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tyler clementi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a former rutgers university student accused of spying on and intimidating his gay roommate by use of a hidden webcam was found guilty friday of all counts -- including invasion of privacy and the more severe charges of bias intimidation -- in a case that thrust cyberbullying into the national spotlight . dharun ravi , 20 , was also found guilty of witness tampering , hindering apprehension and tampering with physical evidence , and could now face up to 10 years in jail and deportation to his native india . sentencing has been set for may 21 . the new jersey jury was confronted with a series of questions on each charge after it asked for clarification on what constituted bias intimidation . though it found ravi not guilty on several questions within the verdict sheet , because he was found guilty on at least one question on each main count , ravi was convicted on all charges and could now face the maximum penalty . his roommate , tyler clementi , an 18-year-old freshman , killed himself in september 2010 by jumping off the george washington bridge and into the hudson river after learning that ravi had secretly spied on his sexual encounter with another man . cnn legal analyst paul callan called friday 's verdict unprecedented , ' adding that it sends a message to people across the rest of the country ' about the potential consequences of unauthorized webcam use in an age of expanding social media . new jersey enacted a law that said if you secretly record ( someone engaged in an intimate act ) with a webcam or any other kind of video and you broadcast that without their permission , that is a crime , ' callan said . every place else in america up until this law was enacted , you could sue somebody for civil damages for the embarrassment , but you were n't going to go to jail . new jersey said it 's criminal . ' and because prosecutors were able to prove that ravi 's actions were born of a gay bias , the possible sentence doubles from up to five years to 10 years behind bars . clementi 's death stirred discussion about bullying , with president barack obama releasing a videotaped message condemning it . a few months later , new jersey legislators enacted stricter laws to protect against bullying in schools . this haunting and awful case shows how much society has changed , ' said cnn legal analyst jeffrey toobin of friday 's verdict . even though he was not charged directly in connection with clementi 's suicide , that tragedy hung over the trial and undoubtedly played a major part in every aspect of the case . ' after the verdict , rutgers university released a statement saying , this sad incident should make us all pause to recognize the importance of civility and mutual respect in the way we live , work and communicate with others . ' prosecutors had argued that ravi , who sat expressionless in the courtroom friday , had tried to embarrass clementi because he was gay and that his actions were motivated by a desire to intimidate the ridgewood , new jersey , native expressly because of his sexual orientation . these acts were purposeful , they were intentional , and they were planned , ' prosecutor julia l. mcclure told the jury on the first day of the trial . ravi was bothered by tyler clementi 's sexual orientation , ' she later said more bluntly . ravi 's attorneys countered by saying their client acted thoughtlessly , portraying him as an immature college student who made a mistake , and that his actions were not based on homophobia . he has n't lived long enough to have any experience with homosexuality or gays , ' attorney steven altman said in closing arguments earlier this week . he does n't know anything about it . he just graduated high school . ' after the verdict friday , altman said he would prepare some type of press release ' next week , but vowed to appeal the ruling . right now i am just dealing with the emotions that everyone involved with the ravi family and the defense experienced and continue to experience with the verdict , ' he said . though ravi and molly wei -- a fellow student who admitted to joining ravi to watch the surreptitious encounter that others were alerted to via social media -- were charged in the wake of clementi 's suicide , they were not charged directly with his death . facing two counts of invasion of privacy , wei reached a plea deal in may that required her to testify against her friend and former high school classmate as well as to complete a three-year program on cyberbullying and do 300 hours of community service . ravi turned down a plea deal offered by middlesex county prosecutors that would have allowed him to avoid jail time in exchange for undergoing counseling , doing 600 hours of community service and disposing of any information that could identify the man who appeared in the web video with clementi . prosecutors also offered to help him avoid deportation , though they said they could not guarantee it . ravi , who had been studying on a visa at the new jersey university , did not testify on his own behalf . during the prosecution 's phase of the trial , the man whom clementi was intimate with , identified only as m.b. , ' told jurors that he had noticed a web camera aimed directly at clementi 's bed . the 32-year-old man testified that he met clementi on a social-networking site for gay men and that they eventually met three times in the student 's dorm room . the two conversed online , exchanged text messages and eventually had sex , he said . wei testified that she watched m.b . and clementi after ravi had secretly set up the webcam in his and clementi 's dormitory room . ravi 's attorney , altman , has argued his client had initially switched on the webcam to monitor his personal items because he did not trust his roommate 's visitor . in twitter messages from that day , ravi wrote that he 'd gone into a friend 's room , turned on my webcam ' and saw his roommate making out with a dude . ' then on september 22 , 2010 , clementi took a train to new york and posted a mobile status update on his facebook page that read , jumping off the gw bridge sorry . ' ravi had apparently tried to make amends with his estranged roommate that same night , according to text messages revealed in court . i 've known you were gay and i have no problem with it , ' ravi wrote in messages after he apparently learned his roommate had requested a room change . it is not clear whether clementi ever viewed the messages before committing suicide . insession 's jim kyle contributed to this report . | his roommate , tyler clementi , killed himself in 2010 after learning of webcam spying |
islamist <tsp> lagos , nigeria ( cnn ) -- more than 30 people have been shot dead in nigeria , the head of amnesty international said friday , only a day after the rights group accused nigerian security forces of committing serious abuses in their efforts to crack down on the militant islamist group boko haram in the region . the latest deaths occurred in the town of maiduguri , in borno state , which has been the scene of much of the violence as boko haram seeks to impose a strict version of sharia law in the muslim-dominated northern part of the country . amnesty international secretary general salil shetty said : we have certainly confirmed from our contacts that over 30 people have been killed -- summary executions , we understand ; bodies found in the morgue . ' witnesses told amnesty and cnn that security forces from the joint task force , or military , carried out the killings . opinion : nigeria is a sinking ship , but we must not desert it ' these are not isolated examples -- it 's happening all the time , ' shetty added . ordinary citizens are simply caught in the crossfire . ' shetty appealed for the government to ensure the rule of law was followed by its own forces in tackling the militant groups . there 's no way in which we can improve the security situation in the north , which we all want ... by increasing insecurity , ' he said . we can not improve human rights by taking people 's lives and for security forces to be themselves beyond the pale of the law is just simply unacceptable . ' lt. col. sagir musa , a spokesman for the joint task force , told cnn that the reported killings are under investigation . jtf does n't condone or encourage infractions or indiscipline and where that happens we immediately visit sanctions accordingly , ' musa said . read more : why nigerians are no longer content with'suffering and smiling' meanwhile , the military blamed boko haram for killing retired major gen. muhammadu shuwa and a guest in maiduguri friday . four gunmen entered gen. shuwa 's house and opened fire on him and his guests , nigerian military spokesman lt. col. sagir musa said in a statement . nigerian troops located in the area immediately cordoned off the area and are searching for the assailants , he said . in its report thursday , amnesty international condemned the increasingly brutal attacks carried out by boko haram since 2009 , but said nigeria 's security forces have perpetrated serious human rights violations ' in their response . opinion : could it finally be springtime for nigeria ? hundreds of people accused of links to boko haram have been arbitrarily detained without charge or trial ; others have been extrajudicially executed or subjected to enforced disappearance , ' the report said . at the same time , the nigerian government has failed to adequately prevent or investigate the attacks or to bring perpetrators to justice ; and victims have not received prompt and adequate reparation and remedy . the cycle of attacks and counterattacks has been marked by unlawful violence on both sides with devastating consequences for the human rights of the people trapped in the middle . ' read more : facebook'stalkers'face trial for model 's murder a spokesman for the nigerian military , col. mohammed yerima , rejected the allegations made in thursday 's report . we sincerely disagree with the report released by amnesty international , ' he told cnn . we believe that their statistical data is unfounded . they did n't interview anybody from boko haram , and they did n't interview us ; they seemed to have just spoken to people on the street . ' he also dismissed allegations made in the report that the military participated in extrajudicial killings of suspects or used torture during interrogations . we deny that . what would we gain from killing people like that ? we do n't torture , we interrogate . if they are found not to be members of boko haram , we release them immediately , take them back to where we picked them up and we apologize , ' he said . amnesty international said it had shared its findings with the nigerian authorities before it published the report , as well as requesting further information on certain cases , but that it had received no response . read more : suicide bomber kills 7 in nigerian church its researchers met with senior government officials , including the ministers for police affairs , justice and the interior , and the defense headquarters representative , the rights group said . amnesty international also acknowledged the challenges faced by under-resourced police in the face of militant activity , and said the attacks by boko haram targeting civilians may constitute crimes against humanity . ' read more : nigeria arrests a suspected militant leader over the past three years , boko haram has waged a violent campaign of bombings of christian churches that have killed hundreds and wounded many more . there have been fewer attacks by christian militant groups . nigeria has almost equal numbers of christian and muslims , with the south predominantly christian . boko haram and other muslim groups claim the north has been starved of resources and marginalized by the government of president goodluck jonathan , a christian . cnn 's laura smith-spark and nana karikari-apau contributed to this report . | boko haram , a militant islamist group , has killed hundreds in attacks on churches |
singapore <tsp> singapore ( cnn ) -- the victim of a brutal gang rape that sparked massive protests in india 's capital , arrived in singapore for further medical treatment on thursday . the patient arrived at 9:05 a.m. local time , a spokesperson for the mount elizabeth hospital in singapore told cnn . she is in extremely critical condition and being examined by doctors , ' the spokesperson said . the 23-year-old woman was severely injured and has spent days in intensive care , after what police said was a gang rape and beating on a moving bus in new delhi on december 16 . widespread anger over the incident prompted massive anti-rape protests in the indian capital over the weekend . read more : new delhi police fire water cannon at india rape protest police prohibited demonstrations in key government districts , but these lockouts were lifted wednesday as traffic appeared back to normal at raisina hills -- home to the seat of indian power -- and police removed security barriers from most roads . new delhi 's metro rail reopened its services around central parts of the city . services were shut down after protests swelled saturday and sunday . on wednesday , demonstrations also thinned at alternative sites where students had gathered to protest the gang rape . new delhi rape exposes the perils of being a woman in india the cabinet plans to set up a commission to look into the rape and suggest measures to improve women 's safety . the commission has three months to submit its report to the government . harmeet shah singh reported from new delhi . elizabeth neisloss reported from singapore . | victim arrived in singapore for treatment , hospital says |
toy story <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- this month on the screening room we 're turning to the wonderful world of animated films . shrek the third , ' the latest in dreamworks'inverted-fairytale franchise blockbusters like finding nemo ' and dreamworks'franchise shrek ' have turned animation into a multi-billion-dollar industry , and a market once dominated by disney is becoming crowded with competition . this year , pixar celebrates its 20th anniversary . from toy story ' to ratatouille , ' the company has transformed expectations about what 's possible with animated film . pixar 's position as a world leader in animated film is largely down to john lasseter - considered by some to be the walt disney for a new generation . from toy story ' and a bug 's life ' to monsters , inc. ' and cars , ' the pixar back-catalogue is a testament to his creative genius . and when pixar merged with disney he became one of the most powerful players in the movie business . the first pixar production released since the merger is ratatouille , ' the story of an unlikely alliance between a blundering trainee chef and a gourmet-loving rat . ratatouille ' director brad bird 's credits for pixar include the oscar-winning feature the incredibles , ' which won critical plaudits for its ground-breaking animation . he told cnn , i think that one of the nice things about pixar is that they do n't feel like they have discovered the secret formula to making a good movie . they just keep focused on trying to make a movie that they would want to see . we are challenged and surprised every time they work out . ' but while pixar and disney may be the giants of animation they face formidable competition from another box-office monster -- shrek . the adventures of the world 's favorite ogre have generated a total of two billion dollars in takings . actor mike myers , who voices shrek , told cnn that he thinks the movies'appeal is their unlikely hero . he said , with'shrek ,'they took fairytales and turned them on their heads . everything is inverted . traditional villains are heroes , traditional heroes are villains . the whole team decided , we 're going to look at somebody who has been told he was a villain and we 're going to make him a hero . that 's when i knew they were on to something . ' the success of the shrek franchise , supported by other big budget features such as madagascar , ' has cemented dreamworks'position as a major force in the animated world . another successful franchise -- ice age ' -- has been a hot seller for 20th century fox . and the polar climate has also been kind to warner brothers with last year 's oscar-winning happy feet ' charming audiences around the world with a tale of dancing penguins , while the tom hanks-voiced the polar express ' also scored well on its way to becoming a seasonal stocking-filler on dvd . the life-like motion-capture technique used in the polar express ' will also feature in warner 's forthcoming release , beowulf ' featuring angelina jolie . but in a market dominated by 3-d cgi animations , one of the big three summer blockbusters this year belongs to a more traditional form of the art . the simpsons movie ' is the world 's longest-running animated television series , and fans have eagerly awaited its move to the big screen . creator matt groening told the screening room , we 've had fans clamoring for a movie for the past 18 years . we 've had kids , they 've grown up , they 've become adults , they 've become writers for the simpsons , so we had to do a movie after all this time . ' so , will springfield 's most famous inhabitants break all former animation records ? groening and co. will certainly be hoping that the movie gets a box-office woo hoo ! ' from its fans . happy feet ' is a warner bros. film ; warner bros. , like cnn , is a unit of time warner . e-mail to a friend | movie franchises like shrek , toy story boost appeal to both adults and kids |
lee <tsp> ( cnn ) -- former u.s. president bill clinton landed in north korea early tuesday on a mission to negotiate the release of two american journalists imprisoned there since march , according to the country 's state news agency and a cnn source . former u.s. president bill clinton is shown at an environmental summit in seoul , south korea , in may . the north korean news agency kcna did not disclose the purpose of the visit in its three-line dispatch . but a source with detailed knowledge of the former president 's movements told cnn late monday that clinton was going to seek the release of laura ling and euna lee , both reporters for california-based current tv -- media venture launched by clinton 's former vice president , al gore . meeting clinton were the vice president of north korea 's supreme people 's assembly , yang hyong sop , and kim kye gwan , the vice foreign minister , kcna reported , adding that a little girl presented a bouquet to bill clinton . ' the women were arrested while reporting on the border between north korea and china and sentenced in june to 12 years in prison on charges of entering the country illegally to conduct a smear campaign . since the united states has no diplomatic relations with north korea , efforts to resolve the issue so far have been handled through sweden , which represents u.s. interests in the reclusive communist state . watch what may lie behind the pick of bill clinton » last month , clinton 's wife -- u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton -- said the obama administration had dropped its request for ling and lee to be released on humanitarian grounds and instead was seeking amnesty , which implies forgiveness for an offense . this change in language is an important distinction that could move north korea to release the women without feeling that its legal system has been slighted , according to analyst mike chinoy . i suspect that it was made pretty clear in advance that bill clinton would be able to return with these two women otherwise it would be a terrible loss of face for him , ' said chinoy , an edgerton senior fellow on asia at the pacific council on international policy in los angeles . the bigger , broader and more important question is what else could be on the agenda . will clinton be carrying a letter from barack obama for the north korean leader kim jong il ? will he meet kim jong il ? ' clinton 's mission comes as the united states and its allies in the region are trying to push north korea back into stalled nuclear disarmament talks . north korea conducted a nuclear bomb test , its second , in may , and has conducted several missile tests since then . the united nations responded by tightening and expanding sanctions on the north . the two nations were on opposite sides in the 1950-1953 korean war and had no regular contacts before a 1994 crisis over north korea 's nuclear program . north korea agreed at that time to halt the development of nuclear weapons , but abandoned that accord and withdrew from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 2003 . clinton had considered visiting north korea in 2000 near the end of his second term as president . his secretary of state , madeleine albright , had gone to pyongyang in early 2000 to meet with north korean leader kim jong il -- now widely reported to be ill. cnn 's charlie moore contributed to this report . | reporters ling and lee work for gore 's current tv |
jill lesser <tsp> ( cnn ) -- recently an op-ed by douglas rushkoff took up the issue of the creation of the center for copyright information ( cci ) , a coalition charged with implementing the copyright alert system , a graduated response framework to copyright infringement . as the executive director of the center , i would like to respond to several concerns that article raised about how the program will work and its goals for background , the copyright alert system aims to inform consumers of inadvertent or purposeful unauthorized distribution of content over peer-to-peer networks and to help consumers find legal ways to obtain , share and enjoy movies and music protected by copyright . the program represents an unprecedented and voluntary partnership between leading internet service providers ( isps ) -- at & t , cablevision , comcast , time warner cable and verizon -- and u.s. content creators -- represented by the motion picture association of america and the recording industry association of america -- with advice from leading consumer advocates . gigi sohn , president and ceo of public knowledge and marsali hancock , president , ikeepsafe.org , sit on our advisory board , to name just two . this system reflects a new reality : the internet has forever changed how content is consumed , making content easy to find , use and experience . our work at cci is about educating consumers about how to legally and ethically enjoy the movies and music they love . as rushkoff says : the longer term solution would be to develop an appropriate social contract : conducting ourselves online under the same civilized behavioral norms that keep us from , say , stealing stuff from one another 's homes even though we could probably get away with it . ' it 's beyond this premise that i take issue with rushkoff 's article . the article 's headline : will your internet provider be spying on you ? ' indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of the program and how it works ; it suggests that isps would engage in an activity anathema to their consumers to protect copyright . now that does n't sound like the isps that i know . opinion : will your internet provider be spying on you ? the role of the isps in the new copyright alert system will be to pass on notices sent by copyright holders to those subscribers whose internet protocol addresses ( strings of numbers that mean little to most people ) have been associated with allegedly illegal file sharing . as they have done for years , content owners will use technical methodologies to identify alleged infringements over peer-to-peer networks and will request that notices of such alleged infringement be passed on to subscribers by the participating isps . to be clear : no personal information at all , including the identity of the subscriber , will be shared with the content owners by the isps . what the isps will do , in recognition of the importance of copyright protection generally , is to then provide their subscribers with education and information about what not to do and how to get content in the right way . the alerts will be non-punitive -- 4-6 in total , depending on the isp -- but progressive in scale . if the activity stops , the alerts stop . initial alerts will focus on making the consumer aware of the activity and highlighting legal ways to enjoy content . the alerts are designed with particular attention to key groups -- parents of teens , for example -- to provide the most helpful and actionable information possible . alerts that require acknowledgment of receipt of the alert follow and -- in some cases -- the system also includes mitigation measures , which vary between isps . these may include temporary reduction of internet speed or redirection to a landing page until the subscriber contacts the isp or reviews educational information . the cas will only address activity over to peer-to-peer programs such as bittorrent -- not streaming video or other general online content . the system is based on consumers' right to know ' when their internet account is being used for illegal file sharing through peer-to-peer networks , or if their own online activity infringes on copyrights -- inadvertently or otherwise -- so that they can correct that activity . the alert system is similar to warnings and alerts in place for stolen credit cards . the unfortunate reality of malware and other potential dangers on peer-to-peer programs makes this service to subscribers particularly important . going beyond the nuts and bolts of the program , the center for copyright information 's primary goal is educational . the program is designed to provide non-punitive tools that will help inform consumers about how to legally enjoy digital copyrighted content and avoid illegal peer-to-peer networks , through a system based on information and deterrence . as rushkoff points out , in many cases the internet subscriber might have no knowledge of the infraction ' and he goes on to describe how a houseguest might share illegal content without the internet subscriber 's knowledge . but that 's exactly the point . many subscribers , particularly parents or caregivers , are not aware that their accounts are being used to distribute illegal -- and sometimes harmful -- content through peer-to-peer networks . that ignorance does n't make it acceptable . what we need to do is help subscribers better understand what they can and can not do and help them get the compelling and entertaining movies and music from the constantly expanding collection of legal services now in the marketplace . with methods for sharing content constantly evolving , the copyright alert system is designed to address an information gap . from homeowners who want to make sure their wireless networks are secure to parents concerned about their children 's activity on the internet , information and tools can help users better consume content . in the coming months , we are eager to share our effort to close this information gap . join us at facebook/cnnopinion . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of jill lesser . | jill lesser : earlier op-ed imputed sinister intent to a new copyright alert system ; there is none . |
copyright alert system <tsp> ( cnn ) -- recently an op-ed by douglas rushkoff took up the issue of the creation of the center for copyright information ( cci ) , a coalition charged with implementing the copyright alert system , a graduated response framework to copyright infringement . as the executive director of the center , i would like to respond to several concerns that article raised about how the program will work and its goals for background , the copyright alert system aims to inform consumers of inadvertent or purposeful unauthorized distribution of content over peer-to-peer networks and to help consumers find legal ways to obtain , share and enjoy movies and music protected by copyright . the program represents an unprecedented and voluntary partnership between leading internet service providers ( isps ) -- at & t , cablevision , comcast , time warner cable and verizon -- and u.s. content creators -- represented by the motion picture association of america and the recording industry association of america -- with advice from leading consumer advocates . gigi sohn , president and ceo of public knowledge and marsali hancock , president , ikeepsafe.org , sit on our advisory board , to name just two . this system reflects a new reality : the internet has forever changed how content is consumed , making content easy to find , use and experience . our work at cci is about educating consumers about how to legally and ethically enjoy the movies and music they love . as rushkoff says : the longer term solution would be to develop an appropriate social contract : conducting ourselves online under the same civilized behavioral norms that keep us from , say , stealing stuff from one another 's homes even though we could probably get away with it . ' it 's beyond this premise that i take issue with rushkoff 's article . the article 's headline : will your internet provider be spying on you ? ' indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of the program and how it works ; it suggests that isps would engage in an activity anathema to their consumers to protect copyright . now that does n't sound like the isps that i know . opinion : will your internet provider be spying on you ? the role of the isps in the new copyright alert system will be to pass on notices sent by copyright holders to those subscribers whose internet protocol addresses ( strings of numbers that mean little to most people ) have been associated with allegedly illegal file sharing . as they have done for years , content owners will use technical methodologies to identify alleged infringements over peer-to-peer networks and will request that notices of such alleged infringement be passed on to subscribers by the participating isps . to be clear : no personal information at all , including the identity of the subscriber , will be shared with the content owners by the isps . what the isps will do , in recognition of the importance of copyright protection generally , is to then provide their subscribers with education and information about what not to do and how to get content in the right way . the alerts will be non-punitive -- 4-6 in total , depending on the isp -- but progressive in scale . if the activity stops , the alerts stop . initial alerts will focus on making the consumer aware of the activity and highlighting legal ways to enjoy content . the alerts are designed with particular attention to key groups -- parents of teens , for example -- to provide the most helpful and actionable information possible . alerts that require acknowledgment of receipt of the alert follow and -- in some cases -- the system also includes mitigation measures , which vary between isps . these may include temporary reduction of internet speed or redirection to a landing page until the subscriber contacts the isp or reviews educational information . the cas will only address activity over to peer-to-peer programs such as bittorrent -- not streaming video or other general online content . the system is based on consumers' right to know ' when their internet account is being used for illegal file sharing through peer-to-peer networks , or if their own online activity infringes on copyrights -- inadvertently or otherwise -- so that they can correct that activity . the alert system is similar to warnings and alerts in place for stolen credit cards . the unfortunate reality of malware and other potential dangers on peer-to-peer programs makes this service to subscribers particularly important . going beyond the nuts and bolts of the program , the center for copyright information 's primary goal is educational . the program is designed to provide non-punitive tools that will help inform consumers about how to legally enjoy digital copyrighted content and avoid illegal peer-to-peer networks , through a system based on information and deterrence . as rushkoff points out , in many cases the internet subscriber might have no knowledge of the infraction ' and he goes on to describe how a houseguest might share illegal content without the internet subscriber 's knowledge . but that 's exactly the point . many subscribers , particularly parents or caregivers , are not aware that their accounts are being used to distribute illegal -- and sometimes harmful -- content through peer-to-peer networks . that ignorance does n't make it acceptable . what we need to do is help subscribers better understand what they can and can not do and help them get the compelling and entertaining movies and music from the constantly expanding collection of legal services now in the marketplace . with methods for sharing content constantly evolving , the copyright alert system is designed to address an information gap . from homeowners who want to make sure their wireless networks are secure to parents concerned about their children 's activity on the internet , information and tools can help users better consume content . in the coming months , we are eager to share our effort to close this information gap . join us at facebook/cnnopinion . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of jill lesser . | jill lesser : earlier op-ed imputed sinister intent to a new copyright alert system ; there is none . |
west ham <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a deal which would have seen english football club west ham united move into the london 2012 olympic stadium collapsed on tuesday , casting doubt over the future of the purpose-built venue . the british government announced the stadium , which is located in the stratford area of east london and has the capacity to hold 80,000 spectators , will be kept in public ownership and rented out to a suitable tenant . the government and mayor of london have decided to end the current process to dispose of the olympic stadium , ' read a statement on the department for culture , media and sport 's website . the stadium will now be retained it ( sic ) as a public asset , and the olympic park legacy company ( oplc ) has been asked to start a new process to secure tenants for the stadium . ' the latest development also secures the future of the stadium as an athletics venue , with london bidding to host the 2017 world athletics championships . west ham originally won the right to move into the stadium in february , beating off competition from rival london club tottenham hotspur , after their bid received the unanimous backing of the oplc . but the decision has now been reversed amid concerns that a continued legal challenge from tottenham could cause delays which would impact negatively on the future of the stadium . another contributing factor is the time london would need to prepare for hosting the 2017 athletics showpiece , with qatar also bidding to stage the championships in doha . the government is committed to securing a legacy from the olympic stadium , and wants to see it re-opening in 2014 , ' british sports minister hugh robertson said . the process to sell the stadium has become bogged down . we are acting today to end the legal paralysis that has put that legacy at risk . ending the current sale process and looking for a leasehold solution will remove the current uncertainty and allows us to help secure the future use of the stadium with more confidence . ' despite the setback , a statement from west ham vice -chairman karen brady insisted the news was positive and the club would be interested in pursuing tenancy of the site . we would welcome a move by oplc and government to end that uncertainty and allow a football and athletics stadium to be in place by 2014 under a new process . if the speculation is true , west ham will look to become a tenant of the stadium while newham council will aim to help deliver the legacy . the stadium will be the center of global attention when london becomes the first city to host the games for a third time next year , with the opening ceremony kicking off proceedings on july 27 , 2012 . | west ham have declared their interest in renting the stadium |
west ham <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a deal which would have seen english football club west ham united move into the london 2012 olympic stadium collapsed on tuesday , casting doubt over the future of the purpose-built venue . the british government announced the stadium , which is located in the stratford area of east london and has the capacity to hold 80,000 spectators , will be kept in public ownership and rented out to a suitable tenant . the government and mayor of london have decided to end the current process to dispose of the olympic stadium , ' read a statement on the department for culture , media and sport 's website . the stadium will now be retained it ( sic ) as a public asset , and the olympic park legacy company ( oplc ) has been asked to start a new process to secure tenants for the stadium . ' the latest development also secures the future of the stadium as an athletics venue , with london bidding to host the 2017 world athletics championships . west ham originally won the right to move into the stadium in february , beating off competition from rival london club tottenham hotspur , after their bid received the unanimous backing of the oplc . but the decision has now been reversed amid concerns that a continued legal challenge from tottenham could cause delays which would impact negatively on the future of the stadium . another contributing factor is the time london would need to prepare for hosting the 2017 athletics showpiece , with qatar also bidding to stage the championships in doha . the government is committed to securing a legacy from the olympic stadium , and wants to see it re-opening in 2014 , ' british sports minister hugh robertson said . the process to sell the stadium has become bogged down . we are acting today to end the legal paralysis that has put that legacy at risk . ending the current sale process and looking for a leasehold solution will remove the current uncertainty and allows us to help secure the future use of the stadium with more confidence . ' despite the setback , a statement from west ham vice -chairman karen brady insisted the news was positive and the club would be interested in pursuing tenancy of the site . we would welcome a move by oplc and government to end that uncertainty and allow a football and athletics stadium to be in place by 2014 under a new process . if the speculation is true , west ham will look to become a tenant of the stadium while newham council will aim to help deliver the legacy . the stadium will be the center of global attention when london becomes the first city to host the games for a third time next year , with the opening ceremony kicking off proceedings on july 27 , 2012 . | west ham united 's move to the london 2012 olympic stadium has collapsed |
statue of liberty <tsp> new york ( cnn ) new york 's iconic statue of liberty and liberty island will reopen to the public saturday -- one day after a bomb threat that led to its evacuation was declared unfounded , officials said . the nypd bomb squad on friday examined a locker thought to contain a suspicious package and found it was empty , a law enforcement official said . police declared the scene clear at 3:15 p.m. other lockers checked as a precautionary measure , the law enforcement source said . images posted on social media showed crowds of visitors walking on ramps to awaiting ferries . all civilians were evacuated and only emergency personnel remained on liberty island , according to police . the fire department had ems units there as a precaution . mike burke , the head of statue cruises , which operates the ferry to the island , said : our first priority is the safety and well being of all of our visitors . ' burke said about 2,700 people were safely transported from the island and offered full refunds . service to liberty island is to resume at 8:30 a.m. saturday . shortly after 11 a.m. , the national park service was informed that a 911 caller made a threat to blow up the statue of liberty -- which led to the evacuation , according to park service spokeswoman mindi rambo . a sweep by u.s. park police canine units alerted on an area of interest near the lockers at the base ' of the statue of liberty , rambo said . park police had notified the nypd , which dispatched its bomb squad , officials said . it is not uncommon to get false positives from the bomb-sniffing dogs . following their investigation , it was determined that there was not an explosive device , ' rambo said . approximately 3.5 million people visit the statue of liberty every year . visitors must pass through security screening similar to airport security procedures , according to the national park service . previously , the statue closed in november 2012 because of significant damage sustained from superstorm sandy . it reopened on july 4 , 2013 , with a ribbon cutting ceremony and long lines of tourists . the last time the island shut down to the public was in october 2013 , when it closed for 12 days because of the a government shutdown . the statue was dedicated by president grover cleveland on october 28 , 1886 . it was a gift to the united states from the people of france to commemorate 100 years of franco-american friendship as well as the centennial of america 's independence . | statue of liberty evacuated after bomb threat , officials say |
statue of liberty <tsp> new york ( cnn ) new york 's iconic statue of liberty and liberty island will reopen to the public saturday -- one day after a bomb threat that led to its evacuation was declared unfounded , officials said . the nypd bomb squad on friday examined a locker thought to contain a suspicious package and found it was empty , a law enforcement official said . police declared the scene clear at 3:15 p.m. other lockers checked as a precautionary measure , the law enforcement source said . images posted on social media showed crowds of visitors walking on ramps to awaiting ferries . all civilians were evacuated and only emergency personnel remained on liberty island , according to police . the fire department had ems units there as a precaution . mike burke , the head of statue cruises , which operates the ferry to the island , said : our first priority is the safety and well being of all of our visitors . ' burke said about 2,700 people were safely transported from the island and offered full refunds . service to liberty island is to resume at 8:30 a.m. saturday . shortly after 11 a.m. , the national park service was informed that a 911 caller made a threat to blow up the statue of liberty -- which led to the evacuation , according to park service spokeswoman mindi rambo . a sweep by u.s. park police canine units alerted on an area of interest near the lockers at the base ' of the statue of liberty , rambo said . park police had notified the nypd , which dispatched its bomb squad , officials said . it is not uncommon to get false positives from the bomb-sniffing dogs . following their investigation , it was determined that there was not an explosive device , ' rambo said . approximately 3.5 million people visit the statue of liberty every year . visitors must pass through security screening similar to airport security procedures , according to the national park service . previously , the statue closed in november 2012 because of significant damage sustained from superstorm sandy . it reopened on july 4 , 2013 , with a ribbon cutting ceremony and long lines of tourists . the last time the island shut down to the public was in october 2013 , when it closed for 12 days because of the a government shutdown . the statue was dedicated by president grover cleveland on october 28 , 1886 . it was a gift to the united states from the people of france to commemorate 100 years of franco-american friendship as well as the centennial of america 's independence . | statue of liberty to reopen saturday |
harryhausen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ray harryhausen , the stop-motion animation and special-effects master whose work influenced such directors as steven spielberg , peter jackson and george lucas , has died , according to the facebook page of the ray and diana harryhausen foundation . harryhausen was 92 . the page did not offer a cause of death . harryhausen 's pioneering work on such movies as mighty joe young , ' jason and the argonauts , ' one million years b.c . ' and clash of the titans ' ( 1981 ) was widely praised for its ability to blend stop-motion effects -- models filmed one frame at a time -- and live action . in jason , ' for example , the hero has a battle with a group of skeletons that emerge from the ground and take on the greek warriors . harryhausen called his format dynamation , ' and though it looks somewhat crude by today 's computer-generated standards , it still packs a punch -- and other filmmakers remain agog by harryhausen 's abilities . several filmmakers paid tribute to him on his 90th birthday , including jackson , wallace & gromit 's ' nick park and monty python 's terry gilliam . pixar worked in a reference to harryhausen in monsters , inc. ' raymond frederick harryhausen was born in los angeles in 1920 . from his childhood he was intrigued by movies and animation , inspired by films such as the lost world ' ( 1925 ) and especially king kong ' ( 1933 ) . as a teenager he built dioramas featuring prehistoric creatures and filmed them with a 16-millimeter camera , gently hitting the run ' button to move the film one frame at a time , according to his biography on rayharryhausen.com . by the time he was in his early 20s he was friends with forrest ackerman and ray bradbury , two men who shared harryhausen 's fondness for storytelling and animation . ackerman became a writer , editor and famed memorabilia collector ; bradbury , of course , became one of the most celebrated science-fiction writers . other influential colleagues included willis o'brien , the king kong ' animator , who encouraged harryhausen 's pursuits , and george pal , who produced 1953 's the war of the worlds ' and directed 1960 's the time machine . ' the science-fiction and fantasy films of harryhausen 's career were n't the star-filled , big-budget productions of today . indeed , harryhausen 's creations were often the main attraction for films that lacked the polish of major studio releases . but the dedicated harryhausen had a well-earned following , and was quick with praise for his successors . he also never lost his fondness for storytelling , and even in today 's computer-dominated marketplace , maintained high hopes that the art of combining stop-motion with live action would continue . stop-motion is a medium that welcomes fantasy , hence the number of recent productions , ' harryhausen told cnn in 2012 . as yet , though , there seem to be no productions that are utilizing model stop-motion and live actors . but that will , i think , re-emerge . it is only a matter of time . ' people we lost in 2013 : the lives they lived | harryhausen influenced many moviemakers , including george lucas and peter jackson |
harryhausen <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ray harryhausen , the stop-motion animation and special-effects master whose work influenced such directors as steven spielberg , peter jackson and george lucas , has died , according to the facebook page of the ray and diana harryhausen foundation . harryhausen was 92 . the page did not offer a cause of death . harryhausen 's pioneering work on such movies as mighty joe young , ' jason and the argonauts , ' one million years b.c . ' and clash of the titans ' ( 1981 ) was widely praised for its ability to blend stop-motion effects -- models filmed one frame at a time -- and live action . in jason , ' for example , the hero has a battle with a group of skeletons that emerge from the ground and take on the greek warriors . harryhausen called his format dynamation , ' and though it looks somewhat crude by today 's computer-generated standards , it still packs a punch -- and other filmmakers remain agog by harryhausen 's abilities . several filmmakers paid tribute to him on his 90th birthday , including jackson , wallace & gromit 's ' nick park and monty python 's terry gilliam . pixar worked in a reference to harryhausen in monsters , inc. ' raymond frederick harryhausen was born in los angeles in 1920 . from his childhood he was intrigued by movies and animation , inspired by films such as the lost world ' ( 1925 ) and especially king kong ' ( 1933 ) . as a teenager he built dioramas featuring prehistoric creatures and filmed them with a 16-millimeter camera , gently hitting the run ' button to move the film one frame at a time , according to his biography on rayharryhausen.com . by the time he was in his early 20s he was friends with forrest ackerman and ray bradbury , two men who shared harryhausen 's fondness for storytelling and animation . ackerman became a writer , editor and famed memorabilia collector ; bradbury , of course , became one of the most celebrated science-fiction writers . other influential colleagues included willis o'brien , the king kong ' animator , who encouraged harryhausen 's pursuits , and george pal , who produced 1953 's the war of the worlds ' and directed 1960 's the time machine . ' the science-fiction and fantasy films of harryhausen 's career were n't the star-filled , big-budget productions of today . indeed , harryhausen 's creations were often the main attraction for films that lacked the polish of major studio releases . but the dedicated harryhausen had a well-earned following , and was quick with praise for his successors . he also never lost his fondness for storytelling , and even in today 's computer-dominated marketplace , maintained high hopes that the art of combining stop-motion with live action would continue . stop-motion is a medium that welcomes fantasy , hence the number of recent productions , ' harryhausen told cnn in 2012 . as yet , though , there seem to be no productions that are utilizing model stop-motion and live actors . but that will , i think , re-emerge . it is only a matter of time . ' people we lost in 2013 : the lives they lived | ray harryhausen was master of stop-motion animation |
