text
stringlengths 254
12.1k
| summary
stringlengths 13
238
|
|---|---|
obama <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- a day before embarking on a trip to latin america , president obama described his planned talks with latin american leaders as discussions among equals . president obama refuses to criticize latin american leaders . times have changed , ' obama told cnn en español wednesday . referring to his planned meeting later this week with brazilian president luiz inacio lula da silva , he said , my relationship with president lula is one of two leaders who both have big countries , that we are trying to solve problems and create opportunities for our people and we should be partners . there 's no senior partner or junior partner . ' obama and lula da silva are among leaders scheduled to attend the summit of the americas in trinidad and tobago . obama refused to criticize the leaders of venezuela , bolivia and ecuador , who have taken measures to change their constitutions to extend their holds on power . i think it 's important for the united states not to tell other countries how to structure their democratic practices and what should be contained in their constitutions , ' he said . it 's up to the people of those countries to make a decision about how they want to structure their affairs . ' asked how he plans to interact with venezuelan president hugo chavez , a fierce critic of the united states who once described former president george bush as the devil , obama offered no criticism . look , he 's the leader of his country and he 'll be one of many people that i will have an opportunity to meet . ' though he said he believes the united states has a leadership role to play in the region , obama qualified that role , saying , we also recognize that other countries have important contributions and insights . we want to listen and learn as well as talk , and that approach , i think , of mutual respect and finding common interests , is one that ultimately will serve everybody . ' asked about cuba , obama , who recently eased restrictions on travel and sending money to the island , offered a prod and a carrot to havana . what we 're looking for is some signal that there are going to be changes in how cuba operates that assures that political prisoners are released , that people can speak their minds freely , that they can travel , that they can write and attend church and do the things that people throughout the hemisphere can do and take for granted , ' he said . and if there is some sense of movement on those fronts in cuba , then i think we can see a further thawing of relations and further changes . ' obama sought to distance his administration from that of his predecessor , noting that he plans to close the detention center at guantanamo bay , cuba , where some of the practices of enhanced interrogation techniques , i think ran counter to american values and american traditions . ' he said his team has spoken with the spanish government about a spanish judge 's call for an investigation into the role of bush administration officials in the detention of five spaniards at guantanamo . but he did not dwell on his predecessor 's legacy . i 'm a strong believer that it is important to look forward and not backward and to remind ourselves that we do have very real security threats out there . ' though the u.s. image abroad may have suffered in recent years , there 's a reason why there are consistently so many immigrants to our country from latin america , ' he said . obama lauded mexican president felipe calderon , with whom he is to meet thursday in mexico city , as having done an outstanding and heroic job in dealing with what is a big problem right now along the borders with the drug cartels . ' he vowed that the united states can be counted on to help . we are going to be dealing not only with drug interdiction coming north , but also working on helping to curb the flow of cash and guns going south , ' obama said . obama described himself as a strong proponent of comprehensive immigration reform , ' and said he has met with the congressional hispanic caucus to try to shape an agenda that can move through congress . ' | obama heading to summit of americas this week in trinidad and tobago |
obama <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- a day before embarking on a trip to latin america , president obama described his planned talks with latin american leaders as discussions among equals . president obama refuses to criticize latin american leaders . times have changed , ' obama told cnn en español wednesday . referring to his planned meeting later this week with brazilian president luiz inacio lula da silva , he said , my relationship with president lula is one of two leaders who both have big countries , that we are trying to solve problems and create opportunities for our people and we should be partners . there 's no senior partner or junior partner . ' obama and lula da silva are among leaders scheduled to attend the summit of the americas in trinidad and tobago . obama refused to criticize the leaders of venezuela , bolivia and ecuador , who have taken measures to change their constitutions to extend their holds on power . i think it 's important for the united states not to tell other countries how to structure their democratic practices and what should be contained in their constitutions , ' he said . it 's up to the people of those countries to make a decision about how they want to structure their affairs . ' asked how he plans to interact with venezuelan president hugo chavez , a fierce critic of the united states who once described former president george bush as the devil , obama offered no criticism . look , he 's the leader of his country and he 'll be one of many people that i will have an opportunity to meet . ' though he said he believes the united states has a leadership role to play in the region , obama qualified that role , saying , we also recognize that other countries have important contributions and insights . we want to listen and learn as well as talk , and that approach , i think , of mutual respect and finding common interests , is one that ultimately will serve everybody . ' asked about cuba , obama , who recently eased restrictions on travel and sending money to the island , offered a prod and a carrot to havana . what we 're looking for is some signal that there are going to be changes in how cuba operates that assures that political prisoners are released , that people can speak their minds freely , that they can travel , that they can write and attend church and do the things that people throughout the hemisphere can do and take for granted , ' he said . and if there is some sense of movement on those fronts in cuba , then i think we can see a further thawing of relations and further changes . ' obama sought to distance his administration from that of his predecessor , noting that he plans to close the detention center at guantanamo bay , cuba , where some of the practices of enhanced interrogation techniques , i think ran counter to american values and american traditions . ' he said his team has spoken with the spanish government about a spanish judge 's call for an investigation into the role of bush administration officials in the detention of five spaniards at guantanamo . but he did not dwell on his predecessor 's legacy . i 'm a strong believer that it is important to look forward and not backward and to remind ourselves that we do have very real security threats out there . ' though the u.s. image abroad may have suffered in recent years , there 's a reason why there are consistently so many immigrants to our country from latin america , ' he said . obama lauded mexican president felipe calderon , with whom he is to meet thursday in mexico city , as having done an outstanding and heroic job in dealing with what is a big problem right now along the borders with the drug cartels . ' he vowed that the united states can be counted on to help . we are going to be dealing not only with drug interdiction coming north , but also working on helping to curb the flow of cash and guns going south , ' obama said . obama described himself as a strong proponent of comprehensive immigration reform , ' and said he has met with the congressional hispanic caucus to try to shape an agenda that can move through congress . ' | we want to listen and learn as well as talk , ' obama says |
summit of americas <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- a day before embarking on a trip to latin america , president obama described his planned talks with latin american leaders as discussions among equals . president obama refuses to criticize latin american leaders . times have changed , ' obama told cnn en español wednesday . referring to his planned meeting later this week with brazilian president luiz inacio lula da silva , he said , my relationship with president lula is one of two leaders who both have big countries , that we are trying to solve problems and create opportunities for our people and we should be partners . there 's no senior partner or junior partner . ' obama and lula da silva are among leaders scheduled to attend the summit of the americas in trinidad and tobago . obama refused to criticize the leaders of venezuela , bolivia and ecuador , who have taken measures to change their constitutions to extend their holds on power . i think it 's important for the united states not to tell other countries how to structure their democratic practices and what should be contained in their constitutions , ' he said . it 's up to the people of those countries to make a decision about how they want to structure their affairs . ' asked how he plans to interact with venezuelan president hugo chavez , a fierce critic of the united states who once described former president george bush as the devil , obama offered no criticism . look , he 's the leader of his country and he 'll be one of many people that i will have an opportunity to meet . ' though he said he believes the united states has a leadership role to play in the region , obama qualified that role , saying , we also recognize that other countries have important contributions and insights . we want to listen and learn as well as talk , and that approach , i think , of mutual respect and finding common interests , is one that ultimately will serve everybody . ' asked about cuba , obama , who recently eased restrictions on travel and sending money to the island , offered a prod and a carrot to havana . what we 're looking for is some signal that there are going to be changes in how cuba operates that assures that political prisoners are released , that people can speak their minds freely , that they can travel , that they can write and attend church and do the things that people throughout the hemisphere can do and take for granted , ' he said . and if there is some sense of movement on those fronts in cuba , then i think we can see a further thawing of relations and further changes . ' obama sought to distance his administration from that of his predecessor , noting that he plans to close the detention center at guantanamo bay , cuba , where some of the practices of enhanced interrogation techniques , i think ran counter to american values and american traditions . ' he said his team has spoken with the spanish government about a spanish judge 's call for an investigation into the role of bush administration officials in the detention of five spaniards at guantanamo . but he did not dwell on his predecessor 's legacy . i 'm a strong believer that it is important to look forward and not backward and to remind ourselves that we do have very real security threats out there . ' though the u.s. image abroad may have suffered in recent years , there 's a reason why there are consistently so many immigrants to our country from latin america , ' he said . obama lauded mexican president felipe calderon , with whom he is to meet thursday in mexico city , as having done an outstanding and heroic job in dealing with what is a big problem right now along the borders with the drug cartels . ' he vowed that the united states can be counted on to help . we are going to be dealing not only with drug interdiction coming north , but also working on helping to curb the flow of cash and guns going south , ' obama said . obama described himself as a strong proponent of comprehensive immigration reform , ' and said he has met with the congressional hispanic caucus to try to shape an agenda that can move through congress . ' | obama heading to summit of americas this week in trinidad and tobago |
liverpool <tsp> ( cnn ) -- european champions inter milan have announced that former liverpool boss rafael benitez has agreed to become their new manager . the spaniard will replace jose mourinho , who quit to join real madrid after leading them to the treble of italian league , cup and european champions league . we have reached an agreement and we have sorted out the final details , which were n't important things , ' inter president massimo moratti told the club 's official web site on tuesday . all that is needed now is a countersignature . ' benitez is not in italy . tomorrow we will tell you when he will be presented . ' benitez 's six-year spell as liverpool manager was ended by mutual consent last week after a disappointing season in which the club finished seventh in the english premier league and crashed out of the champions league in the group stage . the 50-year-old won the champions league in his first season in 2005 , reached the final in 2007 and captured the fa cup in 2006 . previously , he led valencia to two spanish league titles and the uefa cup . at inter , he inherits a club which has won the italian title the last five years and beat bayern munich 2-0 in may to capture the european cup for the first time since 1965 . benitez favors a similar tactical approach to mourinho , with two holding midfielders and a counter-attacking style . moratti has denied reports that the club will pay benitez $ 6 million a season . | benitez left liverpool last week after club finished seventh in premier league |
real madrid <tsp> ( cnn ) -- european champions inter milan have announced that former liverpool boss rafael benitez has agreed to become their new manager . the spaniard will replace jose mourinho , who quit to join real madrid after leading them to the treble of italian league , cup and european champions league . we have reached an agreement and we have sorted out the final details , which were n't important things , ' inter president massimo moratti told the club 's official web site on tuesday . all that is needed now is a countersignature . ' benitez is not in italy . tomorrow we will tell you when he will be presented . ' benitez 's six-year spell as liverpool manager was ended by mutual consent last week after a disappointing season in which the club finished seventh in the english premier league and crashed out of the champions league in the group stage . the 50-year-old won the champions league in his first season in 2005 , reached the final in 2007 and captured the fa cup in 2006 . previously , he led valencia to two spanish league titles and the uefa cup . at inter , he inherits a club which has won the italian title the last five years and beat bayern munich 2-0 in may to capture the european cup for the first time since 1965 . benitez favors a similar tactical approach to mourinho , with two holding midfielders and a counter-attacking style . moratti has denied reports that the club will pay benitez $ 6 million a season . | the 50-year-old spaniard will replace jose mourinho , who quit to join real madrid |
kurtz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the mainstream media -- you know who you are -- are rooting for immigration reform . they like the idea of doing something to accommodate the country 's 11 million undocumented immigrants , who , despite conservative rhetoric to the contrary , were never going to be banished . they swoon over the kind of bipartisanship that brings together john mccain and marco rubio on the one hand and barack obama and chuck schumer on the other . they believe the republican party needs to moderate its harsh rhetoric about immigrants -- if only to salvage its political future -- and are welcoming the gop 's new realism . but is that enthusiasm causing media organizations to overestimate the prospects for reform ? watch : steve kroft plays defense over hillary/obama lovefest on'60 minutes' any bill still must pass the republican house , which has been a graveyard for numerous obama reforms . the senate has always been a place where top lawmakers reach across the aisle more easily than in the polarized house , as was evident during the fiscal cliff debacle . and there are conservative groups determined to derail any path toward citizenship , which they view as amnesty . it 's not that journalists are acting as cheerleaders for the emerging plan . but when the media have qualms about an issue , they couch it as being controversial ' and risky ' ( say , george w. bush 's plan to privatize social security ) . opinion : immigrant - can we trust obama ? by contrast , look at the way the president 's immigration speech in las vegas was covered : the new york times : seizing on a groundswell of support for rewriting the nation 's immigration laws ... ' the washington post : obama added to momentum on capitol hill in favor of an overhaul of the nation 's immigration laws ... ' we saw the same supportive approach when the pentagon lifted a ban on women serving in front-line combat positions , which , despite some conservative opposition , was greeted with favorable features that largely depicted the move as long overdue . watch : should n.y. times have censored company name over the s-word ? as with many perpetual beltway disputes , the contours of a common-sense compromise on immigration have been clear for some time . the right wants tougher border enforcement and employer verification procedures . the left wants undocumented immigrants taken out of the shadows , ' as obama put it , and given a chance to become openly productive members of society . the key are the tradeoffs . how long would a path to citizenship take ? are fines and back taxes required ? how do we ensure that those who broke the law do n't get an unfair advantage over legal applicants ? i do n't argue with the standard political analysis that the moment may be ripe for immigration reform . watch : media seize on emotional moment of gabby giffords'testimony mitt romney , who talked about wanting immigrants to self-deport , ' got clobbered among hispanic voters . the gop has lost the popular vote in five of the past six presidential elections . sean hannity , the fox news commentator , says he has evolved ' on the issue , and he 's not alone . the conservative media may be a bellwether here . after obama 's tuesday speech , hannity 's leadoff guest was karl rove , the former bush lieutenant who favors the senate compromise . and when rubio , the florida senator and son of cuban immigrants , called in to rush limbaugh 's show , the host -- while criticizing obama -- told him , what you are doing is admirable and noteworthy . you are recognizing reality . ' watch : blackberry 10 : is it a hit or all thumbs ? but illegal immigration remains a divisive subject that still arouses visceral opposition among some americans . capitol hill is a place where partisan maneuvering can push the government to the brink of default . and as george w. bush learned in his second term , hammering out a compromise on such a volatile issue is maddeningly elusive . perhaps the election changed the landscape and both parties will find a way to compromise . in the meantime , it might be wise to take the upbeat media coverage with a healthy dose of skepticism . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of howard kurtz . | kurtz : illegal immigration still arouses visceral opposition among some americans |
kurtz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the mainstream media -- you know who you are -- are rooting for immigration reform . they like the idea of doing something to accommodate the country 's 11 million undocumented immigrants , who , despite conservative rhetoric to the contrary , were never going to be banished . they swoon over the kind of bipartisanship that brings together john mccain and marco rubio on the one hand and barack obama and chuck schumer on the other . they believe the republican party needs to moderate its harsh rhetoric about immigrants -- if only to salvage its political future -- and are welcoming the gop 's new realism . but is that enthusiasm causing media organizations to overestimate the prospects for reform ? watch : steve kroft plays defense over hillary/obama lovefest on'60 minutes' any bill still must pass the republican house , which has been a graveyard for numerous obama reforms . the senate has always been a place where top lawmakers reach across the aisle more easily than in the polarized house , as was evident during the fiscal cliff debacle . and there are conservative groups determined to derail any path toward citizenship , which they view as amnesty . it 's not that journalists are acting as cheerleaders for the emerging plan . but when the media have qualms about an issue , they couch it as being controversial ' and risky ' ( say , george w. bush 's plan to privatize social security ) . opinion : immigrant - can we trust obama ? by contrast , look at the way the president 's immigration speech in las vegas was covered : the new york times : seizing on a groundswell of support for rewriting the nation 's immigration laws ... ' the washington post : obama added to momentum on capitol hill in favor of an overhaul of the nation 's immigration laws ... ' we saw the same supportive approach when the pentagon lifted a ban on women serving in front-line combat positions , which , despite some conservative opposition , was greeted with favorable features that largely depicted the move as long overdue . watch : should n.y. times have censored company name over the s-word ? as with many perpetual beltway disputes , the contours of a common-sense compromise on immigration have been clear for some time . the right wants tougher border enforcement and employer verification procedures . the left wants undocumented immigrants taken out of the shadows , ' as obama put it , and given a chance to become openly productive members of society . the key are the tradeoffs . how long would a path to citizenship take ? are fines and back taxes required ? how do we ensure that those who broke the law do n't get an unfair advantage over legal applicants ? i do n't argue with the standard political analysis that the moment may be ripe for immigration reform . watch : media seize on emotional moment of gabby giffords'testimony mitt romney , who talked about wanting immigrants to self-deport , ' got clobbered among hispanic voters . the gop has lost the popular vote in five of the past six presidential elections . sean hannity , the fox news commentator , says he has evolved ' on the issue , and he 's not alone . the conservative media may be a bellwether here . after obama 's tuesday speech , hannity 's leadoff guest was karl rove , the former bush lieutenant who favors the senate compromise . and when rubio , the florida senator and son of cuban immigrants , called in to rush limbaugh 's show , the host -- while criticizing obama -- told him , what you are doing is admirable and noteworthy . you are recognizing reality . ' watch : blackberry 10 : is it a hit or all thumbs ? but illegal immigration remains a divisive subject that still arouses visceral opposition among some americans . capitol hill is a place where partisan maneuvering can push the government to the brink of default . and as george w. bush learned in his second term , hammering out a compromise on such a volatile issue is maddeningly elusive . perhaps the election changed the landscape and both parties will find a way to compromise . in the meantime , it might be wise to take the upbeat media coverage with a healthy dose of skepticism . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of howard kurtz . | kurtz : is enthusiasm causing the media to overestimate the prospects for reform ? |
kurtz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the mainstream media -- you know who you are -- are rooting for immigration reform . they like the idea of doing something to accommodate the country 's 11 million undocumented immigrants , who , despite conservative rhetoric to the contrary , were never going to be banished . they swoon over the kind of bipartisanship that brings together john mccain and marco rubio on the one hand and barack obama and chuck schumer on the other . they believe the republican party needs to moderate its harsh rhetoric about immigrants -- if only to salvage its political future -- and are welcoming the gop 's new realism . but is that enthusiasm causing media organizations to overestimate the prospects for reform ? watch : steve kroft plays defense over hillary/obama lovefest on'60 minutes' any bill still must pass the republican house , which has been a graveyard for numerous obama reforms . the senate has always been a place where top lawmakers reach across the aisle more easily than in the polarized house , as was evident during the fiscal cliff debacle . and there are conservative groups determined to derail any path toward citizenship , which they view as amnesty . it 's not that journalists are acting as cheerleaders for the emerging plan . but when the media have qualms about an issue , they couch it as being controversial ' and risky ' ( say , george w. bush 's plan to privatize social security ) . opinion : immigrant - can we trust obama ? by contrast , look at the way the president 's immigration speech in las vegas was covered : the new york times : seizing on a groundswell of support for rewriting the nation 's immigration laws ... ' the washington post : obama added to momentum on capitol hill in favor of an overhaul of the nation 's immigration laws ... ' we saw the same supportive approach when the pentagon lifted a ban on women serving in front-line combat positions , which , despite some conservative opposition , was greeted with favorable features that largely depicted the move as long overdue . watch : should n.y. times have censored company name over the s-word ? as with many perpetual beltway disputes , the contours of a common-sense compromise on immigration have been clear for some time . the right wants tougher border enforcement and employer verification procedures . the left wants undocumented immigrants taken out of the shadows , ' as obama put it , and given a chance to become openly productive members of society . the key are the tradeoffs . how long would a path to citizenship take ? are fines and back taxes required ? how do we ensure that those who broke the law do n't get an unfair advantage over legal applicants ? i do n't argue with the standard political analysis that the moment may be ripe for immigration reform . watch : media seize on emotional moment of gabby giffords'testimony mitt romney , who talked about wanting immigrants to self-deport , ' got clobbered among hispanic voters . the gop has lost the popular vote in five of the past six presidential elections . sean hannity , the fox news commentator , says he has evolved ' on the issue , and he 's not alone . the conservative media may be a bellwether here . after obama 's tuesday speech , hannity 's leadoff guest was karl rove , the former bush lieutenant who favors the senate compromise . and when rubio , the florida senator and son of cuban immigrants , called in to rush limbaugh 's show , the host -- while criticizing obama -- told him , what you are doing is admirable and noteworthy . you are recognizing reality . ' watch : blackberry 10 : is it a hit or all thumbs ? but illegal immigration remains a divisive subject that still arouses visceral opposition among some americans . capitol hill is a place where partisan maneuvering can push the government to the brink of default . and as george w. bush learned in his second term , hammering out a compromise on such a volatile issue is maddeningly elusive . perhaps the election changed the landscape and both parties will find a way to compromise . in the meantime , it might be wise to take the upbeat media coverage with a healthy dose of skepticism . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of howard kurtz . | howard kurtz : the mainstream media are rooting for immigration policy changes |
house <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the mainstream media -- you know who you are -- are rooting for immigration reform . they like the idea of doing something to accommodate the country 's 11 million undocumented immigrants , who , despite conservative rhetoric to the contrary , were never going to be banished . they swoon over the kind of bipartisanship that brings together john mccain and marco rubio on the one hand and barack obama and chuck schumer on the other . they believe the republican party needs to moderate its harsh rhetoric about immigrants -- if only to salvage its political future -- and are welcoming the gop 's new realism . but is that enthusiasm causing media organizations to overestimate the prospects for reform ? watch : steve kroft plays defense over hillary/obama lovefest on'60 minutes' any bill still must pass the republican house , which has been a graveyard for numerous obama reforms . the senate has always been a place where top lawmakers reach across the aisle more easily than in the polarized house , as was evident during the fiscal cliff debacle . and there are conservative groups determined to derail any path toward citizenship , which they view as amnesty . it 's not that journalists are acting as cheerleaders for the emerging plan . but when the media have qualms about an issue , they couch it as being controversial ' and risky ' ( say , george w. bush 's plan to privatize social security ) . opinion : immigrant - can we trust obama ? by contrast , look at the way the president 's immigration speech in las vegas was covered : the new york times : seizing on a groundswell of support for rewriting the nation 's immigration laws ... ' the washington post : obama added to momentum on capitol hill in favor of an overhaul of the nation 's immigration laws ... ' we saw the same supportive approach when the pentagon lifted a ban on women serving in front-line combat positions , which , despite some conservative opposition , was greeted with favorable features that largely depicted the move as long overdue . watch : should n.y. times have censored company name over the s-word ? as with many perpetual beltway disputes , the contours of a common-sense compromise on immigration have been clear for some time . the right wants tougher border enforcement and employer verification procedures . the left wants undocumented immigrants taken out of the shadows , ' as obama put it , and given a chance to become openly productive members of society . the key are the tradeoffs . how long would a path to citizenship take ? are fines and back taxes required ? how do we ensure that those who broke the law do n't get an unfair advantage over legal applicants ? i do n't argue with the standard political analysis that the moment may be ripe for immigration reform . watch : media seize on emotional moment of gabby giffords'testimony mitt romney , who talked about wanting immigrants to self-deport , ' got clobbered among hispanic voters . the gop has lost the popular vote in five of the past six presidential elections . sean hannity , the fox news commentator , says he has evolved ' on the issue , and he 's not alone . the conservative media may be a bellwether here . after obama 's tuesday speech , hannity 's leadoff guest was karl rove , the former bush lieutenant who favors the senate compromise . and when rubio , the florida senator and son of cuban immigrants , called in to rush limbaugh 's show , the host -- while criticizing obama -- told him , what you are doing is admirable and noteworthy . you are recognizing reality . ' watch : blackberry 10 : is it a hit or all thumbs ? but illegal immigration remains a divisive subject that still arouses visceral opposition among some americans . capitol hill is a place where partisan maneuvering can push the government to the brink of default . and as george w. bush learned in his second term , hammering out a compromise on such a volatile issue is maddeningly elusive . perhaps the election changed the landscape and both parties will find a way to compromise . in the meantime , it might be wise to take the upbeat media coverage with a healthy dose of skepticism . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of howard kurtz . | he says the republican house has been a graveyard for numerous obama reforms |
nigeria <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a college student in nigeria has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for scamming an australian woman out of $ 47,000 online by pretending to be a widowed white businessman desperately in love with her . a court in ikeja in southwest nigeria ruled that lawal adekunie nurudeen will also have to pay back the 56-year-old woman , even if it meant selling the two plots of land and the honda prelude he bought with her money . nurudeen was an engineering student when he met the woman online in 2007 , said the economic and financial crimes commission , nigeria 's anti-corruption police . the woman lamented that she was looking for a husband but had been disappointed in the men she had met . the convict , who is married with three children , instantly applied and told the victim that she had met mr . right , ' the commission said in a statement . nurudeen pretended to be a 57-year-old british engineer working with a multinational company in nigeria . he told her his wife and only child had died in a road accident in lagos , the former capital of the country . he sent the picture of a white man to the victim to foreclose any suspicions , ' police said . the woman agreed to marry him . a few weeks later , nurudeen called the woman pretending to be a doctor . he told her that her fiance had been in an accident and needed money for treatment . the woman obliged , the commission said . nurudeen let two weeks pass . he then called the woman again , thanking her profusely for her kindness and telling her that he would like to visit her in australia . he asked her for airfare , cash for customs clearance and other incidentals , police said . authorities did not say how nurudeen was caught . but he duped the woman of $ 47,000 before his arrest , the commission said . scammers in nigeria have gained a reputation for using the internet to con foreign nationals out of money . some of the scams have earned the name 419 ' after the clause in the nigerian criminal code that deals with obtaining property under false pretense . | nurudeen pretended to be a british engineer working in nigeria |
cape town <tsp> pretoria , south africa ( cnn ) -- cape town 's archbishop led nelson mandela 's family in prayer on tuesday , calling for a quiet night and a peaceful , perfect , end ' for the former south african president . archbishop thabo makgoba prayed with mandela 's family at the pretoria hospital where the anti-apartheid icon remains in critical condition , the south african press association reported . fill them with your holy courage and the gift of trusting faith , and take away their fears so that they may dare to face their grief , ' he said , according to a copy of the prayer posted on the bishop 's website . guide the medical staff so that they may know how to use their skills wisely and well , in caring for madiba and keeping him comfortable , ' makgoba said , using mandela 's traditional clan name . and uphold all of us with your steadfast love so that we may be filled with gratitude for all the good that he has done for us and for our nation , and may honor his legacy through our lives . ' as night fell , well-wishers outside the pretoria hospital where mandela lay chanted his name , hung signs of support on bulletin boards and left flowers . we wish him well . we are calling on the world to unite and pray for madiba , ' said 24-year-old innocentia moselane . he is our icon , and we love him . ' during his 27 years behind bars for fighting apartheid , mandela became a rallying symbol for those fighting south africa 's white-minority rule at home and abroad . his release in 1990 was the beginning of the end of apartheid , the system of legalized racial segregation the south african government enforced for more than 45 years . he is our hero . he is my mentor , my father . he is everything to me , ' 36-year-old kuda nyahumzvi told cnn outside the hospital . but when it is his time , we wish his soul could just rest . he spent so long in jail and struggling . ' while crowds of supporters appeared to have gone home by early wednesday morning , the south african press association reported , scores of journalists remained outside the medi-clinic heart hospital in pretoria . mandela 's wife , graca machel , spends every night at the hospital , where the former president has been since june 8 for a recurring lung infection . previously , authorities had described his condition as serious but stable . but over the weekend , his health took a turn for the worse , with the south african president 's office saying he was in critical condition . the doctors are doing everything possible to ensure his well-being and comfort , ' president jacob zuma told the nation monday . when the country held its first multiracial elections in 1994 , mandela became the south africa 's first black president . he stepped down in 1999 after serving a single term . though he continued to be a voice on the world stage for developing nations , human rights and the fight against aids after leaving office , mandela , 94 , has been sidelined by advancing age and bouts of illness in recent years . he last appeared in public in 2010 . journalist hamilton wende and cnn 's matt smith and catherine e. shoichet contributed to this report . | new : cape town 's archbishop leads mandela 's family in prayer |
mandela <tsp> pretoria , south africa ( cnn ) -- cape town 's archbishop led nelson mandela 's family in prayer on tuesday , calling for a quiet night and a peaceful , perfect , end ' for the former south african president . archbishop thabo makgoba prayed with mandela 's family at the pretoria hospital where the anti-apartheid icon remains in critical condition , the south african press association reported . fill them with your holy courage and the gift of trusting faith , and take away their fears so that they may dare to face their grief , ' he said , according to a copy of the prayer posted on the bishop 's website . guide the medical staff so that they may know how to use their skills wisely and well , in caring for madiba and keeping him comfortable , ' makgoba said , using mandela 's traditional clan name . and uphold all of us with your steadfast love so that we may be filled with gratitude for all the good that he has done for us and for our nation , and may honor his legacy through our lives . ' as night fell , well-wishers outside the pretoria hospital where mandela lay chanted his name , hung signs of support on bulletin boards and left flowers . we wish him well . we are calling on the world to unite and pray for madiba , ' said 24-year-old innocentia moselane . he is our icon , and we love him . ' during his 27 years behind bars for fighting apartheid , mandela became a rallying symbol for those fighting south africa 's white-minority rule at home and abroad . his release in 1990 was the beginning of the end of apartheid , the system of legalized racial segregation the south african government enforced for more than 45 years . he is our hero . he is my mentor , my father . he is everything to me , ' 36-year-old kuda nyahumzvi told cnn outside the hospital . but when it is his time , we wish his soul could just rest . he spent so long in jail and struggling . ' while crowds of supporters appeared to have gone home by early wednesday morning , the south african press association reported , scores of journalists remained outside the medi-clinic heart hospital in pretoria . mandela 's wife , graca machel , spends every night at the hospital , where the former president has been since june 8 for a recurring lung infection . previously , authorities had described his condition as serious but stable . but over the weekend , his health took a turn for the worse , with the south african president 's office saying he was in critical condition . the doctors are doing everything possible to ensure his well-being and comfort , ' president jacob zuma told the nation monday . when the country held its first multiracial elections in 1994 , mandela became the south africa 's first black president . he stepped down in 1999 after serving a single term . though he continued to be a voice on the world stage for developing nations , human rights and the fight against aids after leaving office , mandela , 94 , has been sidelined by advancing age and bouts of illness in recent years . he last appeared in public in 2010 . journalist hamilton wende and cnn 's matt smith and catherine e. shoichet contributed to this report . | nelson mandela 's family visits his bedside |
mandela <tsp> pretoria , south africa ( cnn ) -- cape town 's archbishop led nelson mandela 's family in prayer on tuesday , calling for a quiet night and a peaceful , perfect , end ' for the former south african president . archbishop thabo makgoba prayed with mandela 's family at the pretoria hospital where the anti-apartheid icon remains in critical condition , the south african press association reported . fill them with your holy courage and the gift of trusting faith , and take away their fears so that they may dare to face their grief , ' he said , according to a copy of the prayer posted on the bishop 's website . guide the medical staff so that they may know how to use their skills wisely and well , in caring for madiba and keeping him comfortable , ' makgoba said , using mandela 's traditional clan name . and uphold all of us with your steadfast love so that we may be filled with gratitude for all the good that he has done for us and for our nation , and may honor his legacy through our lives . ' as night fell , well-wishers outside the pretoria hospital where mandela lay chanted his name , hung signs of support on bulletin boards and left flowers . we wish him well . we are calling on the world to unite and pray for madiba , ' said 24-year-old innocentia moselane . he is our icon , and we love him . ' during his 27 years behind bars for fighting apartheid , mandela became a rallying symbol for those fighting south africa 's white-minority rule at home and abroad . his release in 1990 was the beginning of the end of apartheid , the system of legalized racial segregation the south african government enforced for more than 45 years . he is our hero . he is my mentor , my father . he is everything to me , ' 36-year-old kuda nyahumzvi told cnn outside the hospital . but when it is his time , we wish his soul could just rest . he spent so long in jail and struggling . ' while crowds of supporters appeared to have gone home by early wednesday morning , the south african press association reported , scores of journalists remained outside the medi-clinic heart hospital in pretoria . mandela 's wife , graca machel , spends every night at the hospital , where the former president has been since june 8 for a recurring lung infection . previously , authorities had described his condition as serious but stable . but over the weekend , his health took a turn for the worse , with the south african president 's office saying he was in critical condition . the doctors are doing everything possible to ensure his well-being and comfort , ' president jacob zuma told the nation monday . when the country held its first multiracial elections in 1994 , mandela became the south africa 's first black president . he stepped down in 1999 after serving a single term . though he continued to be a voice on the world stage for developing nations , human rights and the fight against aids after leaving office , mandela , 94 , has been sidelined by advancing age and bouts of illness in recent years . he last appeared in public in 2010 . journalist hamilton wende and cnn 's matt smith and catherine e. shoichet contributed to this report . | officials say mandela 's condition worsened over the weekend |
mandela <tsp> pretoria , south africa ( cnn ) -- cape town 's archbishop led nelson mandela 's family in prayer on tuesday , calling for a quiet night and a peaceful , perfect , end ' for the former south african president . archbishop thabo makgoba prayed with mandela 's family at the pretoria hospital where the anti-apartheid icon remains in critical condition , the south african press association reported . fill them with your holy courage and the gift of trusting faith , and take away their fears so that they may dare to face their grief , ' he said , according to a copy of the prayer posted on the bishop 's website . guide the medical staff so that they may know how to use their skills wisely and well , in caring for madiba and keeping him comfortable , ' makgoba said , using mandela 's traditional clan name . and uphold all of us with your steadfast love so that we may be filled with gratitude for all the good that he has done for us and for our nation , and may honor his legacy through our lives . ' as night fell , well-wishers outside the pretoria hospital where mandela lay chanted his name , hung signs of support on bulletin boards and left flowers . we wish him well . we are calling on the world to unite and pray for madiba , ' said 24-year-old innocentia moselane . he is our icon , and we love him . ' during his 27 years behind bars for fighting apartheid , mandela became a rallying symbol for those fighting south africa 's white-minority rule at home and abroad . his release in 1990 was the beginning of the end of apartheid , the system of legalized racial segregation the south african government enforced for more than 45 years . he is our hero . he is my mentor , my father . he is everything to me , ' 36-year-old kuda nyahumzvi told cnn outside the hospital . but when it is his time , we wish his soul could just rest . he spent so long in jail and struggling . ' while crowds of supporters appeared to have gone home by early wednesday morning , the south african press association reported , scores of journalists remained outside the medi-clinic heart hospital in pretoria . mandela 's wife , graca machel , spends every night at the hospital , where the former president has been since june 8 for a recurring lung infection . previously , authorities had described his condition as serious but stable . but over the weekend , his health took a turn for the worse , with the south african president 's office saying he was in critical condition . the doctors are doing everything possible to ensure his well-being and comfort , ' president jacob zuma told the nation monday . when the country held its first multiracial elections in 1994 , mandela became the south africa 's first black president . he stepped down in 1999 after serving a single term . though he continued to be a voice on the world stage for developing nations , human rights and the fight against aids after leaving office , mandela , 94 , has been sidelined by advancing age and bouts of illness in recent years . he last appeared in public in 2010 . journalist hamilton wende and cnn 's matt smith and catherine e. shoichet contributed to this report . | new : cape town 's archbishop leads mandela 's family in prayer |
new york city <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- a baby sitter was arrested after a 4-year-old boy was discovered dead on wednesday in a luxury new york city apartment building , according to the new york police department . the child was found unconscious and unresponsive with visible bruising , cuts to his arms and legs and burns to his body , said detective markowski . ( nypd policy is not to give out the full names of its detectives ) . he was pronounced dead at roosevelt hospital in new york . in a new conference , nypd commissioner bill bratton said the boy suffered horrific injuries sustained over period of days . ' the 28-year-old baby sitter has not been charged , according to nypd detective ort . she did not confess to killing the boy , but police said she made statements to them that she abused the child . julie bolcer , a spokeswoman for the office of chief medical examiner , said the office is looking into the cause and manner of the death . | boy , 4 , is found dead in a luxury apartment building in new york city |
