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singapore <tsp> ( cnn ) are you smarter than a really smart singapore high school student ? see if you can figure out cheryl 's birthday , the singapore logic problem that 's got the internet twisted into knots . some are even saying it 's the math equivalent of the what color is the dress ' debate . the puzzling problem went viral after singapore television host kenneth kong posted it to facebook . cheryl 's birthday challenge was meant to test the better high-school students competing in the singapore and asian schools math olympiad , held april 8 . here it is : cheryl has a birthday , and she does n't want to share it right away . ( otherwise , we have no challenge to solve . ) so she gives her friends albert and bernard a list of 10 possible birthday dates : may 15 , may 16 , may 19 , june 17 , june 18 , july 14 , july 16 , august 14 , august 15 or august 17 . a brief conversation between albert and bernard -- who we assume are not lying for the sake of this problem -- gives the reader enough clues to eliminate nine of the 10 dates and discover cheryl 's birthday . that 's assuming you want to celebrate with cheryl after she 's put you through all that trouble . see our video below for the answer from georgia tech mathematician matt baker . the new york times and the washington post have also posted solutions to the problem , along with explanations . of course , the internet has offered other solutions . | it spread after a singapore television host posted it to facebook |
facebook <tsp> ( cnn ) are you smarter than a really smart singapore high school student ? see if you can figure out cheryl 's birthday , the singapore logic problem that 's got the internet twisted into knots . some are even saying it 's the math equivalent of the what color is the dress ' debate . the puzzling problem went viral after singapore television host kenneth kong posted it to facebook . cheryl 's birthday challenge was meant to test the better high-school students competing in the singapore and asian schools math olympiad , held april 8 . here it is : cheryl has a birthday , and she does n't want to share it right away . ( otherwise , we have no challenge to solve . ) so she gives her friends albert and bernard a list of 10 possible birthday dates : may 15 , may 16 , may 19 , june 17 , june 18 , july 14 , july 16 , august 14 , august 15 or august 17 . a brief conversation between albert and bernard -- who we assume are not lying for the sake of this problem -- gives the reader enough clues to eliminate nine of the 10 dates and discover cheryl 's birthday . that 's assuming you want to celebrate with cheryl after she 's put you through all that trouble . see our video below for the answer from georgia tech mathematician matt baker . the new york times and the washington post have also posted solutions to the problem , along with explanations . of course , the internet has offered other solutions . | it spread after a singapore television host posted it to facebook |
iraq <tsp> baghdad , iraq ( cnn ) -- a roadside bomb attack on monday killed two u.s. soldiers in baghdad , the u.s. military said . u.s. troops patrol near a checkpoint in baghdad last week . another soldier was wounded in the attack and taken to a combat support hospital , according to military spokesman lt. david russell . the deaths follow an incident saturday in which a u.s. soldier died and two others were injured when their vehicle rolled over at a forward operating base near balad , north of baghdad , russell said . july marked the lowest monthly toll of the war , with 11 u.s. troop deaths -- six killed in hostilities and five dying from causes not related to combat , according to a cnn count of figures released by the pentagon . with the three deaths in august , 4,130 u.s. military personnel have died since the iraq war began in 2003 . other developments • a roadside bomb targeting an iraqi army patrol detonated monday morning on palestine street in eastern baghdad , killing two people and wounding 15 , an iraqi interior ministry official said . the deaths include one iraqi soldier , while nine iraqi soldiers were among the wounded . • also on monday morning , a roadside bomb detonated near an iraqi police patrol in the southern baghdad district of dora , wounding two people , including one policeman , the ministry official said . • late sunday , a parked car bomb exploded outside a coffee shop in hilla , a shiite city about 62 miles south of baghdad , killing one civilian and wounding 12 , the ministry official said . • u.s. soldiers and iraqi police on sunday detained a special groups ' criminal in southern baghdad 's rashid district , according to the u.s. military . special groups ' is the term the u.s. military uses to describe iranian-backed militias operating in iraq . the military said the suspect was detained for allegedly committing acts of violence against iraqi security and coalition forces . ' • u.s. soldiers and iraqi security forces uncovered several weapons caches in baghdad on sunday , including various mortar rounds and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher , the u.s. military said monday . some of the mortar rounds were handed over to coalition soldiers by sons of iraq ' members , who are predominantly sunni groups that have turned against al qaeda in iraq . • u.s. and iraqi soldiers uncovered a weapons cache on friday near mahmoudiya -- about 35 km southwest of baghdad -- that included a 100-pound bag of c-4 explosive , four wired blocks of c-4 , and various weapons and ammunition , the military said monday . iraqi soldiers detained three men who had the cache . cnn 's mohammed tawfeeq contributed to this report . | new : deaths in monday bombing bring august u.s. death toll in iraq to three |
iraq <tsp> baghdad , iraq ( cnn ) -- a roadside bomb attack on monday killed two u.s. soldiers in baghdad , the u.s. military said . u.s. troops patrol near a checkpoint in baghdad last week . another soldier was wounded in the attack and taken to a combat support hospital , according to military spokesman lt. david russell . the deaths follow an incident saturday in which a u.s. soldier died and two others were injured when their vehicle rolled over at a forward operating base near balad , north of baghdad , russell said . july marked the lowest monthly toll of the war , with 11 u.s. troop deaths -- six killed in hostilities and five dying from causes not related to combat , according to a cnn count of figures released by the pentagon . with the three deaths in august , 4,130 u.s. military personnel have died since the iraq war began in 2003 . other developments • a roadside bomb targeting an iraqi army patrol detonated monday morning on palestine street in eastern baghdad , killing two people and wounding 15 , an iraqi interior ministry official said . the deaths include one iraqi soldier , while nine iraqi soldiers were among the wounded . • also on monday morning , a roadside bomb detonated near an iraqi police patrol in the southern baghdad district of dora , wounding two people , including one policeman , the ministry official said . • late sunday , a parked car bomb exploded outside a coffee shop in hilla , a shiite city about 62 miles south of baghdad , killing one civilian and wounding 12 , the ministry official said . • u.s. soldiers and iraqi police on sunday detained a special groups ' criminal in southern baghdad 's rashid district , according to the u.s. military . special groups ' is the term the u.s. military uses to describe iranian-backed militias operating in iraq . the military said the suspect was detained for allegedly committing acts of violence against iraqi security and coalition forces . ' • u.s. soldiers and iraqi security forces uncovered several weapons caches in baghdad on sunday , including various mortar rounds and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher , the u.s. military said monday . some of the mortar rounds were handed over to coalition soldiers by sons of iraq ' members , who are predominantly sunni groups that have turned against al qaeda in iraq . • u.s. and iraqi soldiers uncovered a weapons cache on friday near mahmoudiya -- about 35 km southwest of baghdad -- that included a 100-pound bag of c-4 explosive , four wired blocks of c-4 , and various weapons and ammunition , the military said monday . iraqi soldiers detained three men who had the cache . cnn 's mohammed tawfeeq contributed to this report . | u.s.-led forces capture eight , including alleged al qaeda in iraq regional leader |
acn <tsp> on february 1 , deadly riots at a football match in port said plunged egypt into mourning and despair . the national league was canceled and the future of one of african soccer 's traditional powerhouses seemed bleak . however , a tiny bit of that gloom lifted just weeks later when ahmed hassan made history by making his 179th international appearance -- a new world record that gave a glimmer of hope in a time of turmoil . but , as he prepares to continue the pharaohs'rebuilding phase , hassan says that egypt -- a country where sport and politics are inextricably linked -- faces a long road to recovery before it can resolve its problems and move out of a dark tunnel . ' the whole country is suffering from a lack of ethics , as well as a general lack of security , and this is causing problems in all facets of life , ' the 36-year-old told the official website of world football 's governing body fifa . there is no doubt that football will bounce back but the whole country has to make it out of this dark tunnel . stability will only return when all members of the community , whether they be players , fans , referees , journalists or security staff , recognize their role , stick to it and respect the role of others . ' american is coach , protester in egypt hassan 's landmark appearance came on february 27 in a friendly against kenya in qatar . the egypt team has not been able to play at home since the riots , which killed 74 people after a game between top-tier clubs al-masry and al-ahly . more lives were lost as fighting spread across the country . hassan , who has returned to the national squad for thursday 's friendly against nigeria in dubai , was deeply moved by the tragedy . an outspoken figure against football hooliganism , hassan took to the streets the following day in protest against the clashes . it 's depressing to see the sport that everybody loves become a source of such sadness but , ultimately , what happened was a result of fanaticism , ' he said . i have to say that the media also played a large role by stirring up the fans'aggression instead of attempting to calm things down . ' hassan captained egypt to africa cup of nations titles in 2006 , 2008 and 2010 -- his fourth overall . but the pharaohs'form has plummeted in recent years , failing to qualify for the 2012 edition of the tournament . hassan said the arab uprising last year , which saw egyptian president hosni mubarak overthrown in a wave of protest , was a factor in the team 's fall in fortunes . we 're all part of this country and anything that goes on affects us , so naturally our concentration levels drop and we can not remain focused when such turmoil is happening at home . on top of that there 's the fact that we could n't play for a very long time with the league being suspended for almost four months , ' he said . hassan said egypt had taken for granted its ability to qualify . after being on top for all those years , we simply underestimated our opponents , but we have learned our lesson well and we have learned it the hard way . ' hassan carved a successful football career in europe for 10 years , before returning in 2008 to play for al-ahly and , now , that club 's fiercest rival zamalek . both teams , like al-masry , are supported by militant fan groups known as ultras . ' it is a great thing if they stick to supporting their teams within the reasonable and ethical limits , but once it crosses the line and turns aggressive or becomes a vehicle for something completely beyond football then it becomes unacceptable and can lead to disasters , ' hassan said . all over the world , ultras support their clubs using organized cheering which can be very entertaining , and this is what we as players like to see in the stands , but if they cause violence in the stadiums then no , we can not tolerate that . ' | former egypt captain blames over-confidence ' for team 's failure to qualify for 2012 acn |
egypt <tsp> on february 1 , deadly riots at a football match in port said plunged egypt into mourning and despair . the national league was canceled and the future of one of african soccer 's traditional powerhouses seemed bleak . however , a tiny bit of that gloom lifted just weeks later when ahmed hassan made history by making his 179th international appearance -- a new world record that gave a glimmer of hope in a time of turmoil . but , as he prepares to continue the pharaohs'rebuilding phase , hassan says that egypt -- a country where sport and politics are inextricably linked -- faces a long road to recovery before it can resolve its problems and move out of a dark tunnel . ' the whole country is suffering from a lack of ethics , as well as a general lack of security , and this is causing problems in all facets of life , ' the 36-year-old told the official website of world football 's governing body fifa . there is no doubt that football will bounce back but the whole country has to make it out of this dark tunnel . stability will only return when all members of the community , whether they be players , fans , referees , journalists or security staff , recognize their role , stick to it and respect the role of others . ' american is coach , protester in egypt hassan 's landmark appearance came on february 27 in a friendly against kenya in qatar . the egypt team has not been able to play at home since the riots , which killed 74 people after a game between top-tier clubs al-masry and al-ahly . more lives were lost as fighting spread across the country . hassan , who has returned to the national squad for thursday 's friendly against nigeria in dubai , was deeply moved by the tragedy . an outspoken figure against football hooliganism , hassan took to the streets the following day in protest against the clashes . it 's depressing to see the sport that everybody loves become a source of such sadness but , ultimately , what happened was a result of fanaticism , ' he said . i have to say that the media also played a large role by stirring up the fans'aggression instead of attempting to calm things down . ' hassan captained egypt to africa cup of nations titles in 2006 , 2008 and 2010 -- his fourth overall . but the pharaohs'form has plummeted in recent years , failing to qualify for the 2012 edition of the tournament . hassan said the arab uprising last year , which saw egyptian president hosni mubarak overthrown in a wave of protest , was a factor in the team 's fall in fortunes . we 're all part of this country and anything that goes on affects us , so naturally our concentration levels drop and we can not remain focused when such turmoil is happening at home . on top of that there 's the fact that we could n't play for a very long time with the league being suspended for almost four months , ' he said . hassan said egypt had taken for granted its ability to qualify . after being on top for all those years , we simply underestimated our opponents , but we have learned our lesson well and we have learned it the hard way . ' hassan carved a successful football career in europe for 10 years , before returning in 2008 to play for al-ahly and , now , that club 's fiercest rival zamalek . both teams , like al-masry , are supported by militant fan groups known as ultras . ' it is a great thing if they stick to supporting their teams within the reasonable and ethical limits , but once it crosses the line and turns aggressive or becomes a vehicle for something completely beyond football then it becomes unacceptable and can lead to disasters , ' hassan said . all over the world , ultras support their clubs using organized cheering which can be very entertaining , and this is what we as players like to see in the stands , but if they cause violence in the stadiums then no , we can not tolerate that . ' | most-capped player in history , ahmed hassan , says egypt is suffering from a lack of ethics |
egypt <tsp> on february 1 , deadly riots at a football match in port said plunged egypt into mourning and despair . the national league was canceled and the future of one of african soccer 's traditional powerhouses seemed bleak . however , a tiny bit of that gloom lifted just weeks later when ahmed hassan made history by making his 179th international appearance -- a new world record that gave a glimmer of hope in a time of turmoil . but , as he prepares to continue the pharaohs'rebuilding phase , hassan says that egypt -- a country where sport and politics are inextricably linked -- faces a long road to recovery before it can resolve its problems and move out of a dark tunnel . ' the whole country is suffering from a lack of ethics , as well as a general lack of security , and this is causing problems in all facets of life , ' the 36-year-old told the official website of world football 's governing body fifa . there is no doubt that football will bounce back but the whole country has to make it out of this dark tunnel . stability will only return when all members of the community , whether they be players , fans , referees , journalists or security staff , recognize their role , stick to it and respect the role of others . ' american is coach , protester in egypt hassan 's landmark appearance came on february 27 in a friendly against kenya in qatar . the egypt team has not been able to play at home since the riots , which killed 74 people after a game between top-tier clubs al-masry and al-ahly . more lives were lost as fighting spread across the country . hassan , who has returned to the national squad for thursday 's friendly against nigeria in dubai , was deeply moved by the tragedy . an outspoken figure against football hooliganism , hassan took to the streets the following day in protest against the clashes . it 's depressing to see the sport that everybody loves become a source of such sadness but , ultimately , what happened was a result of fanaticism , ' he said . i have to say that the media also played a large role by stirring up the fans'aggression instead of attempting to calm things down . ' hassan captained egypt to africa cup of nations titles in 2006 , 2008 and 2010 -- his fourth overall . but the pharaohs'form has plummeted in recent years , failing to qualify for the 2012 edition of the tournament . hassan said the arab uprising last year , which saw egyptian president hosni mubarak overthrown in a wave of protest , was a factor in the team 's fall in fortunes . we 're all part of this country and anything that goes on affects us , so naturally our concentration levels drop and we can not remain focused when such turmoil is happening at home . on top of that there 's the fact that we could n't play for a very long time with the league being suspended for almost four months , ' he said . hassan said egypt had taken for granted its ability to qualify . after being on top for all those years , we simply underestimated our opponents , but we have learned our lesson well and we have learned it the hard way . ' hassan carved a successful football career in europe for 10 years , before returning in 2008 to play for al-ahly and , now , that club 's fiercest rival zamalek . both teams , like al-masry , are supported by militant fan groups known as ultras . ' it is a great thing if they stick to supporting their teams within the reasonable and ethical limits , but once it crosses the line and turns aggressive or becomes a vehicle for something completely beyond football then it becomes unacceptable and can lead to disasters , ' hassan said . all over the world , ultras support their clubs using organized cheering which can be very entertaining , and this is what we as players like to see in the stands , but if they cause violence in the stadiums then no , we can not tolerate that . ' | former egypt captain blames over-confidence ' for team 's failure to qualify for 2012 acn |
africa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- at first , the children 's eyes light up with anticipation . christmas comes early . tanzanian students celebrate receiving books for africa textbooks . then they stare in wonder . some reach out and cradle the object as if it were treasure to be guarded . others lift it up in triumph , singing and dancing in joy . the gift that inspires this kind of marvel in many african children is none other than a simple schoolbook . books are so rare in many african countries that children celebrate receiving them as if it were christmas morning , says brad mattson , a manager for books for africa , a nonprofit group that ships donated books to african countries . mattson traveled last year to a remote tanzanian village , where he saw children who were studying in mud-brick schools with no electricity or running water eagerly grab a shipment of donated textbooks . it was like my kid getting an xbox , ' says mattson . they protect them like gold . ' is there a moral obligation to feed poor children 's minds as well as their bodies ? books for africa 's leaders think so . the group says it shipped 2.7 million books to 24 african countries last year to combat what it calls a book famine . ' about 33 percent of school-age children in africa have never set foot in a classroom , according to a u.n. study released this year . among those who have , it 's not uncommon for 10 students to share one textbook , books for africa officials say . a book offers impoverished african students some hope of a better life for themselves and their country , says deb mcdonald , books for africa 's assistant director . education is the great equalizer , ' mcdonald says . when people get access to information , they 're on more equal footing . ' students study in the dirt many african children do n't even have access to a pencil , says andrea wall , who distributes textbooks for books for africa in the east african nation of tanzania . wall says she has seen students study in the dirt . she once watched tanzanian elementary school students practice their lessons in the sand because pencils and paper are a luxury . yet the students are eager to learn , she says . many have never left their village or traveled in a car or even seen electrical appliances . they do not know anything different and most are grateful that their parents have enough money to send them to school instead of tending cows or gathering firewood and water , ' wall says . books are an expensive commodity in tanzania . there are no bookshops in the east african nation and the only books available are printed on thin paper with weak binding . wall is co-director for a nonprofit group called pen trust , which uses construction , education and nutrition to help lift tanzanians out of poverty , she says . once , however , she was a kindergarten teacher in minnesota who had a classroom crammed with toys , puzzles and learning centers . she first visited tanzania in 2001 with a church group , fell in love with it , ' and decided she had to return . she was later laid off as a teacher due to budget cuts and decided to return to tanzania as a full-time volunteer in 2005 . now she 's seen even the most rudimentary educational tool bring joy to tanzanians . she once saw an american pastor visiting a tanzanian village give a villager a simple gift . he gave one mother a brand new shiny yellow pencil and she jumped up and down thanking him and then just as fast broke it into three parts -- one for each of her children , ' walls says . the low literacy rate in africa is related to political instability as well as poverty , says mcdonald . when civil war erupts , books become targets . even newspapers and magazines are relatively scarce in countries like tanzania , she says . one of the first things soldiers do is burn information , ' mcdonald says . what types of books are needed shipping books to africa is n't like packing together shipments of food or medical supplies , books for africa officials say . it involves sensitivity to africa 's history . the scars of colonialism , where western nations used violence to occupy african nations and pillage their natural resources , shapes what types of books are sent to africa . during colonialism , a bitter joke among africans was that missionaries gave them the bible but took their land . the joke reflected a belief among some africans that western nations used eurocentric books to manipulate and build self-hatred among africans . books for africa officials , though , say they refuse to send books that celebrate the superiority of western ways . in fact , they only send books that african schools request . i do n't like it when you go in and tell them what they need , ' mcdonald says . i like them to tell us what they need . ' the books that african nations typically request can be seen in a cavernous warehouse operated by books for africa in atlanta , georgia . at the warehouse , rock and r & b music booms over the speakers as volunteers sort through thousands of books and zoom through the floor in forklifts . most of the books african countries requested were books for elementary and secondary schools . textbooks -- geography , science and math -- are abundant . the books that are n't used are recycled into paper . books for africa officials estimate they save about 2 million books a year from landfills . book companies and school systems often donate books in bulk to books for africa , including used books , overprints and previous years'editions . the group also depends on volunteers to sift through its books . one of them , d.j . clancy , a clerk at a media center in a suburban atlanta elementary school , joined books for africa after she read about it on a web site . some of her american students do n't know how lucky they are , clancy says . our kids are spoiled . they come in our 10,000-book media center and say ,'there 's nothing to read ,' she says . american adults are spoiled as well , says mcdonald . she says it 's easy for americans to forget how much information they have at hand . we 're standing in the grocery line and we 're bombarded by tabloids , and we 're bombarded by books and tv , ' she says . you 're not bombarded by anything there , ' mcdonald says . you pull out a box of books and people are so grateful and so happy . you feel like you 've given them so much . ' | need for schoolbooks is critical in africa , group says |