jones <tsp> ( cnn ) -- spain 's answer to susan boyle took to the stage in a national talent show and produced a jaw-dropping display of athletic ability to win the competition . the show-stopper was 75-year-old british grandmother paddy jones who reportedly returned to dancing just five years ago after the death of her husband . jones , who is originally from stourbridge in the west midlands , england , appeared on stage in front of a studio audience with a partner 40 years her junior . the unlikely partners proceeded to perform a high-energy sequence of gravity-defying lifts , spins and flips . clips of jones'performance on tu si que vales , ' the spanish equivalent of britain 's got talent , ' are attracting hits on video-sharing site youtube and comments including wonderful , ' excellent ' and incredible woman ! ! ' watch jones'performance on tu si que vales ' on youtube jones , whose real name is sarah , told the local stourbridge news that she was stunned by her newfound fame . it 's crazy -- life has just turned upside down . we 're absolutely over the moon . i never really expected it , ' she said . since then we 've been recognized everywhere . i was in the doctor 's and people were coming up to me , and at the supermarket and even when i went to fill up with petrol . it 's absolutely wonderful . ' the stourbridge news reported that jones was a professional dancer in her youth . she now lives in gandia , near valencia in spain and is said to have taken up salsa dancing five years ago to keep herself entertained . on the program , jones is seen stepping onto the stage in impressively high heels , arm-in-arm with the local dance school instructor , nico . he explains to the clearly incredulous judges that they will be performing salsa acrobatica . ' seconds into the routine , he hoists jones onto his shoulders , from where she executes a proficient backflip . the cameras cut away to show one judge 's astonished expression while the audience cheers . from there , the routine becomes even more physical and ends when nico flips jones upside down and over his shoulder , drawing a standing ovation from the judges and the crowd . jones'triumphant confounding of expectations echoes that of britain 's got talent ' winner susan boyle who soared to international stardom with her unexpectedly tuneful rendition of i dreamed a dream . ' last week boyle , who is known by her fanbase as subo , set a new record in the u.s. for the most albums sold by any artist in a single week , with the largest ever sales debut for a female artist . boyle 's i dreamed a dream ' album hit the top of the billboard 200 albums chart with 701,000 copies sold in its first week , according to nielsen soundscan . before finding fame , the unmarried 48-year-old lived in a modest home in a small town in scotland with her pet cat . | 75-year-old paddy jones performs backflips , lifts and spins to win title |
jones <tsp> ( cnn ) -- spain 's answer to susan boyle took to the stage in a national talent show and produced a jaw-dropping display of athletic ability to win the competition . the show-stopper was 75-year-old british grandmother paddy jones who reportedly returned to dancing just five years ago after the death of her husband . jones , who is originally from stourbridge in the west midlands , england , appeared on stage in front of a studio audience with a partner 40 years her junior . the unlikely partners proceeded to perform a high-energy sequence of gravity-defying lifts , spins and flips . clips of jones'performance on tu si que vales , ' the spanish equivalent of britain 's got talent , ' are attracting hits on video-sharing site youtube and comments including wonderful , ' excellent ' and incredible woman ! ! ' watch jones'performance on tu si que vales ' on youtube jones , whose real name is sarah , told the local stourbridge news that she was stunned by her newfound fame . it 's crazy -- life has just turned upside down . we 're absolutely over the moon . i never really expected it , ' she said . since then we 've been recognized everywhere . i was in the doctor 's and people were coming up to me , and at the supermarket and even when i went to fill up with petrol . it 's absolutely wonderful . ' the stourbridge news reported that jones was a professional dancer in her youth . she now lives in gandia , near valencia in spain and is said to have taken up salsa dancing five years ago to keep herself entertained . on the program , jones is seen stepping onto the stage in impressively high heels , arm-in-arm with the local dance school instructor , nico . he explains to the clearly incredulous judges that they will be performing salsa acrobatica . ' seconds into the routine , he hoists jones onto his shoulders , from where she executes a proficient backflip . the cameras cut away to show one judge 's astonished expression while the audience cheers . from there , the routine becomes even more physical and ends when nico flips jones upside down and over his shoulder , drawing a standing ovation from the judges and the crowd . jones'triumphant confounding of expectations echoes that of britain 's got talent ' winner susan boyle who soared to international stardom with her unexpectedly tuneful rendition of i dreamed a dream . ' last week boyle , who is known by her fanbase as subo , set a new record in the u.s. for the most albums sold by any artist in a single week , with the largest ever sales debut for a female artist . boyle 's i dreamed a dream ' album hit the top of the billboard 200 albums chart with 701,000 copies sold in its first week , according to nielsen soundscan . before finding fame , the unmarried 48-year-old lived in a modest home in a small town in scotland with her pet cat . | jones reportedly said : it 's crazy -- life has just turned upside down ' |
gaza <tsp> ( cnn ) -- more than 1,300 palestinians died and about 5,400 others were wounded during israel 's three-week offensive in gaza , the web site of the palestinian authority 's central bureau of statistics said monday . a palestinian man monday prays in the rubble of his home , destroyed during israel 's offensive in gaza . louay shabana , head of the agency , said more than 22,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed . shabana put the economic destruction at more than $ 1.9 billion . the fighting largely stopped sunday with a cease-fire . israel has said 13 of its citizens -- including 10 soldiers -- were killed during the offensive , which started december 27 . israel said its offensive was aimed at stopping hamas militants from firing rockets into southern israel . gaza is in need of humanitarian , economic , sanitary and social help as a result of the israeli attacks , shabana said . the attacks destroyed public sector and private buildings in gaza , affecting even the united nations relief and works agency 's facilities and halting economic and social services , the statistics agency said . watch palestinians recover bodies from rubble » gaza 's gross domestic product was slashed by 85 percent during the 22 days of war , and it could take a year for the economy to recover , the agency said in a preliminary report . about 80 percent of crops in gaza were destroyed , according to the agency . the pervasive sense here among the population is one of overwhelming grief , so many families have been destroyed in so many ways , ' said john ging , the top united nations official in gaza . ging , unrwa 's gaza director of operations , said the bill could reach billions of dollars . ' among the dead were 159 children , two of whom died in an unrwa school that was shelled saturday , ging said . gaza 's main border crossings , which israel often closed in response to hamas rocket attacks , were open monday . infrastructure repairs were being made , but 400,000 people still had no water , according to ging . streets in some northern gaza towns were flooded with sewage , and about 50 u.n. facilities were damaged , he said . more than 170 supply trucks crossed into gaza on monday , less than a third of the daily number that crossed in 2005 , said john holmes , u.n. under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator . israel tried to avoid civilian casualties in gaza , a senior israel defense forces officer said in a posting monday on the idf web site . this was not a war against the palestinians , ' he said . it was an operation of self-defense against hamas and related terror organizations . unfortunately , this task was made extremely difficult by hamas , as they made the choice to use civilians as human shields . ' israel began the offensive in response to rocket fire by hamas militants after showing eight years of restraint , the officer said . the operation 's goal , he said , was to improve the security situation in southern israel , and to facilitate peaceful living for the israeli civilians living there . ' we asked ourselves how to accomplish this , and the answer was to hit hamas hard -- to strike the tunnels , the terrorists themselves , and all of their assets -- in order to prevent them from committing war crimes by firing rockets that target our civilian population , ' the officer said . he said seven rockets have been fired from gaza into israel since sunday 's cease-fire declaration . we want to give this cease-fire a chance , but if hamas chooses not to , we will utilize all of our means , ' he said . | israeli offensive caused $ 1.9 billion in economic destruction in gaza , official says |
gaza <tsp> ( cnn ) -- more than 1,300 palestinians died and about 5,400 others were wounded during israel 's three-week offensive in gaza , the web site of the palestinian authority 's central bureau of statistics said monday . a palestinian man monday prays in the rubble of his home , destroyed during israel 's offensive in gaza . louay shabana , head of the agency , said more than 22,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed . shabana put the economic destruction at more than $ 1.9 billion . the fighting largely stopped sunday with a cease-fire . israel has said 13 of its citizens -- including 10 soldiers -- were killed during the offensive , which started december 27 . israel said its offensive was aimed at stopping hamas militants from firing rockets into southern israel . gaza is in need of humanitarian , economic , sanitary and social help as a result of the israeli attacks , shabana said . the attacks destroyed public sector and private buildings in gaza , affecting even the united nations relief and works agency 's facilities and halting economic and social services , the statistics agency said . watch palestinians recover bodies from rubble » gaza 's gross domestic product was slashed by 85 percent during the 22 days of war , and it could take a year for the economy to recover , the agency said in a preliminary report . about 80 percent of crops in gaza were destroyed , according to the agency . the pervasive sense here among the population is one of overwhelming grief , so many families have been destroyed in so many ways , ' said john ging , the top united nations official in gaza . ging , unrwa 's gaza director of operations , said the bill could reach billions of dollars . ' among the dead were 159 children , two of whom died in an unrwa school that was shelled saturday , ging said . gaza 's main border crossings , which israel often closed in response to hamas rocket attacks , were open monday . infrastructure repairs were being made , but 400,000 people still had no water , according to ging . streets in some northern gaza towns were flooded with sewage , and about 50 u.n. facilities were damaged , he said . more than 170 supply trucks crossed into gaza on monday , less than a third of the daily number that crossed in 2005 , said john holmes , u.n. under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator . israel tried to avoid civilian casualties in gaza , a senior israel defense forces officer said in a posting monday on the idf web site . this was not a war against the palestinians , ' he said . it was an operation of self-defense against hamas and related terror organizations . unfortunately , this task was made extremely difficult by hamas , as they made the choice to use civilians as human shields . ' israel began the offensive in response to rocket fire by hamas militants after showing eight years of restraint , the officer said . the operation 's goal , he said , was to improve the security situation in southern israel , and to facilitate peaceful living for the israeli civilians living there . ' we asked ourselves how to accomplish this , and the answer was to hit hamas hard -- to strike the tunnels , the terrorists themselves , and all of their assets -- in order to prevent them from committing war crimes by firing rockets that target our civilian population , ' the officer said . he said seven rockets have been fired from gaza into israel since sunday 's cease-fire declaration . we want to give this cease-fire a chance , but if hamas chooses not to , we will utilize all of our means , ' he said . | u.n. official : 159 children among 1,300 people killed in gaza during offensive |
gaza <tsp> ( cnn ) -- more than 1,300 palestinians died and about 5,400 others were wounded during israel 's three-week offensive in gaza , the web site of the palestinian authority 's central bureau of statistics said monday . a palestinian man monday prays in the rubble of his home , destroyed during israel 's offensive in gaza . louay shabana , head of the agency , said more than 22,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed . shabana put the economic destruction at more than $ 1.9 billion . the fighting largely stopped sunday with a cease-fire . israel has said 13 of its citizens -- including 10 soldiers -- were killed during the offensive , which started december 27 . israel said its offensive was aimed at stopping hamas militants from firing rockets into southern israel . gaza is in need of humanitarian , economic , sanitary and social help as a result of the israeli attacks , shabana said . the attacks destroyed public sector and private buildings in gaza , affecting even the united nations relief and works agency 's facilities and halting economic and social services , the statistics agency said . watch palestinians recover bodies from rubble » gaza 's gross domestic product was slashed by 85 percent during the 22 days of war , and it could take a year for the economy to recover , the agency said in a preliminary report . about 80 percent of crops in gaza were destroyed , according to the agency . the pervasive sense here among the population is one of overwhelming grief , so many families have been destroyed in so many ways , ' said john ging , the top united nations official in gaza . ging , unrwa 's gaza director of operations , said the bill could reach billions of dollars . ' among the dead were 159 children , two of whom died in an unrwa school that was shelled saturday , ging said . gaza 's main border crossings , which israel often closed in response to hamas rocket attacks , were open monday . infrastructure repairs were being made , but 400,000 people still had no water , according to ging . streets in some northern gaza towns were flooded with sewage , and about 50 u.n. facilities were damaged , he said . more than 170 supply trucks crossed into gaza on monday , less than a third of the daily number that crossed in 2005 , said john holmes , u.n. under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator . israel tried to avoid civilian casualties in gaza , a senior israel defense forces officer said in a posting monday on the idf web site . this was not a war against the palestinians , ' he said . it was an operation of self-defense against hamas and related terror organizations . unfortunately , this task was made extremely difficult by hamas , as they made the choice to use civilians as human shields . ' israel began the offensive in response to rocket fire by hamas militants after showing eight years of restraint , the officer said . the operation 's goal , he said , was to improve the security situation in southern israel , and to facilitate peaceful living for the israeli civilians living there . ' we asked ourselves how to accomplish this , and the answer was to hit hamas hard -- to strike the tunnels , the terrorists themselves , and all of their assets -- in order to prevent them from committing war crimes by firing rockets that target our civilian population , ' the officer said . he said seven rockets have been fired from gaza into israel since sunday 's cease-fire declaration . we want to give this cease-fire a chance , but if hamas chooses not to , we will utilize all of our means , ' he said . | it could take a year for gaza 's economy to recover , palestinian agency says |
isis <tsp> ( cnn ) -- isis moved closer to seizing kobani on sunday as militants entered the southeastern edge of the syrian city and street-to-street fighting began , a fighter and a media activist inside the city told cnn . the city 's defenders were looking for ways to escape the kurdish stronghold strategically located near the turkish border , the fighter said . it 's the last chance to leave , ' the fighter said . the fighter and media activist requested their names be withheld for security reasons . as night fell , the city grew quiet . members of the kurdish people 's protection unit , called ypg , and other groups defending the city were unable to move because isis snipers were equipped with night vision equipment , the fighter said . the fighter said many city defenders close to the turkish border attempted to cross into turkey , while other fighters closer to isis positions were waiting until the morning to make a move . the importance of kobani isis has been trying to seize kobani for weeks . the city is significant because isis wants to claim a swath of land running from its self-declared capital of raqqa , syria , on the euphrates river to the turkish border , more than 60 miles away . on sunday , isis fighters overpowered kurdish forces to take the top and the eastern side of meshta nour , the strategic hill overlooking kobani , said the sources , who both requested their names be withheld for security reasons . a civilian source inside kobani said there have been heavy clashes on all fronts around kobani . he said isis forces had been moved back from a small corner of the city they 'd held for two days . the ypg said in a statement that 86 terrorists ' were killed during a 24-hour period and 17 ypg members died . on sunday , smoke billowed over kobani as isis sent bombs into the middle of town . u.s. , allies stage airstrikes kobani is now tightly surrounded in a crescent from the aleppo road on the southwestern outskirts of the city all the way to the eastern edge of kobani , near the turkish border , the fighter and media activist said . isis is making inroads despite airstrikes by u.s. and allied forces , including sunday 's strikes on the eastern outskirts of the city . the ypg destroyed an isis tank in the east of kobani near kane kordan , a large mound on the eastern of the city , the civilian source said . isis fighters are now about about one kilometer south on the aleppo road , the civilian source said . turkish security force throw teargas conflict occurred outside kobani when turkish security forces fired tear gas canisters at kurds gathered near the border to watch the fighting from afar , cnn 's phil black reported . black said the security forces fired the tear gas when the crowds became restive or moved too close to the border . at least three canisters struck a cnn van , he said . nobody was badly hurt and the crowds dispersed . pakistani talilban supports isis isis picked up support when pakistani taliban spokesperson shahidullah shahid issued a statement backing isis . the muslims of the world look to you with great expectation and in this difficult time we your mujahidin brothers are with you and will provide you with fighters and help , ' the statement said . meanwhile , u.s. and allied military forces conducted three airstrikes against isis in syria and six airstrikes in iraq on saturday and sunday , u.s. central command reported . in syria , one strike northwest of al mayadin destroyed an isis bulldozer , two tanks and another vehicle , the military said . two strikes northwest of ar raqqah hit a large isis unit and destroyed six firing positions . in iraq , four strikes northeast of fallujah struck two mortar teams , a large isis unit and two small isis units , the military said . three isis humvees were destroyed with strikes near hit and sinjar . australians complete first air mission australia has completed its first air combat mission over iraq , the government announced sunday in a press release . two royal australian air force f/a-18f super hornet aircraft conducted an air interdiction and close air support mission over northern iraq and were on-call to attack targets if needed , the release said . the aircraft did not use their munitions and returned to base to disarm , the release said . cnn 's ingrid formanek in turkey and yousif basil in atlanta contributed to this report . | pakistani taliban issues statement supporting isis |
isis <tsp> ( cnn ) -- isis moved closer to seizing kobani on sunday as militants entered the southeastern edge of the syrian city and street-to-street fighting began , a fighter and a media activist inside the city told cnn . the city 's defenders were looking for ways to escape the kurdish stronghold strategically located near the turkish border , the fighter said . it 's the last chance to leave , ' the fighter said . the fighter and media activist requested their names be withheld for security reasons . as night fell , the city grew quiet . members of the kurdish people 's protection unit , called ypg , and other groups defending the city were unable to move because isis snipers were equipped with night vision equipment , the fighter said . the fighter said many city defenders close to the turkish border attempted to cross into turkey , while other fighters closer to isis positions were waiting until the morning to make a move . the importance of kobani isis has been trying to seize kobani for weeks . the city is significant because isis wants to claim a swath of land running from its self-declared capital of raqqa , syria , on the euphrates river to the turkish border , more than 60 miles away . on sunday , isis fighters overpowered kurdish forces to take the top and the eastern side of meshta nour , the strategic hill overlooking kobani , said the sources , who both requested their names be withheld for security reasons . a civilian source inside kobani said there have been heavy clashes on all fronts around kobani . he said isis forces had been moved back from a small corner of the city they 'd held for two days . the ypg said in a statement that 86 terrorists ' were killed during a 24-hour period and 17 ypg members died . on sunday , smoke billowed over kobani as isis sent bombs into the middle of town . u.s. , allies stage airstrikes kobani is now tightly surrounded in a crescent from the aleppo road on the southwestern outskirts of the city all the way to the eastern edge of kobani , near the turkish border , the fighter and media activist said . isis is making inroads despite airstrikes by u.s. and allied forces , including sunday 's strikes on the eastern outskirts of the city . the ypg destroyed an isis tank in the east of kobani near kane kordan , a large mound on the eastern of the city , the civilian source said . isis fighters are now about about one kilometer south on the aleppo road , the civilian source said . turkish security force throw teargas conflict occurred outside kobani when turkish security forces fired tear gas canisters at kurds gathered near the border to watch the fighting from afar , cnn 's phil black reported . black said the security forces fired the tear gas when the crowds became restive or moved too close to the border . at least three canisters struck a cnn van , he said . nobody was badly hurt and the crowds dispersed . pakistani talilban supports isis isis picked up support when pakistani taliban spokesperson shahidullah shahid issued a statement backing isis . the muslims of the world look to you with great expectation and in this difficult time we your mujahidin brothers are with you and will provide you with fighters and help , ' the statement said . meanwhile , u.s. and allied military forces conducted three airstrikes against isis in syria and six airstrikes in iraq on saturday and sunday , u.s. central command reported . in syria , one strike northwest of al mayadin destroyed an isis bulldozer , two tanks and another vehicle , the military said . two strikes northwest of ar raqqah hit a large isis unit and destroyed six firing positions . in iraq , four strikes northeast of fallujah struck two mortar teams , a large isis unit and two small isis units , the military said . three isis humvees were destroyed with strikes near hit and sinjar . australians complete first air mission australia has completed its first air combat mission over iraq , the government announced sunday in a press release . two royal australian air force f/a-18f super hornet aircraft conducted an air interdiction and close air support mission over northern iraq and were on-call to attack targets if needed , the release said . the aircraft did not use their munitions and returned to base to disarm , the release said . cnn 's ingrid formanek in turkey and yousif basil in atlanta contributed to this report . | isis fighters have taken part of a strategic hill near kobani , sources say |
isis <tsp> ( cnn ) -- isis moved closer to seizing kobani on sunday as militants entered the southeastern edge of the syrian city and street-to-street fighting began , a fighter and a media activist inside the city told cnn . the city 's defenders were looking for ways to escape the kurdish stronghold strategically located near the turkish border , the fighter said . it 's the last chance to leave , ' the fighter said . the fighter and media activist requested their names be withheld for security reasons . as night fell , the city grew quiet . members of the kurdish people 's protection unit , called ypg , and other groups defending the city were unable to move because isis snipers were equipped with night vision equipment , the fighter said . the fighter said many city defenders close to the turkish border attempted to cross into turkey , while other fighters closer to isis positions were waiting until the morning to make a move . the importance of kobani isis has been trying to seize kobani for weeks . the city is significant because isis wants to claim a swath of land running from its self-declared capital of raqqa , syria , on the euphrates river to the turkish border , more than 60 miles away . on sunday , isis fighters overpowered kurdish forces to take the top and the eastern side of meshta nour , the strategic hill overlooking kobani , said the sources , who both requested their names be withheld for security reasons . a civilian source inside kobani said there have been heavy clashes on all fronts around kobani . he said isis forces had been moved back from a small corner of the city they 'd held for two days . the ypg said in a statement that 86 terrorists ' were killed during a 24-hour period and 17 ypg members died . on sunday , smoke billowed over kobani as isis sent bombs into the middle of town . u.s. , allies stage airstrikes kobani is now tightly surrounded in a crescent from the aleppo road on the southwestern outskirts of the city all the way to the eastern edge of kobani , near the turkish border , the fighter and media activist said . isis is making inroads despite airstrikes by u.s. and allied forces , including sunday 's strikes on the eastern outskirts of the city . the ypg destroyed an isis tank in the east of kobani near kane kordan , a large mound on the eastern of the city , the civilian source said . isis fighters are now about about one kilometer south on the aleppo road , the civilian source said . turkish security force throw teargas conflict occurred outside kobani when turkish security forces fired tear gas canisters at kurds gathered near the border to watch the fighting from afar , cnn 's phil black reported . black said the security forces fired the tear gas when the crowds became restive or moved too close to the border . at least three canisters struck a cnn van , he said . nobody was badly hurt and the crowds dispersed . pakistani talilban supports isis isis picked up support when pakistani taliban spokesperson shahidullah shahid issued a statement backing isis . the muslims of the world look to you with great expectation and in this difficult time we your mujahidin brothers are with you and will provide you with fighters and help , ' the statement said . meanwhile , u.s. and allied military forces conducted three airstrikes against isis in syria and six airstrikes in iraq on saturday and sunday , u.s. central command reported . in syria , one strike northwest of al mayadin destroyed an isis bulldozer , two tanks and another vehicle , the military said . two strikes northwest of ar raqqah hit a large isis unit and destroyed six firing positions . in iraq , four strikes northeast of fallujah struck two mortar teams , a large isis unit and two small isis units , the military said . three isis humvees were destroyed with strikes near hit and sinjar . australians complete first air mission australia has completed its first air combat mission over iraq , the government announced sunday in a press release . two royal australian air force f/a-18f super hornet aircraft conducted an air interdiction and close air support mission over northern iraq and were on-call to attack targets if needed , the release said . the aircraft did not use their munitions and returned to base to disarm , the release said . cnn 's ingrid formanek in turkey and yousif basil in atlanta contributed to this report . | isis fighters have entered the southeastern edge of the city , the sources said |
blair <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ten years ago , blair and estelle hunt entered the wine business with nothing more than a bare plot of land . blair and estelle hunt with their wine awards . both were approaching 60 and , while they were familiar with what made a good bottle of red , they had no idea how to make it . that did n't stop them . this year , industry experts judged their 2005 bald hills pinot noir the best red wine in the world . it beat 4,760 other entries to take the champion red award in the international wine challenge , the world 's biggest blind tasting . and , it was the first time a vineyard outside france took decanter magazine 's top prize for best pinot noir over £10 . we were amazed , ' said blair hunt . it 's impeccable timing for a small vineyard in the face of such extensive competition . ' success has come rather suddenly for blair and estelle . after 45 years of marriage , three children and varied careers in management , real estate and teaching , they had been looking to wind down . they sold their house in sydney and moved to rural new zealand to search for something to keep them occupied in later life . i 'm really wary about the word retirement , ' blair says . i do n't quite understand it , although the reality is that it is our income so you could say it 's our retirement . ' they had been considering entering the dairy industry , but as they criss-crossed the country searching for a place to settle down , the stunning landscape of central otago in new zealand 's south island won them over . just the sheer beauty of the place led us to say right let 's give it a go , ' says blair hunt . as it turns out , bannockburn , one hour outside queenstown , was an ideal place to grow grapes . we knew that from research on record we had good soil types and in relative proximity we could see grapes growing . the plot was just a bare 11 hectares , or 27 acres . it had a nice slope to the north , north-west , so you 've got that sun bearing down on it all of the day . everything seemed to be lined up and , as it turns out , it has been . ' they planted their first vines in 1997 . back then it was a part-time job . every weekend they 'd drive up into the hills from their home in balclutha , south otago to tend their vines . they built a house on the site and moved there in 2001 . even then it did n't demand their full attention . until june , blair hunt was working full-time as the chief executive of the local hospital . not bad for an old fella , ' he laughs . he is 69 . estelle , 68 , shares his passion for a day 's hard work washed down with a glass of fine wine each night . some people just are energetic and love what they 're doing . that 's a huge help , ' she says . we 're avid learners really . we used to spend a lot more time in the vineyard but as time went by we discovered that there was more and more paperwork to be done . ' blair still loves to get out and do the mowing up and down the rows and have a good look to see what 's actually going on out there . from time to time we 've both got out and done some picking . ' blair is quick to correct the suggestion that their success is anything other than the result of hard work by a dedicated viticulturalist and his team , as well as an expert winemaker . renowned new zealand winemaker grant taylor started working with them before the first grapes were picked . he has his own label and is very selective about to whom he lends his expertise . i have worked with many , many grape growers in 28 years of winemaking . i never try to push my thoughts on them because usually they will cost the grower money , but simply say what i think and let them make the decision , ' he says . blair and estelle have listened , then acted . they have been fine tuning their viticulture , i have been fine tuning the winemaking , and the vines have been getting older and doing their job better . but underneath it all is a shared philosophy , which is to do everything in the vineyard and winemaking to make the best wine possible . there are no shortcuts aimed at saving money . ' pinot noir grapes are notoriously difficult to nurture . they 're thin-skinned , susceptible to rot and are really only successfully grown in three locations : burgundy in france , oregon in the u.s. , and new zealand 's central otago region . there , growers go to great lengths to ward off winter frosts in the cold mountain ranges . some fly helicopters low over the vines to stir up the icy air . at bald hills , there are two wind-machines on standby if the temperature starts to plummet . the rest of the season , the vines are pruned and tended by hand , the grapes individually picked . strangely , the vineyard 's spare no expense ' philosophy has n't produced a hideously expensive wine . visitors to the cellar door can buy a bottle for 38 new zealand dollars , or less than u.s. $ 30 . and , despite the scarcity of the product -- there are only 100 uncommitted ' cases left -- the hunts have not put up the price -- yet . we 're contemplating that , and the consequences of doing that in the longer term . at the end of the day you 're talking about long term viability and sustainability rather than short-term gains , ' blair says . this couple , although approaching 70 , is in it for the long haul . the judges called their 2005 pinot noir well integrated , harmonious and impeccably balanced . the same might be said about them . e-mail to a friend | blair and estelle hunt own the bald hills vineyard in new zealand |
the walking dead <tsp> ( cnn ) -- milton might be dead on the walking dead , ' but actor dallas roberts ( who portrayed the governor 's one-time lackey ) is very glad to be alive -- and finally able to talk about the show 's season three finale . you ca n't imagine the pressure that 's finally off , ' he said . i 'm finally able to have all the cards on the table . ' before sunday night , roberts had only told three ( ok , maybe four ) people about how milton would become a walker , keeping the list limited to his girlfriend , his kids , and maybe a trusted friend who lived near where they shot the show in atlanta . i may have taken an authorized photo of myself as a walker , and i may have sent that to him under threat of dismemberment if he passed that along , ' roberts said . but the last thing you want to do is spoil season three of'the walking dead'where you turn into a zombie and kill andrea ! ' laurie holden shares final thoughts on her'walking dead'experience turning into a zombie meant roberts finally got his turn in the chair in the more bloody and gross ' makeup trailer reserved for walkers . all season long , milton has been kept squeaky clean , raising serious questions such as , where is he sending his dry cleaning ? ' roberts laughed . how is he showering three times a day ? where is he getting all his razors ? ' from the beginning , they were like ,'no sexy dirt on him . he 's always clean . he 's always tucked in ,'' roberts continued . i was like ,'wow , there 's something about this that 's going to go somewhere .'and nope ! he 's just the clean guy . no sexy dirt for me . milton never got the sexy anything , did he ? ' but for the few scenes in the finale , roberts was sexy , dirty , bloody , the whole shebang , as milton was left in a locked room to turn and tear the flesh from ( andrea 's ) bones , ' whether he liked it or not . that scene meant he got to go through a lot of emotional turmoil , knowing she 's going to be taken out , knowing it 's over , and everything he worked for is going to die , and someone he cared for is going to die . ' what 's inside a walker ? cast , producer spill their guts milton did n't imagine that he would be used as a tool to take andrea out ' as well , and if he had , he would have behaved differently , ' roberts said . i think he thought there would be a bullet in his head , and that 's it . ' in the original plan for the scene , there actually was a bullet involved , but during the reshoot , it was changed to a stabbing . either way , milton had to collapse , he said , in a pool of fake viscous blood that sort of cooled and crackled for hours and hours and hours . ' to make shooting that part of the finale a little easier , his co-star david morrissey kept him in stitches beforehand with some gallows humor . ' before the door opened and he throws me to my knees , he and i were crying , laughing , at the jokes we were making , ' roberts said . i can promise you that they were completely inappropriate , and that they were hilarious . after a while , it was n't even that it was funny as much as that we needed to straighten up before that door opened . it was like laughing in church , or laughing in school . ' but no matter how much fun he had on set , do n't expect milton to be back in the form of flashbacks or visions a la lori for rick . i do n't think anyone wants the governor to see milton in a white dress on a balcony ! ' roberts laughed . ( plus roberts just landed a regular gig on unforgettable ' and remains a recurring guest star on the good wife . ' ) besides , assuming he was on the outs , roberts swiped a beaker that milton used to use . i was n't going to take the clothes , for sure , ' he said . i mean , they were great clothes for milton , but not for dallas . pleated khakis ! ' | dallas roberts portrayed the governor 's one-time lackey , milton , on the walking dead ' |
ganymede <tsp> ( cnn ) -- at least one corner of the solar system may be serving up an ice-and-water sandwich , with the possibility of life on the rocks . nasa researchers , publishing in the journal planetary and space science , have demonstrated that this club sandwich ' phenomenon may be happening on ganymede , the largest moon in the solar system and a satellite of jupiter . this finding means that life could have even arisen on ganymede . the study suggests there may be a layer of salty water directly on top of ganymede 's rocky core . chemical interactions between rock and water could lead to the formation of life , scientists say . this is good news for ganymede , ' said lead study author steve vance of nasa 's jet propulsion laboratory in a statement . its ocean is huge , with enormous pressures , so it was thought that dense ice had to form at the bottom of the ocean . when we added salts to our models , we came up with liquids dense enough to sink to the sea floor . ' the oceans of ganymede may have 25 times the volume of earth 's oceans , scientists said . but ganymede is also smaller ; it has an average radius of 1,634 miles , about 41 % of earth 's . there is only a handful of places in the solar system thought to have subsurface oceans . there is strong evidence that europa , another moon of jupiter 's , and saturn 's moons enceladus and titan have oceans under ice as well . jupiter 's moon callisto is also a contender . data from nasa 's cassini spacecraft suggested last month that enceladus has an ocean at least the size of lake superior under its ice layer . signs of underground ocean found on saturn moon vance and colleagues did not visit ganymede , obviously , but they performed laboratory experiments here on earth to simulate what would happen to ice and salty water on the jupiter moon . they showed that the density of liquids goes up with the presence of salt under extreme conditions inside moons such as ganymede . because salt ions attract molecules of h2o , liquid water becomes denser when salt is added . there are many forms of ice , which makes modeling conditions on icy moons complex . you are probably most familiar with ice i , the ice that floats in a soda fountain beverage because it is lighter than water . but ice molecules get packed together more tightly at high pressures , vance said . in deep oceans , the dense ice would actually be heavier than water , plummeting to the ocean floor . vance and colleagues use ice vi to refer to the most dense and heavy ice that ganymede may have . on this moon , however , scientists believe the saltiest liquid would be so dense that it would be at the very bottom , above the rock . computer models taking all of that into account suggest that ganymede has as many as three ice layers with liquid ocean between them . the models also suggest that ice could form in the seawater -- a process that leaves heavy salts to fall down and lighter ice to float up -- an upward snow effect . in the middle of the layers may be slush from that ice that then melts . scientists do n't know if this model is correct , of course . senior author christophe sotin , also of nasa 's jpl , said in a statement that the sandwich ' model reflects a stable state , but there are various reasons why the moon might not achieve this structure ; it may even alternate between a club sandwich ' phase and a structure with fewer layers : light ice , ocean , high-pressure ice . galileo galilei discovered ganymede as well as three other moons of jupiter in 1610 . these moons contributed to the knowledge that our sun and other planets in our solar system do not orbit the earth , but rather the solar system revolves around the sun . we may learn more about ganymede and other moons with the potential of life through a space mission called jupiter icy moons explorer , or juice . the mission , being developed by the european space agency , will visit europa , callisto and ganymede . it is scheduled to launch in 2022 . | ganymede is one of several moons in our solar system that may support life |
ganymede <tsp> ( cnn ) -- at least one corner of the solar system may be serving up an ice-and-water sandwich , with the possibility of life on the rocks . nasa researchers , publishing in the journal planetary and space science , have demonstrated that this club sandwich ' phenomenon may be happening on ganymede , the largest moon in the solar system and a satellite of jupiter . this finding means that life could have even arisen on ganymede . the study suggests there may be a layer of salty water directly on top of ganymede 's rocky core . chemical interactions between rock and water could lead to the formation of life , scientists say . this is good news for ganymede , ' said lead study author steve vance of nasa 's jet propulsion laboratory in a statement . its ocean is huge , with enormous pressures , so it was thought that dense ice had to form at the bottom of the ocean . when we added salts to our models , we came up with liquids dense enough to sink to the sea floor . ' the oceans of ganymede may have 25 times the volume of earth 's oceans , scientists said . but ganymede is also smaller ; it has an average radius of 1,634 miles , about 41 % of earth 's . there is only a handful of places in the solar system thought to have subsurface oceans . there is strong evidence that europa , another moon of jupiter 's , and saturn 's moons enceladus and titan have oceans under ice as well . jupiter 's moon callisto is also a contender . data from nasa 's cassini spacecraft suggested last month that enceladus has an ocean at least the size of lake superior under its ice layer . signs of underground ocean found on saturn moon vance and colleagues did not visit ganymede , obviously , but they performed laboratory experiments here on earth to simulate what would happen to ice and salty water on the jupiter moon . they showed that the density of liquids goes up with the presence of salt under extreme conditions inside moons such as ganymede . because salt ions attract molecules of h2o , liquid water becomes denser when salt is added . there are many forms of ice , which makes modeling conditions on icy moons complex . you are probably most familiar with ice i , the ice that floats in a soda fountain beverage because it is lighter than water . but ice molecules get packed together more tightly at high pressures , vance said . in deep oceans , the dense ice would actually be heavier than water , plummeting to the ocean floor . vance and colleagues use ice vi to refer to the most dense and heavy ice that ganymede may have . on this moon , however , scientists believe the saltiest liquid would be so dense that it would be at the very bottom , above the rock . computer models taking all of that into account suggest that ganymede has as many as three ice layers with liquid ocean between them . the models also suggest that ice could form in the seawater -- a process that leaves heavy salts to fall down and lighter ice to float up -- an upward snow effect . in the middle of the layers may be slush from that ice that then melts . scientists do n't know if this model is correct , of course . senior author christophe sotin , also of nasa 's jpl , said in a statement that the sandwich ' model reflects a stable state , but there are various reasons why the moon might not achieve this structure ; it may even alternate between a club sandwich ' phase and a structure with fewer layers : light ice , ocean , high-pressure ice . galileo galilei discovered ganymede as well as three other moons of jupiter in 1610 . these moons contributed to the knowledge that our sun and other planets in our solar system do not orbit the earth , but rather the solar system revolves around the sun . we may learn more about ganymede and other moons with the potential of life through a space mission called jupiter icy moons explorer , or juice . the mission , being developed by the european space agency , will visit europa , callisto and ganymede . it is scheduled to launch in 2022 . | ganymede 's oceans may have 25 times the volume of earth 's |
san siro <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ac milan wasted a golden opportunity to close the gap on leaders and city rivals inter at the top of the italian serie a table after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to lowly livorno . with inter 's match at parma postponed because of heavy snow , a milan win would have closed the gap at the top of the table to eight points -- with both teams having played 21 matches . veteran midfielder massimo ambrosini put milan ahead on the stroke of half-time when he hooked the ball home after goalkeeper francesco benussi failed to deal with a david beckham cross . but cristiano lucarelli poked home a mis-hit claudio bellucci shot just before the hour mark to earn livorno a point . it completes a difficult week for leonardo 's side following their surprise italian cup defeat to udinese and last weekend 's'derby'reverse at the san siro . milan 's failure to win means in-form roma have joined them on 41 points after a narrow 2-1 home win over bottom side siena . second-half substitute stefano okaka struck the winner three minutes from time in his final match before joining english premier league side fulham in a six-month loan deal . jon arne riise had put the hosts in front in the 29th minute before siena 's simone vergassola equalized just before half-time . however , striker okaka flicked home the late winner to earn cluadio ranieri 's side a fourth successive serie a victory . elsewhere in italy , striker antonio cassano has confirmed he has turned down the chance to join fiorentina , choosing to remain with sampdoria despite reports of a fall-out with coach luigi del neri . on the pitch , sampdoria maintained their champions league challenge with a comfortable 2-0 win over strugglers atalanta . meanwhile , juventus moved up a place to fifth , going above palermo , after a 1-1 draw at home to lazio . alessandro del piero 's penalty after 70 minutes looked like giving new coach alberto zaccheroni a winning start to his reign . however , stefano mauri converted a cross from mauro zarate to level matters with just 12 minutes remaining . | cristiano lucarelli pokes home an equalizer as livorno draw 1-1 at the san siro |
milan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ac milan wasted a golden opportunity to close the gap on leaders and city rivals inter at the top of the italian serie a table after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to lowly livorno . with inter 's match at parma postponed because of heavy snow , a milan win would have closed the gap at the top of the table to eight points -- with both teams having played 21 matches . veteran midfielder massimo ambrosini put milan ahead on the stroke of half-time when he hooked the ball home after goalkeeper francesco benussi failed to deal with a david beckham cross . but cristiano lucarelli poked home a mis-hit claudio bellucci shot just before the hour mark to earn livorno a point . it completes a difficult week for leonardo 's side following their surprise italian cup defeat to udinese and last weekend 's'derby'reverse at the san siro . milan 's failure to win means in-form roma have joined them on 41 points after a narrow 2-1 home win over bottom side siena . second-half substitute stefano okaka struck the winner three minutes from time in his final match before joining english premier league side fulham in a six-month loan deal . jon arne riise had put the hosts in front in the 29th minute before siena 's simone vergassola equalized just before half-time . however , striker okaka flicked home the late winner to earn cluadio ranieri 's side a fourth successive serie a victory . elsewhere in italy , striker antonio cassano has confirmed he has turned down the chance to join fiorentina , choosing to remain with sampdoria despite reports of a fall-out with coach luigi del neri . on the pitch , sampdoria maintained their champions league challenge with a comfortable 2-0 win over strugglers atalanta . meanwhile , juventus moved up a place to fifth , going above palermo , after a 1-1 draw at home to lazio . alessandro del piero 's penalty after 70 minutes looked like giving new coach alberto zaccheroni a winning start to his reign . however , stefano mauri converted a cross from mauro zarate to level matters with just 12 minutes remaining . | milan waste a golden opportunity to close the gap on leaders inter at the top of serie a |