taiwan <tsp> hong kong , china ( cnn ) -- typhoon megi cut a deadly path into asia on friday , triggering mudslides that killed seven people and trapped more than 400 others in automobiles in taiwan , officials said . at least 23 people , including 19 passengers on a tour bus , remained missing friday night , taiwan 's official central news agency reported . rescuers were searching for the missing and providing food to other stranded tourists trapped in the mountainous region of northeastern taiwan . helicopters were able to evacuate about 70 people , china 's state-run xinhua news agency reported . the driver and a passenger of a second tour bus were also listed as missing friday after their vehicle was buried by a landslide , cna reported . soldiers were deployed to rescue those trapped , including about 200 visitors from china , said cai min , a spokesman for taiwan 's national disaster prevention and protection commission . more than two dozen travelers had been rescued by late afternoon friday , officials said . the rock slides happened mainly along the suhua highway , in northeast taiwan , cai said . megi , which killed at least 11 people in the philippines , is expected to reach the asian continent in southern china early saturday , according to the hong kong observatory . on the streets of hong kong , there were no signs of the typhoon yet . although it is difficult to predict megi 's exact track , the public should stay alert and attend to their personal safety . they should stay away from the shoreline , avoid unnecessary outdoor activities and ensure drains are not blocked , ' acting secretary for security lai tung-kwok said . as precautions , crews in hong kong were deployed to pile sandbags , inspect and trim trees and check drains . temporary shelters were being opened , and myriad boats were moored . megi may be the strongest typhoon to hit china this year , the state-run xinhua news agency has said . in southern china , strong gales arrived ahead of megi . domestic and international flights have been cancelled , and ferry services have been suspended in guangdong , fujian and hainan , state-run china daily said . in guangdong , crews have fanned out to inspect reservoirs , dikes and water-conservation projects , in an effort to prevent storm-related injuries and deaths . nearly 130,000 fishing boats have been recalled in fujian , guangdong and hainan provinces , and more than 150,000 people have fled for safety in fujian , according to xinhua . officials have issued the highest of four warnings , bracing for possible devastation in coastal areas , xinhua said . the warning allows local officials six hours to evacuate residents , close schools and airports , and recall vessels that are considered at risk . on thursday in the philippines , lawmakers placed the province of pangasinan under a state of emergency , to help municipalities recover from megi , which was known in the philippines as typhoon juan . the typhoon affected an estimated 258,844 filipinos , leaving thousands homeless . cnn 's helena hong contributed to this report . | megi is advancing on southern china after deadly triggering mudslides in taiwan |
china <tsp> tokyo ( cnn ) -- nearly seven decades after the end of world war ii , japanese prime minister shinzo abe is expected thursday to call for long-standing limits on the country 's military to be eased to allow it to come to the aid of allies under attack . abe 's drive to revamp japanese security policy comes at a time of rising tensions with china and concerns over north korea 's nuclear weapons program . but the prospect of a historic reinterpretation of the country 's pacifist constitution has caused unease both within japan and abroad . the united states , tokyo 's main ally and the nation that oversaw the adoption of the constitution in 1947 , has supported the idea of japan 's military taking on a more assertive role in the world . as things stand , japan can only use its military , known as the self-defense forces , to defend itself . article 9 of the constitution , written in the aftermath of imperial japan 's defeat by the allies , says the japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes . ' if , for example , a u.s. ship came under attack in the western pacific , japan would not be able to offer military help unless it was also threatened . public opinion divided abe , who is eager to strengthen tokyo 's alliance with washington , wants japan to be able to participate in collective self-defense and take a more proactive role in peacekeeping missions . he set up an advisory panel on japan 's security policy , which delivered its report to him on thursday . abe is expected to announce his response to the panel 's conclusions and outline how he plans to proceed . he is unlikely to try to change the constitution , a formidable political challenge that would need the backing of two-thirds of both houses of parliament and a referendum . instead , he is expected to propose a reinterpretation of the existing text . opinion polls suggest japan is deeply divided over the idea of such a change , with different surveys showing drastically different levels of support and opposition . the constitution , considered by many japanese to have kept the country out of war since 1945 , is widely respected . using national security arguments to reinterpret the constitution on the issue of collective self-defense would in effect , eviscerate the constitution , ' warned a commentary published wednesday in the asahi shimbun , a leading english-language daily newspaper in japan . u.s. support but one of abe 's advisers , tomohiko taniguchi , told cnn 's christiane amanpour last month that japan has adopted a strange interpretation ' of the constitution for historical reasons . ' everyone , every individual , and every nation ' has the right to act collectively with your like-minded peers , ' he said . a reinterpretation would still require the support of abe 's governing coalition , including the new komeito party , which is considered to have a strong pacifist leaning . the u.s. government , facing complex security challenges around the world , has made it clear it favors a change in japan 's military stance . the united states welcomes japan 's efforts to play a more proactive role in contributing to global and regional peace and stability , including reexamining the interpretation of its constitution relating to the rights of collective self-defense , ' defense secretary chuck hagel said during a visit to tokyo last month . chinese criticism however , china , whose rising military spending has been cited by japanese officials as a reason to adapt , has voiced criticism of the suggested changes . abe 's goal , while stripping a nation of its pacifist identity , simultaneously serves to endanger the lives of the nation 's citizens as their country remilitarizes and , for all intents and purposes , becomes'war ready ,'' china 's official news agency xinhua said in an analysis article last week . some commentators in the west have also expressed concern about the way abe appears to be going about the policy overhaul . the government 's'reinterpretation'is the most profound challenge to the pacifist constitution since 1947 , ' a column in the british magazine the economist said this week . and an editorial in the new york times warned that such an act would completely undermine the democratic process . ' cnn 's will ripley reported from tokyo , and jethro mullen reported and wrote from hong kong . cnn 's yoko wakatsuki contributed to this report . | that has prompted concerns within japan and from china |
yankee <tsp> ( cnn ) -- derek jeter 's nicknames : the captain , ' captain clutch , ' mr . november . ' -- baseball-reference.com i do n't know anybody who calls derek jeter either captain clutch ' or mr . november . ' * * * this week begins what can only be called derek jeter week in major league baseball . ' -- a story from newsday i do n't know anybody who has called this derek jeter week in major league baseball . * * * ' how should derek jeter leave the field in his last game at yankee stadium ? ' -- a headline from usa today uh , i do n't know ... on foot ? * * * derek jeter , baseball player , is not nearly as big a deal as a lot of new yorkers think he is . i know people with no clue how big he is . literally . how tall would you guess derek jeter is ? ' i asked a baseball fan from l.a. ' hmmm , ' she said . five-foot-10 ? ' no , he is 6-foot-3 . everything else you 've ever wanted to know about derek jeter , you could be about to find out . tv , radio , blogs , magazines , newspapers . smartphones and carrier pigeons based in new york city are treating this , jeter 's last week of playing major league baseball , as slightly less monumental than the discovery of america in 1492 . queeg , bligh , cook , phillips , marvel , america and crunch are just a few of the captains now considered by many new yorkers to be not as big as theirs . but you know what ? californians are n't obsessing over these being jeter 's last days of playing ball . texans or minnesotans or ohioans or floridians , either . i mean , they like him and all . a really fine athlete . a really fine guy , too , it seems . scandal-free . a class act , people in and out of baseball tend to agree . the anti-a-rod . should a fuss be made over his retirement ? of course . a warm sendoff definitely is in order . a standing o . a lovely parting gift . a tip of thousands of caps . a wobble of thousands of bobbleheads . but , man oh man , is new york going completely wacko overboard or what ? i expect any minute for the mayor there -- what 's his name , the tall guy who came after bloomberg -- to announce that a certain other tall piece of work is being renamed the jeter state building . it would n't surprise me if future new jersey commuters come to town through the jeter tunnel or catch a helicopter at jeterboro . i have booked a flight east for 2015 that probably will include a connection at kennedy-jeter . they 've done everything in nyc except stage a new broadway version of damn yankees ' in which washington 's team loses because a young derek jeter wants to be a yankee so much , he sells his soul to the devil . or a new version of bye , bye birdie , ' now that he 's leaving , with the lyrics changed to : we love you , derek , oh , yes we do ! we love you , derek , and we 'll be true . when you 're not near to us , we 're blue . oh , derek , we love you ! ' american sports fans from alabama to alaska are not stricken with this jeter-mania the way new yorkers are . he 's big , but not that big . a lot of europeans and asians would n't know derek jeter from darth vader . did he have a great career ? no doubt about it . opinion : baseball 's humble hero if you know your baseball , you must be impressed that derek jeter has had more hits in his career than willie mays , barry bonds , lou gehrig , ted williams or babe ruth did . a bat stat i like , for the amusement or amazement of you baseball lovers out there , is this one : derek jeter already has more hits than jackie robinson and mark mcgwire did combined . i repeat , combined . for the past 20 years , the shortstop for the new york yankees , the most successful organization in american baseball , has been a kid who played his high school ball in kalamazoo , michigan , on his way to fame and fortune in the big city . in most of the united states of america , baseball fans seem to consider derek jeter a great player . in the largest city in the united states of america , baseball fans seem to consider derek jeter a visitor from the planet krypton . well , to each his own . no one anywhere would dare argue that jeter is undeserving , or overrated , or maybe ' a hall of famer . on the contrary , this guy is a rarity in this day and age , a certain hall of famer . a mortal lock . i admire him . i met him , interviewed him , liked him . one day in 2008 , i got him for a while in chicago one-on-one . we were chatting about the new yankee stadium under construction , a work in progress , and jeter said enthusiastically : it 'll look just like the old one , except with 500,000 more feet of space . ' i remember saying wrigley field ought to think the same way . exactly , ' jeter said . i later asked ozzie guillen , a successful chicago white sox shortstop and manager , what he thought of jeter . the perfect man , ' he replied . oh ? in what way ? derek jeter has everything in life , ' guillen said . he 's got money , he 's got rings , he 's .... ' a pause before the punchline . .... not married . ' that got a laugh . too bad i do n't have a daughter , ' guillen added . the off-the-field life of derek jeter brought a smile to our faces that day , as the on-the-field one has to many since . he 's been a new york yankee his whole professional life . he was drafted in june , 1992 -- houston , cleveland , montreal , baltimore and cincinnati picked first but took somebody else -- and made his major league debut in a may 29 , 1995 , indoor game before a crowd ' of 18,948 fans in seattle , batting ninth in the yankee lineup that day . wade boggs , randy velarde and don mattingly were in the infield with him . he went 0-for-5 and the yanks lost . thousands of hits later , jeter is retiring and his uniform number 2 will be put out to pasture as well . ( a guy named mike gallego was the last yankee to wear it before him . ) those hits include a walk-off home run that won game 4 of the 2001 world series on a halloween night . it came after midnight , therefore technically becoming the first world series homer ever struck in the month of november . he became mr. november ' to somebody that night , a name absolutely nobody has known him by since . the captain ' is what yankee fans do call him . a promotion to admiral could be in order . thursday is his last scheduled game at yankee stadium . a weekend of games in boston follows that , and that 's that . admirable player , admirable career . king of the hill , top of the heap . not that big a deal ? ok , ok , so maybe he is even bigger than some of us think . join us on facebook.com/cnnopinion . | downey : baseball will miss the yankee captain |
dan mori <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a dutch football club is facing criticism for playing in the united arab emirates , despite being told its israeli defender would not be allowed in the country . vitesse arnhem , second in the dutch league , is in abu dhabi for training and matches with two german teams during its mid-season break . the team 's spokeswoman esther bal says the team was told just one day before the trip that defender dan mori could not enter the uae . like most arab countries , the uae does not recognize israel , and its immigration policies stipulate that israeli citizens will be refused admission . still , bal says planning for the trip began about six weeks ago and the team had been assured on the phone repeatedly that the 25-year-old mori would be allowed to enter because he was an athlete . no officials in the uae could be reached for immediate comment . esther voet , director of the center for information and documentation on israel , told cnn vitesse should have had the team spirit not to go without mori . ' over the weekend , two dutch politicians also criticized the team for travelling to the uae . geert wilders , leader of the rightist party for freedom , called the team cowardly ' on his twitter account . vitesse did not have to go to the uae to protest the refusal to let mori in . ' however , bal told cnn , we 're a football club . we want to stay away from politics , ' adding that mori himself , encouraged vitesse to go ahead without him , putting the team 's interests first . ' according to bal , vitesse was unable to pull out of the trip as would have affected the other teams . we were under pressure . we had obligations with the teams we 're playing , ' said bal . vitesse is playing german bundesliga clubs wolsfburg and hamburg this week , before heading back to the netherlands on saturday . on its return , bal says the team will contact world governing body fifa to evaluate the situation . this is not the first time the uae has come under pressure for stopping israeli athletes from entering . last year , the english premier league team , swansea city , was told its israeli player , itay shechter , could not go to dubai for training . the club considered canceling their mid-season camp . israeli athletes have been allowed to attend international sporting events in the region , however . in october , israeli contestants participated in the swimming world cup in qatar , but images of the israeli flag were omitted from parts of the competition . in 2009 , shahar peer was denied entry into the uae for the dubai tennis championship , but played in subsequent tournaments . | dutch club was told just a day before travelling to uae that dan mori could not enter |
central committee <tsp> beijing ( cnn ) -- liang wengen , china 's richest man , received the green light to become a candidate for the communist party of china 's central committee . if elected , liang will be the first private entrepreneur to join the ruling party 's policymaking body . liang , 55 , is chairman and founder of sany group , china 's largest heavy machinery company . both forbes and hurun china rich list rank him on top of their 2011 rich list , estimating his wealth at $ 9.3 billion and $ 10.7 billion , respectively . he zhenlin , sany group 's vice president , confirmed with cnn that liang has passed qualification checks ' as a candidate for a seat as alternate member of the central committee . liang is waiting for ( formal ) election , ' which will take place late next year . the central committee is an important body in china 's top-down political structure . every five years , delegates to communist party congress elect over 200 full-fledged members and about 150 alternate members . members of the central committee select among themselves members of the party 's political bureau , or politburo , and its standing committee comprised of nine members . the central committee typically meets four times a year to discuss and approve major policies . in between these meetings - called plenums in communist parlance -major decisions are made by the politburo , headed by party chief and state president hu jintao . its members meet more frequently . liang became a communist member in 2004 . since then , he has been a delegate to the national people congress ( npc ) , china highest legislative body . he was also a delegate to the last communist party congress in 2007 . liang has three times applied to become a party member but he was rejected each time . the last time he was rejected was because the party constitution did n't allow recruiting private entrepreneurs who hire more than seven employees , ' fu hongze , a director at the sany group , told cnn . liang 's party membership came after former chinese president jiang zemin pushed through the controversial notion that private business owners may also join the communist party in 2001 . currently there are very few party members working in the private sector , ' notes tang wenfang , author of the book public opinion and political change in china . ' there is a need to correct this imbalance by recruiting non-party private entrepreneurs , as this group of people is gaining economic power . if they are not co-opted , they can potentially wield independent political influence . ' rupert hoogewerf , who has served as chief researcher for hurun rich list for many years , says liang 's expected election into the central committee is largely symbolic . he points out that the private sector is clearly an important player now in the economy as a whole , ' creating new jobs and paying substantial taxes . it is a symbiotic relationship , ' he says . they help each other out . ' if liang is elected next year , hoogewerf adds , his new political status will be a morale boost for china 's private sector and may also benefit his company , the sany group. , which liang founded in 1989 . it will not be the first time for liang to work with the ruling party . he and his company have been involved in high-profile partnerships with the chinese government . it was n't a coincidence that sany was in chile to rescue the trapped miners last year , ' hoogewerf tells cnn . the chinese government offered to help and liang was the person asked to make it happen on behalf of the government . it was a big thing . ' sany provided heavy machinery during the rescue efforts . during the devastating sichuan earthquake in 2008 , liang donated 3 million yuan ( us $ 461,000 ) in cash and 15 million yuan ( about $ 2.3 million ) worth of heavy machinery , according to state media reports . sany 's volunteer rescue team arrived in the worst hit area within two days after the earthquake hit . liang 's increased political capital will help push sany 's dominance to a higher level in both domestic and international market . ' said wang zhengxu at the university of nottingham . wang says he will not be surprised if liang is admitted into the central committee . he explains : by co-opting private business leaders into cpc , the party hopes to renew its legitimacy as the party that represents all the critical groups and sectors of the chinese society . ' tang says this will be an important move for china 's political reform . in the long run , the inclusion of the private sector in the cpc is likely to diversify the party 's membership , ' tang says . he explains : different groups of party members may form different factions and compete for power within the cpc , instead of forming strong opposition parties outside the cpc . the result is likely to be the strengthening of'intra-party democracy'with continued cpc domination over the other independent political parties . ' | the central committee is an important body in china 's top-down political structure |
central committee <tsp> beijing ( cnn ) -- liang wengen , china 's richest man , received the green light to become a candidate for the communist party of china 's central committee . if elected , liang will be the first private entrepreneur to join the ruling party 's policymaking body . liang , 55 , is chairman and founder of sany group , china 's largest heavy machinery company . both forbes and hurun china rich list rank him on top of their 2011 rich list , estimating his wealth at $ 9.3 billion and $ 10.7 billion , respectively . he zhenlin , sany group 's vice president , confirmed with cnn that liang has passed qualification checks ' as a candidate for a seat as alternate member of the central committee . liang is waiting for ( formal ) election , ' which will take place late next year . the central committee is an important body in china 's top-down political structure . every five years , delegates to communist party congress elect over 200 full-fledged members and about 150 alternate members . members of the central committee select among themselves members of the party 's political bureau , or politburo , and its standing committee comprised of nine members . the central committee typically meets four times a year to discuss and approve major policies . in between these meetings - called plenums in communist parlance -major decisions are made by the politburo , headed by party chief and state president hu jintao . its members meet more frequently . liang became a communist member in 2004 . since then , he has been a delegate to the national people congress ( npc ) , china highest legislative body . he was also a delegate to the last communist party congress in 2007 . liang has three times applied to become a party member but he was rejected each time . the last time he was rejected was because the party constitution did n't allow recruiting private entrepreneurs who hire more than seven employees , ' fu hongze , a director at the sany group , told cnn . liang 's party membership came after former chinese president jiang zemin pushed through the controversial notion that private business owners may also join the communist party in 2001 . currently there are very few party members working in the private sector , ' notes tang wenfang , author of the book public opinion and political change in china . ' there is a need to correct this imbalance by recruiting non-party private entrepreneurs , as this group of people is gaining economic power . if they are not co-opted , they can potentially wield independent political influence . ' rupert hoogewerf , who has served as chief researcher for hurun rich list for many years , says liang 's expected election into the central committee is largely symbolic . he points out that the private sector is clearly an important player now in the economy as a whole , ' creating new jobs and paying substantial taxes . it is a symbiotic relationship , ' he says . they help each other out . ' if liang is elected next year , hoogewerf adds , his new political status will be a morale boost for china 's private sector and may also benefit his company , the sany group. , which liang founded in 1989 . it will not be the first time for liang to work with the ruling party . he and his company have been involved in high-profile partnerships with the chinese government . it was n't a coincidence that sany was in chile to rescue the trapped miners last year , ' hoogewerf tells cnn . the chinese government offered to help and liang was the person asked to make it happen on behalf of the government . it was a big thing . ' sany provided heavy machinery during the rescue efforts . during the devastating sichuan earthquake in 2008 , liang donated 3 million yuan ( us $ 461,000 ) in cash and 15 million yuan ( about $ 2.3 million ) worth of heavy machinery , according to state media reports . sany 's volunteer rescue team arrived in the worst hit area within two days after the earthquake hit . liang 's increased political capital will help push sany 's dominance to a higher level in both domestic and international market . ' said wang zhengxu at the university of nottingham . wang says he will not be surprised if liang is admitted into the central committee . he explains : by co-opting private business leaders into cpc , the party hopes to renew its legitimacy as the party that represents all the critical groups and sectors of the chinese society . ' tang says this will be an important move for china 's political reform . in the long run , the inclusion of the private sector in the cpc is likely to diversify the party 's membership , ' tang says . he explains : different groups of party members may form different factions and compete for power within the cpc , instead of forming strong opposition parties outside the cpc . the result is likely to be the strengthening of'intra-party democracy'with continued cpc domination over the other independent political parties . ' | liang wengen can be a candidate for communist party of china 's central committee |
edward snowden <tsp> as the furor mounts in brazil over reports that the united states spied on president dilma rousseff and her advisers , the south american country 's foreign minister was in washington on wednesday . u.s. national security advisor susan rice told brazilian foreign minister luiz alberto figueiredo that the united states is committed to working with brazil to address its concerns , the white house said in a statement . but in brazil , debate over media reports about alleged national security agency spying showed no signs of cooling . brazilian lawmakers say they plan to send a commission to russia to speak directly with former nsa contractor edward snowden , who reportedly leaked documents cited in brazilian media reports about the alleged espionage operations . reports from globo tv citing glenn greenwald , a brazil-based journalist who obtained documents from snowden , claim that rousseff and the state oil company petrobras were among the targets of the nsa . cnn has not independently verified the reports , which drew sharp condemnation from brazilian officials this month . a foreign relations committee in brazil 's chamber of deputies on wednesday approved a trip for lawmakers to travel to moscow and interview snowden over the matter , state-run agencia brasil reported . lawmaker ivan valente said authorities wanted more information , not just what had been leaked to the media . the leaked information is an issue of national sovereignty , ' he said , according to agencia brasil . first , brazilian citizens were spied on . then companies , the president of the republic , ministers and now petrobras . ' earlier this month , brazil summoned the u.s. ambassador over the reports . and rousseff has threatened to cancel her scheduled state visit to washington in october . in washington , officials emphasized u.s.-brazil ties , while acknowledging the tension over the spying claims .'' national security advisor rice expressed to foreign minister figueiredo that the united states understands that recent disclosures in the press -- some of which have distorted our activities and some of which raise legitimate questions for our friends and allies about how these capabilities are employed -- have created tensions in the very strong bilateral relationship we have with brazil , ' the white house said in a statement . reports from brazil 's globo tv over the alleged espionage have also drawn mexico 's ire , with allegations that the nsa spied on mexican president enrique peña nieto . u.s. president barack obama said he promised to look into the allegations when he spoke with peña nieto and rousseff at last week 's g-20 summit in st. petersburg . what i assured president rousseff and president peña nieto is ... that i take these allegations very seriously , ' obama told reporters . i understand their concerns ; i understand the concerns of the mexican and brazilian people , and that we will work with their teams to resolve what is a source of tension . ' the diplomatic tensions with brazil and mexico are the latest international fallout over documents leaked by snowden , who faces espionage charges in the united states and is now living in russia after authorities there granted him temporary asylum . reports of u.s. espionage also roiled european officials over the summer after germany 's der spiegel and britain 's the guardian published stories alleging that the nsa had targeted european government offices . | lawmakers say they plan to go to russia and speak with edward snowden |
brazil <tsp> as the furor mounts in brazil over reports that the united states spied on president dilma rousseff and her advisers , the south american country 's foreign minister was in washington on wednesday . u.s. national security advisor susan rice told brazilian foreign minister luiz alberto figueiredo that the united states is committed to working with brazil to address its concerns , the white house said in a statement . but in brazil , debate over media reports about alleged national security agency spying showed no signs of cooling . brazilian lawmakers say they plan to send a commission to russia to speak directly with former nsa contractor edward snowden , who reportedly leaked documents cited in brazilian media reports about the alleged espionage operations . reports from globo tv citing glenn greenwald , a brazil-based journalist who obtained documents from snowden , claim that rousseff and the state oil company petrobras were among the targets of the nsa . cnn has not independently verified the reports , which drew sharp condemnation from brazilian officials this month . a foreign relations committee in brazil 's chamber of deputies on wednesday approved a trip for lawmakers to travel to moscow and interview snowden over the matter , state-run agencia brasil reported . lawmaker ivan valente said authorities wanted more information , not just what had been leaked to the media . the leaked information is an issue of national sovereignty , ' he said , according to agencia brasil . first , brazilian citizens were spied on . then companies , the president of the republic , ministers and now petrobras . ' earlier this month , brazil summoned the u.s. ambassador over the reports . and rousseff has threatened to cancel her scheduled state visit to washington in october . in washington , officials emphasized u.s.-brazil ties , while acknowledging the tension over the spying claims .'' national security advisor rice expressed to foreign minister figueiredo that the united states understands that recent disclosures in the press -- some of which have distorted our activities and some of which raise legitimate questions for our friends and allies about how these capabilities are employed -- have created tensions in the very strong bilateral relationship we have with brazil , ' the white house said in a statement . reports from brazil 's globo tv over the alleged espionage have also drawn mexico 's ire , with allegations that the nsa spied on mexican president enrique peña nieto . u.s. president barack obama said he promised to look into the allegations when he spoke with peña nieto and rousseff at last week 's g-20 summit in st. petersburg . what i assured president rousseff and president peña nieto is ... that i take these allegations very seriously , ' obama told reporters . i understand their concerns ; i understand the concerns of the mexican and brazilian people , and that we will work with their teams to resolve what is a source of tension . ' the diplomatic tensions with brazil and mexico are the latest international fallout over documents leaked by snowden , who faces espionage charges in the united states and is now living in russia after authorities there granted him temporary asylum . reports of u.s. espionage also roiled european officials over the summer after germany 's der spiegel and britain 's the guardian published stories alleging that the nsa had targeted european government offices . | national security advisor susan rice meets with brazil 's foreign minister |
brazil <tsp> as the furor mounts in brazil over reports that the united states spied on president dilma rousseff and her advisers , the south american country 's foreign minister was in washington on wednesday . u.s. national security advisor susan rice told brazilian foreign minister luiz alberto figueiredo that the united states is committed to working with brazil to address its concerns , the white house said in a statement . but in brazil , debate over media reports about alleged national security agency spying showed no signs of cooling . brazilian lawmakers say they plan to send a commission to russia to speak directly with former nsa contractor edward snowden , who reportedly leaked documents cited in brazilian media reports about the alleged espionage operations . reports from globo tv citing glenn greenwald , a brazil-based journalist who obtained documents from snowden , claim that rousseff and the state oil company petrobras were among the targets of the nsa . cnn has not independently verified the reports , which drew sharp condemnation from brazilian officials this month . a foreign relations committee in brazil 's chamber of deputies on wednesday approved a trip for lawmakers to travel to moscow and interview snowden over the matter , state-run agencia brasil reported . lawmaker ivan valente said authorities wanted more information , not just what had been leaked to the media . the leaked information is an issue of national sovereignty , ' he said , according to agencia brasil . first , brazilian citizens were spied on . then companies , the president of the republic , ministers and now petrobras . ' earlier this month , brazil summoned the u.s. ambassador over the reports . and rousseff has threatened to cancel her scheduled state visit to washington in october . in washington , officials emphasized u.s.-brazil ties , while acknowledging the tension over the spying claims .'' national security advisor rice expressed to foreign minister figueiredo that the united states understands that recent disclosures in the press -- some of which have distorted our activities and some of which raise legitimate questions for our friends and allies about how these capabilities are employed -- have created tensions in the very strong bilateral relationship we have with brazil , ' the white house said in a statement . reports from brazil 's globo tv over the alleged espionage have also drawn mexico 's ire , with allegations that the nsa spied on mexican president enrique peña nieto . u.s. president barack obama said he promised to look into the allegations when he spoke with peña nieto and rousseff at last week 's g-20 summit in st. petersburg . what i assured president rousseff and president peña nieto is ... that i take these allegations very seriously , ' obama told reporters . i understand their concerns ; i understand the concerns of the mexican and brazilian people , and that we will work with their teams to resolve what is a source of tension . ' the diplomatic tensions with brazil and mexico are the latest international fallout over documents leaked by snowden , who faces espionage charges in the united states and is now living in russia after authorities there granted him temporary asylum . reports of u.s. espionage also roiled european officials over the summer after germany 's der spiegel and britain 's the guardian published stories alleging that the nsa had targeted european government offices . | anger is growig in brazil over reports of nsa spying |
brazil <tsp> as the furor mounts in brazil over reports that the united states spied on president dilma rousseff and her advisers , the south american country 's foreign minister was in washington on wednesday . u.s. national security advisor susan rice told brazilian foreign minister luiz alberto figueiredo that the united states is committed to working with brazil to address its concerns , the white house said in a statement . but in brazil , debate over media reports about alleged national security agency spying showed no signs of cooling . brazilian lawmakers say they plan to send a commission to russia to speak directly with former nsa contractor edward snowden , who reportedly leaked documents cited in brazilian media reports about the alleged espionage operations . reports from globo tv citing glenn greenwald , a brazil-based journalist who obtained documents from snowden , claim that rousseff and the state oil company petrobras were among the targets of the nsa . cnn has not independently verified the reports , which drew sharp condemnation from brazilian officials this month . a foreign relations committee in brazil 's chamber of deputies on wednesday approved a trip for lawmakers to travel to moscow and interview snowden over the matter , state-run agencia brasil reported . lawmaker ivan valente said authorities wanted more information , not just what had been leaked to the media . the leaked information is an issue of national sovereignty , ' he said , according to agencia brasil . first , brazilian citizens were spied on . then companies , the president of the republic , ministers and now petrobras . ' earlier this month , brazil summoned the u.s. ambassador over the reports . and rousseff has threatened to cancel her scheduled state visit to washington in october . in washington , officials emphasized u.s.-brazil ties , while acknowledging the tension over the spying claims .'' national security advisor rice expressed to foreign minister figueiredo that the united states understands that recent disclosures in the press -- some of which have distorted our activities and some of which raise legitimate questions for our friends and allies about how these capabilities are employed -- have created tensions in the very strong bilateral relationship we have with brazil , ' the white house said in a statement . reports from brazil 's globo tv over the alleged espionage have also drawn mexico 's ire , with allegations that the nsa spied on mexican president enrique peña nieto . u.s. president barack obama said he promised to look into the allegations when he spoke with peña nieto and rousseff at last week 's g-20 summit in st. petersburg . what i assured president rousseff and president peña nieto is ... that i take these allegations very seriously , ' obama told reporters . i understand their concerns ; i understand the concerns of the mexican and brazilian people , and that we will work with their teams to resolve what is a source of tension . ' the diplomatic tensions with brazil and mexico are the latest international fallout over documents leaked by snowden , who faces espionage charges in the united states and is now living in russia after authorities there granted him temporary asylum . reports of u.s. espionage also roiled european officials over the summer after germany 's der spiegel and britain 's the guardian published stories alleging that the nsa had targeted european government offices . | reports claim the nsa spied on brazil 's president , state oil company petrobras |
texas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- heavy winds and dry weather helped set off a rash of fires across a wide swath of north , central and west texas on sunday , state forestry officials said . the texas forest service reported 15,000 acres caught fire across the state . the largest concentration of blazes broke out around the west texas town of midland and near the panhandle city of amarillo , where meteorologists reported wind gusts of up to 69 miles an hour . there have been no fatalities , said lewis kearney , a spokesman for the forest service 's texas state lone star incident management team . however , the high winds made it difficult for firefighters to use aircraft to contain the blazes . kearney said heavy winds are expected to blow across much of the state into monday , thus making it more likely that firefighters could be many hours away from dousing the final flames spread by the winds . kearney said numerous homes ' have been burned in west texas and that firefighters were continuing to battle the blazes as of sunday night . in amarillo , the national weather service reported that as of 2:32 p.m. ct sunday afternoon a mandatory evacuation order had been issued in northeast potter county . a second evacuation order was issued for the city of borger a half hour later . throughout the afternoon , fires consumed large swaths of land ranging from 30 to 800 acres in haskell , mitchell , howard , randall and tom green counties , among others . | roughly 15,000 acres on fire in separate texas blazes |
james brennan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- monsignor william lynn , the highest-ranking cleric accused of imperiling children by helping cover up sexual abuse , was found guilty friday of one count of child endangerment . he was found not guilty on a second count of endangerment and a conspiracy charge to protect a priest accused of abuse . the jury was unable to bring a verdict against his co-defendant , the rev . james brennan , who was charged with attempted rape of a 14-year-old altar boy and endangering the welfare of a child . lynn was taken into custody after friday 's verdict , when the judge revoked his bail . his lawyer , jeffrey lindy , derided the decision not to let his client remain free on bond prior to sentencing , calling it an unspeakable miscarriage of justice ( for ) a 61-year-old man with no prior record and long established ties to the community . ' he is set to be sentenced august 13 , court officials said , and could face up to seven years in prison for his conviction on a third-degree felony . the trial marked the first time u.s. prosecutors charged not just priests who allegedly committed abuses but church leaders for failing to stop them . calling the verdict historic , ' philadelphia district attorney r. seth williams said friday 's decision sends a message about potential consequences of not reporting sexual abuse . many people of many generations have unclean hands when it comes to this silence , ' williams said , adding that others could also be investigated . terence mckiernan , who heads the advocacy website bishopaccountability.org , called the conviction a watershed moment in the catholic abuse crisis . ' because of the lynn verdict , bishops and church officials are now accountable . they are no longer immune from judgment and punishment , ' mckiernan said . and marci hamilton , a victims'rights attorney , said the jury 's verdict friday -- as well as the decision by now-defrocked priest edward avery to plead guilty after admitting to sexually assaulting a 10-year-old altar boy -- suggests the picture is now clear that the philadelphia archdiocese permitted crimes against children . ' the archdiocese issued its own statement after the verdict , though it did not mention the trial or either lynn or brennan by name . it did , however , insist that the lessons of the last year have made our church a more vigilant guardian of our people 's safety . ' the archdiocese of philadelphia is on a journey of reform and renewal that requires honesty and hope , ' it said . we are committed to providing support and assistance to parishioners as they and the church seek to more deeply understand sexual violence , and to create an environment that is safe and welcoming to all , including past victims . ' attorneys : cardinal ordered memo on priests destroyed lynn 's attorney said he felt the jury agreed there was no far flung conspiracy , ' though he conceded the prosecution scored a victory ' in securing the lone conviction -- one that made he and the monsignor extremely upset . ' by finding him guilty , they 're saying he helped endanger children , ' lindy said . it 's the last thing he wanted to do . ... i do n't think he 's the evil person the district attorney is making him out to be . ' bill donahue of the catholic league , an advocacy group devoted to challenging defamation of or discrimination against catholics , called the verdict a defeat for overzealous prosecutors and victims advocates who he claimed had unfairly targeted church leaders . the witch hunt has come to an end , and those who have been clamoring for blood lost big time , ' donahue said in a statement . they wanted the big prize -- they wanted to nail a high-ranking clergyman on conspiracy . ... looks like their car ran out of gas in philadelphia . ' more than 60 witnesses and alleged clergy abuse victims testified during lynn and brennan 's criminal trial , which began march 26 and wrapped up may 31 , with jury deliberations beginning the next day . lynn 's defense team argued that their client repeatedly told higher-ups about the alleged abuse and , under strict orders from late cardinal anthony bevilacqua , had no authority to remove priests from the ministry . assistant district attorney patrick blessington characterized lynn 's behavior as disgraceful , ' shameful ' and ridiculous , ' sarcastically calling him a hero ' who put young people in harm 's way . he actually looked you in the eye and said he put victims first . how dare he ? ' the prosecutor asked jurors during his more than 2â½-hour closing argument . lynn 's conspiracy count related to an allegation that he schemed with avery and other archdiocese officials to endanger children . avery had been due to go on trial with brennan and lynn , but he pleaded guilty in march to a sexual assault that occurred during the 1998-99 school year . the 69-year-old was sentenced to 2â½ to five years in prison . brennan himself was removed from the active ministry in 2006 . two years later , he admitted that he had allowed the youngster to view pornography and sleep in the same bed with him in 1996 , according to church investigators'testimony . cnn 's ross levitt contributed to this report . | the jury was unable to bring a verdict against his co-defendant , the rev . james brennan |