african <tsp> ( cnn ) -- at first , the children 's eyes light up with anticipation . christmas comes early . tanzanian students celebrate receiving books for africa textbooks . then they stare in wonder . some reach out and cradle the object as if it were treasure to be guarded . others lift it up in triumph , singing and dancing in joy . the gift that inspires this kind of marvel in many african children is none other than a simple schoolbook . books are so rare in many african countries that children celebrate receiving them as if it were christmas morning , says brad mattson , a manager for books for africa , a nonprofit group that ships donated books to african countries . mattson traveled last year to a remote tanzanian village , where he saw children who were studying in mud-brick schools with no electricity or running water eagerly grab a shipment of donated textbooks . it was like my kid getting an xbox , ' says mattson . they protect them like gold . ' is there a moral obligation to feed poor children 's minds as well as their bodies ? books for africa 's leaders think so . the group says it shipped 2.7 million books to 24 african countries last year to combat what it calls a book famine . ' about 33 percent of school-age children in africa have never set foot in a classroom , according to a u.n. study released this year . among those who have , it 's not uncommon for 10 students to share one textbook , books for africa officials say . a book offers impoverished african students some hope of a better life for themselves and their country , says deb mcdonald , books for africa 's assistant director . education is the great equalizer , ' mcdonald says . when people get access to information , they 're on more equal footing . ' students study in the dirt many african children do n't even have access to a pencil , says andrea wall , who distributes textbooks for books for africa in the east african nation of tanzania . wall says she has seen students study in the dirt . she once watched tanzanian elementary school students practice their lessons in the sand because pencils and paper are a luxury . yet the students are eager to learn , she says . many have never left their village or traveled in a car or even seen electrical appliances . they do not know anything different and most are grateful that their parents have enough money to send them to school instead of tending cows or gathering firewood and water , ' wall says . books are an expensive commodity in tanzania . there are no bookshops in the east african nation and the only books available are printed on thin paper with weak binding . wall is co-director for a nonprofit group called pen trust , which uses construction , education and nutrition to help lift tanzanians out of poverty , she says . once , however , she was a kindergarten teacher in minnesota who had a classroom crammed with toys , puzzles and learning centers . she first visited tanzania in 2001 with a church group , fell in love with it , ' and decided she had to return . she was later laid off as a teacher due to budget cuts and decided to return to tanzania as a full-time volunteer in 2005 . now she 's seen even the most rudimentary educational tool bring joy to tanzanians . she once saw an american pastor visiting a tanzanian village give a villager a simple gift . he gave one mother a brand new shiny yellow pencil and she jumped up and down thanking him and then just as fast broke it into three parts -- one for each of her children , ' walls says . the low literacy rate in africa is related to political instability as well as poverty , says mcdonald . when civil war erupts , books become targets . even newspapers and magazines are relatively scarce in countries like tanzania , she says . one of the first things soldiers do is burn information , ' mcdonald says . what types of books are needed shipping books to africa is n't like packing together shipments of food or medical supplies , books for africa officials say . it involves sensitivity to africa 's history . the scars of colonialism , where western nations used violence to occupy african nations and pillage their natural resources , shapes what types of books are sent to africa . during colonialism , a bitter joke among africans was that missionaries gave them the bible but took their land . the joke reflected a belief among some africans that western nations used eurocentric books to manipulate and build self-hatred among africans . books for africa officials , though , say they refuse to send books that celebrate the superiority of western ways . in fact , they only send books that african schools request . i do n't like it when you go in and tell them what they need , ' mcdonald says . i like them to tell us what they need . ' the books that african nations typically request can be seen in a cavernous warehouse operated by books for africa in atlanta , georgia . at the warehouse , rock and r & b music booms over the speakers as volunteers sort through thousands of books and zoom through the floor in forklifts . most of the books african countries requested were books for elementary and secondary schools . textbooks -- geography , science and math -- are abundant . the books that are n't used are recycled into paper . books for africa officials estimate they save about 2 million books a year from landfills . book companies and school systems often donate books in bulk to books for africa , including used books , overprints and previous years'editions . the group also depends on volunteers to sift through its books . one of them , d.j . clancy , a clerk at a media center in a suburban atlanta elementary school , joined books for africa after she read about it on a web site . some of her american students do n't know how lucky they are , clancy says . our kids are spoiled . they come in our 10,000-book media center and say ,'there 's nothing to read ,' she says . american adults are spoiled as well , says mcdonald . she says it 's easy for americans to forget how much information they have at hand . we 're standing in the grocery line and we 're bombarded by tabloids , and we 're bombarded by books and tv , ' she says . you 're not bombarded by anything there , ' mcdonald says . you pull out a box of books and people are so grateful and so happy . you feel like you 've given them so much . ' | lack of books is famine robbing african youth of future , nonprofit leader says |
african <tsp> ( cnn ) -- at first , the children 's eyes light up with anticipation . christmas comes early . tanzanian students celebrate receiving books for africa textbooks . then they stare in wonder . some reach out and cradle the object as if it were treasure to be guarded . others lift it up in triumph , singing and dancing in joy . the gift that inspires this kind of marvel in many african children is none other than a simple schoolbook . books are so rare in many african countries that children celebrate receiving them as if it were christmas morning , says brad mattson , a manager for books for africa , a nonprofit group that ships donated books to african countries . mattson traveled last year to a remote tanzanian village , where he saw children who were studying in mud-brick schools with no electricity or running water eagerly grab a shipment of donated textbooks . it was like my kid getting an xbox , ' says mattson . they protect them like gold . ' is there a moral obligation to feed poor children 's minds as well as their bodies ? books for africa 's leaders think so . the group says it shipped 2.7 million books to 24 african countries last year to combat what it calls a book famine . ' about 33 percent of school-age children in africa have never set foot in a classroom , according to a u.n. study released this year . among those who have , it 's not uncommon for 10 students to share one textbook , books for africa officials say . a book offers impoverished african students some hope of a better life for themselves and their country , says deb mcdonald , books for africa 's assistant director . education is the great equalizer , ' mcdonald says . when people get access to information , they 're on more equal footing . ' students study in the dirt many african children do n't even have access to a pencil , says andrea wall , who distributes textbooks for books for africa in the east african nation of tanzania . wall says she has seen students study in the dirt . she once watched tanzanian elementary school students practice their lessons in the sand because pencils and paper are a luxury . yet the students are eager to learn , she says . many have never left their village or traveled in a car or even seen electrical appliances . they do not know anything different and most are grateful that their parents have enough money to send them to school instead of tending cows or gathering firewood and water , ' wall says . books are an expensive commodity in tanzania . there are no bookshops in the east african nation and the only books available are printed on thin paper with weak binding . wall is co-director for a nonprofit group called pen trust , which uses construction , education and nutrition to help lift tanzanians out of poverty , she says . once , however , she was a kindergarten teacher in minnesota who had a classroom crammed with toys , puzzles and learning centers . she first visited tanzania in 2001 with a church group , fell in love with it , ' and decided she had to return . she was later laid off as a teacher due to budget cuts and decided to return to tanzania as a full-time volunteer in 2005 . now she 's seen even the most rudimentary educational tool bring joy to tanzanians . she once saw an american pastor visiting a tanzanian village give a villager a simple gift . he gave one mother a brand new shiny yellow pencil and she jumped up and down thanking him and then just as fast broke it into three parts -- one for each of her children , ' walls says . the low literacy rate in africa is related to political instability as well as poverty , says mcdonald . when civil war erupts , books become targets . even newspapers and magazines are relatively scarce in countries like tanzania , she says . one of the first things soldiers do is burn information , ' mcdonald says . what types of books are needed shipping books to africa is n't like packing together shipments of food or medical supplies , books for africa officials say . it involves sensitivity to africa 's history . the scars of colonialism , where western nations used violence to occupy african nations and pillage their natural resources , shapes what types of books are sent to africa . during colonialism , a bitter joke among africans was that missionaries gave them the bible but took their land . the joke reflected a belief among some africans that western nations used eurocentric books to manipulate and build self-hatred among africans . books for africa officials , though , say they refuse to send books that celebrate the superiority of western ways . in fact , they only send books that african schools request . i do n't like it when you go in and tell them what they need , ' mcdonald says . i like them to tell us what they need . ' the books that african nations typically request can be seen in a cavernous warehouse operated by books for africa in atlanta , georgia . at the warehouse , rock and r & b music booms over the speakers as volunteers sort through thousands of books and zoom through the floor in forklifts . most of the books african countries requested were books for elementary and secondary schools . textbooks -- geography , science and math -- are abundant . the books that are n't used are recycled into paper . books for africa officials estimate they save about 2 million books a year from landfills . book companies and school systems often donate books in bulk to books for africa , including used books , overprints and previous years'editions . the group also depends on volunteers to sift through its books . one of them , d.j . clancy , a clerk at a media center in a suburban atlanta elementary school , joined books for africa after she read about it on a web site . some of her american students do n't know how lucky they are , clancy says . our kids are spoiled . they come in our 10,000-book media center and say ,'there 's nothing to read ,' she says . american adults are spoiled as well , says mcdonald . she says it 's easy for americans to forget how much information they have at hand . we 're standing in the grocery line and we 're bombarded by tabloids , and we 're bombarded by books and tv , ' she says . you 're not bombarded by anything there , ' mcdonald says . you pull out a box of books and people are so grateful and so happy . you feel like you 've given them so much . ' | group says it is common for 10 african students to share one textbook |
kardashian <tsp> ( people.com ) -- as if you could n't tell by that massive rock taking up residence on her ring finger , kim kardashian is a big fan of bling . and the reality-star-turned-fashion-designer continues to channel her sparkly aesthetic as her belle noel jewelry collection -- created in collaboration with designer pascal mouawad -- enters into its third season . i love to accessorize . i think more is more when it comes to fun accessories , ' the newlywed ( in milly ) tells wwd of her taste in jewelry , which she describes as both glitz and glam , polished and put together . ' but just because kardashian likes her ice does n't mean she never goes without it . i do n't wear it to work out , ' she admits . i see women coming to the gym with earrings on . i ca n't do it . ' same goes for bedtime , she says . for some reason i need it all off , though people do ... sleep with their earrings on . ' while she 's enjoyed collaborating with her sisters on items like their book , kardashian konfidential , ' and their kardashian kollection ' clothing line for sears , the star admits she does love having a jewelry line to call her own . it 's something i do independently from my sisters . that 's kind of rewarding when they see pieces and really like it and want it , ' she shares . it 's all mine . ' see full article at people.com . © 2011 people and time inc. all rights reserved . | kardashian likes her ice , but she does n't wear it to the gym |
kardashian <tsp> ( people.com ) -- as if you could n't tell by that massive rock taking up residence on her ring finger , kim kardashian is a big fan of bling . and the reality-star-turned-fashion-designer continues to channel her sparkly aesthetic as her belle noel jewelry collection -- created in collaboration with designer pascal mouawad -- enters into its third season . i love to accessorize . i think more is more when it comes to fun accessories , ' the newlywed ( in milly ) tells wwd of her taste in jewelry , which she describes as both glitz and glam , polished and put together . ' but just because kardashian likes her ice does n't mean she never goes without it . i do n't wear it to work out , ' she admits . i see women coming to the gym with earrings on . i ca n't do it . ' same goes for bedtime , she says . for some reason i need it all off , though people do ... sleep with their earrings on . ' while she 's enjoyed collaborating with her sisters on items like their book , kardashian konfidential , ' and their kardashian kollection ' clothing line for sears , the star admits she does love having a jewelry line to call her own . it 's something i do independently from my sisters . that 's kind of rewarding when they see pieces and really like it and want it , ' she shares . it 's all mine . ' see full article at people.com . © 2011 people and time inc. all rights reserved . | kardashian admits that she loves having a jewelry line to call her own |
kardashian <tsp> ( people.com ) -- as if you could n't tell by that massive rock taking up residence on her ring finger , kim kardashian is a big fan of bling . and the reality-star-turned-fashion-designer continues to channel her sparkly aesthetic as her belle noel jewelry collection -- created in collaboration with designer pascal mouawad -- enters into its third season . i love to accessorize . i think more is more when it comes to fun accessories , ' the newlywed ( in milly ) tells wwd of her taste in jewelry , which she describes as both glitz and glam , polished and put together . ' but just because kardashian likes her ice does n't mean she never goes without it . i do n't wear it to work out , ' she admits . i see women coming to the gym with earrings on . i ca n't do it . ' same goes for bedtime , she says . for some reason i need it all off , though people do ... sleep with their earrings on . ' while she 's enjoyed collaborating with her sisters on items like their book , kardashian konfidential , ' and their kardashian kollection ' clothing line for sears , the star admits she does love having a jewelry line to call her own . it 's something i do independently from my sisters . that 's kind of rewarding when they see pieces and really like it and want it , ' she shares . it 's all mine . ' see full article at people.com . © 2011 people and time inc. all rights reserved . | i think more is more when it comes to fun accessories , ' kardashian says |
iraq <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the bush administration has launched a significant escalation ' of covert operations in iran , sending u.s. commandos to spy on the country 's nuclear facilities and undermine the islamic republic 's government , journalist seymour hersh said sunday . an iranian flag flies outside the building containing the reactor of bushehr nuclear power plant , south of tehran . white house , cia and state department officials declined comment on hersh 's report , which appears in this week 's issue of the new yorker . hersh told cnn 's late edition with wolf blitzer ' that congress has authorized up to $ 400 million to fund the secret campaign , which involves u.s. special operations troops and iranian dissidents . president bush and vice president dick cheney have rejected findings from u.s. intelligence agencies that iran has halted a clandestine effort to build a nuclear bomb and do not want to leave iran in place with a nuclear program , ' hersh said . they believe that their mission is to make sure that before they get out of office next year , either iran is attacked or it stops its weapons program , ' hersh said . the new article , preparing the battlefield , ' is the latest in a series of articles accusing the bush administration of preparing for war with iran . he based the report on accounts from current and former military , intelligence , and congressional sources . watch hersh discuss what he says are the administration 's plans for iran » ' as usual with his quarterly pieces , we 'll decline to comment , ' white house spokesman gordon johndroe told cnn . the cia , as a rule , does not comment on allegations regarding covert operations , ' cia spokesman paul gimigliano said . ryan crocker , the u.s. ambassador in baghdad , denied u.s. raids were being launched from iraq , where american commanders believe iran is stoking sectarian warfare and fomenting attacks on u.s. troops . i can tell you flatly that u.s. forces are not operating across the iraqi border into iran , in the south or anywhere else , ' crocker said . hersh said u.s. efforts were staged from afghanistan , which also shares a border with iran . he said the program resulted in a dramatic increase in kinetic events and chaos ' inside iran , including attacks by kurdish separatists in the country 's north and a may attack on a mosque in shiraz that killed 13 people . the united states has said it is trying to isolate iran diplomatically in order to get it to come clean about its nuclear ambitions . but bush has said all options ' are open in dealing with the issue . iran insists its nuclear program is aimed at providing civilian electric power , and refuses to comply with u.n. security council demands that it halt uranium enrichment work . u.n. nuclear inspectors say tehran held back critical information that could determine whether it is trying to make nuclear weapons . israel , which is believed to have its own nuclear arsenal , conducted a military exercise in the eastern mediterranean in early june involving dozens of warplanes and aerial tankers . the distance involved in the exercise was roughly the same as would be involved in a possible strike on the iranian nuclear fuel plant at natanz , iran , a u.s. military official said . in 1981 , israeli warplanes destroyed an iraqi nuclear reactor . iran 's parliament speaker , ali larijani , warned other countries against moves that would cost them heavily . ' in comments that appeared in the semi-official mehr news agency sunday , an iranian general said his troops were digging more than 320,000 graves to bury troops from any invading force with the respect they deserve . ' under the law of war and armed conflict , necessary preparations must be made for the burial of soldiers of aggressor nations , ' said maj. gen. mirfaisal baqerzadeh , an iranian officer in charge of identifying soldiers missing in action . journalist shirzad bozorghmehr in tehran , iran , contributed to this report . | u.s. officials decline comment , deny the u.s. is launching raids from iraq |
iranian <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the bush administration has launched a significant escalation ' of covert operations in iran , sending u.s. commandos to spy on the country 's nuclear facilities and undermine the islamic republic 's government , journalist seymour hersh said sunday . an iranian flag flies outside the building containing the reactor of bushehr nuclear power plant , south of tehran . white house , cia and state department officials declined comment on hersh 's report , which appears in this week 's issue of the new yorker . hersh told cnn 's late edition with wolf blitzer ' that congress has authorized up to $ 400 million to fund the secret campaign , which involves u.s. special operations troops and iranian dissidents . president bush and vice president dick cheney have rejected findings from u.s. intelligence agencies that iran has halted a clandestine effort to build a nuclear bomb and do not want to leave iran in place with a nuclear program , ' hersh said . they believe that their mission is to make sure that before they get out of office next year , either iran is attacked or it stops its weapons program , ' hersh said . the new article , preparing the battlefield , ' is the latest in a series of articles accusing the bush administration of preparing for war with iran . he based the report on accounts from current and former military , intelligence , and congressional sources . watch hersh discuss what he says are the administration 's plans for iran » ' as usual with his quarterly pieces , we 'll decline to comment , ' white house spokesman gordon johndroe told cnn . the cia , as a rule , does not comment on allegations regarding covert operations , ' cia spokesman paul gimigliano said . ryan crocker , the u.s. ambassador in baghdad , denied u.s. raids were being launched from iraq , where american commanders believe iran is stoking sectarian warfare and fomenting attacks on u.s. troops . i can tell you flatly that u.s. forces are not operating across the iraqi border into iran , in the south or anywhere else , ' crocker said . hersh said u.s. efforts were staged from afghanistan , which also shares a border with iran . he said the program resulted in a dramatic increase in kinetic events and chaos ' inside iran , including attacks by kurdish separatists in the country 's north and a may attack on a mosque in shiraz that killed 13 people . the united states has said it is trying to isolate iran diplomatically in order to get it to come clean about its nuclear ambitions . but bush has said all options ' are open in dealing with the issue . iran insists its nuclear program is aimed at providing civilian electric power , and refuses to comply with u.n. security council demands that it halt uranium enrichment work . u.n. nuclear inspectors say tehran held back critical information that could determine whether it is trying to make nuclear weapons . israel , which is believed to have its own nuclear arsenal , conducted a military exercise in the eastern mediterranean in early june involving dozens of warplanes and aerial tankers . the distance involved in the exercise was roughly the same as would be involved in a possible strike on the iranian nuclear fuel plant at natanz , iran , a u.s. military official said . in 1981 , israeli warplanes destroyed an iraqi nuclear reactor . iran 's parliament speaker , ali larijani , warned other countries against moves that would cost them heavily . ' in comments that appeared in the semi-official mehr news agency sunday , an iranian general said his troops were digging more than 320,000 graves to bury troops from any invading force with the respect they deserve . ' under the law of war and armed conflict , necessary preparations must be made for the burial of soldiers of aggressor nations , ' said maj. gen. mirfaisal baqerzadeh , an iranian officer in charge of identifying soldiers missing in action . journalist shirzad bozorghmehr in tehran , iran , contributed to this report . | iranian general says troops are building graves for invaders in the event of war |
