that they had declined to turn over the journalists'bodies or the wounded journalists unless civilians also were taken to safety . they said the wounded journalists agreed with that decision . in addition , they said , friday 's ambulance runs were carried out as shelling continued in the area . the meeting in tunis took place as syrian security forces continued a nearly year-long crackdown on civilian protesters . european foreign policy chief catherine ashton said friday that the humanitarian situation and lack of access for food and medical supplies is our most urgent and immediate concern . ' at least 103 people were killed friday . the dead include 18 corpses found in the hama province town of khatab and 30 people in homs , the epicenter of resistance that has endured 21 days of daily shelling , according to the local coordination committees of syria , a network of opposition groups . sana said terrorists shot and killed a law enforcement member and wounded two others friday in homs . it also said that dozens of members of armed terrorist groups ' in the city had surrendered and given their weapons to authorities . regarding events in tunis , syrian state television was dismissive . it is quite ironic that in a conference called'the friends of syria ,'we have n't seen one syrian delivering a speech , ' said an anchor , who added that the conference was dominated by icons from the colonial era who are conspiring against syria and the arab world . ' a guest implied that some of the countries in attendance had been paid , bribed or ordered to show up against their will . at the conference , clinton said the end of al-assad 's regime can mark a new beginning . ' she urged a negotiated political solution and a democratic transition for syria , and announced that the united states is providing $ 10 million for humanitarian efforts . clinton also said the crimes against humanity must stop . ' in a statement , the syrian national council said it was seeking international recognition as the legitimate representative of the syrian people . ' the group formed last october as a coalition of local coordinating committees , political , ethnic and religious groups . it asked for humanitarian assistance and the creation of safe havens inside syria to protect refugees seeking sanctuary . the clear goal of the snc and one for which tens of thousands of syrians have died or suffered is to achieve full regime change through a process controlled by the syrians themselves , ' the statement said . clinton gave the group qualified support , calling it a leading , legitimate representative of syrians seeking peaceful democratic change . ' she continued to hold out hope for a political solution . assad can still make the choice to end the violence , save lives and spare his country from descending further into ruin but , if he continues to reject that choice , we and the syrian people will keep pressure on him until his deadly regime cracks and collapses , because it will , ' she said . and she appealed to assad 's security forces to end the killing . their continuing to kill their brothers and sisters is a stain on their honor , ' she said . their refusal to continue this slaughter will make them heroes in the eyes of not only syrians , but people of conscience everywhere . they can help the guns fall silent . we know from many sources there are people around assad who are beginning to hedge their bets . they did n't sign up to slaughter people , and they are looking for ways out . ' she made no reference to helping the militias fighting the al-assad regime . but saudi arabian foreign minister prince saud al-faisal said that arming the syrian opposition is an excellent idea . ' u.s. officials have said they are not ready to take that step but they have not ruled out other options . clinton said she would address the issue later . in washington , u.s. president barack obama said he was encouraged by the international unity ' displayed in tunis . we are going to continue to keep the pressure up and look for every tool available to prevent the slaughter of innocents in syria , ' he said . neither russia , which is a soviet-era ally and arms dealer to syria , nor china is participating in the tunisia meeting . both countries vetoed the u.n. resolution . the nations participating in the meeting unveiled a plan for delivering emergency aid . it called on al-assad to immediately cease all violence ' and allow unimpeded access for aid , an effort that would be spearheaded by the united nations . the united nations is expected to play a major role in a post-assad syria . former u.n. secretary-general kofi annan was named thursday joint special envoy of the united nations and arab league on the syrian crisis . the friends of syria group stressed that an alternative to al-assad exists and it believes it can persuade traditional regime supporters , such as business elites , the military and minority alawites -- who prevail in the military -- to switch allegiances . to those syrians who still support assad , especially members of the syrian military : understand that this regime has no future , ' clinton said . the longer you carry out its campaign of violence , the more it will stain your honor . but if you refuse to take part in attacks on your fellow citizens , your countrymen will hail you as heroes . ' a senior state department official said members of the council told clinton they were pleased with the conference turnout and the initiative . the syrian people have not surrendered , nor will they give up , ' snc leader burhan ghalioun said. a free people was born in syria and it does not fear death , nor does it accept any bargain to give away its long-deprived rights or give up its sovereignty by any definition . ' the friends of syria intends to address economic issues by creating a working group on economic recovery and development , a diplomat said . the diplomat said the conference communique will endorse the arab league 's request to the security council to form a joint arab-u.n. peacekeeping force after the cessation of violence . cnn 's elizabeth joseph , saad abedine , raja razek , hala gorani , salma abdelaziz , chelsea j. carter , tracey doueiry , kareem khadder and joe sterling contributed to this report . | red cross asks two-hour humanitarian pause in fighting |