reeva steenkamp <tsp> the trial of oscar pistorius , accused of killing his former girlfriend reeva steenkamp , was postponed until april 7 because one of two assessors was hospitalized . the assessors will help the judge decide the verdict . south africa does not have jury trials . pistorius killed steenkamp on valentine 's day last year . of that , there is no doubt . but was it murder ? one of south africa 's toughest prosecutors , gerrie nel , has been fighting for most of this month to prove it was . on friday , one of the country 's shrewdest defense lawyers , barry roux , was scheduled to begin convincing a judge that it was n't . now he will have to wait . the verdict will hinge on two questions : did the olympic sprinter know his girlfriend was behind the door in the bathroom of his house when he fired four hollow-point bullets through it in the middle of the night ? and if he did not -- if he thought she was a burglar , as he insists -- did he act as a reasonable person would have ? critical testimony will come from the only living person who was in the house at the time , the blade runner ' himself . pistorius was expected to take the stand for the first time friday to give his side of a story he 's been telling for more than a year . he woke up in the middle of the night , went to his balcony to bring in a fan -- or two fans , in his most recent version -- heard his bathroom window opening , took his gun , went to the bathroom and fired through the door when he heard a noise in the toilet . it was pitch dark in the bedroom , and i thought reeva was in bed , ' he testified when he applied for bail in the days after the killing . in that version of the story , pistorius emphasized that he felt a sense of terror ' when he heard the noise , that he felt extremely vulnerable ' because he was not wearing his prosthetic legs , and that he has been a victim of violence and of burglaries before . ' and , he said , we were deeply in love and i could not be happier . ' if judge thokozile matilda masipa believes that story , pistorius could be acquitted of murder . she could find him guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide -- similar to what would be called manslaughter in the united states -- or find him not guilty at all . the defense is likely to rely on three types of experts to support pistorius'story : ballistics pistorius fired four shots . three hit steenkamp : one in the hip , one in the arm and one in the head . the shot to the head probably killed her almost instantly . but when did that shot hit her ? the prosecution says it hit her last . that means she would have been able to scream between shots -- potentially giving pistorius a moment to realize his mistake and stop shooting . defense lawyer barry roux rejected the prosecution 's order of shots , though , in a heated exchange with police capt . christian mangena , the prosecution ballistics expert . roux said the defense ballistics expert would show that the order of shots was different , and that pistorius fired the four shots in two quick bursts -- two double taps . ' mangena said it was impossible ' for the pattern of wounds on the body to be the result of two double taps , ultimately leaving roux sighing dismissively and promising that his own ballistics expert would explain . pathology oscar pistorius threw up repeatedly as gert saayman , who performed the autopsy on steenkamp , described the devastating wounds pistorius inflicted on her . but as gruesome as the testimony was , it is not critical to the state 's case -- there 's no doubt , after all , who killed steenkamp or how . the most damning thing saayman said was far less dramatic . based on the contents of her stomach , the pathologist suggested that steenkamp had probably eaten around 1 a.m. , about two hours before she died . that 's a direct contradiction of pistorius'story that they were in the bedroom by about 10 p.m. , her doing yoga and him watching television , and that they went to sleep after she finished her yoga . roux hammered saayman on the question of when steenkamp last ate , going so far as to bring in academic articles for the pathologist to read , a clear sign that the defense considers it crucial to rebut that point . saayman did not budge . a pathologist who attended the autopsy on behalf of pistorius , reggie perumal , is due to testify for the defense . a police cell phone expert also may have found a similar inconsistency with pistorius'timeline . capt . francois moller , who downloaded the contents of pistorius'iphone , said it made an internet connection for about five minutes an hour and 20 minutes before the shooting . the defense may put forward an expert of their own to explain . psychiatry pistorius needs the judge to believe not only that there is a chance he made a genuine mistake in thinking steenkamp was a burglar , but that his response was reasonable . sean rens , a gun dealer who was selling a small arsenal to pistorius at the time of the killing , testified that the athlete had passed a test showing he knew what the law said about firing in self-defense . on the face of it , what pistorius did in firing through a closed door , when he could not see an imminent threat , was neither legal nor safe , the rens testimony suggested . but a psychiatrist may argue that pistorius should be judged by a different standard of reasonableness because he is a double amputee who was not wearing his prosthetics at the time . his statement at his bail hearing implied that he should : as i did not have my prosthetic legs on and felt extremely vulnerable , i knew i had to protect reeva and myself . ... i felt trapped as my bedroom door was locked and i have limited mobility on my stumps . ' if the judge accepts that as true , oscar pistorius'disability could prove to be his greatest defense . | the defense tries to convince a judge that reeva steenkamp 's death was n't murder |
pistorius <tsp> the trial of oscar pistorius , accused of killing his former girlfriend reeva steenkamp , was postponed until april 7 because one of two assessors was hospitalized . the assessors will help the judge decide the verdict . south africa does not have jury trials . pistorius killed steenkamp on valentine 's day last year . of that , there is no doubt . but was it murder ? one of south africa 's toughest prosecutors , gerrie nel , has been fighting for most of this month to prove it was . on friday , one of the country 's shrewdest defense lawyers , barry roux , was scheduled to begin convincing a judge that it was n't . now he will have to wait . the verdict will hinge on two questions : did the olympic sprinter know his girlfriend was behind the door in the bathroom of his house when he fired four hollow-point bullets through it in the middle of the night ? and if he did not -- if he thought she was a burglar , as he insists -- did he act as a reasonable person would have ? critical testimony will come from the only living person who was in the house at the time , the blade runner ' himself . pistorius was expected to take the stand for the first time friday to give his side of a story he 's been telling for more than a year . he woke up in the middle of the night , went to his balcony to bring in a fan -- or two fans , in his most recent version -- heard his bathroom window opening , took his gun , went to the bathroom and fired through the door when he heard a noise in the toilet . it was pitch dark in the bedroom , and i thought reeva was in bed , ' he testified when he applied for bail in the days after the killing . in that version of the story , pistorius emphasized that he felt a sense of terror ' when he heard the noise , that he felt extremely vulnerable ' because he was not wearing his prosthetic legs , and that he has been a victim of violence and of burglaries before . ' and , he said , we were deeply in love and i could not be happier . ' if judge thokozile matilda masipa believes that story , pistorius could be acquitted of murder . she could find him guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide -- similar to what would be called manslaughter in the united states -- or find him not guilty at all . the defense is likely to rely on three types of experts to support pistorius'story : ballistics pistorius fired four shots . three hit steenkamp : one in the hip , one in the arm and one in the head . the shot to the head probably killed her almost instantly . but when did that shot hit her ? the prosecution says it hit her last . that means she would have been able to scream between shots -- potentially giving pistorius a moment to realize his mistake and stop shooting . defense lawyer barry roux rejected the prosecution 's order of shots , though , in a heated exchange with police capt . christian mangena , the prosecution ballistics expert . roux said the defense ballistics expert would show that the order of shots was different , and that pistorius fired the four shots in two quick bursts -- two double taps . ' mangena said it was impossible ' for the pattern of wounds on the body to be the result of two double taps , ultimately leaving roux sighing dismissively and promising that his own ballistics expert would explain . pathology oscar pistorius threw up repeatedly as gert saayman , who performed the autopsy on steenkamp , described the devastating wounds pistorius inflicted on her . but as gruesome as the testimony was , it is not critical to the state 's case -- there 's no doubt , after all , who killed steenkamp or how . the most damning thing saayman said was far less dramatic . based on the contents of her stomach , the pathologist suggested that steenkamp had probably eaten around 1 a.m. , about two hours before she died . that 's a direct contradiction of pistorius'story that they were in the bedroom by about 10 p.m. , her doing yoga and him watching television , and that they went to sleep after she finished her yoga . roux hammered saayman on the question of when steenkamp last ate , going so far as to bring in academic articles for the pathologist to read , a clear sign that the defense considers it crucial to rebut that point . saayman did not budge . a pathologist who attended the autopsy on behalf of pistorius , reggie perumal , is due to testify for the defense . a police cell phone expert also may have found a similar inconsistency with pistorius'timeline . capt . francois moller , who downloaded the contents of pistorius'iphone , said it made an internet connection for about five minutes an hour and 20 minutes before the shooting . the defense may put forward an expert of their own to explain . psychiatry pistorius needs the judge to believe not only that there is a chance he made a genuine mistake in thinking steenkamp was a burglar , but that his response was reasonable . sean rens , a gun dealer who was selling a small arsenal to pistorius at the time of the killing , testified that the athlete had passed a test showing he knew what the law said about firing in self-defense . on the face of it , what pistorius did in firing through a closed door , when he could not see an imminent threat , was neither legal nor safe , the rens testimony suggested . but a psychiatrist may argue that pistorius should be judged by a different standard of reasonableness because he is a double amputee who was not wearing his prosthetics at the time . his statement at his bail hearing implied that he should : as i did not have my prosthetic legs on and felt extremely vulnerable , i knew i had to protect reeva and myself . ... i felt trapped as my bedroom door was locked and i have limited mobility on my stumps . ' if the judge accepts that as true , oscar pistorius'disability could prove to be his greatest defense . | experts in ballistics , pathology and psychiatry will try to support pistorius'story |
pistorius <tsp> the trial of oscar pistorius , accused of killing his former girlfriend reeva steenkamp , was postponed until april 7 because one of two assessors was hospitalized . the assessors will help the judge decide the verdict . south africa does not have jury trials . pistorius killed steenkamp on valentine 's day last year . of that , there is no doubt . but was it murder ? one of south africa 's toughest prosecutors , gerrie nel , has been fighting for most of this month to prove it was . on friday , one of the country 's shrewdest defense lawyers , barry roux , was scheduled to begin convincing a judge that it was n't . now he will have to wait . the verdict will hinge on two questions : did the olympic sprinter know his girlfriend was behind the door in the bathroom of his house when he fired four hollow-point bullets through it in the middle of the night ? and if he did not -- if he thought she was a burglar , as he insists -- did he act as a reasonable person would have ? critical testimony will come from the only living person who was in the house at the time , the blade runner ' himself . pistorius was expected to take the stand for the first time friday to give his side of a story he 's been telling for more than a year . he woke up in the middle of the night , went to his balcony to bring in a fan -- or two fans , in his most recent version -- heard his bathroom window opening , took his gun , went to the bathroom and fired through the door when he heard a noise in the toilet . it was pitch dark in the bedroom , and i thought reeva was in bed , ' he testified when he applied for bail in the days after the killing . in that version of the story , pistorius emphasized that he felt a sense of terror ' when he heard the noise , that he felt extremely vulnerable ' because he was not wearing his prosthetic legs , and that he has been a victim of violence and of burglaries before . ' and , he said , we were deeply in love and i could not be happier . ' if judge thokozile matilda masipa believes that story , pistorius could be acquitted of murder . she could find him guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide -- similar to what would be called manslaughter in the united states -- or find him not guilty at all . the defense is likely to rely on three types of experts to support pistorius'story : ballistics pistorius fired four shots . three hit steenkamp : one in the hip , one in the arm and one in the head . the shot to the head probably killed her almost instantly . but when did that shot hit her ? the prosecution says it hit her last . that means she would have been able to scream between shots -- potentially giving pistorius a moment to realize his mistake and stop shooting . defense lawyer barry roux rejected the prosecution 's order of shots , though , in a heated exchange with police capt . christian mangena , the prosecution ballistics expert . roux said the defense ballistics expert would show that the order of shots was different , and that pistorius fired the four shots in two quick bursts -- two double taps . ' mangena said it was impossible ' for the pattern of wounds on the body to be the result of two double taps , ultimately leaving roux sighing dismissively and promising that his own ballistics expert would explain . pathology oscar pistorius threw up repeatedly as gert saayman , who performed the autopsy on steenkamp , described the devastating wounds pistorius inflicted on her . but as gruesome as the testimony was , it is not critical to the state 's case -- there 's no doubt , after all , who killed steenkamp or how . the most damning thing saayman said was far less dramatic . based on the contents of her stomach , the pathologist suggested that steenkamp had probably eaten around 1 a.m. , about two hours before she died . that 's a direct contradiction of pistorius'story that they were in the bedroom by about 10 p.m. , her doing yoga and him watching television , and that they went to sleep after she finished her yoga . roux hammered saayman on the question of when steenkamp last ate , going so far as to bring in academic articles for the pathologist to read , a clear sign that the defense considers it crucial to rebut that point . saayman did not budge . a pathologist who attended the autopsy on behalf of pistorius , reggie perumal , is due to testify for the defense . a police cell phone expert also may have found a similar inconsistency with pistorius'timeline . capt . francois moller , who downloaded the contents of pistorius'iphone , said it made an internet connection for about five minutes an hour and 20 minutes before the shooting . the defense may put forward an expert of their own to explain . psychiatry pistorius needs the judge to believe not only that there is a chance he made a genuine mistake in thinking steenkamp was a burglar , but that his response was reasonable . sean rens , a gun dealer who was selling a small arsenal to pistorius at the time of the killing , testified that the athlete had passed a test showing he knew what the law said about firing in self-defense . on the face of it , what pistorius did in firing through a closed door , when he could not see an imminent threat , was neither legal nor safe , the rens testimony suggested . but a psychiatrist may argue that pistorius should be judged by a different standard of reasonableness because he is a double amputee who was not wearing his prosthetics at the time . his statement at his bail hearing implied that he should : as i did not have my prosthetic legs on and felt extremely vulnerable , i knew i had to protect reeva and myself . ... i felt trapped as my bedroom door was locked and i have limited mobility on my stumps . ' if the judge accepts that as true , oscar pistorius'disability could prove to be his greatest defense . | did oscar pistorius know his girlfriend was behind a door when he shot and killed her ? |
jerry brown <tsp> ( cnn ) -- arizona 's immigration law , senate bill 1070 , has generated a lot of ink recently , especially with a court ruling last week that allowed a controversial provision that in my view will result in racial profiling to move forward . the law 's goal is chilling : ramp up deportations of undocumented people by forcing local police into the difficult role of immigration agents . and with last week 's ruling , police are now required to go out of their way to investigate the immigration status of everyone they suspect ' might be undocumented whom they arrest or stop . in practice , that will mean targeting people just for the way they look or speak , separating families , and trapping undocumented people in local jails for minor infractions to await deportation . as an undocumented american -- and i am , in my heart , an american -- it is my hope that our nation does n't follow arizona 's discriminatory example . will arizona become the norm , or can we work as a nation to fix dysfunctional immigration policies so that they reflect our best values as americans ? all eyes are now on california for a key part of the answer . sitting on the gov . jerry brown 's desk is the most important piece of legislation for immigrant communities this year . by signing the bill , called the trust act , brown can prevent the separation of thousands of families , establish an alternative to arizona 's approach and send a powerful message to the nation : in a state built and replenished by generations of immigrants , fairness and equality matter . under the trust act , local law enforcement would only be able to hold people for extra time , for deportation purposes , if the person has been convicted of , or charged with , a serious or violent felony . with the trust act , juana reyes , the tamale lady , ' never would have been stuck in sacramento county jail for 13 days on an immigration hold after the most absurd of arrests . with the trust act , reyes'children would n't have spent weeks worrying if they would ever see their mother again . she 's still undocumented . if brown signs the bill , he will bring hope to millions of undocumented americans like me , and some relief to our family members who fear that if we are arrested for even the most trivial of charges , they will never see us again . undocumented people and their allies -- their relatives and friends , their neighbors and co-workers -- have created a new political climate in which the passage of the trust act is not simply the right thing to do , but the politically strategic thing to do , with supporters from across the political spectrum , from nancy pelosi to right-leaning think tanks such as the cato institute and competitive enterprise institute . the enactment of trust would also help turn the page on a painful era of our state 's history that the implementation of the arizona law evokes . a year after i arrived in this country at the age of 12 , four years before i knew about my own undocumented status , i watched with anxiety as california voters passed proposition 187 . that ballot initiative , in many ways , was the precursor to sb 1070 and house bill 56 , arizona 's and alabama 's show-me-your-papers ' laws , respectively . although courts would ultimately reject proposition 187 , fear immediately gripped immigrants in california upon its passage in 1994 . the specter of local police acting as immigration agents was one of the measure 's most unsettling provisions . and despite how much california has changed in nearly two decades , the federal secure communities deportation program , which was supposed to target people convicted of serious criminal offenses , ' has instead effectively done what proposition 187 's backers tried to do -- turn local law enforcement into de facto immigration authorities . what if while driving from my alma mater , san francisco state university , down to my hometown of mountain view , i were stopped for the most minor traffic infraction ? or , perhaps , simply profiled ? i could be detained for driving without a valid license . then , under secure communities , ' my fingerprints would be sent to u.s. immigration and customs enforcement no matter how minor the charge . ice would then ask the jail to hold me for extra time , at local expense , until it came to pick me up for deportation as my grandmother , a naturalized american citizen , waited for me at home in mountain view . this is essentially what 's happened to about 80,000 californians who have quietly been torn from their families under the ridiculously named federal deportation program , secure communities . ' seven out of 10 people detained nationally under secure communities either had no convictions or committed minor offenses , according to ice statistics . and even though top law professors have confirmed that requests to detain immigrants for additional time are optional , ' many california jurisdictions have submitted , no matter the damage done to community-police relations . enter the trust act , which limits responses to ice 's requests to detain people in local jails for additional time for deportation purposes . it should not be lost on anyone that the bill 's author is democratic assemblyman tom ammiano , who was san francisco 's first openly gay teacher . ammiano fought for equality alongside harvey milk in the 1970s . as a gay man myself , i see many parallels in the history of the lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender and immigrant communities'fights for inclusion . brown 's signing of the trust act would be a watershed moment in the long journey toward permanent reform to recognize our common humanity . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of jose antonio vargas . | jose antonio vargas : law awaiting gov . jerry brown 's action important for immigrants |
america <tsp> ( cnn ) -- slumdog millionaire ' took home eight oscars on sunday night , a surprising achievement for a film once thought to be straight-to-dvd fodder . slumdog millionaire ' with dev patel and freida pinto has a rags-to-riches ' storyline with wide appeal . the colorful story , which mixes the gritty life of mumbai 's poor with the shiny aspirations of the new india , features no stars recognizable to western audiences , but it may have made one of its native country . so , is it time for bollywood -- as india 's huge mumbai-based film industry is called -- to come to america ? international cinema comes in cycles in the united states , ' said frank lovece , a film critic with film journal international . now , it 's bollywood 's time . ' but slumdog ' is a far cry from the lavish movie musicals made by bollywood , which releases nearly 1,000 films annually . and it 's not authentically indian -- it was directed by briton danny boyle , and the leading actor , dev patel , was born and raised in england . watch the slumdog ' principals talk about their victories » however , the film is a celebration of india -- from the slums to the taj mahal . it pays homage to bollywood by incorporating many of the industry 's norms -- vibrant colors , fast-paced editing , a fairy-tale love story and a feel-good musical dance ending. ''slumdog'is the reason why people go to the movies . it 's the whole package , ' said gene newman , editorial director at premiere.com . it 's an incredible story ... and it makes you feel good . ' memorable moments from the oscars » priya joshi , associate professor of english at temple university and author of the forthcoming book , crime and punishment : nationalism and public fantasy in bollywood cinema , ' said the film 's rags-to-riches ' storyline has a lot to do with its wide mainstream appeal . hindi film and bollywood , in particular , is a profoundly political cinema about the crisis of the day , ' she said . today , the typical american feels like the poor in the world . ... this sense of vulnerability is what the film is able to capture . ' watch the slumdog ' stars talk about bonds between the cultures » hollywood often has used international styles and filmmakers to its advantage . in its early days , the u.s. film capital embraced european directors such as fritz lang and jean renoir . the 1960s saw the influence of french new wave cinema . japanese films inspired the magnificent seven ' and star wars ' ; hong kong works inspired hollywood blockbusters such as the departed ' and the matrix . ' slumdog ' is n't even the first film centering on india to attract hollywood 's attention . indian cinema has been around in the united states since satyajit ray in the early 1940s , ' lovece said . ray , who won the academy award for lifetime achievement in 1992 , made films in bengali , a language spoken in eastern india . despite that fact , his movies , notably the apu trilogy , ' have had universal appeal . since ray , many indian actors have emerged on the hollywood scene . aishwarya rai , one of bollywood 's leading ladies , starred in 2004 's bride and prejudice ' and appeared , more recently , in the pink panther 2 . ' india 's movie stars are essentially the country 's ambassadors , ' said gitesh pandya , box-office analyst and founder of boxofficeguru.com . a lot of people going to see [ pink panther 2 ' ] are learning about bollywood through [ aishwarya rai ] . ' from ray to rai , indian influence in american cinema is vast . many hollywood films also have been influenced by bollywood . baz luhrman 's 2001 musical moulin rouge , ' a tragic romance told with song and dance , borrows heavily from bollywood . these big , epic numbers are very reminiscent of bollywood , ' newman said , also referring to chicago , ' mama mia ! ' and west side story . ' musicals have always been part of the tradition of american cinema , and bollywood really just took it to the next level . ' hollywood films such as 2008 's the love guru ' and 2005 's the 40-year-old virgin ' -- which ends with a musical dance number -- also borrow from bollywood , newman said , but are comedies that parody the enchantment in bollywood films . there 's innocence and playfulness in a lot of the cinema in india , ' he said , which is why bollywood , in its authentic form , would not appeal to american audiences . we 're a little more cynical , ' said newman. 'west side story'is kind of laughable by today 's standards . ... but , for some reason , in india , that innocence is still acceptable . ' joshi said the cultural differences between bollywood and hollywood could make it difficult for bollywood films to cross over to america . india is still clinging on to its social values , which explains bollywood 's success everywhere but in america , ' she said . bollywood films do n't have any kissing in them or tend not to . warner bros. used to make movies like this in the past . ... if it 's ready to ready to return to its roots , then it 's ready for bollywood . ' american audiences may want to explore bollywood films after seeing slumdog millionaire , ' pandya said , but it is unlikely that they will find another film like it . the film is obviously very successful , but it is its own entity so it does n't necessarily mean that people in this country will wake up to bollywood overnight , ' he said . bollywood is not for everybody . ... people who love to see adam sandler movies are not going to line up to see bollywood films . ' newman agreed , saying that , for now , america will see bollywood only in small traces . i think a lot of filmmakers have been enamored with bollywood , ' he said . they 're investing over there , like [ steven ] spielberg . ' but in american cinema , for the most part , there will be little tinges of bollywood . ' | box-office analyst : bollywood will have a hard time crossing over to america |
indian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- slumdog millionaire ' took home eight oscars on sunday night , a surprising achievement for a film once thought to be straight-to-dvd fodder . slumdog millionaire ' with dev patel and freida pinto has a rags-to-riches ' storyline with wide appeal . the colorful story , which mixes the gritty life of mumbai 's poor with the shiny aspirations of the new india , features no stars recognizable to western audiences , but it may have made one of its native country . so , is it time for bollywood -- as india 's huge mumbai-based film industry is called -- to come to america ? international cinema comes in cycles in the united states , ' said frank lovece , a film critic with film journal international . now , it 's bollywood 's time . ' but slumdog ' is a far cry from the lavish movie musicals made by bollywood , which releases nearly 1,000 films annually . and it 's not authentically indian -- it was directed by briton danny boyle , and the leading actor , dev patel , was born and raised in england . watch the slumdog ' principals talk about their victories » however , the film is a celebration of india -- from the slums to the taj mahal . it pays homage to bollywood by incorporating many of the industry 's norms -- vibrant colors , fast-paced editing , a fairy-tale love story and a feel-good musical dance ending. ''slumdog'is the reason why people go to the movies . it 's the whole package , ' said gene newman , editorial director at premiere.com . it 's an incredible story ... and it makes you feel good . ' memorable moments from the oscars » priya joshi , associate professor of english at temple university and author of the forthcoming book , crime and punishment : nationalism and public fantasy in bollywood cinema , ' said the film 's rags-to-riches ' storyline has a lot to do with its wide mainstream appeal . hindi film and bollywood , in particular , is a profoundly political cinema about the crisis of the day , ' she said . today , the typical american feels like the poor in the world . ... this sense of vulnerability is what the film is able to capture . ' watch the slumdog ' stars talk about bonds between the cultures » hollywood often has used international styles and filmmakers to its advantage . in its early days , the u.s. film capital embraced european directors such as fritz lang and jean renoir . the 1960s saw the influence of french new wave cinema . japanese films inspired the magnificent seven ' and star wars ' ; hong kong works inspired hollywood blockbusters such as the departed ' and the matrix . ' slumdog ' is n't even the first film centering on india to attract hollywood 's attention . indian cinema has been around in the united states since satyajit ray in the early 1940s , ' lovece said . ray , who won the academy award for lifetime achievement in 1992 , made films in bengali , a language spoken in eastern india . despite that fact , his movies , notably the apu trilogy , ' have had universal appeal . since ray , many indian actors have emerged on the hollywood scene . aishwarya rai , one of bollywood 's leading ladies , starred in 2004 's bride and prejudice ' and appeared , more recently , in the pink panther 2 . ' india 's movie stars are essentially the country 's ambassadors , ' said gitesh pandya , box-office analyst and founder of boxofficeguru.com . a lot of people going to see [ pink panther 2 ' ] are learning about bollywood through [ aishwarya rai ] . ' from ray to rai , indian influence in american cinema is vast . many hollywood films also have been influenced by bollywood . baz luhrman 's 2001 musical moulin rouge , ' a tragic romance told with song and dance , borrows heavily from bollywood . these big , epic numbers are very reminiscent of bollywood , ' newman said , also referring to chicago , ' mama mia ! ' and west side story . ' musicals have always been part of the tradition of american cinema , and bollywood really just took it to the next level . ' hollywood films such as 2008 's the love guru ' and 2005 's the 40-year-old virgin ' -- which ends with a musical dance number -- also borrow from bollywood , newman said , but are comedies that parody the enchantment in bollywood films . there 's innocence and playfulness in a lot of the cinema in india , ' he said , which is why bollywood , in its authentic form , would not appeal to american audiences . we 're a little more cynical , ' said newman. 'west side story'is kind of laughable by today 's standards . ... but , for some reason , in india , that innocence is still acceptable . ' joshi said the cultural differences between bollywood and hollywood could make it difficult for bollywood films to cross over to america . india is still clinging on to its social values , which explains bollywood 's success everywhere but in america , ' she said . bollywood films do n't have any kissing in them or tend not to . warner bros. used to make movies like this in the past . ... if it 's ready to ready to return to its roots , then it 's ready for bollywood . ' american audiences may want to explore bollywood films after seeing slumdog millionaire , ' pandya said , but it is unlikely that they will find another film like it . the film is obviously very successful , but it is its own entity so it does n't necessarily mean that people in this country will wake up to bollywood overnight , ' he said . bollywood is not for everybody . ... people who love to see adam sandler movies are not going to line up to see bollywood films . ' newman agreed , saying that , for now , america will see bollywood only in small traces . i think a lot of filmmakers have been enamored with bollywood , ' he said . they 're investing over there , like [ steven ] spielberg . ' but in american cinema , for the most part , there will be little tinges of bollywood . ' | slumdog millionaire ' is not authentically bollywood or indian |
san francisco <tsp> san francisco ( cnn ) -- a driver of a white prius with a giant , red plastic flag affixed to its side is rolling through the hilly streets of san francisco , undelivering mail from mailboxes . the driver is not a thief . he and the car are part of a startup called outbox that is attempting to pick up where the embattled united states postal service leaves off -- by digitizing physical mail . the driver , dubbed an unpostman , ' visits outbox subscribers'homes three times a week , flipping through a thick ring of keys to open the wide variety of entryways and mailboxes . he collects the letters , bills , magazines and advertisements that were deposited there by official postal workers and delivers them to a warehouse . there they are opened and photographed , and the resulting digital files are sent electronically to the recipient through the outbox website or ipad or iphone apps . the idea is that for $ 4.99 a month , someone can make their pesky physical mail disappear ( assuming they can resist the urge to peek in their mailbox between pickups ) . using a mobile device or computer , outbox customers can organize mail in files or forward them as e-mails , ask to be unsubscribed from junk mail , have unwanted items destroyed or request that important mail , such as a wedding invite or a postcard , be re-delivered to their home . the company already has more than 600 customers in austin , texas , and starting tuesday it 's rolling out in its second city , san francisco . creating a shadow , reverse postal service may not be the most efficient way to improve the struggling mail system , but outbox is unable to intercept clients'mail any sooner in the process . the company has met resistance from the united states postal service , which has refused to collaborate with outbox or let its workers pick up mail directly from local post offices . from a startup perspective , we can wait on no one , ' said outbox co-founder will davis . outbox 's legal'gray zone' even though outbox is forging ahead without the blessing of the usps , davis said he has a lot of respect for the federal agency and would welcome any attempts to work together . it 's a sentiment that does not yet seem to be mutual . the postal service is focused on providing an essential service in our mission to serve the american public and does not view outbox as supporting that mission , ' the usps said in a statement . we do have concerns regarding the destruction of mail -- even if authorized by the receiver -- and will continue to monitor market activities to ensure protection of our brand and the value and security of the mail . ' circumventing the postal service has been a way to get outbox up and running . but tampering with mail is a federal offense , and there may be questions about the legality of a third party removing mail from a mailbox , even with permission . davis argues that once a piece of mail has been delivered , it becomes just another unregulated piece of paper . an outbox employee taking mail with permission would be no different from having a neighbor pick it up while you 're out of town , he said . innovation happens in the gray zone of deregulation , ' said davis . we 're operating in that gray zone . ' the u.s . postal inspection service declined to comment on whether the practice is breaking any laws . security and privacy also will be a concern for any company handling mail filled with sensitive financial and personal information . outbox says its employees undergo more thorough background checks than postal employees . it uses 512-bit encryption and device recognition to prevent digitized mail from falling into the hands of someone other than the intended recipient . any unwanted physical mail is shredded and recycled . can the postal service catch up ? the postal service has been slow to innovate and adapt to new technology on its own , in part because of constraints such as the 2006 legislation that prohibits it from entering into new businesses . the usps also faces serious financial issues . in 2012 , the agency had $ 15.9 billion in losses and in early february it announced plans to cease saturday mail delivery this summer in an attempt to save $ 2 billion . the postal service has also been watching technology steadily eat away at its core business for years . the volume of mail handled by the usps dropped from 202.8 billion pieces a year in 2002 to159.9 billion in 2012 . first class and standard mail are decreasing as bill payments , statements and marketers migrate online . one bright spot has been an increase in shipping and packages , the result of the growing popularity of e-commerce . they face a lot of challenges that are not of their own making , ' said john payne , chief executive of zumbox , a digital mailbox company that deals directly with large companies . he agrees that the postal service needs to innovate to stay relevant and thinks they 're starting to try harder to partner with innovative companies . outbox is n't waiting on the postal service 's call . new , nimble and relatively tiny , the startup can begin experimenting with new ways of handling mail that would take time , and possibly congressional action , for the postal service to do . we 've done what they ca n't do without trouble , davis said . we 're able to play by different rules . ' making money off mail just because the usps is n't making snail mail a profitable business does n't mean it ca n't be done . in addition to charging $ 4.99 a month , outbox has plans to eventually deliver ads through its apps . they would n't be banner ads , but rather would appear just like another item of scanned mail . the company would be in a unique position to know what catalogs , fliers and brands a customer likes or marks as junk , and could charge companies that wanted to reach specific demographics . the companies currently filling up mailboxes with fliers have already been experimenting with online alternatives . if outbox attracts enough customers and its ads are effective , it could become an alternative to sending ads through the u.s. mail . as time changes the marketers evolve , ' said jerry cerasale , a vice president at the direct marketing association . the more precise they can be means less waste , less money spent on advertising , and more response . ' outbox 's davis also believes that once his company has saturated an area , it will be in a great position to handle same-day deliveries for e-commerce companies like amazon . eventually outbox will also try tiered pricing for work addresses , and extra features such as forwarding individual pieces of mail to other addresses , he said for now it 's focused on polishing its service and logistics . the company has big-name backers like venture capitalist peter thiel and is planning on closing a sizable ' second round of funding in april . after san francisco is fully staffed with unpostmen , outbox plans to bring its service to new york , boston , chicago , los angeles and washington . davis is n't worrying yet about competitors . no one is crazy enough to do what we 're doing , ' he said . | austin-based startup is rolling out in its second city , san francisco , this week |
outbox <tsp> san francisco ( cnn ) -- a driver of a white prius with a giant , red plastic flag affixed to its side is rolling through the hilly streets of san francisco , undelivering mail from mailboxes . the driver is not a thief . he and the car are part of a startup called outbox that is attempting to pick up where the embattled united states postal service leaves off -- by digitizing physical mail . the driver , dubbed an unpostman , ' visits outbox subscribers'homes three times a week , flipping through a thick ring of keys to open the wide variety of entryways and mailboxes . he collects the letters , bills , magazines and advertisements that were deposited there by official postal workers and delivers them to a warehouse . there they are opened and photographed , and the resulting digital files are sent electronically to the recipient through the outbox website or ipad or iphone apps . the idea is that for $ 4.99 a month , someone can make their pesky physical mail disappear ( assuming they can resist the urge to peek in their mailbox between pickups ) . using a mobile device or computer , outbox customers can organize mail in files or forward them as e-mails , ask to be unsubscribed from junk mail , have unwanted items destroyed or request that important mail , such as a wedding invite or a postcard , be re-delivered to their home . the company already has more than 600 customers in austin , texas , and starting tuesday it 's rolling out in its second city , san francisco . creating a shadow , reverse postal service may not be the most efficient way to improve the struggling mail system , but outbox is unable to intercept clients'mail any sooner in the process . the company has met resistance from the united states postal service , which has refused to collaborate with outbox or let its workers pick up mail directly from local post offices . from a startup perspective , we can wait on no one , ' said outbox co-founder will davis . outbox 's legal'gray zone' even though outbox is forging ahead without the blessing of the usps , davis said he has a lot of respect for the federal agency and would welcome any attempts to work together . it 's a sentiment that does not yet seem to be mutual . the postal service is focused on providing an essential service in our mission to serve the american public and does not view outbox as supporting that mission , ' the usps said in a statement . we do have concerns regarding the destruction of mail -- even if authorized by the receiver -- and will continue to monitor market activities to ensure protection of our brand and the value and security of the mail . ' circumventing the postal service has been a way to get outbox up and running . but tampering with mail is a federal offense , and there may be questions about the legality of a third party removing mail from a mailbox , even with permission . davis argues that once a piece of mail has been delivered , it becomes just another unregulated piece of paper . an outbox employee taking mail with permission would be no different from having a neighbor pick it up while you 're out of town , he said . innovation happens in the gray zone of deregulation , ' said davis . we 're operating in that gray zone . ' the u.s . postal inspection service declined to comment on whether the practice is breaking any laws . security and privacy also will be a concern for any company handling mail filled with sensitive financial and personal information . outbox says its employees undergo more thorough background checks than postal employees . it uses 512-bit encryption and device recognition to prevent digitized mail from falling into the hands of someone other than the intended recipient . any unwanted physical mail is shredded and recycled . can the postal service catch up ? the postal service has been slow to innovate and adapt to new technology on its own , in part because of constraints such as the 2006 legislation that prohibits it from entering into new businesses . the usps also faces serious financial issues . in 2012 , the agency had $ 15.9 billion in losses and in early february it announced plans to cease saturday mail delivery this summer in an attempt to save $ 2 billion . the postal service has also been watching technology steadily eat away at its core business for years . the volume of mail handled by the usps dropped from 202.8 billion pieces a year in 2002 to159.9 billion in 2012 . first class and standard mail are decreasing as bill payments , statements and marketers migrate online . one bright spot has been an increase in shipping and packages , the result of the growing popularity of e-commerce . they face a lot of challenges that are not of their own making , ' said john payne , chief executive of zumbox , a digital mailbox company that deals directly with large companies . he agrees that the postal service needs to innovate to stay relevant and thinks they 're starting to try harder to partner with innovative companies . outbox is n't waiting on the postal service 's call . new , nimble and relatively tiny , the startup can begin experimenting with new ways of handling mail that would take time , and possibly congressional action , for the postal service to do . we 've done what they ca n't do without trouble , davis said . we 're able to play by different rules . ' making money off mail just because the usps is n't making snail mail a profitable business does n't mean it ca n't be done . in addition to charging $ 4.99 a month , outbox has plans to eventually deliver ads through its apps . they would n't be banner ads , but rather would appear just like another item of scanned mail . the company would be in a unique position to know what catalogs , fliers and brands a customer likes or marks as junk , and could charge companies that wanted to reach specific demographics . the companies currently filling up mailboxes with fliers have already been experimenting with online alternatives . if outbox attracts enough customers and its ads are effective , it could become an alternative to sending ads through the u.s. mail . as time changes the marketers evolve , ' said jerry cerasale , a vice president at the direct marketing association . the more precise they can be means less waste , less money spent on advertising , and more response . ' outbox 's davis also believes that once his company has saturated an area , it will be in a great position to handle same-day deliveries for e-commerce companies like amazon . eventually outbox will also try tiered pricing for work addresses , and extra features such as forwarding individual pieces of mail to other addresses , he said for now it 's focused on polishing its service and logistics . the company has big-name backers like venture capitalist peter thiel and is planning on closing a sizable ' second round of funding in april . after san francisco is fully staffed with unpostmen , outbox plans to bring its service to new york , boston , chicago , los angeles and washington . davis is n't worrying yet about competitors . no one is crazy enough to do what we 're doing , ' he said . | the struggling u.s . postal service is not working with outbox |