japanese <tsp> surprise , surprise , japan and china are still not getting along . fortunately , the battles have been strictly rhetorical , although both nations'military vessels and aircraft have navigated and scrambled ominously in the vicinity of the disputed islets in the east china sea known as the diaoyu islands in china and the senkakus in japan . but the bilateral spat could easily escalate over a miscalculation by officers on the scene . it 's easy to forget that last week the two nations marked the 35th anniversary of the treaty of peace and friendship . under the circumstances , the lack of fanfare is understandable but it does seem a timely reminder of what might be possible . while diplomacy has not been effective yet in reviving that spirit of amity , damping down tensions , or in securing a meeting between president xi jinping and prime minister shinzo abe , finding a formula to execute a mutually acceptable climb down is essential to jump-start dialogue . leaders of nations can help by shelving the bombast . dialogue continues behind the scenes but this is against the backdrop of frosty admonitions and dangerous posturing . is it possible to dial down the rhetoric and serve up a summit ? not anytime soon . last month , president xi warned japan about its truculent stance on the disputed territories and , along with south korean president park geun-hye , cold-shouldered prime minister abe at regional conferences in october . abe has stayed away from the yasukuni shrine -- a controversial monument to japan 's war dead -- but this olive branch has not been seized , and advisers say he will visit by the year 's end , ensuring the impasse continues . opinion : japan honoring the dead or insulting the neighbors ? there is a lot to worry about with this face off in the east china sea , especially now that it has become laden with nationalist symbolism and the game of military chicken ' intensifies . for example , in february japan claimed that a chinese vessel locked its firing radar onto a japanese ship . more recently a chinese drone ventured into the disputed airspace , prompting tokyo to warn that it would fire on subsequent drones if they ignore warnings to leave japan 's air defense identification space . china 's response was blunt . if japan takes enforcement measures such as shooting down aircraft , as it says it will , that would constitute a serious provocation , an act of war of sorts , and we would have to take firm countermeasures , and all consequences would be the responsibility of the side that caused the provocation , ' a defense ministry spokesman warned earlier this week . abe issued his own warning in an interview with the wall street journal on the same day , saying japan would adopt a more assertive security posture and reassert its regional influence . there are concerns that china is attempting to change the status quo by force , rather than by rule of law . but if china opts to take that path , then it wo n't be able to emerge peacefully , ' he said . subsequently , while reviewing japan 's self defense forces last weekend , abe said , we will express our intention as a state not to tolerate a change in the status quo by force . we must conduct all sorts of activities such as surveillance and intelligence for that purpose . the security environment surrounding japan is becoming increasingly severe . this is the reality . you will have to completely rid yourselves of the conventional notion that just the existence of a defense force could act as a deterrent . ' referring to the security implications of abenomics , ' which refers to the prime minister 's brand of economic policies designed to revitalize a stagnant economy , abe believes a resurgent japan should play a more assertive leadership role in asia to counter china 's power in a region nervous about beijing 's military buildup , and fears about washington 's fitful engagement . obviously , china disagrees about what the region expects and needs , believing that over time it will gain regional hegemony . washington , meanwhile , is betting on a cooler heads prevail ' scenario and certainly does n't want to go to war with china over the rocky islets . but the obama-pivot , still waiting to happen , looks like a neo-containment policy , as does the exclusion of china from the trans-pacific partnership negotiations . recent u.s.-japanese joint amphibious landing drills may be a sensible precaution , but also they also contribute to the tit-for-tat cycle of provocations that roil regional relations . the nonprofit think tank genron conducts an annual public opinion poll in both nations and this summer found that mutual perceptions are extremely negative , exceeding 90 % in both countries . this is the worst result in nine years of polling and should serve as a wake up call for leaders in beijing and tokyo . it 's time to show some real leadership . but not everyone is glowering . genron hosted a bilateral conference in beijing this past weekend featuring dozens of prominent experts , officials and politicians , aimed at promoting dialogue . former japanese prime minister yasuo fukuda ( 2007-08 ) advised leaders to avoid the dead-end of self-righteousness . he also urged japan to overcome historical problems ' relating to its past aggression in asia to regain dignity and meet international expectations . given the urgent need for bilateral cooperation on a number of issues , fukuda said it 's time to act now to overcome differences and find common ground . wise advice , but in the feverish flexing of patriotic impulses , are current leaders listening ? | former japanese pm fukuda : time to act now to overcome differences , find common ground |
japanese <tsp> surprise , surprise , japan and china are still not getting along . fortunately , the battles have been strictly rhetorical , although both nations'military vessels and aircraft have navigated and scrambled ominously in the vicinity of the disputed islets in the east china sea known as the diaoyu islands in china and the senkakus in japan . but the bilateral spat could easily escalate over a miscalculation by officers on the scene . it 's easy to forget that last week the two nations marked the 35th anniversary of the treaty of peace and friendship . under the circumstances , the lack of fanfare is understandable but it does seem a timely reminder of what might be possible . while diplomacy has not been effective yet in reviving that spirit of amity , damping down tensions , or in securing a meeting between president xi jinping and prime minister shinzo abe , finding a formula to execute a mutually acceptable climb down is essential to jump-start dialogue . leaders of nations can help by shelving the bombast . dialogue continues behind the scenes but this is against the backdrop of frosty admonitions and dangerous posturing . is it possible to dial down the rhetoric and serve up a summit ? not anytime soon . last month , president xi warned japan about its truculent stance on the disputed territories and , along with south korean president park geun-hye , cold-shouldered prime minister abe at regional conferences in october . abe has stayed away from the yasukuni shrine -- a controversial monument to japan 's war dead -- but this olive branch has not been seized , and advisers say he will visit by the year 's end , ensuring the impasse continues . opinion : japan honoring the dead or insulting the neighbors ? there is a lot to worry about with this face off in the east china sea , especially now that it has become laden with nationalist symbolism and the game of military chicken ' intensifies . for example , in february japan claimed that a chinese vessel locked its firing radar onto a japanese ship . more recently a chinese drone ventured into the disputed airspace , prompting tokyo to warn that it would fire on subsequent drones if they ignore warnings to leave japan 's air defense identification space . china 's response was blunt . if japan takes enforcement measures such as shooting down aircraft , as it says it will , that would constitute a serious provocation , an act of war of sorts , and we would have to take firm countermeasures , and all consequences would be the responsibility of the side that caused the provocation , ' a defense ministry spokesman warned earlier this week . abe issued his own warning in an interview with the wall street journal on the same day , saying japan would adopt a more assertive security posture and reassert its regional influence . there are concerns that china is attempting to change the status quo by force , rather than by rule of law . but if china opts to take that path , then it wo n't be able to emerge peacefully , ' he said . subsequently , while reviewing japan 's self defense forces last weekend , abe said , we will express our intention as a state not to tolerate a change in the status quo by force . we must conduct all sorts of activities such as surveillance and intelligence for that purpose . the security environment surrounding japan is becoming increasingly severe . this is the reality . you will have to completely rid yourselves of the conventional notion that just the existence of a defense force could act as a deterrent . ' referring to the security implications of abenomics , ' which refers to the prime minister 's brand of economic policies designed to revitalize a stagnant economy , abe believes a resurgent japan should play a more assertive leadership role in asia to counter china 's power in a region nervous about beijing 's military buildup , and fears about washington 's fitful engagement . obviously , china disagrees about what the region expects and needs , believing that over time it will gain regional hegemony . washington , meanwhile , is betting on a cooler heads prevail ' scenario and certainly does n't want to go to war with china over the rocky islets . but the obama-pivot , still waiting to happen , looks like a neo-containment policy , as does the exclusion of china from the trans-pacific partnership negotiations . recent u.s.-japanese joint amphibious landing drills may be a sensible precaution , but also they also contribute to the tit-for-tat cycle of provocations that roil regional relations . the nonprofit think tank genron conducts an annual public opinion poll in both nations and this summer found that mutual perceptions are extremely negative , exceeding 90 % in both countries . this is the worst result in nine years of polling and should serve as a wake up call for leaders in beijing and tokyo . it 's time to show some real leadership . but not everyone is glowering . genron hosted a bilateral conference in beijing this past weekend featuring dozens of prominent experts , officials and politicians , aimed at promoting dialogue . former japanese prime minister yasuo fukuda ( 2007-08 ) advised leaders to avoid the dead-end of self-righteousness . he also urged japan to overcome historical problems ' relating to its past aggression in asia to regain dignity and meet international expectations . given the urgent need for bilateral cooperation on a number of issues , fukuda said it 's time to act now to overcome differences and find common ground . wise advice , but in the feverish flexing of patriotic impulses , are current leaders listening ? | china warned that japanese threat to shoot down its unmanned drones an act of war |
middleton <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- prince william 's younger brother prince harry will be his best man when he marries kate middleton in london in april , clarence house announced monday . middleton 's sister philippa will be her maid of honor . william , who is second in line to the throne , is due to marry his long-time girlfriend april 29 at westminster abbey . prince harry is currently third in line of succession . royal protocol states that the groom should have a supporter ' rather than a best man and speculation was rife that prince harry would be named supporter , and another friend of prince william announced as his best man . prince charles elected his brother prince andrew to be his supporter ' when he married diana , princess of wales in 1981 . naming harry best man is a break with protocol , and is being taken as an indication of william and kate 's more modern approach to their upcoming wedding , which is taking place at westminster abbey on april 29 . harry will be organizing the prince 's stag ' or bachelor party . meanwhile philippa , or pippa , ' will be expected to pull together kate 's hen ' or bachelorette party . william 's office at clarence house also announced that there will be four bridesmaids and two page boys , including two of william 's godchildren . they are grace van cutsem , 3 , and tom pettifer , 8 . pettifer is the son of tiggy pettifer , william and harry 's former nanny -- an important figure in the young princes'lives , especially following the death of their mother in 1997 . lady louise windsor , 7 , the hon . margarita armstrong-jones , 8 , and eliza lopes , 3 , will be the other bridesmaids . lady windsor , is the daughter of the earl and countess of wessex as well as being the queen 's granddaughter , while armstrong-jones , prince william 's second cousin , is the daughter of viscount and viscountess linley . lopes , meanwhile , is the granddaughter of prince william 's stepmother , the duchess of cornwall . william billy ' lowther-pinkerton , 10 , the son of prince william 's private secretary jamie lowther-pinkerton , will be the other page boy . details regarding the bridesmaid 's dresses and page boys'uniforms will remain a secret until the day of the wedding , clarence house said . notable royals who have been left off the list include the prince 's cousin , zara phillips , who also announced her own engagement last year . wedding planner , sarah haywood , gives cnn the lowdown on they myriad of duties the the average best man and maid of honor are expected to perform . best man 's duties • arrange the stag ' or bachelor party • assist the groom with choice of outfit • pick-out the ushers'outfits with the bride and groom • collect and return any hired formalwear • act as intermediary between the groom and ushers and ensure they know what elements of their outfit they will need to provide , or are expected to wear , on the day • attend the wedding rehearsal and learn how the ceremony will proceed and where the bridal party are to be seated • brief ushers of their required arrival time on the day • stay with the groom on the eve of the wedding • take responsibility for the groom 's documents , money and valuables on the wedding day • get the groom to the ceremony at least 45 minutes before it starts • organize , oversee and brief the ushers • distribute buttonholes , corsages and orders of service • look after the wedding ring ( s ) and hand to the groom during the ceremony • escort the chief bridesmaid to the reception • ensure guests all have transport ( if required ) to the reception and know their way • check for items left behind at the ceremony and take to the reception • join the reception receiving line to welcome guests • take charge of the gift display and arrange delivery following the wedding • act as master of ceremonies if there is no official toastmaster • make a fabulous , humorous and tasteful speech ( and read telegrams , e-mails and cards from absent friends and family ) • hit the dance floor with enthusiasm at the reception and invite singletons to dance maid of honor 's duties • attend wedding dress fittings and know how to assist the bride with her dress on the day • help choose the bridesmaids'outfits and ensure they know what , if anything , they need to purchase themselves • rally the adult bridesmaids and keep them informed of their duties • liaise with younger attendants'parents to keep them and their children up to date with plans • organize a fabulous hen ' or bachelorette party • collect outfits and accessories • attend the ceremony rehearsal • stay with the bride the eve and morning of the wedding and assist her dress • meet the bride at the ceremony and arrange her dress and veil • oversee the bridesmaids , flower girls and pageboys • take the bride 's bouquet during the ceremony • strut her stuff ' on the dance floor at the reception at the earliest opportunity | middleton 's sister philippa will be her maid of honor |
middleton <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- prince william 's younger brother prince harry will be his best man when he marries kate middleton in london in april , clarence house announced monday . middleton 's sister philippa will be her maid of honor . william , who is second in line to the throne , is due to marry his long-time girlfriend april 29 at westminster abbey . prince harry is currently third in line of succession . royal protocol states that the groom should have a supporter ' rather than a best man and speculation was rife that prince harry would be named supporter , and another friend of prince william announced as his best man . prince charles elected his brother prince andrew to be his supporter ' when he married diana , princess of wales in 1981 . naming harry best man is a break with protocol , and is being taken as an indication of william and kate 's more modern approach to their upcoming wedding , which is taking place at westminster abbey on april 29 . harry will be organizing the prince 's stag ' or bachelor party . meanwhile philippa , or pippa , ' will be expected to pull together kate 's hen ' or bachelorette party . william 's office at clarence house also announced that there will be four bridesmaids and two page boys , including two of william 's godchildren . they are grace van cutsem , 3 , and tom pettifer , 8 . pettifer is the son of tiggy pettifer , william and harry 's former nanny -- an important figure in the young princes'lives , especially following the death of their mother in 1997 . lady louise windsor , 7 , the hon . margarita armstrong-jones , 8 , and eliza lopes , 3 , will be the other bridesmaids . lady windsor , is the daughter of the earl and countess of wessex as well as being the queen 's granddaughter , while armstrong-jones , prince william 's second cousin , is the daughter of viscount and viscountess linley . lopes , meanwhile , is the granddaughter of prince william 's stepmother , the duchess of cornwall . william billy ' lowther-pinkerton , 10 , the son of prince william 's private secretary jamie lowther-pinkerton , will be the other page boy . details regarding the bridesmaid 's dresses and page boys'uniforms will remain a secret until the day of the wedding , clarence house said . notable royals who have been left off the list include the prince 's cousin , zara phillips , who also announced her own engagement last year . wedding planner , sarah haywood , gives cnn the lowdown on they myriad of duties the the average best man and maid of honor are expected to perform . best man 's duties • arrange the stag ' or bachelor party • assist the groom with choice of outfit • pick-out the ushers'outfits with the bride and groom • collect and return any hired formalwear • act as intermediary between the groom and ushers and ensure they know what elements of their outfit they will need to provide , or are expected to wear , on the day • attend the wedding rehearsal and learn how the ceremony will proceed and where the bridal party are to be seated • brief ushers of their required arrival time on the day • stay with the groom on the eve of the wedding • take responsibility for the groom 's documents , money and valuables on the wedding day • get the groom to the ceremony at least 45 minutes before it starts • organize , oversee and brief the ushers • distribute buttonholes , corsages and orders of service • look after the wedding ring ( s ) and hand to the groom during the ceremony • escort the chief bridesmaid to the reception • ensure guests all have transport ( if required ) to the reception and know their way • check for items left behind at the ceremony and take to the reception • join the reception receiving line to welcome guests • take charge of the gift display and arrange delivery following the wedding • act as master of ceremonies if there is no official toastmaster • make a fabulous , humorous and tasteful speech ( and read telegrams , e-mails and cards from absent friends and family ) • hit the dance floor with enthusiasm at the reception and invite singletons to dance maid of honor 's duties • attend wedding dress fittings and know how to assist the bride with her dress on the day • help choose the bridesmaids'outfits and ensure they know what , if anything , they need to purchase themselves • rally the adult bridesmaids and keep them informed of their duties • liaise with younger attendants'parents to keep them and their children up to date with plans • organize a fabulous hen ' or bachelorette party • collect outfits and accessories • attend the ceremony rehearsal • stay with the bride the eve and morning of the wedding and assist her dress • meet the bride at the ceremony and arrange her dress and veil • oversee the bridesmaids , flower girls and pageboys • take the bride 's bouquet during the ceremony • strut her stuff ' on the dance floor at the reception at the earliest opportunity | prince william 's younger brother will be his best man when he marries kate middleton |
cordoba initiative <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in june , imam feisal abdul rauf , the man behind the proposed ground zero mosque , was asked on live radio if he believed hamas is a terrorist organization . this is n't a difficult question : hamas employs suicide bombers and fires incendiary rockets at civilian targets within israel . it calls for the destruction of the jewish state followed by the establishment of a potentially fundamentalist and repressive regime . governments all over the world , including the united states and the european union , rightfully consider hamas to be a terrorist organization that willfully and indiscriminately targets innocent civilians . yet imam rauf , after being asked this simple , straightforward question , refused to state whether or not he believed hamas to be a terrorist organization . he said : i will not allow anybody to put me in a position where i am seen by any party in the world as an adversary or as an enemy . ' now imam rauf wants to build and lead a $ 100 million , 13-story community center and mosque . it would be constructed on property currently occupied by a historic 150-year-old building that was seriously damaged by the landing gear of one of the hijacked jetliners that flew into the world trade center on september 11 , 2001 , and he wants to unveil it on september 11 , 2011 . i oppose the center and mosque 's construction because i believe there should be an investigation into the sources of its funding . the main group behind its construction , the cordoba initiative , which is headed by the imam , is a registered charity in new york state . it is the responsibility of new york 's attorney general andrew cuomo to ensure the mosque 's funding is coming from reputable sources . the radio show comments were not the first time imam rauf has said troubling things or been associated with troubling activities . on cbs' 60 minutes , ' less than a month after the attacks , he said american policies were an accessory ' to the crime of 9/11 . in fact , ' he added , in the most direct sense , osama bin laden is made in the usa . ' imam rauf is also listed on the website of the perdana global peace organization as a role player and contributor . ' this group was a financial backer of the gaza flotilla , which attempted in may to break the israeli 's blockade of gaza . the cordoba initiative has reported less than $ 20,000 in assets . where the $ 100 million for his project would come from is anybody 's guess . furthermore , it 's fair to ask why , exactly , imam rauf has insisted on building the mosque so close to ground zero , and why he wants to unveil it on the 10th anniversary of the attacks . this not an issue of religious freedom , but rather , a question of safety and security . new yorkers deserve to be safe and to feel safe , and we have a right to know who 's footing the bill for imam rauf 's project . are foreign governments or other organizations involved ? and why is there such secrecy about the source of the money ? the cordoba initiative is legally required to file disclosure reports with the office of the attorney general , and it could easily be asked under state law to open its books for the office if cuomo would simply make that request . we need to know who is paying for the center and mosque . we need to know what their motives are , and we need to know if the imam is promising any potential benefactors anything in return for their support . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of rick lazio . | lazio : the state attorney general should request cordoba initiative open its books |
rick lazio <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in june , imam feisal abdul rauf , the man behind the proposed ground zero mosque , was asked on live radio if he believed hamas is a terrorist organization . this is n't a difficult question : hamas employs suicide bombers and fires incendiary rockets at civilian targets within israel . it calls for the destruction of the jewish state followed by the establishment of a potentially fundamentalist and repressive regime . governments all over the world , including the united states and the european union , rightfully consider hamas to be a terrorist organization that willfully and indiscriminately targets innocent civilians . yet imam rauf , after being asked this simple , straightforward question , refused to state whether or not he believed hamas to be a terrorist organization . he said : i will not allow anybody to put me in a position where i am seen by any party in the world as an adversary or as an enemy . ' now imam rauf wants to build and lead a $ 100 million , 13-story community center and mosque . it would be constructed on property currently occupied by a historic 150-year-old building that was seriously damaged by the landing gear of one of the hijacked jetliners that flew into the world trade center on september 11 , 2001 , and he wants to unveil it on september 11 , 2011 . i oppose the center and mosque 's construction because i believe there should be an investigation into the sources of its funding . the main group behind its construction , the cordoba initiative , which is headed by the imam , is a registered charity in new york state . it is the responsibility of new york 's attorney general andrew cuomo to ensure the mosque 's funding is coming from reputable sources . the radio show comments were not the first time imam rauf has said troubling things or been associated with troubling activities . on cbs' 60 minutes , ' less than a month after the attacks , he said american policies were an accessory ' to the crime of 9/11 . in fact , ' he added , in the most direct sense , osama bin laden is made in the usa . ' imam rauf is also listed on the website of the perdana global peace organization as a role player and contributor . ' this group was a financial backer of the gaza flotilla , which attempted in may to break the israeli 's blockade of gaza . the cordoba initiative has reported less than $ 20,000 in assets . where the $ 100 million for his project would come from is anybody 's guess . furthermore , it 's fair to ask why , exactly , imam rauf has insisted on building the mosque so close to ground zero , and why he wants to unveil it on the 10th anniversary of the attacks . this not an issue of religious freedom , but rather , a question of safety and security . new yorkers deserve to be safe and to feel safe , and we have a right to know who 's footing the bill for imam rauf 's project . are foreign governments or other organizations involved ? and why is there such secrecy about the source of the money ? the cordoba initiative is legally required to file disclosure reports with the office of the attorney general , and it could easily be asked under state law to open its books for the office if cuomo would simply make that request . we need to know who is paying for the center and mosque . we need to know what their motives are , and we need to know if the imam is promising any potential benefactors anything in return for their support . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of rick lazio . | rick lazio says the imam behind the planned islamic center refused to call hamas terrorist |