milan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ac milan wasted a golden opportunity to close the gap on leaders and city rivals inter at the top of the italian serie a table after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to lowly livorno . with inter 's match at parma postponed because of heavy snow , a milan win would have closed the gap at the top of the table to eight points -- with both teams having played 21 matches . veteran midfielder massimo ambrosini put milan ahead on the stroke of half-time when he hooked the ball home after goalkeeper francesco benussi failed to deal with a david beckham cross . but cristiano lucarelli poked home a mis-hit claudio bellucci shot just before the hour mark to earn livorno a point . it completes a difficult week for leonardo 's side following their surprise italian cup defeat to udinese and last weekend 's'derby'reverse at the san siro . milan 's failure to win means in-form roma have joined them on 41 points after a narrow 2-1 home win over bottom side siena . second-half substitute stefano okaka struck the winner three minutes from time in his final match before joining english premier league side fulham in a six-month loan deal . jon arne riise had put the hosts in front in the 29th minute before siena 's simone vergassola equalized just before half-time . however , striker okaka flicked home the late winner to earn cluadio ranieri 's side a fourth successive serie a victory . elsewhere in italy , striker antonio cassano has confirmed he has turned down the chance to join fiorentina , choosing to remain with sampdoria despite reports of a fall-out with coach luigi del neri . on the pitch , sampdoria maintained their champions league challenge with a comfortable 2-0 win over strugglers atalanta . meanwhile , juventus moved up a place to fifth , going above palermo , after a 1-1 draw at home to lazio . alessandro del piero 's penalty after 70 minutes looked like giving new coach alberto zaccheroni a winning start to his reign . however , stefano mauri converted a cross from mauro zarate to level matters with just 12 minutes remaining . | milan are eight points behind leaders inter , whose match against parma was postponed |
israel <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- a 9-year-old boy 's request to have israel listed as the place of birth on his u.s. passport was supported by the u.s. supreme court on monday . menachem zivotofsky was born in jerusalem , a disputed region in the eyes of the obama administration , which claimed the larger issue should be resolved by bilateral negotiations , not by a 2002 federal law favoring the family and 50,000 other americans born in the holy city . the justice department urged the courts to stay out of the matter . but the justices by an 8-1 vote said the courts could intervene and decide the matter . that jurisdictional barrier is now overcome and the family can continue to pursue their legal claims . the case is a classic fight between congressional and executive authority , with foreign policy the source of the current controversy . at issue before the high court were two questions , one narrow , one broad : can courts intervene to enforce a federal law explicitly directing the state department how to record the birthplace of an american citizen on a passport ? and does the law impermissibly infringe on the president 's power to recognize a foreign sovereign ? there have been 50,000 americans in the last 10 years that were born in jerusalem , and many of them would like to have israel indicated as their place of birth in the passports , ' sarah cleveland , a columbia university law school professor , and until recently a counselor on international law at the state department , said in november . but this is also an extremely important geopolitical issue and a very sensitive foreign relations issue for the united states . ' the high court case was zivotofsky v. clinton , but the key player in this dispute is perhaps the most famous city in the world , and one of the oldest human settlements still in existence : jerusalem . its name translates as city of peace ' to some , holy sanctuary ' to others . it is israel 's largest city and its capital , though that is not recognized by the united nations and most of the world community . the city is home to ari and naomi zivotofsky . the couple and their two oldest children were born in the united states , but the family migrated to west jerusalem a decade ago , and in 2002 the youngest , menachem binyamin , was born . we 're very proud of the fact that he was born in israel and that we live in israel and it 's the modern state of israel , ' ari zivotofsky told cnn correspondent kate bolduan last year . religiously and historically , that 's very significant . ' just three weeks before menachem was born , the united states congress gave u.s. citizens born in jerusalem the individual discretion to ask that israel be listed on passports and consular reports , where it says place of birth . ' president george w. bush signed the bill , but issued an executive signing statement ' indicating he would not comply . the law , he said impermissibly interferes with the president 's constitutional authority to conduct the nation 's foreign affairs and to supervise the unitary executive branch . ' that law , and the zivotofsky 's long-standing request , were at the center of the 70-minute arguments before the justices in november . they 're both proud american citizens but feel a very strong affinity , religiously too , to the state of israel , ' said alyza lewin , the zivotofsky 's washington-based lawyer , last year . their son is very proud of the fact that he is the one sibling born in israel . ' it is not the first time the congress and white house have clashed over the region . the u.s. embassy remains in tel aviv , over u.s. lawmakers'objections . the boy 's mother made the israel ' request about two months after his birth , but embassy officials refused . his passport in fact shows his round , innocent face , and jerusalem ' is listed as his place of birth . that 's been the state department 's practice , the general rule for american citizens born abroad is that their passport lists only a country of birth , ' said lewin in november . so if a citizen is born for instance in paris , it says france . if they 're born in tel aviv or haifa , it says just israel . if you 're born in jerusalem , instead of saying the country , the city is listed -- just a city -- jerusalem . ' the attorneys for the zivotofskys have framed their case as a modest request , one that does not implicate the president 's foreign policy power . they are asking the high court not to decide a political question , but simply tell the administration to enforce the law , for the sake of a little boy . it is a very personal case . what 's at stake is their deep personal pride and sense of identification with the state of israel , and their right , given by congress , to express that , on the passport , ' said attorney nathan lewin , who argued the family 's case before the high court in november . that pride , and the national pride of others , is clearly what makes that region as much front page news as it often is . but i do n't think that this case itself is asking for any kind of broader determination than allowing these individuals that opportunity . congress has recognized that it 's part of his self respect , that he should be able to say israel , and that 's all that we 're asking for in this case . ' the government is thinking of the bigger picture . state department officials would not comment on the record on a pending case , but president barack obama has acknowledged the stalled peace process has created divisions both in that region and in the united states . palestinians should know the territorial outlines of their state ; israelis should know that their basic security concerns will be met , ' he said in a may 2010 speech . i know that these steps alone will not resolve this conflict . two wrenching and emotional issues remain : the future of jerusalem , and the fate of palestinian refugees . but moving forward now on the basis of territory and security provides a foundation to resolve those two issues in a way that is just and fair , and that respects the rights and aspirations of israelis and palestinians . ' choosing a home , and being able to decide what to call it may seem like a fundamental right . but nothing is so easy when jerusalem is mentioned . the zivotofskys say they recognize the geo-political complexity , but think in this case , in this judicial forum , the solution is simple . everybody knows jerusalem is in israel . why is the state department refusing to recognize this ? ' said nathan lewin . they have this fear of nonexistent hobgoblins , which has caused them to follow this policy , and it 's about time -- congress thought it was about time -- they get rid of that policy ... all that we 're asking the supreme court to do is agree with congress , that this is a foolish policy , and ought to be eliminated . ' | menachem zivotofsky wants to list israel as his birthplace on his u.s. passport |
israel <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- a 9-year-old boy 's request to have israel listed as the place of birth on his u.s. passport was supported by the u.s. supreme court on monday . menachem zivotofsky was born in jerusalem , a disputed region in the eyes of the obama administration , which claimed the larger issue should be resolved by bilateral negotiations , not by a 2002 federal law favoring the family and 50,000 other americans born in the holy city . the justice department urged the courts to stay out of the matter . but the justices by an 8-1 vote said the courts could intervene and decide the matter . that jurisdictional barrier is now overcome and the family can continue to pursue their legal claims . the case is a classic fight between congressional and executive authority , with foreign policy the source of the current controversy . at issue before the high court were two questions , one narrow , one broad : can courts intervene to enforce a federal law explicitly directing the state department how to record the birthplace of an american citizen on a passport ? and does the law impermissibly infringe on the president 's power to recognize a foreign sovereign ? there have been 50,000 americans in the last 10 years that were born in jerusalem , and many of them would like to have israel indicated as their place of birth in the passports , ' sarah cleveland , a columbia university law school professor , and until recently a counselor on international law at the state department , said in november . but this is also an extremely important geopolitical issue and a very sensitive foreign relations issue for the united states . ' the high court case was zivotofsky v. clinton , but the key player in this dispute is perhaps the most famous city in the world , and one of the oldest human settlements still in existence : jerusalem . its name translates as city of peace ' to some , holy sanctuary ' to others . it is israel 's largest city and its capital , though that is not recognized by the united nations and most of the world community . the city is home to ari and naomi zivotofsky . the couple and their two oldest children were born in the united states , but the family migrated to west jerusalem a decade ago , and in 2002 the youngest , menachem binyamin , was born . we 're very proud of the fact that he was born in israel and that we live in israel and it 's the modern state of israel , ' ari zivotofsky told cnn correspondent kate bolduan last year . religiously and historically , that 's very significant . ' just three weeks before menachem was born , the united states congress gave u.s. citizens born in jerusalem the individual discretion to ask that israel be listed on passports and consular reports , where it says place of birth . ' president george w. bush signed the bill , but issued an executive signing statement ' indicating he would not comply . the law , he said impermissibly interferes with the president 's constitutional authority to conduct the nation 's foreign affairs and to supervise the unitary executive branch . ' that law , and the zivotofsky 's long-standing request , were at the center of the 70-minute arguments before the justices in november . they 're both proud american citizens but feel a very strong affinity , religiously too , to the state of israel , ' said alyza lewin , the zivotofsky 's washington-based lawyer , last year . their son is very proud of the fact that he is the one sibling born in israel . ' it is not the first time the congress and white house have clashed over the region . the u.s. embassy remains in tel aviv , over u.s. lawmakers'objections . the boy 's mother made the israel ' request about two months after his birth , but embassy officials refused . his passport in fact shows his round , innocent face , and jerusalem ' is listed as his place of birth . that 's been the state department 's practice , the general rule for american citizens born abroad is that their passport lists only a country of birth , ' said lewin in november . so if a citizen is born for instance in paris , it says france . if they 're born in tel aviv or haifa , it says just israel . if you 're born in jerusalem , instead of saying the country , the city is listed -- just a city -- jerusalem . ' the attorneys for the zivotofskys have framed their case as a modest request , one that does not implicate the president 's foreign policy power . they are asking the high court not to decide a political question , but simply tell the administration to enforce the law , for the sake of a little boy . it is a very personal case . what 's at stake is their deep personal pride and sense of identification with the state of israel , and their right , given by congress , to express that , on the passport , ' said attorney nathan lewin , who argued the family 's case before the high court in november . that pride , and the national pride of others , is clearly what makes that region as much front page news as it often is . but i do n't think that this case itself is asking for any kind of broader determination than allowing these individuals that opportunity . congress has recognized that it 's part of his self respect , that he should be able to say israel , and that 's all that we 're asking for in this case . ' the government is thinking of the bigger picture . state department officials would not comment on the record on a pending case , but president barack obama has acknowledged the stalled peace process has created divisions both in that region and in the united states . palestinians should know the territorial outlines of their state ; israelis should know that their basic security concerns will be met , ' he said in a may 2010 speech . i know that these steps alone will not resolve this conflict . two wrenching and emotional issues remain : the future of jerusalem , and the fate of palestinian refugees . but moving forward now on the basis of territory and security provides a foundation to resolve those two issues in a way that is just and fair , and that respects the rights and aspirations of israelis and palestinians . ' choosing a home , and being able to decide what to call it may seem like a fundamental right . but nothing is so easy when jerusalem is mentioned . the zivotofskys say they recognize the geo-political complexity , but think in this case , in this judicial forum , the solution is simple . everybody knows jerusalem is in israel . why is the state department refusing to recognize this ? ' said nathan lewin . they have this fear of nonexistent hobgoblins , which has caused them to follow this policy , and it 's about time -- congress thought it was about time -- they get rid of that policy ... all that we 're asking the supreme court to do is agree with congress , that this is a foolish policy , and ought to be eliminated . ' | zivotofsky 's family is proud of the fact he was born in israel , their attorney says |
biden <tsp> ( cnn ) -- sen. john mccain 's campaign rebuked sen. joe biden on tuesday , saying the democratic vice presidential nominee had sunk to a new low ' by raising a debate over who cares more for special needs children . sen. joseph biden embraces a supporter during a campaign stop in columbia , missouri , on tuesday . the republican camp 's sharp response came after biden said gop advocates for children with birth defects should support stem cell research . during a campaign event in columbia , missouri , biden did not mention his republican counterpart by name but said , i hear all this talk about how the republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy ... and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability , who were born with a birth defect . ' biden 's support of stem cell research is at odds with the position taken by the republicans'vice presidential nominee , alaska gov . sarah palin , whose 5-month-old son , trig , has down syndrome . palin , an evangelical christian , opposes stem cell research because it involves the use of human embryos , but her running mate , gop presidential nominee mccain , does support stem cell research . well , guess what , folks ? if you care about it , why do n't you support stem cell research ? ' asked biden , the running mate of democratic presidential nominee sen. barack obama . those comments brought a sharp response . barack obama 's running mate sunk to a new low today , launching an offensive debate over who cares more about special needs children , ' mccain-palin spokesman ben porritt said . playing politics with this issue is disturbing and indicative of a desperate campaign . ' biden spokesman david wade insisted that the delaware senator 's comments were not directed at palin . this is a clash of policies , not a clash of personalities , ' wade said . we 've heard not a dime 's worth of difference between the mccain-palin ticket and the bush administration on medical breakthroughs that millions of parents and doctors believe could save lives and transform the quality of life for countless americans . ' during her acceptance speech at the republican national convention last week , palin told parents of children with disabilities that she would be a friend and advocate in the white house . ' but the alaska governor 's support for the disabled has come under scrutiny since mccain chose palin to be his running mate nearly two weeks ago . before her run for the vice presidency , advocacy for special needs programs had not been a central part of her political campaigns or during her administration , despite her sister 's autistic son . watch more on palin 's budget priorities » palin signed a bill this year increasing special needs funding but frustrated some of the bill 's co-sponsors by stepping in only at the last minute . sonya kerr , an anchorage attorney specializing in disability rights , filed a lawsuit against the state and palin , alleging that there are not enough services for kids with special needs , specifically a child with autism . i would say , welcome , gov . palin , to our reality and what we 've been trying to deal with for a long time , ' kerr said . i hope that it means that there will be support on a bipartisan basis for what people with disabilities need so we are not a bargaining chip in the political process . ' cnn 's deb feyerick , alexander mooney and rachel streitfeld contributed to this report . | mccain camp says biden sunk to a new low ' with comments |
biden <tsp> ( cnn ) -- sen. john mccain 's campaign rebuked sen. joe biden on tuesday , saying the democratic vice presidential nominee had sunk to a new low ' by raising a debate over who cares more for special needs children . sen. joseph biden embraces a supporter during a campaign stop in columbia , missouri , on tuesday . the republican camp 's sharp response came after biden said gop advocates for children with birth defects should support stem cell research . during a campaign event in columbia , missouri , biden did not mention his republican counterpart by name but said , i hear all this talk about how the republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy ... and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability , who were born with a birth defect . ' biden 's support of stem cell research is at odds with the position taken by the republicans'vice presidential nominee , alaska gov . sarah palin , whose 5-month-old son , trig , has down syndrome . palin , an evangelical christian , opposes stem cell research because it involves the use of human embryos , but her running mate , gop presidential nominee mccain , does support stem cell research . well , guess what , folks ? if you care about it , why do n't you support stem cell research ? ' asked biden , the running mate of democratic presidential nominee sen. barack obama . those comments brought a sharp response . barack obama 's running mate sunk to a new low today , launching an offensive debate over who cares more about special needs children , ' mccain-palin spokesman ben porritt said . playing politics with this issue is disturbing and indicative of a desperate campaign . ' biden spokesman david wade insisted that the delaware senator 's comments were not directed at palin . this is a clash of policies , not a clash of personalities , ' wade said . we 've heard not a dime 's worth of difference between the mccain-palin ticket and the bush administration on medical breakthroughs that millions of parents and doctors believe could save lives and transform the quality of life for countless americans . ' during her acceptance speech at the republican national convention last week , palin told parents of children with disabilities that she would be a friend and advocate in the white house . ' but the alaska governor 's support for the disabled has come under scrutiny since mccain chose palin to be his running mate nearly two weeks ago . before her run for the vice presidency , advocacy for special needs programs had not been a central part of her political campaigns or during her administration , despite her sister 's autistic son . watch more on palin 's budget priorities » palin signed a bill this year increasing special needs funding but frustrated some of the bill 's co-sponsors by stepping in only at the last minute . sonya kerr , an anchorage attorney specializing in disability rights , filed a lawsuit against the state and palin , alleging that there are not enough services for kids with special needs , specifically a child with autism . i would say , welcome , gov . palin , to our reality and what we 've been trying to deal with for a long time , ' kerr said . i hope that it means that there will be support on a bipartisan basis for what people with disabilities need so we are not a bargaining chip in the political process . ' cnn 's deb feyerick , alexander mooney and rachel streitfeld contributed to this report . | biden spokesman says vice presidential nominee did not target palin |
biden <tsp> ( cnn ) -- sen. john mccain 's campaign rebuked sen. joe biden on tuesday , saying the democratic vice presidential nominee had sunk to a new low ' by raising a debate over who cares more for special needs children . sen. joseph biden embraces a supporter during a campaign stop in columbia , missouri , on tuesday . the republican camp 's sharp response came after biden said gop advocates for children with birth defects should support stem cell research . during a campaign event in columbia , missouri , biden did not mention his republican counterpart by name but said , i hear all this talk about how the republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy ... and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability , who were born with a birth defect . ' biden 's support of stem cell research is at odds with the position taken by the republicans'vice presidential nominee , alaska gov . sarah palin , whose 5-month-old son , trig , has down syndrome . palin , an evangelical christian , opposes stem cell research because it involves the use of human embryos , but her running mate , gop presidential nominee mccain , does support stem cell research . well , guess what , folks ? if you care about it , why do n't you support stem cell research ? ' asked biden , the running mate of democratic presidential nominee sen. barack obama . those comments brought a sharp response . barack obama 's running mate sunk to a new low today , launching an offensive debate over who cares more about special needs children , ' mccain-palin spokesman ben porritt said . playing politics with this issue is disturbing and indicative of a desperate campaign . ' biden spokesman david wade insisted that the delaware senator 's comments were not directed at palin . this is a clash of policies , not a clash of personalities , ' wade said . we 've heard not a dime 's worth of difference between the mccain-palin ticket and the bush administration on medical breakthroughs that millions of parents and doctors believe could save lives and transform the quality of life for countless americans . ' during her acceptance speech at the republican national convention last week , palin told parents of children with disabilities that she would be a friend and advocate in the white house . ' but the alaska governor 's support for the disabled has come under scrutiny since mccain chose palin to be his running mate nearly two weeks ago . before her run for the vice presidency , advocacy for special needs programs had not been a central part of her political campaigns or during her administration , despite her sister 's autistic son . watch more on palin 's budget priorities » palin signed a bill this year increasing special needs funding but frustrated some of the bill 's co-sponsors by stepping in only at the last minute . sonya kerr , an anchorage attorney specializing in disability rights , filed a lawsuit against the state and palin , alleging that there are not enough services for kids with special needs , specifically a child with autism . i would say , welcome , gov . palin , to our reality and what we 've been trying to deal with for a long time , ' kerr said . i hope that it means that there will be support on a bipartisan basis for what people with disabilities need so we are not a bargaining chip in the political process . ' cnn 's deb feyerick , alexander mooney and rachel streitfeld contributed to this report . | biden says gop advocates for special needs kids should support stem cell research |
city <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it was a game that featured one of the most expensively assembled casts a manchester derby has ever seen . quite rightly , it was settled by one of the most valuable forwards in world football . sergio aguero 's second half strike was enough to give manchester city a closely fought 1-0 victory over a manchester united side that played the majority of this tense match with ten men after chris smalling was sent off late in the first period . the result marks a fourth consecutive derby victory for city and keeps them on the tails of second placed southampton in the premier league standings . all the games are ( worth ) three points but it 's important to win the derby , ' city manager manuel pelligrini told sky sports after the match . it 's a special moment to win against manchester united . ' pellegrini 's men have struggled in recent weeks , losing to newcastle united and west ham in domestic competitions whilst drawing with cska moscow in the champions league . but city showed admirable grit to shut out their cross-town opponents sunday after coming under real pressure in the closing stages . they ( united ) played well towards the end , ' city captain vincent kompany said . we had most of the chances but you miss a couple and you can seem to lose control of the game . the derby win is massive . for a minute , the league does n't matter . it is a boost for us and we will do our job again in the champions league on wednesday . ' city 's recent dominance in this fixture now makes the big spending noisy neighbors ' accusation once leveled by former united manager alex ferguson seem a long time ago . if anything , the big spending tag is now more apt for united . the red devils trumped city and all others in the premier league this close season by splashing out over $ 239 million on new talent like angel di maria , radamel falcao , luke shaw , marcos rojo , ander herrera and daley blind to aid new manager louis van gaal 's assault on the title . city were hardly penny pinchers themselves , however , bringing in the likes of eliquiam malanga , fernando and willy caballero at a combined cost of $ 78 million , but were more restrained in the market than in years gone by . it was one of the mainstays of the light blues recent triumphs , himself a $ 60 million signing from atletico madrid back in 2011 , who would settle this affair . aguero looked lively all afternoon , testing david de gea early on with a rasping strike from a tight angle and then forcing the united keeper into a brave block later in the half . when smalling was sent off , after picking up a second booking for a lunging tackle on james milner that van gaal later described as not very smart , ' it looked like the lively argentine would find more space against united 's depleted back line . while that did n't exactly turn out to be the case , as united still created more than their fair share of chances , he was to prove the difference just after the hour mark . gael clichy was expertly played through by yaya toure before cutting the ball back for aguero to sweep the ball high beyond de gea . it was a typically smart aguero goal , displaying nifty movement to step away from his marker to create the space for the pull back . united reacted by pushing forward despite their numerical disadvantage and came close through efforts from robin van persie and marouane fellaini . city still created chances of their own , however . jesus navas cracked the upright after a clever through ball from toure while stevan jovetic made de gea work after shooting from the edge of the box . with time running out wayne rooney burst through the city defense and claimed to have been brought down by the covering martin demichelis . referee michael oliver remained unmoved and when the ball broke to di maria , the argentine 's shot was brilliantly saved low down to his right by hart . it was to be the last clear cut chance of the match as city closed out to maintain their local dominance . | manchester city defeat manchester united 1-0 |
city <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it was a game that featured one of the most expensively assembled casts a manchester derby has ever seen . quite rightly , it was settled by one of the most valuable forwards in world football . sergio aguero 's second half strike was enough to give manchester city a closely fought 1-0 victory over a manchester united side that played the majority of this tense match with ten men after chris smalling was sent off late in the first period . the result marks a fourth consecutive derby victory for city and keeps them on the tails of second placed southampton in the premier league standings . all the games are ( worth ) three points but it 's important to win the derby , ' city manager manuel pelligrini told sky sports after the match . it 's a special moment to win against manchester united . ' pellegrini 's men have struggled in recent weeks , losing to newcastle united and west ham in domestic competitions whilst drawing with cska moscow in the champions league . but city showed admirable grit to shut out their cross-town opponents sunday after coming under real pressure in the closing stages . they ( united ) played well towards the end , ' city captain vincent kompany said . we had most of the chances but you miss a couple and you can seem to lose control of the game . the derby win is massive . for a minute , the league does n't matter . it is a boost for us and we will do our job again in the champions league on wednesday . ' city 's recent dominance in this fixture now makes the big spending noisy neighbors ' accusation once leveled by former united manager alex ferguson seem a long time ago . if anything , the big spending tag is now more apt for united . the red devils trumped city and all others in the premier league this close season by splashing out over $ 239 million on new talent like angel di maria , radamel falcao , luke shaw , marcos rojo , ander herrera and daley blind to aid new manager louis van gaal 's assault on the title . city were hardly penny pinchers themselves , however , bringing in the likes of eliquiam malanga , fernando and willy caballero at a combined cost of $ 78 million , but were more restrained in the market than in years gone by . it was one of the mainstays of the light blues recent triumphs , himself a $ 60 million signing from atletico madrid back in 2011 , who would settle this affair . aguero looked lively all afternoon , testing david de gea early on with a rasping strike from a tight angle and then forcing the united keeper into a brave block later in the half . when smalling was sent off , after picking up a second booking for a lunging tackle on james milner that van gaal later described as not very smart , ' it looked like the lively argentine would find more space against united 's depleted back line . while that did n't exactly turn out to be the case , as united still created more than their fair share of chances , he was to prove the difference just after the hour mark . gael clichy was expertly played through by yaya toure before cutting the ball back for aguero to sweep the ball high beyond de gea . it was a typically smart aguero goal , displaying nifty movement to step away from his marker to create the space for the pull back . united reacted by pushing forward despite their numerical disadvantage and came close through efforts from robin van persie and marouane fellaini . city still created chances of their own , however . jesus navas cracked the upright after a clever through ball from toure while stevan jovetic made de gea work after shooting from the edge of the box . with time running out wayne rooney burst through the city defense and claimed to have been brought down by the covering martin demichelis . referee michael oliver remained unmoved and when the ball broke to di maria , the argentine 's shot was brilliantly saved low down to his right by hart . it was to be the last clear cut chance of the match as city closed out to maintain their local dominance . | result marks city 's first victory in three matches |
dubuque <tsp> all the elements were there for low turnout : it was a beautiful , cloudless night , the iowa-iowa state game had just ended , and the state 's critical place in presidential politics still felt years away for most iowans . but on saturday night in dubuque , iowa , roughly 130 people showed up to see independent sen. bernie sanders of vermont talk about elevating the middle class , nationalizing health care and fighting the degrading influence of money in politics . and they did n't just listen -- they urged him to run for president in 2016 . we need a political revolution in this country , ' sanders said , to applause . politics is terribly important , and what happens in washington and state capitals is also enormously important . ' a largely older , markedly liberal audience listened to sanders for over an hour inside the student center of the local university . before the event started , attendees chatted about the senator coming to dubuque and whether he was going to run for president . many said they hoped so , mostly because they want a liberal option in the democratic primary in 2016 . everything he says speaks to me about who i am as an american , as a voter , as a middle-class voter , ' said ann bodnar-donovan , who sat in the front row at the event . others echoed her sentiment . sanders did not actually mention his presidential aspirations from the dais , but his event in iowa -- along with town halls in waterloo and des moines on sunday -- made it clear that he is toying with a bid . the final steak fry : honoring harkin with a large helping of politics sanders told cnn earlier last week that he was thinking about a run and was traveling to iowa to find out what kind of support there is for a progressive agenda . ' he wo n't say whether he would run as an independent or a democrat , but his supporters in iowa clearly wanted him to run as a liberal democrat . sanders was not the only potential 2016 candidate in iowa this weekend . hillary clinton , the prohibitive front-runner for the nomination if she chooses to run , is headlining the harkin steak fry in des moines on sunday . it is her first event in the hawkeye state in over six years . clinton 's and sanders'events could n't be more different . the former secretary of state will speak to more than 5,000 people at an idyllic field south of des moines . signs adorn every corner of the event , which will see over 2,500 pounds of steak grilled and served . the only signage for sanders'event was a small piece of cardboard in front of the building that read bernie sanders . ' but sanders is benefiting from clinton . people at his event liked the fact he was courting iowa despite clinton 's front-runner status and was willing to stand up and possibly challenge her from the left . i think the democratic party needs to move a little bit to the liberal , progressive side , ' said marcos rubinstein , who organized dennis kucinich 's 2008 iowa campaign . i want to hear him . of course i like him , i know his history . ' before his speech , sanders reflected on the third beheading of a western individual by isis and president barack obama 's authorization of military strikes in syria . clearly isis is a terrorist organization , a brutal organization , a dangerous organization , ' sanders told cnn , before he quickly turned to a topic he is more comfortable about : the middle class and the economy . in the midst of dealing with isis , it is absolutely imperative that we not ignore the huge problems facing the middle class and working families of this country . ' the senator did devote a great deal of his speech to speaking about the future of the united states , including outlining a plan he called the agenda for america . ' his first point was the most well-received : we have got to restore the democracy to the united states of america by overturning this disastrous citizens united supreme court decision . ... i do not believe that people fought and died for democracy so that billionaires can buy elections . ' sanders has become a champion of overturning the 2010 citizens united ruling , which opened the floodgates for outside money in politics and ballooned the amount spent on campaigns . he spent the last week arguing as much from the senate floor . on health care , sanders added that the united states of america needs to join with the rest of the industrialized world and have a nationalized health care . ' sanders ended his speech with a call to action , urging attendees to begin a conversation and organize support in northeast iowa for the issues he was addressing . our job is to educate , is to organize , is to go outside our zone of comfort , ' he said . we need to build coalitions . ' clinton tops democrats in iowa while huckabee leads republicans sanders challenges hillary clinton | in dubuque , sanders calls for a political revolution ' and asks supporters to organize |
unirea urziceni <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the english premier league has rejected a proposal to bring scottish premier league sides celtic and rangers into english football 's top flight . the glasgow-based sides , who have dominated their own league both competitively and financially in recent years , had hoped to be part of plans submitted by bolton chairman phil gartside who is keen on a two-tier league of between 36 and 40 teams . both celtic and rangers would have been invited to join the lower of the two leagues under the plan , but the proposal was overwhelmingly rejected . english premier league clubs will now consider whether to introduce a two-tier system as part of a wider strategic review . a statement from the premier league said : bolton wanderers submitted a discussion paper detailing ideas concerning the restructuring of the premier league into two tiers with the inclusion of celtic and rangers . the clubs welcomed the additional input into an ongoing process , however , they were of the opinion that bringing celtic and rangers into any form of premier league set-up was not desirable or viable . the other relevant ideas contained within bolton 's paper will now be taken forward as part of the wider strategic review being undertaken by the premier league since november 2008 with the aim of providing recommendations before december 2010 . ' the rejection comes as rangers revealed that they made a loss of nearly $ 22 million last year , compared with a profit of $ 11.3m the previous year . rangers are currently seeking new owners , with former chairman david murray keen to off-load his controlling stake . the club have also been hit by a fine by governing body uefa for crowd trouble during their champions league match against unirea urziceni on november 4 in romania . rangers have been fined $ 30,000 for the behaviour of their supporters while romanian outfit have been hit with a fine of around $ 12,000 for their organisation at the group g clash . | rangers have also been fined by uefa for the behavior of their fans during their match against unirea urziceni |
serena williams <tsp> a day after rafael nadal exited the madrid masters and vowed never to return while the clay is still blue , a similarly disgruntled novak djokovic suffered a shock 7-6 ( 2 ) , 6-3 loss to fellow serb janko tipsarevic . the world no . 1 said he would join nadal in boycotting the madrid tournament next year if organizers did not restore standard red clay to the courts . i want to forget this week as soon as possible and move on to the real clay courts , ' djokovic said . it took me at least a week to try to get used to this surface and somehow find a way to win matches and play a decent level of tennis . there is no discussion in my eyes , it 's very simple . no blue clay for me . ' nadal lost to fellow spaniard fernando verdasco on thursday for his earliest exit in a clay-court tournament in eight years . verdasco was routed 6-1 , 6-2 by tomas berdych in friday 's quarterfinals . the blue clay is the brainchild of tournament owner ion tiriac , who claims it helps fans see the ball and creates a better viewing experience . and while djokovic and nadal have crashed out , roger federer has thrived at the tournament , beating david ferrer 6-4 , 6-4 on friday to advance to the semifinals . the 16-time grand slam champion , president of the atp players'council , said he sympathized with nadal and djokovic . yes of course , i said it from the start . it 's not something we actually wanted , ' he said . i understand their frustrations . it 's a bit tricky for everyone and we definitely have to look into things for next year . ' federer will replace nadal at no . 2 in the rankings if he wins the tournament , thereby increasing his chances of being seeded second for the french open . federer , who did n't face a single break point against ferrer , will play tipsarevic in the semifinals , while juan martin del potro meets berdych in the other after a comfortable 6-3 , 6-4 win over alexandr dolgopolov . serena williams , too , has been in blistering form in madrid and won a battle of former no . 1s in typically ruthless style , thrashing maria sharapova 6-1 , 6-3 . both players were unbeaten on clay coming into the match , but williams extended her winning streak over the russian to seven while winning her 10th straight match . williams said the clay was extremely slippery ' but she would n't join the top men 's stars in skipping madrid next year . if i 'm not here next year , it wo n't be because of the clay , ' said the 13-time grand slam champion . i do n't think there 's been any improvement in the courts over the week , but every clay court is different . this is not the best court -- definitely not what they play like at roland garros -- but it 's what they use at madrid . ' williams will face lucie hradecka for a place in the final after the czech qualifier upset fifth-seeded sam stosur 7-6 ( 8 ) , 7-6 ( 6 ) . world no . 1 victoria azarenka avoided another upset when she recovered to beat french open champion li na 3-6 , 6-3 , 6-3 . she will play agnieszka radwanska for the sixth time this year in saturday 's semifinals , and said any complaints about the courts would have to wait . i 'm not a fan of this court , that 's for sure , ' she added . but i do n't want to sit here and complain about it . nothing is going to change this year . we can talk after the tournament about possible changes . ' | roger federer , serena williams and victoria azarenka all through to semifinals |
roger federer <tsp> a day after rafael nadal exited the madrid masters and vowed never to return while the clay is still blue , a similarly disgruntled novak djokovic suffered a shock 7-6 ( 2 ) , 6-3 loss to fellow serb janko tipsarevic . the world no . 1 said he would join nadal in boycotting the madrid tournament next year if organizers did not restore standard red clay to the courts . i want to forget this week as soon as possible and move on to the real clay courts , ' djokovic said . it took me at least a week to try to get used to this surface and somehow find a way to win matches and play a decent level of tennis . there is no discussion in my eyes , it 's very simple . no blue clay for me . ' nadal lost to fellow spaniard fernando verdasco on thursday for his earliest exit in a clay-court tournament in eight years . verdasco was routed 6-1 , 6-2 by tomas berdych in friday 's quarterfinals . the blue clay is the brainchild of tournament owner ion tiriac , who claims it helps fans see the ball and creates a better viewing experience . and while djokovic and nadal have crashed out , roger federer has thrived at the tournament , beating david ferrer 6-4 , 6-4 on friday to advance to the semifinals . the 16-time grand slam champion , president of the atp players'council , said he sympathized with nadal and djokovic . yes of course , i said it from the start . it 's not something we actually wanted , ' he said . i understand their frustrations . it 's a bit tricky for everyone and we definitely have to look into things for next year . ' federer will replace nadal at no . 2 in the rankings if he wins the tournament , thereby increasing his chances of being seeded second for the french open . federer , who did n't face a single break point against ferrer , will play tipsarevic in the semifinals , while juan martin del potro meets berdych in the other after a comfortable 6-3 , 6-4 win over alexandr dolgopolov . serena williams , too , has been in blistering form in madrid and won a battle of former no . 1s in typically ruthless style , thrashing maria sharapova 6-1 , 6-3 . both players were unbeaten on clay coming into the match , but williams extended her winning streak over the russian to seven while winning her 10th straight match . williams said the clay was extremely slippery ' but she would n't join the top men 's stars in skipping madrid next year . if i 'm not here next year , it wo n't be because of the clay , ' said the 13-time grand slam champion . i do n't think there 's been any improvement in the courts over the week , but every clay court is different . this is not the best court -- definitely not what they play like at roland garros -- but it 's what they use at madrid . ' williams will face lucie hradecka for a place in the final after the czech qualifier upset fifth-seeded sam stosur 7-6 ( 8 ) , 7-6 ( 6 ) . world no . 1 victoria azarenka avoided another upset when she recovered to beat french open champion li na 3-6 , 6-3 , 6-3 . she will play agnieszka radwanska for the sixth time this year in saturday 's semifinals , and said any complaints about the courts would have to wait . i 'm not a fan of this court , that 's for sure , ' she added . but i do n't want to sit here and complain about it . nothing is going to change this year . we can talk after the tournament about possible changes . ' | roger federer , serena williams and victoria azarenka all through to semifinals |
english premier league <tsp> ( cnn ) -- defending champions manchester united made it two wins out of two in the new english premier league season as they beat tottenham 3-0 at old trafford . second half goals from danny welbeck , anderson and wayne rooney sealed a comfortable victory for alex ferguson 's youthful side , who went joint top of the table . it marked defeat for tottenham in their opening game of the season after their first fixture of the new campaign was canceled due to the london riots . victory took united level at the summit with rivals manchester city , who maintained their 100 per cent record with a 3-2 win at bolton on sunday . united manager alex ferguson told sky sports : the second half was absolutely fantastic . i thought it a fast game , end-to-end , it was very even but in the second half we took off and it was a fantastic performance . ' on hearing it was the second youngest team manchester united had fielded in the premier league era ferguson added : it tells you we still believe in young players , more so when you see the ability they 've got . this group have fantastic ability -- they force you to play them . ' on welbeck he added : he 's always shown great loyalty danny , when we put him on loan at sunderland last season that 's when he grew up . he 's a bit rangy , a long-legged boy who can gallop quickly , he 's a good footballer and has a great attitude to win the ball back . ' tom cleverley was the first to test tottenham 's goalkeeper brad friedel as the veteran american turned his goal-bound effort round the post before ashley young went close with a looping header from rooney 's cross . jermain defoe and gareth bale both tested united 's spanish keeper david de gea in the second half before welbeck broke the deadlock on the hour with a firm header from cleverley 's right wing cross . welbeck was also heavily involved in the second goal as his back-heel wrong footed tottenham 's defence and anderson slotted the ball into an empty net . rooney then grabbed his second of the season as he nodded home ryan giggs'cross from seven yards out . earlier on monday united confirmed they have signed a four-year sponsorship with express and logistics company dhl . the deal , worth $ 16.5 million a year according to british newspaper the financial times , will see the dhl logo appear on all united 's training kit . | united 's second win in a row takes them joint top of the english premier league |