u.s. olympic committee <tsp> ( cnn ) -- olympic officials discounted an e-mailed threat to the upcoming winter games in the russian city of sochi on wednesday , but the reported warning raised new concerns about security at the events . olympic organizing committees in the united states and several european countries got an e-mailed warning of a terrorist attack against visitors to sochi , where president vladimir putin 's government has mounted a massive security effort to protect the events . the ioc takes security very seriously and passes on any credible information to the relevant security services , ' international olympic committee spokeswoman sandrine tonge told cnn . but the e-mail received by the national organizations contains no threat and appears to be a random message from a member of the public , ' she said . at least two countries , slovakia and hungary , reported receiving e-mails in english that warned about threats to their citizens and olympic athletes . the olympic committees for italy and germany also confirmed that they had received the e-mail . others said the warnings had been forwarded to them from other countries or the ioc . the e-mail received in hungary suggested that there might be a terrorist attack against nationals of hungary and the hungarian team , and that members of the team may be blown up , ' zsigmond nagy , director for international relations for hungary 's national olympic committee , told cnn . nagy said the hungarian olympic committee had shared the letter with the organizers of the sochi winter olympics as well as the ioc . hungary 's counterterrorism agency was analyzing the e-mail , but hungary does not intend to change its plans to attend the games in sochi , nagy said . the u.s. olympic committee also received the message and sent it to the appropriate authorities , ' committee chief scott blackmun said . the safety and security of team usa is our top priority , ' he said in a written statement . as is always the case , we are working with the u.s. department of state , the local organizers and the relevant law enforcement agencies in an effort to ensure that our delegation and other americans traveling to sochi are safe . ' medvedev : huge security buildup the warnings come as russian authorities are clamping down on suspected islamic militants in the region surrounding sochi , a resort city on the black sea coast . russia has been battling a low-level islamist insurgency in the north caucasus region for more than a decade , and militants have vowed to strike at the olympics . among those hunted by russian security forces are three women suspected of being black widows ' -- a group of women who have carried out high-profile suicide bombings after government forces killed their insurgent husbands . police have handed out fliers with the women 's names and pictures to hotels in rostov-on-don , a southwestern russian town through which the olympic torch relay was due to pass wednesday , and in the sochi area . in an interview set to air wednesday on cnn 's amanpour ' program , russian prime minister dmitry medvedev said there are always some threats ' to public events , not only this country , but also in others . ' but russian authorities are aware of those threats and are planning accordingly , he said . i am referring to the mobilization , buildup , of police forces , and a huge number of policemen will watch the progress of the games , ' medvedev said . over the weekend , as putin told reporters that his government has a perfect understanding ' of the threat and how to stop it , a video posted online warned that insurgents had a present ' for olympic visitors .'well-fortified' u.s. rep. michael mccaul , chairman of the house committee on homeland security , told cnn 's new day ' show from moscow that there were no guarantees when it comes to safety , but the security operation in sochi is the most impressive and well-fortified that we 've ever seen in olympic history . ' mccaul , who has been in sochi to assess the security situation , said cooperation between u.s. and russian security teams was good , but there was room for greater intelligence sharing . the russians have been not quite as candid with us , ' he said . i think we could help them a great deal if they would open up information sharing more to us . ' fbi agents are now going to sochi to work with their russian counterparts on counterterrorism efforts , mccaul said . amid the concerns , the top u.s. military officer discussed sharing high-tech equipment to counter improvised bombs with his russian counterpart tuesday , a pentagon spokesman told cnn . the matter came up on an exploratory level ' in a meeting between gen. martin dempsey , the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , and russian gen. valery gerasimov , said col. edward thomas , a dempsey spokesman . mccaul said president barack obama had also spoken with putin about the issue . a tight security cordon is in place around sochi , the texas congressman said , but it 's hard to be sure that no hidden threat exists . the problem is , how many of these'black widows'... came into this area before the ring of steel came up ? ' he said . we also know that one of these black widows actually was able to penetrate the ring in the sochi area . ' russia has deployed huge numbers of security officials , mccaul said , but it only takes one suicide bomber to get in to cause a real problem . ''eyes of the world' mccaul said it was likely that insurgents would carry out more bombings on softer targets outside sochi , like those that hit a train station and trolley bus in the southern city of volgograd at the end of last year . they know the eyes of the world are on these olympics , and what better way to make a statement , ' he said . besides u.s. security officers deployed through the diplomatic security service , olympic teams themselves are also hiring private security teams , he said . my concern is the 10,000 to 15,000 americans who will be at these games and our olympic team itself being protected from these potential suicide bombers , ' he said . it 's very eerie when you go into sochi to see the mountains and to think about these black widows , as they call them , who 've had their spouses killed by the fsb ( intelligence agency ) , now retaliating through suicide bombing . ' however , the olympic village itself is very well fortified , ' mccaul said , and there 's an impressive show of force on the ground . we are all very hopeful these will be safe and protected games , ' he said . the radical extremists in the region are historically more interested in targeting russia than the united states , he added . giuliani :'tremendous security' former new york city mayor rudy giuliani , who 's involved in the planning for the 2016 summer olympics in rio de janeiro , told new day ' that it was too late ' to reconsider the decision to hold the winter olympics in sochi . when you look back on it , it 's awfully close to one of the worst situations in the world in terms of terrorism , exportation of terrorism , ' he said . but , at the same time , it happens to be in a country that has tremendous security . ' giuliani said he was familiar with the winter olympics held in salt lake city , utah , only months after the september 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks . those games were almost canceled , he said , and had an enormous amount of security . ' as for sochi , russia has devoted more resources to security than frankly i 've ever seen , ' giuliani said . in retrospect , could you have picked a place that 's safer ? i guess you could ... ( but ) the minute you hold the olympics in a place , whether it 's salt lake city or it 's rio de janeiro or it 's london , you have actually brought all the world 's problems to you , ' he said . so yes , sochi is dangerous because it 's close to the caucasus . however , the minute you have an olympics , every one of these causes gets attracted to you and you got ta have enormous security . ' cnn 's joseph netto , stephanie halasz , lucy pawle , matt smith and jason hanna contributed to this report . | the u.s. olympic committee and several european countries received the threat |
sean connery <tsp> ( the frisky ) -- everyone 's favorite charmer , george clooney , is suiting up to play a hired assassin trying to get out of the profession after one last assignment in the american . ' the flick comes out in september and it 's about time that clooney gave james bond a run for his money ! he 's charismatic , cheeky , and looks fantastic in a suit how can you go wrong ? in honor of this new development , we 've rounded up the sexiest male spies of all time ! cue the spy who shagged me ' jokes . clive owen really steamed up the big screen with julia roberts in duplicity ' as rival spies engaging in espionage and foreplay . he also plays the best kind of spy , relying on his charisma and smarts instead of crazy gadgets . matt damon 's made a pretty fantastic spy as jason bourne in the bourne identity ' and its sequels . as a government assassin afflicted with amnesia , damon runs around trying to solve his identity crisis while the cia tries to kill him . he makes the classic playboy spy stereotype seem crass with his boyish good looks and devotion to his lady love . the frisky : amanda bynes is retiring at age 24 ! other young starlets we 'd like to see throw in the towel it 's hard to pinpoint who the sexiest bond was , but pierce brosnan did a good job of it in 1995 's goldeneye . ' between the british accent and the sophisticated chivalry , it was easy to see why women were throwing themselves at him when they were supposed to be taking him out . plus , brosnan is just so ridiculously pretty . the frisky : kate gosselin seeks her bodyguard 's approval before getting breast implants ? i 'd forgotten how dashing harrison ford was in his prime , but he really tugged at our heart strings in 1992 's patriot games . ' as a retired cia agent , harrison was forced to take on one last mission when a political group tried to kill his family . when you combine spy with family man , it becomes even harder not to love him ! his character is irreverent and passionate and no offense to chris pine , who 'll be reprising the role in 2012 's moscow ' but ford ca n't be easily replaced . the frisky : harrison ford and calista flockhart finally wed ! which celebrity couples waited the longest to tie the knot ? the only reason a lot of us watched mr. and mrs. smith ' was to see if the sparks between brad pitt and angelina jolie were obvious . and they were indeed . as husband and wife rival spies , the two created amazing sexual tension which occasionally erupted in incredibly realistic ways . the frisky : do you remember your first kiss as well as these 10 celebs ? the most-famous james bond , sean connery , really set the bar high in movies like 1967 's you only live twice , ' where bond brought his spy skills to japan to find a rocket that disappeared in orbit . he was young , fit , and with the scottish accent , it 's no wonder that he slayed the ladies of japan . in one of the best movies ever , charade , ' cary grant plays a name-changing government official who offers to help audrey hepburn find her dead husband 's fortune , which was stolen from the government during world war ii . a phony cia agent and cast of sketchy characters are convinced hepburn 's character knows where the money is and wo n't let her rest until the mystery is solved . bring on the cold war spy shenanigans ! the frisky : insane behavior on the real housewives of new jersey ' -- has bravo gone too far ? with all the scientology business , it 's easy to forget that tom cruise was once a total heartthrob . but way back in 1996 , he was a pretty convincing spy in mission : impossible . ' the gravity-defying acrobatics , black leather , and futuristic gadgets made cruise a fantastic action star and we 'll have to see if he 's still got it in him when he plays a secret agent in knight and day , ' which opens this week . the frisky : does a racy , fictionalized version of anne frank 's diary go too far ? in one of the first bond movies women were equally anxious to see , daniel craig brought new elements to 007 in casino royale . ' he was a bit scrappier than previous bonds , but those sexy blue swim trunks made us forgive the rough edges . he manages to be a sensitive bad boy , falling for the wrong women and narrowly escaping his own death . we 're still swooning . tm & © 2010 tmv , inc. | all rights reserved | the most-famous james bond , sean connery , really set the bar high |
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