ipad <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the newest ipads could make their debut later this month . apple is planning an october 22 press event to show off the latest additions to its ipad line , according to allthingsd 's john paczkowski , confirming an earlier report in current editorials . the announcements are expected to include a redesigned , thinner ipad and a retina display ipad mini . the devices would likely pack in the usual incremental improvements that mark each new generation of apple mobile devices , including better cameras and faster processors . apple 's fancy new fingerprint technology might also make an appearance in the new ipads . apple has held a press event every october since 2010 , announcing products that ship just in time for the holiday rush . last year , tim cook introduced the ipad mini , the full sized ipad with retina display , and some new macs . it would not be unusual for the company to mix in some mac news with the ipad announcements . the new mac operating system , os x mavericks , was announced in june at the apple worldwide developers conference in san francisco . the final version of the operating system has already shipped to developers , and it 's likely it will be made available to the public soon after this press event . other mac news could include the latest macbook pro and mac mini updates and a release date for the all new mac pro . | report says apple plans october 22 ipad event |
ipad <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the newest ipads could make their debut later this month . apple is planning an october 22 press event to show off the latest additions to its ipad line , according to allthingsd 's john paczkowski , confirming an earlier report in current editorials . the announcements are expected to include a redesigned , thinner ipad and a retina display ipad mini . the devices would likely pack in the usual incremental improvements that mark each new generation of apple mobile devices , including better cameras and faster processors . apple 's fancy new fingerprint technology might also make an appearance in the new ipads . apple has held a press event every october since 2010 , announcing products that ship just in time for the holiday rush . last year , tim cook introduced the ipad mini , the full sized ipad with retina display , and some new macs . it would not be unusual for the company to mix in some mac news with the ipad announcements . the new mac operating system , os x mavericks , was announced in june at the apple worldwide developers conference in san francisco . the final version of the operating system has already shipped to developers , and it 's likely it will be made available to the public soon after this press event . other mac news could include the latest macbook pro and mac mini updates and a release date for the all new mac pro . | company could unveil an ipad mini with retina display and a thinner full-sized ipad |
brynn duncan <tsp> easley , south carolina ( cnn ) the cracker or the bite of ice cream -- brynn duncan still is n't sure which one sent her into anaphylactic shock that day . her food allergies change so frequently , keeping track is almost pointless . it was just another day with another massive allergic reaction . she can always tell when one is coming on . i just get this overwhelming sense of -- they call it impending doom . ' her labradoodle , moose , starts alerting , licking her hands frantically . i 'll feel like i 'm being stabbed in the stomach , and then it gets hard to breathe and my throat and tongue start swelling . and we have to treat it really fast . ' on that particular day in march , multiple epipens did n't slow the reaction . the paramedics who arrived to take brynn to greenville memorial hospital , or hotel greenville ' as she likes to call it , knew her well . when she asked for her security blanket , they knew to hand her her smartphone . new day , new crisis , ' brynn quips as she tells the story , as if it 's about her first day of college or a shopping trip gone wrong . it might as well be . when you 're allergic to life , a near-death experience is no big deal . less than a week after her trip to the hospital , brynn , 21 , is back at home in easley , south carolina . she lies on her back , her head near the foot of her bed , chattering away as her mom changes the access to her chest port . melissa duncan , a paralegal by day , dons a mask and surgical gloves before disinfecting the area around the tube that 's connected to brynn 's jugular vein . the disinfectant burns , and brynn 's blood pressure hits 150/102 . her heart rate rockets to 128 . the meds we have to give her to keep her alive , she reacts to , ' melissa says , shaking her head . never in a million years did i think i would be doing this. brynn was seemingly a normal kid -- until she was n't . yes , she was a fussy baby . yes , she got sick often as a child , melissa muses out loud -- but what kid does n't ? brynn was also incredibly energetic , always the center of attention . her father , barry , jokingly rues the day she learned to talk . she started taekwondo at the age of 9 and had her black belt by the time she was 11 . that was the same year doctors diagnosed brynn with ibs , or irritable bowel syndrome . she 's always been -- ' melissa duncan pauses . high maintenance ! ' brynn fills in with a laugh . it was n't until shortly before her 16th birthday in 2010 that brynn had her first serious allergic reaction . the next two years became a blur of sick days and doctors'appointments . brynn saw specialist after specialist . the gastrointestinologist diagnosed her with gastroparesis , or partial paralysis of the stomach muscles . a cardiologist said she had pots , or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome -- meaning that when she stood up for longer than a few minutes , her blood pressure dropped , leaving her light-headed and nauseated . a wake forest doctor diagnosed her with ehlers-danlos syndrome , a connective tissue disorder that causes fragile skin and overly flexible joints . after doing hours of research , melissa , barry and brynn came up with their own diagnosis : mast cell disease . they found a specialist online , dr. lawrence afrin , who at the time was working in charleston . they waited nearly nine months to see him , but hearing him confirm their suspicions was life-changing . scientists do n't know yet what causes mast cell disease . researchers have found mutations in mast cells that may cause the abnormal behavior , but the mutations vary from one patient to the next . because of this , scientists suspect the mutations are acquired early in life . but genetics may make some children more susceptible to developing the mutations . mast cells are the regulators of your immune system . they 're the ones that release histamine when a bug bites , or when you come into contact with an allergen . they basically sound the alarm that lets the rest of your immune system know something is wrong . until recently , the only mast cell disease doctors had identified was mastocytosis , which is characterized by abnormal proliferation and activation ' of the body 's mast cells -- meaning there are way too many and they act in strange ways . but in the last few years doctors such as afrin have started to recognize that there are many different layers to mast cell disease . for instance , brynn has mast cell activation syndrome , meaning her mast cells act strangely , but they 're not growing in number . it 's like i 'm living in a 24/7 allergic reaction , ' brynn explains simply . fruit , vegetables , milk , soy , nuts , smoke , perfume , the sun -- you name it , brynn is allergic to it . but it 's not really about the specifics ; the allergens change depending on how angry ' her mast cells are that day , she says . on good days , she can eat small amounts of plain meat or mashed potatoes . on bad days , even using her feeding tube causes her extreme pain . not everyone with mast cell activation syndrome has it as bad as brynn does . oh god , no , ' afrin says when asked . no , no , no , no . ' but mast cells are located in your connective tissue , including your skin and the lining of your stomach and intestine . they can affect every system in the body , afrin says , so the disease is capable of causing all the symptoms brynn experiences . you have to ask yourself , he says : is this poor patient so uniquely unlucky to have acquired so many different , independent problems ? or is it more likely that there is just one thing going on ? ' of course , having a diagnosis did n't make living with mast cell disease any easier . in 2012 , brynn was admitted to the hospital 30 times . she started having seizures and episodes of dystonia -- painful , violent muscle contractions that are scary to see and scary to experience . ' on multiple occasions , doctors have had to put casts on her legs to prevent her joints from bending in the wrong direction . | brynn duncan has mast cell disease , which causes her to be allergic to almost everything |
al qaeda <tsp> ( cnn ) -- on december 15 , 2001 , pakistani border troops came across some 30 al qaeda fighters in a mountain pass . they had fled the u.s. bombardment of tora bora , osama bin laden 's last stronghold in afghanistan . the group turned out to be members of the al qaeda leader 's security detail , and u.s. intelligence swiftly dubbed them the dirty thirty . ' they were transferred to u.s. custody in kandahar and then moved to the guantanamo bay detention camp in cuba early in 2002 . it soon transpired most of the dirty thirty ' were from yemen , a country where al qaeda has an even greater presence today than it did before 9/11 . analysis of many profiles of guantanamo detainees suggest that becoming a member of al qaeda in yemen in the late 1990s was relatively easy , which may explain why ( after afghans and saudis ) yemenis comprised the third largest group held there . the documents , compiled by the u.s. joint task force at guantanamo bay , show that : -- a network of al qaeda recruiters was able to operate in yemen with virtual impunity . -- salafist religious institutes in yemen influenced many to take up jihad and join bin laden . -- many of the recruits had little education and few opportunities . the documents were obtained by wikileaks and published this week . several religious institutes in yemen were fertile al qaeda recruiting grounds , according to the documents . they included al khair mosque in sanaa , the dammaj institute in sadah and the al furqan institute . the founder of the dammaj institute , sheikh muqbil bin hadi al-wadi , is described in the documents as one of the most influential yemeni islamic leaders who preached and financed jihad . ' ( he was also an influence on bin laden 's thinking , but consistently opposed violence against other muslims . ) from the dammaj institute , recruits were taken to a training camp in yemen where they would learn assassination techniques and bomb-making . rarely did the yemeni authorities interfere . in fact , the documents suggest yemeni officials could be bribed to provide medical releases and alter travel documents . recruiters also had money to assist with airline tickets . al qaeda expands presence in yemen one of the recruiters was sharqawi abdu ali al-hajj , a yemeni who had access to the identities of many al qaeda-related travelers and plausible knowledge of the detainees'travel times and locations , ' according to the documents . al-wadi , who died in 2001 , and other radical imams in yemen also provided money to several of the jihadists who would end up among the dirty thirty . ' many of the young yemenis who ended up in bin laden 's security detail were capable fighters but poorly educated . mohammad al-ansi failed 11th grade three times and worked as a bus driver before turning to jihad . another detainee never made it past seventh grade , while mahmud al-mujahid finally got his high school diploma at 22 . several had odd jobs and felt unable to support their families . frequently , recruitment into al qaeda was a family affair . among those captured in that freezing mountain pass in pakistan was a 21-year-old by the name of uthman al-rahim . his brother was also an al qaeda fighter and he allegedly had ties to several al qaeda members responsible for the attack on the uss cole in 1998 . mahmud al-mujahidand and his brother were both bodyguards to bin laden . 2010 : uss cole crew praised at memorial the yemeni recruits were given similar basic training before being deployed to the front near kabul to fight against the northern alliance as members of al qaeda 's elite 55th arab brigade . they later became bin laden 's bodyguards , according to the profiles . the documents say several of the dirty thirty ' also took part in a close combat course that bin laden used to select militants for special operations . some of the yemenis were fast-tracked for advanced training . mohammed al ansi would later train for an aborted al qaeda operation in southeast asia to hijack airliners and crash them into u.s. military bases in the region . bin laden planned to use yemenis in the operation because they could easily travel to the region , according to another detainee . others ran training camps or safe houses . hamza al-qaiti was one ; he was at large until 2008 , when he was killed in yemen . the guantanamo documents might be solely of historical interest were it not for yemen 's chronic instability today , and the growing presence of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula in the provinces of shabwa , abyan and hadramut . even though yemeni security forces have stepped up operations against al qaeda in the last year , u.s. officials describe al qaeda in the arabian peninsula as the most effective operational arm of the group . john brennan , assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism , said in december the group was increasingly active ' in reaching out to find terrorist recruits , even in the united states , and was the most operationally active node of the al qaeda network . ' it was in yemen that the alleged detroit underwear ' bomber was recruited and trained in 2009 . al qaeda in the arabian peninsula militants have killed dozens of yemeni soldiers and police ; earlier this month islamist militants briefly occupied a town in southern yemen and raided an ammunition factory . the guantanamo documents suggest that yemen remains a recruiting ground for al qaeda , with one written in 2008 saying yemeni sheikhs continue to recruit yemeni youth to participate in hostilities against u.s. and coalition forces . ' that 's perhaps why today so many yemenis are left at guantanamo . the risk of sending them home to a volatile country with a history of jail breaks and a vibrant al qaeda franchise is too great . of the 112 yemenis taken to the detention center over the past nine years , nearly 90 are still there . ( the new york times , which has seen all the guantanamo documents , reports that 23 have been sent back to yemen and two died in custody . ) few of those left are likely to be leaving anytime soon . | wikileaks releases documents on al qaeda detainees from yemen |
al qaeda <tsp> ( cnn ) -- on december 15 , 2001 , pakistani border troops came across some 30 al qaeda fighters in a mountain pass . they had fled the u.s. bombardment of tora bora , osama bin laden 's last stronghold in afghanistan . the group turned out to be members of the al qaeda leader 's security detail , and u.s. intelligence swiftly dubbed them the dirty thirty . ' they were transferred to u.s. custody in kandahar and then moved to the guantanamo bay detention camp in cuba early in 2002 . it soon transpired most of the dirty thirty ' were from yemen , a country where al qaeda has an even greater presence today than it did before 9/11 . analysis of many profiles of guantanamo detainees suggest that becoming a member of al qaeda in yemen in the late 1990s was relatively easy , which may explain why ( after afghans and saudis ) yemenis comprised the third largest group held there . the documents , compiled by the u.s. joint task force at guantanamo bay , show that : -- a network of al qaeda recruiters was able to operate in yemen with virtual impunity . -- salafist religious institutes in yemen influenced many to take up jihad and join bin laden . -- many of the recruits had little education and few opportunities . the documents were obtained by wikileaks and published this week . several religious institutes in yemen were fertile al qaeda recruiting grounds , according to the documents . they included al khair mosque in sanaa , the dammaj institute in sadah and the al furqan institute . the founder of the dammaj institute , sheikh muqbil bin hadi al-wadi , is described in the documents as one of the most influential yemeni islamic leaders who preached and financed jihad . ' ( he was also an influence on bin laden 's thinking , but consistently opposed violence against other muslims . ) from the dammaj institute , recruits were taken to a training camp in yemen where they would learn assassination techniques and bomb-making . rarely did the yemeni authorities interfere . in fact , the documents suggest yemeni officials could be bribed to provide medical releases and alter travel documents . recruiters also had money to assist with airline tickets . al qaeda expands presence in yemen one of the recruiters was sharqawi abdu ali al-hajj , a yemeni who had access to the identities of many al qaeda-related travelers and plausible knowledge of the detainees'travel times and locations , ' according to the documents . al-wadi , who died in 2001 , and other radical imams in yemen also provided money to several of the jihadists who would end up among the dirty thirty . ' many of the young yemenis who ended up in bin laden 's security detail were capable fighters but poorly educated . mohammad al-ansi failed 11th grade three times and worked as a bus driver before turning to jihad . another detainee never made it past seventh grade , while mahmud al-mujahid finally got his high school diploma at 22 . several had odd jobs and felt unable to support their families . frequently , recruitment into al qaeda was a family affair . among those captured in that freezing mountain pass in pakistan was a 21-year-old by the name of uthman al-rahim . his brother was also an al qaeda fighter and he allegedly had ties to several al qaeda members responsible for the attack on the uss cole in 1998 . mahmud al-mujahidand and his brother were both bodyguards to bin laden . 2010 : uss cole crew praised at memorial the yemeni recruits were given similar basic training before being deployed to the front near kabul to fight against the northern alliance as members of al qaeda 's elite 55th arab brigade . they later became bin laden 's bodyguards , according to the profiles . the documents say several of the dirty thirty ' also took part in a close combat course that bin laden used to select militants for special operations . some of the yemenis were fast-tracked for advanced training . mohammed al ansi would later train for an aborted al qaeda operation in southeast asia to hijack airliners and crash them into u.s. military bases in the region . bin laden planned to use yemenis in the operation because they could easily travel to the region , according to another detainee . others ran training camps or safe houses . hamza al-qaiti was one ; he was at large until 2008 , when he was killed in yemen . the guantanamo documents might be solely of historical interest were it not for yemen 's chronic instability today , and the growing presence of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula in the provinces of shabwa , abyan and hadramut . even though yemeni security forces have stepped up operations against al qaeda in the last year , u.s. officials describe al qaeda in the arabian peninsula as the most effective operational arm of the group . john brennan , assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism , said in december the group was increasingly active ' in reaching out to find terrorist recruits , even in the united states , and was the most operationally active node of the al qaeda network . ' it was in yemen that the alleged detroit underwear ' bomber was recruited and trained in 2009 . al qaeda in the arabian peninsula militants have killed dozens of yemeni soldiers and police ; earlier this month islamist militants briefly occupied a town in southern yemen and raided an ammunition factory . the guantanamo documents suggest that yemen remains a recruiting ground for al qaeda , with one written in 2008 saying yemeni sheikhs continue to recruit yemeni youth to participate in hostilities against u.s. and coalition forces . ' that 's perhaps why today so many yemenis are left at guantanamo . the risk of sending them home to a volatile country with a history of jail breaks and a vibrant al qaeda franchise is too great . of the 112 yemenis taken to the detention center over the past nine years , nearly 90 are still there . ( the new york times , which has seen all the guantanamo documents , reports that 23 have been sent back to yemen and two died in custody . ) few of those left are likely to be leaving anytime soon . | documents describe several religious institutes in yemen as recruiters for al qaeda |
european <tsp> ( cnn ) -- some big-name clubs were in action in european football 's second-tier competition on thursday , but most attention was focused on istanbul for the visit of little-fancied maccabi tel-aviv . in a match played against a backdrop of escalating tensions between turkey and israel , the home team besiktas triumphed 5-1 in the opening round of the europa league tournament . with turkey having announced the expulsion of israel 's ambassador last week and the suspension of military agreements following a naval incident in may , there were fears the match might not go ahead . but despite some anti-israel protests outside inonu stadium , the match passed relatively peacefully after besiktas took the lead in the third minute through portuguese striker hugo almeida , who doubled the advantage before half an hour had been played . maccabi , 18-time israeli champions but third in the league last season , pulled a goal back through roi kehat 's header four minutes after halftime but could not manage a first victory in the club 's fifth meeting with turkish opposition . besiktas -- fifth in last season 's turkish super lig and winners of the domestic cup before club officials were arrested in a match-fixing investigation -- hit back immediately through mehmet aurelio and egemen korkmaz , while brazilian substitute edu added the fifth goal two minutes from time . in the other group e tie , dinamo kiev had to come from behind to draw 1-1 with english side stoke city . ognjen vukojevic 's late goal canceled out cameron jerome 's 55th-minute opener in ukraine to deny the visitors victory in the club 's first european outing in 37 years . last season 's losing finalists braga beat english debutants birmingham 3-1 away in group h , while belgium 's bruges won 2-0 at home to slovenia 's maribor . atletico madrid , who won the 2009-10 title , cruised to a 2-0 win at home to scottish side celtic -- playing after swiss club sion lost an appeal after fielding ineligible players . striker falcao scored a record 17 goals in the competition last season as porto won the title , and he opened the scoring with an early header for his new spanish club . brazilian midfielder diego sealed victory in the second half . in the other group i match , italy 's udinese won 2-1 at home rennes . in group a , english club tottenham drew 0-0 away to greece 's paok salonika , who missed a first-half penalty which had to be retaken . russia 's rubin kazan won 3-0 away to irish minnows shamrock . danish titleholders copenhagen lead group b , winning 1-0 at home to ukraine 's vorskla poltava after dropping down from the champions league qualifiers . germany 's hannover drew 0-0 at home with belgian runners-up standard liege . psv eindhoven , european champions in 1988 , won 1-0 at home poland 's legia warsaw while romania 's rapid bucharest triumphed by the same score away to hapoel tel-aviv of israel in the other group c tie . italian side lazio were surprisingly held 2-2 at home by romania 's vaslui in group d , while portugal 's sporting lisbon won 2-0 away to swiss club zurich . big-spending french club paris st. germain won 3-1 at home to austria 's salzburg in group f , while spanish side athletic bilbao won 2-1 away to slovakia 's slovan bratislava . in group g , dutch club az alkmaar beat sweden 's malmo 4-1 and ukraine 's metalist kharkiv came from behind to win 2-1 away to austria vienna . maccabi haifa gave israel some joy with a 1-0 win at home to aek larnaca of cyprus in group j , while steaua bucharest and germany 's schalke battled to a stalemate in romania . english club fulham , losing finalists in 2010 , drew 1-1 at home with that season 's dutch champions twente in group k -- where denmark 's odense head the standings after winning 3-1 away to poland 's wisla krakow . in group l , belgian side anderlecht trounced aek athens 4-1 as argentine striker matias suarez scored a hat-trick , while russia 's locomotiv moscow won 2-1 in austria against sturm graz . | european football 's secondary tournament begins group stage after qualifying rounds |
sears roebuck & co . <tsp> chicago , illinois ( cnn ) -- sears tower is history . as of thursday , the iconic chicago , illinois , skyscraper is now named willis tower . it still looks the same , but sears tower in chicago , illinois , will have a new name : willis tower . at least that 's what the owners of the 110-story skyscraper now call it after its new main tenant , the london , england-based insurance broker willis group holdings . however , there are plenty of people who refuse to call it that . more than 90,000 people have joined the group people against the sears tower name change , ' on the social networking web site facebook . this name change is absurd , ' one member wrote . would paris change the name of the eiffel tower ? or london change buckingham palace ? or new york , the statue of liberty ? i believe the illinois congress needs to proclaim the sears tower a recognizable landmark that is known all over the world by people who have traveled to chicago . ' the group has gathered more than 34,000 signatures on an online petition against the name change . the name change seemed to be a fait accompli , though . a renaming ceremony was scheduled for thursday with chicago mayor richard daley . the skyscraper 's web site also features the new name . watch sky-high perspective of tower » ' having our name associated with chicago 's most iconic structure underscores our commitment to this great city , and recognizes chicago 's importance as a major financial hub and international business center , ' willis ceo and chairman joseph j. plumeri said in a news release . the landmark opened in 1973 with its original occupant , sears roebuck & co . the retailing giant has since moved its headquarters to suburban chicago . that does n't matter to those against the name change . i asked a cabdriver to take me to the willis tower . he said ,'where the hell is that ?'' a member of the facebook group wrote . that pretty much sums it up . no one will start calling it the willis tower . ' | landmark opened in 1973 with original tenant sears roebuck & co . |