edward davis <tsp> boston , massachusetts ( cnn ) -- the boston police officer who sent a mass e-mail in which he compared harvard professor henry louis gates jr. to a banana-eating jungle monkey ' has apologized , saying he 's not a racist . boston police officer justin barrett has apologized for the e-mail he sent about harvard professor . officer justin barrett , 36 , told a boston television station wednesday night that he was sorry about the e-mail , a copy of which he also sent to the boston globe . he repeated his apology thursday night on cnn 's larry king live . ' i would like to take this opportunity to offer fellow police officers , soldiers and citizens my sincerest apology over the controversial e-mail i authored , ' barrett said on cnn . i am not a racist . i did not intend any racial bigotry , harm or prejudice in my words . i sincerely apologize that these words have been received as such . i truly apologize to all . ' barrett was suspended from his military duties as captain in the army national guard and placed on administrative leave from the boston police department pending the outcome of a termination hearing . watch barrett apologize » barrett said he was moved to write the note because he felt the boston globe column about the gates incident to which he was responding seemed like it was biased . it did not show the roles and duties of a police officer and how dangerous it already is without having a debate about people getting in a police officer 's face , which should never happen at all . ' asked what led him to choose to use such language , he said , i do n't know . i could n't tell you . i have no idea . ' he added , in response to a question , that he had never used such language before . in a news conference thursday morning , boston police commissioner edward davis denounced the e-mail . we have a relationship to maintain with the community , ' he said . police officers certainly have first amendment rights , but they ca n't cross the line . i believe this crosses the line . ' watch davis say barrett will be held accountable » davis also said he spoke wednesday with gates , whom he described as gracious and incredibly thankful that we took action . ' in his fiery e-mail , which he sent to some fellow guard members as well as the newspaper , barrett vented about a july 22 globe column about gates'arrest . the african-american scholar was arrested july 16 and accused of disorderly conduct after police responded to a report of a possible break-in at his cambridge home . the charge was later dropped , but the incident sparked a debate about racial profiling and police procedures . president obama stepped into the debate and drew criticism by saying the cambridge police acted stupidly . ' obama , who later said he spoke without knowing all the facts , tried to calm the debate , meeting thursday with gates and the arresting officer , sgt . james crowley , for a beer at the white house . at this point , i am hopeful that we can all move on , and that this experience will prove an occasion for education , not recrimination , ' gates said afterward in a written statement . i know that sergeant crowley shares this goal . ' what you had today was two gentlemen agree to disagree on a particular issue , ' crowley told reporters afterward . i do n't think we spent too much time dwelling on the past ; we spent a lot of time discussing the future . ' globe columnist yvonne abraham , who wrote the editorial that sparked barrett 's e-mail , supported gates'actions , asking readers , would you stand for this kind of treatment , in your own home , by a police officer who by now clearly has no right to be there ? ' watch blogger bunch : is race discussion possible ? » in barrett 's e-mail , which was posted on a boston television station 's web site , he declared that if he had been the officer he verbally assaulted like a banana-eating jungle monkey , i would have sprayed him in the face with oc ( oleorosin capsicum , or pepper spray ) deserving of his belligerent non-compliance . ' barrett used the jungle monkey ' phrase four times , three times referring to gates and once referring to abraham 's writing as jungle monkey gibberish . ' he also declared that he was not a racist but i am prejudice [ sic ] towards people who are stupid and pretend to stand up and preach for something they say is freedom but it is merely attention because you do not get enough of it in your little fear-dwelling circle of on-the-bandwagon followers . ' according to a statement from boston police , davis took action immediately on learning of barrett 's remarks , stripping the officer of his gun and his badge . barrett 's prior arrests and field investigations will be looked at for indications of racial bias , davis said . the department will also delve deeper into the officers who received or viewed the e-mail . | boston police commissioner edward davis denounces the e-mail |
cagliari <tsp> ( cnn ) -- lionel messi scored a hat-trick as barcelona produced a mesmeric display of attacking football to rout osasuna 8-0 in the camp nou saturday . the spanish and european champions were coming off two draws against real socieded and ac milan but were back to their very best against opposition rendered helpless by their attacking fluency . messi started the goal spree after just five minutes with new signing cesc fabregas , pushed up front with pedro rodriguez rested , adding the second to continue his fine scoring form since joining barca from arsenal . david villa made it 3-0 on the half hour mark before an unfortunate own-goal from ruben gonzalez summed up osasuna 's woeful night . messi scored his second and barcelona 's fifth just before the break . the goals continued after the interval and xavi lobbed the visiting keeper for the sixth before villa and messi , with his hat-trick goal , wrapped up the scoring . earlier , valencia maintained their 100 per cent start to the season with a 1-0 win over sporting gijon with robert soldado on target . it left them top ahead of barcelona , with real madrid set to join them on nine points if they beat levante sunday . in germany , werder bremen went top of the bundesliga after a 1-1 draw at nuremberg despite having germany goalkeeper tim wiese sent off . with bayern munich playing at schalke sunday , bremen took advantage as they battled for a point despite losing wiese after just 17 minutes for a bad foul on nuremberg striker christian eigler . werder then took the lead through turkey midfielder mehmet ekici after 24 minutes but philipp wollscheid leveled for nuremberg in the second half . borussia moenchengladbach are second only on goal difference after a 1-0 win at bottom side hamburg , with bayern a point further back . in serie a , cagliari are the early leaders after beating promoted novara 2-1 for a second straight win in the new season . the sardinian side went ahead through thiago ribeiro after 38 minutes and added a second through joaquin larrivey four minutes from time . japan striker takayuki morimoto scored a late consolation for novara . later italian giants roma and inter milan battled to a goalless draw in the san siro . | cagliari early leaders in italy 's serie a |
florida <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- jim demint may be long gone from the senate and now running the conservative heritage foundation , but his blessing is still in demand for republican presidential candidates marching through his home state of south carolina . even out of office , demint keeps counsel with a small but loyal network of republican donors in south carolina , an influential collection of business leaders and former state gop chairmen who have relationships across the state 's political spectrum . during the 2012 presidential race , the demint donors flirted with endorsing a presidential candidate and invited the cast of republican contenders to a quasi-debate , the palmetto freedom forum , ' in columbia . despite the attention showered upon him , demint ultimately stayed neutral in that primary . his allies , meanwhile , splintered among various campaigns . this time around , marco rubio is hoping to make an early good impression . the florida senator , whose rise in the tea party-fueled 2010 election was due , in part , to demint 's early endorsement , has quietly arranged to headline a private fundraiser in greenville next month for the group 's think tank , the palmetto policy forum , a republican source familiar with the plans told cnn . hambycast : branstad 's mustachioed superstition exposed the pending visit makes him the first likely republican contender to come knocking on the demint crew 's door . details of the event have yet to be sorted out , but it will take place on october 22 , just a day before rubio mentor jeb bush , another possible 2016 candidate from florida , will host a re-election fundraiser in columbia for gov . nikki haley . rubio is also planning to attend a grassroots fund-raiser for the south carolina republican party in columbia alongside sen. tim scott , the man who replaced demint in the senate . with a team of political advisers that includes terry sullivan , a strategist who labored in the trenches of south carolina politics for over a decade , rubio has started to put in serious facetime with the state 's conservative community as he builds a case for the republican nomination in 2016 . rubio was last in the state in august , when he tangled with a group of dreamers ' who crashed a conservative barbecue in anderson and loudly criticized the senator for turning his back on a comprehensive immigration reform bill . on that same trip , he held court with a group of social conservative leaders at the greenville home of lisa van riper , the president of south carolina citizens for life . he also met privately with officials from bob jones university . | the florida senator is considering a presidential bid for 2016 |
south carolina <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- jim demint may be long gone from the senate and now running the conservative heritage foundation , but his blessing is still in demand for republican presidential candidates marching through his home state of south carolina . even out of office , demint keeps counsel with a small but loyal network of republican donors in south carolina , an influential collection of business leaders and former state gop chairmen who have relationships across the state 's political spectrum . during the 2012 presidential race , the demint donors flirted with endorsing a presidential candidate and invited the cast of republican contenders to a quasi-debate , the palmetto freedom forum , ' in columbia . despite the attention showered upon him , demint ultimately stayed neutral in that primary . his allies , meanwhile , splintered among various campaigns . this time around , marco rubio is hoping to make an early good impression . the florida senator , whose rise in the tea party-fueled 2010 election was due , in part , to demint 's early endorsement , has quietly arranged to headline a private fundraiser in greenville next month for the group 's think tank , the palmetto policy forum , a republican source familiar with the plans told cnn . hambycast : branstad 's mustachioed superstition exposed the pending visit makes him the first likely republican contender to come knocking on the demint crew 's door . details of the event have yet to be sorted out , but it will take place on october 22 , just a day before rubio mentor jeb bush , another possible 2016 candidate from florida , will host a re-election fundraiser in columbia for gov . nikki haley . rubio is also planning to attend a grassroots fund-raiser for the south carolina republican party in columbia alongside sen. tim scott , the man who replaced demint in the senate . with a team of political advisers that includes terry sullivan , a strategist who labored in the trenches of south carolina politics for over a decade , rubio has started to put in serious facetime with the state 's conservative community as he builds a case for the republican nomination in 2016 . rubio was last in the state in august , when he tangled with a group of dreamers ' who crashed a conservative barbecue in anderson and loudly criticized the senator for turning his back on a comprehensive immigration reform bill . on that same trip , he held court with a group of social conservative leaders at the greenville home of lisa van riper , the president of south carolina citizens for life . he also met privately with officials from bob jones university . | marco rubio is meeting with influential conservatives in south carolina |
south carolina <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- jim demint may be long gone from the senate and now running the conservative heritage foundation , but his blessing is still in demand for republican presidential candidates marching through his home state of south carolina . even out of office , demint keeps counsel with a small but loyal network of republican donors in south carolina , an influential collection of business leaders and former state gop chairmen who have relationships across the state 's political spectrum . during the 2012 presidential race , the demint donors flirted with endorsing a presidential candidate and invited the cast of republican contenders to a quasi-debate , the palmetto freedom forum , ' in columbia . despite the attention showered upon him , demint ultimately stayed neutral in that primary . his allies , meanwhile , splintered among various campaigns . this time around , marco rubio is hoping to make an early good impression . the florida senator , whose rise in the tea party-fueled 2010 election was due , in part , to demint 's early endorsement , has quietly arranged to headline a private fundraiser in greenville next month for the group 's think tank , the palmetto policy forum , a republican source familiar with the plans told cnn . hambycast : branstad 's mustachioed superstition exposed the pending visit makes him the first likely republican contender to come knocking on the demint crew 's door . details of the event have yet to be sorted out , but it will take place on october 22 , just a day before rubio mentor jeb bush , another possible 2016 candidate from florida , will host a re-election fundraiser in columbia for gov . nikki haley . rubio is also planning to attend a grassroots fund-raiser for the south carolina republican party in columbia alongside sen. tim scott , the man who replaced demint in the senate . with a team of political advisers that includes terry sullivan , a strategist who labored in the trenches of south carolina politics for over a decade , rubio has started to put in serious facetime with the state 's conservative community as he builds a case for the republican nomination in 2016 . rubio was last in the state in august , when he tangled with a group of dreamers ' who crashed a conservative barbecue in anderson and loudly criticized the senator for turning his back on a comprehensive immigration reform bill . on that same trip , he held court with a group of social conservative leaders at the greenville home of lisa van riper , the president of south carolina citizens for life . he also met privately with officials from bob jones university . | south carolina is a key early primary state for presidential nominating contests |
shalit <tsp> jerusalem ( cnn ) -- following an investigation , israel apologized to egypt this week over an august incident in which five egyptian border guards were killed , the israeli ministry of defense said . the apology , issued tuesday , was overshadowed by news that a deal had been reached for the release of israeli soldier gilad shalit , who was captured by the palestinian group hamas more than five years ago . however , it was largely seen as an olive branch to the transitional egyptian government , as relations between israel and egypt have become strained in recent months . on august 18 , militants crossed into israel from egyptian territory to attack israeli civilian targets . eight israeli citizens were killed in the attacks , which israel has said were the work of a jihadist group based in gaza . responding to the attacks , israeli troops killed five egyptian border guards while in pursuit of the militants . the investigation into the incident was conducted by senior israel defense forces officials and egyptian army officials , the ministry of defense said . for security reasons , the ministry said , the results of the probe remain sealed . israel issued a rare statement of regret three days after the incident , after egypt suggested it was recalling its ambassador in protest . the overture , however , was deemed insufficient by many in egypt and days later , angry protesters ransacked the israeli embassy in cairo . the entire staff was hastily withdrawn after u.s. president barack obama personally intervened with the egyptians to secure their safe passage , but the sequence of events dealt a blow to israeli-egyptian relations . in the wake of the embassy incident , israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said israel would stick to its 1979 peace agreement with egypt . in the tuesday statement , israeli defense minister ehud barak said the august militant attack was despicable ' and meant to murder as many israeli citizens as possible and destroy the peaceful relations that are strategically important between israel and egypt , ' the tuesday statement said . but based on the findings of the investigation , the defense minister decided to express his apology to egypt over the death of every egyptian policeman who was killed while on duty as a result of israeli fire . ' netanyahu , meanwhile , spoke thursday with the head of egypt 's supreme council of the armed forces field marshal mohamed tantawi and thanked him for the central role ' egypt played in the agreement for shalit 's return , the prime minister 's office said . your assistance warms the cockles of the heart of all israeli citizens , ' netanyahu told tantawi . | new : netanyahu thanks egyptian field marshal for assistance with deal for shalit 's return |
up the bracket <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- the debut album by new york rock band the strokes has been named album of the decade ' by influential british music magazine , nme . released in 2001 , is this it ' topped the 100 greatest albums of the decade list compiled by a panel of musicians , producers , writers and record label bosses , according to nme.com . the libertines'2002 debut up the bracket ' was runner-up , with primal scream 's xtrmntr ' from 2000 in third spot . the strokes formed in 1999 with a line-up that includes lead vocalist julian casablancas , guitarists nick valensi and albert hammond , jr. , bassist nikolai fraiture , and drummer fabrizio moretti . fans had to wait two years before is this it ' was finally released to critical acclaim , with hits such as last night ' and hard to explain ' underlining their velvet underground-inspired garage rock sound . however , the album fared better among british fans , reaching number two in the charts compared to 33 in the united states . the band 's second album , room on fire ' , was released in 2003 and again reached number two in the british charts with singles including 12:51 ' and reptilia . ' but their third album , first impressions of earth ' , gave the band its first number one success , when it snatched top spot in britain in 2006 . it also reached the hitherto unknown heights of number four across the atlantic . on hearing about the nme accolade , frontman casablancas told the bbc : it 's totally crazy ! i thought it was great when i heard . but does it mean it 's a good musical decade or a bad musical decade ? i do n't know , i 'm such a bad judge of my own stuff . ' | libertines'debut up the bracket ' second and primal scream 's xtrmntr ' third |
xtrmntr <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- the debut album by new york rock band the strokes has been named album of the decade ' by influential british music magazine , nme . released in 2001 , is this it ' topped the 100 greatest albums of the decade list compiled by a panel of musicians , producers , writers and record label bosses , according to nme.com . the libertines'2002 debut up the bracket ' was runner-up , with primal scream 's xtrmntr ' from 2000 in third spot . the strokes formed in 1999 with a line-up that includes lead vocalist julian casablancas , guitarists nick valensi and albert hammond , jr. , bassist nikolai fraiture , and drummer fabrizio moretti . fans had to wait two years before is this it ' was finally released to critical acclaim , with hits such as last night ' and hard to explain ' underlining their velvet underground-inspired garage rock sound . however , the album fared better among british fans , reaching number two in the charts compared to 33 in the united states . the band 's second album , room on fire ' , was released in 2003 and again reached number two in the british charts with singles including 12:51 ' and reptilia . ' but their third album , first impressions of earth ' , gave the band its first number one success , when it snatched top spot in britain in 2006 . it also reached the hitherto unknown heights of number four across the atlantic . on hearing about the nme accolade , frontman casablancas told the bbc : it 's totally crazy ! i thought it was great when i heard . but does it mean it 's a good musical decade or a bad musical decade ? i do n't know , i 'm such a bad judge of my own stuff . ' | libertines'debut up the bracket ' second and primal scream 's xtrmntr ' third |
nicolaus mills <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as a professor who sees firsthand how tough it is to get into college , i expected to hear widespread howls of protests from high school seniors and their parents when , this fall , a kaplan test prep survey showed that an increasing number of college admissions officers were discovering information on facebook and google that hurt a student 's acceptance chances . according to the kaplan survey , 27 % of admissions officers checked google and 26 % looked on facebook as part of their applicant-review process . thirty-five percent of those doing so -- compared with 12 % in 2011 -- found material that negatively impacted their view of a student . the results of the survey would , i thought , cause college-bound students and their parents to lash out in anger . students are under so much stress . college costs are up , and winning the admissions race seems harder than ever . with harvard 's 5.9 % acceptance rate and six of the eight ivy league schools taking in fewer than 10 % of their applicants , competition is certainly tough for ambitious students . but for many others , even popular state schools are out of reach . in california , berkeley and ucla admit fewer than 22 % of their applicants . the lack of protests over the survey results tells me that students and their parents are already so frazzled about finding the right college and the money to pay for it that they do n't have the energy to fight a new battle . however , this does n't mean we should brush aside the ethical questions that arise when college admissions officers get information about an applicant from the internet rather than from the applicant directly . what is considered private in a student 's life that may be found online ? why should material not submitted by applicants to a college be used to judge them ? these are questions for which the kaplan survey , which was anonymous and conducted at 350 schools across the country , failed to provide a consensus answer . my reaction was to see what i could learn on my own by directly contacting a handful of highly selective schools that could , if they chose , use their resources to go online and check out their applicants . i asked everyone to answer on the record , and what i found was that none of the admissions officers who responded said they made it a practice to search the internet for information about their applicants . after that , matters got more complicated . debra shaver , the dean of admissions at smith college , had this to say of student writing on the internet : i do think that students can be held accountable . those of us at residential colleges are building communities ; i want students in my community who behave in a way that is civil and respectful and thoughtful . ' william fitzsimmons , harvard 's influential dean of admission , emphasized that as a general practice , the college does not proactively seek online information about applicants . that said , we may have occasion to encounter an applicant 's digital footprint , ' he noted in an e-mail . this often can be positive for applicants to the degree that it helps demonstrate their range of interests and accomplishments , but could be negative if it raises serious questions about character or judgment . ' such measured responses tell me that conscientious admissions deans are not about to turn themselves into online detectives . at the same time , they are not about to turn a blind eye to facts about their applicants -- even if they come across the facts by happenstance . as carleton 's veteran dean of admissions , paul thiboutot , pointed out , we have never ignored information from any source if relevant . ' at present , it is unrealistic to expect colleges to come up with a policy on admissions and social media that they can all agree on . but more candor is possible . as a result of the supreme court 's 1966 miranda ruling , police now inform those they arrest that whatever they say can be used against them in a court of law . colleges that in any form use -- or may use -- the internet to evaluate their applicants need to commit themselves to a similar , miranda-style warning . on their websites and application forms , colleges should explicitly tell all prospective students that anything they write online can be held against them . that 's the least they can do for applicants who may be dangerously naã¯ve about the consequences of their facebook or google posts . as for college-bound high school seniors , they also need to change with the times . they should take a page from the latin maxim caveat emptor ' : let the buyer beware . their new maxim should be caveat discipulus ' : let the student beware . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of nicolaus mills . | nicolaus mills : why are n't college-bound students and their parents lashing out in anger ? |
obama <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the chairman of tennessee 's democratic party wants a republican legislative aide fired for sending out a reprehensible ' e-mail depicting president obama as two cartoonish white eyes peering from a black background . sherri goforth , a tennessee state senator 's aide , said she mistakenly sent the image to the wrong list of people . ' obama 's image is in the last square of a collage containing portraits of the previous 43 u.s. presidents . the e-mail , which was sent to other gop staff members , was posted on the internet monday . sherri goforth , an administrative assistant to state sen. diane black , r-gallatin , has admitted she sent the e-mail may 28 with the title historical keepsake photo . ' she said , without elaborating , that she mistakenly sent it to the wrong list of people . ' according to the tennessean , a nashville newspaper , a note on the e-mail said it was paid for by the tennessee republican party , but gop officials denied they produced it . black leads the tennessee senate republican caucus . there was no comment from the white house as of tuesday afternoon . black rebuked goforth but did n't dismiss her . i want to be sure that everyone understands that the communication was sent without my knowledge , ' black said tuesday afternoon . it absolutely does not represent the beliefs or opinions of my office . i want to be very clear about that . ' the senator said as soon as she found out about the e-mail , she consulted the legislature 's human resources office , then followed their advice . ms. goforth did get a verbal reprimand as well as a very strongly worded reprimand , written , that was put in her file that if this should ever occur again , that she would be terminated , ' black said . watch sen. black discuss her response » ' this is an employee who has had a stellar record , ' black said . she added that goforth has worked in state government for more than 20 years , and has had a clean record . we followed policy . and that 's what you do when someone breaks the rules , you follow policy , ' she said . a phone message left for goforth by cnn was not answered . is this indicative of what senate republicans think about our commander-in-chief ? ' asked state democratic party chairman chip forrester in a statement posted on the party 's web site . i am calling on sen. black to reject this racist smear and fire this staffer who , on state government time , on state government computers , using a state government e-mail account , launched this bigoted attack on our president , ' forrester said . keeping her on the staff would send the message that this type of behavior is condoned by the senate republican caucus . ' this e-mail is reprehensible , insults the office of the president , and is embarrassing to all tennesseans regardless of political party , ' forrester said . goforth told christian grantham of the web site nashville is talking that she had received a letter of reprimand from her superiors but will remain on the job . grantham said goforth told him she felt very bad about accidentally sending it to the wrong list ' of people . i inadvertently hit the wrong button , ' grantham quoted goforth as saying . i 'm very sick about it , and it 's one of those things i ca n't change or take back . ' forrester , in his web posting , said , ms. goforth does not seem to understand what she did wrong . she has apologized for'sending [ the e-mail ] to the wrong list of people .'i believe that any list of people would have recognized this e-mail as offensive and hateful . ' state rep. johnny shaw , d-bolivar , a member of the black and democratic caucuses , said goforth should be dismissed . i do n't think a reprimand is enough . i think this lady needs to go . i do n't think she should be a part of the people who represent the state of tennessee , ' shaw said . he said goforth and black , as well as republican lt. gov . and senate speaker ron ramsey , should make public apologies for the incident . i am appalled . it 's despicable . it 's disgusting . it should not have happened , but it does happen , ' shaw said . it is the president of our country that we 're talking about . ' several other black democratic lawmakers agreed goforth should quit . the last thing we need in the state of tennessee is to send out the impression and the image that we are still stuck in some backwater mentality and culture that feels it 's ok to depict the president of the united states in that fashion , ' state rep. john deberry jr. , d-memphis , told cnn radio . forrester added : unfortunately , sherri goforth 's e-mail joins the list of shameful episodes by tennessee republicans , from the infamous'birds of a feather'direct-mail piece that featured black crows with the heads of barack obama and [ african-american ] rep. nathan vaughn , to the barack the magic negro ' song that former tennessee gop party chairman chip saltsman sent to rnc members during his failed campaign for rnc chair . ' | e-mail shows u.s. presidents ; obama depicted as white eyes on black background |
japan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- artist rachel sussman spent the past decade documenting the world 's oldest living things . working with biologists , she has traveled to deserts and islands , from the australian outback to antarctica , to photograph organisms that are 2,000 years old or older . she has given a ted talk about her project . her new book of photographs and essays , the oldest living things in the world , ' came out on earth day , april 22 . follow her on twitter : @ oltw cnn asked sussman about her work in an e-mail interview . how did you get involved with this project ? before i got the idea for the oldest living things , ' i was searching for something i could really sink my teeth into . that search was both an intellectual one -- pondering ideas about combining art with science and philosophical concepts like deep time -- as well as a literal one . a visit to japan in 2004 resulted in a surprising and eye-opening adventure to a supposedly 7,000-year-old tree , which ended up being the ultimate catalyst that brought all these different threads together . environmentalism also plays a vital role in my work . the ancient survivors i 've photographed have weathered thousands of years in some of the harshest environments on earth , but are now threatened by the climate crisis . of all the oldest living things that you came across , what moved you the most ? it 's hard for me to choose , but i was particularly moved by some of the most diminutive organisms . we expect to be awed by the grandeur of giant sequoias , and they are indeed moving . but it was the little beings -- the ones that you 'd have no idea are old at all -- that i found to be the most compelling . examples of this include the map lichens in greenland that grow only 1 centimeter every 100 years , and the spruce tree on the cover of the book , which , despite its spindly appearance , has been growing clonally for 9,950 years . if there 's one place in the world that one must see before one dies , where would it be ? this is a tough question , as i think we should weigh the environmental impact of our travels against the potential for cultural and personal enrichment . developing clean energy sources to get us to places should be a global priority . what that in mind , some of my travel experiences -- like visiting south georgia island in the antarctic convergence -- felt more like traveling back in time than visiting a remote location . it is stunning , and i 'd love everyone to be able to see through that window back into deep time . however , some of the last pristine locations on earth have only remained so because of lack of human contact . i urge everyone to travel responsibly , and remember the girl scout motto to always leave a place in better shape than when you found it ! what are a few things that one can start doing today to become more environmentally conscious ? my suggestion is to get involved with al gore 's fantastic organization , the climate reality project . whether you spread some truth to the naysayers about climate change , reflect on the things you love that are made possible by a healthy climate , or choose to apply to become a member of the climate realty leadership corps , climate reality is building community and momentum around the global fight against the climate crisis . who inspires you ? in no particular order some of my favorite people are : david foster wallace , werner herzog , david lynch , ernest shackleton , the women of art and science that history overlooked or forgot , risk-takers , climate crusaders , makers of eye-opening art , boundary breakers , fighters of injustices , and anyone forging a connection where one did n't previously exist . i believe everyone should follow and cultivate their curiosity -- because you never know where it will lead you . there is so much to see , know and do in the world , and i hope that we can all get out there -- in our own ways -- and do some good . | sussman : when i visited japan i saw a very old tree that inspired my project |
kendrick <tsp> ( cnn ) -- surveillance footage shows other minors inside a georgia high school gym at about the same time authorities say kendrick johnson suffocated in a rolled-up mat while reaching for a sneaker , an attorney for the school told cnn on friday . the attorney 's acknowledgement came in a response to a cnn open records request asking whether other minors were recorded in the footage inside the lowndes county high school gym on january 10 between 1:09 p.m. and 1:20 p.m. , a span of about 10 minutes after johnson entered the gym . i answer your pointed question with'yes ,'' l. warren turner jr .. the attorney , wrote in the letter . cnn made the request after the school declined to release certain surveillance photos or video , citing state law that exempts the release of education records of a minor child . ' it 's the latest revelation in a case that has seen kendrick 's parents challenge the account of authorities and demanded an inquest into the teen 's death . attorneys for kendrick 's family have called for the release of the surveillance video . kendrick johnson 's parents want answers johnson , 17 , was found dead at the gym in valdosta on january 11 , his body resting headfirst in the rolled wrestling mat , according to authorities . a few still pictures , taken from surveillance cameras at the gym , are perhaps the last known images of kendrick alive . they show him walking across the bare floor . those images were released by the lowndes county sheriff 's office . the next pictures of the teenager are far more horrifying : his body , clad in jeans and layered orange and white t-shirts , is wedged in the wrestling mat . his face is bloated with pooled blood , some of which poured out of his body and soaked his dreadlocks and spilled onto the floor . a pair of orange-and-black gym shoes were found a few yards from the teen 's body . a georgia bureau of investigation autopsy found that he died from positional asphyxia , and the sheriff 's office determined the death was accidental . second autopsy : kendrick johnson 's body stuffed with newspaper the sheriff has declared the case closed , and the u.s. justice department said in september that it would n't open a civil rights investigation . but michael moore , the u.s. attorney for the district that includes valdosta , is reviewing the case and weighing whether to open his own investigation . dr. bill anderson , the private pathologist hired by johnson 's family to conduct a second autopsy , found that johnson had a blow to right side of his neck consistent with inflicted injury . ' a january 25 report by the valdosta-lowndes county regional crime laboratory cited no signs of blunt force trauma on johnson 's face or body . ' and the original autopsy results released by the georgia bureau of investigation may 2 identified no significant injuries . ' johnson 's death no accidental , family 's autopsy finds cnn 's greg botelho and devon sayers contributed to this report . | surveillance footage captured kendrick in the gym |
kendrick <tsp> ( cnn ) -- surveillance footage shows other minors inside a georgia high school gym at about the same time authorities say kendrick johnson suffocated in a rolled-up mat while reaching for a sneaker , an attorney for the school told cnn on friday . the attorney 's acknowledgement came in a response to a cnn open records request asking whether other minors were recorded in the footage inside the lowndes county high school gym on january 10 between 1:09 p.m. and 1:20 p.m. , a span of about 10 minutes after johnson entered the gym . i answer your pointed question with'yes ,'' l. warren turner jr .. the attorney , wrote in the letter . cnn made the request after the school declined to release certain surveillance photos or video , citing state law that exempts the release of education records of a minor child . ' it 's the latest revelation in a case that has seen kendrick 's parents challenge the account of authorities and demanded an inquest into the teen 's death . attorneys for kendrick 's family have called for the release of the surveillance video . kendrick johnson 's parents want answers johnson , 17 , was found dead at the gym in valdosta on january 11 , his body resting headfirst in the rolled wrestling mat , according to authorities . a few still pictures , taken from surveillance cameras at the gym , are perhaps the last known images of kendrick alive . they show him walking across the bare floor . those images were released by the lowndes county sheriff 's office . the next pictures of the teenager are far more horrifying : his body , clad in jeans and layered orange and white t-shirts , is wedged in the wrestling mat . his face is bloated with pooled blood , some of which poured out of his body and soaked his dreadlocks and spilled onto the floor . a pair of orange-and-black gym shoes were found a few yards from the teen 's body . a georgia bureau of investigation autopsy found that he died from positional asphyxia , and the sheriff 's office determined the death was accidental . second autopsy : kendrick johnson 's body stuffed with newspaper the sheriff has declared the case closed , and the u.s. justice department said in september that it would n't open a civil rights investigation . but michael moore , the u.s. attorney for the district that includes valdosta , is reviewing the case and weighing whether to open his own investigation . dr. bill anderson , the private pathologist hired by johnson 's family to conduct a second autopsy , found that johnson had a blow to right side of his neck consistent with inflicted injury . ' a january 25 report by the valdosta-lowndes county regional crime laboratory cited no signs of blunt force trauma on johnson 's face or body . ' and the original autopsy results released by the georgia bureau of investigation may 2 identified no significant injuries . ' johnson 's death no accidental , family 's autopsy finds cnn 's greg botelho and devon sayers contributed to this report . | kendrick johnson , 17 , suffocated in gym mat , officials say |
the eleventh victim <tsp> editor 's note : below is an excerpt from nancy grace 's new novel the eleventh victim . ' published by hyperion . nancy anchors nancy grace ' on hln nightly at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m . et . hln 's nancy grace makes her fiction debut with the eleventh victim . ' a little something . what was it ? something ... some detail was wrong . . he could n't just leave the body lying there like that . there was something missing . it was biting at him . he 'd tried to go , walking back to his car in the dark twice now , but the nagging in his brain would n't let him leave until she was absolutely perfect . he looked at her lying there in the moonlight . her dead body was absolutely stunning . before , when she had been alive , sitting in the passenger seat of his car , talking and talking about her life and herself and her journey from anniston , alabama , to atlanta to break into acting , he thought his head would blow up like a bomb . she just would n't shut up . what did she think it was ... a date ? she was a hooker . he spotted her climbing the steep steps out of the marta subway station downtown . she got straight into his car with a big smile when he offered her a ride . once inside , driving , he kept looking away from the road , stealing glances at her neck . something about it drew him . maybe the shape , the curve -- or maybe it was the soft hollow spot at the bottom . it was the only thing about her he could stomach . watch nancy talk about her new novel » he lowered the automatic windows so her conversation would fly out into the night and he would n't have to hear it . her teeth and lips revolted him . the shiny pink lip gloss she was wearing had thickened in spots across her lips and some had smeared onto her front teeth . looking over at her as she talked , cruise thought it was the most disgusting thing he had ever seen . back to the task at hand . what was it ? it was maddening ... he could n't bring himself to leave until everything was just right ... perfect , in fact . every detail mattered . like a delicate soufflé or performing his specialty , decorating with boiling-hot spun sugar , perfection was achieved only by acute attention to detail . there , in the dark of the clearing , it hit him . turning , he walked to his car and reached through the open window into the glove compartment and got it . the baker 's twine . it was his favorite brand -- it was actually the only twine he would ever consider using -- just shipped in from france . he had posed her on her back . the four bright-red puncture marks torn into her mid-back did n't bother him at all . in fact , the dark red against the white skin created a vivid contrast that was somehow pleasing to him . walking back to her body , which he had spread carefully on a bed of soft grass to more suitably frame her pale limbs in a night lit only by the moon , he paused again . he needed the perfect spot . he could n't rush this or he would n't sleep all night . the wrist ? like a bracelet ? no . she was wearing a tacky , gold-tone watch . that would ruin the whole thing for him . and he could n't bring himself to actually touch the timepiece she wore there on her right wrist . it looked cheap ; he was sure the gold-tone finish was turning dark at the edges of the band . the neck ? no . it was much too close to the lip gloss . the gloss had a faint , fruity odor , foul as gasoline fumes to cruise , and that alone made him want to retch . it would totally destroy the twine 's effect . sometime during their date , ' fresh , damp dirt and a little grass had smeared horizontally across her mouth and worked its way up into her nose . he left it there . that was a beautiful and poetic touch of nature , but the lip gloss ... disgusting . as he stood there at the foot of her body , staring into her face , her own eyes stared away from him and straight up into the sky , her lips still slightly parted just as they had been in life ... just as they had been at the zenith , that incredibly beautiful and intimate moment when she exhaled her last breath into the night . and as he relived that moment , it came to him in an epiphany . he decided ... the left ring finger . perfect . he squatted down and gently picked up her left hand . the wrist was still limp . he tied a single , perfect bow around her ring finger just before rigor set in ... before the body went stiff and cold and hard . he placed the hand back gently across her stomach . backing away a few feet to take in the whole picture , finally , he could relax . every detail was exquisite . finally , he could get some sleep . the bow was perfectly symmetrical , and there , in the moonlight , it was just gorgeous . almost like a wedding band . from the eleventh victim by nancy grace . copyright © 2009 toto holdings , llc . to be published in august 2009 by hyperion . available wherever books are sold . all rights reserved . | the eleventh victim ' is about an atlanta assistant da whose fiance is murdered |
cia <tsp> the obama administration has shipped weapons directly to kurdish forces battling isis militants in northern iraq and is considering ways to expand the transfer of arms , u.s. officials told cnn . shipments have so far come from the cia , two u.s. officials said . but discussions are underway inside the administration about whether the defense department might get involved . the pentagon and the state departments do not sell or transfer weapons to non-state entities , but the administration is looking at whether there is a way around that restriction , one official said . we 're working with the government of iraq to increasingly and very quickly get urgently needed arms to the kurds , ' state department deputy spokeswoman marie harf told cnn 's new day on monday . in a separate statement , harf said the iraqi government has made deliveries from its own stock , and we have done the same . ' she said such efforts are being done in full coordination ' with the government in baghdad . since last thursday , the iraqi government has transferred three shipments of arms and ammunition to the kurds , one of the officials said . in addition , there have been other shipments from the cia , the official said . the cia shipments are useful because the kurdish fighters -- known as the peshmerga -- use different arms and ammunition than the u.s. military stocks , so the intelligence agency is better equipped to get that type of material to the kurds quickly . one official noted more arms could come from other countries in consultation with the united states .'heroic'mission rescues desperate yazidis from isis | arms shipments have come from the cia so far , officials said |
kurdish <tsp> the obama administration has shipped weapons directly to kurdish forces battling isis militants in northern iraq and is considering ways to expand the transfer of arms , u.s. officials told cnn . shipments have so far come from the cia , two u.s. officials said . but discussions are underway inside the administration about whether the defense department might get involved . the pentagon and the state departments do not sell or transfer weapons to non-state entities , but the administration is looking at whether there is a way around that restriction , one official said . we 're working with the government of iraq to increasingly and very quickly get urgently needed arms to the kurds , ' state department deputy spokeswoman marie harf told cnn 's new day on monday . in a separate statement , harf said the iraqi government has made deliveries from its own stock , and we have done the same . ' she said such efforts are being done in full coordination ' with the government in baghdad . since last thursday , the iraqi government has transferred three shipments of arms and ammunition to the kurds , one of the officials said . in addition , there have been other shipments from the cia , the official said . the cia shipments are useful because the kurdish fighters -- known as the peshmerga -- use different arms and ammunition than the u.s. military stocks , so the intelligence agency is better equipped to get that type of material to the kurds quickly . one official noted more arms could come from other countries in consultation with the united states .'heroic'mission rescues desperate yazidis from isis | the kurdish peshmerga is fighting isis militants in northern iraq |