outbox <tsp> san francisco ( cnn ) -- a driver of a white prius with a giant , red plastic flag affixed to its side is rolling through the hilly streets of san francisco , undelivering mail from mailboxes . the driver is not a thief . he and the car are part of a startup called outbox that is attempting to pick up where the embattled united states postal service leaves off -- by digitizing physical mail . the driver , dubbed an unpostman , ' visits outbox subscribers'homes three times a week , flipping through a thick ring of keys to open the wide variety of entryways and mailboxes . he collects the letters , bills , magazines and advertisements that were deposited there by official postal workers and delivers them to a warehouse . there they are opened and photographed , and the resulting digital files are sent electronically to the recipient through the outbox website or ipad or iphone apps . the idea is that for $ 4.99 a month , someone can make their pesky physical mail disappear ( assuming they can resist the urge to peek in their mailbox between pickups ) . using a mobile device or computer , outbox customers can organize mail in files or forward them as e-mails , ask to be unsubscribed from junk mail , have unwanted items destroyed or request that important mail , such as a wedding invite or a postcard , be re-delivered to their home . the company already has more than 600 customers in austin , texas , and starting tuesday it 's rolling out in its second city , san francisco . creating a shadow , reverse postal service may not be the most efficient way to improve the struggling mail system , but outbox is unable to intercept clients'mail any sooner in the process . the company has met resistance from the united states postal service , which has refused to collaborate with outbox or let its workers pick up mail directly from local post offices . from a startup perspective , we can wait on no one , ' said outbox co-founder will davis . outbox 's legal'gray zone' even though outbox is forging ahead without the blessing of the usps , davis said he has a lot of respect for the federal agency and would welcome any attempts to work together . it 's a sentiment that does not yet seem to be mutual . the postal service is focused on providing an essential service in our mission to serve the american public and does not view outbox as supporting that mission , ' the usps said in a statement . we do have concerns regarding the destruction of mail -- even if authorized by the receiver -- and will continue to monitor market activities to ensure protection of our brand and the value and security of the mail . ' circumventing the postal service has been a way to get outbox up and running . but tampering with mail is a federal offense , and there may be questions about the legality of a third party removing mail from a mailbox , even with permission . davis argues that once a piece of mail has been delivered , it becomes just another unregulated piece of paper . an outbox employee taking mail with permission would be no different from having a neighbor pick it up while you 're out of town , he said . innovation happens in the gray zone of deregulation , ' said davis . we 're operating in that gray zone . ' the u.s . postal inspection service declined to comment on whether the practice is breaking any laws . security and privacy also will be a concern for any company handling mail filled with sensitive financial and personal information . outbox says its employees undergo more thorough background checks than postal employees . it uses 512-bit encryption and device recognition to prevent digitized mail from falling into the hands of someone other than the intended recipient . any unwanted physical mail is shredded and recycled . can the postal service catch up ? the postal service has been slow to innovate and adapt to new technology on its own , in part because of constraints such as the 2006 legislation that prohibits it from entering into new businesses . the usps also faces serious financial issues . in 2012 , the agency had $ 15.9 billion in losses and in early february it announced plans to cease saturday mail delivery this summer in an attempt to save $ 2 billion . the postal service has also been watching technology steadily eat away at its core business for years . the volume of mail handled by the usps dropped from 202.8 billion pieces a year in 2002 to159.9 billion in 2012 . first class and standard mail are decreasing as bill payments , statements and marketers migrate online . one bright spot has been an increase in shipping and packages , the result of the growing popularity of e-commerce . they face a lot of challenges that are not of their own making , ' said john payne , chief executive of zumbox , a digital mailbox company that deals directly with large companies . he agrees that the postal service needs to innovate to stay relevant and thinks they 're starting to try harder to partner with innovative companies . outbox is n't waiting on the postal service 's call . new , nimble and relatively tiny , the startup can begin experimenting with new ways of handling mail that would take time , and possibly congressional action , for the postal service to do . we 've done what they ca n't do without trouble , davis said . we 're able to play by different rules . ' making money off mail just because the usps is n't making snail mail a profitable business does n't mean it ca n't be done . in addition to charging $ 4.99 a month , outbox has plans to eventually deliver ads through its apps . they would n't be banner ads , but rather would appear just like another item of scanned mail . the company would be in a unique position to know what catalogs , fliers and brands a customer likes or marks as junk , and could charge companies that wanted to reach specific demographics . the companies currently filling up mailboxes with fliers have already been experimenting with online alternatives . if outbox attracts enough customers and its ads are effective , it could become an alternative to sending ads through the u.s. mail . as time changes the marketers evolve , ' said jerry cerasale , a vice president at the direct marketing association . the more precise they can be means less waste , less money spent on advertising , and more response . ' outbox 's davis also believes that once his company has saturated an area , it will be in a great position to handle same-day deliveries for e-commerce companies like amazon . eventually outbox will also try tiered pricing for work addresses , and extra features such as forwarding individual pieces of mail to other addresses , he said for now it 's focused on polishing its service and logistics . the company has big-name backers like venture capitalist peter thiel and is planning on closing a sizable ' second round of funding in april . after san francisco is fully staffed with unpostmen , outbox plans to bring its service to new york , boston , chicago , los angeles and washington . davis is n't worrying yet about competitors . no one is crazy enough to do what we 're doing , ' he said . | outbox picks up mail the post office drops off at homes , scans it and e-mails it to recipient |
tennessee <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the woman hired to turn around rutgers university 's troubled athletic program came under renewed fire tuesday after news emerged she was named in a sex discrimination lawsuit at the university of louisville , according to court documents obtained tuesday . the revelation that julie hermann was at the center of a discrimination lawsuit while working at the university of louisville , according to the documents , came just days after a report that a group of university of tennessee volleyball players accused her of verbal abuse when she coached them in the 1990s . hermann 's appointment as rutgers athletic director came more than a month after a video of a rutgers coach hurling basketballs and yelling homophobic slurs prompted the coach 's firing , the resignation of the school 's athletic director and sharp criticism from new jersey gov . chris christie . it is a new day , ' hermann told reporters after being appointed . ( the problem ) is already fixed , and there is no one that does n't agree about how we treat young people with respect and dignity and build trust . ' the allegations against hermann have raised questions about whether the newark , new jersey , university properly vetted hermann before hiring her . but christie told new jersey 101.5 radio that he spoke with the university 's president and board chairman about the allegations and that he would not second-guess rutgers'hiring of hermann . i told them i had questions , and i was going to get answers to those questions , ' he said on the radio station 's weekly ask the governor ' show on tuesday . i have gotten answers to those questions . ' rutgers , meanwhile , went on the defensive tuesday , releasing a list of names and contacts for supporters of hermann . it also put out a statement that said she was on the original list of candidates ' assembled by a search firm for the position . julie also was among the group of candidates considered at each step of the search process from the beginning , ' the statement said . hermann was named in a 2008 lawsuit filed by mary banker , an assistant track and field coach , who alleged she was the victim of sex discrimination by the head coach and then fired after she complained to hermann and the university 's human resources department , according to documents . banker alleged in the complaint that when she told hermann about the discrimination , which included offensive comments , she was praised . we 're lucky to have you , ' hermann allegedly said in an e-mail , according to court documents . a jury in kentucky awarded banker $ 300,000 in damages and lost wages , but it was overturned by an appeals court . banker 's attorney is appealing the ruling to the kentucky supreme court , according to court documents . hermann did not return a telephone call from cnn seeking comment . the university of louisville , in state supreme court court filings , defended the firing , saying the evidence showed banker was an abysmal coach and recruiter . ' word of the louisville lawsuit followed news first reported sunday by a new jersey newspaper , the star-ledger , that a group of former volleyball players at tennessee accused hermann of mental cruelty . ' in a letter written in 1997 and obtained by the newspaper , members of the team purportedly claimed that hermann called players whores , alcoholics and learning disabled . ' verbal abuse from hermann became so intense , they claimed , that the team banded together to write the letter , calling the situation irreconcilable . ' after the team presented the letter to hermann , she chose to stop coaching them , according to the newspaper 's report . one former tennessee volleyball player defended hermann in a statement of support , which was released by rutgers . you were tough no doubt but i knew you cared and i went from being a kid with a bad attitude who thought i was god 's gift to athletics to the captain of my team , ' wrote sonya thomas , who played for tennessee from 1992 to 1995 . your intensity helped me be mentally tough and it was exactly what i needed . none of it was abusive , mean spirited or demeaning . ' in a written statement released monday , hermann said her former students'comments are heartbreaking . ' she denied the allegations of abuse and vowed to push ahead in her new role . i was never notified of the reported letter outlining the concerns of some former athletes . however , i am truly sorry that some were disappointed during my tenure as coach , ' she said . for sure , i was an intense coach , but there is a vast difference between high intensity and abusive behavior . ' hermann said her commitment to students'success has been firm throughout her career . rutgers university president robert l. barchi said monday that he stands by the school 's choice . rutgers was deliberative at every stage of this process , ' he said in a written statement . over the course of the search , julie 's record established her as a proven leader in athletics administration with a strong commitment to academic success as well as athletic excellence , and a strong commitment to the well-being of student athletes . ' a university of tennessee spokeswoman declined to comment . louisville women 's basketball coach jeff walz backed hermann , his boss over the last six years . while he could n't speak about what may or may not have happened at tennessee , walz said that in their time together at louisville , he found hermman to be a very good administrator who always put the student athletes'well-being first , no matter what situation it was . ' the cardinals coach said he did n't see the uproar over hermann coming , given his observations of her with him and his players . he credits her with helping put a solid system in place , so student athletes were in good hands from their first day on campus through to their graduation . ( in ) the six years that i had with her , she was very competent at what she does , how she handles situations , and how she treats the student athletes , ' walz said . cnn 's greg botelho , aaron cooper , john berman , catherine e. shoichet , jason kessler , laura dolan and lorenzo ferrigno contributed to this report . | some of her ex-players at tennessee accused her of mental cruelty ' |
canada <tsp> ( lonely planet ) -- while many visitors to canada -- especially those who think canadians live under a permanent blanket of snow -- are surprised to learn that wine is produced in canada , their suspicion is always tempered after a drink or two . canada 's wines have gained ever-greater kudos in recent years and while smaller-scale production and the industry dominance of other wine regions means they 'll never be a global market leader , there are some truly lip-smacking surprises waiting for thirsty grape lovers . the best way to sample any wine is to head straight to the source , where you can taste the region in the glass . you wo n't want to miss the multitude of top table wineries in ontario 's niagara region or british columbia 's okanagan valley -- the country 's leading producers -- but a visit to the smaller , often rustic wineries of québec and the charming boutique operations of nova scotia and vancouver island 's cowichan valley can be just as rewarding . wherever your tipple-craving crawl takes you ( with a designated driver of course ) , drink widely and deeply and prepare to be surprised . and make sure you have plenty of room in your suitcase -- packing materials are always available , but you 'll probably drink everything before you make it to the airport anyway . regional wine list depending on how thirsty you are , you 're rarely too far from a wine region in canada . which means that most visitors can easily add a mini tasting tour to their visit if they 'd like to meet a few producers and sample some intriguing local flavors . here 's a rundown of the best areas , including the magnum-sized larger regions and the thimble-sized smaller locales : lonely planet : in vino veritas : italy 's regional wines okanagan valley the rolling hills of this lakeside bc region are well worth the five-hour drive from vancouver . studded among the vine-striped slopes are more than 100 wineries enjoying a diverse climate that fosters both crisp whites and bold reds . with varietals including pinot noir , pinot gris , pinot blanc , merlot and chardonnay , there 's a wine here to suit almost every palate . most visitors base themselves in kelowna , the okanagan 's wine capital , before fanning out to well-known blockbuster wineries like mission hill , quail 's gate , cedar creek and summerhill pyramid winery ( yes , it has a pyramid ) . many of them also have excellent vista-hugging restaurants . find out more about bc 's wine regions and annual festivals -- and download free touring maps -- at www.winebc.com . golden mile some of bc 's best okanagan wineries are centered south of the valley around the historic town of oliver , where the golden mile 's hot climate fosters a long , warm growing season . combined with gravel , clay and sandy soils , this area is ideally suited to varietals like merlot , chardonnay , gewürztraminer and cabernet sauvignon . while the 20 or so wineries here are not actually crammed into one mile -- it 's more like 20 kilometers -- the proximity of celebrated producers like burrowing owl , tinhorn creek and road 13 vineyards makes this an ideal touring area . and if you 're still thirsty , continue south to osoyoos and check out nk'mip cellars , a first nations winery on the edge of a desert . vancouver island long-established as a farming area , vancouver island 's verdant cowichan valley is also home to some great little wineries . a short drive from victoria , you 'll find averill creek , blue grouse , cherry point vineyards and venturie-schulze . also consider merridale estate cidery , which produces six celebrated ciders on its gently-sloped orchard grounds . for information on the wineries here , visit www.wineislands.ca . niagara peninsula this picture-perfect ontario region of country inns and charming old towns offers more than 60 wineries and grows more than three-quarters of canada 's grapes . neatly divided between the low-lying niagara-on-the-lake area and the higher niagara escarpment , its complex mix of soils and climates -- often likened to the loire valley -- is ideal for chardonnay , riesling , pinot noir and cabernet-franc varietals . this is also the production center for canadian icewine , that potently sweet dessert drink made from grapes frozen on the vine . home to some of canada 's biggest and best wineries , including inniskillin , jackson-triggs and peller estates , do n't miss smaller pit-stops like magnotta and cave spring cellars in the escarpment area . lonely planet : tripping california wine country prince edward county proving that not all of ontario 's wineries are clustered in niagara , this comparatively new grape-growing region -- located in the province 's southeastern corner and almost three hours drive from toronto -- is a charming alternative if you want to avoid the tour buses winding through the main wine area . a long-established fruit-growing district with generally lower temperatures than niagara , cooler-climate wines are favored here -- including chardonnay and pinot noir . the most intriguing wineries include closson chase , black prince winery and grange of prince edward . if your taste buds are piqued , consider checking out other ontario wine regions like pelee island and lake erie north shore . eastern townships starting around 80 km southeast of montréal , this idyllic patchwork farmland region in québec is studded with quiet villages , leafy woodlands , crystal clear lakes and winding countryside roads . a rising tide of wineries has joined the traditional farm operations here in recent years , with rieslings and chardonnays particularly suited to the area 's cool climate and soil conditions . but it 's the local icewines , dessert wines and fruit wines that are the area 's main specialties , so make sure you come with a sweet tooth . wineries to perk up your taste-buds here include domaine félibre , vignoble de l'orpailleur and vignoble le cep d'argent . montérégie the dominant player in québec 's wider eastern townships , this bumpy and bucolic area is packed with vineyards and orchards ( not to mention a surfeit of maple groves ) . a major fruit farming region -- this is an ideal spot to try ciders and flavor-packed fruit wines -- growers here are happy to try just about any red or white varietal , but it 's their rosés that are particularly memorable . recommended wineries include domaine st-jacques , les petits cailloux and vignoble des pins ; and keep in mind that québec restaurants often encourage diners to bring their own bottles , so fill your car as you explore the region . nova scotia divided into six boutique wine-producing regions -- from the warm shoreline of northumberland strait to the verdant annapolis valley -- nova scotia 's two-dozen wineries are mostly just a couple of hours drive from big city halifax . one of the world 's coldest grape-growing areas , cool-climate whites are a staple here , including a unique varietal known as l'acadie blanc . innovative sparkling wines are a nova scotia specialty and they tend to dominate the drops that are on offer at the popular stops such as the excellent benjamin bridge vineyards . other highly recommended destinations to fill up your glass include gaspereau vineyards , jost vineyards and domaine de grand pre . lonely planet : top 10 canadian adventures © 2011 lonely planet . all rights reserved . | canada 's wines have gained ever-greater kudos in recent years |
canada <tsp> ( lonely planet ) -- while many visitors to canada -- especially those who think canadians live under a permanent blanket of snow -- are surprised to learn that wine is produced in canada , their suspicion is always tempered after a drink or two . canada 's wines have gained ever-greater kudos in recent years and while smaller-scale production and the industry dominance of other wine regions means they 'll never be a global market leader , there are some truly lip-smacking surprises waiting for thirsty grape lovers . the best way to sample any wine is to head straight to the source , where you can taste the region in the glass . you wo n't want to miss the multitude of top table wineries in ontario 's niagara region or british columbia 's okanagan valley -- the country 's leading producers -- but a visit to the smaller , often rustic wineries of québec and the charming boutique operations of nova scotia and vancouver island 's cowichan valley can be just as rewarding . wherever your tipple-craving crawl takes you ( with a designated driver of course ) , drink widely and deeply and prepare to be surprised . and make sure you have plenty of room in your suitcase -- packing materials are always available , but you 'll probably drink everything before you make it to the airport anyway . regional wine list depending on how thirsty you are , you 're rarely too far from a wine region in canada . which means that most visitors can easily add a mini tasting tour to their visit if they 'd like to meet a few producers and sample some intriguing local flavors . here 's a rundown of the best areas , including the magnum-sized larger regions and the thimble-sized smaller locales : lonely planet : in vino veritas : italy 's regional wines okanagan valley the rolling hills of this lakeside bc region are well worth the five-hour drive from vancouver . studded among the vine-striped slopes are more than 100 wineries enjoying a diverse climate that fosters both crisp whites and bold reds . with varietals including pinot noir , pinot gris , pinot blanc , merlot and chardonnay , there 's a wine here to suit almost every palate . most visitors base themselves in kelowna , the okanagan 's wine capital , before fanning out to well-known blockbuster wineries like mission hill , quail 's gate , cedar creek and summerhill pyramid winery ( yes , it has a pyramid ) . many of them also have excellent vista-hugging restaurants . find out more about bc 's wine regions and annual festivals -- and download free touring maps -- at www.winebc.com . golden mile some of bc 's best okanagan wineries are centered south of the valley around the historic town of oliver , where the golden mile 's hot climate fosters a long , warm growing season . combined with gravel , clay and sandy soils , this area is ideally suited to varietals like merlot , chardonnay , gewürztraminer and cabernet sauvignon . while the 20 or so wineries here are not actually crammed into one mile -- it 's more like 20 kilometers -- the proximity of celebrated producers like burrowing owl , tinhorn creek and road 13 vineyards makes this an ideal touring area . and if you 're still thirsty , continue south to osoyoos and check out nk'mip cellars , a first nations winery on the edge of a desert . vancouver island long-established as a farming area , vancouver island 's verdant cowichan valley is also home to some great little wineries . a short drive from victoria , you 'll find averill creek , blue grouse , cherry point vineyards and venturie-schulze . also consider merridale estate cidery , which produces six celebrated ciders on its gently-sloped orchard grounds . for information on the wineries here , visit www.wineislands.ca . niagara peninsula this picture-perfect ontario region of country inns and charming old towns offers more than 60 wineries and grows more than three-quarters of canada 's grapes . neatly divided between the low-lying niagara-on-the-lake area and the higher niagara escarpment , its complex mix of soils and climates -- often likened to the loire valley -- is ideal for chardonnay , riesling , pinot noir and cabernet-franc varietals . this is also the production center for canadian icewine , that potently sweet dessert drink made from grapes frozen on the vine . home to some of canada 's biggest and best wineries , including inniskillin , jackson-triggs and peller estates , do n't miss smaller pit-stops like magnotta and cave spring cellars in the escarpment area . lonely planet : tripping california wine country prince edward county proving that not all of ontario 's wineries are clustered in niagara , this comparatively new grape-growing region -- located in the province 's southeastern corner and almost three hours drive from toronto -- is a charming alternative if you want to avoid the tour buses winding through the main wine area . a long-established fruit-growing district with generally lower temperatures than niagara , cooler-climate wines are favored here -- including chardonnay and pinot noir . the most intriguing wineries include closson chase , black prince winery and grange of prince edward . if your taste buds are piqued , consider checking out other ontario wine regions like pelee island and lake erie north shore . eastern townships starting around 80 km southeast of montréal , this idyllic patchwork farmland region in québec is studded with quiet villages , leafy woodlands , crystal clear lakes and winding countryside roads . a rising tide of wineries has joined the traditional farm operations here in recent years , with rieslings and chardonnays particularly suited to the area 's cool climate and soil conditions . but it 's the local icewines , dessert wines and fruit wines that are the area 's main specialties , so make sure you come with a sweet tooth . wineries to perk up your taste-buds here include domaine félibre , vignoble de l'orpailleur and vignoble le cep d'argent . montérégie the dominant player in québec 's wider eastern townships , this bumpy and bucolic area is packed with vineyards and orchards ( not to mention a surfeit of maple groves ) . a major fruit farming region -- this is an ideal spot to try ciders and flavor-packed fruit wines -- growers here are happy to try just about any red or white varietal , but it 's their rosés that are particularly memorable . recommended wineries include domaine st-jacques , les petits cailloux and vignoble des pins ; and keep in mind that québec restaurants often encourage diners to bring their own bottles , so fill your car as you explore the region . nova scotia divided into six boutique wine-producing regions -- from the warm shoreline of northumberland strait to the verdant annapolis valley -- nova scotia 's two-dozen wineries are mostly just a couple of hours drive from big city halifax . one of the world 's coldest grape-growing areas , cool-climate whites are a staple here , including a unique varietal known as l'acadie blanc . innovative sparkling wines are a nova scotia specialty and they tend to dominate the drops that are on offer at the popular stops such as the excellent benjamin bridge vineyards . other highly recommended destinations to fill up your glass include gaspereau vineyards , jost vineyards and domaine de grand pre . lonely planet : top 10 canadian adventures © 2011 lonely planet . all rights reserved . | you 're rarely too far from a wine region in canada |
modi <tsp> in the space of six weeks , with great displays of importance , india 's capital will have hosted two world leaders who no longer speak with each other : the presidents of russia and the united states . india sits uncomfortably between these two adversaries . pick your geopolitical topic -- syria , iran , ukraine -- and you can be sure that moscow and washington will be at odds with each other . new delhi has been watching from afar , sitting on the fence . it is fair to ask if india 's stance is sustainable . can you simultaneously court close friendships with two states whose foreign policies are designed to hurt the other ? in narendra modi¹s worldview , the answer is a resounding yes . when cnn spoke with the indian prime minister earlier this year , in his only interview since assuming office , modi explained how he saw a changed world order . if you look closely , you will see that every country is trying to build relations with other countries , ' he said . they may be part of one bloc , but they also sit with fierce opponents . when pushed specifically on russia 's annexation of crimea , a hostile takeover new delhi refused to condemn , modi pushed right back . in the world right now , a lot of people want to give advice . but look within them , and they too have sinned in some way . ' the comment could be seen as a subtle dig at washington 's foreign policy missteps . however , modi 's point was not to admonish the u.s. , but to suggest that all nations have their own value systems and perceived flaws . india¹s way of navigating flawed global players was by making friendships and opening channels of opportunity . the subtext to this is simple : economics . the reason why modi has traveled all over the world in his first few months in office -- rio , new york , tokyo , sydney -- is not because he wants to be a foreign policy leader ; modi wants to bring business to india . so : as you read about and see images of vladimir putin¹s grand reception in new delhi this week , keep an eye not on the rhetoric , but the outcomes and deals struck . russia is the world 's second largest exporter of arms ; india is the world 's biggest importer . russia is one of the world 's biggest producers of oil and gas ; india is one of the biggest consumers . the two sustain each others'needs . and as long as they do , they will court each other , with the united states watching on . | every country is trying to build relations with other countries , ' modi said |
modi <tsp> in the space of six weeks , with great displays of importance , india 's capital will have hosted two world leaders who no longer speak with each other : the presidents of russia and the united states . india sits uncomfortably between these two adversaries . pick your geopolitical topic -- syria , iran , ukraine -- and you can be sure that moscow and washington will be at odds with each other . new delhi has been watching from afar , sitting on the fence . it is fair to ask if india 's stance is sustainable . can you simultaneously court close friendships with two states whose foreign policies are designed to hurt the other ? in narendra modi¹s worldview , the answer is a resounding yes . when cnn spoke with the indian prime minister earlier this year , in his only interview since assuming office , modi explained how he saw a changed world order . if you look closely , you will see that every country is trying to build relations with other countries , ' he said . they may be part of one bloc , but they also sit with fierce opponents . when pushed specifically on russia 's annexation of crimea , a hostile takeover new delhi refused to condemn , modi pushed right back . in the world right now , a lot of people want to give advice . but look within them , and they too have sinned in some way . ' the comment could be seen as a subtle dig at washington 's foreign policy missteps . however , modi 's point was not to admonish the u.s. , but to suggest that all nations have their own value systems and perceived flaws . india¹s way of navigating flawed global players was by making friendships and opening channels of opportunity . the subtext to this is simple : economics . the reason why modi has traveled all over the world in his first few months in office -- rio , new york , tokyo , sydney -- is not because he wants to be a foreign policy leader ; modi wants to bring business to india . so : as you read about and see images of vladimir putin¹s grand reception in new delhi this week , keep an eye not on the rhetoric , but the outcomes and deals struck . russia is the world 's second largest exporter of arms ; india is the world 's biggest importer . russia is one of the world 's biggest producers of oil and gas ; india is one of the biggest consumers . the two sustain each others'needs . and as long as they do , they will court each other , with the united states watching on . | agrawal : narendra modi told cnn he saw a changed world order |
cnn <tsp> in the space of six weeks , with great displays of importance , india 's capital will have hosted two world leaders who no longer speak with each other : the presidents of russia and the united states . india sits uncomfortably between these two adversaries . pick your geopolitical topic -- syria , iran , ukraine -- and you can be sure that moscow and washington will be at odds with each other . new delhi has been watching from afar , sitting on the fence . it is fair to ask if india 's stance is sustainable . can you simultaneously court close friendships with two states whose foreign policies are designed to hurt the other ? in narendra modi¹s worldview , the answer is a resounding yes . when cnn spoke with the indian prime minister earlier this year , in his only interview since assuming office , modi explained how he saw a changed world order . if you look closely , you will see that every country is trying to build relations with other countries , ' he said . they may be part of one bloc , but they also sit with fierce opponents . when pushed specifically on russia 's annexation of crimea , a hostile takeover new delhi refused to condemn , modi pushed right back . in the world right now , a lot of people want to give advice . but look within them , and they too have sinned in some way . ' the comment could be seen as a subtle dig at washington 's foreign policy missteps . however , modi 's point was not to admonish the u.s. , but to suggest that all nations have their own value systems and perceived flaws . india¹s way of navigating flawed global players was by making friendships and opening channels of opportunity . the subtext to this is simple : economics . the reason why modi has traveled all over the world in his first few months in office -- rio , new york , tokyo , sydney -- is not because he wants to be a foreign policy leader ; modi wants to bring business to india . so : as you read about and see images of vladimir putin¹s grand reception in new delhi this week , keep an eye not on the rhetoric , but the outcomes and deals struck . russia is the world 's second largest exporter of arms ; india is the world 's biggest importer . russia is one of the world 's biggest producers of oil and gas ; india is one of the biggest consumers . the two sustain each others'needs . and as long as they do , they will court each other , with the united states watching on . | india sits uncomfortably between russia and u.s. , writes cnn 's ravi agrawal |
cnn <tsp> in the space of six weeks , with great displays of importance , india 's capital will have hosted two world leaders who no longer speak with each other : the presidents of russia and the united states . india sits uncomfortably between these two adversaries . pick your geopolitical topic -- syria , iran , ukraine -- and you can be sure that moscow and washington will be at odds with each other . new delhi has been watching from afar , sitting on the fence . it is fair to ask if india 's stance is sustainable . can you simultaneously court close friendships with two states whose foreign policies are designed to hurt the other ? in narendra modi¹s worldview , the answer is a resounding yes . when cnn spoke with the indian prime minister earlier this year , in his only interview since assuming office , modi explained how he saw a changed world order . if you look closely , you will see that every country is trying to build relations with other countries , ' he said . they may be part of one bloc , but they also sit with fierce opponents . when pushed specifically on russia 's annexation of crimea , a hostile takeover new delhi refused to condemn , modi pushed right back . in the world right now , a lot of people want to give advice . but look within them , and they too have sinned in some way . ' the comment could be seen as a subtle dig at washington 's foreign policy missteps . however , modi 's point was not to admonish the u.s. , but to suggest that all nations have their own value systems and perceived flaws . india¹s way of navigating flawed global players was by making friendships and opening channels of opportunity . the subtext to this is simple : economics . the reason why modi has traveled all over the world in his first few months in office -- rio , new york , tokyo , sydney -- is not because he wants to be a foreign policy leader ; modi wants to bring business to india . so : as you read about and see images of vladimir putin¹s grand reception in new delhi this week , keep an eye not on the rhetoric , but the outcomes and deals struck . russia is the world 's second largest exporter of arms ; india is the world 's biggest importer . russia is one of the world 's biggest producers of oil and gas ; india is one of the biggest consumers . the two sustain each others'needs . and as long as they do , they will court each other , with the united states watching on . | agrawal : narendra modi told cnn he saw a changed world order |
lil'wayne <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- lil'wayne was sentenced monday to a year in prison . the rapper , whose legal name is dwayne carter , pleaded guilty in october to felony gun charges as part of a deal with prosecutors . the charges stem from his arrest in 2007 outside new york city 's beacon theater . according to police , carter had a .40-caliber pistol on his tour bus . his attorney said it belonged to someone else . his sentencing was delayed twice -- first so he could get dental work done , including removal of his diamond-studded braces , then because of a fire at a manhattan courthouse . at manhattan supreme court on monday , the room was packed with onlookers , while more people crowded outside . carter was offered the chance to make a statement but declined , shaking his head . his attorney requested that carter have protective custody while he is incarcerated . the attorney also requested medical attention because of his recent dental surgery . as carter was leaving the courtroom , a fan said to him , keep your head up , weezy , ' using the rapper 's nickname . another man wore a t-shirt that said free weezy . ' carter also faces felony drug possession and weapons charges in arizona . lil'wayne is a multiplatinum-selling and grammy-winning rap artist . his hits include the block is hot ' and lollipop . ' his album tha carter iii ' was the top selling disc of 2008 . his latest album , rebirth , ' was released last month . cnn 's jennifer rizzo contributed to this report . | lil'wayne is a multiplatinum-selling and grammy-winning rap artist |
lil'wayne <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- lil'wayne was sentenced monday to a year in prison . the rapper , whose legal name is dwayne carter , pleaded guilty in october to felony gun charges as part of a deal with prosecutors . the charges stem from his arrest in 2007 outside new york city 's beacon theater . according to police , carter had a .40-caliber pistol on his tour bus . his attorney said it belonged to someone else . his sentencing was delayed twice -- first so he could get dental work done , including removal of his diamond-studded braces , then because of a fire at a manhattan courthouse . at manhattan supreme court on monday , the room was packed with onlookers , while more people crowded outside . carter was offered the chance to make a statement but declined , shaking his head . his attorney requested that carter have protective custody while he is incarcerated . the attorney also requested medical attention because of his recent dental surgery . as carter was leaving the courtroom , a fan said to him , keep your head up , weezy , ' using the rapper 's nickname . another man wore a t-shirt that said free weezy . ' carter also faces felony drug possession and weapons charges in arizona . lil'wayne is a multiplatinum-selling and grammy-winning rap artist . his hits include the block is hot ' and lollipop . ' his album tha carter iii ' was the top selling disc of 2008 . his latest album , rebirth , ' was released last month . cnn 's jennifer rizzo contributed to this report . | lil'wayne , aka dwayne carter , pleaded guilty in october to felony gun charges |
beacon theater <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- lil'wayne was sentenced monday to a year in prison . the rapper , whose legal name is dwayne carter , pleaded guilty in october to felony gun charges as part of a deal with prosecutors . the charges stem from his arrest in 2007 outside new york city 's beacon theater . according to police , carter had a .40-caliber pistol on his tour bus . his attorney said it belonged to someone else . his sentencing was delayed twice -- first so he could get dental work done , including removal of his diamond-studded braces , then because of a fire at a manhattan courthouse . at manhattan supreme court on monday , the room was packed with onlookers , while more people crowded outside . carter was offered the chance to make a statement but declined , shaking his head . his attorney requested that carter have protective custody while he is incarcerated . the attorney also requested medical attention because of his recent dental surgery . as carter was leaving the courtroom , a fan said to him , keep your head up , weezy , ' using the rapper 's nickname . another man wore a t-shirt that said free weezy . ' carter also faces felony drug possession and weapons charges in arizona . lil'wayne is a multiplatinum-selling and grammy-winning rap artist . his hits include the block is hot ' and lollipop . ' his album tha carter iii ' was the top selling disc of 2008 . his latest album , rebirth , ' was released last month . cnn 's jennifer rizzo contributed to this report . | charges stem from his arrest in 2007 outside new york city 's beacon theater |
doma <tsp> ( cnn ) -- on wednesday , the united states supreme court heard arguments in my case challenging the discriminatory defense of marriage act , widely known as doma . i was honored and humbled by the opportunity to have my case considered by our nation 's highest court . i have also been overwhelmed by the love and support i have received from people all across the country . to be honest , i never could have imagined that this day would come -- the day that i would be out ' as an 83-year-old lesbian suing the federal government . my late wife , thea spyer , was , and is , the love of my life . although we could n't live openly for much of our relationship , we became engaged in 1967 with a circular diamond brooch that symbolized the rings we were n't able to wear on our fingers . and we stayed engaged for the next 40 years , caring for each other , sharing all the joys and sorrows that came our way . victory years after longtime partner 's death we lived through good times -- with jobs that we loved , great friends and a lot of dancing . but we also depended on each other for strength through the vicissitudes of aging and illness . in 1977 , thea was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis , which became debilitating over time . first , she had to use one cane , then two crutches , then a wheelchair . in thea 's last years , she was quadriplegic . we were lucky that the ms never affected her brilliant mind or her cognition , and that she was able to continue seeing patients as a psychologist until the day that she died . in 2007 , we learned from thea 's doctors that she had only one year to live . when we realized that we were running out of time , we decided to marry in canada . that marriage was recognized in our home state of new york . we wanted to be married for the same reason most people want to marry : to publicly and legally express our love and commitment to one another . when our wedding announcement ran in the new york times , we heard from hundreds of people from every stage of our lives -- playmates and schoolmates , colleagues , friends and relatives -- pouring out love and congratulations because we were married . that 's why marriage is different -- it 's a magic word recognized by everyone as a demonstration of commitment and love . when my beautiful thea died two years later , i was overcome with grief . over the next month , i was hospitalized with a heart attack , and , in the midst of my grief , i realized that the federal government would not recognize our marriage . doma restricts federal marriage benefits and state-to-state recognition of marriages only to unions between a man and a woman . because of doma , i was required to pay $ 363,000 in federal estate taxes that i would not have had to pay had i been married to a man instead of thea . this was not only painful , it was wrong . i knew that thea would want me to stand up for our marriage -- and for so many other gay couples and their families who are harmed by this unjust law . i believe that all marriages should be treated equally by the federal government in accordance with the constitution . we won our case in two lower courts , and have now made it all the way to the supreme court of the united states -- which is a monumental feat in itself . i know that thea 's spirit was with us wednesday at the oral argument . but our journey is not yet over . if , through my case , our story can help to ensure that the federal government treats all marriages equally , that will be the best possible final chapter in our love story . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of edith windsor . | she and thea spyer married in canada , but doma means u.s. does n't recognize it |
doma <tsp> ( cnn ) -- on wednesday , the united states supreme court heard arguments in my case challenging the discriminatory defense of marriage act , widely known as doma . i was honored and humbled by the opportunity to have my case considered by our nation 's highest court . i have also been overwhelmed by the love and support i have received from people all across the country . to be honest , i never could have imagined that this day would come -- the day that i would be out ' as an 83-year-old lesbian suing the federal government . my late wife , thea spyer , was , and is , the love of my life . although we could n't live openly for much of our relationship , we became engaged in 1967 with a circular diamond brooch that symbolized the rings we were n't able to wear on our fingers . and we stayed engaged for the next 40 years , caring for each other , sharing all the joys and sorrows that came our way . victory years after longtime partner 's death we lived through good times -- with jobs that we loved , great friends and a lot of dancing . but we also depended on each other for strength through the vicissitudes of aging and illness . in 1977 , thea was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis , which became debilitating over time . first , she had to use one cane , then two crutches , then a wheelchair . in thea 's last years , she was quadriplegic . we were lucky that the ms never affected her brilliant mind or her cognition , and that she was able to continue seeing patients as a psychologist until the day that she died . in 2007 , we learned from thea 's doctors that she had only one year to live . when we realized that we were running out of time , we decided to marry in canada . that marriage was recognized in our home state of new york . we wanted to be married for the same reason most people want to marry : to publicly and legally express our love and commitment to one another . when our wedding announcement ran in the new york times , we heard from hundreds of people from every stage of our lives -- playmates and schoolmates , colleagues , friends and relatives -- pouring out love and congratulations because we were married . that 's why marriage is different -- it 's a magic word recognized by everyone as a demonstration of commitment and love . when my beautiful thea died two years later , i was overcome with grief . over the next month , i was hospitalized with a heart attack , and , in the midst of my grief , i realized that the federal government would not recognize our marriage . doma restricts federal marriage benefits and state-to-state recognition of marriages only to unions between a man and a woman . because of doma , i was required to pay $ 363,000 in federal estate taxes that i would not have had to pay had i been married to a man instead of thea . this was not only painful , it was wrong . i knew that thea would want me to stand up for our marriage -- and for so many other gay couples and their families who are harmed by this unjust law . i believe that all marriages should be treated equally by the federal government in accordance with the constitution . we won our case in two lower courts , and have now made it all the way to the supreme court of the united states -- which is a monumental feat in itself . i know that thea 's spirit was with us wednesday at the oral argument . but our journey is not yet over . if , through my case , our story can help to ensure that the federal government treats all marriages equally , that will be the best possible final chapter in our love story . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of edith windsor . | windsor : doma is painful and wrong and thea would want me to stand up for our marriage |