willis tower <tsp> chicago , illinois ( cnn ) -- sears tower is history . as of thursday , the iconic chicago , illinois , skyscraper is now named willis tower . it still looks the same , but sears tower in chicago , illinois , will have a new name : willis tower . at least that 's what the owners of the 110-story skyscraper now call it after its new main tenant , the london , england-based insurance broker willis group holdings . however , there are plenty of people who refuse to call it that . more than 90,000 people have joined the group people against the sears tower name change , ' on the social networking web site facebook . this name change is absurd , ' one member wrote . would paris change the name of the eiffel tower ? or london change buckingham palace ? or new york , the statue of liberty ? i believe the illinois congress needs to proclaim the sears tower a recognizable landmark that is known all over the world by people who have traveled to chicago . ' the group has gathered more than 34,000 signatures on an online petition against the name change . the name change seemed to be a fait accompli , though . a renaming ceremony was scheduled for thursday with chicago mayor richard daley . the skyscraper 's web site also features the new name . watch sky-high perspective of tower » ' having our name associated with chicago 's most iconic structure underscores our commitment to this great city , and recognizes chicago 's importance as a major financial hub and international business center , ' willis ceo and chairman joseph j. plumeri said in a news release . the landmark opened in 1973 with its original occupant , sears roebuck & co . the retailing giant has since moved its headquarters to suburban chicago . that does n't matter to those against the name change . i asked a cabdriver to take me to the willis tower . he said ,'where the hell is that ?'' a member of the facebook group wrote . that pretty much sums it up . no one will start calling it the willis tower . ' | chicago 's sears tower renamed willis tower after london insurance broker |
rubio <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- as gov . chris christie continues to fend off accusations of corruption in new jersey , another republican with possible designs on the white house , marco rubio , spent last week 7,000 miles away from the controversy , burnishing his foreign policy resume with a three-country trip through asia . the florida senator made a busy , weeklong visit to the philippines , japan and south korea -- a trip that brought him face to face with top officials from all three countries , the boxer manny pacquiao and a pair of dmz-stationed north korean soldiers , who took pictures of the man who one day may sit in the white house . the ranking member of the senate foreign relations east asian and pacific affairs subcommittee , rubio was making his first jaunt to asia , a region he called the next big flash point in global affairs . all of the emerging major issues of the 21st century over the next 50 years are going to be in asia , given the population growth , and given the instability that you see in north korea , given the rise of china , ' rubio told cnn in a weekend phone interview from seoul , south korea . the three countries he visited want us here , ' rubio said . and not just engaged militarily , but they want us engaged economically , culturally . they are comfortable with us . they 've built these longstanding alliances that they want to build on and improve . ' rubio : culture keeps u.s.-uk bond strong rubio affirmed the importance of america 's economic and military interests in asia and expressed support for the so-called rebalance ' -- the obama administration 's effort to re-engage with asia by forging deeper alliances with friendly nations and pursuing a stable relationship with china . in fairness , i think they 're doing a lot of the things we need to be doing , ' he said . but america 's relationship with its allies in the region must evolve , he said , in the face of china 's ever-growing economic might and the destabilizing ' threat of a volatile north korea . our military capacity here has to be adjusted to a new threat , ' rubio said of the roughly 30,000 american military personnel stationed in south korea . much of our military standing here is still and was very largely based on the ability to slow down an invasion from the north long enough until reserves and supplements could get here , ' he said . and that still remains a threat to some extent . but the bigger threat now is that they 've developed long-range missile capabilities , long-range artillery , anti-access , anti-ship weaponry , these are the sort of things . these are a different type of threat that now requires us to reposition a different kind of technology and capacity to the region . ' marco rubio blasts obama administration , pushes american leadership abroad rubio said simmering tensions between japan and china , inflamed by recent chinese efforts to expand its military influence in the east china sea , are very real -- and shared by leaders in the philippines . the takeaway , if you go to japan or the philippines , the takeaway is that china is trying to become dominant , that china is driving the u.s. out , ' rubio said . all of this weighs heavily on the minds of nations in this region , particularly the philippines and japan . there is a growing insecurity about some of the claims that china is making with regards to what is in their territory . ' the south korean outlook on china is more nuanced , he said . south korea 's economy depends heavily on exports , and china is far and away the biggest market for its goods . the united states should have a similar approach to the asian superpower , he said , as long as those economic interests are balanced with a robust military presence in the region to protect america 's allies . i 've never accepted the idea that we wanted to contain china , ' rubio said . we welcome a china that 's richer and more prosperous , because that 's a potential trading partner , customers for our products and services . what we do n't want to see is a china that uses its newfound power to dominate their neighbors . ' rubio was accompanied on his pacific tour by two close aides from washington : his chief of staff cesar conda , whose family hails from the philippines , and his foreign policy adviser jamie fly , a veteran of george w. bush 's administration and the former executive director of the foreign policy initiative , a neoconservative think tank . his aides tweeted out a cascade of pictures of rubio meeting with top elected and diplomatic officials , philippine president benigno aquino iii , south korean president park geun-hye and japanese prime minister shinzo abe among them . rubio also consulted with two officials whose fame extends far beyond political circles : manny pacquiao , a member of the philippine congress when he is n't wearing boxing gloves , and caroline kennedy , the u.s. ambassador to japan . she 's very highly regarded in japan , ' he said of kennedy . she seems to be enjoying the job tremendously . i 've got nothing but positive reviews about her . ' in a friday speech to the asan institute for policy studies in seoul , rubio said american engagement in asia is crucial to u.s. national security and economic vitality . he chided , ever so gently , unnamed members of congress who are increasingly skeptical about why america needs to remain so active in international affairs . ' asked if the comment was a reference to libertarian-leaning republicans -- among them sen. rand paul of kentucky , a potential rival for the 2016 gop nomination -- rubio said it was not . there 's a general debate in our country , ' he said . it 's understandable . americans have gone through two bloody , costly , overseas engagements in wars in iraq and afghanistan , one of which is still going on . americans have paid a tremendous price to fight the war on terrorism , and it 's understandable that they 're weary of overseas engagements . ' but so much of what is going on in our everyday lives is directly impacted by things that are happening halfway around the world , ' rubio told cnn . and that even if we chose to ignore the world , the world 's problems are not going to ignore us . so i think it 's critically important that we continue to invest in foreign policy and foreign diplomacy and in military capacity , because they are as relevant today as they have ever been . ' | potential 2016 presidential contender sen. marco rubio tours asian nations |
rubio <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- as gov . chris christie continues to fend off accusations of corruption in new jersey , another republican with possible designs on the white house , marco rubio , spent last week 7,000 miles away from the controversy , burnishing his foreign policy resume with a three-country trip through asia . the florida senator made a busy , weeklong visit to the philippines , japan and south korea -- a trip that brought him face to face with top officials from all three countries , the boxer manny pacquiao and a pair of dmz-stationed north korean soldiers , who took pictures of the man who one day may sit in the white house . the ranking member of the senate foreign relations east asian and pacific affairs subcommittee , rubio was making his first jaunt to asia , a region he called the next big flash point in global affairs . all of the emerging major issues of the 21st century over the next 50 years are going to be in asia , given the population growth , and given the instability that you see in north korea , given the rise of china , ' rubio told cnn in a weekend phone interview from seoul , south korea . the three countries he visited want us here , ' rubio said . and not just engaged militarily , but they want us engaged economically , culturally . they are comfortable with us . they 've built these longstanding alliances that they want to build on and improve . ' rubio : culture keeps u.s.-uk bond strong rubio affirmed the importance of america 's economic and military interests in asia and expressed support for the so-called rebalance ' -- the obama administration 's effort to re-engage with asia by forging deeper alliances with friendly nations and pursuing a stable relationship with china . in fairness , i think they 're doing a lot of the things we need to be doing , ' he said . but america 's relationship with its allies in the region must evolve , he said , in the face of china 's ever-growing economic might and the destabilizing ' threat of a volatile north korea . our military capacity here has to be adjusted to a new threat , ' rubio said of the roughly 30,000 american military personnel stationed in south korea . much of our military standing here is still and was very largely based on the ability to slow down an invasion from the north long enough until reserves and supplements could get here , ' he said . and that still remains a threat to some extent . but the bigger threat now is that they 've developed long-range missile capabilities , long-range artillery , anti-access , anti-ship weaponry , these are the sort of things . these are a different type of threat that now requires us to reposition a different kind of technology and capacity to the region . ' marco rubio blasts obama administration , pushes american leadership abroad rubio said simmering tensions between japan and china , inflamed by recent chinese efforts to expand its military influence in the east china sea , are very real -- and shared by leaders in the philippines . the takeaway , if you go to japan or the philippines , the takeaway is that china is trying to become dominant , that china is driving the u.s. out , ' rubio said . all of this weighs heavily on the minds of nations in this region , particularly the philippines and japan . there is a growing insecurity about some of the claims that china is making with regards to what is in their territory . ' the south korean outlook on china is more nuanced , he said . south korea 's economy depends heavily on exports , and china is far and away the biggest market for its goods . the united states should have a similar approach to the asian superpower , he said , as long as those economic interests are balanced with a robust military presence in the region to protect america 's allies . i 've never accepted the idea that we wanted to contain china , ' rubio said . we welcome a china that 's richer and more prosperous , because that 's a potential trading partner , customers for our products and services . what we do n't want to see is a china that uses its newfound power to dominate their neighbors . ' rubio was accompanied on his pacific tour by two close aides from washington : his chief of staff cesar conda , whose family hails from the philippines , and his foreign policy adviser jamie fly , a veteran of george w. bush 's administration and the former executive director of the foreign policy initiative , a neoconservative think tank . his aides tweeted out a cascade of pictures of rubio meeting with top elected and diplomatic officials , philippine president benigno aquino iii , south korean president park geun-hye and japanese prime minister shinzo abe among them . rubio also consulted with two officials whose fame extends far beyond political circles : manny pacquiao , a member of the philippine congress when he is n't wearing boxing gloves , and caroline kennedy , the u.s. ambassador to japan . she 's very highly regarded in japan , ' he said of kennedy . she seems to be enjoying the job tremendously . i 've got nothing but positive reviews about her . ' in a friday speech to the asan institute for policy studies in seoul , rubio said american engagement in asia is crucial to u.s. national security and economic vitality . he chided , ever so gently , unnamed members of congress who are increasingly skeptical about why america needs to remain so active in international affairs . ' asked if the comment was a reference to libertarian-leaning republicans -- among them sen. rand paul of kentucky , a potential rival for the 2016 gop nomination -- rubio said it was not . there 's a general debate in our country , ' he said . it 's understandable . americans have gone through two bloody , costly , overseas engagements in wars in iraq and afghanistan , one of which is still going on . americans have paid a tremendous price to fight the war on terrorism , and it 's understandable that they 're weary of overseas engagements . ' but so much of what is going on in our everyday lives is directly impacted by things that are happening halfway around the world , ' rubio told cnn . and that even if we chose to ignore the world , the world 's problems are not going to ignore us . so i think it 's critically important that we continue to invest in foreign policy and foreign diplomacy and in military capacity , because they are as relevant today as they have ever been . ' | rubio affirmed the importance of america 's economic and military interests in asia |
sky city <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) -- the plan to raise what would be the world 's tallest building in a dizzyingly fast time is in danger of not getting off the ground at all . according to reports in chinese state media , broad group , the developers for sky city , have so far failed to get the proper permits required to proceed with construction . the company put the first spade in the ground in the 202-story project to much fanfare on july 20 . developers hope it could be built within the year . the 838-meter construction in changsha , the capital of china 's central hunan province , would rise ten meters higher than the world 's current tallest building , the burj khalifa in dubai . broad is still currently in the beginning stages of arranging the construction project , ' a changsha urban planning department representative told cnn . so far , they 've undergone the process to obtain 136 mu [ 22 acres ] of land , but that 's it . they 're still in the very basic beginning stages . we 've been giving a lot of attention to this case , and everything they 've done has been according to law . ' for its part broad group insisted everything was above board . we have not yet started work on changsha 's sky city , ' a broad group press officer told cnn . he added that they have evidence to show no laws have been broken . penalties for illegal construction vary widely across china between the countryside and cities , as well as between residential and commercial use . in chengdu , the capital of sichuan province , baseline fines for illegal construction range from 5 % to 10 % with investigative fees as much as doubling the amount . additional penalties for various infractions can then double the original fine , according to one official government website . in the southwest megacity of chongqing , the fine for the illegal construction of a commercial building is 50 % of the cost of construction , according to another government site . if similar penalties exist in changsha as for chongqing , broad group could be fined nearly $ 750 million . sky city 's total construction cost is $ 1.46 billion . construction advocates have touted sky city 's green credentials : it will save on energy and land use , creating an all-in-one home , office , shopping , farming and recreation environment for some 30,000 residents that no one ever needs to leave . critics -- including architectural experts and the chinese public -- worry about safety because of the use of non-traditional building techniques and the pace of construction . broad group pioneered the use of pre-fabricated steel-and-concrete blocks -- akin to lego blocks -- that can be quickly hoisted into place . while the burj khalifa took five years to build , broad group says this fast-building technology ' means it can construct sky city in just ten months . sky city will be completed in april 2014 , said broad group in earlier statements . however when questioned by cnn , the company 's press officer hesitated to provide a start date for construction . he added that plans will be announced at an as-yet unscheduled future press conference , leaving construction plans for sky city firmly frozen on the ground . | chinese state media reports sky city does not have required permits to start construction |
sky city <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) -- the plan to raise what would be the world 's tallest building in a dizzyingly fast time is in danger of not getting off the ground at all . according to reports in chinese state media , broad group , the developers for sky city , have so far failed to get the proper permits required to proceed with construction . the company put the first spade in the ground in the 202-story project to much fanfare on july 20 . developers hope it could be built within the year . the 838-meter construction in changsha , the capital of china 's central hunan province , would rise ten meters higher than the world 's current tallest building , the burj khalifa in dubai . broad is still currently in the beginning stages of arranging the construction project , ' a changsha urban planning department representative told cnn . so far , they 've undergone the process to obtain 136 mu [ 22 acres ] of land , but that 's it . they 're still in the very basic beginning stages . we 've been giving a lot of attention to this case , and everything they 've done has been according to law . ' for its part broad group insisted everything was above board . we have not yet started work on changsha 's sky city , ' a broad group press officer told cnn . he added that they have evidence to show no laws have been broken . penalties for illegal construction vary widely across china between the countryside and cities , as well as between residential and commercial use . in chengdu , the capital of sichuan province , baseline fines for illegal construction range from 5 % to 10 % with investigative fees as much as doubling the amount . additional penalties for various infractions can then double the original fine , according to one official government website . in the southwest megacity of chongqing , the fine for the illegal construction of a commercial building is 50 % of the cost of construction , according to another government site . if similar penalties exist in changsha as for chongqing , broad group could be fined nearly $ 750 million . sky city 's total construction cost is $ 1.46 billion . construction advocates have touted sky city 's green credentials : it will save on energy and land use , creating an all-in-one home , office , shopping , farming and recreation environment for some 30,000 residents that no one ever needs to leave . critics -- including architectural experts and the chinese public -- worry about safety because of the use of non-traditional building techniques and the pace of construction . broad group pioneered the use of pre-fabricated steel-and-concrete blocks -- akin to lego blocks -- that can be quickly hoisted into place . while the burj khalifa took five years to build , broad group says this fast-building technology ' means it can construct sky city in just ten months . sky city will be completed in april 2014 , said broad group in earlier statements . however when questioned by cnn , the company 's press officer hesitated to provide a start date for construction . he added that plans will be announced at an as-yet unscheduled future press conference , leaving construction plans for sky city firmly frozen on the ground . | sky city , developed by broad group , planned to be world 's tallest building at 838 meters |
sky city <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) -- the plan to raise what would be the world 's tallest building in a dizzyingly fast time is in danger of not getting off the ground at all . according to reports in chinese state media , broad group , the developers for sky city , have so far failed to get the proper permits required to proceed with construction . the company put the first spade in the ground in the 202-story project to much fanfare on july 20 . developers hope it could be built within the year . the 838-meter construction in changsha , the capital of china 's central hunan province , would rise ten meters higher than the world 's current tallest building , the burj khalifa in dubai . broad is still currently in the beginning stages of arranging the construction project , ' a changsha urban planning department representative told cnn . so far , they 've undergone the process to obtain 136 mu [ 22 acres ] of land , but that 's it . they 're still in the very basic beginning stages . we 've been giving a lot of attention to this case , and everything they 've done has been according to law . ' for its part broad group insisted everything was above board . we have not yet started work on changsha 's sky city , ' a broad group press officer told cnn . he added that they have evidence to show no laws have been broken . penalties for illegal construction vary widely across china between the countryside and cities , as well as between residential and commercial use . in chengdu , the capital of sichuan province , baseline fines for illegal construction range from 5 % to 10 % with investigative fees as much as doubling the amount . additional penalties for various infractions can then double the original fine , according to one official government website . in the southwest megacity of chongqing , the fine for the illegal construction of a commercial building is 50 % of the cost of construction , according to another government site . if similar penalties exist in changsha as for chongqing , broad group could be fined nearly $ 750 million . sky city 's total construction cost is $ 1.46 billion . construction advocates have touted sky city 's green credentials : it will save on energy and land use , creating an all-in-one home , office , shopping , farming and recreation environment for some 30,000 residents that no one ever needs to leave . critics -- including architectural experts and the chinese public -- worry about safety because of the use of non-traditional building techniques and the pace of construction . broad group pioneered the use of pre-fabricated steel-and-concrete blocks -- akin to lego blocks -- that can be quickly hoisted into place . while the burj khalifa took five years to build , broad group says this fast-building technology ' means it can construct sky city in just ten months . sky city will be completed in april 2014 , said broad group in earlier statements . however when questioned by cnn , the company 's press officer hesitated to provide a start date for construction . he added that plans will be announced at an as-yet unscheduled future press conference , leaving construction plans for sky city firmly frozen on the ground . | broad group will use pre-fabricated steel-concrete blocks to build sky city by april 2014 |