cafferty <tsp> editor 's note : jack cafferty is the author of the best-seller it 's getting ugly out there : the frauds , bunglers , liars , and losers who are hurting america . ' he provides commentary on cnn 's the situation room ' daily from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. you can also visit jack 's cafferty file blog . jack cafferty says john mccain shows virtually no intellectual curiosity , emulating president bush new york ( cnn ) -- russia invades georgia and president bush goes on vacation . our president has spent one-third of his entire two terms in office either at camp david , maryland , or at crawford , texas , on vacation . his time away from the oval office included the month leading up to 9/11 , when there were signs osama bin laden was planning to attack america , and the time hurricane katrina destroyed the city of new orleans . sen. john mccain takes weekends off and limits his campaign events to one a day . he made an exception for the religious forum on saturday at saddleback church in southern california . i think he made a big mistake . when he was invited last spring to attend a discussion of the role of faith in his life with sens . barack obama and hillary clinton , at messiah college in pennsylvania , mccain did n't bother to show up . now i know why . it occurs to me that john mccain is as intellectually shallow as our current president . when asked what his christian faith means to him , his answer was a one-liner . it means i 'm saved and forgiven . ' great scholars have wrestled with the meaning of faith for centuries . mccain then retold a story we 've all heard a hundred times about a guard in vietnam drawing a cross in the sand . asked about his greatest moral failure , he cited his first marriage , which ended in divorce . while saying it was his greatest moral failing , he offered nothing in the way of explanation . why not ? throughout the evening , mccain chose to recite portions of his stump speech as answers to the questions he was being asked . why ? he has lived 71 years . surely he has some thoughts on what it all means that go beyond canned answers culled from the same speech he delivers every day . he was asked if evil exists . ' his response was to repeat for the umpteenth time that osama bin laden is a bad man and he will pursue him to the gates of hell . ' that was it . he was asked to define rich . after trying to dodge the question -- his wife is worth a reported $ 100 million -- he finally said he thought an income of $ 5 million was rich . one after another , mccain 's answers were shallow , simplistic , and trite . he showed the same intellectual curiosity that george bush has -- virtually none . where are john mccain 's writings exploring the vexing moral issues of our time ? where are his position papers setting forth his careful consideration of foreign policy , the welfare state , education , america 's moral responsibility in the world , etc. , etc. , etc. ? john mccain graduated 894th in a class of 899 at the naval academy at annapolis . his father and grandfather were four star admirals in the navy . some have suggested that might have played a role in mccain being admitted . his academic record was awful . and it shows over and over again whenever mccain is called upon to think on his feet . he no longer allows reporters unfettered access to him aboard the straight talk express ' for a reason . he simply makes too many mistakes . unless he 's reciting talking points or reading from notes or a teleprompter , john mccain is lost . he can drop bon mots at a bowling alley or diner -- short glib responses that get a chuckle , but beyond that mccain gets in over his head very quickly . i am sick and tired of the president of the united states embarrassing me . the world we live in is too complex to entrust it to someone else whose idea of intellectual curiosity and grasp of foreign policy issues is to tell us he can look into vladimir putin 's eyes and see into his soul . george bush 's record as a student , military man , businessman and leader of the free world is one of constant failure . and the part that troubles me most is he seems content with himself . he will leave office with the country $ 10 trillion in debt , fighting two wars , our international reputation in shambles , our government cloaked in secrecy and suspicion that his entire presidency has been a litany of broken laws and promises , our citizens'faith in our own country ripped to shreds . yet bush goes bumbling along , grinning and spewing moronic one-liners , as though nobody understands what a colossal failure he has been . i fear to the depth of my being that john mccain is just like him . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer . | why is n't mccain grappling with the complex moral issues we face ? cafferty asks |
cafferty <tsp> editor 's note : jack cafferty is the author of the best-seller it 's getting ugly out there : the frauds , bunglers , liars , and losers who are hurting america . ' he provides commentary on cnn 's the situation room ' daily from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. you can also visit jack 's cafferty file blog . jack cafferty says john mccain shows virtually no intellectual curiosity , emulating president bush new york ( cnn ) -- russia invades georgia and president bush goes on vacation . our president has spent one-third of his entire two terms in office either at camp david , maryland , or at crawford , texas , on vacation . his time away from the oval office included the month leading up to 9/11 , when there were signs osama bin laden was planning to attack america , and the time hurricane katrina destroyed the city of new orleans . sen. john mccain takes weekends off and limits his campaign events to one a day . he made an exception for the religious forum on saturday at saddleback church in southern california . i think he made a big mistake . when he was invited last spring to attend a discussion of the role of faith in his life with sens . barack obama and hillary clinton , at messiah college in pennsylvania , mccain did n't bother to show up . now i know why . it occurs to me that john mccain is as intellectually shallow as our current president . when asked what his christian faith means to him , his answer was a one-liner . it means i 'm saved and forgiven . ' great scholars have wrestled with the meaning of faith for centuries . mccain then retold a story we 've all heard a hundred times about a guard in vietnam drawing a cross in the sand . asked about his greatest moral failure , he cited his first marriage , which ended in divorce . while saying it was his greatest moral failing , he offered nothing in the way of explanation . why not ? throughout the evening , mccain chose to recite portions of his stump speech as answers to the questions he was being asked . why ? he has lived 71 years . surely he has some thoughts on what it all means that go beyond canned answers culled from the same speech he delivers every day . he was asked if evil exists . ' his response was to repeat for the umpteenth time that osama bin laden is a bad man and he will pursue him to the gates of hell . ' that was it . he was asked to define rich . after trying to dodge the question -- his wife is worth a reported $ 100 million -- he finally said he thought an income of $ 5 million was rich . one after another , mccain 's answers were shallow , simplistic , and trite . he showed the same intellectual curiosity that george bush has -- virtually none . where are john mccain 's writings exploring the vexing moral issues of our time ? where are his position papers setting forth his careful consideration of foreign policy , the welfare state , education , america 's moral responsibility in the world , etc. , etc. , etc. ? john mccain graduated 894th in a class of 899 at the naval academy at annapolis . his father and grandfather were four star admirals in the navy . some have suggested that might have played a role in mccain being admitted . his academic record was awful . and it shows over and over again whenever mccain is called upon to think on his feet . he no longer allows reporters unfettered access to him aboard the straight talk express ' for a reason . he simply makes too many mistakes . unless he 's reciting talking points or reading from notes or a teleprompter , john mccain is lost . he can drop bon mots at a bowling alley or diner -- short glib responses that get a chuckle , but beyond that mccain gets in over his head very quickly . i am sick and tired of the president of the united states embarrassing me . the world we live in is too complex to entrust it to someone else whose idea of intellectual curiosity and grasp of foreign policy issues is to tell us he can look into vladimir putin 's eyes and see into his soul . george bush 's record as a student , military man , businessman and leader of the free world is one of constant failure . and the part that troubles me most is he seems content with himself . he will leave office with the country $ 10 trillion in debt , fighting two wars , our international reputation in shambles , our government cloaked in secrecy and suspicion that his entire presidency has been a litany of broken laws and promises , our citizens'faith in our own country ripped to shreds . yet bush goes bumbling along , grinning and spewing moronic one-liners , as though nobody understands what a colossal failure he has been . i fear to the depth of my being that john mccain is just like him . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer . | cafferty : we ca n't afford another president like george w. bush |
cafferty <tsp> editor 's note : jack cafferty is the author of the best-seller it 's getting ugly out there : the frauds , bunglers , liars , and losers who are hurting america . ' he provides commentary on cnn 's the situation room ' daily from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. you can also visit jack 's cafferty file blog . jack cafferty says john mccain shows virtually no intellectual curiosity , emulating president bush new york ( cnn ) -- russia invades georgia and president bush goes on vacation . our president has spent one-third of his entire two terms in office either at camp david , maryland , or at crawford , texas , on vacation . his time away from the oval office included the month leading up to 9/11 , when there were signs osama bin laden was planning to attack america , and the time hurricane katrina destroyed the city of new orleans . sen. john mccain takes weekends off and limits his campaign events to one a day . he made an exception for the religious forum on saturday at saddleback church in southern california . i think he made a big mistake . when he was invited last spring to attend a discussion of the role of faith in his life with sens . barack obama and hillary clinton , at messiah college in pennsylvania , mccain did n't bother to show up . now i know why . it occurs to me that john mccain is as intellectually shallow as our current president . when asked what his christian faith means to him , his answer was a one-liner . it means i 'm saved and forgiven . ' great scholars have wrestled with the meaning of faith for centuries . mccain then retold a story we 've all heard a hundred times about a guard in vietnam drawing a cross in the sand . asked about his greatest moral failure , he cited his first marriage , which ended in divorce . while saying it was his greatest moral failing , he offered nothing in the way of explanation . why not ? throughout the evening , mccain chose to recite portions of his stump speech as answers to the questions he was being asked . why ? he has lived 71 years . surely he has some thoughts on what it all means that go beyond canned answers culled from the same speech he delivers every day . he was asked if evil exists . ' his response was to repeat for the umpteenth time that osama bin laden is a bad man and he will pursue him to the gates of hell . ' that was it . he was asked to define rich . after trying to dodge the question -- his wife is worth a reported $ 100 million -- he finally said he thought an income of $ 5 million was rich . one after another , mccain 's answers were shallow , simplistic , and trite . he showed the same intellectual curiosity that george bush has -- virtually none . where are john mccain 's writings exploring the vexing moral issues of our time ? where are his position papers setting forth his careful consideration of foreign policy , the welfare state , education , america 's moral responsibility in the world , etc. , etc. , etc. ? john mccain graduated 894th in a class of 899 at the naval academy at annapolis . his father and grandfather were four star admirals in the navy . some have suggested that might have played a role in mccain being admitted . his academic record was awful . and it shows over and over again whenever mccain is called upon to think on his feet . he no longer allows reporters unfettered access to him aboard the straight talk express ' for a reason . he simply makes too many mistakes . unless he 's reciting talking points or reading from notes or a teleprompter , john mccain is lost . he can drop bon mots at a bowling alley or diner -- short glib responses that get a chuckle , but beyond that mccain gets in over his head very quickly . i am sick and tired of the president of the united states embarrassing me . the world we live in is too complex to entrust it to someone else whose idea of intellectual curiosity and grasp of foreign policy issues is to tell us he can look into vladimir putin 's eyes and see into his soul . george bush 's record as a student , military man , businessman and leader of the free world is one of constant failure . and the part that troubles me most is he seems content with himself . he will leave office with the country $ 10 trillion in debt , fighting two wars , our international reputation in shambles , our government cloaked in secrecy and suspicion that his entire presidency has been a litany of broken laws and promises , our citizens'faith in our own country ripped to shreds . yet bush goes bumbling along , grinning and spewing moronic one-liners , as though nobody understands what a colossal failure he has been . i fear to the depth of my being that john mccain is just like him . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer . | jack cafferty : mccain gives shallow answers at saddleback forum |
obama <tsp> president barack obama took an evening away from politicking sunday to honor top artists -- and crack some jokes . obama received the five kennedy center honorees at the white house before the annual gala that honored this year tom hanks , sting , al green , lily tomlin and ballerina patricia mcbride . sting got a presidential mention not just for his chart-topping music career , but also for his stage name . now , not everybody can pull off a name like sting , but this guy can . his wife , trudie , calls him sting . apparently his kids call him sting , ' obama said to laughs at the white house reception . 'potus'is a pretty good nickname -- but let 's face it , it 's not as cool as sting . i kind of wish i was called sting . ' but , obama conceded , i 'm stuck with'potus ,'' which stands for president of the united states . sting , however , later said on the red carpet he was not so sure ' his name is cooler than the president 's moniker . comedy central show host stephen colbert , who emceed the kennedy center event , made sure he spotlighted the high profile guests at last night 's events , especially whom he called the most powerful and influential person in the world ' : first lady michelle obama . madam first lady , lovely to see you , good evening . there she is , looking radiant , next to the president , which i assume means she has no future plans to run for office , ' colbert quipped . there are a lot of democrats who do n't have that courage . ' democratic candidates locked in tight races in the 2014 midterms largely distanced themselves from obama , and he stayed away from the campaign trail in the tightest senate races . colbert also noted the nonpartisan nature of the soirée , which he credited to tom hanks . tonight , washington puts the arts above politics , because no matter what party you belong to , everyone wants a selfie with tom hanks , ' colbert joked . earlier in the evening obama also honored hanks and his cult roles in movies like big ' -- which obama said he watched saturday night -- apollo 13 ' and forrest gump , ' in which hanks'character gives another u.s. president , lyndon b. johnson , a look at his wounded behind in the movie . i 'm glad he got that last one out of his system before this evening , ' obama said . the entire kennedy center reception will air on cbs on dec. 30 . but before then , colbert 's interview with obama will air monday night on the colbert report . ' | obama 's nickname-of-choice ? apparently , it 's sting ' |
obama <tsp> president barack obama took an evening away from politicking sunday to honor top artists -- and crack some jokes . obama received the five kennedy center honorees at the white house before the annual gala that honored this year tom hanks , sting , al green , lily tomlin and ballerina patricia mcbride . sting got a presidential mention not just for his chart-topping music career , but also for his stage name . now , not everybody can pull off a name like sting , but this guy can . his wife , trudie , calls him sting . apparently his kids call him sting , ' obama said to laughs at the white house reception . 'potus'is a pretty good nickname -- but let 's face it , it 's not as cool as sting . i kind of wish i was called sting . ' but , obama conceded , i 'm stuck with'potus ,'' which stands for president of the united states . sting , however , later said on the red carpet he was not so sure ' his name is cooler than the president 's moniker . comedy central show host stephen colbert , who emceed the kennedy center event , made sure he spotlighted the high profile guests at last night 's events , especially whom he called the most powerful and influential person in the world ' : first lady michelle obama . madam first lady , lovely to see you , good evening . there she is , looking radiant , next to the president , which i assume means she has no future plans to run for office , ' colbert quipped . there are a lot of democrats who do n't have that courage . ' democratic candidates locked in tight races in the 2014 midterms largely distanced themselves from obama , and he stayed away from the campaign trail in the tightest senate races . colbert also noted the nonpartisan nature of the soirée , which he credited to tom hanks . tonight , washington puts the arts above politics , because no matter what party you belong to , everyone wants a selfie with tom hanks , ' colbert joked . earlier in the evening obama also honored hanks and his cult roles in movies like big ' -- which obama said he watched saturday night -- apollo 13 ' and forrest gump , ' in which hanks'character gives another u.s. president , lyndon b. johnson , a look at his wounded behind in the movie . i 'm glad he got that last one out of his system before this evening , ' obama said . the entire kennedy center reception will air on cbs on dec. 30 . but before then , colbert 's interview with obama will air monday night on the colbert report . ' | president obama may have dished out jokes sunday , but michelle obama is apparently the most powerful and influential ' |
liberia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- when one of brazil 's newly-elected congressmen rose to give their victory address , his speech was delivered with all the confidence of a political pro . the 150,000 people who believed in me can rest assured that i will become a great politician , ' he told brazil 's globo tv network . but the man elected as a federal deputy in rio de janeiro was anything but the stereotypical statesman . it was , in fact , romario , one of brazil 's most feted and controversial footballing legends who helped his nation win the 1994 world cup . the former barcelona striker is now a member of the brazilian socialist party ( psb ) and , despite having relatively little political experience , won a seat in the country 's lower congress with the sixth-highest number of votes in the city . if that was not unusual enough , romario 's former international teammate bebeto has also completed the move from pitch to politics in the south american nation 's most recent elections , securing 30,000 votes for the governing democratic workers'party ( pdt ) and a place in rio 's state legislature . the pair are heroes for many brazilians , with the so-called diabolical duo ' having helped to secure the country 's fourth world title at the 1994 finals in the u.s. and they are just two of the new wave of politicians who have been elected in brazil , including the country 's newly-appointed president dilma rousseff . both have said they want to improve participation in sport as well as the lot of the poor in their country , and voters seem willing to back the unconventional politicians despite their lack of experience . romario and bebeto made a big number of fans during their career , and for many they are idols . they did well in the soccer fields and won many championships -- so why not give them a chance to become politicians ? ' said julio sobral , a voter from sao paulo . the population are tired of the same old story : professional politicians promise lots during the campaign , then never deliver . ' but mariana menezez , another voter from sao paulo , disagrees and describes the situation in brazil , where voting is compulsory and many unusual candidates are often elected , as embarrassing for brazilians that take the elections seriously . ' romario and bebeto are very popular footballers , so most people do n't even care about their proposals -- their popularity is enough , ' she said . simon kuper , football author and sports columnist for british newspaper the financial times , believes that the reason such former players are elected without any experience is because voters can relate to them in a way they can not with career politicians . footballers have not historically got into politics because they are not often educated -- romario is not educated but he is associated with the poor as he came from a poor background himself , ' kuper told cnn . even before he decided to become a politician he had said he wanted to help the poor and many people identify with that . ' it is this perceived connection with the poor that perhaps explains the allure of footballers who turn to politics . many have tried with varying degrees of success . despite being raised in the slums of liberia 's capital monrovia , george weah -- a national hero following a career that saw him play for ac milan and chelsea , as well as becoming the first and only african winner of fifa 's world player of the year award -- was very nearly elected president of the african nation in 2005 . george brock , a former international editor of british newspaper the times , thinks the political climate in developing countries like brazil also contributes to footballers and other candidates from the world of sport being voted into office . some political systems have existed unchanged for decades and insist that candidates have years of experience , so it would n't happen as easily there , ' brock told cnn . in brazil the political parties have been shaken up over the last few years by the victories of former president [ luiz inacio ] lula [ da silva ] . they are not as well entrenched so it allows different candidates to get in . ' but brock also believes that those sports personalities can compete against more sophisticated and experienced rivals because they gained their popularity outside the political sphere . coming from outside the political class works as an advantage . those that are extremely well-known have an enormous advantage as they do n't have to establish themselves . you have to show some aptitude to get there though -- lots of famous people decide they want to be involved in politics but then they realize that they are n't suited to it . ' yet the career move is common among footballers . romario and bebeto are following in the footsteps of pele , arguably football 's greatest star , who was brazil 's minister of sport . other footballers who have enjoyed notable political careers include albert gudmundsson , the first professional footballer from iceland , who in the 1980s served as his country 's minister of finance and minister of industry . kaj leo johannesen of the faroe island 's also succeeded in swapping football for political office . the current prime minister of the danish autonomous region enjoyed a 15-year career as a goalkeeper from 1986 until 2001 , representing his country four times . elsewhere , gianni rivera , the former ac milan and italy player , is currently a member of the european parliament while tottenham hotspur 's russian forward roman pavlyuchenko won a seat in regional council elections representing vladimir putin 's united russia party in 2008 . back in brazil , only time will tell whether the duo of romario and bebeto can enjoy the same success in politics as they did on the football pitch . the ever-confident romario certainly has every belief he will score as many goals in politics as he did for his former football teams . i 'm still learning the trade . i 'm not a full politician but i was the best in my profession and was always under pressure . now it 's the same thing , but in a different area . the people can rest assured i will score a lot of goals in brazil . ' | other footballers have run for office in liberia , iceland and france , among others |
cameron diaz <tsp> ( instyle.com ) -- actress cameron diaz talks candidly about love , guys , friends , family and charting her own course . sunny days and a smiling diaz , here shot near the malibu shore . i 'm mostly a jeans girl , ' she says casual style diaz does n't strive to be taken seriously . her style is relaxed , never more evident than with her wardrobe . i do n't like overdone or being too put-together , ' she explains . i like casual chic . eclectic style . i want to feel like i can go anywhere , whatever i 'm wearing . ' today is no exception . she 's half glam , half laid-back . her casualness comes courtesy of frayed jeans that show off her lightly tanned legs . i found these jeans today and was , like ,'well hello , abercrombie jeans !'they 're really old , and i love them . i do n't care that they 've got holes in them . ' watch thoughts on friends and sexy poll results » she has paired them with a simple black sweater and added a dash of glitz with a crystal-and-gold cocktail ring from barneys . i 'm cuban , so i 'm drawn to things that sparkle . i like to use accessories to give things a bit of my own flavor . ' men so , is diaz dating ? i 'm a woman , ' she says , like , duh ! of course i 'm dating . and is that so surprising ? oh my god , she 's dating ! ' so when you make a reported $ 15 million per movie , how do you make the call that someone is boyfriend material ? i trust my judgment , ' she says . and though she wo n't divulge whom she 's spending time with , she 's clear on what she 's looking for . my list is all about balance . you can have smart but not funny . you can have funny but not very smart . you can have intellectual but not social . but ... i want it all ! ' not that her life has gone exactly as planned . i thought i 'd be married and have kids by the time i was 22 . but when i got to 22 , i realized that was n't what i wanted , which was a huge lesson for me , ' she says . am i going to have a baby ? who knows ? i do n't . i 'm not going to live my life looking just for that . how can i know what my future holds ? ' she pauses , then offers an answer : how about this -- i am happy right now . does that count for anything ? ' family diaz lives 45 minutes from her family and has always spent a great deal of time with them . she raves about her parents , crediting them with fostering her sense of humor . they just celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary . they 're just really good , cool people . ' this is one woman with a well populated inner circle . says diaz : i know i 'll never be in a situation where i ca n't get to somebody for support . ' that support will never be more important . sadly , after this interview was conducted , her father , emilio diaz , passed away unexpectedly . in the following days , the actress released a statement on behalf of her sister and mother : my dad was so loved by so many people , and his humor and spirit will always live in our hearts . ' two of her father 's favorite groups were the ocean conservation organizations reef check and surfrider . to honor her father , she has asked that donations be made to those organizations in his name . in her interview , diaz remembered how her dad taught a then scrawny young girl how to fight bullies in school . he said he 'd always back me up if i got in trouble . he is a good man , stand up and loyal . ' looks like that runs in the family . | actress cameron diaz likes casual chic , eclectic style ' |
michael corbett <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- with foreclosures and bankruptcy affecting millions of homeowners , cnn 's larry king on tuesday talked to several experts in the real estate industry to get advice on handling the mortgage meltdown . barbara corcoran says homeowners have ways of getting mortgage companies to pay attention to them . his panel on larry king live ' was made up of real estate expert barbara corcoran , correspondent michael corbett , developer jorge perez , real estate magnate donald trump and financial expert robert kiyosaki . larry king : is this a good time to sell a house ? barbara corcoran : of course it 's not a good time to sell a house . the question is , if you must sell a house , how do you unload it , considering the enormous competition that 's out there ? watch the panelists respond to questions » king : suppose you have to sell . corcoran : there 's one way you can always sell a house in any old market . you can intentionally under-price it . if you go out to your own marketplace and intentionally under-price your home 20 percent to 25 percent less than you think it 's worth , or that a credible appraiser tells you it 's worth , you will sell that house within the week . there 's no such a thing as an unsellable house . it 's always a question of numbers . king : what 's the biggest mistake people facing foreclosure make ? michael corbett : the biggest mistake right now is when you get that default notice , you ignore it . people think that if they just ignore it , it will buy them more time . it 's absolutely the opposite . the first thing they should do when they get those notices is contact either the lender or go to hud [ the u.s. department of housing and urban development ] . get a certified counselor . there 's free counseling out there for people , because if you just go ahead and ignore these notices , they automatically trigger legal action . and that moves it faster . if you want to buy some time , call the lender , call a counselor . king : let 's take a call from tuscaloosa , alabama . caller : i have a loan with countrywide , and they will not refinance our interest-only loan , because they say our debt-to-income ratio is too high , and their workout department wo n't even look at us because we 've never been behind on our mortgage and we 're not currently behind . it 's going to reset in august . what can we do ? corbett : unfortunately , a lot of the mortgage companies and the banks do n't want to talk to you . it 's very sad , until you 're actually in arrears . their loss mitigation or their workout department , they do n't want to help you until you 're two months or three months in debt . king : barbara has a solution . corcoran : i have a solution , and it 's a fall-back solution , but it sure gets attention . you can make an appointment , or not make an appointment , go over there with the deed to your property and the keys to your front door and say , ok , i 've had it . here 's my deed , here 's my keys , and you 'll get attention . one other thing , you should always put your requests by certified mail . by law , the banks do n't have to answer phone calls . but by law , they have to answer certified mail , and a lot of people do n't use it . king : we have an e-mail question from s.o.s . in california : i got a condo in april of 2005 for $ 500,000 . now it 's only worth about $ 400,000 . could i refinance it to get a better interest rate , or should i try to negotiate with the mortgage company to adjust the payment ? ' jorge perez : i would definitely negotiate with the mortgage company . lenders are having tremendous problems right now . they have a huge amount of reos , real estate-owned properties , and they do not want your house or condominium . we are advising all the people that we know that have those problems to go talk to their lenders , and they will talk to their lenders . i think one of the biggest problems , nevertheless , is that a lot of people borrowed on variable rate interests when they had mortgages at 1 and 2 percent that grew up over time . and their jobs have not gotten better , and now they 're paying much higher interest rates than when they got their mortgages . and this is a big , big problem in real estate today king : we have an e-mail question from debbie in orlando , florida : what 's a family to do if they lose their home to foreclosure ? how can they find a suitable place to live ? are n't they going to be rejected as renters on grounds of poor credit ? ' donald trump : this is now the time to go out and try making a deal , try buying a house . the banks are there . it 's already financed . you do n't really need the money because it 's already financed . they are already in . they are already wet . i do n't recommend renting now . i recommend now is the time to buy . buying is much better than renting . king : even if you 've been foreclosed ? trump : absolutely . you can make deals . so many people are being foreclosed . millions and millions of people . it 's no longer got that horrible stigma . this is the time to go out and make a deal . the money has already been put in . it 's not like they are putting in new money . the money has already been put in . they own a house . they want somebody to live in that house . king : what 's your advice , robert ? robert kiyosaki : back in the '80s , i got my butt kicked in the market . that 's when interest rates were about 18 percent to 20 percent and i was trying to make deals at 18 percent to 20 percent . and it really taught me a good lesson that i had to get smarter . so when i got pounded in the late '70s and early '80s , i at that point said i better get smarter , and today , i have made millions of dollars because of a bad experience . but if you 're not -- if you do n't learn from the experience and you think the government is going to bail you out , then you 've wasted a big opportunity to learn something . | michael corbett : do n't ignore mortgage default notices |
donald trump <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- with foreclosures and bankruptcy affecting millions of homeowners , cnn 's larry king on tuesday talked to several experts in the real estate industry to get advice on handling the mortgage meltdown . barbara corcoran says homeowners have ways of getting mortgage companies to pay attention to them . his panel on larry king live ' was made up of real estate expert barbara corcoran , correspondent michael corbett , developer jorge perez , real estate magnate donald trump and financial expert robert kiyosaki . larry king : is this a good time to sell a house ? barbara corcoran : of course it 's not a good time to sell a house . the question is , if you must sell a house , how do you unload it , considering the enormous competition that 's out there ? watch the panelists respond to questions » king : suppose you have to sell . corcoran : there 's one way you can always sell a house in any old market . you can intentionally under-price it . if you go out to your own marketplace and intentionally under-price your home 20 percent to 25 percent less than you think it 's worth , or that a credible appraiser tells you it 's worth , you will sell that house within the week . there 's no such a thing as an unsellable house . it 's always a question of numbers . king : what 's the biggest mistake people facing foreclosure make ? michael corbett : the biggest mistake right now is when you get that default notice , you ignore it . people think that if they just ignore it , it will buy them more time . it 's absolutely the opposite . the first thing they should do when they get those notices is contact either the lender or go to hud [ the u.s. department of housing and urban development ] . get a certified counselor . there 's free counseling out there for people , because if you just go ahead and ignore these notices , they automatically trigger legal action . and that moves it faster . if you want to buy some time , call the lender , call a counselor . king : let 's take a call from tuscaloosa , alabama . caller : i have a loan with countrywide , and they will not refinance our interest-only loan , because they say our debt-to-income ratio is too high , and their workout department wo n't even look at us because we 've never been behind on our mortgage and we 're not currently behind . it 's going to reset in august . what can we do ? corbett : unfortunately , a lot of the mortgage companies and the banks do n't want to talk to you . it 's very sad , until you 're actually in arrears . their loss mitigation or their workout department , they do n't want to help you until you 're two months or three months in debt . king : barbara has a solution . corcoran : i have a solution , and it 's a fall-back solution , but it sure gets attention . you can make an appointment , or not make an appointment , go over there with the deed to your property and the keys to your front door and say , ok , i 've had it . here 's my deed , here 's my keys , and you 'll get attention . one other thing , you should always put your requests by certified mail . by law , the banks do n't have to answer phone calls . but by law , they have to answer certified mail , and a lot of people do n't use it . king : we have an e-mail question from s.o.s . in california : i got a condo in april of 2005 for $ 500,000 . now it 's only worth about $ 400,000 . could i refinance it to get a better interest rate , or should i try to negotiate with the mortgage company to adjust the payment ? ' jorge perez : i would definitely negotiate with the mortgage company . lenders are having tremendous problems right now . they have a huge amount of reos , real estate-owned properties , and they do not want your house or condominium . we are advising all the people that we know that have those problems to go talk to their lenders , and they will talk to their lenders . i think one of the biggest problems , nevertheless , is that a lot of people borrowed on variable rate interests when they had mortgages at 1 and 2 percent that grew up over time . and their jobs have not gotten better , and now they 're paying much higher interest rates than when they got their mortgages . and this is a big , big problem in real estate today king : we have an e-mail question from debbie in orlando , florida : what 's a family to do if they lose their home to foreclosure ? how can they find a suitable place to live ? are n't they going to be rejected as renters on grounds of poor credit ? ' donald trump : this is now the time to go out and try making a deal , try buying a house . the banks are there . it 's already financed . you do n't really need the money because it 's already financed . they are already in . they are already wet . i do n't recommend renting now . i recommend now is the time to buy . buying is much better than renting . king : even if you 've been foreclosed ? trump : absolutely . you can make deals . so many people are being foreclosed . millions and millions of people . it 's no longer got that horrible stigma . this is the time to go out and make a deal . the money has already been put in . it 's not like they are putting in new money . the money has already been put in . they own a house . they want somebody to live in that house . king : what 's your advice , robert ? robert kiyosaki : back in the '80s , i got my butt kicked in the market . that 's when interest rates were about 18 percent to 20 percent and i was trying to make deals at 18 percent to 20 percent . and it really taught me a good lesson that i had to get smarter . so when i got pounded in the late '70s and early '80s , i at that point said i better get smarter , and today , i have made millions of dollars because of a bad experience . but if you 're not -- if you do n't learn from the experience and you think the government is going to bail you out , then you 've wasted a big opportunity to learn something . | jorge perez , donald trump : now 's the time to negotiate , buy a house |
ian fleming <tsp> ( cnn ) unless you 've been stuck in a mine shaft or visiting a distant planet for the past few decades , chances are you 've heard of bob marley and usain bolt and can identify both as the most famous sons of jamaican soil . beyond reggae and track icons , however , there are many fascinating things less widely known about jamrock ' that make this island of just 3 million people stand out . here are eight things to know for starters : james bond 's birthplace ian fleming conjured up and penned the thrilling international spy novels known the world over by their larger-than-life , women- and evildoer-conquering protagonist , james bond , in oracabessa , a sleepy village in the parish of st. mary on jamaica 's north coast . fleming named his rustic property goldeneye after a world war ii operation in which he 'd taken part as an intelligence officer . an avid birder , fleming took 007 's name from the american author of birds of the west indies . ' travel photos we wish we 'd taken the first james bond film , dr. no , ' was filmed in jamaica , where the villain 's lair , actually a bauxite storage facility owned by noranda , is hard to miss in discovery bay . and later in the film , ursula andress walked out of the surf and into movie history at one of jamaica 's most spectacular beaches , laughing waters , located just west of ocho rios , where cool river water cascades directly into the warm caribbean sea . after fleming 's death , his goldeneye property was sold to island records founder chris blackwell , who has transformed it into jamaica 's most exclusive boutique hotel and villa resort . 10 things you did n't know about las vegas roots of banana trade and caribbean tourism jamaica gave birth to the global banana trade and caribbean tourism . in the late 1800s , steamships began plying routes between the northeast united states and the parishes of st. thomas , portland and st. mary in northeast jamaica . when these steamships began carrying passengers seeking relief from the new england winter on the southbound journey , caribbean tourism was born . steamship captain lorenzo dow baker was a pioneer in the banana trade and served as president of the boston fruit company , which later became united fruit company through a merger and more recently became chiquita brands international . the banana industry waned in jamaica in the face of crop disease and larger , more competitive plantations established in central america . today the island 's largest banana grower is jamaica producers , a locally held company that targets domestic and international markets with a range of agricultural products . delicious coffee jamaica blue mountain coffee is among the most prized , and expensive , in the world , fetching upwards of u.s. $ 30 a pound . high elevation cloud forests make for an ideal long growing season and slow maturation period for coffee berries , ultimately yielding beans with a strong , full-bodied flavor void of the bitterness typical of coffee grown in other regions . japanese coffee connoisseurs are the leading buyers of jamaica blue mountain coffee , which is a registered international trademark like champagne , and regulated by jamaica 's coffee industry board . one of the best ways to learn about and taste jamaica 's coffee is with a farm or factory tour . the twyman family 's old tavern estate is an excellent option , offering visitors a trip back in time to the days of small-scale cottage industry production . the sharp family operates the neighboring clifton mount coffee farm with a slightly larger scale , more industrialized business . mavis bank coffee factory also offers tours . the buzzing factory buys its beans from thousands of farmers and is the largest industrial coffee processing and roasting operation in the blue mountains that opens its doors to visitors . 10 things to know before visiting sicily few rastafarians while locked hair might be the most famous do ' associated with the island , jamaican adherents to the rastafarian movement make up less than 2 % of the population , actually just 1.1 % , according to the cia world factbook . the iconic natural hairstyles associated with rastafarians are anything but the norm on the island , where instead , chemically treated straightened hair , extensions , weaves and wigs are the norm for women , and most men rock short-cropped coifs . a refuge for exiled jews and religious diversity jamaica became a refuge for exiled jews fleeing the spanish inquisition . the spanish crown , which ruled the island between 1492 and 1655 , took a more relaxed stance on religious freedom , or at least a do n't ask , do n't tell ' approach . kingston 's active synagogue attests to the island 's small , yet prominent , jewish community today . today jamaica has more churches per capita than any other country . the anglican church played a significant role during the slave period in maintaining order on the island and quelling discontent , while the baptist church , on the other hand , fueled slave uprisings ultimately leading to emancipation in 1834 . it would be difficult to find a religion not represented in jamaica , and where a church structure does n't exist , jamaicans are inclined to erect a tent for pop-up service . pentecostals , moravians , catholics , methodists , seventh day adventists , revivalists , muslims , hindus , mormons and jehovah 's witnesses are all well represented , among numerous other faiths and denominations . marijuana is illegal in jamaica despite the ubiquitous posters of bob marley and peter tosh with burning joints dangling from their mouths , marijuana is still illegal in jamaica . but its legal status is slowly evolving . this year legislation was introduced to decriminalize marijuana use and develop a regulated medical and recreational marijuana industry following similar u.s. initiatives in colorado and washington state . the movement to decriminalize has been led in the political sphere by minister of justice mark golding , who announced in june that people carrying up to 2 ounces of pot will only be hit with a small fine , rather than be charged , and the infraction would n't result in a police record . jamaicans with police records attributable to marijuana use charges will have their names cleared , enabling them to seek formal employment and travel visas . jamaica is more than sun and sand the original name xaymaca , bestowed by its original taino inhabitants , means land of wood and water , ' fitting for a mountainous island endowed with several distinct climatic zones , from arid near-desert conditions complete with sand dunes along the south coast to tropical rain forest in the northeast to high elevation alpine areas where nighttime temperatures fall below freezing in the blue and john crow mountains . this climatic diversity and abundant fresh water from subterranean springs and rivers crisscrossing every parish , affords the relatively small island excellent conditions for growing a wide range of crops . a hike up to blue mountain peak is a great way to take a break from the beach and get a bit of a workout . on a clear day , the summit affords spectacular views of kingston and the coastline of several parishes meeting the caribbean sea to the east , north and south . the blue mountains also provide bird watchers an opportunity to spot many of the island 's 280 species , 30 of which are endemic . jamaican food is reason enough to visit the island while the country may be known for its jerk seasoning , which features local agricultural products like pimento ( allspice ) and hot scotch bonnet peppers , jamaican cuisine has much more to offer and the island 's lively foodie culture may be the best representation of its national motto , out of many , one people . ' the influence of indian cuisine is hard to miss , and curried goat , shrimp , lobster or vegetables are staples . of course the seafood is hard to beat , with escovitch snapper borrowing elements from spanish cuisine , while the accompaniment of fried bammy , made from cassava root , could n't be more local , as it was a staple starch for the original taino inhabitants . the abundant fresh produce and quality of the ingredients on the island make it a natural manufacturing center for entrepreneurs concocting a wide array of sauces and preserves for the local market and export . pickapeppa may be the most widely known condiment produced in jamaica , but other more recent products on the scene , from walkerswood to belcour preserves , are every bit as good . to get a taste of jamaica 's best flavors , stop by belcour in maryland district in the blue mountains to sample mouthwatering chutneys , pepper sauces and preserves and walk among citrus orchards , orchid gardens and the apiary , or spend a few nights on the town in kingston to sample the island 's best restaurants . jakes boutique resort in treasure beach holds regular farm-to-table dinners that are lively affairs featuring a rotating cast of guest chefs . oliver hill is a financial news editor and author of a leading travel guide , moon jamaica ( www.moonjamaica.com ) . the print edition of the guide is published by avalon travel , a division of perseus books . oliver can be reached at oliver.hill @ moonjamaica.com . | ian fleming created james bond in jamaica |