sony <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after more than six years , sony is set to unveil the latest iteration of its playstation line this wednesday . with the ps4 , sony also aims to recapture some of the luster it has lost to competitors like the nintendo wii and micrsoft xbox . while sony 's ps2 is still the gaming world 's best-selling console with more than 150 million units , estimates put ps3 sales at about half that at 77 million . according to a report in the wall street journal , the new ps4 will let users stream games online . sony is also rumored to be working on an online tv service to rival cable companies which would prominently use the playstation console . sony 's decline has been seen as a metaphor for the falling fortunes of japan inc. sony 's share price rose 1.5 % higher by mid-day on the tokyo stock exchange as investors hope the ps4 will be a financial lifeline for the troubled tech giant . in its most recent quarter , sony bled $ 123 million from its books with gaming-related sales falling 15.1 % year-on-year while its ailing television division saw sales plunge 23.3 % . the company 's third quarter results appear to stem a larger loss of $ 197 million from its second quarter and a $ 310 million loss in its first . but if sony does not report a profit for the fourth quarter of 2012 , the company will post five full years of consecutive losses . one crutch for sony -- and all other of japan inc. 's exporters from automobiles to tech and optics -- has arrived in the form of currency devaluation . since october 1 the yen has weakened 20 % -- from under 78 yen to more than 93 yen to the u.s. dollar -- which has helped the bottom line of japan 's exporters . as a currency weakens , a country 's exporters enjoy a profit boost when earnings are repatriated back to the home country . japan 's prime minister shinzo abe has continued to voice strong support for monetary easing and the associated yen weakness . at the same time , the governor of the bank of japan , masaaki shirakawa , announced he will step down march 19 -- several weeks earlier than his scheduled term ends . shirakawa had opposed some of mr. abe 's stimulus measures . the international community fears the fall in the yen may spark a currency war . in the meantime , a weaker yen gives sony and the rest of japan 's exporters an easier path to recovery . a strong debut for the latest version of the playstation , one of sony 's marquee products , would also be a welcome relief for the beleaguered company . | sony on track for five consecutive years of annual losses |
sony <tsp> ( cnn ) -- after more than six years , sony is set to unveil the latest iteration of its playstation line this wednesday . with the ps4 , sony also aims to recapture some of the luster it has lost to competitors like the nintendo wii and micrsoft xbox . while sony 's ps2 is still the gaming world 's best-selling console with more than 150 million units , estimates put ps3 sales at about half that at 77 million . according to a report in the wall street journal , the new ps4 will let users stream games online . sony is also rumored to be working on an online tv service to rival cable companies which would prominently use the playstation console . sony 's decline has been seen as a metaphor for the falling fortunes of japan inc. sony 's share price rose 1.5 % higher by mid-day on the tokyo stock exchange as investors hope the ps4 will be a financial lifeline for the troubled tech giant . in its most recent quarter , sony bled $ 123 million from its books with gaming-related sales falling 15.1 % year-on-year while its ailing television division saw sales plunge 23.3 % . the company 's third quarter results appear to stem a larger loss of $ 197 million from its second quarter and a $ 310 million loss in its first . but if sony does not report a profit for the fourth quarter of 2012 , the company will post five full years of consecutive losses . one crutch for sony -- and all other of japan inc. 's exporters from automobiles to tech and optics -- has arrived in the form of currency devaluation . since october 1 the yen has weakened 20 % -- from under 78 yen to more than 93 yen to the u.s. dollar -- which has helped the bottom line of japan 's exporters . as a currency weakens , a country 's exporters enjoy a profit boost when earnings are repatriated back to the home country . japan 's prime minister shinzo abe has continued to voice strong support for monetary easing and the associated yen weakness . at the same time , the governor of the bank of japan , masaaki shirakawa , announced he will step down march 19 -- several weeks earlier than his scheduled term ends . shirakawa had opposed some of mr. abe 's stimulus measures . the international community fears the fall in the yen may spark a currency war . in the meantime , a weaker yen gives sony and the rest of japan 's exporters an easier path to recovery . a strong debut for the latest version of the playstation , one of sony 's marquee products , would also be a welcome relief for the beleaguered company . | sony to unveil new playstation this wednesday , six years after playstation 3 |
annapolis peace conference <tsp> jerusalem ( cnn ) -- israel 's new hard-line foreign minister immediately distanced himself wednesday from the 2007 relaunch of peace talks between israel and the palestinians adopted by his predecessor , tzipi livni . avigdor lieberman 's remarks come amid concerns about the new israeli government 's view of the peace process . avigdor lieberman , leader of the far-right yisrael beytenu movement , said the annapolis agreement was never adopted by israel 's government and is not binding . he said israel is bound to follow the road map ' process , started earlier this decade . the road map , put together by the mideast quartet -- composed of the european union , russia , the united nations and the united states -- calls on israel to stop settlement building and palestinians to stop terrorism . the annapolis peace conference , held in november 2007 in annapolis , maryland , brought together israeli prime minister ehud olmert , palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas and u.s. secretary of state condoleezza rice to discuss a joint statement signed by the two mideast leaders and u.s. president george w. bush calling for a two-state solution . state department spokesman gordon duguid said wednesday that the united states stands by what was achieved at the annapolis talks and supports the two-state solution , and we will continue to work for that . ' of the differences between u.s. policy and statements by the new israel government , duguid said , we have n't heard their proposals yet . we have n't sat down with them . ' but israelis generally have become frustrated with the peace processes and have moved to the right in recent years , because of the war with hezbollah in lebanon and the hamas rocket attacks on southern israeli cities that sparked the country 's gaza offensive . yisrael beytenu , which had a successful showing in recent elections and has become a major power in israeli party politics , is a beneficiary of that right-wing trend . lieberman made the remarks in front of livni during the handover ceremony at the foreign ministry in jerusalem . he took office after the formation of a new government led by benjamin netanyahu . palestinian officials have been critical of lieberman 's positions on israeli-palestinian matters and are pessimistic about the new government 's will in forging the necessary compromises to reach a peace . netanyahu does not believe in peace , ' abbas said wednesday , according to a report from wafa , the palestinian authority 's news agency . he urged the world to put pressure on the new israeli prime minister to make peace . lieberman 's remarks underscore concerns about the israeli government 's way forward regarding peace talks . they come a day after netanyahu made conciliatory comments about relations with the palestinians but stopped short of endorsing a two-state solution , the end result foreseen in both the road map and the annapolis processes . abbas was also quoted as saying , netanyahu never believed in a two-state solution or accepted signed agreements and does not want to stop settlement activity . this is obvious . ' israeli president shimon peres , presiding over the prime minister 's changeover ceremony , made reference to the importance of the two-state vision . in parallel with the strengthening of israel 's security , the government under your leadership must invest great effort in advancing the peace process on every front , ' peres told lieberman . the outgoing government espoused the vision of two states , for two peoples , which was initiated by the american government and accepted by the majority of countries in the world . it is up to your government to decide the shape of the reality to come . ' lieberman called egypt a key player in the region and said it has a major role in quelling the instability there . he criticized egyptian president hosni mubarak last year because the egyptian leader has never visited israel . at that time , lieberman said , if he wants to talk to us , he should come here . if he does n't want to come here , he can go to hell . ' his remarks drew widespread criticism in egypt and the arab world . lieberman said wednesday that he expected to be invited to visit egypt and expected that country 's representatives to visit the jewish state . egypt and jordan are the only arab league countries to have full diplomatic relations with israel . the prime minister 's office said wednesday that u.s. president obama and russian prime minister vladimir putin phoned netanyahu to congratulate him . both leaders agreed to meet soon with the new israeli prime minister . the office said obama repeated america 's unqualified commitment to israel 's security , and it characterized the half-an-hour conversation between obama and netanyahu as friendly and constructive . ' duguid said , israel is a close friend and ally , and we remain unalterably committed to israel 's security . ' we will work closely with prime minister netanyahu 's government to advance the cause of peace and stability in the middle east and move the parties in the direction of a two-state solution . we have full confidence in and will continue to support the government of israel and we will work together for durable and lasting peace in the region . ' obama and secretary of state hillary clinton have handed off day-to-day work on the middle east to special envoy george mitchell , the former maine senator who is a veteran of peace negotiations in northern ireland . | annapolis peace conference deal is n't binding , lieberman says |
palestinian <tsp> jerusalem ( cnn ) -- israel 's new hard-line foreign minister immediately distanced himself wednesday from the 2007 relaunch of peace talks between israel and the palestinians adopted by his predecessor , tzipi livni . avigdor lieberman 's remarks come amid concerns about the new israeli government 's view of the peace process . avigdor lieberman , leader of the far-right yisrael beytenu movement , said the annapolis agreement was never adopted by israel 's government and is not binding . he said israel is bound to follow the road map ' process , started earlier this decade . the road map , put together by the mideast quartet -- composed of the european union , russia , the united nations and the united states -- calls on israel to stop settlement building and palestinians to stop terrorism . the annapolis peace conference , held in november 2007 in annapolis , maryland , brought together israeli prime minister ehud olmert , palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas and u.s. secretary of state condoleezza rice to discuss a joint statement signed by the two mideast leaders and u.s. president george w. bush calling for a two-state solution . state department spokesman gordon duguid said wednesday that the united states stands by what was achieved at the annapolis talks and supports the two-state solution , and we will continue to work for that . ' of the differences between u.s. policy and statements by the new israel government , duguid said , we have n't heard their proposals yet . we have n't sat down with them . ' but israelis generally have become frustrated with the peace processes and have moved to the right in recent years , because of the war with hezbollah in lebanon and the hamas rocket attacks on southern israeli cities that sparked the country 's gaza offensive . yisrael beytenu , which had a successful showing in recent elections and has become a major power in israeli party politics , is a beneficiary of that right-wing trend . lieberman made the remarks in front of livni during the handover ceremony at the foreign ministry in jerusalem . he took office after the formation of a new government led by benjamin netanyahu . palestinian officials have been critical of lieberman 's positions on israeli-palestinian matters and are pessimistic about the new government 's will in forging the necessary compromises to reach a peace . netanyahu does not believe in peace , ' abbas said wednesday , according to a report from wafa , the palestinian authority 's news agency . he urged the world to put pressure on the new israeli prime minister to make peace . lieberman 's remarks underscore concerns about the israeli government 's way forward regarding peace talks . they come a day after netanyahu made conciliatory comments about relations with the palestinians but stopped short of endorsing a two-state solution , the end result foreseen in both the road map and the annapolis processes . abbas was also quoted as saying , netanyahu never believed in a two-state solution or accepted signed agreements and does not want to stop settlement activity . this is obvious . ' israeli president shimon peres , presiding over the prime minister 's changeover ceremony , made reference to the importance of the two-state vision . in parallel with the strengthening of israel 's security , the government under your leadership must invest great effort in advancing the peace process on every front , ' peres told lieberman . the outgoing government espoused the vision of two states , for two peoples , which was initiated by the american government and accepted by the majority of countries in the world . it is up to your government to decide the shape of the reality to come . ' lieberman called egypt a key player in the region and said it has a major role in quelling the instability there . he criticized egyptian president hosni mubarak last year because the egyptian leader has never visited israel . at that time , lieberman said , if he wants to talk to us , he should come here . if he does n't want to come here , he can go to hell . ' his remarks drew widespread criticism in egypt and the arab world . lieberman said wednesday that he expected to be invited to visit egypt and expected that country 's representatives to visit the jewish state . egypt and jordan are the only arab league countries to have full diplomatic relations with israel . the prime minister 's office said wednesday that u.s. president obama and russian prime minister vladimir putin phoned netanyahu to congratulate him . both leaders agreed to meet soon with the new israeli prime minister . the office said obama repeated america 's unqualified commitment to israel 's security , and it characterized the half-an-hour conversation between obama and netanyahu as friendly and constructive . ' duguid said , israel is a close friend and ally , and we remain unalterably committed to israel 's security . ' we will work closely with prime minister netanyahu 's government to advance the cause of peace and stability in the middle east and move the parties in the direction of a two-state solution . we have full confidence in and will continue to support the government of israel and we will work together for durable and lasting peace in the region . ' obama and secretary of state hillary clinton have handed off day-to-day work on the middle east to special envoy george mitchell , the former maine senator who is a veteran of peace negotiations in northern ireland . | palestinian officials skeptical of new government 's views on peace process |
wizard of oz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ruth robinson duccini , who played one of the munchkins in the 1939 classic the wizard of oz , ' has died . she was 95 and died thursday in las vegas . her death was confirmed by ted bulthaup , a representative for duccini . she went into hospice about a week ago and i have been awaiting this news , ' said bulthaup . duccini was the last female munchkin . her death leaves just one more munchkin member of the oz ' cast , jerry maren , now 93 . flowers were placed on the munchkins'star on the hollywood walk of fame on friday in remembrance of duccini . | duccini was one of the diminutive members of wizard of oz ' cast |
cnn.com <tsp> ( cnn ) -- john donohue : why the nra fights background checks a more powerful nra today is in no mood to follow the slogan of their be reasonable ' ad campaign of 14 years ago . this relatively small group -- the nra boasts that it has 4.5 million members , which is peanuts compared to the roughly 40 million aarp members -- might have the political power to pull it off . federal law prohibits selling guns to felons or the mentally ill. background checks are the only way to enforce that law . so , besides criminals and the insane , who could possibly oppose universal background checks ? gun manufacturers . they are the ones who call the shots at the nra , and they are the most important people in the opposition . the manufacturers do n't want anything that interferes with total gun sales and profits . read more ... john j. donohue is c. wendell and edith m. carlsmith professor of law at stanford law school and research associate at the national bureau of economic research . rand paul : the government wants your gun rights congress is debating legislation that will limit americans'right to keep and bear arms and infringe on the right to privacy . the bill of rights was made part of our constitution explicitly to protect freedoms : the freedom of speech , protection against searches without a warrant , the right to trial by jury and the right to protect oneself with a firearm . i am compelled to stand up for every amendment and right enumerated in the constitution . senate majority leader harry reid is attempting to push forward with gun control legislation . the chief problem i have is that nothing in this legislation would have prevented the terrible massacre in newtown , connecticut . i am open to ideas that would help prevent tragedies , but this legislation would not have saved us from the national heartbreak of the december school shooting . read more ... rand paul is a republican senator from kentucky and a member of the senate foreign relations and homeland security and governmental affairs committees . daniel webster : give gun owners what they want the politicians called out by [ mark ] kelly and [ gabrielle ] giffords let the national rifle association bully them into thinking that gun owners do n't want key flaws in our current gun laws fixed and that you ca n't win elections without the backing of the nra . the millions of dollars the nra spent in unsuccessful attempts to win close senate races in swing states with high gun ownership rates -- florida , missouri , ohio , virginia and wisconsin -- suggests that candidates can and do win despite strong nra opposition . the nra portrays itself as an organization that speaks for and advocates for gun owners . the reality is that they speak for gun owners with the most extreme views and for the gun industry . a case in point is their opposition to requiring background checks for all firearm sales . read more ... daniel w. webster is professor and director of the center for gun policy and research at johns hopkins school of public health . james alan fox : gun control or carry permit wo n't stop mass murder if one thing is predictable about mass shootings , however , is that they will spark arguments from gun control advocates and gun rights groups alike . both sides of the gun issue will probably view this tragedy [ shooting at aurora , colorado ] as one more example of why more or less gun control is the answer ... and both sides will be wrong . tighter restrictions on gun purchasing -- for example , eliminating multiple gun sales and closing the gun-show loophole -- may help reduce america 's gun violence problem generally , but mass murder is unlike most other forms of violent conflict . mass killers are determined , deliberate and dead-set on murder . they plan methodically to execute their victims , finding the means no matter what laws or other impediments the state attempts to place in their way . to them , the will to kill can not be denied . read more ... james alan fox is the lipman family professor of criminology , law and public policy at northeastern university and co-author of extreme killing : understanding serial and mass murder . ' william bennett : the case for gun rights is stronger than you think many people agreed with me and sent me examples of their son or daughter 's school that had armed security guards , police officers or school employees on the premises . many others vehemently disagreed with me , and one dissenter even wrote that the blood of the connecticut victims was ultimately on the hands of pro-gun rights advocates . to that person i would ask : suppose the principal at sandy hook elementary who was killed lunging at the gunman was instead holding a firearm and was well-trained to use it . would the result have been different ? or suppose you had been in that school when the killer entered , would you have preferred to be armed ? evidence and common sense suggest yes . read more ... william j. bennett , a cnn contributor , is the author of the book of man : readings on the path to manhood . ' he was u.s. secretary of education from 1985 to 1988 and director of the office of national drug control policy under president george h.w . bush . peter bergen : gun violence is a national security issue the proliferation of semiautomatic weapons in the hands of americans of the types that were used in the newtown massacre is sometimes framed as a public health issue in the united states . there is considerable merit to the notion of treating gun violence as a public health matter . after all , homicides -- around 70 % of which are accomplished with firearms in the united states according to an authoritative study by the united nations -- are the 15th leading cause of death for americans . but framing gun control as a public health issue does n't quite do justice to the problem . it 's probably more or less inevitable that most americans will die of cancer or a heart attack , but why is it even plausible that so many americans in elementary schools , colleges , movie theaters and places of worship should die at the hands of young men armed with semiautomatic weapons ? americans generally regard themselves as belonging to an exceptional nation . and in terms of living in a religiously tolerant and enormously diverse country , americans can certainly take some justified pride . read more ... peter bergen is a cnn national security analyst and author of manhunt : the ten-year search for bin laden , from 9/11 to abbottabad ' and the longest war : america 's enduring conflict with al-qaeda . ' dorothy paugh : a mother 's journey to bearing grief i am a mother of three , and my views on guns have evolved significantly over the course of my lifetime . my husband hunts and believes strongly in his right to bear arms . but when my 25-year- old middle son peter shot himself in a moment of despair last april , i came full circle to the harsh reality that there are almost twice as many suicides as murders by firearm across america , roughly 19,000 of the 30,000 gun deaths each year . yet we disproportionately fear and almost exclusively talk of criminals in this national gun debate . my introduction to guns came on a hot summer day in 1963 when my father , 53 sent us all out of the house to have an afternoon of fun at a swimming pool in aberdeen , maryland . he called police , wrote i 'm sorry ' on a scrap of paper and shot himself in our basement . he had recently lost his job . not knowing how he would support his family , he had calculated how much his life insurance policies would pay upon his death . it was enough for my mother to raise the five of us , who were between the ages of 5 and 15 at the time . read more ... dorothy paugh lost her father to suicide by gun 50 years ago . a year ago , she lost her son for the same reason . paugh volunteers with the maryland chapters of the american foundation for suicide prevention and the licensed firearm dealers association . paugh 's story first appeared on cnn ireport . tracy scarpulla : a mother 's journey to bearing arms i am the mother of three amazing children . before having children , i was a firm believer that guns were dangerous . but i did nothing to educate myself about guns or gun safety . i feared the unknown and the danger guns seemed to possess . but after 10 years , i now have a gun in my home . listening to president obama 's news conference on thursday marking 100 days after sandy hook , and the whole gun control debate , prompted me to get my viewpoint across . i married a u.s. marine . he of course was a firm believer in his right to bear arms . this posed no issue until our son was born . i was adamant that no gun be allowed in our home , while he felt quite the opposite . we agreed on one gun locked in a safe , and his other hunting guns were stored at his parents . slowly over the years , i became more and more fearful of being home alone on the nights he worked , especially after i had children . read more ... tracy scarpulla is a traveling nurse and a mother of three from albany , new york . for years , she was adamant about not having a gun in the house , especially when she had children . her husband , a marine , is a firm believer in the right to bear arms . scarpulla 's story first appeared on cnn ireport . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the authors . | this week , cnn tv and cnn.com take an in-depth look at the issue of guns in america |
north korean <tsp> ( cnn ) -- north korea said saturday any sanctions or pressure applied against it following its rocket launch earlier this month will be considered a declaration of war . ' a north korean soldier looks into south korea from the demilitarized zone on april 9 . in an announcement on state-run television , the country said it was ready to step up efforts to develop nuclear weapons and poised for a military response to any moves against it . the revolutionary armed forces of the dprk are always keeping themselves fully ready to go into action any moment to mercilessly punish anyone who encroaches upon the sovereignty and dignity of the dprk even a bit , ' it said . on monday the united nations condemned north korea -- which refers to itself as the democratic people 's republic of korea , or dprk -- for launching a rocket . the united states called the launch a provocative act ' that violated a 2006 security council resolution prohibiting pyongyang from conducting ballistic missile launches . pyongyang insists the april 5 launch was a successful mission to place a communications satellite into orbit . the united states says the rocket 's payload did not reach orbit . the u.n. statement says the rocket launch was in contravention ' to a 2006 security council resolution that demanded that north korea not launch any ballistic missiles . the 15-member council also voted unanimously for a statement by the council 's president demanding the country make no more launches . the korean people 's army will consider sanctions to be applied against the dprk under various names over its satellite launch or any pressure to be put upon it through'total participation'in the psi ( proliferation security initiative ) as a declaration of undisguised confrontation and a declaration of a war against the dprk , ' the announcement on state tv said . now that the group officially declared confrontation and war against the dprk , its revolutionary armed forces will opt for increasing the nation 's defense capability including nuclear deterrent in every way , without being bound to the agreement adopted at the six-party talks , ' it continued , apparently referring to the security council . referring to south korean president lee myung-bak , the statement added , the lee group of traitors should never forget that seoul is just 50 kilometers ( 31 miles ) away from the military demarcation line . ' that line was established by the 1953 armistice agreement between the two koreas -- which are still technically at war . a friday report north korea 's official kcna news agency , seemed to blame the war hysteria ' on the united states and south korea after the two countries carried out a combined air force operation in south korea . the 'south korea-u.s. military alliance'oft-repeated by them is , in essence , nothing but a'war alliance'and'alliance for aggression'aimed at invading the dprk , ' the report said . when a nuclear war will break out due to the war chariot of the'south korea-u.s. military alliance'is a matter of time , ' it said . the u.s. and south korean warmongers would be well advised to stop acting rashly , properly understanding who their rival is . ' | u.n. has condemned north korean rocket launch |
syria <tsp> an 80-foot-tall statue of jesus christ stands atop of a hill overlooking the syrian christian town of saidnaya , about a 40-minute drive from damascus . the statue is part of the ancient cherubim monastery in the qalamoun mountains , a quiet , spiritual place that 's very important to syria 's christians . but these days , there is a gruesome sight at the feet of the statue of christ the savior . about 30 mutilated and charred bodies lie in piles near a footpath that leads to the monastery . the dead are rebel fighters who tried to storm the monastery but were killed as they advanced , syria 's government says . the attack happened on january 19 and allegedly involved hundreds of rebel fighters . the regime says that in all , 60 militants were killed in the fighting . they came from another mountain a few miles away and destroyed our front gate , ' says a pro-christian fighter who supports syrian president bashar al-assad and was involved in the battle for the mountaintop . the cherubim monastery is not a civilian target these days . dozens of pro-assad fighters , mostly christians , as well as regular syrian army forces , are stationed there . the force has a tank , artillery pieces , mortars and light weapons at its disposal . many of the christians in saidnaya say they are under threat from radical islamists among rebel fighters battling the assad regime . times are awful , ' one man told cnn on a visit to the monastery . we always have to watch our backs and be ready for an attack . we always carry a gun and a grenade because we could be attacked at any moment . ' christians are a minority in syria . they make up about 10 % of the population . but christianity has a rich history here . jesus was baptized in syria , some of the earliest relics were found here , and the town of ma'aloula , also in the qalamoun mountains , is one of the last places where the ancient aramaic that jesus spoke is still the main language . but ma'aloula was recently invaded by al qaeda-linked militants of the jabat al nusra rebels . nuns were kidnapped and have yet to be released . all this is stoking fears among syria 's christians that their existence in syria might be under threat . i do n't just think so . i am sure they are targeting us because we are christians ... and we have had many attacks , ' one fighter at the cherubim monastery told cnn . many of syria 's christians support the assad regime , fearing that the end of the current government could lead to instability and an islamist power grab . in saidnaya , christian fighters work closely with the syrian military , and the opposition accuses them of shelling rebel-held towns in the qalamoun mountains from the cherubim monastery . christian leaders in syria say they are not taking sides in the conflict , but just protecting themselves , their towns and neighborhoods while the opposition has done little to assure them that christianity would have a place in syria if the assad regime were to fall . | christian leaders in syria say they 're protecting themselves , not taking sides in the conflict |
syria <tsp> an 80-foot-tall statue of jesus christ stands atop of a hill overlooking the syrian christian town of saidnaya , about a 40-minute drive from damascus . the statue is part of the ancient cherubim monastery in the qalamoun mountains , a quiet , spiritual place that 's very important to syria 's christians . but these days , there is a gruesome sight at the feet of the statue of christ the savior . about 30 mutilated and charred bodies lie in piles near a footpath that leads to the monastery . the dead are rebel fighters who tried to storm the monastery but were killed as they advanced , syria 's government says . the attack happened on january 19 and allegedly involved hundreds of rebel fighters . the regime says that in all , 60 militants were killed in the fighting . they came from another mountain a few miles away and destroyed our front gate , ' says a pro-christian fighter who supports syrian president bashar al-assad and was involved in the battle for the mountaintop . the cherubim monastery is not a civilian target these days . dozens of pro-assad fighters , mostly christians , as well as regular syrian army forces , are stationed there . the force has a tank , artillery pieces , mortars and light weapons at its disposal . many of the christians in saidnaya say they are under threat from radical islamists among rebel fighters battling the assad regime . times are awful , ' one man told cnn on a visit to the monastery . we always have to watch our backs and be ready for an attack . we always carry a gun and a grenade because we could be attacked at any moment . ' christians are a minority in syria . they make up about 10 % of the population . but christianity has a rich history here . jesus was baptized in syria , some of the earliest relics were found here , and the town of ma'aloula , also in the qalamoun mountains , is one of the last places where the ancient aramaic that jesus spoke is still the main language . but ma'aloula was recently invaded by al qaeda-linked militants of the jabat al nusra rebels . nuns were kidnapped and have yet to be released . all this is stoking fears among syria 's christians that their existence in syria might be under threat . i do n't just think so . i am sure they are targeting us because we are christians ... and we have had many attacks , ' one fighter at the cherubim monastery told cnn . many of syria 's christians support the assad regime , fearing that the end of the current government could lead to instability and an islamist power grab . in saidnaya , christian fighters work closely with the syrian military , and the opposition accuses them of shelling rebel-held towns in the qalamoun mountains from the cherubim monastery . christian leaders in syria say they are not taking sides in the conflict , but just protecting themselves , their towns and neighborhoods while the opposition has done little to assure them that christianity would have a place in syria if the assad regime were to fall . | christianity has a rich history in syria , where jesus was baptized |
jesus <tsp> an 80-foot-tall statue of jesus christ stands atop of a hill overlooking the syrian christian town of saidnaya , about a 40-minute drive from damascus . the statue is part of the ancient cherubim monastery in the qalamoun mountains , a quiet , spiritual place that 's very important to syria 's christians . but these days , there is a gruesome sight at the feet of the statue of christ the savior . about 30 mutilated and charred bodies lie in piles near a footpath that leads to the monastery . the dead are rebel fighters who tried to storm the monastery but were killed as they advanced , syria 's government says . the attack happened on january 19 and allegedly involved hundreds of rebel fighters . the regime says that in all , 60 militants were killed in the fighting . they came from another mountain a few miles away and destroyed our front gate , ' says a pro-christian fighter who supports syrian president bashar al-assad and was involved in the battle for the mountaintop . the cherubim monastery is not a civilian target these days . dozens of pro-assad fighters , mostly christians , as well as regular syrian army forces , are stationed there . the force has a tank , artillery pieces , mortars and light weapons at its disposal . many of the christians in saidnaya say they are under threat from radical islamists among rebel fighters battling the assad regime . times are awful , ' one man told cnn on a visit to the monastery . we always have to watch our backs and be ready for an attack . we always carry a gun and a grenade because we could be attacked at any moment . ' christians are a minority in syria . they make up about 10 % of the population . but christianity has a rich history here . jesus was baptized in syria , some of the earliest relics were found here , and the town of ma'aloula , also in the qalamoun mountains , is one of the last places where the ancient aramaic that jesus spoke is still the main language . but ma'aloula was recently invaded by al qaeda-linked militants of the jabat al nusra rebels . nuns were kidnapped and have yet to be released . all this is stoking fears among syria 's christians that their existence in syria might be under threat . i do n't just think so . i am sure they are targeting us because we are christians ... and we have had many attacks , ' one fighter at the cherubim monastery told cnn . many of syria 's christians support the assad regime , fearing that the end of the current government could lead to instability and an islamist power grab . in saidnaya , christian fighters work closely with the syrian military , and the opposition accuses them of shelling rebel-held towns in the qalamoun mountains from the cherubim monastery . christian leaders in syria say they are not taking sides in the conflict , but just protecting themselves , their towns and neighborhoods while the opposition has done little to assure them that christianity would have a place in syria if the assad regime were to fall . | christianity has a rich history in syria , where jesus was baptized |
onyango okech <tsp> ( cnn ) -- onyango okech obama -- an uncle of president barack obama who has been in the united states illegally for decades -- has gotten a federal court 's ok to stay in his adopted country , according to an attorney representing the uncle . federal immigration judge leonard i. shapiro in massachusetts agreed without argument tuesday to allow the uncle , who has been living and working in u.s. for 50 years , to stay and obtain a green card , said attorney margaret wong . at the hearing , wong said , the judge looked at onyango okech obama 's character , reviewing his long-term employment with a grocery store in framingham , massachusetts , his tax records and his rent payments , and noting that he is not on any government assistance programs . shapiro also took into account federal immigration law that allows people who came to united states before january 1972 to apply for residency , wong said , adding that her client has been living in u.s. since october 1963 . i 'm relieved , i represented the family for some time and it 's really a relief , ' said wong . in his testimony before the judge , according to wong , onyango okech obama mentioned that barack obama stayed with him for three weeks during the future president 's student days , after he was accepted into law school . wong called her client a proud , honorable gentleman who is quiet and very nice . in 2011 , onyango okech obama was arrested on drunk driving charges , and ordered to regularly check in with immigration , according to brian p. hale , then director of public affairs for u.s. immigration and customs enforcement . at the time of that arrest a federal law enforcement source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the defendant was not legally in the united states and had been previously ordered removed from the country . i 'm so thankful that everything is finished , ' said wong . however , federal immigration authorities have 30 days to appeal shapiro 's ruling . | onyango okech obama is an uncle of president barack obama |
onyango okech <tsp> ( cnn ) -- onyango okech obama -- an uncle of president barack obama who has been in the united states illegally for decades -- has gotten a federal court 's ok to stay in his adopted country , according to an attorney representing the uncle . federal immigration judge leonard i. shapiro in massachusetts agreed without argument tuesday to allow the uncle , who has been living and working in u.s. for 50 years , to stay and obtain a green card , said attorney margaret wong . at the hearing , wong said , the judge looked at onyango okech obama 's character , reviewing his long-term employment with a grocery store in framingham , massachusetts , his tax records and his rent payments , and noting that he is not on any government assistance programs . shapiro also took into account federal immigration law that allows people who came to united states before january 1972 to apply for residency , wong said , adding that her client has been living in u.s. since october 1963 . i 'm relieved , i represented the family for some time and it 's really a relief , ' said wong . in his testimony before the judge , according to wong , onyango okech obama mentioned that barack obama stayed with him for three weeks during the future president 's student days , after he was accepted into law school . wong called her client a proud , honorable gentleman who is quiet and very nice . in 2011 , onyango okech obama was arrested on drunk driving charges , and ordered to regularly check in with immigration , according to brian p. hale , then director of public affairs for u.s. immigration and customs enforcement . at the time of that arrest a federal law enforcement source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the defendant was not legally in the united states and had been previously ordered removed from the country . i 'm so thankful that everything is finished , ' said wong . however , federal immigration authorities have 30 days to appeal shapiro 's ruling . | the judge grants onyango okech obama permission to remain in the u.s . |
congress <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- members of congress are quick to say they support the troops and veterans , but the number of elected officials who have served has plummeted to its lowest point since world war ii . only 20 % of the 535 members of the new congress have served in the military , 25 from the senate and 90 from the house of representatives . juxtapose that with 1975 , when over 70 % of those elected had served in the armed forces . pre-world war ii data on veterans serving is difficult to find , according to the senate historical office . with the nation currently facing two wars , one group worries about the effects the dwindling numbers may have on defense decisions . it 's not always that veterans care more about defense issues , but those politicians who have served in the military understand to a much greater degree what they are voting on , ' said seth lynn , executive director of veterans campaign , a group that trains veterans to run for public office . having members in congress with military experience is crucial to effective civilian control of the military , ' lynn added . today , some of the most prominent voices on military , foreign affairs and veterans issues are themselves veterans . among them are vietnam vets sen. john mccain , r-arizona , who was a prisoner of war for more than five years ; sen. john kerry , d-massachusetts ; and sen. jim webb , d-virginia . sen. scott brown , r-massachusetts , is currently in the national guard and sen. lindsey graham , r-south carolina , is in the air force reserves . rep. duncan hunter , r-california , is a veteran of the afghanistan and iraq wars . despite the continuous drop in the number of veterans elected to congress , funding for veterans'issues have not taken a hit . the veterans affairs budget went up 16 % in 2010 , the largest single-year increase in over 30 years according to the department . the defense budget has also grown considerably in the last decade . over the past four years , congress has elevated priorities and expanded benefits and services to all u.s. veterans to the highest levels in quality and funding in our country 's history , ' said sen. daniel akaka , d-hawaii , chairman of the senate veterans affairs committee . i believe that congress will continue to hold veterans'issues and needs at the forefront even with a reduction of congressional members who are veterans . ' a government expert who studies congress said a concern like lynn 's dates back to the country 's founding fathers . what this reflects is a classic debate of descriptive representation , meaning do i need a person that is a member of my group to adequately represent my views in congress , ' said michele swers , an associate professor at georgetown university . swers believes where this matters most is in a party 's ability to sway public opinion and gain credibility on its proposals , for example , the opinion of a doctor serving in congress on the health care debate may hold more weight with the public . president barack obama 's top military adviser voiced concerns recently about what he sees as a disconnect between the civilian and military worlds , claiming most americans know precious little ' about the military and the military needs to work harder to justify itself to the public . to the degree we are out of touch , i believe it is a very dangerous force , ' joint chiefs chairman adm. mike mullen said at a conference on military professionalism last week . the drop of veterans in congress may be attributed in part to the end of the draft system in 1973 , according to the congressional research service , but lynn 's group says there is more to the drop off than just a decline in the number of vets in the population ' the cost of running a campaign has skyrocketed , especially with the need to buy tv commercials , and that creates a barrier of entry to people coming out of the military ( who ) do n't have the financial ability that others in different professions have , ' said lynn , whose group is trying turn the decline around . the group also claims that the increased partisanship in congress is a turnoff for vets . military members have served overseas and seen that the enemy is the guy at the end of the battlefield , not the guy on the other end of the aisle , ' said lynn . | in 1975 , 70 % of the members of congress were veterans |