nato <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- as many as 2,000 additional troops -- including a number of u.s. forces -- may be headed to afghanistan in the coming weeks under a plan backed by gen. david petraeus , cnn has learned . petraeus has not commented publicly on the need for more troops , but a u.s. defense official and a senior nato official directly familiar with his thinking and the entire matter have confirmed details to cnn . the proposal for more troops has been briefed to nato officials behind closed doors . according to the nato source , it calls for an additional 2,000 troops including at least 750 personnel to serve as trainers for afghan forces . the trainers specifically would work to teach afghan units how to support their operations in the field . the balance of the forces would work largely to counter the still significant threat posed by improvised explosive devices ( ieds ) . another nato official tells cnn it 's highly likely ' many of the additional forces will be u.s. troops . some nato member countries are politically ambivalent about the war , he noted . and practically , it is only u.s. forces that have the most advanced equipment to counter roadside bombs in may , defense secretary robert gates sent 850 u.s. military trainers on a temporary deployment when european countries could not pledge enough of their own forces . this latest need for 2,000 forces goes beyond that to include counter-ied forces , although some small number of the at least 750 additional trainers could replace those already there . no final decisions have been made on any additional u.s. troops . nato military authorities are scheduled to meet in the coming days to try to get specific troop commitments from member nations . the goal is to get the matter resolved before a november nato summit in which u.s. and nato military commanders are expected to discuss progress in the war . it is not clear whether the new effort will bring the troop levels above the 30,000 additional u.s. forces authorized by president barack obama earlier this year , as it will depend on how many troops the nato countries contribute and the potential re-assignment of existing forces . the president also authorized the pentagon at the time to deploy 3,000 forces , but more than half of those 3,000 have already been earmarked . nato sources emphasize they believe the bulk of the additional 2,000 will likely have to come from the us . the potential for yet another troop increase , even a relatively small one , is already being defended by nato . the senior official told cnn this relatively small uplift -- less than 2 percent of the 150,000 in theatre from the coalition -- reflects the direction of the campaign : training the afghan security forces to prepare for transition , as well as protecting our forces . ' a u.s. military official also confirms that in recent weeks the discussion of the withdrawal ' of forces from certain areas of afghanistan beginning in july 2011 has taken a bit of a twist . the official said the withdrawal in some areas will signify that those areas may be turned over to afghan control , but that may not mean troops will come home . the latest options call for taking those troops not needed and sending them to other areas where security is still poor . | nato official : it 's highly likely ' many of the additional forces would be u.s. troops |
nato <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- as many as 2,000 additional troops -- including a number of u.s. forces -- may be headed to afghanistan in the coming weeks under a plan backed by gen. david petraeus , cnn has learned . petraeus has not commented publicly on the need for more troops , but a u.s. defense official and a senior nato official directly familiar with his thinking and the entire matter have confirmed details to cnn . the proposal for more troops has been briefed to nato officials behind closed doors . according to the nato source , it calls for an additional 2,000 troops including at least 750 personnel to serve as trainers for afghan forces . the trainers specifically would work to teach afghan units how to support their operations in the field . the balance of the forces would work largely to counter the still significant threat posed by improvised explosive devices ( ieds ) . another nato official tells cnn it 's highly likely ' many of the additional forces will be u.s. troops . some nato member countries are politically ambivalent about the war , he noted . and practically , it is only u.s. forces that have the most advanced equipment to counter roadside bombs in may , defense secretary robert gates sent 850 u.s. military trainers on a temporary deployment when european countries could not pledge enough of their own forces . this latest need for 2,000 forces goes beyond that to include counter-ied forces , although some small number of the at least 750 additional trainers could replace those already there . no final decisions have been made on any additional u.s. troops . nato military authorities are scheduled to meet in the coming days to try to get specific troop commitments from member nations . the goal is to get the matter resolved before a november nato summit in which u.s. and nato military commanders are expected to discuss progress in the war . it is not clear whether the new effort will bring the troop levels above the 30,000 additional u.s. forces authorized by president barack obama earlier this year , as it will depend on how many troops the nato countries contribute and the potential re-assignment of existing forces . the president also authorized the pentagon at the time to deploy 3,000 forces , but more than half of those 3,000 have already been earmarked . nato sources emphasize they believe the bulk of the additional 2,000 will likely have to come from the us . the potential for yet another troop increase , even a relatively small one , is already being defended by nato . the senior official told cnn this relatively small uplift -- less than 2 percent of the 150,000 in theatre from the coalition -- reflects the direction of the campaign : training the afghan security forces to prepare for transition , as well as protecting our forces . ' a u.s. military official also confirms that in recent weeks the discussion of the withdrawal ' of forces from certain areas of afghanistan beginning in july 2011 has taken a bit of a twist . the official said the withdrawal in some areas will signify that those areas may be turned over to afghan control , but that may not mean troops will come home . the latest options call for taking those troops not needed and sending them to other areas where security is still poor . | nato authorities will meet soon to get specific commitments from member nations |
syria <tsp> ( cnn ) -- more than 20,000 people -- most of them civilians -- have been killed in syria 's 18-month crisis . the violence continued unabated wednesday with fierce attacks reported across the country . here are the latest developments in the syrian civil war : on the ground : the battle for aleppo intensifies the syrian regime touted gains on wednesday in the quest to control syria 's largest city and commercial hub , aleppo : ' units from our heroic syrian armed forces are in confrontations with terrorist armed groups ' in aleppo , inflicting upon them heavy losses in their numbers and equipment , ' state-run tv reported . regime and rebel fighters have battled for months in aleppo , where civilians routinely dodge snipers and attacks from the air . on tuesday , regime forces shelled a bakery in nearby marea , causing more than a dozen casualties , opposition activists said . government forces have previously attacked bread lines in aleppo province , according to human rights groups and u.n. officials . residents in opposition-friendly areas often wait in lines at night to avoid being targeted by government aircraft . across the country , at least 172 people were killed in fresh violence on wednesday , the opposition local coordination committees of syria said . sixty-seven of the deaths occurred in aleppo , it said . world reaction : european official says the world is at a deadlock ' on syria the european union is preparing additional funds to support relief through education , food and water , eu foreign affairs chief catherine ashton said . we face a dangerous stalemate , ' she said tuesday in a statement . the truth is that , despite all the efforts , the international community is in a sense at a deadlock ... the u.n. security council has not been able to agree on a common response that could open the way for a political solution . ' humanitarian crisis : 1 in 4 homs residents are in urgent need of aid some 550,000 of the 2.2 million people in homs province need humanitarian aid , world health organization spokesman tarik jasarevic said after a u.n. mission composed of health experts visited the embattled province last week . the urgency of scaling up delivery of humanitarian aid is exacerbated by the approaching winter , ' he said . about half of the province 's physicians have left , and only about three surgeons remain , he said . many of the medical facilities across the province have been damaged or destroyed , leaving the few remaining hospitals overwhelmed with patients and short on medicine and supplies . cnn 's saad abedine and holly yan contributed to this report . | eu official : we face a dangerous stalemate ' as the world remains deadlocked on syria |
barton <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if you 've ever heard a corny joke , it likely was an aggie joke . these are launched against those of us who hold texas a & m university ( aka the aggies ' ) near and dear , usually by fans of our arch-rival , the university of texas . some are pretty funny , such as this one : did you hear about the aggie that drove his pickup into the lake ? his dog drowned while he tried to get the tailgate down . ' after today 's hearing , i 'm confident a new one will become popular : did you hear that joke of a congressman who actually felt sorry for bp ? yea , he was that aggie , joe barton . ' anyone who has read or listened to me knows that i am proud of my native texas , and especially my alma mater , texas a & m university . but after listening to barton apologize this morning to bp officials for having to set aside $ 20 billion in an escrow fund to assist the victims of the biggest oil disaster in american history , i am ashamed that this poor excuse of an elected official has disgraced his texas congressional district . it should n't matter that barton is often representing the interests of the oil industry . any sane person would be outraged at the response thus far of bp , as well as the insensitive and asinine comments by company representatives . in his opening statement , barton was so over the top that even his fellow republicans must have thought he bumped his head on his way into today 's hearing . i 'm ashamed of what happened in the white house yesterday . i think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what i would characterize as a shakedown -- in this case a $ 20 billion shakedown . ' a shakedown ? the federal government , the states of louisiana , florida , alabama and mississippi have had to amass tens of thousands of workers , and spend millions of dollars trying to do all they can to contain the oil gushing out of the bottom of the gulf of mexico . businesses have shut down , fishermen are trying to figure out how they are going to feed their families in the wake of the devastation , and beaches along the gulf coast are closed , preventing tourists from spending dollars in the region . all of his because of the explosion on bp 's oil platform 60 days ago that killed 11 people and continues to cause irreparable harm to the environment . but that means nothing to barton , who truly is carrying the oil of the industry . you would think that a man who is always talking about government spending and fiscal conservatism would want a private company to foot the bill for an oil spill . why should the american taxpayer have to spend our precious dollars to clean up the massive mess ? when the world trade center 's twin towers were brought down on september 11 , 2001 , the federal government created the september 11 victim compensation fund . nearly $ 7 billion was awarded , and that event was n't the federal government 's fault . it is right , fair and just that the obama administration should force bp to fork over billions to assist those who have seen their way of life destroyed by the oil spill , and the american taxpayer , including those in barton 's district , should feel confident that bp will repay the federal government and the states every penny spent on cleaning up their mess . any man or woman with a conscience should deplore barton 's comments , and no republican should stand with him . either you are on the side of bp or the american people , especially those in the gulf . joe , shame on you . and when i bump into you in college station at a texas a & m football game , i 'll tell you this personally . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of roland s. martin . | rep. joe barton apologized to bp officials for shakedown ' by white house |
barton <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if you 've ever heard a corny joke , it likely was an aggie joke . these are launched against those of us who hold texas a & m university ( aka the aggies ' ) near and dear , usually by fans of our arch-rival , the university of texas . some are pretty funny , such as this one : did you hear about the aggie that drove his pickup into the lake ? his dog drowned while he tried to get the tailgate down . ' after today 's hearing , i 'm confident a new one will become popular : did you hear that joke of a congressman who actually felt sorry for bp ? yea , he was that aggie , joe barton . ' anyone who has read or listened to me knows that i am proud of my native texas , and especially my alma mater , texas a & m university . but after listening to barton apologize this morning to bp officials for having to set aside $ 20 billion in an escrow fund to assist the victims of the biggest oil disaster in american history , i am ashamed that this poor excuse of an elected official has disgraced his texas congressional district . it should n't matter that barton is often representing the interests of the oil industry . any sane person would be outraged at the response thus far of bp , as well as the insensitive and asinine comments by company representatives . in his opening statement , barton was so over the top that even his fellow republicans must have thought he bumped his head on his way into today 's hearing . i 'm ashamed of what happened in the white house yesterday . i think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what i would characterize as a shakedown -- in this case a $ 20 billion shakedown . ' a shakedown ? the federal government , the states of louisiana , florida , alabama and mississippi have had to amass tens of thousands of workers , and spend millions of dollars trying to do all they can to contain the oil gushing out of the bottom of the gulf of mexico . businesses have shut down , fishermen are trying to figure out how they are going to feed their families in the wake of the devastation , and beaches along the gulf coast are closed , preventing tourists from spending dollars in the region . all of his because of the explosion on bp 's oil platform 60 days ago that killed 11 people and continues to cause irreparable harm to the environment . but that means nothing to barton , who truly is carrying the oil of the industry . you would think that a man who is always talking about government spending and fiscal conservatism would want a private company to foot the bill for an oil spill . why should the american taxpayer have to spend our precious dollars to clean up the massive mess ? when the world trade center 's twin towers were brought down on september 11 , 2001 , the federal government created the september 11 victim compensation fund . nearly $ 7 billion was awarded , and that event was n't the federal government 's fault . it is right , fair and just that the obama administration should force bp to fork over billions to assist those who have seen their way of life destroyed by the oil spill , and the american taxpayer , including those in barton 's district , should feel confident that bp will repay the federal government and the states every penny spent on cleaning up their mess . any man or woman with a conscience should deplore barton 's comments , and no republican should stand with him . either you are on the side of bp or the american people , especially those in the gulf . joe , shame on you . and when i bump into you in college station at a texas a & m football game , i 'll tell you this personally . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of roland s. martin . | roland martin says barton 's claim was outrageous |
israel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- president barack obama is getting a lot of free advice . here 's a question , not an answer : with every issue in the middle east intertwined with every other , like a giant bowl of spaghetti , where do you begin ? in reality , no matter where you begin in the middle east , each strand connects to almost every other : syria ? immediately you must think of the turks who are harboring refugees and fighters just across the border , and syrian kurds , who are beginning to harbor thoughts of autonomy and are increasing contacts with their ethnic brothers in iraq and turkey . iran , of course , is aiding the beleaguered bashar al-assad but also trying to organize an exit strategy ; saudi arabia and qatar are pouring money and arms into the country with the sole purpose of cracking the syria-iran entente ; iraq fears that a sunni takeover in syria will revitalize its own restless sunnis . the palestinian issue ? no need to elaborate . that is tangled up with everything in the middle east . the arab awakening ? the policies you adopt with the emerging islamist governments will affect every strand you touch in the region , from relations with israel to the arab states in the persian gulf that are terrified of sweeping change . the president will not have the luxury of choosing a single issue and ignoring or postponing all the others . the whole middle east has a habit of intruding , and policy choices will have to be made about each of the major issues , even if it is not convenient . still , in plotting a second term , the president must establish some priorities . trying to do everything at once is not only bad strategy , it is a certain recipe for failure across the board . a point of entry : possibly the most promising strand to pull when trying to unravel the mideast problem is the iranian dilemma . when obama came into office four years ago , he courageously promised to engage iranian leaders . he made a genuine attempt , but he quickly pulled back in the face of iran 's brutal suppression of a civil uprising , israeli demands for an early deadline on the nuclear issue and the fact that he had a lot on his domestic plate . trita parsi evocatively describes that episode in the book a single roll of the dice . ' there was no staying power . instead , the united states reverted to its default position of sanctions while maintaining the framework for serious negotiations with iran as part of the so-called p5+1 -- the five permanent members of the u.n. security council ( the united states , britain , france , china and russia ) plus one ( germany ) . the sanctions did their job . iran has gladly accepted the invitation of the p5+1 to return to the negotiating table . however , in the run-up to the presidential election , the united states was unwilling to put a meaningful offer on the table , and the negotiating track languished in a kind of limbo . the value of sanctions : sanctions have two useful purposes . one is to persuade iran to return to the negotiating table . that has happened . the other is to give the sanctioning party something to bargain away in return for concessions . up to this point , the united states has been unwilling to offer significant sanctions relief in return for significant concessions from iran . sanctions have assumed a life of their own and are gradually becoming politically untouchable . if that remains true , then there is no prospect of serious negotiations . there is another use of sanctions -- to punish a party you do n't like and potentially coerce them into submission or collapse . the current sanctions regime is taking on that coloration , even if it is seldom discussed as such . the record of sanctions in producing abject surrender or regime change is not promising . instead , the sanctions typically hurt the average citizen , while leaders escape most of the effects and adopt a defiant posture , blaming their own failings on outside interference . this is beginning to happen in iran today . vicious assaults on the well-being of a country 's population can produce popular bitterness and hostility against the enemy ' that can last for generations . the shape of an agenda : as with many long-standing disputes , the broad outlines of a settlement are well-known to the parties . what is lacking is the political judgment by both sides that now is the moment to proceed with a deal that will require mutual compromise . the united states and its allies will have to accept a measure of iranian domestic enrichment of uranium . iran will have to accept limits on its entire nuclear infrastructure , subject to intrusive inspections and monitoring . iran will need to document the history of its nuclear program , and the west will need to remove sanctions . all of this must happen in a step-by-step process with safeguards and verifications at each stage . there is nothing easy about it . the iranians are known as obstinate and often infuriating negotiators . the united states is not known for its patience , and it can be clumsy and ponderous as it attempts to please multiple constituencies at the same time . iran is certain to face strong objections from its hardliners , and the same will apply in the united states . the hardliners on both sides , who regard another middle east war as an acceptable option , reinforce each other and impede efforts to find mutually acceptable compromises . israel and the u.s. congress will try to impose impractically tight deadlines . and events in the region , such as the recent case of iranian aircraft firing on a u.s. surveillance drone , can sabotage negotiations . the arab states of the gulf will be intensely suspicious of any hint of a secret deal between the united states and iran . they remember america 's strategic reliance on the shah , the reagan administration 's covert sale of weapons to iran in the mid-1980s and america 's installation of a shia government in iraq . they ( and israel ) will have to be persuaded that any accommodation with iran is not at their expense . private and public negotiations : the starting point must be private u.s.-iran discussions , leading to an agreed agenda . both sides have recently hinted that such talks are under consideration , and reactions from the european union , russia and even the american people have been undismayed , even openly supportive . the choice of representatives and venues is less important than confidence that delegates credibly reflect the view of their leaders . experience suggests that an agreed agenda is more likely to emerge from bilateral discussions outside the glare of publicity . if that is accomplished , then the actual negotiations could be carried out within the existing p5+1 framework . even a preliminary agreement -- establishing a mutually acceptable process with a defined end point -- would help to unravel some of the tangles of middle east issues . the threat of a new war in the middle east would be reduced . the possibility of getting iranian cooperation on syria would be improved . the threat of nuclear proliferation in the region would be tamped down at least temporarily . and the multiple flash points in the gulf could potentially cool down , leaving opportunities for more constructive initiatives . the history of u.s.-iran relations is a story of relentless hostility and serial missed opportunities . chances for genuine progress come along scarcely once in a decade . so , mr. president , here is one more piece of free advice : the present constellation of circumstances with iran is probably the best you 're going to get . do n't let it pass . the opinions in this commentary are solely those of gary sick . | syria , iran , israel , the palestinians , saudi arabia : all are intertwined politically |
benedict xvi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- pope benedict xvi refused wednesday to soften the vatican 's ban on condom use as he arrived in africa for his first visit to the continent as pope . cameroonian president paul biya , left , walks with pope benedict xvi at the airport in yaounde , tuesday . he landed in cameroon , the first stop on a trip that will also take him to angola . sub-saharan africa has been hit harder by aids and hiv than any other region of the world , according to the united nations and world health organization . there has been fierce debate between those who advocate the use of condoms to help stop the spread of the epidemic and those who oppose it . the pontiff reiterated the vatican 's policy on condom use as he flew from rome to yaounde , the capital of cameroon , cnn vatican analyst john allen said . pope benedict has always made it clear he intends to uphold the traditional catholic teaching on artificial contraception -- a clear moral prohibition ' -- allen said . but his remarks tuesday were among the first times he stated the policy explicitly since he became pope nearly four years ago . he has , however , assembled a panel of scientists and theologians to consider the narrow question of whether to allow condoms for married couples , one of whom has hiv , the virus that causes aids . it is still not clear how the pope will rule on the matter , said allen , who is also a senior correspondent for the national catholic reporter . the catholic church has long been on the front line of hiv care , he said , adding that it is probably the largest private provider of hiv care in the world . more than 22 million people in sub-saharan africa are infected with hiv , according to a 2008 unaids/who report . nine out of 10 children with hiv in the world live in the region , which has 11.4 million orphans because of aids , the report said , and 1.5 million people there died of the disease in 2007 . | pope benedict xvi refuses to soften the vatican 's ban on condom use |
parker <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with an apology to his former business partner , ex-facebook president sean parker has broken down and tweeted . sorry zuck , i had to do it eventually , ' parker wrote monday on his newly minted twitter account . the apparent mea culpa to facebook ceo mark zuckerberg is , so far , parker 's only post . but , by tuesday morning , he had already racked up nearly 24,000 followers on the rival networking site . parker was co-founder ( or maybe an early employee , depending on who you believe ) of music-sharing site napster and created sites plaxo and causes in addition to helming facebook in its early days . he 's perhaps best known to most folks through his fictional interpretation by justin timberlake in the movie the social network . ' ( movie-version parker was responsible for two of the social network 's ' most famous lines , urging zuckerberg to drop the the ' and just be facebook ' and saying that what 's cool ' is not $ 1 million , it 's $ 1 billion . for his part , the real parker has called the movie pure fiction , saying he was portrayed inaccurately ) . his tweet goes on to blame ' scooter braun , an entertainment marketer best known as justin bieber 's agent . parker 's twitter debut comes , perhaps not coincidentally , as he looks set to launch his latest e-venture -- a video service called airtime . his biographical information on twitter includes a link to a forbes profile titled sean parker : agent of distruption . ' it also links to the founders fund , the venture-capital firm in which parker is a partner . and maybe he does n't owe zuckerberg a full apology just yet . parker 's facebook page has more than 38,000 people who like ' it -- outpacing his twitter feed , at least for now . | with a nod to zuckerberg , ex-facebook president sean parker joins twitter |