jamaica <tsp> ( cnn ) unless you 've been stuck in a mine shaft or visiting a distant planet for the past few decades , chances are you 've heard of bob marley and usain bolt and can identify both as the most famous sons of jamaican soil . beyond reggae and track icons , however , there are many fascinating things less widely known about jamrock ' that make this island of just 3 million people stand out . here are eight things to know for starters : james bond 's birthplace ian fleming conjured up and penned the thrilling international spy novels known the world over by their larger-than-life , women- and evildoer-conquering protagonist , james bond , in oracabessa , a sleepy village in the parish of st. mary on jamaica 's north coast . fleming named his rustic property goldeneye after a world war ii operation in which he 'd taken part as an intelligence officer . an avid birder , fleming took 007 's name from the american author of birds of the west indies . ' travel photos we wish we 'd taken the first james bond film , dr. no , ' was filmed in jamaica , where the villain 's lair , actually a bauxite storage facility owned by noranda , is hard to miss in discovery bay . and later in the film , ursula andress walked out of the surf and into movie history at one of jamaica 's most spectacular beaches , laughing waters , located just west of ocho rios , where cool river water cascades directly into the warm caribbean sea . after fleming 's death , his goldeneye property was sold to island records founder chris blackwell , who has transformed it into jamaica 's most exclusive boutique hotel and villa resort . 10 things you did n't know about las vegas roots of banana trade and caribbean tourism jamaica gave birth to the global banana trade and caribbean tourism . in the late 1800s , steamships began plying routes between the northeast united states and the parishes of st. thomas , portland and st. mary in northeast jamaica . when these steamships began carrying passengers seeking relief from the new england winter on the southbound journey , caribbean tourism was born . steamship captain lorenzo dow baker was a pioneer in the banana trade and served as president of the boston fruit company , which later became united fruit company through a merger and more recently became chiquita brands international . the banana industry waned in jamaica in the face of crop disease and larger , more competitive plantations established in central america . today the island 's largest banana grower is jamaica producers , a locally held company that targets domestic and international markets with a range of agricultural products . delicious coffee jamaica blue mountain coffee is among the most prized , and expensive , in the world , fetching upwards of u.s. $ 30 a pound . high elevation cloud forests make for an ideal long growing season and slow maturation period for coffee berries , ultimately yielding beans with a strong , full-bodied flavor void of the bitterness typical of coffee grown in other regions . japanese coffee connoisseurs are the leading buyers of jamaica blue mountain coffee , which is a registered international trademark like champagne , and regulated by jamaica 's coffee industry board . one of the best ways to learn about and taste jamaica 's coffee is with a farm or factory tour . the twyman family 's old tavern estate is an excellent option , offering visitors a trip back in time to the days of small-scale cottage industry production . the sharp family operates the neighboring clifton mount coffee farm with a slightly larger scale , more industrialized business . mavis bank coffee factory also offers tours . the buzzing factory buys its beans from thousands of farmers and is the largest industrial coffee processing and roasting operation in the blue mountains that opens its doors to visitors . 10 things to know before visiting sicily few rastafarians while locked hair might be the most famous do ' associated with the island , jamaican adherents to the rastafarian movement make up less than 2 % of the population , actually just 1.1 % , according to the cia world factbook . the iconic natural hairstyles associated with rastafarians are anything but the norm on the island , where instead , chemically treated straightened hair , extensions , weaves and wigs are the norm for women , and most men rock short-cropped coifs . a refuge for exiled jews and religious diversity jamaica became a refuge for exiled jews fleeing the spanish inquisition . the spanish crown , which ruled the island between 1492 and 1655 , took a more relaxed stance on religious freedom , or at least a do n't ask , do n't tell ' approach . kingston 's active synagogue attests to the island 's small , yet prominent , jewish community today . today jamaica has more churches per capita than any other country . the anglican church played a significant role during the slave period in maintaining order on the island and quelling discontent , while the baptist church , on the other hand , fueled slave uprisings ultimately leading to emancipation in 1834 . it would be difficult to find a religion not represented in jamaica , and where a church structure does n't exist , jamaicans are inclined to erect a tent for pop-up service . pentecostals , moravians , catholics , methodists , seventh day adventists , revivalists , muslims , hindus , mormons and jehovah 's witnesses are all well represented , among numerous other faiths and denominations . marijuana is illegal in jamaica despite the ubiquitous posters of bob marley and peter tosh with burning joints dangling from their mouths , marijuana is still illegal in jamaica . but its legal status is slowly evolving . this year legislation was introduced to decriminalize marijuana use and develop a regulated medical and recreational marijuana industry following similar u.s. initiatives in colorado and washington state . the movement to decriminalize has been led in the political sphere by minister of justice mark golding , who announced in june that people carrying up to 2 ounces of pot will only be hit with a small fine , rather than be charged , and the infraction would n't result in a police record . jamaicans with police records attributable to marijuana use charges will have their names cleared , enabling them to seek formal employment and travel visas . jamaica is more than sun and sand the original name xaymaca , bestowed by its original taino inhabitants , means land of wood and water , ' fitting for a mountainous island endowed with several distinct climatic zones , from arid near-desert conditions complete with sand dunes along the south coast to tropical rain forest in the northeast to high elevation alpine areas where nighttime temperatures fall below freezing in the blue and john crow mountains . this climatic diversity and abundant fresh water from subterranean springs and rivers crisscrossing every parish , affords the relatively small island excellent conditions for growing a wide range of crops . a hike up to blue mountain peak is a great way to take a break from the beach and get a bit of a workout . on a clear day , the summit affords spectacular views of kingston and the coastline of several parishes meeting the caribbean sea to the east , north and south . the blue mountains also provide bird watchers an opportunity to spot many of the island 's 280 species , 30 of which are endemic . jamaican food is reason enough to visit the island while the country may be known for its jerk seasoning , which features local agricultural products like pimento ( allspice ) and hot scotch bonnet peppers , jamaican cuisine has much more to offer and the island 's lively foodie culture may be the best representation of its national motto , out of many , one people . ' the influence of indian cuisine is hard to miss , and curried goat , shrimp , lobster or vegetables are staples . of course the seafood is hard to beat , with escovitch snapper borrowing elements from spanish cuisine , while the accompaniment of fried bammy , made from cassava root , could n't be more local , as it was a staple starch for the original taino inhabitants . the abundant fresh produce and quality of the ingredients on the island make it a natural manufacturing center for entrepreneurs concocting a wide array of sauces and preserves for the local market and export . pickapeppa may be the most widely known condiment produced in jamaica , but other more recent products on the scene , from walkerswood to belcour preserves , are every bit as good . to get a taste of jamaica 's best flavors , stop by belcour in maryland district in the blue mountains to sample mouthwatering chutneys , pepper sauces and preserves and walk among citrus orchards , orchid gardens and the apiary , or spend a few nights on the town in kingston to sample the island 's best restaurants . jakes boutique resort in treasure beach holds regular farm-to-table dinners that are lively affairs featuring a rotating cast of guest chefs . oliver hill is a financial news editor and author of a leading travel guide , moon jamaica ( www.moonjamaica.com ) . the print edition of the guide is published by avalon travel , a division of perseus books . oliver can be reached at oliver.hill @ moonjamaica.com . | ian fleming created james bond in jamaica |
yale law school <tsp> editor 's note : timothy p. o'neill , a professor at the john marshall law school in chicago , illinois , has written and lectured widely on criminal law and criminal procedure . among his articles was a 2007 piece for the oklahoma law review : the stepford justices : the need for experiential diversity on the roberts court . ' he is a graduate of harvard university and the university of michigan law school . timothy p. o'neill says there are striking similarities in the backgrounds of the supreme court justices . chicago , illinois ( cnn ) -- with the retirement of justice david souter , president obama has the opportunity to bring a special kind of diversity to the supreme court : the diversity of broad and varied governmental experience . it is certainly true that the court needs more racial and gender diversity . yet the homogeneity of the work résumés of the current justices is unprecedented . the right nominee would help to correct this . many commentators have noted that this is the first supreme court in american history in which every justice has come from exactly the same job : judge on the u.s . circuit court of appeals . but there are other firsts ' that are equally disturbing . for the first time in american history , not a single justice has had any legislative experience . not one has ever been elected to congress , a state legislature or a city council . for the first time in american history , not a single justice has ever held -- or even run for -- any elective office at any level of government . ( although souter once served as a state attorney general , that is an appointed office in new hampshire . ) for the first time in american history , eight of the nine justices attended one of only two law schools : harvard or yale . ( although justice ruth bader ginsburg graduated from columbia , she transferred from harvard law school . ) traditionally , the supreme court has been composed not only of former judges , but also lawyers who have come directly from serving as senators , governors , cabinet members , heads of administrative agencies , and even from private practice . yet it has been almost 30 years since a justice has been confirmed who was not then a federal appellate judge . what caused this change ? some point to the acrimony that surrounded the failed appointment of robert bork in 1987 . since that time , presidents of both parties have stressed the judicial competence -- not the ideology -- of their appointees . the implied promise is that the technical proficiency of an ivy league-trained federal appellate judge somehow trumps issues of ideology . this , of course , is an illusion . the cases that come to the supreme court are there precisely because they fall between the cracks of established legal doctrine . there is no single ivy league judge 's answer ' to any issue pending before the supreme court . for example , take a look at the supreme court 's 2006 term . the court decided 72 cases . with all the justices coming from the federal appellate bench and eight of them having attended harvard or yale , did this help achieve consensus ? on the contrary , the percentage of cases in which there was a unanimous decision was the second lowest in a decade . and 24 decisions -- fully one-third of the docket -- were decided by a 5-4 vote , the highest percentage of 5-4 decisions in over a decade . the best example of how there is no single judge 's answer ' to supreme court issues can be found in the eight death penalty cases decided during the 2006 term . the cases had a variety of issues , including questions concerning the selection of jurors , the giving of jury instructions and competence of defense counsel . yet every single case was decided 5-4 . in every single case , justices antonin scalia , clarence thomas , samuel alito and chief justice john roberts held for the prosecution . in every single case , justices john paul stevens , souter , ginsburg and stephen breyer held for the defense . every case was decided by justice anthony kennedy 's vote : four times for the prosecution and four times for the defense . looking for a single judge 's answer ' to an issue before the supreme court is usually futile . in order to decide the great legal issues before the court , a justice needs to bring more than mere legal competence ; a justice also needs to bring real-world experience , values and intuition . that is why it is self-defeating to restrict the range of possible supreme court nominees to the small group of sitting federal appellate judges . supreme court decision-making would be richer if it included people who had actually written legislation or had run federal agencies or had governed states . as vermont sen. patrick leahy recently said , there is a need to select supreme court nominees from outside the judicial monastery . ' we should welcome , and not irrationally restrict , the variety of experience that can be brought to supreme court decision-making . professor lee epstein of northwestern has observed that diversity of inputs makes for stronger outputs . ' obama should cast the widest possible net to find a person who can bring a fresh set of experiences and perspectives to the work of the supreme court . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of timothy p. o'neill . | o'neill : all but one attended harvard or yale law school |
european cup <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for sale : one football club , formerly the best in europe , now fallen on hard times . buyer : rich middle eastern family , determined to restore club 's glory days . ' when it was announced this week that a kuwaiti family had agreed to take over nottingham forest , two-time winner of the european cup , the big question became : is this another manchester city or chelsea -- or more evidence of football 's prune juice ' theory ? for every sheikh mansour and roman abramovich , there is a sulaiman al-fahim or venky 's to prove that money pumped into one end of a club generally comes straight out the other . indeed , forest -- last a member of england 's top division as long ago as 1999 -- reportedly required more than $ 100 million of investment from nigel doughty during his 13-year spell as owner . how much is manchester city 's victory worth for abu dhabi ? that might not seem like a lot for a premier league team , but for one that last season only narrowly avoided a return to the third tier , it 's a significant amount . however , the al-hasawi family could potentially achieve a much greater return on their investment at forest than , say , the series of money men who have followed in al fahim 's unsuccessful attempt to make capital out of former epl side portsmouth . financial interest from the middle east has fallen into two camps : the genuine and the fantasists , ' middle eastern football expert james montague told cnn . you have on one hand the likes of sheikh mansour who bought manchester city , put his money where his mouth is and within four years has transformed the club from also-rans into title winners . they are now feared across europe . arabian dreams : abu dhabi celebrates city 's title triumph ' on the other you have a string of failed takeovers from those hoping middle eastern money could be some kind of panacea . or in the case of portsmouth were taken over by the uae 's sulaiman al fahim and eventually became the first premier league club to go into administration . this takeover appears to fall in to the former category , largely because they have a successful track record in domestic football . remember , manchester city was n't the first club sheikh mansour bankrolled . his first love is the abu dhabi-based club al jazira . likewise the hasawi family have turned kuwaiti club qadisa into a local regional powerhouse . ' while portsmouth 's only english titles date back to 1949-50 , forest won the old first division championship relatively recently in 1978 and then shocked the football world by lifting europe 's top club trophy in the following two seasons . will football clubs play fair financially ? it makes a great deal of sense for an investor to buy into a club of forest 's stature , ' says simon chadwick , professor of sport business strategy and marketing at england 's coventry university . there is some equity in the brand amongst fans and potential fans that dates back to their successes in the late '70s and early '80s . this brand equity can offer things to customers and investors that other organizations ca n't . ' forest 's near neighbor leicester city , another club to have lost top-flight status in recent years , is now owned by a thai group -- but chadwick says there is a big difference in their earning potential . forest 's financial position , while not being especially strong , is more stable than it has been over the past five years or so , ' he said . for people like the al-hasawi family , it depends on what their view of the club is . if they see it as a revenue-generating asset , clearly it 's going to take a great deal of hard work to build those revenue streams . it 's there where forest 's history and equity of the brand can have an impact . forest can deliver a level of revenue that their closest geographic rivals leicester city ca n't . nottingham has a significant population so in terms of being able to fill a stadium , in terms of latent fan base , it 's very significant . ' french revolution : can qatari cash make psg a football force ? foreign investors once flocked to the lucrative but highly expensive premier league -- manchester united was reportedly valued at £1 billion when the qatari royal family was linked with the club -- but the second-tier championship is now proving to be more value for money . sheikh mansour saw that you needed to find undervalued clubs with history and prestige , ' said montague , author of when friday comes : football in the war zone . ' city fit the bill , and in a way forest has even more potential . we drool at clubs like barcelona , manchester united and inter milan winning the champions league , but forest won back-to-back european cups just over 30 years ago and had one of the most iconic managers -- brian clough -- in charge . a whole industry has boomed over clough -- biographies , novels , films . for the reported £20 million ( $ 31 million ) , the hasawi family are getting former european champions with hollywood-level exposure for a snip . ' earlier this year , a russian group agreed to buy reading months before the club 's promotion to the top flight , while italians have bought watford , malaysians control cardiff , hong kong 's carson yeung owns birmingham , a north american group has derby county and an egypt-born uk businessman has taken over hull . psg 's qatari owners aim to be world 's best ' it makes the competition for players more intense , the competition for spectators more intense , ' chadwick told cnn . whereas maybe five or 10 years ago the involvement of a rich investor might have been seen as the right ingredient for success , i think now such is the level of interest in english football and such is the level of investment , it 's now much more about managerial competence and skill and knowledge of the industry and networking . ' doughty brought in former england manager steve mcclaren at the start of last season with disastrous results , and the current fc twente coach 's short reign resulted in the forest benefactor -- considered one of the most powerful men in uk business -- standing down as chairman . doughty put the club up for sale , but the al-hasawis dealt with the executors of his estate following the investment banker 's death at the age of 54 in february . they issued a statement stating their goal to bring the reds back to the top of the table ' but acknowledged challenging times ahead ' -- and have already sacked manager steve cotterill just nine months into his three-and-a-half-year contract . if the family is looking at this on a medium to longer term basis , they 'll look to develop a scouting network and sign players for relatively small amounts of money , ' chadwick said . they will have to manage the club in a very shrewd way to make sure they do n't get back into debt in the same way . one would hope that forest as a club have learned their lessons . when they were relegated they tried to spend their way out of trouble . they dropped further and further down the league structure , while at the same time building up their debts . ' cash for cups ? qatar 's sporting influence spreads across the globe if forest fans are getting overexcited about their future , they do n't have to look very far for proof that such a takeover can go horribly wrong . in 2009 , city rivals notts county announced that football 's oldest professional club -- languishing in the bottom division and in danger of collapsing -- had been bought by a group called munto finance , purportedly financed by middle east money . in came former england manager sven goran eriksson and international star sol campbell on lucrative long-term deals , but they had both gone before the end of that season as munto 's promises to wipe out crippling debts proved empty . still struggling to survive , the club was sold for a nominal fee of £1 just months after the takeover . there will always be this fear . the'fit and proper person test'applied to new owners is not especially robust or rigorous , so we can never be completely sure about what new owners'intentions or resources are , ' chadwick said . until we get into this period of ownership , it wo n't be entirely clear what they are able to do . ' from riches to rags : why rangers'financial meltdown should worry europe he cited the example of blackburn rovers , who suffered relegation from the epl after only one season under the ownership of indian chicken magnates venky 's . the experience since they took over is a stark illustration of how inexperience can cause problems . no matter your intentions or how much money you 've got , experience of the industry is very important , ' chadwick said . do they know what they 're letting themselves in for ? running a football club is very different from running other forms of business . what do they see as being the strategic position at forest ? if they are looking to win the premier league and get in the champions league , they are going to have to invest a significant amount of money . but if their definition of glory days is to get back into the premier league then it will require a more modest sum . stoke . have proved you can establish yourself as a midtable team . it 's still very expensive , but not as expensive as what city have spent to win the title . ' | kuwaiti family buys former european cup winner nottingham forest |
kuwaiti <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for sale : one football club , formerly the best in europe , now fallen on hard times . buyer : rich middle eastern family , determined to restore club 's glory days . ' when it was announced this week that a kuwaiti family had agreed to take over nottingham forest , two-time winner of the european cup , the big question became : is this another manchester city or chelsea -- or more evidence of football 's prune juice ' theory ? for every sheikh mansour and roman abramovich , there is a sulaiman al-fahim or venky 's to prove that money pumped into one end of a club generally comes straight out the other . indeed , forest -- last a member of england 's top division as long ago as 1999 -- reportedly required more than $ 100 million of investment from nigel doughty during his 13-year spell as owner . how much is manchester city 's victory worth for abu dhabi ? that might not seem like a lot for a premier league team , but for one that last season only narrowly avoided a return to the third tier , it 's a significant amount . however , the al-hasawi family could potentially achieve a much greater return on their investment at forest than , say , the series of money men who have followed in al fahim 's unsuccessful attempt to make capital out of former epl side portsmouth . financial interest from the middle east has fallen into two camps : the genuine and the fantasists , ' middle eastern football expert james montague told cnn . you have on one hand the likes of sheikh mansour who bought manchester city , put his money where his mouth is and within four years has transformed the club from also-rans into title winners . they are now feared across europe . arabian dreams : abu dhabi celebrates city 's title triumph ' on the other you have a string of failed takeovers from those hoping middle eastern money could be some kind of panacea . or in the case of portsmouth were taken over by the uae 's sulaiman al fahim and eventually became the first premier league club to go into administration . this takeover appears to fall in to the former category , largely because they have a successful track record in domestic football . remember , manchester city was n't the first club sheikh mansour bankrolled . his first love is the abu dhabi-based club al jazira . likewise the hasawi family have turned kuwaiti club qadisa into a local regional powerhouse . ' while portsmouth 's only english titles date back to 1949-50 , forest won the old first division championship relatively recently in 1978 and then shocked the football world by lifting europe 's top club trophy in the following two seasons . will football clubs play fair financially ? it makes a great deal of sense for an investor to buy into a club of forest 's stature , ' says simon chadwick , professor of sport business strategy and marketing at england 's coventry university . there is some equity in the brand amongst fans and potential fans that dates back to their successes in the late '70s and early '80s . this brand equity can offer things to customers and investors that other organizations ca n't . ' forest 's near neighbor leicester city , another club to have lost top-flight status in recent years , is now owned by a thai group -- but chadwick says there is a big difference in their earning potential . forest 's financial position , while not being especially strong , is more stable than it has been over the past five years or so , ' he said . for people like the al-hasawi family , it depends on what their view of the club is . if they see it as a revenue-generating asset , clearly it 's going to take a great deal of hard work to build those revenue streams . it 's there where forest 's history and equity of the brand can have an impact . forest can deliver a level of revenue that their closest geographic rivals leicester city ca n't . nottingham has a significant population so in terms of being able to fill a stadium , in terms of latent fan base , it 's very significant . ' french revolution : can qatari cash make psg a football force ? foreign investors once flocked to the lucrative but highly expensive premier league -- manchester united was reportedly valued at £1 billion when the qatari royal family was linked with the club -- but the second-tier championship is now proving to be more value for money . sheikh mansour saw that you needed to find undervalued clubs with history and prestige , ' said montague , author of when friday comes : football in the war zone . ' city fit the bill , and in a way forest has even more potential . we drool at clubs like barcelona , manchester united and inter milan winning the champions league , but forest won back-to-back european cups just over 30 years ago and had one of the most iconic managers -- brian clough -- in charge . a whole industry has boomed over clough -- biographies , novels , films . for the reported £20 million ( $ 31 million ) , the hasawi family are getting former european champions with hollywood-level exposure for a snip . ' earlier this year , a russian group agreed to buy reading months before the club 's promotion to the top flight , while italians have bought watford , malaysians control cardiff , hong kong 's carson yeung owns birmingham , a north american group has derby county and an egypt-born uk businessman has taken over hull . psg 's qatari owners aim to be world 's best ' it makes the competition for players more intense , the competition for spectators more intense , ' chadwick told cnn . whereas maybe five or 10 years ago the involvement of a rich investor might have been seen as the right ingredient for success , i think now such is the level of interest in english football and such is the level of investment , it 's now much more about managerial competence and skill and knowledge of the industry and networking . ' doughty brought in former england manager steve mcclaren at the start of last season with disastrous results , and the current fc twente coach 's short reign resulted in the forest benefactor -- considered one of the most powerful men in uk business -- standing down as chairman . doughty put the club up for sale , but the al-hasawis dealt with the executors of his estate following the investment banker 's death at the age of 54 in february . they issued a statement stating their goal to bring the reds back to the top of the table ' but acknowledged challenging times ahead ' -- and have already sacked manager steve cotterill just nine months into his three-and-a-half-year contract . if the family is looking at this on a medium to longer term basis , they 'll look to develop a scouting network and sign players for relatively small amounts of money , ' chadwick said . they will have to manage the club in a very shrewd way to make sure they do n't get back into debt in the same way . one would hope that forest as a club have learned their lessons . when they were relegated they tried to spend their way out of trouble . they dropped further and further down the league structure , while at the same time building up their debts . ' cash for cups ? qatar 's sporting influence spreads across the globe if forest fans are getting overexcited about their future , they do n't have to look very far for proof that such a takeover can go horribly wrong . in 2009 , city rivals notts county announced that football 's oldest professional club -- languishing in the bottom division and in danger of collapsing -- had been bought by a group called munto finance , purportedly financed by middle east money . in came former england manager sven goran eriksson and international star sol campbell on lucrative long-term deals , but they had both gone before the end of that season as munto 's promises to wipe out crippling debts proved empty . still struggling to survive , the club was sold for a nominal fee of £1 just months after the takeover . there will always be this fear . the'fit and proper person test'applied to new owners is not especially robust or rigorous , so we can never be completely sure about what new owners'intentions or resources are , ' chadwick said . until we get into this period of ownership , it wo n't be entirely clear what they are able to do . ' from riches to rags : why rangers'financial meltdown should worry europe he cited the example of blackburn rovers , who suffered relegation from the epl after only one season under the ownership of indian chicken magnates venky 's . the experience since they took over is a stark illustration of how inexperience can cause problems . no matter your intentions or how much money you 've got , experience of the industry is very important , ' chadwick said . do they know what they 're letting themselves in for ? running a football club is very different from running other forms of business . what do they see as being the strategic position at forest ? if they are looking to win the premier league and get in the champions league , they are going to have to invest a significant amount of money . but if their definition of glory days is to get back into the premier league then it will require a more modest sum . stoke . have proved you can establish yourself as a midtable team . it 's still very expensive , but not as expensive as what city have spent to win the title . ' | kuwaiti family buys former european cup winner nottingham forest |
yingluck shinawatra <tsp> bangkok , thailand ( cnn ) -- two explosions rocked an anti-government protest in the thai capital of bangkok on friday , wounding more than two dozen people , security and health officials said . the blasts went off as protesters were marching in the streets , said lt. gen. paradon pattanathabut , the national security chief . the cause was n't immediately clear . twenty-eight people were wounded and taken to hospitals , according to the erawan emergency center , a medical unit monitoring the political unrest in thailand . demonstrators demanding the resignation of prime minister yingluck shinawatra began their latest round of rallies -- dubbed the bangkok shutdown ' -- in the capital monday . but their numbers have shrunk over the course of the week . roughly 12,000 protesters were on the streets friday , paradon said . that 's a fraction of the 170,000 people the government estimated had assembled monday evening . demonstrators say their numbers are far higher than official estimates . outbreaks of violence have flared around the protests this week . on tuesday night , authorities reported the nonfatal shooting of two protesters , bus burnings , an assault on police officers and an explosive device being thrown at an opposition leader 's house . akanat prompan , a spokesman for the main protest group , said the blasts friday were the first attack on marches in daylight on a public street . he said the first explosion took place about 30 meters from suthep thaugsuban , the leader of the protest group , and generated a lot of smoke . but the situation was n't too chaotic , he said . marchers continued on to the lumpini park area , one of their main rallying points . political crisis the protests this week caused some disruption in central bangkok , but large areas of the sprawling capital city remain unaffected . the government has deployed about 20,000 security personnel throughout the city . rights groups , the united nations and the united states have called on thai authorities and anti-government protesters to respect human rights and avoid violence during the mass demonstrations . since demonstrations against yingluck 's government began in november , eight people have died and more than 450 have been wounded , according to authorities . the country is still scarred by the severe 2010 civil unrest that left about 90 people dead . in a bid to resolve the current crisis , yingluck dissolved the nation 's parliament last month and called for new elections to be held on february 2 . but the move has done little to appease protesters . they have called on the prime minister to step down from her caretaker position and be replaced by an unelected people 's council , ' which would see through electoral and political changes . the opposition democrat party has said it will boycott the elections . ambitious goal protest leaders have said they want to rid thailand of the influence of former prime minister thaksin shinawatra , the older brother of yingluck . that 's an ambitious goal in a country where every election since 2001 has been won by parties affiliated with thaksin , a billionaire who built his political success on populist policies that appealed to thailand 's rural heartland . thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and has spent most of the time since then in exile overseas . if he returns , he risks a two-year prison sentence on a corruption conviction , which he says was politically motivated . the recent protests in bangkok were prompted by a botched attempt by yingluck 's government to pass an amnesty bill that would have opened the door for her brother 's return . that move added fuel for critics who accuse her of being nothing more than her brother 's puppet , an allegation she has repeatedly denied . opposition to thaksin and yingluck is strongest among the urban elites and middle class , particularly in bangkok . thaksin 's traditional support comes from the populous rural areas of north and northeast thailand . his supporters , known as red shirts , ' support the holding of elections on february 2 . | protesters want prime minister yingluck shinawatra to step down |
robinho <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester city have confirmed that absent brazilian striker robinho will be back in time for the premier league side 's return to training next week . robinho had a reputation for partying prior to his british-record transfer to manchester city last august . city manager mark hughes told the club 's official web site that robinho , who cost mega-rich city a british record fee of £32.5 million ( $ 45m ) when he signed from real madrid in august , will be spoken to after not joining the rest of the squad in a tenerife training camp this week -- choosing instead to fly to brazil to attend to a family matter . hughes told mcfc.co.uk : robbie left without permission , he felt that he had personal things that he needed to attend to . he made the decision to leave the camp , and go back to brazil . that was not with my permission , and the situation at the moment is not really practical to get him back here with time differences and length of flights , so he will be back at the weekend ready to train when we are back in manchester at the first available opportunity . once he is back , i will sit down with him and explain my feelings , and decisions will be made after that . he has rung me , and he understands that we need to address this -- and we will . then we will move on . robinho 's decision to fly to brazil came on the same day that city announced they were pulling out of a world record transfer move for ac milan star kaka , a brazilian team-mate of robinho . however . hughes has insisted that that two matters are completely unrelated . robinho is no stranger to controversy and had a reputation as a party-goer prior to his move to manchester last year . he was dropped by his former madrid coach , and now england national coach , fabio capello , who questioned his attitude and robinho 's eventual departure from the spanish club was acrimonious . in fact , in october 2007 , robinho failed to return to madrid after appearing for brazil in an international match , claiming he had missed his flight . local newspapers later revealed that he had been seen partying in a popular rio de janeiro nightclub and he was subsequently fined and dropped by the club . | city manager mark hughes reveals robinho flew to brazil without permission |
robinho <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester city have confirmed that absent brazilian striker robinho will be back in time for the premier league side 's return to training next week . robinho had a reputation for partying prior to his british-record transfer to manchester city last august . city manager mark hughes told the club 's official web site that robinho , who cost mega-rich city a british record fee of £32.5 million ( $ 45m ) when he signed from real madrid in august , will be spoken to after not joining the rest of the squad in a tenerife training camp this week -- choosing instead to fly to brazil to attend to a family matter . hughes told mcfc.co.uk : robbie left without permission , he felt that he had personal things that he needed to attend to . he made the decision to leave the camp , and go back to brazil . that was not with my permission , and the situation at the moment is not really practical to get him back here with time differences and length of flights , so he will be back at the weekend ready to train when we are back in manchester at the first available opportunity . once he is back , i will sit down with him and explain my feelings , and decisions will be made after that . he has rung me , and he understands that we need to address this -- and we will . then we will move on . robinho 's decision to fly to brazil came on the same day that city announced they were pulling out of a world record transfer move for ac milan star kaka , a brazilian team-mate of robinho . however . hughes has insisted that that two matters are completely unrelated . robinho is no stranger to controversy and had a reputation as a party-goer prior to his move to manchester last year . he was dropped by his former madrid coach , and now england national coach , fabio capello , who questioned his attitude and robinho 's eventual departure from the spanish club was acrimonious . in fact , in october 2007 , robinho failed to return to madrid after appearing for brazil in an international match , claiming he had missed his flight . local newspapers later revealed that he had been seen partying in a popular rio de janeiro nightclub and he was subsequently fined and dropped by the club . | robinho will return to manchester city in time for return to training next week |
brazil <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester city have confirmed that absent brazilian striker robinho will be back in time for the premier league side 's return to training next week . robinho had a reputation for partying prior to his british-record transfer to manchester city last august . city manager mark hughes told the club 's official web site that robinho , who cost mega-rich city a british record fee of £32.5 million ( $ 45m ) when he signed from real madrid in august , will be spoken to after not joining the rest of the squad in a tenerife training camp this week -- choosing instead to fly to brazil to attend to a family matter . hughes told mcfc.co.uk : robbie left without permission , he felt that he had personal things that he needed to attend to . he made the decision to leave the camp , and go back to brazil . that was not with my permission , and the situation at the moment is not really practical to get him back here with time differences and length of flights , so he will be back at the weekend ready to train when we are back in manchester at the first available opportunity . once he is back , i will sit down with him and explain my feelings , and decisions will be made after that . he has rung me , and he understands that we need to address this -- and we will . then we will move on . robinho 's decision to fly to brazil came on the same day that city announced they were pulling out of a world record transfer move for ac milan star kaka , a brazilian team-mate of robinho . however . hughes has insisted that that two matters are completely unrelated . robinho is no stranger to controversy and had a reputation as a party-goer prior to his move to manchester last year . he was dropped by his former madrid coach , and now england national coach , fabio capello , who questioned his attitude and robinho 's eventual departure from the spanish club was acrimonious . in fact , in october 2007 , robinho failed to return to madrid after appearing for brazil in an international match , claiming he had missed his flight . local newspapers later revealed that he had been seen partying in a popular rio de janeiro nightclub and he was subsequently fined and dropped by the club . | city manager mark hughes reveals robinho flew to brazil without permission |
manchester city <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester city have confirmed that absent brazilian striker robinho will be back in time for the premier league side 's return to training next week . robinho had a reputation for partying prior to his british-record transfer to manchester city last august . city manager mark hughes told the club 's official web site that robinho , who cost mega-rich city a british record fee of £32.5 million ( $ 45m ) when he signed from real madrid in august , will be spoken to after not joining the rest of the squad in a tenerife training camp this week -- choosing instead to fly to brazil to attend to a family matter . hughes told mcfc.co.uk : robbie left without permission , he felt that he had personal things that he needed to attend to . he made the decision to leave the camp , and go back to brazil . that was not with my permission , and the situation at the moment is not really practical to get him back here with time differences and length of flights , so he will be back at the weekend ready to train when we are back in manchester at the first available opportunity . once he is back , i will sit down with him and explain my feelings , and decisions will be made after that . he has rung me , and he understands that we need to address this -- and we will . then we will move on . robinho 's decision to fly to brazil came on the same day that city announced they were pulling out of a world record transfer move for ac milan star kaka , a brazilian team-mate of robinho . however . hughes has insisted that that two matters are completely unrelated . robinho is no stranger to controversy and had a reputation as a party-goer prior to his move to manchester last year . he was dropped by his former madrid coach , and now england national coach , fabio capello , who questioned his attitude and robinho 's eventual departure from the spanish club was acrimonious . in fact , in october 2007 , robinho failed to return to madrid after appearing for brazil in an international match , claiming he had missed his flight . local newspapers later revealed that he had been seen partying in a popular rio de janeiro nightclub and he was subsequently fined and dropped by the club . | robinho will return to manchester city in time for return to training next week |
hughes <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester city have confirmed that absent brazilian striker robinho will be back in time for the premier league side 's return to training next week . robinho had a reputation for partying prior to his british-record transfer to manchester city last august . city manager mark hughes told the club 's official web site that robinho , who cost mega-rich city a british record fee of £32.5 million ( $ 45m ) when he signed from real madrid in august , will be spoken to after not joining the rest of the squad in a tenerife training camp this week -- choosing instead to fly to brazil to attend to a family matter . hughes told mcfc.co.uk : robbie left without permission , he felt that he had personal things that he needed to attend to . he made the decision to leave the camp , and go back to brazil . that was not with my permission , and the situation at the moment is not really practical to get him back here with time differences and length of flights , so he will be back at the weekend ready to train when we are back in manchester at the first available opportunity . once he is back , i will sit down with him and explain my feelings , and decisions will be made after that . he has rung me , and he understands that we need to address this -- and we will . then we will move on . robinho 's decision to fly to brazil came on the same day that city announced they were pulling out of a world record transfer move for ac milan star kaka , a brazilian team-mate of robinho . however . hughes has insisted that that two matters are completely unrelated . robinho is no stranger to controversy and had a reputation as a party-goer prior to his move to manchester last year . he was dropped by his former madrid coach , and now england national coach , fabio capello , who questioned his attitude and robinho 's eventual departure from the spanish club was acrimonious . in fact , in october 2007 , robinho failed to return to madrid after appearing for brazil in an international match , claiming he had missed his flight . local newspapers later revealed that he had been seen partying in a popular rio de janeiro nightclub and he was subsequently fined and dropped by the club . | city manager mark hughes reveals robinho flew to brazil without permission |
hughes <tsp> ( cnn ) -- manchester city have confirmed that absent brazilian striker robinho will be back in time for the premier league side 's return to training next week . robinho had a reputation for partying prior to his british-record transfer to manchester city last august . city manager mark hughes told the club 's official web site that robinho , who cost mega-rich city a british record fee of £32.5 million ( $ 45m ) when he signed from real madrid in august , will be spoken to after not joining the rest of the squad in a tenerife training camp this week -- choosing instead to fly to brazil to attend to a family matter . hughes told mcfc.co.uk : robbie left without permission , he felt that he had personal things that he needed to attend to . he made the decision to leave the camp , and go back to brazil . that was not with my permission , and the situation at the moment is not really practical to get him back here with time differences and length of flights , so he will be back at the weekend ready to train when we are back in manchester at the first available opportunity . once he is back , i will sit down with him and explain my feelings , and decisions will be made after that . he has rung me , and he understands that we need to address this -- and we will . then we will move on . robinho 's decision to fly to brazil came on the same day that city announced they were pulling out of a world record transfer move for ac milan star kaka , a brazilian team-mate of robinho . however . hughes has insisted that that two matters are completely unrelated . robinho is no stranger to controversy and had a reputation as a party-goer prior to his move to manchester last year . he was dropped by his former madrid coach , and now england national coach , fabio capello , who questioned his attitude and robinho 's eventual departure from the spanish club was acrimonious . in fact , in october 2007 , robinho failed to return to madrid after appearing for brazil in an international match , claiming he had missed his flight . local newspapers later revealed that he had been seen partying in a popular rio de janeiro nightclub and he was subsequently fined and dropped by the club . | however , hughes says their failure to sign kaka was not linked to his decision |