congress <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- members of congress are quick to say they support the troops and veterans , but the number of elected officials who have served has plummeted to its lowest point since world war ii . only 20 % of the 535 members of the new congress have served in the military , 25 from the senate and 90 from the house of representatives . juxtapose that with 1975 , when over 70 % of those elected had served in the armed forces . pre-world war ii data on veterans serving is difficult to find , according to the senate historical office . with the nation currently facing two wars , one group worries about the effects the dwindling numbers may have on defense decisions . it 's not always that veterans care more about defense issues , but those politicians who have served in the military understand to a much greater degree what they are voting on , ' said seth lynn , executive director of veterans campaign , a group that trains veterans to run for public office . having members in congress with military experience is crucial to effective civilian control of the military , ' lynn added . today , some of the most prominent voices on military , foreign affairs and veterans issues are themselves veterans . among them are vietnam vets sen. john mccain , r-arizona , who was a prisoner of war for more than five years ; sen. john kerry , d-massachusetts ; and sen. jim webb , d-virginia . sen. scott brown , r-massachusetts , is currently in the national guard and sen. lindsey graham , r-south carolina , is in the air force reserves . rep. duncan hunter , r-california , is a veteran of the afghanistan and iraq wars . despite the continuous drop in the number of veterans elected to congress , funding for veterans'issues have not taken a hit . the veterans affairs budget went up 16 % in 2010 , the largest single-year increase in over 30 years according to the department . the defense budget has also grown considerably in the last decade . over the past four years , congress has elevated priorities and expanded benefits and services to all u.s. veterans to the highest levels in quality and funding in our country 's history , ' said sen. daniel akaka , d-hawaii , chairman of the senate veterans affairs committee . i believe that congress will continue to hold veterans'issues and needs at the forefront even with a reduction of congressional members who are veterans . ' a government expert who studies congress said a concern like lynn 's dates back to the country 's founding fathers . what this reflects is a classic debate of descriptive representation , meaning do i need a person that is a member of my group to adequately represent my views in congress , ' said michele swers , an associate professor at georgetown university . swers believes where this matters most is in a party 's ability to sway public opinion and gain credibility on its proposals , for example , the opinion of a doctor serving in congress on the health care debate may hold more weight with the public . president barack obama 's top military adviser voiced concerns recently about what he sees as a disconnect between the civilian and military worlds , claiming most americans know precious little ' about the military and the military needs to work harder to justify itself to the public . to the degree we are out of touch , i believe it is a very dangerous force , ' joint chiefs chairman adm. mike mullen said at a conference on military professionalism last week . the drop of veterans in congress may be attributed in part to the end of the draft system in 1973 , according to the congressional research service , but lynn 's group says there is more to the drop off than just a decline in the number of vets in the population ' the cost of running a campaign has skyrocketed , especially with the need to buy tv commercials , and that creates a barrier of entry to people coming out of the military ( who ) do n't have the financial ability that others in different professions have , ' said lynn , whose group is trying turn the decline around . the group also claims that the increased partisanship in congress is a turnoff for vets . military members have served overseas and seen that the enemy is the guy at the end of the battlefield , not the guy on the other end of the aisle , ' said lynn . | 115 members of the new congress -- 20 % -- have served in the military |
israel <tsp> the home of ghassan abu jamal has a beautiful view of jabel mukaber . it looks over a small valley with olive trees and grazing sheep . it also stinks here , the distinctive raw sewage smell of what 's known locally as skunk water , ' sprayed by israeli police as a riot-control measure . and when you walk down the road to the abu jamal family 's east jerusalem home , you tread on the metal remains of tear gas canisters . on tuesday ghassan abu jamal and his cousin uday walked into a synagogue in the west jerusalem neighborhood of har nof . armed with meat cleavers , they attacked the worshipers inside , hacking at them with the knives . they killed four rabbis and a police officer before they were shot dead at the scene . today ghassan and uday stare out at mourners from posters and flyers on the walls of the family home . here they are considered shaheed , ' or martyrs , of israel 's occupation . his 70-year old father , mohamed , was recovering from a heart operation when he saw the news of the synagogue attack on television . he immediately collapsed . i never thought my son would do something like this , ' he tells us . he sits with us at the mourners'tent erected near the family home . his eyes are red from crying and he ca n't stand for long stretches . we ask mohamed what he believes triggered the gruesome attack . maybe it was everything , ' he says . we want peace . we want coexistence . but we do n't accept being pushed into a corner and treated like slaves . ' in the hours that followed the attack , the abu jamal family says 15 relatives were arrested , some badly beaten in the process . they show us photos of the family 's ransacked homes and ghassan 's younger brother with a purple , swollen eye , blood streaming down his face . now , ghassan 's home will be demolished . the family show us the demolition order . his wife is distraught and unable to talk to anyone . her three children are being cared for by relatives . but perhaps the hardest part : their bodies may never be returned to the family . israel says no decision has been made , but authorities here fear a family funeral could become a flashpoint , drawing hundreds to hold the cousins up as heroes . instead , police are considering burying the bodies in a municipal grave . it 's impossible . it 's madness . the situation will not calm down unless they deliver the bodies home and allow us to bury them here ' mohamed says . when they kill arabs the never demolish the house of jew . we never hear of a jewish home destroyed when they kill one of us . ' house demolitions , the possibility of denied family burials : israel is reviving policies it used during the intifada in the hopes of deterring future attacks . between 2000 and 2005 more than 650 palestinian homes were demolished , displacing roughly 4,000 people , according to israeli rights organization b'tselem . critics say these policies are ineffective , even counter-productive . but israel 's government insists that destroying homes may save lives . it is an extraordinary step , one of the tools in our tool box , ' mark regev , the spokesman for israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu , told cnn . a palestinian terrorist , any terrorist , may not care about themselves . but maybe they care about their immediate loved ones and where they live . i 've been in security discussions and our experts believe this policy could save lives . ' in the jerusalem neighborhood of silwan , enas shalodi is one of those loved ones . her son rammed his car into a crowd at a tram station , killing a woman and a 3-week-old baby . he was shot dead at the scene . now shalodi picks through the rubble of what 's left of her home . it is just for punishing us . that 's what it is , ' she tells us . how can destroying this house stop an attack ? ' on the day we visit , israel 's public security minister , yitzhak aharonovitch , makes an unannounced visit to survey the destruction of shalodi 's home . shalodi leans out over the remains of her son 's apartment wall to see aharonovitch arrive . she watches without expression as riot police point up at the blown-out walls of the home . the neighborhood bristles with tension . riot police have blocked off the road and are checking residents'ids and bags . police with rifles , stationed on rooftops , keep a watchful eye . aharonovitch wo n't answer any of our questions and bodyguards block our approach . but he lets us film as he shakes hands with riot police and chats with them . for a moment , he seems to veer towards some nearby residents . one of his entourage offers a salaamalaikum ' as if to start a conversation with an older palestinian resident leaning against a car . but the man turns his head and snubs the greeting . aharonovitch and his staff quickly turn and drive away to another part of the neighborhood . throughout the visit , aharonovitch never speaks to enas shalodi . if he did , this is what he would hear : violence only creates more violence . adding more pressure only creates a bigger explosion . ' | in the wake of several terror attacks , israel revives policy of demolishing perpetrators'homes |
israel <tsp> the home of ghassan abu jamal has a beautiful view of jabel mukaber . it looks over a small valley with olive trees and grazing sheep . it also stinks here , the distinctive raw sewage smell of what 's known locally as skunk water , ' sprayed by israeli police as a riot-control measure . and when you walk down the road to the abu jamal family 's east jerusalem home , you tread on the metal remains of tear gas canisters . on tuesday ghassan abu jamal and his cousin uday walked into a synagogue in the west jerusalem neighborhood of har nof . armed with meat cleavers , they attacked the worshipers inside , hacking at them with the knives . they killed four rabbis and a police officer before they were shot dead at the scene . today ghassan and uday stare out at mourners from posters and flyers on the walls of the family home . here they are considered shaheed , ' or martyrs , of israel 's occupation . his 70-year old father , mohamed , was recovering from a heart operation when he saw the news of the synagogue attack on television . he immediately collapsed . i never thought my son would do something like this , ' he tells us . he sits with us at the mourners'tent erected near the family home . his eyes are red from crying and he ca n't stand for long stretches . we ask mohamed what he believes triggered the gruesome attack . maybe it was everything , ' he says . we want peace . we want coexistence . but we do n't accept being pushed into a corner and treated like slaves . ' in the hours that followed the attack , the abu jamal family says 15 relatives were arrested , some badly beaten in the process . they show us photos of the family 's ransacked homes and ghassan 's younger brother with a purple , swollen eye , blood streaming down his face . now , ghassan 's home will be demolished . the family show us the demolition order . his wife is distraught and unable to talk to anyone . her three children are being cared for by relatives . but perhaps the hardest part : their bodies may never be returned to the family . israel says no decision has been made , but authorities here fear a family funeral could become a flashpoint , drawing hundreds to hold the cousins up as heroes . instead , police are considering burying the bodies in a municipal grave . it 's impossible . it 's madness . the situation will not calm down unless they deliver the bodies home and allow us to bury them here ' mohamed says . when they kill arabs the never demolish the house of jew . we never hear of a jewish home destroyed when they kill one of us . ' house demolitions , the possibility of denied family burials : israel is reviving policies it used during the intifada in the hopes of deterring future attacks . between 2000 and 2005 more than 650 palestinian homes were demolished , displacing roughly 4,000 people , according to israeli rights organization b'tselem . critics say these policies are ineffective , even counter-productive . but israel 's government insists that destroying homes may save lives . it is an extraordinary step , one of the tools in our tool box , ' mark regev , the spokesman for israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu , told cnn . a palestinian terrorist , any terrorist , may not care about themselves . but maybe they care about their immediate loved ones and where they live . i 've been in security discussions and our experts believe this policy could save lives . ' in the jerusalem neighborhood of silwan , enas shalodi is one of those loved ones . her son rammed his car into a crowd at a tram station , killing a woman and a 3-week-old baby . he was shot dead at the scene . now shalodi picks through the rubble of what 's left of her home . it is just for punishing us . that 's what it is , ' she tells us . how can destroying this house stop an attack ? ' on the day we visit , israel 's public security minister , yitzhak aharonovitch , makes an unannounced visit to survey the destruction of shalodi 's home . shalodi leans out over the remains of her son 's apartment wall to see aharonovitch arrive . she watches without expression as riot police point up at the blown-out walls of the home . the neighborhood bristles with tension . riot police have blocked off the road and are checking residents'ids and bags . police with rifles , stationed on rooftops , keep a watchful eye . aharonovitch wo n't answer any of our questions and bodyguards block our approach . but he lets us film as he shakes hands with riot police and chats with them . for a moment , he seems to veer towards some nearby residents . one of his entourage offers a salaamalaikum ' as if to start a conversation with an older palestinian resident leaning against a car . but the man turns his head and snubs the greeting . aharonovitch and his staff quickly turn and drive away to another part of the neighborhood . throughout the visit , aharonovitch never speaks to enas shalodi . if he did , this is what he would hear : violence only creates more violence . adding more pressure only creates a bigger explosion . ' | israel says the policy may save lives by providing a disincentive to commit attacks |
gop <tsp> ( cnn ) -- mark sanford is another step closer to political redemption , but the real headline out of his tuesday victory in a republican primary runoff for his old congressional seat was a rare public appearance by his former mistress -- who 's now his fiancée . and while the former south carolina governor is considered the favorite in next month 's general election showdown with democratic nominee elizabeth colbert busch , the sister of satirist and comedy central host stephen colbert , his past infidelity remains front and center in the race and could continue to hurt him with crucial female voters . democrats wasted no time in attacking sanford over the affair . this is the same mark sanford who , as governor , disappeared from office and used taxpayer money to visit his mistress . with all the issues we are working on , we do not need him in congress , ' wrote sen. kirsten gillibrand of new york in a fundraising e-mail for colbert busch sent in the hours after sanford 's victory . fortunately , there is a strong independent woman running to give us a better alternative named elizabeth colbert busch . ' sanford addressed his incredibly long journey ' at his victory celebration over former charleston county councilman curtis bostic . in that journey , i am humbled . ' he added that while god forgives , sometimes the voters are n't so forgiving . ' sanford thanked supporters , family , and his fiancée , maria belen chapur of argentina . the former governor said wednesday on cnn 's the lead with jake tapper ' that he was surprised by her appearance at the victory celebration . she completely surprised me , ' sanford told cnn chief washington correspondent jake tapper . it was an awfully , awfully nice surprise . ' sanford wins gop nomination for house seat ' i did n't know she was coming , but i 'm excited to see her , ' he said . the affair came to light in 2009 , after sanford disappeared from public view for several days and re-emerged , claiming he 'd been hiking the appalachian trail . he later admitted that he was actually in argentina , seeing his lover . the episode sank any hopes sanford had of making a bid for the 2012 gop presidential nomination . sanford and then-wife jenny were divorced in 2010 and he finished his second term as governor in january 2011 , exiting to what many thought would be political obscurity . sanford is touting his fiscal conservative credentials as he campaigns for congress , but he 's also asking the public for a second chance , telling cnn that he was seeking redemption ' by running for office again . he came in first in a 16-candidate primary two weeks ago , but only with 37 % of the vote , far short of the 50 % needed to avoid a runoff . he topped bostic in tuesday 's runoff by a 57 % -43 % margin . bostic appeared to try to make infidelity a key issue in the runoff campaign . trust is a crucial issue . in fact , it has become a crucial issue in this race , ' the candidate said at a debate with sanford last week . bostic added that the former governor was a compromised candidate ' because of the affair . now sanford faces off may 7 with colbert busch , an official with clemson university 's wind turbine drive testing facility . she is expected to have an uphill climb in the general election because the district is heavily republican . the 1st district has been in gop hands for more than three decades . rep. tim scott won re-election to the seat by 27 percentage points in last november 's election . but when republican u.s. sen. jim demint stepped down from his seat late last year to take over as the head of the conservative heritage foundation , gop gov . nikki haley named scott to fill the seat , triggering the special election to fill the seat that sanford held for three terms before becoming governor . mark sanford : shamed politician fights for comeback colbert busch 's famous brother has campaigned on his sister 's behalf . she 's my sister , and i 'm willing to , you know , break the jewel of my own creation to try to do something for her , ' colbert told jake tapper , cnn 's chief washington correspondent and anchor of cnn 's the lead . ' colbert will team up again with his sister for fundraisers later this month in the nation 's capital and in new york . but democrats are focusing on sanford 's affair . the families of this district need a representative who they can trust , ' colbert busch campaign spokesman james smith said tuesday night . mark sanford simply has the wrong values for our community . democratic congressional campaign committee press secretary emily bittner tried to put rep. cathy mcmorris rodgers , a senior house republican , on the spot . even republicans acknowledge that congressman sanford 's behavior was a disgrace and that he betrayed the public trust , so will congresswoman mcmorris rodgers support mark sanford in his quest to return to washington ? ' sanford disagrees , saying his runoff victory shows he does n't have a problem with female voters , at least those in his party . there were a lot of republican conservative women that voted last night . and what they did was decided to send me in as the republican standard-bearer in this congressional seat , ' sanford told tapper . but some south carolina republicans disagree , saying that the female vote could be an issue for sanford . surveys show sanford has a problem with women , and some may never forgive him , ' said republican strategist bruce haynes , a partner in the consulting firm purple strategies . acknowledgment of perceptions is the first step in rebuilding any reputation , and his choice to bring his fianceé forward is smart . ' his past and his present relationship with her is an unavoidable issue in this race . it 's best that he acknowledge it , deal with it on his terms rather than let others define it for him . otherwise , silence is hiding , and hiding is guilt , and guilt is losing , ' added haynes , who served as chief of staff for former republican rep. bob inglis of south carolina , and as a staff member for former gop gov . carroll campbell . haynes thinks sanford can win a race that focuses on policy , but says a race on personality will be much harder to win . republican strategist hogan gidley , who served as executive director of the south carolina republican party , agreed . it 's going to be virtually impossible for mark sanford to attack colbert busch , ' said gidley , who worked for sanford rival state sen. larry grooms in the primary . it 's extremely tricky political territory for several reasons : one , sanford ca n't effectively execute an apology tour and consistently be on the attack ; two , any political attack on colbert busch would be used against sanford and the party as proof of a perceived'war on women ;'three , we have a huge problem right now with the women vote -- so any candidate perceived to be one who disregards women -- is going to face issues getting votes . ' but the geography of the district may be in sanford 's favor . the new 1st district is a coastal area , so it 's generally the most socially liberal of south carolina 's gop-held districts , ' haynes said . this is because coastal communities are historically more diverse and concerned about issues like the environment that carry less importance inland . ' | while gop acknowledges sanford 's liabilities , his district might be more forgiving than others |
the roots of music <tsp> new orleans , louisiana ( cnn ) -- drumsticks in hand , derrick tabb has found a way to transform new orleans children from troublemakers to tuba players . derrick tabb 's program provides free tutoring , instruments and music instruction to more than 100 students . tabb , wearing a gold chain and a baseball cap , does n't look the part of a typical band teacher . but every weekday evening in the french quarter , he beats out the rhythm on his music stand as students play their chosen instruments . in doing so , he gives them an alternative to new orleans'rough streets . i tell everyone i 'm competing with the drug dealers , ' said tabb , 34 . his program , the roots of music , offers free tutoring , instruments and music education to more than 100 students . vote now for the cnn hero of the year reformed class clown terrence knockum credits tabb with changing his life . the 15-year-old tuba player joined the band eight months ago , when he was failing in school and heading up the wrong road , ' said tabb . today , knockum is the band captain . he hopes to make music his career and teach it himself one day . before , i was getting in trouble , ' knockum said . now ... when i come here , i 'm learning how to play the horn , be disciplined and , you know , just work hard . ' tabb can relate . during a rebellious phase in junior high , his band teacher became his mentor and helped him get back on track . he saved my life , ' recalled tabb , a professional drummer with the rebirth brass band , one of the city 's most popular acts . now tabb , a new orleans native , strives to keep young people on the straight and narrow in the city with the nation 's highest murder rate , according to fbi statistics . when all you 've seen is the drug dealers and the killing , you know , they think that 's cool , ' said tabb , adding that many young people wind up in trouble because they have nothing else to do . the type of music support systems that helped tabb years ago have been struggling since hurricane katrina ; musicians scattered after the storm and budget cuts ended many school music programs . as a result , tabb chose to target 9- to 14-year-olds with his program . that 's just the most vulnerable time of your life , ' he said . if i catch them now , i can hold onto them for at least four or five years and guide them the way that we want to guide them . ' students meet from 4-7 p.m. every weekday , year-round . they work with tutors on schoolwork , practice their music and eat a hot meal before heading home . through funding from donations and sponsors , tabb 's group is able to provide bus transportation , instruments and food for free . he calls it his no excuse ' policy -- you do n't have no excuse why you 're not here , ' tabb said . with a 90 percent attendance rate , his formula seems to be working . watch tabb and the roots of music program in action » tabb attributes the success in part to the nature of music . you 're constantly learning something new , ' he said . that 's what keeps the kids coming back every day . ' since getting underway last year , the roots of music has already exceeded tabb 's expectations . the band marched in five mardi gras parades this season . the program also helped students improve their academic performances , with 85 percent having raised their grades in at least one class ; some d and f students have become a students . and there are more than 400 children on the waiting list . tabb said he 's assembled a dream team ' of musicians to help teach the students , and he personally works with all the beginners . no previous musical experience is necessary -- many students do n't even know the names of the instruments when they start -- but youngsters like 9-year-old lauren washington , who plays the flute , learn fast . it 's kind of hard to play , but i sound good , ' she said proudly . it 's fun ! ' watch washington and other students demonstrate their talents » but the program is n't only about fun . music is about discipline , ' said tabb . he insists on good behavior and keeps kids in order with threats of sit-ups , pushups or tasks like picking up grains of rice -- but these measures are n't just punishment . we wear them out so they do n't have any time or energy to get mixed up in anything on the street , ' he said . discipline aside , tabb wants young people to realize that music can help them build a better future . i do n't say that i 'm saving lives , ' he said . i say i 'm giving life -- a whole different life of music . ' want to get involved ? check out the roots of music and see how to help . | derrick tabb started the roots of music to help the city 's young people |
iran <tsp> tehran ( cnn ) -- iranian tv aired images thursday of what it says is a u.s. stealth drone that went down in iran last week , an apparently intact rq-170 drone propped on a pedestal and triumphantly displayed . military experts are well aware how precious the technological information of this drone is , ' said brig . gen. amir ali hajizadeh , commander of the islamic revolutionary guards corps aerospace forces , according to the semi-official fars news agency . there was disagreement among pentagon officials about whether the drone in the video is real . military and intelligence officials were analyzing the iran television footage . one u.s. official said right now the u.s. ca n't be certain it 's the real stealth drone , because u.s. personnel do n't have access to it . but he added there 's no reason to think it 's a fake . however , a second senior u.s. military official said that a big question is to how the drone could have remained virtually intact given the high altitude it is believed to have crashed from . earlier thursday , a pentagon spokesman said the video is being examined . we 've seen the imagery . there are folks that are looking at it , ' capt . john kirby told a news conference . he and his fellow spokesman , george little , would not comment further on whether the drone is the one that the u.s. military said went missing . they did say that the missing u.s. drone had not been recovered . john pike , director of globalsecurity.org , said his initial impression from pictures sent to him by cnn is n't what one would expect to see after a crash . he said he was guessing that the object is a mock-up prepared for a parade , noting a u.s. flag in the picture . pike pointed out that the wings in the picture droop down , whereas in most pictures of such a drone the wings are higher than the center , which is good for stability bill sweetman , an aviation analyst , said the craft appears to be the rq-170 and it looks real to him . if the drone came down in what he called a flat spin or what is known as a falling leaf departure , the plane would be pretty much intact , but the belly would be badly scraped . he said all of the electronics inside would most likely be in one piece . sweetman doubts the iranians hacked into the system and took control of the aircraft . it is much more likely it crashed by itself since that 's what drones do . ' and the condition also suggests it was not shot down but was a system failure . there are no burn marks from a fire , no holes and no outward damage . sweetman noticed a dent along the leading edge but does n't know what that necessarily means . it 's fairly clear here from the pictures that the outer wings have been separated . the question is , did that happen in the accident or ( did they take ) them off to move the aircraft , ' sweatman said . the cia and the pentagon would not comment on the latest development . two u.s. officials confirmed to cnn on tuesday that the missing drone was part of a cia reconnaissance mission that involved both the intelligence community and military personnel stationed in afghanistan . a senior u.s. official with direct access to the assessment about what happened to the unmanned aircraft said it was tasked to fly over western afghanistan and look for insurgent activity , with no directive either to fly into iran or spy on iran from afghan airspace . a u.s. satellite quickly pinpointed the downed drone , which apparently sustained significant damage , the senior official said . aired by the official press tv network , the video thursday showed different angles of the unmanned aircraft . it had been flying over the eastern town of kashmar when it went down , the network said . recently , our collected intelligence and precise electronic monitoring revealed that this aircraft intended to infiltrate our country 's airspace for spying missions , ' hajizadeh said . after it entered the eastern parts of the country , this aircraft fell into the trap of our armed forces and was downed in iran with minimum damage . ' hajizadeh said the plane 's wingspan is around 26 meters ( 85 feet ) . ' it is 4.5 meters ( 14 feet , 9 inches ) long , 1.84 meters ( 6 feet ) tall and is equipped with highly advanced surveillance , data gathering , electronic communication and radar systems , ' he said . hajizadeh said b-2 and f-35 planes have used the technology found in the aircraft , which is guided via satellite link and land stations in afghanistan and the united states . as far as its platform and coating are concerned , this kind of plane has been designed to evade radar systems and from the viewpoint of technology it is amongst the most recent types of advanced aircraft used by the u.s. , ' hajizadeh said . the official islamic republic news agency and fars said iran 's foreign ministry summoned the swiss ambassador to iran , who received an official reprimand for the u.s. actions . switzerland represents u.s. interests in iran , which does n't have diplomatic relations with the united states . iran demanded u.s. reparations for the act , which it says is against every international law and regulation , as well as contrary to the region 's peace and security , ' fars said . meanwhile , iran 's u.n. ambassador said in a letter thursday to the world body that the drone flew 250 kilometers ( 150 miles ) into iranian territory to the northern region of the city of tabas . ' the letter from ambasador mohammad khazaee to u.n. secretary-genera ban ki-moon and the heads of the general assembly and security council did not specify how the drone ended up in the hands of the iranians , saying only it faced prompt and forceful action ' by the armed forces . my government emphasizes that this blatant and unprovoked air violation by the united states government is tantamount to an act of hostility against the islamic republic of iran in clear contravention of international law , in particular , the basic tenets of the united nations charter , ' khazaee 's letter said . he called for u.n. condemnation of u.s. acts of aggression , ' as well as clear and effective measures to be taken to put an end to these dangerous and unlawful acts in line with the united nations'responsibilities to maintain international and regional peace and security . ' shirzad bozorgmehr , chris lawrence , adam levine , barbara starr , jennifer rizzo , tim lister , pam benson and joe sterling contributed to this report . | iran 's foreign ministry delivers a reprimand of u.s. to swiss envoy |
congo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- rwandan troops have crossed into the democratic republic of congo to prepare for a joint operation with congolese forces against a hutu militia , the united nations said . at least 800,000 people are thought to have died during 100 days of violence in rwanda in 1994 . we can tell you there are rwandan soldiers here , but i can not confirm the numbers , ' said madnodje mounoubai , spokesman for the u.n. mission in the democratic republic of congo . the rwandans will team up with the congolese forces , ' he said wednesday . the rwandan forces are in a meeting with congolese forces and the understanding is that in the meeting they are preparing a joint operation against the fdlr , ' or the democratic liberation forces of rwanda . the rwanda news agency reported that rwanda has dispatched 1,917 soldiers . rwanda and congo traditionally have been on different sides of the conflict in eastern congo . the struggle pits ethnic tutsis , supported by rwanda , against ethnic hutu , backed by congo . the conflict is effectively an extension of the rwandan genocide dating back to the early 1990s , when hundreds of thousands of rwandans were killed in ethnic battles between minority tutsi and majority hutu . according to a statement issued last week by the rwandan government , the joint military operation is aimed at driving out the fdlr and former members of the interhamwe militia , remnants of those who spearheaded the 1994 genocide against tutsis . ' michael arunga , a kenya-based spokesman for the world vision aid organization , said his colleagues in goma -- a city in eastern congo -- told him that rwandan troops arrived tuesday morning in the village of ishsha , outside of goma . arunga said he had no knowledge of rwandan troops being in congo before . a u.n. statement said the fdlr has been involved in clashes since late august mainly in north kivu , where the national army , the mainly tutsi militia -- known as the cndp -- and other rebel groups ... have fought in shifting alliances , uprooting around 250,000 civilians on top of the 800,000 already displaced by violence in recent years . ' see photos from mia farrow 's trip to the democratic republic of congo » a report by a u.n. security council panel last month said rwanda and congo were fighting a brutal proxy war for territory and precious natural resources in eastern congo , and all parties involved in the conflict were using execution , rape and child soldiers as tools of war . the report , filed by a panel of u.n. experts , found evidence that rwandan authorities have sent officers and units of the rwanda defense forces ' into congo in support of congo rebel leader laurent nkunda 's fighters . cnn 's carolina sanchez contributed to this report . | the neighbors have traditionally been on different sides of the conflict in east congo |
hutu <tsp> ( cnn ) -- rwandan troops have crossed into the democratic republic of congo to prepare for a joint operation with congolese forces against a hutu militia , the united nations said . at least 800,000 people are thought to have died during 100 days of violence in rwanda in 1994 . we can tell you there are rwandan soldiers here , but i can not confirm the numbers , ' said madnodje mounoubai , spokesman for the u.n. mission in the democratic republic of congo . the rwandans will team up with the congolese forces , ' he said wednesday . the rwandan forces are in a meeting with congolese forces and the understanding is that in the meeting they are preparing a joint operation against the fdlr , ' or the democratic liberation forces of rwanda . the rwanda news agency reported that rwanda has dispatched 1,917 soldiers . rwanda and congo traditionally have been on different sides of the conflict in eastern congo . the struggle pits ethnic tutsis , supported by rwanda , against ethnic hutu , backed by congo . the conflict is effectively an extension of the rwandan genocide dating back to the early 1990s , when hundreds of thousands of rwandans were killed in ethnic battles between minority tutsi and majority hutu . according to a statement issued last week by the rwandan government , the joint military operation is aimed at driving out the fdlr and former members of the interhamwe militia , remnants of those who spearheaded the 1994 genocide against tutsis . ' michael arunga , a kenya-based spokesman for the world vision aid organization , said his colleagues in goma -- a city in eastern congo -- told him that rwandan troops arrived tuesday morning in the village of ishsha , outside of goma . arunga said he had no knowledge of rwandan troops being in congo before . a u.n. statement said the fdlr has been involved in clashes since late august mainly in north kivu , where the national army , the mainly tutsi militia -- known as the cndp -- and other rebel groups ... have fought in shifting alliances , uprooting around 250,000 civilians on top of the 800,000 already displaced by violence in recent years . ' see photos from mia farrow 's trip to the democratic republic of congo » a report by a u.n. security council panel last month said rwanda and congo were fighting a brutal proxy war for territory and precious natural resources in eastern congo , and all parties involved in the conflict were using execution , rape and child soldiers as tools of war . the report , filed by a panel of u.n. experts , found evidence that rwandan authorities have sent officers and units of the rwanda defense forces ' into congo in support of congo rebel leader laurent nkunda 's fighters . cnn 's carolina sanchez contributed to this report . | the struggle pits tutsis , supported by rwanda , against the congo-backed hutu |
rwandan <tsp> ( cnn ) -- rwandan troops have crossed into the democratic republic of congo to prepare for a joint operation with congolese forces against a hutu militia , the united nations said . at least 800,000 people are thought to have died during 100 days of violence in rwanda in 1994 . we can tell you there are rwandan soldiers here , but i can not confirm the numbers , ' said madnodje mounoubai , spokesman for the u.n. mission in the democratic republic of congo . the rwandans will team up with the congolese forces , ' he said wednesday . the rwandan forces are in a meeting with congolese forces and the understanding is that in the meeting they are preparing a joint operation against the fdlr , ' or the democratic liberation forces of rwanda . the rwanda news agency reported that rwanda has dispatched 1,917 soldiers . rwanda and congo traditionally have been on different sides of the conflict in eastern congo . the struggle pits ethnic tutsis , supported by rwanda , against ethnic hutu , backed by congo . the conflict is effectively an extension of the rwandan genocide dating back to the early 1990s , when hundreds of thousands of rwandans were killed in ethnic battles between minority tutsi and majority hutu . according to a statement issued last week by the rwandan government , the joint military operation is aimed at driving out the fdlr and former members of the interhamwe militia , remnants of those who spearheaded the 1994 genocide against tutsis . ' michael arunga , a kenya-based spokesman for the world vision aid organization , said his colleagues in goma -- a city in eastern congo -- told him that rwandan troops arrived tuesday morning in the village of ishsha , outside of goma . arunga said he had no knowledge of rwandan troops being in congo before . a u.n. statement said the fdlr has been involved in clashes since late august mainly in north kivu , where the national army , the mainly tutsi militia -- known as the cndp -- and other rebel groups ... have fought in shifting alliances , uprooting around 250,000 civilians on top of the 800,000 already displaced by violence in recent years . ' see photos from mia farrow 's trip to the democratic republic of congo » a report by a u.n. security council panel last month said rwanda and congo were fighting a brutal proxy war for territory and precious natural resources in eastern congo , and all parties involved in the conflict were using execution , rape and child soldiers as tools of war . the report , filed by a panel of u.n. experts , found evidence that rwandan authorities have sent officers and units of the rwanda defense forces ' into congo in support of congo rebel leader laurent nkunda 's fighters . cnn 's carolina sanchez contributed to this report . | the conflict is effectively an extension of the rwandan genocide |
koh samui <tsp> bangkok , thailand ( cnn ) -- a bangkok airways plane crashed at an airport at a resort island in thailand , killing the pilot and injuring 37 people tuesday , aviation officials said . rescue workers inspect the bangkok airways plane at samui airport on thailand 's ko samui . the plane carrying 68 people and four crew members skidded and then crashed after landing at koh samui airport , officials with the civil aviation department said . the atr-72 turboprop had taken off from the town of krabi on the west coast thailand for its trip to the resort island of koh samui . air traffic control warned the pilot of volatile winds before the plane landed , aviation officials said . seven people were seriously injured and emergency officials were working to free the plane 's co-pilot who was trapped in the plane , officials said . cnn 's dan rivers contributed to this report . | officials : plane skidded and then crashed after landing at koh samui airport |
arcade fire <tsp> eminem got sober , arcade fire got spooked , katy perry flashed her hits and kanye sang one for jerk-offs everywhere . ( rollingstone.com ) -- 5 . arcade fire , we used to wait ' ' now our lives are changing fast , ' sings win butler , spooked and sleepless . but his empathetic croon -- and his band 's orchestral- rock wallop -- make high anxiety sound almost sublime . 4 . katy perry , teenage dream ' co-written by max martin and dr. luke , this buoyant electro-pop singalong is 2010 's catchiest tune . as for that teenage dream , ' perry does n't mince words : let 's go all the way tonight . ' 3 . sade , soldier of love ' nobody knows where sade disappears to for years at a time between hits , but soldier of love ' proves she knows how to make a hell of a re-entrance . she sings about emotional devastation over a beat that mixes quiet-storm synths with acid-damaged riffs straight out of tv on the radio 's playbook . it 's as close as she 's ever come to blowing her cool . rolling stone 's top five albums of 2010 2 . cee lo green , f * * * you ' the title alone would have guaranteed hundreds of thousands of web clicks . but cee lo did n't just say f * * * you ' -- he said it with humor and serious panache . despite the bummed-out lyrics , the motown-style beat is dayglo-bright , and cee lo 's lovelorn lament doubles as an anthem for lean times : if i was richer/i 'd still be with ya/ha , now ai n't that some shit ? ' 1 . kanye west feat . pusha t , runaway ' it takes a special kind of dark , twisted genius to raise the white flag of surrender while raising a middle finger . kanye west is that genius . runaway ' is kanye 's musical response to the taylor swift affair , but it 's much more than that : a nine-minute meditation on romantic failure and public infamy . kanye creates a huge , eerie beat out of thunderous drums and plinking piano , and he turns the phrase let 's have a toast for the douchebags ' into a refrain nearly as catchy as she loves you -- yeah , yeah , yeah . ' in 2010 , no other song was so crazily epic or jaw-droppingly gorgeous -- not on the radio , not anywhere . now , everyone raise your glasses . see the full list at rollingstone.com . copyright © 2010 rolling stone . | arcade fire 's we used to wait ' makes high anxiety sound almost sublime |
soldier of love <tsp> eminem got sober , arcade fire got spooked , katy perry flashed her hits and kanye sang one for jerk-offs everywhere . ( rollingstone.com ) -- 5 . arcade fire , we used to wait ' ' now our lives are changing fast , ' sings win butler , spooked and sleepless . but his empathetic croon -- and his band 's orchestral- rock wallop -- make high anxiety sound almost sublime . 4 . katy perry , teenage dream ' co-written by max martin and dr. luke , this buoyant electro-pop singalong is 2010 's catchiest tune . as for that teenage dream , ' perry does n't mince words : let 's go all the way tonight . ' 3 . sade , soldier of love ' nobody knows where sade disappears to for years at a time between hits , but soldier of love ' proves she knows how to make a hell of a re-entrance . she sings about emotional devastation over a beat that mixes quiet-storm synths with acid-damaged riffs straight out of tv on the radio 's playbook . it 's as close as she 's ever come to blowing her cool . rolling stone 's top five albums of 2010 2 . cee lo green , f * * * you ' the title alone would have guaranteed hundreds of thousands of web clicks . but cee lo did n't just say f * * * you ' -- he said it with humor and serious panache . despite the bummed-out lyrics , the motown-style beat is dayglo-bright , and cee lo 's lovelorn lament doubles as an anthem for lean times : if i was richer/i 'd still be with ya/ha , now ai n't that some shit ? ' 1 . kanye west feat . pusha t , runaway ' it takes a special kind of dark , twisted genius to raise the white flag of surrender while raising a middle finger . kanye west is that genius . runaway ' is kanye 's musical response to the taylor swift affair , but it 's much more than that : a nine-minute meditation on romantic failure and public infamy . kanye creates a huge , eerie beat out of thunderous drums and plinking piano , and he turns the phrase let 's have a toast for the douchebags ' into a refrain nearly as catchy as she loves you -- yeah , yeah , yeah . ' in 2010 , no other song was so crazily epic or jaw-droppingly gorgeous -- not on the radio , not anywhere . now , everyone raise your glasses . see the full list at rollingstone.com . copyright © 2010 rolling stone . | sade sings about emotional devastation in soldier of love ' |
eid <tsp> ( cnn ) -- eid in the islam household was always a very special occasion for me ; it was when i 'd get to see family and friends and , most of all , i could eat myself silly , gorging on amazing asian food ! what sticks in the memory most was the build-up ; this would begin several days prior to eid -- mum would be busy preparing the sauces and marinades which were invariably rich , vibrant reds and greens . the aromas emanating from the kitchen were so intense that our mouths watered in anticipation as our bellies simultaneously whined are we there yet ? ' cnn celebrates : weird and wonderful summer traditions the day went something like this : we 'd be up extremely early and the food fest would begin with shir khurma for breakfast . this is a lovely vermicelli and milk pudding , spiced with cardamom and cinnamon and served with an indian rusk . morning cravings sated , we 'd then make our way to the mosque for prayer until around 11am . as we were leaving the mosque , i remember feeling excited at the prospect of going home for a huge selection of tasty deep-fried goodies , which usually consisted of samosas ( lamb and potato and chicken and pea ) , pakoras and lentil and ginger cakes , all served with relishes and tomato ketchup . at this point , people would be gathered at the house and we 'd make visits to friends'and relatives'houses , where we 'd be treated to sweet tea and samosas . around 1pm we 'd get back to a house full of people and start tucking into a delicious lunch of mutton yakhni pulao , a classic rice dish from lucknow ; this would be accompanied by lamb and chicken kormas -- very lightly spiced with aromatic milk sauces . there 'd always be a boiled egg added too . in addition , there would be spiced roast chicken and spicy kebabs . dessert always tended to be coconut samosas and sweet semolina . eid is a particularly ostentatious event and , i can remember mum putting silver leaf on the rice and puddings as decoration . cnn celebrates : the world 's best fireworks displays i would have to say that biryanis/pulaos , samosas , kebabs and indian sweets and puddings best showcase the culinary traditions around eid . if i were cooking to impress i would stick to these traditional , simple dishes . i say simple , but aesthetics aside , they 're anything but ; this food 's actually very intricate as the flavors have to be subtle , which is quite difficult to pull off , especially in the case of a pulao . in my opinion , if you can make a perfect pulao the culinary aspect of eid will be a joyous time and a huge success , as all the other dishes are complementary to it . | british chef aktar islam shares his best eid food memories |