parker <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with an apology to his former business partner , ex-facebook president sean parker has broken down and tweeted . sorry zuck , i had to do it eventually , ' parker wrote monday on his newly minted twitter account . the apparent mea culpa to facebook ceo mark zuckerberg is , so far , parker 's only post . but , by tuesday morning , he had already racked up nearly 24,000 followers on the rival networking site . parker was co-founder ( or maybe an early employee , depending on who you believe ) of music-sharing site napster and created sites plaxo and causes in addition to helming facebook in its early days . he 's perhaps best known to most folks through his fictional interpretation by justin timberlake in the movie the social network . ' ( movie-version parker was responsible for two of the social network 's ' most famous lines , urging zuckerberg to drop the the ' and just be facebook ' and saying that what 's cool ' is not $ 1 million , it 's $ 1 billion . for his part , the real parker has called the movie pure fiction , saying he was portrayed inaccurately ) . his tweet goes on to blame ' scooter braun , an entertainment marketer best known as justin bieber 's agent . parker 's twitter debut comes , perhaps not coincidentally , as he looks set to launch his latest e-venture -- a video service called airtime . his biographical information on twitter includes a link to a forbes profile titled sean parker : agent of distruption . ' it also links to the founders fund , the venture-capital firm in which parker is a partner . and maybe he does n't owe zuckerberg a full apology just yet . parker 's facebook page has more than 38,000 people who like ' it -- outpacing his twitter feed , at least for now . | parker co-founded napster and is known through his portrayal in the social network ' |
parker <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with an apology to his former business partner , ex-facebook president sean parker has broken down and tweeted . sorry zuck , i had to do it eventually , ' parker wrote monday on his newly minted twitter account . the apparent mea culpa to facebook ceo mark zuckerberg is , so far , parker 's only post . but , by tuesday morning , he had already racked up nearly 24,000 followers on the rival networking site . parker was co-founder ( or maybe an early employee , depending on who you believe ) of music-sharing site napster and created sites plaxo and causes in addition to helming facebook in its early days . he 's perhaps best known to most folks through his fictional interpretation by justin timberlake in the movie the social network . ' ( movie-version parker was responsible for two of the social network 's ' most famous lines , urging zuckerberg to drop the the ' and just be facebook ' and saying that what 's cool ' is not $ 1 million , it 's $ 1 billion . for his part , the real parker has called the movie pure fiction , saying he was portrayed inaccurately ) . his tweet goes on to blame ' scooter braun , an entertainment marketer best known as justin bieber 's agent . parker 's twitter debut comes , perhaps not coincidentally , as he looks set to launch his latest e-venture -- a video service called airtime . his biographical information on twitter includes a link to a forbes profile titled sean parker : agent of distruption . ' it also links to the founders fund , the venture-capital firm in which parker is a partner . and maybe he does n't owe zuckerberg a full apology just yet . parker 's facebook page has more than 38,000 people who like ' it -- outpacing his twitter feed , at least for now . | new account comes as parker is reportedly about to launch a video service |
parker <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with an apology to his former business partner , ex-facebook president sean parker has broken down and tweeted . sorry zuck , i had to do it eventually , ' parker wrote monday on his newly minted twitter account . the apparent mea culpa to facebook ceo mark zuckerberg is , so far , parker 's only post . but , by tuesday morning , he had already racked up nearly 24,000 followers on the rival networking site . parker was co-founder ( or maybe an early employee , depending on who you believe ) of music-sharing site napster and created sites plaxo and causes in addition to helming facebook in its early days . he 's perhaps best known to most folks through his fictional interpretation by justin timberlake in the movie the social network . ' ( movie-version parker was responsible for two of the social network 's ' most famous lines , urging zuckerberg to drop the the ' and just be facebook ' and saying that what 's cool ' is not $ 1 million , it 's $ 1 billion . for his part , the real parker has called the movie pure fiction , saying he was portrayed inaccurately ) . his tweet goes on to blame ' scooter braun , an entertainment marketer best known as justin bieber 's agent . parker 's twitter debut comes , perhaps not coincidentally , as he looks set to launch his latest e-venture -- a video service called airtime . his biographical information on twitter includes a link to a forbes profile titled sean parker : agent of distruption . ' it also links to the founders fund , the venture-capital firm in which parker is a partner . and maybe he does n't owe zuckerberg a full apology just yet . parker 's facebook page has more than 38,000 people who like ' it -- outpacing his twitter feed , at least for now . | sorry zuck , ' starts parker 's lone tweet on the account he started monday |
napster <tsp> ( cnn ) -- with an apology to his former business partner , ex-facebook president sean parker has broken down and tweeted . sorry zuck , i had to do it eventually , ' parker wrote monday on his newly minted twitter account . the apparent mea culpa to facebook ceo mark zuckerberg is , so far , parker 's only post . but , by tuesday morning , he had already racked up nearly 24,000 followers on the rival networking site . parker was co-founder ( or maybe an early employee , depending on who you believe ) of music-sharing site napster and created sites plaxo and causes in addition to helming facebook in its early days . he 's perhaps best known to most folks through his fictional interpretation by justin timberlake in the movie the social network . ' ( movie-version parker was responsible for two of the social network 's ' most famous lines , urging zuckerberg to drop the the ' and just be facebook ' and saying that what 's cool ' is not $ 1 million , it 's $ 1 billion . for his part , the real parker has called the movie pure fiction , saying he was portrayed inaccurately ) . his tweet goes on to blame ' scooter braun , an entertainment marketer best known as justin bieber 's agent . parker 's twitter debut comes , perhaps not coincidentally , as he looks set to launch his latest e-venture -- a video service called airtime . his biographical information on twitter includes a link to a forbes profile titled sean parker : agent of distruption . ' it also links to the founders fund , the venture-capital firm in which parker is a partner . and maybe he does n't owe zuckerberg a full apology just yet . parker 's facebook page has more than 38,000 people who like ' it -- outpacing his twitter feed , at least for now . | parker co-founded napster and is known through his portrayal in the social network ' |
romero <tsp> ( cnn ) -- real madrid head coach jose mourinho claims it was in referee paradas romero 's nature ' to send him to the stands during wednesday 's 5-1 copa del rey win over real murcia . mourinho was protesting a 37th-minute yellow card given to mali midfielder mahamadou diarra when romero adjudged him to have overstepped the mark and banished him from the touchline . the portuguese boss -- whose team advanced beyond the last-32 stage of spain 's premier cup competition for the first time in three years -- highlighted romero 's past record of handing out yellow cards as the reason behind his dismissal . the former inter milan coach stopped short of openly criticizing the match officials , and admitted he would not able to do a better job than romero . the worst referee decisions in football ? i can not say he was a bad referee , ' mourinho told los blancos'official website . i would make a terrible referee . [ but ] just look at this referee 's statistics . it is in his nature . i 'm not saying he is good or bad . i am not one to judge him , but i do usually analyze referee statistics . this one has officiated about 50 matches in the spanish league and has shown more than 250 yellow cards , an average of more than six per match . he booked 10 players in his last match . ' however , spanish press reported that romero claimed mourinho abused him after being booked for protesting , forcing him to send the coach to the stands . should referees be relegated too ? in the 37th minute , the manager jose mario dos santos mourinho felix was given a yellow card for the following reason : raising his arms in the air , complaining about a decision i made , ' romero reportedly wrote in his after-match summary . once he was given the yellow card , he faced me and said ,'go to hell .' real 's win was emphatic , as goals from esteban granero , gonzalo higuain , cristiano ronaldo , karim benzema and xabi alonso ensured they avoided the humiliation of last year when they suffered a 4-1 aggregate loss to third-tier team alcoron . mourinho 's men are currently sitting top of the spanish first division , a point clear of arch-rivals barcelona after 10 matches . meanwhile , the first clasico ' clash between the two spanish heavyweights this season will be played on a monday due to the catalan elections taking place the day before on november 28 . barca will host real with kickoff scheduled for 9 p.m. local time ( 2000 gmt , 1500 et ) . this is due to the 13th round coinciding with the elections for the parliament of catalonia and the security problems that would create , ' read a statement on real 's website on thursday . | coach was dismissed by paradas romero after protesting official 's decision |
romero <tsp> ( cnn ) -- real madrid head coach jose mourinho claims it was in referee paradas romero 's nature ' to send him to the stands during wednesday 's 5-1 copa del rey win over real murcia . mourinho was protesting a 37th-minute yellow card given to mali midfielder mahamadou diarra when romero adjudged him to have overstepped the mark and banished him from the touchline . the portuguese boss -- whose team advanced beyond the last-32 stage of spain 's premier cup competition for the first time in three years -- highlighted romero 's past record of handing out yellow cards as the reason behind his dismissal . the former inter milan coach stopped short of openly criticizing the match officials , and admitted he would not able to do a better job than romero . the worst referee decisions in football ? i can not say he was a bad referee , ' mourinho told los blancos'official website . i would make a terrible referee . [ but ] just look at this referee 's statistics . it is in his nature . i 'm not saying he is good or bad . i am not one to judge him , but i do usually analyze referee statistics . this one has officiated about 50 matches in the spanish league and has shown more than 250 yellow cards , an average of more than six per match . he booked 10 players in his last match . ' however , spanish press reported that romero claimed mourinho abused him after being booked for protesting , forcing him to send the coach to the stands . should referees be relegated too ? in the 37th minute , the manager jose mario dos santos mourinho felix was given a yellow card for the following reason : raising his arms in the air , complaining about a decision i made , ' romero reportedly wrote in his after-match summary . once he was given the yellow card , he faced me and said ,'go to hell .' real 's win was emphatic , as goals from esteban granero , gonzalo higuain , cristiano ronaldo , karim benzema and xabi alonso ensured they avoided the humiliation of last year when they suffered a 4-1 aggregate loss to third-tier team alcoron . mourinho 's men are currently sitting top of the spanish first division , a point clear of arch-rivals barcelona after 10 matches . meanwhile , the first clasico ' clash between the two spanish heavyweights this season will be played on a monday due to the catalan elections taking place the day before on november 28 . barca will host real with kickoff scheduled for 9 p.m. local time ( 2000 gmt , 1500 et ) . this is due to the 13th round coinciding with the elections for the parliament of catalonia and the security problems that would create , ' read a statement on real 's website on thursday . | mourinho says romero has a history of handing out yellow cards |
facebook <tsp> ( cnn ) -- google 's answer to facebook went public on tuesday afternoon . for the past three months , google+ , the company 's social network , was available only to users who had been invited by the company or by friends who already had access to the site . for the past 12 weeks we 've been in field trial , and during that time we 've listened and learned a great deal , ' google 's vic gundotra , a senior vice president for engineering , said in a blog post . we 're nowhere near done , but with the improvements we 've made so far we 're ready to move from field trial to beta , and introduce our 100th feature : open sign-ups . this way anyone can visit google.com/+ , join the project and connect with the people they care about . ' the update comes as many people who use the site are questioning its value . my google+ home page is worse than a ghost town . it does n't even feel haunted , ' wrote rainbow rowell , a columnist at the omaha world-herald . writing on the pbs blog mediashift , dan reimold adds : the stream of updates has basically run dry -- reduced to one buddy who regularly writes . my initial excitement about signing on and inviting people to join me has waned . nowadays , i apparently get tired just thinking about it . ' others disagree . i must be doing something wrong on google+ , ' harry mccracken , founder of the blog technologizer , wrote on his google+ page . it is n't'worse than a ghost town'for me . it 's active and pleasant , albeit lacking some of the initial rush . ' introduced in late june , google plus gained an estimated 25 million users by early august , although the company has released no recent figures on its membership . by contrast , facebook has more than 750 million users , and twitter has more than 175 million . google continues to add features to its social network in an apparent effort to spur growth and further differentiate itself from facebook and twitter . on tuesday , the company announced a few more , including : better search for topics and personalities on the site : google+ search results include items that only you can see , so family updates are just as easy to find as international news , ' the company says . on-air ' hangouts : google 's group video-chat feature , called hangouts , has helped it stand out from facebook , which does not have a similar tool . now users can broadcast these group chats to the public : the setup is simple enough : just start a normal hangout , and you 'll have the option to broadcast and record your session . once you 're'on air ,'up to nine others can join your hangout ( as usual ) , and anyone can watch your live broadcast , ' google 's blog post says . mobile hangouts : these video chats now work on smartphones running google 's android 2.3 operating systems . support for the iphone is coming soon , google says . to promote the new hangouts features , google will host an on-air hangout with rapper will.i.am on wednesday . what do you think ? now that google+ is public , will you join ? or is yet another social network too many ? let us know in the comments , or , if you 're so inclined , join a conversation about this on my google+ page . | the social network is seen as a challenge to facebook |
kyrgyzstan <tsp> osh , uzbekistan ( cnn ) -- the acting president of kyrgyzstan said when it comes to the recent ethnic clashes in her country , she would multiply the official death toll by 10 , according to the russian news website kommersant . roza otunbayeva told kommersant that many deaths in the countryside were not part of the official total of yet , which the kyrgyz news agency kabar places at 191 , according to the kyrgyz health care ministry . in a separate interview in the southern kyrgyz city of osh , the interim president called for reconciliation between the kyrgyz and uzbeks . by all means , we have to give hope that we shall restore the city , return all the refugees and create all conditions for that . i think the entire world will be helping us , because we two peoples have the goodwill to live in peace and friendship together , ' otunbayeva said . a u.s. official on friday called for a substantial ' investigation into the killings . assistant secretary of state robert blake was at a refugee camp near the border in uzbekistan , where thousands of ethnic uzbeks fled violence in neighboring kyrgyzstan . blake said he wants kyrgyzstan authorities to investigate who carried out the attacks on ethnic uzbeks and to bring those responsible to justice . he planned to go to the kyrgyz capital of bishkek later friday to deliver the message personally , he said . blake praised the uzbek government for working to support the refugees who have flooded into their country . about 120,000 have crossed the border into uzbekistan , far more than officials had been expecting . the obama administration is committed to assisting the uzbek government with supplies and other aid , blake said at the camp near yor kishlok , where refugees were living in rows of tents . while countries and nongovernmental organizations are sending aid to the region , otunbayeva 's assistant , azimbek beknazarov , said in a news release friday morning that if england does n't extradite maksim bakiev , the son of deposed kyrgyz president kurmanbek bakiev , then the kyrgyz government will consider closing the manas airbase . ' however , the interim government representative , temir sariev , told cnn that , this is only mr. beknazarov 's opinion and , so far , the interim government is not sharing this opinion . ' in a statement released by london-based attorneys , maksim bakiev said , i have been forced into exile in fear for my life . the interim government in kyrgyzstan accuses me of new crimes every day . the charges are bogus , to divert attention from their own crimes . they accuse me before there has been any opportunity for an investigation . clearly they seek to try to make me a scapegoat for the chaos in the country . i view events in my homeland with horror and pray for an end to the violence . ' refugees were telling stories about the violence that began last week , describing houses and businesses burned by rampaging militias , bodies in the streets and how their relatives had been killed . video and witness accounts were starting to emerge friday that units of the kyrgyz military may have been taking part in the violence . refugees on both sides of the border said they are frightened by the kyrgyz military . ethnic violence has displaced about 300,000 people inside kyrgyzstan , the office of the u.n. high commissioner for refugees said thursday , citing information from the kyrgyz interim government and nongovernmental organizations . some relief for those refugees is imminent . the un refugee agency said friday it will begin airlifting supplies into kyrgyzstan this weekend . unhcr plans to send two cargo planes to osh with enough assistance to help about 15,000 people , with one arriving saturday and the other sunday . families and host communities were sheltering many of them , but at least 40,000 people were in need of shelter , according to the unhcr . u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon announced a flash appeal ' for $ 71 million , seeking immediate funding for food , shelter , medical supplies and other emergency aid as part of the response to the crisis . the violence between kyrgyz and uzbeks in southern kyrgyzstan has calmed down after it erupted late last week . the unhcr said in addition to the dozens of deaths , around 1,900 have been wounded . the agency said the situation in osh and nearby villages appears to be volatile , ' and conditions in jalal-abad are tense . many families have left osh and jalal-abad for bishkek and other areas . the flood of refugees into uzbekistan has strained the country 's health care and food sectors , and several dozen female refugees crossed the border pregnant and have given birth , the united nations said . china , which borders kyrgyzstan on the east , said thursday it had removed 1,299 chinese nationals , the state-run news agency xinhua said . the clashes in kyrgyzstan , which started last week , were part of the most serious outbreak of ethnic violence in the former soviet republic since 1990 , when hundreds of people died in skirmishes between uzbeks and kyrgyz in osh . the united nations and several countries , including the united states , germany and russia , have sent aid to the region . francois blancy , deputy head of the red cross regional office in uzbekistan , said more aid is needed . we are now at the peak of the humanitarian crisis , ' blancy said thursday . cnn 's matthew chance contributed to this report . | un refugee agency unhcr will start airlifting supplies to kyrgyzstan this weekend |
iraq <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- poland will withdraw its troops from iraq by the end of october , according to a spokesman for the polish military thursday . poland 's prime minister donald tusk , right , paid a surprise visit to polish soldiers in diwaniya in december . october 31 will be the last day of the polish presence in iraq , major dariusz kacperczyk said , speaking from warsaw . the precise date of withdrawal and when security would be handed over to local forces in qadisiya , the southern iraqi shiite province where most polish troops in iraq are based , are still being determined , he said . one thing we know for sure is that after the last day of october , there will be no more polish soldiers in iraq , ' kacperczyk said . poland 's new prime minister , donald tusk , has promised to bring the troops home from iraq , where poland has one of the larger non-u.s. contingents . there are around 900 polish troops in the war-torn country , with most in the qadisiya capital of diwaniya , some in baghdad and others in the southern city of kut . twenty-two soldiers from poland have lost their lives during the nearly five year war in iraq . meanwhile , in baghdad , a parked car bomb detonated in a predominantly shiite district on thursday , killing five civilians and wounding eight other people , the interior ministry said . the attack followed a string of roadside bombings that wounded 21 people , according to the interior ministry . those included a homemade bomb that exploded near a convoy of the deputy minister of electricity , wounding at least five people . the deputy minister in the convoy escaped injury , state tv reported . three roadside bomb explosions in different parts of baghdad wounded 16 people . two of those attacks targeted police . in southern iraq , one iraqi was killed and five were wounded thursday when british troops returned fire after an attack on their base in basra , the british military said . the early morning rocket and mortar attack left three british soldiers with very minor injuries . ' troops fired back , killing an iraqi and wounding five others . british authorities are investigating the incident . the british military handed over security control in basra late last year to iraqi security forces but maintains a presence in the region . basra and other areas of southern iraq have been rocked by fighting among rival shiite militias . also thursday , coalition troops detained 11 people in raids in the volatile northern iraqi city of mosul and in the baghdad region , the u.s. military said . troops in mosul seized the alleged leader of an al qaeda in iraq suicide bombing network and two other people . they also captured two suspected terrorists ' in the city , which is soon to be the object of an iraq-led offensive against militants . six other people were arrested in operations near abu ghraib , in baghdad province , and in baghdad . e-mail to a friend cnn 's melissa gray , jomana karadsheh and carol jordan contributed to this report . | poland will withdraw its troops from iraq by the end of october , military says |