ukraine <tsp> russia 's tactics in ukraine are difficult to pin down : the kremlin categorically denies russian troops are fighting alongside rebels there , or that the sophisticated weaponry being used against ukrainian government forces is supplied by moscow . in fact , there 's mounting evidence of both . nato has released compelling satellite imagery -- dismissed by moscow -- purporting to show russian forces crossing the ukrainian border . last week , the ukrainian military even captured 10 russian paratroopers inside ukraine . the kremlin said the troops had accidentally crossed from russia while patrolling the long , porous border that separates the 2 former soviet states . but while questions about russia 's tactics remain , its strategy has become more clear : the kremlin appears to have decided to prevent ukraine turning west and leaving what russia regards as its sphere of influence . that means denying ukraine membership of western institutions like the european union , and nato . what 's more , the kremlin appears determined to achieve its goal regardless of the cost . international sanctions imposed on russia so far have damaged the country 's economy , sending the ruble to all-time lows against the us dollar , but have had little impact on kremlin policy . president vladimir putin continues his support of the rebels in ukraine , even increasing it , according to western officials . and he continues to enjoy soaring popularity , with approval ratings of well over 85 % , according to opinion polls . how to stop putin and prevent a descent into all-out war , then , is the central question with which western officials are now grappling . there 's talk of further costs and consequences ' -- the words of president obama -- but there 's division on what further sanctions can achieve . taking the world cup away from russia , chosen to host the next event in 2018 , is being discussed and may send a powerful symbolic message of isolation to moscow . but few expect it would force the kremlin to change course . read more : six questions about the crisis in ukraine further economic sanctions would be double-edged , and may work no better than similar previous measures . nato , the western military alliance , is meeting this week in wales and will examine what its response to russia should be . ahead of the meeting there 's talk of increased military support for ukraine , and that may yet be delivered ; but direct confrontation with a nuclear-armed russia is regarded by member states , including the eu , as a non-starter . it 's simply too risky . president putin himself summed it up in a speech to a pro-kremlin youth camp outside moscow last week , voicing what many of his western counterparts may well be thinking . it 's best not to mess with russia , ' he said . let me remind you , we are a nuclear superpower . ' that just leaves diplomacy , so often the last and best option . the good news is that the russian and ukrainian presidents met last week for the first time since june . the bad news is that there was only an awkward handshake at the summit in belarus , and a refusal by either leader to compromise . russian wants a ceasefire to freeze the conflict , and ultimately a federal constitution in ukraine that would grant russian language official status and russian-speaking areas of the country greater autonomy . ukraine rejects this , fearing it would mean losing effective control of its eastern provinces for good . that deadlock will simply have to be broken if this ukraine crisis is going to end without further bloodshed or territorial losses . eu officials say it 's still not too late for russia to end the crisis without losing face . but with moscow so clearly digging in its heels , it may be the government in kiev and its western backers who , despite the bluster , will be looking to do a face-saving deal . read more : ukraine warns of'full-scale war'with russiaread more : opinion - how to make putin back downread more : opinion - fog lifts to show russia at war | russia looking to prevent ukraine turning to west , leaving its sphere of influence |
ukraine <tsp> russia 's tactics in ukraine are difficult to pin down : the kremlin categorically denies russian troops are fighting alongside rebels there , or that the sophisticated weaponry being used against ukrainian government forces is supplied by moscow . in fact , there 's mounting evidence of both . nato has released compelling satellite imagery -- dismissed by moscow -- purporting to show russian forces crossing the ukrainian border . last week , the ukrainian military even captured 10 russian paratroopers inside ukraine . the kremlin said the troops had accidentally crossed from russia while patrolling the long , porous border that separates the 2 former soviet states . but while questions about russia 's tactics remain , its strategy has become more clear : the kremlin appears to have decided to prevent ukraine turning west and leaving what russia regards as its sphere of influence . that means denying ukraine membership of western institutions like the european union , and nato . what 's more , the kremlin appears determined to achieve its goal regardless of the cost . international sanctions imposed on russia so far have damaged the country 's economy , sending the ruble to all-time lows against the us dollar , but have had little impact on kremlin policy . president vladimir putin continues his support of the rebels in ukraine , even increasing it , according to western officials . and he continues to enjoy soaring popularity , with approval ratings of well over 85 % , according to opinion polls . how to stop putin and prevent a descent into all-out war , then , is the central question with which western officials are now grappling . there 's talk of further costs and consequences ' -- the words of president obama -- but there 's division on what further sanctions can achieve . taking the world cup away from russia , chosen to host the next event in 2018 , is being discussed and may send a powerful symbolic message of isolation to moscow . but few expect it would force the kremlin to change course . read more : six questions about the crisis in ukraine further economic sanctions would be double-edged , and may work no better than similar previous measures . nato , the western military alliance , is meeting this week in wales and will examine what its response to russia should be . ahead of the meeting there 's talk of increased military support for ukraine , and that may yet be delivered ; but direct confrontation with a nuclear-armed russia is regarded by member states , including the eu , as a non-starter . it 's simply too risky . president putin himself summed it up in a speech to a pro-kremlin youth camp outside moscow last week , voicing what many of his western counterparts may well be thinking . it 's best not to mess with russia , ' he said . let me remind you , we are a nuclear superpower . ' that just leaves diplomacy , so often the last and best option . the good news is that the russian and ukrainian presidents met last week for the first time since june . the bad news is that there was only an awkward handshake at the summit in belarus , and a refusal by either leader to compromise . russian wants a ceasefire to freeze the conflict , and ultimately a federal constitution in ukraine that would grant russian language official status and russian-speaking areas of the country greater autonomy . ukraine rejects this , fearing it would mean losing effective control of its eastern provinces for good . that deadlock will simply have to be broken if this ukraine crisis is going to end without further bloodshed or territorial losses . eu officials say it 's still not too late for russia to end the crisis without losing face . but with moscow so clearly digging in its heels , it may be the government in kiev and its western backers who , despite the bluster , will be looking to do a face-saving deal . read more : ukraine warns of'full-scale war'with russiaread more : opinion - how to make putin back downread more : opinion - fog lifts to show russia at war | evidence russian troops , weaponry are being used in ukraine , despite kremlin denials |
the bully effect <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in the last few years , awareness about bullying has increased dramatically . some adults may still think bullying is just a youthful rite of passage , but it seems worse than in previous generations for many parents , educators and kids . it does n't stop at the schoolyard or even a child 's front door . access to the internet and social media websites mean kids can be bullied and tormented around the clock , even in the supposed safety of their own homes . the cruelty that can come with the strike of a button on a keyboard can hurt just as much as any punch or push in a playground . we 've produced a documentary called the bully effect ' which follows the stories of a number of people filmmaker lee hirsch introduced audiences to in his remarkable 2012 film bully . ' these are kids and parents who have taken their pain , their suffering , their grief and turned it into action . they are truly inspiring . our unhealthy love of reality tv bullying i first started reporting on the problem of bullying a few years ago when a rash of suicides of children propelled the issue into the national spotlight . since then , i 've interviewed far too many parents whose children took their own lives because they felt like it was the only way out of the pain . it 's not just tragic , it 's unacceptable . through our reporting , we 've repeatedly tried to understand the complex issues surrounding bullying . there are not just bullies and victims . sometimes a child who is bullied may bully someone else . we 've tried to understand how bullying can be a form of what researchers call social combat , ' and we 've looked at what programs work to prevent it , and why some schools fail to adequately address the problem . most bullying incidents are witnessed by bystanders : other students , teachers , and adults . all too often those bystanders fail to intervene , fail to stand up and say enough is enough . ' as a teenager i saw other kids being bullied . sometimes i tried to stop it , often times , i remained silent . it still pains me to this day . share your story about child bullying with cnn ireport increasing empathy and understanding is one of the greatest weapons we have to reduce bullying . that 's why i believe in the power of reporting . and why i hope you will watch the bully effect ' on cnn tonight at 8 p.m . et . change is happening , and you can be part of it . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of anderson cooper . watch anderson cooper 360° weeknights 8pm et . for the latest from ac360° click here . | cooper : learn more from the bully effect , ' which will air on cnn tonight at 8 p.m . et |
dallas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a plane carrying former president george w. bush was diverted to louisville on saturday night after the pilot reported the smell of smoke . the gulfstream iv aircraft was traveling from philadelphia international to dallas love field airports when the pilot reported the smell of smoke in the cockpit , said holly baker , spokeswoman for the federal aviation administration . she said the plane landed safely in louisville , kentucky . by early sunday morning , bush arrived safely home in dallas , his spokesman freddy ford said . bush 's legacy is on the mend poll : you 're starting to remember bush fondly | the 43rd president was on a plane from philadelphia to dallas |
dallas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a plane carrying former president george w. bush was diverted to louisville on saturday night after the pilot reported the smell of smoke . the gulfstream iv aircraft was traveling from philadelphia international to dallas love field airports when the pilot reported the smell of smoke in the cockpit , said holly baker , spokeswoman for the federal aviation administration . she said the plane landed safely in louisville , kentucky . by early sunday morning , bush arrived safely home in dallas , his spokesman freddy ford said . bush 's legacy is on the mend poll : you 're starting to remember bush fondly | bush arrived safely home in dallas later in the night , his spokesman says |
chelsea <tsp> ( cnn ) -- liverpool , the 18 time league winner and five-time champion of europe , was humiliated by third-tier oldham 3-2 in the fa cup , the most famous domestic cup competition in world football . the premier league club , which is owned by american businessman john henry , was embarrassed by a team currently struggling towards the bottom of its own division . on a freezing cold sunday in the north of england , around 14 kilometers from manchester , oldham produced one of the greatest results in its recent history to defeat the seven time fa cup winners . real madrid , barcelona or manchester united : which is the biggest club ? facing the likes of $ 35 million man luis suarez and a whole host of international players , oldham turned to a man who up until 18 months ago had given up on playing professional football to try his luck at university . matt smith , 23 , attended the university of manchester where he gained a degree in international management with american studies while playing part-time amateur football . but after completing his studies , he rejoined oldham and etched his name into fa cup folklore by scoring twice before dislocating his shoulder in an enthralling contest . leading 1-0 through smith 's third minute strike , suarez equalized for liverpool before oldham scored two quick goals either side of the break . first , smith took advantage of some awful goalkeeping by brad jones to fire home his second with reece wabara heading oldham into a 3-1 lead just minutes after the interval . sturridge joins liverpool joe allen , a $ 23.6 million signing , volleyed liverpool back into the contest courtesy of a huge deflection , but oldham held out for a famous victory . it was a return to the glory days for the club , which reached the 1994 fa cup semifinals where it was eventually beaten by manchester united in a replay . it was that year which also saw oldham relegated from the premier league -- a division which the club has not been able to return to since . oldham , which is managed by former arsenal and manchester city striker paul dickov , will now face liverpool 's merseyside rival , everton . i am left speechless by the result . we went out there wanting to battle together , ' hero smith told reporters . we rallied and thoroughly deserved the win . we proved what we can do today and we will be looking to do the same against everton . ' liverpool manager brendan rodgers , whose side is currently seventh in the premier league , said he had no excuses following the defeat . the fa cup was a competition we wanted to have a go at and there is no excuse , ' he told reporters . we put out a strong team capable of winning the game , but we did n't . ' hazard charged with violent conduct oldham 's triumph capped a remarkable day of cup action in england where european champion chelsea was fortunate to escape with a 2-2 draw at third-tier brentford . brentford , which is less than 10 kilometers from its illustrious west london rival , had taken the lead twice , only for chelsea to snatch an 83rd minute equalizer through $ 80 million striker fernando torres . it was an impressive showing from minnow brentford against defending champion chelsea , which is unbeaten in its past 25 fa cup matches . eden a hazard to chelsea 's public image ? brentford , which is managed by german uwe rosler , will now go to stamford bridge for a replay in a game which is estimated to earn it around $ 1.6 million . the winner of that fixture will go on to play at middlesbrough in the fifth round . james gibson : the man who saved manchester united -- twice there was also drama at leeds where the first-tier side defeated eight time winners tottenham hotspur 2-1 . leeds , which was relegated from the top-flight in 2004 , now faces an away game at premier league champion manchester city . meanwhile , luton town , which became the first non-league side to ever beat a premier league team following the 1-0 win at norwich on saturday , will play first-tier millwall in the next round . manchester united will host reading , while arsenal will welcome blackburn . | chelsea needed late equalizer to claim a replay at minnow brentford |
italy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- reigning world and european champions spain set up the purists'dream confederations cup final against host nation brazil but only after squeaking past a stubborn italian side on penalties . the heavyweight european nations produced an entertaining game which somehow ended goalless after extra time , as both sides'endurance was tested to the limit in the heat of fortaleza . in contrast to the finishing seen in open play , the strikes at goal in the penalty shootout were of the highest standard until defender leonardo bonucci skied the 13th effort well wide of goal . that allowed jesus navas to coolly fire spain into sunday 's final as 7-6 winners on penalties -- so maintaining their hopes of holding the world , european and confederations cup titles all at once . having won the world cup ( 2010 ) , the european championship ( on three occasions ) and the olympics ( 1992 ) , fifa 's so-called festival of champions -- which pits the continental champions against both the world cup winners and hosts -- is the one trophy missing from spain 's illustrious cabinet . yet vicente del bosque 's side were not at their best against familiar foes and could have suffered an unexpected reverse had italy not wasted a host of early opportunities , with emanuele giaccherini hitting a post early in extra time . the absence of injured striker mario balotelli was keenly felt as christian maggio , alberto gilardino and claudio marchisio all missed gilt-edged opportunities in the opening 45 minutes . i think it was an excellent performance from both teams , who proved they are right at the top of the european game , ' spain coach del bosque told fifa 's official website . italy were better than us for the whole first period when they put us in uncomfortable situations several times . we could n't control the game properly and we looked very open . but , bit by bit , we got a second wind , improved after the interval and ended up being the better side come extra time . then fortune went our way in the shootout , which put us through to a great final . we 're enormously excited about taking on brazil in the maracana . ' despite all the things they 've won - our players feel like kids ! they 're playing brazil at the maracana and that 's taken them back to boyhood days . ' the host nation ensured they will be playing in the iconic rio de janeiro stadium , which is set to host the 2014 world cup final , when beating fellow south americans uruguay 2-1 in a tight contest on wednesday . italy will feel they deserved more from the game than the chance to win third place when facing the uruguayans in salvador on sunday , even if goalkeeper gianluigi buffon did turn a xavi effort against the post in the dying moments . the lads played a great match , from the first minute to the last , and we created plenty of situations that could have won us the game , but once it goes to penalties anything can happen , ' said cesare prandelli , whose tactics successfully stifled the spanish . spain are currently ahead of us because they 've been following the same ideology for years , whereas we 're still forging our own path . this match has been a great test for us , no doubt about that , and we passed it despite the result . we were convinced about how we needed to play , in both technical and tactical terms , and we proved that we have the quality to battle it out with the best . ' prandelli can reflect on a far superior display to the two teams'meeting in the european championship final in kiev one year ago , when spain romped to a 4-0 victory as they lifted the continental title for the third time following previous triumphs in 1964 and 2008 . when the sides had met in the group stages in gdansk last year , the 1-1 draw was built upon italy 's decision to play a three-man defense -- and prandelli 's decision to revert to that system once again restricted spanish creativity for large parts of the game . brazil coach felipe scolari will have followed the tactical ploy with interest as his side bid to win the confederations cup for the third time in a row following successes in 2005 and 2009 . as has become a feature of the confederations cup , the build-up to the match witnessed clashes between police and anti-government protesters . brazil has been hit by wave of mass demonstrations as its citizens clamor for better public services in a land where $ 15 billion has been set aside to host the confederations cup and next year 's world cup . over a million people took to the streets in the early days of the tournament but there were just an estimated 5,000 protesting in fortaleza on thursday , with police saying they arrested 72 people . | italy have chance to seal third place against uruguay on sunday |
italy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- reigning world and european champions spain set up the purists'dream confederations cup final against host nation brazil but only after squeaking past a stubborn italian side on penalties . the heavyweight european nations produced an entertaining game which somehow ended goalless after extra time , as both sides'endurance was tested to the limit in the heat of fortaleza . in contrast to the finishing seen in open play , the strikes at goal in the penalty shootout were of the highest standard until defender leonardo bonucci skied the 13th effort well wide of goal . that allowed jesus navas to coolly fire spain into sunday 's final as 7-6 winners on penalties -- so maintaining their hopes of holding the world , european and confederations cup titles all at once . having won the world cup ( 2010 ) , the european championship ( on three occasions ) and the olympics ( 1992 ) , fifa 's so-called festival of champions -- which pits the continental champions against both the world cup winners and hosts -- is the one trophy missing from spain 's illustrious cabinet . yet vicente del bosque 's side were not at their best against familiar foes and could have suffered an unexpected reverse had italy not wasted a host of early opportunities , with emanuele giaccherini hitting a post early in extra time . the absence of injured striker mario balotelli was keenly felt as christian maggio , alberto gilardino and claudio marchisio all missed gilt-edged opportunities in the opening 45 minutes . i think it was an excellent performance from both teams , who proved they are right at the top of the european game , ' spain coach del bosque told fifa 's official website . italy were better than us for the whole first period when they put us in uncomfortable situations several times . we could n't control the game properly and we looked very open . but , bit by bit , we got a second wind , improved after the interval and ended up being the better side come extra time . then fortune went our way in the shootout , which put us through to a great final . we 're enormously excited about taking on brazil in the maracana . ' despite all the things they 've won - our players feel like kids ! they 're playing brazil at the maracana and that 's taken them back to boyhood days . ' the host nation ensured they will be playing in the iconic rio de janeiro stadium , which is set to host the 2014 world cup final , when beating fellow south americans uruguay 2-1 in a tight contest on wednesday . italy will feel they deserved more from the game than the chance to win third place when facing the uruguayans in salvador on sunday , even if goalkeeper gianluigi buffon did turn a xavi effort against the post in the dying moments . the lads played a great match , from the first minute to the last , and we created plenty of situations that could have won us the game , but once it goes to penalties anything can happen , ' said cesare prandelli , whose tactics successfully stifled the spanish . spain are currently ahead of us because they 've been following the same ideology for years , whereas we 're still forging our own path . this match has been a great test for us , no doubt about that , and we passed it despite the result . we were convinced about how we needed to play , in both technical and tactical terms , and we proved that we have the quality to battle it out with the best . ' prandelli can reflect on a far superior display to the two teams'meeting in the european championship final in kiev one year ago , when spain romped to a 4-0 victory as they lifted the continental title for the third time following previous triumphs in 1964 and 2008 . when the sides had met in the group stages in gdansk last year , the 1-1 draw was built upon italy 's decision to play a three-man defense -- and prandelli 's decision to revert to that system once again restricted spanish creativity for large parts of the game . brazil coach felipe scolari will have followed the tactical ploy with interest as his side bid to win the confederations cup for the third time in a row following successes in 2005 and 2009 . as has become a feature of the confederations cup , the build-up to the match witnessed clashes between police and anti-government protesters . brazil has been hit by wave of mass demonstrations as its citizens clamor for better public services in a land where $ 15 billion has been set aside to host the confederations cup and next year 's world cup . over a million people took to the streets in the early days of the tournament but there were just an estimated 5,000 protesting in fortaleza on thursday , with police saying they arrested 72 people . | spain beat italy 7-6 on penalties after semifinal ends goalless after 120 minutes |
santa barbara <tsp> santa barbara , california ( cnn ) -- as elliot rodger was carrying out a deadly rampage friday night around santa barbara , his parents were frantically trying to find him , having just received a chilling manifesto from their son . rodger , 22 , sent a couple dozen people -- including his parents and at least one of his therapists -- the 140-page document via e-mail not long before the shootings began , simon astaire , a family friend , told cnn . the manifesto is a lengthy chronicle detailing rodger 's frustrations with his height , his parents'divorce and rejection by women . it was obtained by the media on saturday , but it was not known then that his family had seen the document before the rampage . rodger 's mother , lichin , who saw the e-mail at 9:17 p.m. pt , immediately went to rodger 's youtube page , where he had been known to post videos about himself . according to astaire , that 's when rodger 's mother saw her son 's latest video , called retribution , ' that he posted friday , the day of the shootings . in the video , rodger outlined his plan of slaughtering ' women at a sorority house at the university of california at santa barbara . his mother called rodger 's father , peter , and said he had to watch the youtube video . at the time , peter rodger had not yet seen the manifesto . lichin rodger called 911 , and the parents set off for santa barbara from los angeles , according to astaire . en route , they heard there was a shooting . later that night , they found out their son was behind the violence . authorities say the killing rampage left six victims dead and 13 injured . it ended when rodger slammed into a parked vehicle and apparently shot himself in the head , police said . who were the victims ? there had been warning signs that rodgers was struggling with mental health . his mother came across his youtube videos in april after she had n't heard from rodger in a few days , astaire said . she called one of his therapists , who then called a santa barbara mental health hotline . a woman on the hotline called police to check on him , astaire said . six policemen showed up at his house in isla vista on april 30 , but they found nothing alarming , so they told rodger to call his mother and they reassured her that he was ok , according to astaire . santa barbara county sheriff bill brown told reporters saturday that at the time , deputies determined he did not meet the criteria for an involuntary hold . ' looking back , rodger 's parents now feel that the well-being check in april by police was a pivotal moment , ' and his parents are frustrated , astaire said . he described it as a missed opportunity ' to really find out what was going on with rodger , but his parents admit that hindsight is always easy , astaire said . in fact , elliot rodger himself wrote in the manifesto that he worried that someone had discovered his plan when the police visited . i had the striking and devastating fear that someone had somehow discovered what i was planning to do , and reported me for it , ' he wrote . if that was the case , the police would have searched my room , found all of my guns and weapons , along with my writings about what i plan to do with them . i would have been thrown in jail , denied of the chance to exact revenge on my enemies . i ca n't imagine a hell darker than that . ' he continued : if they had demanded to search my room ... that would have ended everything . for a few horrible seconds i thought it was all over . when they left , the biggest wave of relief swept over me . ' brown told reporters that rodger suffered from an undisclosed mental health issue and was under the care of a variety of health care professionals . on sunday , the sheriff defended the april welfare check , saying on cnn 's state of the union with candy crowley ' that getting involved in mental health cases is a delicate balance . ' you want to certainly intervene and obviously try to prevent a tragedy such as we 've experienced here . on the same token , you do n't want to stigmatize people who are seeking treatment for mental illness and you do n't want to prevent them from doing so because of the potential stigma that 's attached , ' he said . it 's a double-edged sword in some respects . ' rodger had been seeing therapists on and off since he was 8 , according to astaire . he went to high school in van nuys , california , and met with a therapist pretty much every day , ' astaire said . before his death , rodger was seeing two therapists , astaire added . ( rodger ) has always been going to see someone , ' he said , describing him as reserved to a daunting degree . ' but astaire said rodger did n't seem to have violent tendencies . in fact , there was no recent indication rodger was growing increasingly distant or that his condition was deteriorating , astaire added . rodger 's father said a week ago that rodger seemed to be doing well at the moment . ' on thursday , he spoke to his father and said he was looking forward to seeing his family this weekend . astaire told cnn that rodger never expressed any fascination with guns . guns were never part of the dialogue , ' he said . inside rodger 's car friday night police found three handguns -- all legally purchased -- and more than 400 rounds of unused ammunition . rodger passed the background check needed to buy the firearm used in the shooting , a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told cnn . the official said nothing had been found in the gun trace to indicate rodger should have been disqualified . astaire also mentioned a feud that rodger had had recently with his roommates , saying rodger complained to his landlord that his roommates were too noisy and played lots of video games . rodger suggested they move out but was told that could n't happen . ( his parents ) were conscious and concerned about their son 's health , ' astaire said . they thought he was in good hands . ' but in a moment of indescribable grief , ' he said , they are of course asking themselves ,'did we do as much as we can do ?'' cnn 's ashley killough contributed to this report . | the santa barbara shooter had sent the writing to a couple dozen people , family friend says |
elliot rodger <tsp> santa barbara , california ( cnn ) -- as elliot rodger was carrying out a deadly rampage friday night around santa barbara , his parents were frantically trying to find him , having just received a chilling manifesto from their son . rodger , 22 , sent a couple dozen people -- including his parents and at least one of his therapists -- the 140-page document via e-mail not long before the shootings began , simon astaire , a family friend , told cnn . the manifesto is a lengthy chronicle detailing rodger 's frustrations with his height , his parents'divorce and rejection by women . it was obtained by the media on saturday , but it was not known then that his family had seen the document before the rampage . rodger 's mother , lichin , who saw the e-mail at 9:17 p.m. pt , immediately went to rodger 's youtube page , where he had been known to post videos about himself . according to astaire , that 's when rodger 's mother saw her son 's latest video , called retribution , ' that he posted friday , the day of the shootings . in the video , rodger outlined his plan of slaughtering ' women at a sorority house at the university of california at santa barbara . his mother called rodger 's father , peter , and said he had to watch the youtube video . at the time , peter rodger had not yet seen the manifesto . lichin rodger called 911 , and the parents set off for santa barbara from los angeles , according to astaire . en route , they heard there was a shooting . later that night , they found out their son was behind the violence . authorities say the killing rampage left six victims dead and 13 injured . it ended when rodger slammed into a parked vehicle and apparently shot himself in the head , police said . who were the victims ? there had been warning signs that rodgers was struggling with mental health . his mother came across his youtube videos in april after she had n't heard from rodger in a few days , astaire said . she called one of his therapists , who then called a santa barbara mental health hotline . a woman on the hotline called police to check on him , astaire said . six policemen showed up at his house in isla vista on april 30 , but they found nothing alarming , so they told rodger to call his mother and they reassured her that he was ok , according to astaire . santa barbara county sheriff bill brown told reporters saturday that at the time , deputies determined he did not meet the criteria for an involuntary hold . ' looking back , rodger 's parents now feel that the well-being check in april by police was a pivotal moment , ' and his parents are frustrated , astaire said . he described it as a missed opportunity ' to really find out what was going on with rodger , but his parents admit that hindsight is always easy , astaire said . in fact , elliot rodger himself wrote in the manifesto that he worried that someone had discovered his plan when the police visited . i had the striking and devastating fear that someone had somehow discovered what i was planning to do , and reported me for it , ' he wrote . if that was the case , the police would have searched my room , found all of my guns and weapons , along with my writings about what i plan to do with them . i would have been thrown in jail , denied of the chance to exact revenge on my enemies . i ca n't imagine a hell darker than that . ' he continued : if they had demanded to search my room ... that would have ended everything . for a few horrible seconds i thought it was all over . when they left , the biggest wave of relief swept over me . ' brown told reporters that rodger suffered from an undisclosed mental health issue and was under the care of a variety of health care professionals . on sunday , the sheriff defended the april welfare check , saying on cnn 's state of the union with candy crowley ' that getting involved in mental health cases is a delicate balance . ' you want to certainly intervene and obviously try to prevent a tragedy such as we 've experienced here . on the same token , you do n't want to stigmatize people who are seeking treatment for mental illness and you do n't want to prevent them from doing so because of the potential stigma that 's attached , ' he said . it 's a double-edged sword in some respects . ' rodger had been seeing therapists on and off since he was 8 , according to astaire . he went to high school in van nuys , california , and met with a therapist pretty much every day , ' astaire said . before his death , rodger was seeing two therapists , astaire added . ( rodger ) has always been going to see someone , ' he said , describing him as reserved to a daunting degree . ' but astaire said rodger did n't seem to have violent tendencies . in fact , there was no recent indication rodger was growing increasingly distant or that his condition was deteriorating , astaire added . rodger 's father said a week ago that rodger seemed to be doing well at the moment . ' on thursday , he spoke to his father and said he was looking forward to seeing his family this weekend . astaire told cnn that rodger never expressed any fascination with guns . guns were never part of the dialogue , ' he said . inside rodger 's car friday night police found three handguns -- all legally purchased -- and more than 400 rounds of unused ammunition . rodger passed the background check needed to buy the firearm used in the shooting , a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told cnn . the official said nothing had been found in the gun trace to indicate rodger should have been disqualified . astaire also mentioned a feud that rodger had had recently with his roommates , saying rodger complained to his landlord that his roommates were too noisy and played lots of video games . rodger suggested they move out but was told that could n't happen . ( his parents ) were conscious and concerned about their son 's health , ' astaire said . they thought he was in good hands . ' but in a moment of indescribable grief , ' he said , they are of course asking themselves ,'did we do as much as we can do ?'' cnn 's ashley killough contributed to this report . | elliot rodger 's mother read his manifesto , alerted his father , and they set out to find him |
elliot rodger <tsp> santa barbara , california ( cnn ) -- as elliot rodger was carrying out a deadly rampage friday night around santa barbara , his parents were frantically trying to find him , having just received a chilling manifesto from their son . rodger , 22 , sent a couple dozen people -- including his parents and at least one of his therapists -- the 140-page document via e-mail not long before the shootings began , simon astaire , a family friend , told cnn . the manifesto is a lengthy chronicle detailing rodger 's frustrations with his height , his parents'divorce and rejection by women . it was obtained by the media on saturday , but it was not known then that his family had seen the document before the rampage . rodger 's mother , lichin , who saw the e-mail at 9:17 p.m. pt , immediately went to rodger 's youtube page , where he had been known to post videos about himself . according to astaire , that 's when rodger 's mother saw her son 's latest video , called retribution , ' that he posted friday , the day of the shootings . in the video , rodger outlined his plan of slaughtering ' women at a sorority house at the university of california at santa barbara . his mother called rodger 's father , peter , and said he had to watch the youtube video . at the time , peter rodger had not yet seen the manifesto . lichin rodger called 911 , and the parents set off for santa barbara from los angeles , according to astaire . en route , they heard there was a shooting . later that night , they found out their son was behind the violence . authorities say the killing rampage left six victims dead and 13 injured . it ended when rodger slammed into a parked vehicle and apparently shot himself in the head , police said . who were the victims ? there had been warning signs that rodgers was struggling with mental health . his mother came across his youtube videos in april after she had n't heard from rodger in a few days , astaire said . she called one of his therapists , who then called a santa barbara mental health hotline . a woman on the hotline called police to check on him , astaire said . six policemen showed up at his house in isla vista on april 30 , but they found nothing alarming , so they told rodger to call his mother and they reassured her that he was ok , according to astaire . santa barbara county sheriff bill brown told reporters saturday that at the time , deputies determined he did not meet the criteria for an involuntary hold . ' looking back , rodger 's parents now feel that the well-being check in april by police was a pivotal moment , ' and his parents are frustrated , astaire said . he described it as a missed opportunity ' to really find out what was going on with rodger , but his parents admit that hindsight is always easy , astaire said . in fact , elliot rodger himself wrote in the manifesto that he worried that someone had discovered his plan when the police visited . i had the striking and devastating fear that someone had somehow discovered what i was planning to do , and reported me for it , ' he wrote . if that was the case , the police would have searched my room , found all of my guns and weapons , along with my writings about what i plan to do with them . i would have been thrown in jail , denied of the chance to exact revenge on my enemies . i ca n't imagine a hell darker than that . ' he continued : if they had demanded to search my room ... that would have ended everything . for a few horrible seconds i thought it was all over . when they left , the biggest wave of relief swept over me . ' brown told reporters that rodger suffered from an undisclosed mental health issue and was under the care of a variety of health care professionals . on sunday , the sheriff defended the april welfare check , saying on cnn 's state of the union with candy crowley ' that getting involved in mental health cases is a delicate balance . ' you want to certainly intervene and obviously try to prevent a tragedy such as we 've experienced here . on the same token , you do n't want to stigmatize people who are seeking treatment for mental illness and you do n't want to prevent them from doing so because of the potential stigma that 's attached , ' he said . it 's a double-edged sword in some respects . ' rodger had been seeing therapists on and off since he was 8 , according to astaire . he went to high school in van nuys , california , and met with a therapist pretty much every day , ' astaire said . before his death , rodger was seeing two therapists , astaire added . ( rodger ) has always been going to see someone , ' he said , describing him as reserved to a daunting degree . ' but astaire said rodger did n't seem to have violent tendencies . in fact , there was no recent indication rodger was growing increasingly distant or that his condition was deteriorating , astaire added . rodger 's father said a week ago that rodger seemed to be doing well at the moment . ' on thursday , he spoke to his father and said he was looking forward to seeing his family this weekend . astaire told cnn that rodger never expressed any fascination with guns . guns were never part of the dialogue , ' he said . inside rodger 's car friday night police found three handguns -- all legally purchased -- and more than 400 rounds of unused ammunition . rodger passed the background check needed to buy the firearm used in the shooting , a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told cnn . the official said nothing had been found in the gun trace to indicate rodger should have been disqualified . astaire also mentioned a feud that rodger had had recently with his roommates , saying rodger complained to his landlord that his roommates were too noisy and played lots of video games . rodger suggested they move out but was told that could n't happen . ( his parents ) were conscious and concerned about their son 's health , ' astaire said . they thought he was in good hands . ' but in a moment of indescribable grief , ' he said , they are of course asking themselves ,'did we do as much as we can do ?'' cnn 's ashley killough contributed to this report . | elliot rodger had been seeing therapists since he was 8 , family friend says |
hamburg <tsp> ( cnn ) -- germany underlined their impressive credentials ahead of euro 2012 with a 3-0 thrashing of arch-rivals the netherlands on tuesday in hamburg . the germans , who will be among the favorites next year in ukraine and poland , swept aside the 2010 world cup runners-up with veteran striker miroslav klose inspirational . he set up thomas muller to put the home side ahead in the early stages before helping himself to the second goal and his 63rd for germany in the 26th minute . it left him just five short of the legendary gerd muller 's all-time record . the 33-year-old lazio striker then worked in real madrid 's mesut ozil for a close range strike in the 66th minute as germany sealed their first win over the dutch since 1996 . the whole team made the match a lot of fun to play in , ' ozil told afp . meanwhile , world and european champions spain needed two goals in the final seven minutes to rescue a 2-2 draw with costa rica in their friendly clash . just three days after a 1-0 defeat to england , vicente del bosque 's spain fell behind on 31 minutes in san jose when forward randall brenes capitalized on an error from goalkeeper iker casillas to clip a shot over defender carles puyol and into the empty net . it was a nightmare moment for real madrid 's casillas , who was celebrating making his 127th appearance for spain and becoming their most-capped player . it got worse for spain three minutes before half time when lorient striker joel campbell , who is on-loan from english premier league side arsenal , doubled costa rica 's lead . spain pressed in the second half , eventually breaking the home team 's resistance with seven minutes remaining when manchester city playmaker david silva finished after a neat exchange with midfielder andres iniesta . barcelona 's david villa spared spain 's blushes as the match entered stoppage time , stooping to head home his 51st international goal and rescue a draw for the visitors . elsewhere , england made it two wins in five days at wembley with a hard-fought 1-0 win over sweden . england made several changes from the side which beat spain 1-0 last saturday , but were largely in command for much of the match against their fellow euro 2012 qualifiers . it was england 's first win over sweden in 43 years and captain john terry , recalled to the team despite being under investigation for alleged racial abuse , said he never had any intention of sitting the match out because of the controversy . no chance , ' he said . i 'm very passionate , very confident being england captain and very proud to be , also . ' england 's only goal in the first half , their 2,000th in internationals , was originally given to midfielder gareth barry , but his header took a final touch off sweden 's daniel majstorovic . debutant jack rodwell missed a glorious opportunity for his first goal for england and manchester united youngster phil jones also went close as the home side might have added further to their tally against a below-par swedish side who rarely threatened . meanwhile in rome , sebastian fernandez scored the only goal of the game as uruguay beat italy 1-0 win in the olympic stadium . mario balotelli went close for italy before former juventus fullback martin caceres crossed for fernandez to help the ball home . | germany beat the netherlands 3-0 in international friendly in hamburg |
costa rica <tsp> ( cnn ) -- germany underlined their impressive credentials ahead of euro 2012 with a 3-0 thrashing of arch-rivals the netherlands on tuesday in hamburg . the germans , who will be among the favorites next year in ukraine and poland , swept aside the 2010 world cup runners-up with veteran striker miroslav klose inspirational . he set up thomas muller to put the home side ahead in the early stages before helping himself to the second goal and his 63rd for germany in the 26th minute . it left him just five short of the legendary gerd muller 's all-time record . the 33-year-old lazio striker then worked in real madrid 's mesut ozil for a close range strike in the 66th minute as germany sealed their first win over the dutch since 1996 . the whole team made the match a lot of fun to play in , ' ozil told afp . meanwhile , world and european champions spain needed two goals in the final seven minutes to rescue a 2-2 draw with costa rica in their friendly clash . just three days after a 1-0 defeat to england , vicente del bosque 's spain fell behind on 31 minutes in san jose when forward randall brenes capitalized on an error from goalkeeper iker casillas to clip a shot over defender carles puyol and into the empty net . it was a nightmare moment for real madrid 's casillas , who was celebrating making his 127th appearance for spain and becoming their most-capped player . it got worse for spain three minutes before half time when lorient striker joel campbell , who is on-loan from english premier league side arsenal , doubled costa rica 's lead . spain pressed in the second half , eventually breaking the home team 's resistance with seven minutes remaining when manchester city playmaker david silva finished after a neat exchange with midfielder andres iniesta . barcelona 's david villa spared spain 's blushes as the match entered stoppage time , stooping to head home his 51st international goal and rescue a draw for the visitors . elsewhere , england made it two wins in five days at wembley with a hard-fought 1-0 win over sweden . england made several changes from the side which beat spain 1-0 last saturday , but were largely in command for much of the match against their fellow euro 2012 qualifiers . it was england 's first win over sweden in 43 years and captain john terry , recalled to the team despite being under investigation for alleged racial abuse , said he never had any intention of sitting the match out because of the controversy . no chance , ' he said . i 'm very passionate , very confident being england captain and very proud to be , also . ' england 's only goal in the first half , their 2,000th in internationals , was originally given to midfielder gareth barry , but his header took a final touch off sweden 's daniel majstorovic . debutant jack rodwell missed a glorious opportunity for his first goal for england and manchester united youngster phil jones also went close as the home side might have added further to their tally against a below-par swedish side who rarely threatened . meanwhile in rome , sebastian fernandez scored the only goal of the game as uruguay beat italy 1-0 win in the olympic stadium . mario balotelli went close for italy before former juventus fullback martin caceres crossed for fernandez to help the ball home . | spain score two late goals to rescue a 2-2 draw with costa rica |