eid <tsp> ( cnn ) -- eid in the islam household was always a very special occasion for me ; it was when i 'd get to see family and friends and , most of all , i could eat myself silly , gorging on amazing asian food ! what sticks in the memory most was the build-up ; this would begin several days prior to eid -- mum would be busy preparing the sauces and marinades which were invariably rich , vibrant reds and greens . the aromas emanating from the kitchen were so intense that our mouths watered in anticipation as our bellies simultaneously whined are we there yet ? ' cnn celebrates : weird and wonderful summer traditions the day went something like this : we 'd be up extremely early and the food fest would begin with shir khurma for breakfast . this is a lovely vermicelli and milk pudding , spiced with cardamom and cinnamon and served with an indian rusk . morning cravings sated , we 'd then make our way to the mosque for prayer until around 11am . as we were leaving the mosque , i remember feeling excited at the prospect of going home for a huge selection of tasty deep-fried goodies , which usually consisted of samosas ( lamb and potato and chicken and pea ) , pakoras and lentil and ginger cakes , all served with relishes and tomato ketchup . at this point , people would be gathered at the house and we 'd make visits to friends'and relatives'houses , where we 'd be treated to sweet tea and samosas . around 1pm we 'd get back to a house full of people and start tucking into a delicious lunch of mutton yakhni pulao , a classic rice dish from lucknow ; this would be accompanied by lamb and chicken kormas -- very lightly spiced with aromatic milk sauces . there 'd always be a boiled egg added too . in addition , there would be spiced roast chicken and spicy kebabs . dessert always tended to be coconut samosas and sweet semolina . eid is a particularly ostentatious event and , i can remember mum putting silver leaf on the rice and puddings as decoration . cnn celebrates : the world 's best fireworks displays i would have to say that biryanis/pulaos , samosas , kebabs and indian sweets and puddings best showcase the culinary traditions around eid . if i were cooking to impress i would stick to these traditional , simple dishes . i say simple , but aesthetics aside , they 're anything but ; this food 's actually very intricate as the flavors have to be subtle , which is quite difficult to pull off , especially in the case of a pulao . in my opinion , if you can make a perfect pulao the culinary aspect of eid will be a joyous time and a huge success , as all the other dishes are complementary to it . | some of his favorite eid dishes are shir khurma , yakhni pulaos , samosas and kebabs |
eggers <tsp> ( cnn ) -- sometimes life can turn on a dime . just ask richard eggers , a former wells fargo employee . the 68-year-old eggers was fired by the company 's home mortgage division in west des moines , iowa , in july for a petty crime he committed nearly 50 years ago . he got caught using a cardboard cutout of a dime to run a laundromat washing machine when he was 19 . officially , the crime is called operating a coin changing machine by false means , court records from 1963 say . it was silly and stupid , ' eggers told cnn affiliate kcci-tv . i am not terribly proud of it , but , it does n't warrant a termination a half a century later . ' wells fargo says it 's following federal laws laid down by the federal deposit insurance act ( fdic ) . they 're designed to weed out employees guilty of identity theft and mortgage fraud . wells fargo is ... bound by us federal law ... to protect our customers and their personal financial information from someone who we know has committed an act of dishonesty or breach of trust -- regardless of when the incidents occurred , ' vickee j. adams , vice president of external communications , said in a statement . it is uncomfortable , but it is a law that we have to follow , ' she said . we have the responsibility to avoid hiring or continuing to employ someone who we know has a criminal record . ' wells fargo says between may 2011 and may 2012 , it performed thorough background checks on all its team members , regardless of when they were hired . the screenings were the same as those required for new hires . the whole thing was too absurd for words , ' eggers told kcci . they had their instructions and there was nothing i could change , but i wanted to let them know i did n't accept it as a logical and reasonable business practice . ' wells fargo says eggers has been put in touch with an fdic case manager to work on steps to make him eligible for reemployment . ' leonard bates , an attorney representing eggers and three other employees who used to work for the company , said he may file a class action lawsuit against wells fargo and the fdic . common sense tells you that mr. eggers and his 49-year-old crime was not the downfall of the mortgage industry in 2008 and 2009 , ' bates told kcci . | richard eggers uses a cardboard dime in pay washing machine |
eggers <tsp> ( cnn ) -- sometimes life can turn on a dime . just ask richard eggers , a former wells fargo employee . the 68-year-old eggers was fired by the company 's home mortgage division in west des moines , iowa , in july for a petty crime he committed nearly 50 years ago . he got caught using a cardboard cutout of a dime to run a laundromat washing machine when he was 19 . officially , the crime is called operating a coin changing machine by false means , court records from 1963 say . it was silly and stupid , ' eggers told cnn affiliate kcci-tv . i am not terribly proud of it , but , it does n't warrant a termination a half a century later . ' wells fargo says it 's following federal laws laid down by the federal deposit insurance act ( fdic ) . they 're designed to weed out employees guilty of identity theft and mortgage fraud . wells fargo is ... bound by us federal law ... to protect our customers and their personal financial information from someone who we know has committed an act of dishonesty or breach of trust -- regardless of when the incidents occurred , ' vickee j. adams , vice president of external communications , said in a statement . it is uncomfortable , but it is a law that we have to follow , ' she said . we have the responsibility to avoid hiring or continuing to employ someone who we know has a criminal record . ' wells fargo says between may 2011 and may 2012 , it performed thorough background checks on all its team members , regardless of when they were hired . the screenings were the same as those required for new hires . the whole thing was too absurd for words , ' eggers told kcci . they had their instructions and there was nothing i could change , but i wanted to let them know i did n't accept it as a logical and reasonable business practice . ' wells fargo says eggers has been put in touch with an fdic case manager to work on steps to make him eligible for reemployment . ' leonard bates , an attorney representing eggers and three other employees who used to work for the company , said he may file a class action lawsuit against wells fargo and the fdic . common sense tells you that mr. eggers and his 49-year-old crime was not the downfall of the mortgage industry in 2008 and 2009 , ' bates told kcci . | the whole thing was too absurd for words , ' eggers says |
wells fargo home mortgage <tsp> ( cnn ) -- sometimes life can turn on a dime . just ask richard eggers , a former wells fargo employee . the 68-year-old eggers was fired by the company 's home mortgage division in west des moines , iowa , in july for a petty crime he committed nearly 50 years ago . he got caught using a cardboard cutout of a dime to run a laundromat washing machine when he was 19 . officially , the crime is called operating a coin changing machine by false means , court records from 1963 say . it was silly and stupid , ' eggers told cnn affiliate kcci-tv . i am not terribly proud of it , but , it does n't warrant a termination a half a century later . ' wells fargo says it 's following federal laws laid down by the federal deposit insurance act ( fdic ) . they 're designed to weed out employees guilty of identity theft and mortgage fraud . wells fargo is ... bound by us federal law ... to protect our customers and their personal financial information from someone who we know has committed an act of dishonesty or breach of trust -- regardless of when the incidents occurred , ' vickee j. adams , vice president of external communications , said in a statement . it is uncomfortable , but it is a law that we have to follow , ' she said . we have the responsibility to avoid hiring or continuing to employ someone who we know has a criminal record . ' wells fargo says between may 2011 and may 2012 , it performed thorough background checks on all its team members , regardless of when they were hired . the screenings were the same as those required for new hires . the whole thing was too absurd for words , ' eggers told kcci . they had their instructions and there was nothing i could change , but i wanted to let them know i did n't accept it as a logical and reasonable business practice . ' wells fargo says eggers has been put in touch with an fdic case manager to work on steps to make him eligible for reemployment . ' leonard bates , an attorney representing eggers and three other employees who used to work for the company , said he may file a class action lawsuit against wells fargo and the fdic . common sense tells you that mr. eggers and his 49-year-old crime was not the downfall of the mortgage industry in 2008 and 2009 , ' bates told kcci . | wells fargo home mortgage fires him after a background check |
umar farouk abdulmutallab <tsp> a new video released by al qaeda in the arabian peninsula confirms the group 's senior leaders were closely involved in the plot to blow up a u.s. airliner over detroit five years ago and that american-born cleric anwar al-awlaki was among them . the video , released by al qaeda in the arabian peninsula 's official media arm , shows a short clip of the underwear ' bomber , umar farouk abdulmutallab , together with both the group 's leader , nasir al-wuhayshi , and al-awlaki . cnn is unable to confirm the authenticity of the clip , which is in slow motion and lasts barely five seconds . but laith alkhouri of flashpoint partners , which monitors jihadist media releases , says it appears to be genuine . a previous al qaeda in the arabian peninsula video released in june showed abdulmutallab embracing al-wuhayshi , who is now deputy to al qaeda leader ayman al-zawahiri . abdulmutallab 's communications and meetings with al-awlaki were previously known . but this video underlines the extent to which al-awlaki was by the fall of 2009 closely involved with al qaeda in the arabian peninsula 's leadership . abdulmutallab , a nigerian student , boarded a northwest airlines flight from amsterdam to detroit on christmas day 2009 with a device hidden in his underpants . he was unable to detonate it as the airliner descended to its destination . the video -- some 30 minutes long -- is a compilation celebrating an important clan in central yemen , the dahab , and specifically three brothers , nabil , qa'id and tariq . they had become prominent supporters of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula and formed a friendship with al-awlaki , who married their sister . one of the brothers , qa'id al dahab , recruited abdulmutallab in the yemeni capital and brought him to the attention of the al qaeda in the arabian peninsula leadership in autumn 2009 , according to alkhouri . during abdulmutallab 's brief trial ( which ended abruptly when he changed his plea to guilty ) , it was disclosed that the nigerian had told the fbi he had been introduced in sana'a to an al qaeda operative named abu tarak , who became his principal handler . it seems abu tarak may in fact have been one of the al dahab brothers . in late november 2009 , abu tarak enlisted abdulmutallab in al qaeda in the arabian peninsula 's plan to attack an american airliner . in releasing the video now , al qaeda in the arabian peninsula is drawing attention to the role of dahab family members in its ongoing battles against houthi militia in bayda , and trying to rally support in what has become a draining war of attrition . battles between al qaeda fighters and houthi militia across a wide swath of central yemen are an almost daily occurrence . bomb attacks in ra'da last week killed more than 20 people , including 15 girls on a bus . al qaeda in the arabian peninsula was quick to blame the houthi for the girls'deaths . the houthi , a shia minority in yemen , seized control of sana'a in september and have since pushed into central yemen . they also control yemen 's second port , hodeidah , on the red sea . the video includes a quote from al-awlaki , who says the host for this jihad is the clan . in afghanistan the clan , in iraq the clan and in somalia the clan . ' al qaeda in the arabian peninsula needs the support of the tribes in its fight against the houthis , and has tried to cast the struggle as one between the sunni tribes and heretical ' shia for the soul of islam . as for the dahabs , qa'id was killed last year , purportedly in a drone strike . tariq brought sharia law to the town of ra'da in bayda in 2012 , but was then killed by his half-brother hizzam , who had objected to al qaeda 's presence in ra'da . the al qaeda in the arabian peninsula video claims hizzam killed tariq with the support of the yemeni regime and their masters the americans . ' | umar farouk abdulmutallab tried to blow up a plane over detroit on 2009 |
british <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- security experts are starting to analyze events leading up to the horrific cleaver attack of a man believed to be a british soldier on the suburban streets of london . one key line of inquiry they 'll be following among the many leads : how does this attack relate to other incidents around the world ? cnn terrorism analyst paul cruickshank says the precedents are not hard to detect . it 's early in the investigation in terms of looking at the culprit and motivation but there 's a track record of islamist extremists inspired by al qaeda ideology targeting soldiers in the west , ' he said . other areas the security services would look at , he added , would include which groups -- if any -- were behind the attack and whether it was home-grown . cruickshank said that there had been plots in the past when attackers had tried to target military personnel : the fact that wednesday 's murder happened near a military barracks in southeast london was significant . it 's not clear if this particular officer was specifically targeted or he just happened to be walking through this area and was a target of opportunity , ' said cruickshank , but it seems that more than one individual was part of this attack , so this could well have been planned . we just do n't know . ' cnn affiliate itn has broadcast a video showing a man at the scene of the attack with bloody hands and holding a meat cleaver , saying : we swear by almighty allah we will never stop fighting you . ' he then continues : the only reasons we killed this man this is because muslims are dying daily . this british soldier is an eye for an eye , a tooth for tooth . ' cruickshank cited the plot , uncovered in 2007 , to kidnap and murder a muslim british soldier . four men plotted to kidnap a solider on leave and then decapitate him in a garage . parviz khan , the leader of the plotters , planned to behead the soldier like a pig ' and then post film of the killing online . it is not known if there are any links between this plot and the attack . leading al qaeda clerics have called those who target soldiers in the west heroes , ' cruickshank said . these are people inspired by al qaeda ideology in the west , ' cruickshank said . hero ' was the term militant cleric anwar al-awlaki -- who was born and raised in the united states -- had used to describe nidal hasan , an american muslim soldier based at fort hood , texas . in november 2009 hasan shot and killed 13 u.s. soldiers at the military base in november 2009 . hasan and al-awlaki had communicated on the internet before the shootings at the military base , used at the time by soldiers about to be deployed to iraq and afghanistan , cruickshank said . al-awlaki himself was killed by a u.s. drone strike in in yemen in september 2011 . the motivation in these past attacks has been the war in afghanistan and iraq , ' cruickshank said . for a generation of islamist extremists in the uk , iraq and afghanistan were their formative experiences . ' in 2012 , mohammed merah , a 23-year-old french-algerian , went on a killing spree that terrorized france and left seven people dead , including three soldiers . three children were killed when he attacked a jewish school . he was eventually tracked down to his apartment in toulouse , southern france , where he was besieged for 32 hours before being killed as security forces stormed the building on march 22 . during that siege merah told negotiators that he was acting on behalf of al qaeda . a senior u.s. counterterrorism official later told cnn that merah was believed to have linked up with jund al khilafah , an obscure kazakh jihadist group with ties to al qaeda , just months before the attacks . ] cruickshank said the fact that such killings had occurred since foreign troop levels in iraq and afghanistan had been scaled back was irrelevant to the attackers . the iraq war is still very much an issue for these people . a significant number of these have been energised by watching beheading videos put out by groups like al qaeda in iraq . ' monica sarkar contributed to this report . | british police uncovered 2007 plot to kidnap and murder a muslim british soldier |
obama <tsp> ( cnn ) -- sen. john mccain said sunday he would not necessarily support his former running mate if she chose to run for president . sen. john mccain and gov . sarah palin embrace after election results were in november 4 . speaking to abc 's this week , ' mccain was asked whether alaska gov . sarah palin could count on his support . i ca n't say something like that . we 've got some great other young governors . i think you 're going to see the governors assume a greater leadership role in our republican party , ' he said . he then mentioned governors tim pawlenty of minnesota and jon huntsman of utah . mccain said he has the greatest appreciation for gov . palin and her family , and it was a great joy to know them . ' she invigorated our campaign ' against barack obama for the presidency , he said . mccain was pressed on why he ca n't promise support for the woman who , just months ago , he named as the second best person to lead the nation . have no doubt of my admiration and respect for her and my view of her viability , but at this stage , again ... my corpse is still warm , you know ? ' he replied . in his first sunday political tv appearance since november 4 , mccain also promised to work to build consensus in tackling america 's challenges , and criticized his own party for its latest attack on obama . mccain rejected complaints from the republican national committee that obama has not been transparent about his contacts with illinois gov . rod blagojevich . i think that the obama campaign should and will give all information necessary , ' mccain told abc 's this week . ' you know , in all due respect to the republican national committee and anybody -- right now , i think we should try to be working constructively together , not only on an issue such as this , but on the economy , stimulus package , reforms that are necessary . ' mccain 's answer came in response to a question about comments from rnc chairman mike duncan . the rnc also released an internet ad last week , titled questions remain , ' suggesting obama is failing to provide important information about potential links between his associates and blagojevich . blagojevich was arrested tuesday and charged with trying to trade obama 's senate seat for campaign contributions and other favors . i do n't know all the details of the relationship between president-elect obama 's campaign or his people and the governor of illinois , ' mccain told abc . but i have some confidence that all the information will come out . it always does , it seems to me . ' mccain said he , like obama and many other lawmakers , believes blagojevich should resign . despite the heated nature of the race and attacks both former candidates lobbed at each other , mccain emphasized that he plans to focus on pushing lawmakers past partisan politics . i think my job is , of course , to be a part of , and hopefully exert some leadership , in the loyal opposition . but i emphasize the word loyal , ' mccain said . we have n't seen economic times like this in my lifetime . we have n't seen challenges abroad at the level that we are experiencing , certainly since the end of the cold war , and you could argue in some respects that they 're certainly more complex , many of these challenges . so let 's have our first priority where we can work together ... ' will there be areas of disagreement ? of course . we are different parties and different philosophy . but the nation wants us to unite and work together . ' mccain said he would n't comment on whether he thought he had a good chance of winning the presidency , given the bush administration and the gop were perceived to be responsible for the economy 's problems . mccain said he would leave that question ' for others to make that kind of judgment . ' he pointed out that his poll numbers dropped along with the dow . that would sound like i am detracting from president-elect obama 's campaign . i do n't want to do that ... nobody likes a sore loser . ' the key to moving past the stinging defeat , he said , is to , get busy and move on . that 's the best cure for it . i spent a period of time feeling sorry for myself . it 's wonderful . it 's one of the most enjoyable experiences that you can have . but the point is : you 've got to move on ... i 'm still a senator from the state of arizona . i still have the privilege and honor of serving this country , which i 've done all my life , and it 's a great honor to do so . ' | mccain said gop should focus on cooperation with obama 's administration |
america <tsp> ( cnn ) -- years before bill nye became the science guy , he was a mechanical engineering student at cornell university , where he took a course with astronomer carl sagan . sagan , who was instrumental in the planning of nasa missions to other planets and became widely known for his research , writing and public television series , was one of the founders of the planetary society . and his student dutifully signed up to become a member . i 've been a member for over 30 years . and now i 'm the head guy . it 's quite odd , ' a surprised-sounding nye told cnn in an interview in march at the ted2012 conference in long beach , california . so today , the bow-tied , jauntily professorial nye has a new role aside from his television work as a popularizer of science : as the society 's chief executive , he 's become a leading voice against the obama administration 's proposed $ 300 million cut in nasa 's planetary exploration budget . and it 's a subject about which he 's passionate . remembering retired nasa astronaut , alan poindexter . this is a deep , deep concern . all the budgets are being cut . we gotcha , budgets are being cut , budgets are being pulled back , yes , yes , all good , ' he says , acknowledging the pressure to cut spending . but investment in space stimulates society , it stimulates it economically , it stimulates it intellectually , and it gives us all passion . everyone , red state , blue state , everyone supports space exploration . so i understand the budget has got to be cut , but something has gone a little bit wrong . ' nye says the planetary exploration budget , facing a reduction of 21 % from this fiscal year 's budget , is taking a deeper cut than other parts of nasa . this would n't matter . except it 's not a faucet . it 's not a spigot you can turn off and on . you stop planetary exploration , those people who do that extraordinary work are going to have to go do something else . ' his worry is that the u.s. is in danger of losing its unmatched scientific expertise to plan and execute missions to other planets . to try to really land a spacecraft really on another world is really difficult , and if we lose that ability , it 's going to be heartbreaking , ' says nye , who adds that it could take decades to recoup . nye makes another argument for investing in exploring the solar system . he says there are two kinds of natural disasters that can be prevented : one is climate change , and the other is the earth getting hit by an asteroid . telescope aims to head off asteroids'impact on earth ' if the earth gets hit by an asteroid , it 's game over . it 's control-alt-delete for civilization . ' nye says he figures sea jellies , squid , cockroaches will be fine , ' but an asteroid could wipe out humankind . so what we want to do is to develop the capability to redirect , to deflect an asteroid , ever so slightly . if you 're going to do that , you 've got to have space exploration . and sooner or later , you 're going to want to send people out there to look around . it 's just our nature , and one day it would be exciting to send people to mars . ' nasa is in the midst of active exploration of mars . in august , curiosity , the mars science laboratory rover , is due to land on the planet 's surface . david weaver , nasa 's associate administrator for communications , says the rover is the hubble of mars missions ' and the most sophisticated scientific system ever sent to another planet . ' space junk diplomacy its mission is to determine whether the red planet could have ever hosted life . weaver said in june that the agency is reformulating its mars strategy in light of budget constraints and scientific priorities and the president 's challenge of sending humans to mars in the 2030s . ' nye says his concern is n't about current missions but about whether the next series of missions and the ones beyond that will have enough funds to proceed . taking a larger view , nye says there are two questions everyone should ask themselves at some time in their lives : where did we come from ? and are we alone ? ' to seek the real answers to those questions , you have to explore space , and if you stop exploring , if you say ,'i do n't care ; i 'm not going to look up and out and beyond the horizon ,'what does that say about you ? it 's not good , ' nye said . if we found life on mars , or evidence of life on mars , it would change the way everybody thinks about everything . it would change the way you think about your place in space . ' | if america loses its edge , it could take decades to rebuild , nye says |
caroline wozniacki <tsp> ( cnn ) -- australian open champion li na fell at the first hurdle of the french open tuesday as she was defeated by the unseeded kristina mladenovic of france 7-5 , 3-6 , 6-1 . the world no . 2 's early exit follows that of men 's australian open champion stanislas wawrinka , who lost monday to spanish outsider guillermo garcia-lopez . for mladenovic , the victory marked just the fifth match she has won this year . the 21-year-old won the girls title in paris in 2009 but has struggled to replicate this success in the seniors and is currently ranked 103 in the world . after the draw i was n't very happy , but i made sure i prepared as well as i could and was ready to play my best tennis , ' mladenovic said in her post-match interview on suzanne lenglen . when i got on court , i thought ,'i 'm at home , be positive .' i tried to get my forehand into play and attack her forehand whenever i could and it worked well . i 'm really glad i could produce such good tennis in front of all these supporters . ' li , a french open winner in 2011 , committed 37 unforced errors compared to her opponent 's 25 and surrendered meekly in the final set . her defeat marks the first time a ladies australian open winner has lost in the first round of the french since lindsey davenport in the year 2000 . unsurprisingly , li cut a dejected figure in her post-match press conference , telling reporters : nobody says if you 're number two in the world you have to win all the matches . i mean , this is tennis . i think it does n't matter who plays today against me , i always lose because i do n't think i put pressure on her . i think today i gave away the match . i think today is not about tennis , so many things are wrong . ' elsewhere on tuesday , denmark 's caroline wozniacki was eliminated 7-6 , 6-4 , 6-2 in the opening round by belgium 's yanina wickmayer . the 13th seed , whose engagement to golfer rory mcilroy was broken off last week , has only once advanced past round three in paris -- in 2010 . fourth seed simona halep , from romania , cruised past russian opponent alisa kleybanova 6-0 , 6-2 in just 55 minutes and will now face britain 's heather watson who overcame barbora zahlavova strycova , from the czech republic . serbian no . 6 seed jelena jankovic and compatriot ana ivanovic -- the 2008 winner -- both secured second round berths , as did 21-year-old american sloane stephens . in the men 's draw , fourth seed david ferrer , from spain , made light work of his opening encounter , dispatching dutchman igor sijsling 6-4 , 6-3 , 6-1 . andy murray , the reigning wimbledon champion , took four sets to see off the challenge of andrey golubev from kazakhstan , 6-1 , 6-4 , 3-6 , 6-3 . murray has been trying to rediscover his best form after back surgery last year and he told the tournament 's official website : i 've been moving fairly well the last couple of weeks . it was windy , especially at the start . you want to dictate as many points as you can but when it 's breezy , it 's tricky to stick to your tactics . i did n't go for my shots too much . i just tried to be patient . ' murray has been without a coach since parting with ivan lendl earlier this year , but he joked that he is finding it hard to appoint a successor . have i found a coach ? hopefully soon . i 'm trying but not many people want to work with me so it 's not that easy , ' he added . gregor dimitrov , the no . 11 seed from bulgaria , was dumped out by croatian veteran ivan karlovic , who won his first match at the french open since 2007 . there were also wins for france 's no . 12 seed richard gasquet over bernard tomic , of australia , and his compatriot gael monfils . see also : wawrinka sent packing in paris see also : does paris need invincible nadal ? | caroline wozniacki ousted in first match since split with golfer rory mcilroy |
japanese <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the u.s. coast guard sank a japanese fishing trawler off the coast of alaska on thursday , more than a year after it was swept away by a tsunami off the east coast of japan , authorities said . the trawler capsized hours after the coast guard set fire to it , causing it to begin taking on water , said petty officer 1st class david mosley , a coast guard spokesman . the sinking of the ryou-un maru brought about the end of a journey for the rust-stained ship that drifted across the pacific ocean as part of a giant debris field generated by a tsunami that struck japan following a 9.0 earthquake on march 11 , 2011 . the coast guard determined the trawler posed a threat to other ships navigating the area , and had been broadcasting the unmanned , unlit vessel 's location to mariners to alert them to the hazard . the u.s. geological survey advised the coast guard where the ship 's sinking would have the least environmental impact . the potential for a pollution incident is unknown at this time , but officials have limited concerns about any biological threats due to the length of time the vessel has been at sea , ' the coast guard said in a statement . the coast guard opened fire on the ryou-un maru at 1 p.m. thursday . the ship drifted from canadian waters into u.s. waters on saturday , and was located about 180 miles west of the dixon entrance in southeast alaska , the coast guard said . the trawler was first spotted floating near british columbia by a canadian military air patrol , and it was then determined that it had been adrift since the tsunami , canadian officials said last month . the japan coast guard identified the owner of the vessel after being contacted by canadian officials , who were provided the identification number on the hull . the vessel , which was used for squid fishing , was moored at hachinohe in the aomori prefecture when the tsunami hit , japanese authorities said . a canadian vessel , the bernie c , had expressed an interest in salvage , which delayed the operation , but officials deemed that it would be too unsafe to tow or attempt to salvage the vessel , said coast guard spokesman kip wadlow . cnn 's leslie tripp , tina burnside , jake carpenter , jack maddox and jethro mullen contributed to this report . | new : u.s. coast guard official says japanese trawler has capsized |
louis van gaal <tsp> ( cnn ) -- nigeria 's short-list of targets for the vacant national manager 's job has been cut by one after bayern munich coach louis van gaal distanced himself from the role . the dutchman was named alongside russia boss guus hiddink , former ghana coach ratomir djukovic , ex-england under-21 manager peter taylor and bruno metsu as the nigeria football federation 's preferred candidates to replace the demoted shaibu amodu . the 58-year-old has previous international experience following a two-year spell in charge of the netherlands , but made it clear that he wants to see out his contract with german giants bayern , which runs until june 2011 . i have had an offer from nigeria now , but i have rejected it , ' van gaal told german television channel liga total . it was not the first time i have received an offer from nigeria , but i think that bayern is a big challenge for me . ' however , van gaal told german newspaper frankfurter allgemeine zeitung that he would one day like to coach another national side . i think bayern could be my final club . i would like to play a part in the world cup , or similarly at a uefa euro tournament , ' he said . i am looking forward to experiencing these tournaments . ' the nff announced last friday that amodu 's third spell in charge had come to an end despite the 51-year-old leading the super eagles to the semifinals of the africa cup of nations , where they lost to ghana . amodu has been relegated to handling the b ' team ahead of the 2011 african nations championship . the nff said on its web site that its list of candidates must be screened and whittled down to a final group of three by the end of february . hiddink 's future as russia coach is uncertain after the team failed to qualify for the world cup in south africa in june , and his contract runs out this year , but media reports suggest the dutchman does not want the nigeria job . frenchman metsu is now head of qatar 's national team , but made his reputation by guiding senegal to a shock win over champions france at the 2002 world cup . djukovic took ghana 's black stars past the group stage of the 2006 world cup but quit after a second-round defeat by brazil , then had a two-year spell with china 's under-23 olympic team before taking charge of his native serbia 's under-21 side last july . taylor has been without a job since october when he was sacked by english third division team wycombe . he has had two separate spells with the england under-21 side , and was caretaker manager of the senior side for one match against italy in 2000 when he gave david beckham the captain 's armband . meanwhile , benin have sacked coach michel dussuyer after failing to progress past the first round of the africa cup of nations in angola last month , finishing third in group c after a draw and two defeats . the frenchman 's players and staff have also been dismissed by the benin football federation . a decision has been made to dissolve the national team and its technical supervision , ' it said in a statement . in the decision , taken by members of the executive committee , they took into account the indiscipline , lack of patriotism and lack of team results at the african nations cup . the federation , in conjunction with the sports ministry , will set up a new code of conduct and now start out on a new basis with all players who are called into the national team in the future . ' pre-tournament favorites the ivory coast , who surprisingly lost to algeria in the quarterfinals , will play fellow world cup qualifiers south korea in a friendly in england on march 3 . the match will be played at the loftus road , ground of london club queen 's park rangers . | bayern munich coach louis van gaal distances himself from vacant nigeria manager 's role |
new hampshire <tsp> portsmouth , new hampshire ( cnn ) -- hillary clinton became visibly emotional at a new hampshire campaign event monday after a friendly question from a voter . sen. hillary clinton 's eyes welled with tears as she spoke in new hampshire monday . at the close of a portsmouth campaign stop , marianne pernold-young , 64 , asked clinton : how do you do it ? how do you keep up ... and who does your hair ? ' clinton said she had help with her hair on special days , ' and that she drew criticism on the days she did not . then she added : it 's not easy , and i could n't do it if i just did n't , you know , passionately believe it was the right thing to do . you know , i have so many opportunities from this country , i just do n't want to see us fall backwards , ' she said , her voice breaking a bit . the audience applauded . this is very personal for me , it 's not just political , it 's [ that ] i see what 's happening , we have to reverse it , ' she said emotionally , adding that some just put ourselves out there and do this against some pretty difficult odds . but some of us are right and some of us are wrong . some of us ready and some of us are not . some of us know what we will do on day one , and some of us really have n't thought that through enough . ' so as tired as i am and i am . and as difficult as it is to try and keep up what i try to do on the road , like occasionally exercise and try to eat right -- it 's tough when the easiest food is pizza -- i just believe so strongly in who we are as a nation . so i 'm going to do everything i can and make my case and you know the voters get to decide . ' watch clinton become emotional as she 's answering a question » the new york senator is under pressure after some weekend surveys show opponent barack obama with a sudden almost double digit lead , with less than a day to go until the new hampshire primary . at a new hampshire campaign event , presidential rival john edwards told reporters he was unaware of clinton 's emotional reaction and would not respond to it . but he did say , i think what we need in a commander in chief is strength and resolve , and presidential campaigns are a tough business , but being president of the united states is also a very tough business . and the president of the united states is faced with very , very difficult challenges every single day , difficult judgments every single day . ' e-mail to a friend | she was with mostly female voters in new hampshire on a campaign stop |
new york <tsp> portsmouth , new hampshire ( cnn ) -- hillary clinton became visibly emotional at a new hampshire campaign event monday after a friendly question from a voter . sen. hillary clinton 's eyes welled with tears as she spoke in new hampshire monday . at the close of a portsmouth campaign stop , marianne pernold-young , 64 , asked clinton : how do you do it ? how do you keep up ... and who does your hair ? ' clinton said she had help with her hair on special days , ' and that she drew criticism on the days she did not . then she added : it 's not easy , and i could n't do it if i just did n't , you know , passionately believe it was the right thing to do . you know , i have so many opportunities from this country , i just do n't want to see us fall backwards , ' she said , her voice breaking a bit . the audience applauded . this is very personal for me , it 's not just political , it 's [ that ] i see what 's happening , we have to reverse it , ' she said emotionally , adding that some just put ourselves out there and do this against some pretty difficult odds . but some of us are right and some of us are wrong . some of us ready and some of us are not . some of us know what we will do on day one , and some of us really have n't thought that through enough . ' so as tired as i am and i am . and as difficult as it is to try and keep up what i try to do on the road , like occasionally exercise and try to eat right -- it 's tough when the easiest food is pizza -- i just believe so strongly in who we are as a nation . so i 'm going to do everything i can and make my case and you know the voters get to decide . ' watch clinton become emotional as she 's answering a question » the new york senator is under pressure after some weekend surveys show opponent barack obama with a sudden almost double digit lead , with less than a day to go until the new hampshire primary . at a new hampshire campaign event , presidential rival john edwards told reporters he was unaware of clinton 's emotional reaction and would not respond to it . but he did say , i think what we need in a commander in chief is strength and resolve , and presidential campaigns are a tough business , but being president of the united states is also a very tough business . and the president of the united states is faced with very , very difficult challenges every single day , difficult judgments every single day . ' e-mail to a friend | the new york senator is trailing sen. barack obama in polls |
british overseas territory <tsp> ( cnn ) -- britain says it has suspended the government of the turks and caicos islands and imposed direct rule after allegations of systemic corruption and serious dishonesty ' . former turks and caicos islands premier michael misick , shown here with his wife , lisaraye , could be investigated . british foreign office minister chris bryant said he instructed the british governor of the island territory to suspend the ministerial government and the house of assembly for as long as two years . bryant said his order also suspends the constitutional right to trial by jury in the turks and caicos . this is a serious constitutional step which the uk government has not taken lightly , but these measures are essential in order to restore good governance and sound financial management , ' bryant said in a statement . it remains our intentions that elections should be held by july 2011 , if not sooner . it is also important that the people of turks and caicos islands continue to have a voice in the interim and the order puts in place an advisory council and consultative forum to make sure this happens . ' the move follows allegations of corruption in the turks and caicos , a british overseas territory of eight major islands and numerous uninhabited keys , 800 kilometers ( 500 miles ) southeast of miami , florida . the british government set up a commission of inquiry in july 2008 to look into possible corruption or other serious dishonesty in recent years of past and present elected members of the legislature . the commission 's report , delivered may 31 , found information in abundance pointing to a high probability of systemic corruption and/or serious dishonesty ' in the turks and caicos , the foreign office said . this , together with clear signs of political amorality and immaturity and of general administrative incompetence , demonstrated a need for urgent suspension in whole or in part of the constitution and for other legislative and administrative reforms , ' the foreign office said . the report also recommends criminal investigations into former premier michael misick and four of his former cabinet ministers . this is not a'british takeover ,'' said gordon wetherell , governor of the turks and caicos islands . public services will continue to be run by people of the turks and caicos islands , as indeed they should be . but i hope we can now begin to run them better . ' queen elizabeth is the head of state of the british territory , and the governor is her official representative . the governor is responsible for defense ; external affairs ; internal security , including the islands'police force ; and the appointment of some public officials , but he is normally required to act on the advice of the cabinet . the islands'ministerial system includes the premier and six other ministers who must act according to cabinet policies . | turks and caicos is a british overseas territory of eight major islands |
allegri <tsp> ( cnn ) -- italian giants ac milan have confirmed massimiliano allegri as their new coach . allegri has signed a two-year contract with milan and replaces brazilian coach leonardo , who left after just one season at the club . the 42-year-old led cagliari to mid-table finishes in the last two seasons and recently terminated his contract . a statement on milan 's official website read : ac milan announce that massimiliano allegri is the new first team coach . the manager has signed a contract until june 30 , 2012 . ' leonardo briefly threatened to win the italian serie a title but eventually finished third , securing qualification for the lucrative european champions league . allegri says he wants to build on that third-placed finish . he told the club 's website : it 's a very important day for me . i 'm proud to be able to coach this team and be part of this great club . to the fans i can only say that i 'm very happy , and that i will try to obtain the best with this team . i replace leonardo , a coach who has done a good job . under his leadership , milan fought until the end for the scudetto and the team played very well . therefore i receive a very important legacy . today is the first day . now i will have all of the time to think and a month available to prepare the new season . coaching milan represents a very important point of arrival in my career . i 'm part of one of the strongest clubs in the world . ' | allegri replaces brazilian coach leonardo |
allegri <tsp> ( cnn ) -- italian giants ac milan have confirmed massimiliano allegri as their new coach . allegri has signed a two-year contract with milan and replaces brazilian coach leonardo , who left after just one season at the club . the 42-year-old led cagliari to mid-table finishes in the last two seasons and recently terminated his contract . a statement on milan 's official website read : ac milan announce that massimiliano allegri is the new first team coach . the manager has signed a contract until june 30 , 2012 . ' leonardo briefly threatened to win the italian serie a title but eventually finished third , securing qualification for the lucrative european champions league . allegri says he wants to build on that third-placed finish . he told the club 's website : it 's a very important day for me . i 'm proud to be able to coach this team and be part of this great club . to the fans i can only say that i 'm very happy , and that i will try to obtain the best with this team . i replace leonardo , a coach who has done a good job . under his leadership , milan fought until the end for the scudetto and the team played very well . therefore i receive a very important legacy . today is the first day . now i will have all of the time to think and a month available to prepare the new season . coaching milan represents a very important point of arrival in my career . i 'm part of one of the strongest clubs in the world . ' | ac milan confirm massimiliano allegri as their new coach |