jabra bt3030 <tsp> ( cnet ) -- now that stereo bluetooth has become a common feature in a lot of music phones , it 's no surprise that stereo bluetooth headsets have become quite popular as well . stereo bluetooth headsets come in many shapes and sizes , from the behind-the-ear style of the motorola rokr s9 to the over-the-head style of the jabra bt8030 . the jabra bt3030 is in the style of a pendant , or as its design suggests , more of a dog tag . it 's been available for a while now , but we think it 's still worth it . the jabra bt3030 can be purchased for around $ 39.99 . of course like any stereo bluetooth headset , the jabra bt3030 requires a cell phone with the a2dp or stereo bluetooth profile . the jabra bt3030 consists primarily of a small remote control unit housed in a dog-tag style pendant . measuring 2.1-inches long by 1.6-inch wide by 0.38-inch thick , the pendant is slim and compact with a metal finish and a rubberized border all around it . all of the controls are laid out right on the front face in a straightforward grid . they are the play/pause key , the track shuffle keys , the volume controls , plus the multifunction call key . the keys are all made of rubber , and are raised above the surface for a nice tactile feel . the 3.5mm headset jack is on the right spine , while the charger jack is on the bottom . on the top is an opening for an optional lanyard . also on the top is a tiny microphone . getting the headset set up is pretty simple . just power it on via the multifunction call button , and turn on the bluetooth pairing mode on your cell phone . we managed to pair the jabra bt3030 with the lg chocolate 3 without a problem . from there , we could play/pause tracks , skip songs , and adjust the volume , all from the jabra bt3030 . the jabra bt3030 comes with nice pair of ear buds that sit comfortably in the ear , but since it has a 3.5mm headset jack , you can use any headphones of your choosing . aside from using the jabra bt3030 for music , you can also use the it to make calls via the last number redial or voice command . when there 's an incoming call during music playback , the music will pause and you will hear a ringing tone . you can then hit the call button to answer the call . after you hang up , the music will resume from the paused point . other features include call-waiting support , the ability to reject calls , plus the ability to transfer calls from the headset to the phone , and vice versa . sound quality was quite good , and comparable to most mp3 players on the market . the bass was a little weak , but the overall quality was decent . call quality was mixed . while we heard our callers just fine , we did have to bring the pendant close to our mouths for callers to hear us . they reported a little bit of static and echo from us as well . this seemed to vary from caller to caller , however , so we urge you to give it a trial run before you settle for it . the jabra bt3030 also comes with an optional clothing clip accessory , plus an ac adapter . it has a rated battery life of 8 hours talk time , 7 hours music streaming , and 9.58 days standby time . © 2009 cbs interactive inc. all rights reserved . cnet , cnet.com and the cnet logo are registered trademarks of cbs interactive inc. used by permission . | the jabra bt3030 is a great , affordable option for a stereo bluetooth headset |
cnn <tsp> ( cnn ) -- cnn films' girl rising ' tells the stories of girls across the globe and the power of education to change the world . are you inspired to help the cause of girls'education around the world ? you can make an impact in many ways , but by just being aware of the issue , you can spread the word . by acting in your own community , you can make a global difference . more about girl rising give cnn and impact your world do n't accept donations but do help you find reputable places to give your money and time . girl rising ' is the centerpiece of 10x10 , a global campaign to educate and empower girls . it has created the 10x10 fund for girls'education . donations to this fund are distributed evenly among the film 's nonprofit partners . many of the girls profiled in the film were helped by these organizations , and the groups continue to work for girls'education in developing countries . as little as $ 50 can educate a girl for a year . the film 's seven nonprofit partners are : a new day cambodia is a nonprofit organization providing shelter , food and education to cambodia 's garbage dump scavenger children . sokha , who is featured in girl rising , ' was one of those children . care usa works to help educate girls in some of the poorest , most desperate parts of the rural areas in the mountains of peru . senna from girl rising ' was helped by this organization . girlup -- united nations foundation is a campaign inspiring american girls to take action for girls in countries such as ethiopia , guatemala and liberia who face a lack of access to education and are susceptible to child marriage , high maternal death rates and hiv infection . partners in health has worked in places such as haiti , rwanda , malawi and lesotho . they try to help all children , especially girls , receive the health care and social support needed to go to school . wadley from girl rising ' benefits from partners in health 's work in haiti . plan international usa tries to give girls around the world access to food , water , education , financial security and protection from sexual violence and exploitation . yasmin , the girl in egypt in girl rising , ' was part of a plan international usa program helping to keep street girls safe . room to read focuses on helping young girls develop literacy skills and a habit of reading . their hope is to create a legacy of gender-equal education in developing countries such as nepal and cambodia . suma from girl rising ' had the chance to learn because of room to read . world vision supports girls'education in many countries through many initiatives . two of the girls in girl rising ' are world vision-sponsored children : ruksana from india and azmera from ethiopia . share you can also take action by speaking out . what 's one thing you would tell girls of the world about education ? share your message in an open letter to girls of the world on cnn 's ireport . and you could be part of cnn 's coverage . join the conversation about girl rising ' on cnn , facebook , twitter and around the web . follow # girlrising to tweet celebrities , big names in the girls'education field , cnn talent and everyday people around the world who just want to make a difference . if you have questions or story ideas related to girls'education and girl rising , ' e-mail impactyourworld @ cnn.com . rise up in your community the 10ã—10 group has partnered with a film distribution service to allow anyone to book girl rising ' into movie theaters across the country . but it will only come to your community if enough people reserve tickets to see it . the money raised from tickets goes to the 10x10 fund . to host a screening of the film girl rising ' in your community click here . more from 10x10 more from cnn films' girl rising ' | you can help the girls like the ones featured in cnn 's girl rising ' |
mexico <tsp> el paso , texas ( cnn ) -- sitting in high school , math and history lessons never captured danny santos'imagination . the drug-fueled streets of the texas-mexico border provided his education , and he was an excellent student . danny santos , 21 , works two part-time jobs and still does n't make as much as he did as a drug mule . santos says he became one of the thousands of american and mexican teenagers recruited into the dangerous world of drug smuggling . i did n't care . i had no conscience , ' santos said at a boxing gym in el paso , texas . you 're young , and you 're naïve , and you think it 's easy . ' santos'journey into the underworld of teenage drug smuggling offers a glimpse into how drug cartels lure teenagers into doing their dirty work . us . customs and border protection officials in el paso and san diego report that in recent months , they 've seen a rise in the number of juvenile drug smugglers getting busted at border checkpoints . they 're often called mules . these teenagers are usually hired only to smuggle drug loads across the border . it 's a short drive or walk that offers quick cash but can carry serious consequences . watch how teens get drugs across the border » drug cartels just need someone who can legitimately cross the border , ' said bill molaski , the el paso port director for u.s. customs and border protection . as an american , santos could freely cross the el paso-juarez border and not raise suspicion . at age 15 , santos says , he met a guy ' at a party who introduced him to drug kingpins in ciudad juarez , mexico . you start off as a driver , ' santos said . people feel like they can trust you , then you move up to something bigger . ' two weeks later , he got a $ 4,000 job offer to drive his first load of marijuana across a bridge into el paso . it was the beginning of a four-year smuggling career . i ca n't say i was n't nervous , ' santos said . you kind of project yourself into another time of happiness or joy . ... you just have to forget you have something illegal in the car . ' in all , santos says , he earned $ 50,000 making about 20 mule runs , driving right through heavily guarded border checkpoints . santos , who is now 21 , says he was arrested once but spent only a few days in jail . he said charges were dropped . because he was younger than 18 when he was arrested , and juvenile cases are sealed , cnn could not confirm his story through court records . young smugglers do n't fit a stereotype . several sources said that both american and mexican teens are lured into the work . teenage boys and girls alike are involved . many smugglers come from middle-class families . there 's a lot of money in the trade , a lot of inducement for a lot of young people to get involved , ' el paso county attorney jose rodriguez said . his office is responsible for prosecuting juvenile smugglers . federal and state authorities say drug cartels recruit young smugglers from schools . depending on the size of the drug load that 's being smuggled , a kid can be paid a couple hundred dollars up to $ 5,000 . mexican officials say cartels have placed classified advertisements in mexican newspapers with cryptic messages offering young people a job with good salary and benefits . a phone number is included in the ad . the officials say a cartel member sets up a meeting to determine whether the kid is up to the job . but rodriguez offers a chilling reason why teenagers should avoid the lure of easy money . we had a kid here who lost a load and had some of his toes chopped off , ' rodriguez said . santos says he got out of the smuggling business two years ago . now he spends every day training at a boxing gym in el paso . boxing and smuggling can both be vicious worlds , but at least boxing is legal . however , it 's a slow climb to the top of the boxing world . he 's chasing the golden dreams of boxing championships and hoping to make more money boxing than he did smuggling . santos is working two part-time jobs , and he says it takes him two months to earn the money that he used to make in one day of drug smuggling . he spent almost all the money he made smuggling . but he has no regrets . the peace of mind is good , ' santos said after a bruising workout . i sleep good , eat good . i feel better now . ' | santos smuggled drugs across u.s. border from juarez , mexico |
ellen degeneres show <tsp> ( cnn ) -- singer pink has confirmed what some have been speculating online for a while : she is eating for two these days . the stupid girls ' singer made the announcement during a taping of the the ellen degeneres show ' set to air wednesday . pink -- whose real name is alecia beth moore -- said she did not want to announce she was pregnant earlier because she 's had a miscarriage . i did n't want to talk about it because i was just really nervous ... but if i was going to talk about it with anyone , it was going to be with you , ' she told the talk show host . when degeneres asked her the baby 's sex , she said the doctor thinks it 's a girl . i 'm terrified because she thinks it 's a girl , ' she said . my mom has always wished me a daughter just like me . i 'm terrified one of us will go to jail . ' the 31-year-old said she and husband , carey hart , have always wanted a baby . i worked for it , ' pink said . it was not an oops . ' the two have had a tumultuous past . they briefly broke up in 2008 . after the breakup , pink released the song please do n't leave me ' that chronicles a love-hate relationship with a boyfriend she ca n't let go of . in the song released last year , she sings , i always say how i do n't need you , but it 's always gon na come right back to this , please do n't leave me . ' the two got back together after the song 's release . pink told degeneres the time apart brought them closer . i never had anything in my life that i did n't work hard for and my relationship is that , ' she said . we worked really hard and we had our little meltdowns , a couple of them , and now , we 're honestly , we both needed to do that and come back together . it 's just yummy . ' the baby news comes a day after the singer released a compilation album , greatest hits ... so far . ' | she makes the announcement during a taping of the the ellen degeneres show ' |
kerry <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- speaker john boehner , r-ohio , indicated wednesday that the gop-controlled house of representatives will not back a resolution sponsored by sen. john mccain , r-arizona , expressing congressional support for limited american involvement in the nato-led military campaign in libya . i do n't think that 's where the house is , ' boehner told reporters on capitol hill . the fact is the president has not made his case to the members of congress . he has not made his case to the american people . ' mccain 's resolution , introduced tuesday along with massachusetts democrat john kerry , authorizes the commitment of u.s. forces for one year while stressing the lack of support for any use of american ground troops . mccain , the gop 's 2008 presidential nominee , said tuesday he believes president obama did the right thing by intervening ( in libya ) to stop a looming humanitarian disaster . ' house leaders are preparing to hold a vote on the mccain-kerry measure , but are also considering another resolution that would strictly limit u.s. involvement in libya to a noncombat role . house republicans will meet behind closed doors wednesday afternoon to discuss the issue . the allied military effort , which already has formal united nations support , was launched to protect libyan civilians from violence stemming from a crackdown launched by the north african country 's longtime ruler , moammar gadhafi . western leaders have made clear , however , that they believe the mission can not be successfully completed without gadhafi 's ouster . the obama administration has already promised not to use u.s. ground troops , but bipartisan congressional opposition to the military campaign has been mounting . an unusual coalition has formed between traditionally anti-war democrats and conservative republicans worried about the cost of the conflict and skeptical of its national security importance . support for the war has also been shaken by evidence presented by gadhafi 's government of several noncombatant deaths caused by recent nato airstrikes . nato officials admitted over the weekend that aircraft from countries in the alliance had mistakenly struck vehicles aligned with the libyan opposition . in addition , critics contend the administration has violated the 1973 war powers resolution , which gives the president 60 days to get congressional approval for sending u.s. forces to war , followed by a 30-day extension to end hostilities . the combined 90-day period ended sunday . the white house argues the president did n't need congressional authorization because u.s. forces are playing only a supporting role in libya and have n't engaged in what the law defines as hostilities . obama , however , personally overruled contrary legal opinions put forward by both the pentagon and the justice department 's office of legal counsel , according to a saturday report in the new york times . boehner indicated tuesday the house proposal seeking to limit u.s. forces to a noncombat role reflects growing frustration over obama 's alleged failure to inadequately consult congress . if the commander-in-chief believes that intervention in libya is important for our national security , he has a responsibility to make a case for it -- clearly and publicly -- and seek authorization , ' the speaker said in a written statement . in the three months since military action in libya began , none of this has occurred . ... congress has a responsibility to hold the white house accountable . ' in the senate , however , majority leader harry reid , d-nevada , and minority leader mitch mcconnell , r-kentucky , have resisted holding a vote on the war because of divisions within their respective caucuses . reid said tuesday that there is bipartisan support for the mccain-kerry resolution in the senate foreign relations committee , but that he was still in discussion with the two sponsors on when to bring the measure from the panel to the senate floor . he indicated it could be brought to the floor as early as this week . mcconnell , meanwhile , told reporters that we all anticipate that there will be some kind of libya debate in the senate in the near future . ' mccain has expressed anger that the white house did n't push for an earlier congressional vote on the war . the veteran senator , considered a leading voice on military matters , contends that a resolution of support would have passed easily when nato first intervened . the administration 's disregard for the elected representatives of the american people on this matter has been troubling and counterproductive , ' mccain said tuesday . the unfortunate result of this failure of leadership is plain to see in the full-scale revolt ... that is occurring in the house of representatives . ' the house is also planning to take up the 2012 defense spending bill later this week , and liberal rep. dennis kucinich , d-ohio , intends to propose an amendment cutting off funding for the mission . however , that amendment is likely to only come up next month after the house returns from its fourth of july recess . to prevent a similar resolution from kucinich from passing earlier , boehner pushed through a resolution giving the president two weeks to send congress information justifying the u.s. strategy in libya . obama responded with a 32-page report arguing in part that he has not violated the war powers resolution . even if the republican-controlled house passes measures intended to limit funding for the libya mission , it is unlikely the senate would do the same . the president 's done a lousy job of communicating and managing our involvement in libya , but i will be no part of an effort to defund libya or to try to cut off our efforts to bring gadhafi down , ' conservative sen. lindsey graham , r-south carolina , told nbc 's meet the press ' on sunday . obama needs to step up his game with libya , but congress should sort of shut up and not empower gadhafi , ' graham argued . in march , the senate unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution supporting the no-fly zone over libya . some republicans , however , have now expressed opposition to that effort , citing growing concerns about its cost . in its report on the mission , the administration said the cost of military and humanitarian operations through june 3 was about $ 800 million . it estimated the total cost through september 30 would be $ 1.1 billion . questions about the war 's financial and other costs have also been raised in the united kingdom , which has played a leading role in the nato effort . british prime minister david cameron insists that britain 's military involvement in the north african country can continue as long as we need . ' cnn 's dana bash , deirdre walsh , dan lothian , alan silverleib and tom cohen contributed to this report . | senators kerry and mccain introduce a resolution offering support for the libya mission |
dan malloy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- gun control supporting candidates facing tight races for governor in connecticut and maryland are the beneficiaries of a last-minute ad buy from former new york city mayor michael bloomberg . bloomberg 's group , independence usa pac , is supporting pro-gun control candidates like democratic gov . dan malloy in connecticut and democratic lieutenant governor anthony brown in maryland , both of whom are locked in tight races to lead their states . gun control is a simmering issue ' in these states , said bloomberg spokesman stu loeser . historically , the pac has donated to both democrats and republicans supporting common sense ' gun control in an attempt to stave off the gun lobby and tie pro-gun candidates to the national rifle association . in connecticut , the group hopes that support for gun control will emerge as a salient theme for voters in the wake of the state 's sandy hook massacre in december 2012 , where 20 young children and 6 adults were shot and killed at an elementary school . the newest ads there target malloy 's opponent , republican challenger tom foley . the nra praises tom foley , calling him pro-gun , ' a voice in a new connecticut ad says . no wonder . the nra opposes comprehensive background checks . and foley promised he 'd sign a bill to weaken them , undermining our gun safety laws . ' the foley campaign did not immediately return cnn 's request to respond to bloomberg 's efforts . this is the second ad buy in connecticut in the past week : television watchers also might have noticed another gun control ad which launched friday from the group . loeser said these ad buys represent an attempt to make sure gun control stays on the agenda in these states . the public safety bills that were passed in the wake of the sandy hook massacre -- which have overwhelming support -- are an issue for discussion , ' loeser said . one of the things that independence usa is able to do is help highlight issues particularly in expensive media markets like new york city that might otherwise get swept under the rug . ' the group has plans to spend $ 1.7 million in the state in its support for malloy , who signed a gun control law in 2013 which expanded background checks and banned sales of some weapons like the ar-15 semiautomatic rifle , which was used in the sandy hook massacre . foley took a stand against malloy 's measures in an august gubernatorial debate , calling his moves grandstanding ' and overreaching . ' he has also said he would repeal malloy 's gun control legislation . four years ago , malloy narrowly fended off foley by less than one percentage point in their 2010 battle for the governor 's office . the candidates are tied in the most recent poll from cbs/new york times/yougov . in maryland , brown holds a substantial lead over his opponent , republican larry hogan . but the race has drawn the attention of national headliners : republican new jersey gov . chris christie has stumped in the state for hogan , while top democrats like president obama and the clintons have appeared for brown . bloomberg -- a noted philanthropist and media magnate boasting a net worth of $ 34 billion -- has pledged to spend $ 25 million through his political action committee to raise awareness on gun control across the country . shortly after the newtown shootings , he made a sizable donation to americans for responsible solutions , a fundraising group run by former rep. gabrielle giffords . the former congresswoman survived gun wounds to her head after an attempted assassination attempt in january 2011 . with polling places officially open in connecticut and maryland in just a week , bloomberg 's group is focused on election day . we take these elections one at a time , ' loeser said . | democratic connecticut gov . dan malloy has supported expanding background checks |
irs <tsp> the internal revenue service targeted liberal groups as well as conservatives seeking tax-exempt status , a democratic congressman charged on monday after the agency acknowledged the inappropriate practice continued until last month . rep. sander levin said the term progressives ' was included on irs screening lists of applicants for tax-exempt status made available to congress on monday . it was the first confirmation that the be on the lookout ' or bolo lists used criteria targeting liberal groups after an inspector general 's report made public last month said the irs had used words such as tea party ' to determine possible extra scrutiny . earlier , the first substantive review of the controversy by the irs showed the agency used multiple lists of inappropriate criteria in assessing tax-exempt applications up until this month , more than a year later than previously revealed . daniel werfel , the irs acting commissioner , provided no details of what inappropriate criteria were on the lists , but said there was a wide-ranging set of categories and cases that spanned a broad spectrum . ' the practice of using bolo lists in considering tax-exempt applications has been suspended , werfel told reporters . shifting polls contradict key deposition levin 's disclosure that progressive groups also were targeted follows a liberal claim that their side also came under extra scrutiny based on political titles or other language in their applications . in a statement , the michigan democrat questioned why the treasury inspector general who initially disclosed the irs targeting , j. russell george , focused only on bolo lists that contained conservative labels . the inspector general 's report served as the basis and impetus for a wide range of congressional investigations , and this new information shows that the foundation of those investigations is flawed in a fundamental way , ' levin 's statement said . a spokesperson for george later responded that the report focused only on bolo criteria used to refer cases for extra scrutiny of potential political activity that would make groups ineligible for tax-exempt status . conservative groups complained about their applications being delayed for months and even years , receiving demands for inappropriate questioning from the irs . republicans have claimed the controversy amounted to political retribution against enemies of the administration , an accusation denied by the white house and the irs . in response to levin 's statement , house ways and means committee chairman rep. dave camp said the inclusion of progressives ' on a bolo list did not prove that liberal groups underwent the same extra scrutiny of conservative groups cited in the inspector general 's report . cnn poll : did white house order irs targeting ? political firestorm the controversy that became public last month with the release of george 's report ignited a political firestorm in washington while fueling conservative mistrust of president barack obama 's administration . use of some lists of conservative labels for further screening stopped in may 2012 when irs officials were first notified of the practice . however , werfel 's review showed that other inappropriate lists continued to be used until as recently as this month by the unit that handles tax-exempt applications . werfel was informed on june 12 , 2013 , that other bolo lists were still in use . he immediately suspended use of any bolo lists by the unit that handles tax-exempt applications , his review said . he noted that his investigation , while still incomplete , found no evidence so far of intentional wrongdoing by irs personnel , involvement by anyone outside the irs or that targeting extended into other areas of the agency . several key leaders , including some in the commissioner 's office , failed in multiple capacities to meet their managerial responsibilities at various points during the course of these events , ' werfel 's report said . most notably , there was insufficient action by these leaders to identify , prevent , address , and disclose the problematic situation that materialized with the review of applications for tax exempt status . ' remember that irs scandal . . . ? five irs managers have been replaced , from the previous acting commissioner whom werfel succeeded to the head of the unit based in cincinnati that handles tax-exempt applications . in addition , werfel created an accountability review board to recommend within 60 days any additional personnel actions necessary to hold accountable those responsible ' for the targeting disclosed by the inspector general 's report . white house spokesman jay carney said monday that obama believes werfel 's report is an important step in ensuring accountability for any staff that acted inappropriately , identifies the failures in their systems that allowed the misconduct to happen , and takes a forward-looking systemic view at the agency 's management . ' the white house ordered the review by werfel when he started the job on may 22 in the aftermath of george 's audit that found targeting of some conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status . werfel was given 30 days to complete the review , and the house ways and means committee has scheduled a hearing for thursday on the report , with werfel as the lone witness . read irs watchdog 's report series of investigations the targeting scandal and a separate inspector general 's report that documented wasteful spending on irs conferences in past years have led to a series of investigations of the tax collection agency by congress , the department of justice , the tax administration inspector general 's office and werfel . the irs admitted there was unfair targeting of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status starting in 2010 , but officials said the action was a bureaucratic shortcut in its cincinnati office rather than an exercise of political bias . irs targeting : scandal or snafu ? in his report that disclosed the misconduct , george said there was no evidence of a political motive . however , george is continuing to investigate the matter , along with the fbi and the congressional committees . republicans argue the controversy is proof that the administration and progressive groups have been trying to clamp down on those who disagree with obama 's agenda . camp , a michigan republican , said monday that the irs still needs to provide clear answers to the most significant questions -- who started this practice , why was it allowed to continue for so long , and how widespread was it ? ' this culture of political discrimination and intimidation goes far beyond basic management failure and personnel changes alone wo n't fix a broken irs , ' camp said in a statement that promised continued investigation . as part of his review , werfel said 80 groups awaiting irs action on their applications for tax exempt status for more than 120 days could self-register with the agency as long as they certified under penalty of perjury that they would comply with applicable laws and regulations . mcconnell : obama administration marked by'culture of intimidation' at the heart of the matter is what kind of organization can qualify for tax-exempt status . regulations limit such status to groups primarily involved in social welfare activities , while political groups are considered ineligible . confusion over defining what constitutes political activity versus social welfare activity contributed to the targeting by the irs , werfel said . an irs statement on monday said the safe-harbor ' option for self-certification would apply to groups that certify they devote 60 % or more of both their spending and time on activities that promote social welfare . ' at the same time , they must certify that political campaign intervention involves 40 % or less of both their spending and time , ' the statement said . applicants meeting those thresholds would get approval within two weeks of seeking self-certification , it said . werfel said the irs would continue checking on tax-exempt groups to ensure they were following the law . earlier : what 's a 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) ? | official : an ongoing irs probe of targeting finds no evidence yet of outside influence |
irs <tsp> the internal revenue service targeted liberal groups as well as conservatives seeking tax-exempt status , a democratic congressman charged on monday after the agency acknowledged the inappropriate practice continued until last month . rep. sander levin said the term progressives ' was included on irs screening lists of applicants for tax-exempt status made available to congress on monday . it was the first confirmation that the be on the lookout ' or bolo lists used criteria targeting liberal groups after an inspector general 's report made public last month said the irs had used words such as tea party ' to determine possible extra scrutiny . earlier , the first substantive review of the controversy by the irs showed the agency used multiple lists of inappropriate criteria in assessing tax-exempt applications up until this month , more than a year later than previously revealed . daniel werfel , the irs acting commissioner , provided no details of what inappropriate criteria were on the lists , but said there was a wide-ranging set of categories and cases that spanned a broad spectrum . ' the practice of using bolo lists in considering tax-exempt applications has been suspended , werfel told reporters . shifting polls contradict key deposition levin 's disclosure that progressive groups also were targeted follows a liberal claim that their side also came under extra scrutiny based on political titles or other language in their applications . in a statement , the michigan democrat questioned why the treasury inspector general who initially disclosed the irs targeting , j. russell george , focused only on bolo lists that contained conservative labels . the inspector general 's report served as the basis and impetus for a wide range of congressional investigations , and this new information shows that the foundation of those investigations is flawed in a fundamental way , ' levin 's statement said . a spokesperson for george later responded that the report focused only on bolo criteria used to refer cases for extra scrutiny of potential political activity that would make groups ineligible for tax-exempt status . conservative groups complained about their applications being delayed for months and even years , receiving demands for inappropriate questioning from the irs . republicans have claimed the controversy amounted to political retribution against enemies of the administration , an accusation denied by the white house and the irs . in response to levin 's statement , house ways and means committee chairman rep. dave camp said the inclusion of progressives ' on a bolo list did not prove that liberal groups underwent the same extra scrutiny of conservative groups cited in the inspector general 's report . cnn poll : did white house order irs targeting ? political firestorm the controversy that became public last month with the release of george 's report ignited a political firestorm in washington while fueling conservative mistrust of president barack obama 's administration . use of some lists of conservative labels for further screening stopped in may 2012 when irs officials were first notified of the practice . however , werfel 's review showed that other inappropriate lists continued to be used until as recently as this month by the unit that handles tax-exempt applications . werfel was informed on june 12 , 2013 , that other bolo lists were still in use . he immediately suspended use of any bolo lists by the unit that handles tax-exempt applications , his review said . he noted that his investigation , while still incomplete , found no evidence so far of intentional wrongdoing by irs personnel , involvement by anyone outside the irs or that targeting extended into other areas of the agency . several key leaders , including some in the commissioner 's office , failed in multiple capacities to meet their managerial responsibilities at various points during the course of these events , ' werfel 's report said . most notably , there was insufficient action by these leaders to identify , prevent , address , and disclose the problematic situation that materialized with the review of applications for tax exempt status . ' remember that irs scandal . . . ? five irs managers have been replaced , from the previous acting commissioner whom werfel succeeded to the head of the unit based in cincinnati that handles tax-exempt applications . in addition , werfel created an accountability review board to recommend within 60 days any additional personnel actions necessary to hold accountable those responsible ' for the targeting disclosed by the inspector general 's report . white house spokesman jay carney said monday that obama believes werfel 's report is an important step in ensuring accountability for any staff that acted inappropriately , identifies the failures in their systems that allowed the misconduct to happen , and takes a forward-looking systemic view at the agency 's management . ' the white house ordered the review by werfel when he started the job on may 22 in the aftermath of george 's audit that found targeting of some conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status . werfel was given 30 days to complete the review , and the house ways and means committee has scheduled a hearing for thursday on the report , with werfel as the lone witness . read irs watchdog 's report series of investigations the targeting scandal and a separate inspector general 's report that documented wasteful spending on irs conferences in past years have led to a series of investigations of the tax collection agency by congress , the department of justice , the tax administration inspector general 's office and werfel . the irs admitted there was unfair targeting of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status starting in 2010 , but officials said the action was a bureaucratic shortcut in its cincinnati office rather than an exercise of political bias . irs targeting : scandal or snafu ? in his report that disclosed the misconduct , george said there was no evidence of a political motive . however , george is continuing to investigate the matter , along with the fbi and the congressional committees . republicans argue the controversy is proof that the administration and progressive groups have been trying to clamp down on those who disagree with obama 's agenda . camp , a michigan republican , said monday that the irs still needs to provide clear answers to the most significant questions -- who started this practice , why was it allowed to continue for so long , and how widespread was it ? ' this culture of political discrimination and intimidation goes far beyond basic management failure and personnel changes alone wo n't fix a broken irs , ' camp said in a statement that promised continued investigation . as part of his review , werfel said 80 groups awaiting irs action on their applications for tax exempt status for more than 120 days could self-register with the agency as long as they certified under penalty of perjury that they would comply with applicable laws and regulations . mcconnell : obama administration marked by'culture of intimidation' at the heart of the matter is what kind of organization can qualify for tax-exempt status . regulations limit such status to groups primarily involved in social welfare activities , while political groups are considered ineligible . confusion over defining what constitutes political activity versus social welfare activity contributed to the targeting by the irs , werfel said . an irs statement on monday said the safe-harbor ' option for self-certification would apply to groups that certify they devote 60 % or more of both their spending and time on activities that promote social welfare . ' at the same time , they must certify that political campaign intervention involves 40 % or less of both their spending and time , ' the statement said . applicants meeting those thresholds would get approval within two weeks of seeking self-certification , it said . werfel said the irs would continue checking on tax-exempt groups to ensure they were following the law . earlier : what 's a 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) ? | the irs targeting was more widespread than previously revealed |
swedes <tsp> ( cnn ) -- sweden 's culture minister was feeling the heat wednesday after a weekend art exhibit in which she cut up a cake baked into the shape of a cartoonishly stereotyped african woman . a group representing swedes of african descent has called for lena adelsohn liljeroth to resign over that it called a racist caricature . but liljeroth defended her participation , saying the cake was designed to challenge the traditional image of racism . ' while the symbolism in the piece is despicable , it is unfortunate and highly regrettable that the presentation has been interpreted as an expression of racism by some , ' liljeroth said in a statement issued by her office . the artistic intent was the exact opposite . ' the artist who designed the cake , makode linde , is of african descent himself and said the piece was aimed at condemning the practice of female genital mutilation . pictures from the sunday exhibition showed liljeroth slicing into the cake from the genitals ' and feeding it to linde , who told cnn he made himself the head of the figure and screamed in pain when it was cut . i did n't intend for anyone to feel singled out or embarrassed , ' he said . but we 're talking about female genital mutilation -- is there any comfortable or cozy way to talk about it ? ' liljeroth was scheduled to meet with representatives of the national association for afro-swedes , which has demanded she should step down , on wednesday evening . the group said it hoped to ensure that similar events do n't happen again . ' to participate at a racist manifestation portrayed as art is definitely crossing the line , ' kitimbwa sabuni , the group 's spokesman , said in a written statement . he said the minister 's appearance shows she either supported what the group called a racist event or that she has an extremely bad sense of questions of racism . ' no matter what , the afro-swedes no longer have confidence for her as culture minister and demand that she assumes her responsibility and resigns , ' sabuni said . the event took place at stockholm 's museum of modern art , which was marking world art day on sunday . the museum was closed by a bomb threat tuesday afternoon , but reopened wednesday after no explosives were found , spokeswoman kristin ek said . cnn 's per nyberg contributed to this report . | a group representing african swedes has called for her resignation |
george zimmerman <tsp> sanford , florida ( cnn ) -- george zimmerman apologized friday to the family of trayvon martin , the unarmed african-american teen that he shot in a confrontation that riveted a nation and sparked intense discussions about race , racial profiling and gun laws . zimmerman spoke moments before a florida judge set a $ 150,000 bond that will let him get out of jail while he awaits trial . i wanted to say i am sorry for the loss of your son , ' zimmerman said in an unusual appeal directly to martin 's family before he testified in the seminole county courthouse in sanford . i thought he was a little bit younger than i was , and i did not know if he was armed or not . ' zimmerman 's attorney , mark o'mara , said after the hearing that his client was responding to an interview in which martin 's mother , sybrina fulton , said she wanted to hear from the man who shot her son . he did n't want to defend himself , he did n't want to discuss the facts of the case . he heard the request of the family , and he wanted to respond to it , ' o'mara said , adding that an attempt to apologize to the family in private was rebuffed . attorneys for martin 's family , however , called the apology a self-serving act by a man facing a life prison sentence if convicted of the second-degree murder charge against him . this was the most disingenuous , insulting thing i 've ever seen , ' said martin family attorney natalie jackson . martin 's parents were completely devastated ' over the decision to allow zimmerman to post bond and eventually go free , attorney benjamin crump said . prosecutors had asked that zimmerman remain in jail without bond or that judge kenneth r. lester jr. set bond at $ 1 million -- an amount o'mara said the family would be unable to handle . assistant state attorney bernie de la rionda said zimmerman 's prior run-ins with a police officer and a woman who named him in a domestic violence injunction show that he is violent and a threat to the community . lester , however , described the incidents as run of the mill ' and somewhat mild ' in approving o'mara 's request for bond . with the 10 % cash payment customarily made to secure bond , zimmerman could be freed with $ 15,000 from his family , attorneys said . he will likely remain in jail for at least a couple of days while his attorneys and authorities work out terms of his release , which also include electronic monitoring and other restrictions , o'mara said . the judge told o'mara to talk to authorities about his request to allow zimmerman to leave florida while awaiting trial . o'mara said he is concerned about threats to zimmerman 's safety , as well as that of his family . de la rionda said no decision has been made on whether to allow zimmerman to leave the state . the decision to grant zimmerman bond followed a hearing in which his wife and parents testified that he was a caring , nonviolent man . i know that he is very protective of people , very protective of homeless people and also of children , ' gladys zimmerman testified by telephone . she said her son helped organize a campaign to get justice ' for a homeless man who had been beaten in sanford , where he lived and where the shooting of martin took place . he also ventured into a dangerous orlando neighborhood twice a week to mentor a 14-year-old african-american boy , his mother said . she testified that she begged him not to go because of the danger . he said ,'mom , if i do n't go , they do n't have nobody ,' she said . hln : zimmerman wife talks publicly for the first time zimmerman 's father , robert zimmerman sr. , testified that his son is not a violent man despite previous incidents discussed by de la rionda during the hearing , including a scuffle with a police officer and a dispute with a woman . i 've never known him to be violent at all unless he was provoked , and then he would turn the other cheek , ' robert zimmerman testified . according to authorities , zimmerman has said he killed martin in self-defense after the teenager accosted him , knocking him to the ground and bashing his head against the concrete . zimmerman 's father testified friday that when he saw his son the day after martin 's shooting , he was wearing a protective cover over his nose , his face was swollen , and he had two vertical gashes on his head . he also reportedly suffered a broken nose . timeline of case martin 's family and the special prosecutor appointed to investigate the case have rejected that argument , saying they believe zimmerman disobeyed the instructions of a police dispatcher to stop following martin , racially profiled him and unjustly killed him . although details of the shooting remain murky , what is known is that martin ventured out from the home of his father 's fiancee in sanford and went to a nearby convenience store , where he bought a bag of skittles and an arizona iced tea . on his way back , he had a confrontation with zimmerman , who shot him . zimmerman had called 911 to complain about a suspicious person in the neighborhood , according to authorities . in the call , zimmerman said he was following martin after the teen started to run , prompting the dispatcher to tell him , we do n't need you to do that . ' zimmerman pursued martin anyway . after briefly losing track of the teen , zimmerman told authorities the teen approached him and the two exchanged words . zimmerman said he reached for his cell phone , then martin punched him in the nose . zimmerman said martin pinned him down and began slamming his head onto the sidewalk , leading to the shooting . florida to review'stand your ground'law police have said zimmerman was not immediately charged because there was no evidence to disprove his account that he had acted in self-defense . a police report indicated he was bleeding from the nose and the back of his head . in friday 's hearing , an investigator for special prosecutor angela corey 's office said authorities have no evidence showing who started the altercation that led to martin 's death . do i know ? no , ' investigator dale gilbreath said when asked if he knew who started the fight . he said wounds on the back of zimmerman 's head were consistent with his skull being struck with something harder than his skull , and said under questioning from o'mara that the object could have been a concrete sidewalk . but he said evidence in the case is not consistent with zimmerman 's account that he was able to move away from the sidewalk just before being shot . martin was shot once in the chest at close range , gilbreath said . de la rionda declined to comment on most of friday 's proceedings , including zimmerman 's testimony . but he said there 's more to come when the case comes to trial . we obviously have evidence we feel we can go forward with , ' he said . we did not put our entire case on today . ' crump said martin 's father , tracy martin , wept through much of friday hearing , and the family was distraught at the prospect of zimmerman being able to reunite with his family . they pray that his freedom is only temporary , because the pain he has caused this family is going to be permanent , ' crump said . cnn 's john couwels contributed to this report . | george zimmerman tells the teen 's family he is sorry for what happened |
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