syria <tsp> ( cnn ) a group of six young minnesota men conspired to sneak into syria and join isis by any means necessary , ' federal prosecutors said monday . the group of friends , ages 19 to 21 , were arrested sunday . what 's remarkable about this case was that nothing stopped these defendants from plotting their goal , ' said u.s. attorney andrew m. luger of the district of minnesota . they were not confused young men . they were not easily influenced . these are focused men who are intent on joining a terrorist organization by any means possible . ' recruiting for the isis terrorist network is a particular problem in minnesota 's community of somali immigrants . people often ask who is doing the recruiting and when will we catch the person responsible , ' luger said . but it is not that simple . in today 's case , the answer is that this group of friends is recruiting each other . they 're engaged in what we describe as peer-to-peer recruiting . ' zacharia yusuf abdurahman , 19 ; adnan farah , 19 ; hanad mustafe musse , 19 ; and guled ali omar , 20 , were arrested in minneapolis . abdirahman yasin daud , 21 , and mohamed abdihamid farah , 21 , were arrested in san diego after driving there in hopes of crossing into mexico , luger said . they plotted for 10 months , luger said . even when their co-conspirators were caught and charged , they continued to seek new and creative ways to leave minnesota to fight for a terror group . ' another friend , who was part of the group , changed his mind and became a cooperating witness for the fbi , even tape recording some meetings , luger said . the fbi investigation has previously netted abdullahi yusuf , who has pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to isis , and hamza ahmed , who has been indicted on charges of conspiring and attempting to provide material support to isis and is now pending trial , according to the criminal complaint . the complaint describes a man , identified only as nur , ' who has spent time in syria and allegedly helped the six accused men . four of the men who were arrested appeared in federal court on monday but did not enter a plea . the judge ordered they all be held without bail , and a detention hearing was scheduled for wednesday . cnn 's tony marco contributed to this report . | six young minnesotans conspired to sneak into syria and join isis by any means necessary , ' prosecutors say |
isis <tsp> ( cnn ) a group of six young minnesota men conspired to sneak into syria and join isis by any means necessary , ' federal prosecutors said monday . the group of friends , ages 19 to 21 , were arrested sunday . what 's remarkable about this case was that nothing stopped these defendants from plotting their goal , ' said u.s. attorney andrew m. luger of the district of minnesota . they were not confused young men . they were not easily influenced . these are focused men who are intent on joining a terrorist organization by any means possible . ' recruiting for the isis terrorist network is a particular problem in minnesota 's community of somali immigrants . people often ask who is doing the recruiting and when will we catch the person responsible , ' luger said . but it is not that simple . in today 's case , the answer is that this group of friends is recruiting each other . they 're engaged in what we describe as peer-to-peer recruiting . ' zacharia yusuf abdurahman , 19 ; adnan farah , 19 ; hanad mustafe musse , 19 ; and guled ali omar , 20 , were arrested in minneapolis . abdirahman yasin daud , 21 , and mohamed abdihamid farah , 21 , were arrested in san diego after driving there in hopes of crossing into mexico , luger said . they plotted for 10 months , luger said . even when their co-conspirators were caught and charged , they continued to seek new and creative ways to leave minnesota to fight for a terror group . ' another friend , who was part of the group , changed his mind and became a cooperating witness for the fbi , even tape recording some meetings , luger said . the fbi investigation has previously netted abdullahi yusuf , who has pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to isis , and hamza ahmed , who has been indicted on charges of conspiring and attempting to provide material support to isis and is now pending trial , according to the criminal complaint . the complaint describes a man , identified only as nur , ' who has spent time in syria and allegedly helped the six accused men . four of the men who were arrested appeared in federal court on monday but did not enter a plea . the judge ordered they all be held without bail , and a detention hearing was scheduled for wednesday . cnn 's tony marco contributed to this report . | six young minnesotans conspired to sneak into syria and join isis by any means necessary , ' prosecutors say |
district of minnesota <tsp> ( cnn ) a group of six young minnesota men conspired to sneak into syria and join isis by any means necessary , ' federal prosecutors said monday . the group of friends , ages 19 to 21 , were arrested sunday . what 's remarkable about this case was that nothing stopped these defendants from plotting their goal , ' said u.s. attorney andrew m. luger of the district of minnesota . they were not confused young men . they were not easily influenced . these are focused men who are intent on joining a terrorist organization by any means possible . ' recruiting for the isis terrorist network is a particular problem in minnesota 's community of somali immigrants . people often ask who is doing the recruiting and when will we catch the person responsible , ' luger said . but it is not that simple . in today 's case , the answer is that this group of friends is recruiting each other . they 're engaged in what we describe as peer-to-peer recruiting . ' zacharia yusuf abdurahman , 19 ; adnan farah , 19 ; hanad mustafe musse , 19 ; and guled ali omar , 20 , were arrested in minneapolis . abdirahman yasin daud , 21 , and mohamed abdihamid farah , 21 , were arrested in san diego after driving there in hopes of crossing into mexico , luger said . they plotted for 10 months , luger said . even when their co-conspirators were caught and charged , they continued to seek new and creative ways to leave minnesota to fight for a terror group . ' another friend , who was part of the group , changed his mind and became a cooperating witness for the fbi , even tape recording some meetings , luger said . the fbi investigation has previously netted abdullahi yusuf , who has pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to isis , and hamza ahmed , who has been indicted on charges of conspiring and attempting to provide material support to isis and is now pending trial , according to the criminal complaint . the complaint describes a man , identified only as nur , ' who has spent time in syria and allegedly helped the six accused men . four of the men who were arrested appeared in federal court on monday but did not enter a plea . the judge ordered they all be held without bail , and a detention hearing was scheduled for wednesday . cnn 's tony marco contributed to this report . | they plotted for 10 months , the u.s. attorney for the district of minnesota says |
north africa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a report from amnesty international says the wave of popular unrest sweeping north africa and the middle east makes this a critical time for the human rights movement -- one that could result in historic gains by freedom-loving , tech-savvy people or distressing setbacks if oppressive regimes clamp down on activists and stay in power . the report , which coincides with the advocacy group 's 50th anniversary , documents what it claims are cases of torture , unwarranted imprisonment , restrictions on freedom of expression and other alleged abuses around the world . france , for example , is among those countries called out for its restrictions on predominantly muslim women wearing veils . amnesty also challenges china over its alleged repression of free expression , notes the dire conditions for pregnant women in afghanistan and points to difficulties wrought by violence in parts of africa . yet the so-called arab spring ' is front-and-center in the report , with its authors singling out the popular movements against generally long-entrenched administrations as a time of great promise and danger . throngs of mostly young people helped to peacefully oust heads of state in egypt and tunisia , while governments in countries such as syria , yemen , bahrain and libya have thus far resisted similar attempts -- killing civilians in the process , according to amnesty . not since the end of the cold war have so many oppressive governments faced such a challenge to their stranglehold of power , ' salil shetty , amnesty 's leader , said in a press release . the demand for political and economic rights spreading across the middle east and north africa is dramatic proof that all rights are equally important and a universal demand . ' but william aceves , a california western school of law professor , said one factor distinguishing what happened in egypt and tunisia -- where mass popular movements helped unseat egypt 's hosni mubarak and tunisia 's zine el-abidine ben ali , who had led their countries for 30 and 23 years respectively -- from the institution of new governments in places like afghanistan is that there is less outside control of what happens next . that could mean such nation 's new governments -- perhaps after democratic elections -- could choose to restrict women 's , immigrants or others'rights . if so , these popular revolutions could put those groups promoting human rights in a tough spot . the question is what happens if you have a democratization process that does n't lead to greater civil liberties , ' said aceves , who has worked with amnesty international and other human rights groups through the course of his career . ( popular revolutions ) do n't always lead to good things . ' worse yet is what might happen if those pushing for change in places like yemen , syria , bahrain and iran fail after being beat back by ruling governments , human rights advocates say . some leaders such as libya 's moammar gadhafi may become more defiant in the face of outside and internal opposition , while others may be emboldened if they survive popular dissent , experts say . the part of amnesty 's report about the middle east and north africa highlighted what it called governments'preoccupation with their political security , but neglect of their people 's human security and failure to uphold the human rights on which it depends . ' already , these popular pushes for new governments have come at a stiff human cost . those calls for democracy have led to violence , ' said aceves , noting the real danger to human lives when people push for major reforms . there have been deaths in the thousands . ' another challenge for groups like amnesty is determining how to promote a pro-rights agenda in places with authoritarian leaders and little in the way of democratic institutions or history . in its report , amnesty touts technology , specifically social networking tools like twitter and facebook , with being a powerful , non-violent tool that did n't exist years ago . this allows people to circumvent censorship and communicate directly with one another , on an even platform . information is a source of power , and for those challenging the abuse of power by states and other institutions , it is an exciting time , ' shetty writes in the amnesty report . but aceves said that , at some point , rights'groups may have to wrestle with the merit of backing military efforts to overthrow totalitarian regimes . that might mean supporting airstrikes in libya , for instance , that could lead to civilian casualties . the amnesty report makes a point to stress that its accounts of human rights abuses -- and the need for a movement to prevent them -- are not confined to the middle east and north africa . in 2010 alone , the group said it has documented specific cases of torture and other ill-treatment ' in 98 countries . ' its investigators , moreover , have recorded or investigated human rights abuses in 157 countries and territories . amnesty alleges , for instance , that virtually any form of dissent was suppressed in turkmenistan , ' while law enforcement were said to have attacked human rights defenders ' in ukraine . the group alleges discrimination against immigrants in parts of mainland europe , criticizing efforts to deport people in need . crackdowns on journalists working to unearth corruption was a problem in many nations , according to amnesty . nearly 400 journalists were threatened or attacked last year in latin america alone , the report contends . there has not been any accountability , ' said javier zuniga , a special adviser on human rights at amnesty , on what has happened in parts of central south america . that 's why the situation is so bad so now , because that culture of impunity has been very , very unchanged . ' despite all the documented problems and challenges , shetty -- amnesty 's secretary-general -- voices optimism that popular movements will ultimately prevail , with human rights becoming an even more universally recognized and realized value . the call for justice , freedom and dignity has evolved into a global demand that grows stronger every day , ' he said . the genie is out of the bottle , and the forces of repression can not put it back . ' cnn 's greg botelho and catherine shoichet contributed to this report . | the wave of popular unrest in the middle east and north africa is seen as critical |
s <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- if mention of the pirate bay conjures up images of parrots , peg legs and planks , or geeky jargon like bittorrent and jailbreak leaves you all at sea , this handy a-z will help you navigate the choppy waters of the online piracy debate . x-men origins : wolverine , ' starring hugh jackman , was downloaded over a million times after being leaked in early april . the screening room 's indispensable lexicon of online piracy will teach you cracking from key generators : you 'll never again be caught out wondering how x-men origins : wolverine ' fits into warez . a is for anti-piracy efforts to prevent the illegal transfer and use of copyrighted material -- often spearheaded by corporate associations like the motion picture association of america ( mpaa ) -- using a variety of digital rights management ( drm ) tools like encryption , product keys and serial numbers . technologically often a step or two behind the pirates , the entertainment industry will sue for breach of copyright . b is for bill gates as early as 1976 , gates wrote an open letter saying that software piracy could be a problem . ironically , he has since said that microsoft actually benefited from piracy in china , where over 90 percent of computers use windows , most copies of which are pirated . the widespread use of microsoft 's operating system has enabled the software giant to gain pole position in the fast-growing market . c is for cracking modifying software to remove copy protection -- one of the technologies companies use to prevent unauthorized reproduction of media -- to enable the illegal duplication and proliferation of pirated material on disks and online . mostly done by hackers , not usually for money but to gain respect within the hacker community . d is for digital rights management ( drm ) access-control technologies used by manufacturers . most pirating technology is created to circumvent various types of drm in order to share copyrighted material online . apple rid its itunes library of drm in early april , but is charging users 30 cents per song to upgrade to drm-free tracks . e is for encryption originally used by militaries to protect secret message transmissions , encryption allows a user to transform and lock ' information that , upon transfer , can only be opened by a person who has the right key . ' encryption software is one of many anti-piracy measures designed to prevent the spread of copying and transferring copyrighted material . f is for free culture movement led by harvard law professor lawrence lessig , the movement believes restrictive copyright laws are strangling humanity 's creativity . under lessig 's creative commons ' organization , the movement is advocating for the free copying and modification of creative works -- and rejecting what they perceive to be the culturally oppressive permission culture ' of copyright and intellectual property . g is for global software piracy this report by the business software alliance suggested that 35 percent of software installed on pcs worldwide in 2006 was pirated . h is for hackers hackers wiped , ' or erased , all the data from the recording industry association of america 's ( riaa ) web site in 2008 . the incident , which exposed serious flaws in the riaa 's web security , was an embarrassment for the group , which represents the recording industry of the united states . i is for international federation of the phonographic industry ( ifpi ) according to the ifpi 's 2008 digital music report , up to 80 percent of data traffic via internet service providers ( isps ) is involved in the illegal transfer of pirated material . j is for jailbreak mostly commonly associated with the iphone , it is the practice of downloading illicit software designed to bypass digital rights management , allowing people to upload pirated versions of official iphone applications for free and use them on their phones . k is for key generators small programs found on pirate sites that allow users to crack open key-locked software like microsoft office or adobe photoshop by generating valid serial numbers for pirated copies of software that would otherwise only be included with legitimately purchased copies . l is for limewire one of the oldest and most popular peer-to-peer ( p2p ) file sharing clients , limewire is a free program used to search for and download pirated content . the program has been accused of having massive security gaps and an abundance of malware ' files , which contain computer viruses that infect users'computers upon completion of a download . m is for metallica the first major band to sue for online music piracy in 2000 , metallica sued file-sharing service , napster and three u.s. universities for enabling illegal downloading of copyrighted content . the case , which saw the rock group harshly criticized by many of its fans , was eventually settled out of court when napster agreed to block illegal downloads of the band 's songs . n is for napster online music-sharing service created by a college student in boston in 1999 , which spearheaded the widespread illegal copying and transferring of mp3 music files . a judge shut down the service in 2001 . napster has since relaunched as a legitimate monthly subscription music site . o is for organized crime international recording industry organization , ifpi and interpol say there are links between online piracy and organized crime and terrorism , citing examples from south america to south africa and eastern europe to east asia . p is for p2p more than 20 times as much music is exchanged on peer-to-peer networks as is legally purchased , the economist magazine wrote in 2008 . bittorrent is a growing p2p technology that allows the rapid downloading of large , multi-gigabyte files . q is for quality according to a survey by the auditor ernst and young in india , 66 percent of people believe pirated content is of an inferior quality to the original , but 89 percent say they 've used pirated music or films anyway . r is for r4 card a $ 30 nintendo ds cartridge that can be loaded with hundreds of free , pirated nintendo games , the r4 card is cheaper than the store price of many single authentic games . s is for sweden prosecutors in the country filed suit against the pirate bay web site earlier this year for promoting other people 's infringement of copyright laws . ' dubbed the internet piracy trial of the decade ' by uk newspaper the times , the verdict against the site will have massive implications for the future of online file-sharing , but the pirate bay 's founders plan to appeal and have previously said that the site will stay up and running . t is for the pirate bay a very popular file-sharing web site primarily used as a linking site to find and download pirated movies , music , video games , applications and more . it tracks bittorrents -- file sharing protocols that enable big , fast file transfers . the pirate bay 's founders have constantly argued that the web site does not violate copyright law because the site does not host any copyrighted material , but simply provides a service by indexing the bittorrents . u is for usenet.com regarded as a source of much pirated material , this bulletin board site is being sued by the riaa . unlike the pirate bay , usenet allows paying customers to download files in a way that is nearly impossible to track . but , like the swedish site , usenet has had to defend itself from charges that it encourages its users to violate copyright law . v is for video games the entertainment software association says the industry loses $ 3 billion annually to online piracy . w is for warez ' slang for any movies , music , applications or any other materials being traded in violation of copyright law . x is for x-men origins : wolverine ' a version of the upcoming blockbuster leaked online in march this year , the film has already been downloaded over a million times . the fbi says it is investigating the source of the leak , and the film 's star hugh jackman has spoken out , calling the leak a serious crime , ' and heartbreaking . ' y is for youtube the ubiquitous video site has been sued by major companies like viacom for publishing and proliferating unauthorized video content online . youtube has responded by removing copyrighted content , but popular clips of television programs are often reposted by users as soon as they are taken down . z is for zune microsoft 's answer to the ipod plans to make its entire catalogue of music drm-free , which will make it even easier to copy and share copyrighted music . | s is for sweden , where the internet trial of the century ' has just concluded |
opcw <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- the award of the nobel peace prize to the organisation for the prohibition of chemical weapons ( opcw ) , the international chemical weapons watchdog helping to eliminate the syrian army 's stockpiles of poison gas , recognizes the dangers and difficulties that the body faces . a team from the opcw and the u.n. has been in syria since october 1 , and oversaw the first destruction of chemical weapons equipment this week . on sunday , syrian personnel used cutting torches and angle grinders to destroy or disable a range of items , ' the opcw said . this included missile warheads , aerial bombs and mixing and filling equipment . ' given the danger the inspectors face , u.n. secretary general ban ki-moon this week described the joint opcw-u.n. mission in syria as an operation the likes of which , quite simply , have never been tried before . ' the joint mission is tasked with eliminating all chemical weapons in the country by midyear 2014 . these developments present a constructive beginning for what will nonetheless be a long and difficult process , ' opcw director-general ahmet uzumcu said . mission impossible ? securing syria 's chemical weapons would n't be easy there are many more sites to inspect and the opcw experts face significant dangers in working in a country riven by a protracted civil war . the u.n. resolution that authorized the mission capped a month of dramatic diplomacy between the united states and russia . that deal averted an american military strike over allegations the syrian government used sarin nerve gas in an august 21 attack on a damascus suburb . u.s. officials said at least 1,400 people died in the attack . syria denied responsibility , blaming rebel forces . the norwegian nobel committee tweeted that the prize was awarded not because of syria but because of its long standing work . ' however , in a statement it said that recent events had underlined the need to enhance the efforts to do away with such weapons . it also pointed the finger at certain states for failing to observe an april 2012 deadline to destroy their chemical weapons . this applies especially to the usa and russia , ' it added . the need to rid the world of chemical weapons was underlined by events in libya , said cnn 's nic robertson . former dictator moammar gadhafi tried over many years to destroy his stocks under the terms of an international treaty , but after his removal from power in 2011 and the ensuring turmoil , libya 's remaining weapons spread throughout the region . arms treaty the opcw , based in the hague , in the netherlands , is the implementing body for the chemical weapons convention , an international arms control treaty . the chemical weapons convention entered into force in april 1997 , at which point 87 states had ratified it -- and the work of the opcw to implement its provisions began at that point . according to the treaty 's wording , signatories are determined for the sake of all mankind , to exclude completely the possibility of the use of chemical weapons , through the implementation of the provisions of this convention . ' sixteen years later , more than 100 additional states have ratified the treaty . in september , syria became the latest nation to ask to join the convention . it is due to enter into force in syria on october 14 , when it will become the 190th member state . aside from its work on disarmament , the opcw aims to prevent the proliferation of chemical weapons through the inspection of chemical production facilities and monitoring of transfers of toxic chemicals and their precursors . the opcw 's experts have monitored the cataloguing and destruction of chemical weapons in countries ranging from the u.s. and russia to libya . they have also worked in iraq , which was the first time its inspectors were sent into a live battlefield . we try to get as much information as we can about what we are doing , ' franz ontal , opcw 's head of inspector training , recently told cnn , during an exclusive visit to the organization 's lab and staging facility in the netherlands . we want to know what the target site looks like ; we want to know what we are after . the information we get is what 's going to inform the inspectors about the kind of protective equipment they are going to wear . ' ontal showed cnn around the opcw 's warehouse and explained the inspectors'rules of operations . once they have located the site of a possible chemical weapons attack , the inspectors use special electronic detectors to give them an initial readout of the type of chemicals they might be facing , and in what concentration . two different machines , using different technologies , are used to increase confidence in the result . in addition to chemical experts , the inspection team also includes munitions experts . that 's because they may be dealing with unexploded ordnance . in addition , shell remnants often contain traces of the chemical residue inspectors are looking for . ontal said inspectors rarely find chemical agents in their pure form , but , crucially , they can detect residues even if only fine traces are left . the holy grail for environmental sampling is the pure agent , the agent itself . [ but ] that might not be practical ; we do not expect to find agent by the time we arrive . so we need to look for secondary evidence . that could be munitions fragments , or the delivery device itself , or whatever they used to deliver the agent . munitions fragments can inform us of many things ; they can still hold agent , if there is some liquid left . ' identifying the munitions and the delivery device can also assist the investigative process , by providing clues about who might have been behind the attack . reactions the european commission , the executive arm of the eu , which won the peace prize last year , tweeted its backing , saying : congratulations @ opcw ! # nobelpeaceprize is a powerful recognition of your important role in curbing the use of chemical weapons . ' and nato 's secretary general anders fogh rasmussen sent his support : congratulations to @ opcw for winning # nobelpeaceprize ! opcw doing difficult but essential work in eliminating # wmd # cw in # syria ' some took exception to the award though . nadim houry , deputy director of human rights watch for middle east/north africa tweeted : i would have thought 2013 would have been a year for soul searching at opcw not accolades . ' and blake hounshell , deputy editor of politico magazine , made a dig at the expense of u.s. president barack obama , a previous peace prize laureate : opcw owes this prize to the use of chemical weapons and the 2009 winner 's subsequent threat to bomb syria . ' tawakkol karman , a yemeni human rights activist who won the 2011 nobel peace prize , described how the award inspired her battle against injustice . the peace prize meant so much for me and my yemeni people and the youth of the arab spring who were fighting dictatorship and corruption , ' she wrote in an email to cnn before the announcement was made . there will be no deviation or turning back no matter how much violence and suppressions we face and no matter how many bullets and bombs are directed towards the chest of peaceful activists who are full of love and peace . no matter who wins the prize this year , i believe that both that person and his organization are worthy of respect and our trust . the nobel peace prize has helped us to view the future with optimism . ' | opcw has since'97 sought to implement ban on production , storage of chemical weapons |
nobel peace prize <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- the award of the nobel peace prize to the organisation for the prohibition of chemical weapons ( opcw ) , the international chemical weapons watchdog helping to eliminate the syrian army 's stockpiles of poison gas , recognizes the dangers and difficulties that the body faces . a team from the opcw and the u.n. has been in syria since october 1 , and oversaw the first destruction of chemical weapons equipment this week . on sunday , syrian personnel used cutting torches and angle grinders to destroy or disable a range of items , ' the opcw said . this included missile warheads , aerial bombs and mixing and filling equipment . ' given the danger the inspectors face , u.n. secretary general ban ki-moon this week described the joint opcw-u.n. mission in syria as an operation the likes of which , quite simply , have never been tried before . ' the joint mission is tasked with eliminating all chemical weapons in the country by midyear 2014 . these developments present a constructive beginning for what will nonetheless be a long and difficult process , ' opcw director-general ahmet uzumcu said . mission impossible ? securing syria 's chemical weapons would n't be easy there are many more sites to inspect and the opcw experts face significant dangers in working in a country riven by a protracted civil war . the u.n. resolution that authorized the mission capped a month of dramatic diplomacy between the united states and russia . that deal averted an american military strike over allegations the syrian government used sarin nerve gas in an august 21 attack on a damascus suburb . u.s. officials said at least 1,400 people died in the attack . syria denied responsibility , blaming rebel forces . the norwegian nobel committee tweeted that the prize was awarded not because of syria but because of its long standing work . ' however , in a statement it said that recent events had underlined the need to enhance the efforts to do away with such weapons . it also pointed the finger at certain states for failing to observe an april 2012 deadline to destroy their chemical weapons . this applies especially to the usa and russia , ' it added . the need to rid the world of chemical weapons was underlined by events in libya , said cnn 's nic robertson . former dictator moammar gadhafi tried over many years to destroy his stocks under the terms of an international treaty , but after his removal from power in 2011 and the ensuring turmoil , libya 's remaining weapons spread throughout the region . arms treaty the opcw , based in the hague , in the netherlands , is the implementing body for the chemical weapons convention , an international arms control treaty . the chemical weapons convention entered into force in april 1997 , at which point 87 states had ratified it -- and the work of the opcw to implement its provisions began at that point . according to the treaty 's wording , signatories are determined for the sake of all mankind , to exclude completely the possibility of the use of chemical weapons , through the implementation of the provisions of this convention . ' sixteen years later , more than 100 additional states have ratified the treaty . in september , syria became the latest nation to ask to join the convention . it is due to enter into force in syria on october 14 , when it will become the 190th member state . aside from its work on disarmament , the opcw aims to prevent the proliferation of chemical weapons through the inspection of chemical production facilities and monitoring of transfers of toxic chemicals and their precursors . the opcw 's experts have monitored the cataloguing and destruction of chemical weapons in countries ranging from the u.s. and russia to libya . they have also worked in iraq , which was the first time its inspectors were sent into a live battlefield . we try to get as much information as we can about what we are doing , ' franz ontal , opcw 's head of inspector training , recently told cnn , during an exclusive visit to the organization 's lab and staging facility in the netherlands . we want to know what the target site looks like ; we want to know what we are after . the information we get is what 's going to inform the inspectors about the kind of protective equipment they are going to wear . ' ontal showed cnn around the opcw 's warehouse and explained the inspectors'rules of operations . once they have located the site of a possible chemical weapons attack , the inspectors use special electronic detectors to give them an initial readout of the type of chemicals they might be facing , and in what concentration . two different machines , using different technologies , are used to increase confidence in the result . in addition to chemical experts , the inspection team also includes munitions experts . that 's because they may be dealing with unexploded ordnance . in addition , shell remnants often contain traces of the chemical residue inspectors are looking for . ontal said inspectors rarely find chemical agents in their pure form , but , crucially , they can detect residues even if only fine traces are left . the holy grail for environmental sampling is the pure agent , the agent itself . [ but ] that might not be practical ; we do not expect to find agent by the time we arrive . so we need to look for secondary evidence . that could be munitions fragments , or the delivery device itself , or whatever they used to deliver the agent . munitions fragments can inform us of many things ; they can still hold agent , if there is some liquid left . ' identifying the munitions and the delivery device can also assist the investigative process , by providing clues about who might have been behind the attack . reactions the european commission , the executive arm of the eu , which won the peace prize last year , tweeted its backing , saying : congratulations @ opcw ! # nobelpeaceprize is a powerful recognition of your important role in curbing the use of chemical weapons . ' and nato 's secretary general anders fogh rasmussen sent his support : congratulations to @ opcw for winning # nobelpeaceprize ! opcw doing difficult but essential work in eliminating # wmd # cw in # syria ' some took exception to the award though . nadim houry , deputy director of human rights watch for middle east/north africa tweeted : i would have thought 2013 would have been a year for soul searching at opcw not accolades . ' and blake hounshell , deputy editor of politico magazine , made a dig at the expense of u.s. president barack obama , a previous peace prize laureate : opcw owes this prize to the use of chemical weapons and the 2009 winner 's subsequent threat to bomb syria . ' tawakkol karman , a yemeni human rights activist who won the 2011 nobel peace prize , described how the award inspired her battle against injustice . the peace prize meant so much for me and my yemeni people and the youth of the arab spring who were fighting dictatorship and corruption , ' she wrote in an email to cnn before the announcement was made . there will be no deviation or turning back no matter how much violence and suppressions we face and no matter how many bullets and bombs are directed towards the chest of peaceful activists who are full of love and peace . no matter who wins the prize this year , i believe that both that person and his organization are worthy of respect and our trust . the nobel peace prize has helped us to view the future with optimism . ' | nobel peace prize goes to organisation for the prohibition of chemical weapons |
palestinian authority <tsp> gaza city , gaza ( cnn ) -- palestinian militants declared sunday that they would stop attacks on israel for a week , a statement that came hours after israeli prime minister ehud olmert announced a unilateral cease-fire in the country 's assault on hamas in gaza . an israeli soldier holds up an israeli flag after leaving gaza on sunday . the palestinians demanded that israel remove all troops from gaza within the week , hamas spokesman ayman taha said from egypt . the agreement appears to cover all palestinian armed factions , not only hamas . we in the palestinian resistance movements announce a cease-fire in the gaza strip , ' moussa abu marzouk , a senior hamas official in syria , said on syrian tv . and we demand that israeli forces withdraw in one week and that they open all the border crossings to permit the entry of humanitarian aid and basic goods for our people in gaza . ' there is no mutual agreement between the israelis and palestinians -- each side has made its own unilateral declaration of a cease-fire . mahmoud abbas , the president of the palestinian authority , called for the cease-fire to hold so aid could get into gaza . watch how a family in gaza is coping with the violence » ' we hope that it continues and that the situation calms down and that humanitarian aid delivery begins immediately to our people , ' he said at a summit in egypt . watch how a reporter finds gaza in chaos » during 22 days of fighting , more than 1,200 people have died , all but 13 of them palestinians . watch clean-up efforts in gaza city » the palestinians and israel continued to skirmish for several hours sunday after israel said it was stopping its offensive against hamas . palestinians fired at least 19 rockets into israel on sunday -- including at least two after the palestinian cease-fire declaration , according to israeli police spokesman mickey rosenfeld . at least three people were lightly wounded . israeli military aircraft retaliated , firing missiles and destroying a rocket launcher , a military spokesman said . shortly before the rocket attacks , palestinian gunmen opened fire on israeli forces in northern gaza , the military said . troops returned fire . separately , palestinian medical sources said 23 bodies were pulled from rubble in gaza . watch doctors tend to wounded civilians » olmert said sunday the israeli offensive had achieved its goals but that the israel defense forces reserved the right to respond to any palestinian violence against israelis . idf forces are in the gaza strip and many other units , which are surrounding gaza from all sides , are closely observing every corner and listening to every whisper , ready for any response that they might receive from their commanders if and when the violations continue , as they have this morning , ' he said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting , before the announcement of the palestinian cease-fire . israel pulled some troops out of the palestinian territory as it called a halt to its operation against hamas , but others remained . israeli government spokesman mark regev told cnn they would be there for a matter of days , not weeks . international leaders are in the region for talks on the crisis . egyptian president hosni mubarak and french president nicolas sarkozy hosted a summit sunday in the red sea resort of sharm el-sheikh , bringing together leaders from europe and the middle east . olmert told the gathering that , if the cease-fire holds , the government of israel has no intention to stay in the gaza strip . we are interested in leaving gaza as soon as we can . ' he said israel would continue to do whatever is possible to prevent the humanitarian crisis in gaza , ' and expressed sorrow for the deaths of innocent civilians . it was n't our intention to fight them or to harm them , to hurt them or to shoot at them , ' he said . german premier angela merkel underscored the international community 's preferred outcome in a news conference in egypt : the two-state solution is the only solution we have . ' israeli prime minister ehud olmert will meet the leaders of the uk , france , germany , italy , spain and the czech republic , which holds the rotating presidency of the european union , later in jerusalem . a top aide to barack obama said the president-elect would move swiftly to work on the middle east after he is sworn in on tuesday . the events around the world demand that he act quickly , and i think you 'll see him act quickly , ' david axelrod told cnn . but he refused to promise obama would name a middle east special envoy on day one . ' israel said it launched the offensive in gaza to stop the firing of rockets -- primarily the short-range homemade qassam rockets -- from the territory into southern israel by hamas fighters . we welcome any alleviation of violence , with cautious optimism and hope that these declarations of cease-fire will lead to the end of fighting , ' said charles clayton , national director of world vision jerusalem , an aid group . we call on all parties to stop attacks , including hamas'rocket strikes against israel , and refrain from further hostilities . ' he called for unhindered and safe humanitarian assistance to the desperate civilian families of gaza who have lost their homes and businesses and are struggling amid shortages of food , supplies , healthcare and fuel . ' he further called for an end to the 18-month blockade of the 1.5 million palestinians in gaza , ' saying it has devastated the economy , halted services , and rendered the people of gaza entirely dependent on humanitarian aid . ' cnn 's arie bell and karl penhaul contributed to this report . | palestinian authority president calls for aid into gaza |
whitney houston <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- sparkle ' is a movie for anyone who thought that the pop melodrama of dreamgirls ' was n't over-the-top enough . set in the late '60s , it tells the story of three sisters from middle-class detroit who form a girl group sort of like the supremes . they 're astoundingly talented , they want to be famous , and at one point they get their shot at a major deal with columbia records . but all sorts of things keep getting in the way , like an abusive , coke-sniffing celebrity boyfriend — what happens to him will leave your jaw on the floor — and , more than that , their oppressively uptight church-lady mother , played with teasing confidence and force by whitney houston in her final screen role . the movie is a remake of the 1976 ersatz-supremes hollywood fable that starred irene cara , and the earlier film 's setting — the late '50s and early '60s — made sense . transplanting the material ahead nearly a decade , to the era of race riots and black power ( when the classic motown sound was , in fact , already starting to fade ) , hurts the movie 's credibility , since it is now all the harder to believe that three feisty grown women are still living in their puritanical mother 's house because they 're too cowed to go out on their own . from its opening scene , set inside a hopping detroit nightclub , sparkle is charged with a synthetically corny high tension . ( cee lo green shows up in that scene , and does a fine job of playing a conk-haired funk-soul relic who loves the ladies , but then he completely vanishes from the movie . ) the three sisters are each cut from a very different cloth . the quietly ambitious sparkle , a brilliant songwriter , is played by the sixth-season american idol winner jordin sparks , who proves to be a lot like irene cara — that is , she 's pretty in a slightly pained way and wholesomely sincere to the point of being a bit boring . the whippersnapper dolores ( tika sumpter ) mostly stays in the background , except when she explodes in moments of vengeful high dudgeon . and then there 's the sister known , literally , as sister , who 's the star of the group and is played by the ravishingly sexy and accomplished british actress carmen ejogo . in this role , she looks and acts strikingly like a demon-driven , down-and-dirty beyoncé , and her scenes with mike epps , as her charismatic but hateful comedian lover , are the most potent in the film . the truth is that whenever sister is on screen , we 're a little unsure why the movie is named after anyone else . sparkle uses some of the same imitation-motown numbers by curtis mayfield that powered the 1976 version , along with new songs by r. kelly . the music is all highly competent and , frankly , just unmemorable enough to make you wish that you were hearing authentic period chestnuts instead . the trouble with sparkle is n't that it 's overwrought ( that 's what 's sometimes fun about it ) . it 's that everything in the movie is derivative and third-hand : a copy of a copy . the film is pulp that 's been fed through a strainer , with bits and pieces squeezed out of a dozen other , better movies ( what 's love got to do with it ' , lady sings the blues , ' and dreamgirls , ' to name just a few ) . at times , it 's like a joan crawford neurotic-mother fantasy , and the gravelly conviction of whitney houston 's performance proves that this could have been the first step not merely in a comeback but in a major re-invention . she had the instincts of a superb character actress . at other times , the movie is a girl-group biopic that never quite delivers the charge of success that we 're longing to see . jordin sparks'big , climactic on-stage number is supposed to do that , but to me it 's just a testament to the way that too many idol ' graduates , with their how-many-notes-can-i-cram-inside-a-note technical bravura , short-circuit any true connection with the audience . sparkle ' is never more than an overheated mediocrity . the one thing it is n't , however , is dull . grade : b- see full story at ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | the film marks the final performance of singer whitney houston |
tvn <tsp> never underestimate the healing power of a good nap . a 91-year-old woman in poland was declared dead november 6 and sent to a funeral home , only to wake up 11 hours later in cold storage , cnn 's polish affiliate tvn reported . now she 's home and doing fine . the doctor went to the home of janina kolkiewicz in the town of ostrow lubelski on november 6 after her family said she 'd stopped breathing , tvn reported . i checked the pulse on the forearm artery , carotid artery also , ' the doctor told tvn . i listened to the heart , to the breathing . i also examined the pupils . there were no reflexes . typical symptoms of death . ' the doctor signed the death certificate , and kolkiewicz 's family began planning services , according to tvn . then the funeral home called . authorities are trying to find out what happened . we are investigating whether the doctor exposed the woman to imminent danger of loss of life , as the lady was moved to a funeral home and kept in cold storage , ' beata syk-jankowska , a spokeswoman for the prosecutor 's office in lublin , told tvn . | a doctor in poland declared a 91-year-old woman dead , cnn affiliate tvn says |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.