british <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- poland will withdraw its troops from iraq by the end of october , according to a spokesman for the polish military thursday . poland 's prime minister donald tusk , right , paid a surprise visit to polish soldiers in diwaniya in december . october 31 will be the last day of the polish presence in iraq , major dariusz kacperczyk said , speaking from warsaw . the precise date of withdrawal and when security would be handed over to local forces in qadisiya , the southern iraqi shiite province where most polish troops in iraq are based , are still being determined , he said . one thing we know for sure is that after the last day of october , there will be no more polish soldiers in iraq , ' kacperczyk said . poland 's new prime minister , donald tusk , has promised to bring the troops home from iraq , where poland has one of the larger non-u.s. contingents . there are around 900 polish troops in the war-torn country , with most in the qadisiya capital of diwaniya , some in baghdad and others in the southern city of kut . twenty-two soldiers from poland have lost their lives during the nearly five year war in iraq . meanwhile , in baghdad , a parked car bomb detonated in a predominantly shiite district on thursday , killing five civilians and wounding eight other people , the interior ministry said . the attack followed a string of roadside bombings that wounded 21 people , according to the interior ministry . those included a homemade bomb that exploded near a convoy of the deputy minister of electricity , wounding at least five people . the deputy minister in the convoy escaped injury , state tv reported . three roadside bomb explosions in different parts of baghdad wounded 16 people . two of those attacks targeted police . in southern iraq , one iraqi was killed and five were wounded thursday when british troops returned fire after an attack on their base in basra , the british military said . the early morning rocket and mortar attack left three british soldiers with very minor injuries . ' troops fired back , killing an iraqi and wounding five others . british authorities are investigating the incident . the british military handed over security control in basra late last year to iraqi security forces but maintains a presence in the region . basra and other areas of southern iraq have been rocked by fighting among rival shiite militias . also thursday , coalition troops detained 11 people in raids in the volatile northern iraqi city of mosul and in the baghdad region , the u.s. military said . troops in mosul seized the alleged leader of an al qaeda in iraq suicide bombing network and two other people . they also captured two suspected terrorists ' in the city , which is soon to be the object of an iraq-led offensive against militants . six other people were arrested in operations near abu ghraib , in baghdad province , and in baghdad . e-mail to a friend cnn 's melissa gray , jomana karadsheh and carol jordan contributed to this report . | new : one iraqi killed in basra during clash with british troops |
edwards <tsp> a former aide and a former mistress of one-time presidential candidate john edwards have settled a civil lawsuit between them that , among other measures , mandates the imminent destruction of sex tapes featuring edwards and the woman . orange county , north carolina , superior court judge carl fox on thursday signed the settlement agreement between andrew young , his wife and rielle hunter , the woman who had sued the couple , according to court official tammy keshler . hunter had sued young and his wife , cheri , for invasion of privacy seeking to reclaim materials that she said belong to her , including personal photographs and an alleged sex tape showing her with edwards . while the settlement addresses the transfer and destruction of videos , photographs and other documents , no monetary damages were awarded and the youngs admit no liability . the court clerk will destroy the sex tape , while the youngs must make a good-faith effort to ensure that the copy of the video that they gave to the u.s. government is likewise destroyed , per the agreement . the former aide and his wife will get back family videos and photos , though they can not use any that include hunter or her daughter -- whom edwards has admitted he fathered -- for anything besides family purposes . edwards'fall : from golden boy to tabloid tale young wrote a book , the politician : an insider 's account of john edwards 's pursuit of the presidency and the scandal that brought him down , ' in which he describes an elaborate plan to use money from two wealthy benefactors to allow edwards to maintain a relationship with hunter . she worked as a videographer on the failed 2008 presidential campaign of the former north carolina senator , who was also the democrats'2004 vice presidential nominee with running mate john kerry . plans are under way to make that book , the politician , ' into a movie from aaron sorkin and colvin road entertainment . the youngs can use information already in the book , in court proceedings or otherwise in the public domain . but anything beyond that is prohibited by court order , and the couple can not publicize the planned film . a gag order prohibits either of the parties from discussing the settlement . the agreement does not resolve the pending criminal contempt proceedings against young and his wife . young 's former boss , edwards , is scheduled to be on trial himself after being indicted last year on charges including conspiracy , issuing false statements and violating campaign contribution laws regarding donations to and payments from his presidential campaign . edwards'pending criminal trial edwards denies any wrongdoing . whether the money given to support hunter by edwards'benefactors -- as alleged by young in his book -- should have been considered campaign donations is a key issue in edwards'upcoming trial . the ex-senator 's legal team has disputed that notion , maintaining the money was a gift to hunter . if convicted on all counts , edwards could face 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $ 1.5 million . | john edwards'ex-mistress had sued his former aide for invasion of privacy |
edwards <tsp> a former aide and a former mistress of one-time presidential candidate john edwards have settled a civil lawsuit between them that , among other measures , mandates the imminent destruction of sex tapes featuring edwards and the woman . orange county , north carolina , superior court judge carl fox on thursday signed the settlement agreement between andrew young , his wife and rielle hunter , the woman who had sued the couple , according to court official tammy keshler . hunter had sued young and his wife , cheri , for invasion of privacy seeking to reclaim materials that she said belong to her , including personal photographs and an alleged sex tape showing her with edwards . while the settlement addresses the transfer and destruction of videos , photographs and other documents , no monetary damages were awarded and the youngs admit no liability . the court clerk will destroy the sex tape , while the youngs must make a good-faith effort to ensure that the copy of the video that they gave to the u.s. government is likewise destroyed , per the agreement . the former aide and his wife will get back family videos and photos , though they can not use any that include hunter or her daughter -- whom edwards has admitted he fathered -- for anything besides family purposes . edwards'fall : from golden boy to tabloid tale young wrote a book , the politician : an insider 's account of john edwards 's pursuit of the presidency and the scandal that brought him down , ' in which he describes an elaborate plan to use money from two wealthy benefactors to allow edwards to maintain a relationship with hunter . she worked as a videographer on the failed 2008 presidential campaign of the former north carolina senator , who was also the democrats'2004 vice presidential nominee with running mate john kerry . plans are under way to make that book , the politician , ' into a movie from aaron sorkin and colvin road entertainment . the youngs can use information already in the book , in court proceedings or otherwise in the public domain . but anything beyond that is prohibited by court order , and the couple can not publicize the planned film . a gag order prohibits either of the parties from discussing the settlement . the agreement does not resolve the pending criminal contempt proceedings against young and his wife . young 's former boss , edwards , is scheduled to be on trial himself after being indicted last year on charges including conspiracy , issuing false statements and violating campaign contribution laws regarding donations to and payments from his presidential campaign . edwards'pending criminal trial edwards denies any wrongdoing . whether the money given to support hunter by edwards'benefactors -- as alleged by young in his book -- should have been considered campaign donations is a key issue in edwards'upcoming trial . the ex-senator 's legal team has disputed that notion , maintaining the money was a gift to hunter . if convicted on all counts , edwards could face 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $ 1.5 million . | copies of a sex tape showing the ex-mistress and edwards will be destroyed |
mississippi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the owners of mississippi 's only abortion clinic are headed back to federal court in another attempt to stop a new state law which could close its doors -- effectively banning abortion in the state . the jackson women 's health organization filed for a preliminary injunction wednesday to delay enforcement of the new law . clinic officials say house bill 1390 , which was signed into law in april , imposes unnecessary guidelines and requires abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a local hospital . the clinic 's doctors have been unable to gain those privileges . we 've done everything we can to comply with this law and have been shut down at every juncture , ' said diane derzis , the clinic 's president and owner . opinion : mississippi 's end run around abortion ' hopefully we 'll get a federal judge to see that the state of mississippi has effectively banned abortion in the state and we hope the judge declares it unconstitutional , ' she told cnn . in july , a federal judge in jackson , mississippi , temporarily blocked the law from going into effect to allow the clinic time to comply with it , and stopped the state from imposing civil and criminal penalties against the organization . if the federal court does not grant a preliminary injunction while the clinic fights the constitutionality of the law , it could close down as early as february . anti-choice politicians were very clear that they had one thing in mind when they passed this law : to shut down mississippi 's only abortion clinic , ' said nancy northup , president and ceo at the center for reproductive rights . it is n't a surprise to anyone that the physicians at the jackson women 's health organization have n't been able to obtain admitting privileges at any local hospital . ' but the law 's sponsor , state rep. sam mims , told cnn the measure 's purpose was not to eliminate abortion . we 're protecting the health of women by giving them professional care , ' he said . i believe life begins at conception and i think a lot of mississippians do as well . if this legislation causes less abortion , then that 's a good thing , ' mims added . the clinic says it has not been able to secure hospital privileges at any of the 12 hospitals in the area . in a denial letter filed as part of the court record , one of the facilities -- crossgates river oaks hospital in nearby brandon -- wrote that the nature of the clinic 's medical practice is inconsistent with this hospital 's policies and practices as concerns abortion and , in particular , elective abortions ... the nature of your proposed medical practice would lead to both an internal and external disruption of the hospital 's function and business within this community . ' one legal expert says this fight is wrapped in the cloak of conservative religion in one of the most conservative , religious states in the nation . a lot of facilities and hospitals , no doubt , do n't want to ... be labeled as the one facility that 's hospitable to providing abortions , ' said prof. w. martin wiseman , director of the stennis institute of government at mississippi state university . | the jackson women 's health organization is the only abortion clinic in mississippi |
zinkhan <tsp> athens , georgia ( cnn ) -- a wanted university of georgia professor killed himself with a single gunshot to the head after he dug his own grave and covered it with brush , police said tuesday . george zinkhan , a professor at the university of georgia , disappeared after the slayings of his wife and two others . the manhunt for george zinkhan ended saturday when cadaver dogs discovered his body in georgia 's clarke county , about a mile from where his red jeep liberty was found more than a week earlier , police said . zinkhan 's body was found in a small dugout area in the ground , covered with leaves and debris , and it was apparent that he took significant steps to try to conceal his body from being located , ' a statement from athens police said . law enforcement officials determined that zinkhan , 57 , committed suicide after killing his wife , marie bruce , 47 , thomas tanner , 40 , and ben teague , 63 , outside a theater in athens on april 25 . another university of georgia professor , barbara carroll , believes that she was also targeted by zinkhan but escaped because she was at a movie theater the day of the slayings . in an e-mail obtained by cnn , carroll had warned her colleagues at the university 's terry college of business that zinkhan , a marketing professor , was dangerous . ' the e-mail was sent after the shootings but before zinkhan 's body was found . carroll could not be reached tuesday , but in her e-mail she said that law enforcement officials surrounded her house early on the morning of may 1 after authorities found mapquest directions to her house , printed on april 24 , in zinkhan 's jeep . she said she was advised to go into hiding . i do not believe zinkhan had a map to my house for any reason other than he planned to kill me as well on april 25 , ' carroll wrote . this also suggests premeditation for the three murders he did commit . by the grace of god , i was at the movies all saturday afternoon after being at school in my office ( like a sitting duck ) all that morning . ' all three of zinkhan 's victims were associated with the town and gown players theater group , which was holding a reunion picnic at the time of the shootings . police did not give any motive for the slayings but said in a statement that zinkhan and his wife were having marital problems . zinkhan targeted tanner and shot him first , the statement added . authorities said zinkhan arrived while the town and gown event was under way and got into a disagreement with bruce . police believe that he left , went to his car -- where the couple 's children apparently were waiting -- and returned with two handguns . in addition to the three deaths , two people were wounded , police said . after the shootings , zinkhan , a marketing professor at the terry college of business , drove to his hometown of bogart , georgia , and left his children -- ages 8 and 10 -- with a neighbor . authorities put out bulletins across the nation for zinkhan after the shootings and revealed that he had purchased an airline ticket in march for a may 2 flight to the netherlands , where he owned a house . but zinkhan never showed up at the airport . | zinkhan suspected of killing his wife , two other people |
zinkhan <tsp> athens , georgia ( cnn ) -- a wanted university of georgia professor killed himself with a single gunshot to the head after he dug his own grave and covered it with brush , police said tuesday . george zinkhan , a professor at the university of georgia , disappeared after the slayings of his wife and two others . the manhunt for george zinkhan ended saturday when cadaver dogs discovered his body in georgia 's clarke county , about a mile from where his red jeep liberty was found more than a week earlier , police said . zinkhan 's body was found in a small dugout area in the ground , covered with leaves and debris , and it was apparent that he took significant steps to try to conceal his body from being located , ' a statement from athens police said . law enforcement officials determined that zinkhan , 57 , committed suicide after killing his wife , marie bruce , 47 , thomas tanner , 40 , and ben teague , 63 , outside a theater in athens on april 25 . another university of georgia professor , barbara carroll , believes that she was also targeted by zinkhan but escaped because she was at a movie theater the day of the slayings . in an e-mail obtained by cnn , carroll had warned her colleagues at the university 's terry college of business that zinkhan , a marketing professor , was dangerous . ' the e-mail was sent after the shootings but before zinkhan 's body was found . carroll could not be reached tuesday , but in her e-mail she said that law enforcement officials surrounded her house early on the morning of may 1 after authorities found mapquest directions to her house , printed on april 24 , in zinkhan 's jeep . she said she was advised to go into hiding . i do not believe zinkhan had a map to my house for any reason other than he planned to kill me as well on april 25 , ' carroll wrote . this also suggests premeditation for the three murders he did commit . by the grace of god , i was at the movies all saturday afternoon after being at school in my office ( like a sitting duck ) all that morning . ' all three of zinkhan 's victims were associated with the town and gown players theater group , which was holding a reunion picnic at the time of the shootings . police did not give any motive for the slayings but said in a statement that zinkhan and his wife were having marital problems . zinkhan targeted tanner and shot him first , the statement added . authorities said zinkhan arrived while the town and gown event was under way and got into a disagreement with bruce . police believe that he left , went to his car -- where the couple 's children apparently were waiting -- and returned with two handguns . in addition to the three deaths , two people were wounded , police said . after the shootings , zinkhan , a marketing professor at the terry college of business , drove to his hometown of bogart , georgia , and left his children -- ages 8 and 10 -- with a neighbor . authorities put out bulletins across the nation for zinkhan after the shootings and revealed that he had purchased an airline ticket in march for a may 2 flight to the netherlands , where he owned a house . but zinkhan never showed up at the airport . | cadaver dogs searching for george zinkhan found body in woods , police say |
facebook <tsp> ( cnn ) -- this week , we pulled the cotton from our ears and emerged from our dark caves of seclusion to open this here column up to user-submitted questions . some submissions were inanely obvious ( no , do n't tweet that picture of your boss , i do n't care if he told you about his chinchilla fetish at happy hour the other week ) , some were boring beyond belief , and , many , oddly , were just plain stalkerish . but not in the way you might think . in the past , we 've covered the topic of how to deal with online stalkers when the attention is unwanted . but more and more , as gaining access to anyone on this rapidly rotting earth of ours is easier than ever , we web denizens are wondering : does using the internet to check someone out make me a stalker ? chances are , probably not . read on for a couple of queries on this issue : ' when i was waiting for the bus the other day , i evaluated the attractiveness of all the people at the stop ; there was one obvious winner . then the seat next to him was the only seat open . upon sitting down , he immediately engaged me in very adorable and flirty conversation . we exchanged names and we both talked about what we were studying at school , but i did n't have an opportunity to give him my number . anyway , with his name and major , i was able to find him after only 30 seconds of googling . i want to contact him but i 'm not sure how . especially because it would be like ,'hey , i stalked you a tiny bit to find your full name .'my question is : what 's the appropriate ( read as least creepy ) way to contact this person and what should i say in a message ? ' - creepy crushing in chicago i 'm going ahead and assume ( for the sake of brevity ) that you are not an insane stalkery-type person who collects the hair and toenails of her crushes , which she then uses to construct elaborate shrines to their beautiful ( soon-to-be-departed ) souls . if you are such a person , please cease reading , and , uh , please do n't hurt me . moving on : it seems like in your case , you do n't have that many degrees of separation between you and your bus boy . you attend the same school , take public transportation ( i.e . you 're poor ) and are not , in fact , luddites . in this case , i say : be bold . you found him on google , you say ? if you found his facebook profile ( and not some old swim-meet records from middle school ) , go ahead and send him a brief message ( hope your meeting on the downtown campus went off without a hitch ! ' ) and a friend request . such a method is nice and private -- tweeting hey ! you 're freaking hot ' might be a little embarrassing -- and if he does n't respond , you can always chalk it up to the fact that facebook is cutting down on notification e-mails . our lives are public nowadays , and if homeboy did n't want to be found , well , then he could always limit his visibility on the site . ( if his profile is indeed hidden but you tracked down his e-mail address , follow a similar tack . unless , that is , his e-mail address was hidden on page 38 of google results at the end of an article he wrote freshman year about the campus parade-and-circus club . in that case , give up . ) furthermore , it 's not like the phenomenon of searching out star-crossed potential lovers is anything new ( that 's what missed connections et al are for ) , so we 're guessing your dude will be flattered at the very least that you sought him out . and hey , maybe now you can meet up and compare hair-and-toenail shrines . < 3 ' through some facebook stalking , i recently discovered my ex had gotten married . ( we 're no longer fb friends ) . although that was a shock for sure , the real heartbreaker was that all my friends ( who are still fb friends with her ) did n't disclose any of this information to me . ... not even the engagement ! how do i tell them they 're backstabbers without admitting i 'm a stalker ? ' - backstabbed in bk first of all , backstabbed , it does n't really seem like you have been , in fact , backstabbed . you 're not facebook friends with your ex anymore , you say ? if you refer to our column on how to deal with breakups online , we recommend unfriending exes after particularly painful breakups , which is exactly what you have done ( congrats on your reading-comprehension skills ) . the fact that you unfriended this girl indicates you do n't want her in your life -- and do n't want your life in hers -- so we can see why your friends did n't call you immediately after she decided to tie the knot . still , we get that this is information you would rather get from a friendly face than from a half-sloshed night of facebook stalking , sandwiched between , oh , laurie has a new baby . ... it 's hideous ! ' and joel went to prison again . ' if you want to call up your pals and -- rationally -- explain that you would rather they not hide your ex 's huge life moments from your sensitive ( yet manly ) gaze , go ahead and do it . just explain that you were idly clicking through facebook after a few too many mojitos and decided to check up on a few of your exes . your friends will understand , because they are likely stalking their exes as we speak . stalking exes on facebook is basically akin to a distasteful bodily function : we all do it , but no one goes around bragging about it in mixed company . | is it ok to admit to your mutual friends that you searched for your ex on facebook ? |
orient beach <tsp> ( budget travel ) -- if you make like a hermit crab at the shore , we 've got nine spots where you 'll have the sand ( mostly ) to yourself . now please do n't blab about them . 1 . high bar harbor , new jersey tucked behind the barnegat lighthouse , you 'd never know that this lollipop-shaped stretch of sand is on long beach island , one of the most popular jersey shores . but watch the water -- when the tide comes in , you 'll likely be stranded . get there : take long beach blvd . north into the town of barnegat light and turn left on 20th st. , a.k.a . auburn road . go a third of a mile , then bear right at the y-shaped intersection onto sunset blvd . take it to the end . you 'll see a footpath to the beach . see budget travel 's gallery of the beaches 2 . caladesi beach , florida to be honest , you 'll hardly be alone here . caladesi island state park is home to armadillos , gopher tortoises , and hundreds of species of birds nesting among the sunflower-flecked dunes . on the other hand , there 's not a parking space in sight . get there : the park , off the west coast , is accessible only by private boat or ferry from honeymoon island state park . $ 12 adults , $ 6 kids . 3 . ruby beach , washington rugged yet serene , ruby beach feels almost mythical , especially at low tide and in the fog . the rock outcroppings are eerie , but the tidal pools can be stunning , too . get there : there 's a sign seven miles north of kalaloch on hwy . 101 . from the parking lot , follow the path through the trees , down a decline , then toward the water . you 'll have to clamber over driftwood at the end , but it 's worth the effort . budget travel : 10 best affordable beachfront hotels 4 . pfeiffer beach , california the rock formations are gorgeous . in some places , the sand is a light shade of purple . sure , it can get windy , but that 's a small price to pay for paradise . get there : the turnoff is actually just past the pfeiffer big sur state park entrance , at sycamore canyon rd . drive two miles to the beach , then walk 10 minutes north to deer canyon . there 's no sign , but you 'll know it when you see it . 5 . packard park beach , michigan south haven is home to several celebrated ( and crowded ) spots on lake michigan . this section is the uncelebrated but equally lovely area just north . you wo n't find any lifeguards here , but civilization is just a short walk away ( if you must ) . get there : from the center of south haven take broadway north about two blocks , then west onto dyckman ave. over the drawbridge to north shore dr . turn right and packard park beach is about one block on the left . 6 . queen 's pond , hawaii the mountains are to your back , the ocean is in front , and in between is sand made for napping . in other words , your average , amazing kauai beach , this one in polihale state park . get there : take hwy . 50 past the pacific missile range facility and look for a sign , then a dirt road to polihale on the left . go 3.3 miles to where the road curves near a large monkeypod tree . take the left fork and park . walk north . spread your blanket . budget travel : 8 perfect summer lake towns 7 . big bay beach , wisconsin we wo n't recommend swimming -- even on a hot day lake superior is cold enough to freeze your butt off . but the sandstone cliffs and pristine woods enveloping this 1.5-mile pocket of beach make for a lovely hideaway . get there : located on madeline island , the beach is accessible only by ferry ( $ 12 adults , $ 6 kids 6-11 ) from bayfield , off hwy . 13 . follow the signs to big bay state park . 8 . orient beach , new york at the tip of long island 's north fork , orient is well-known to locals but few others . after just a stroll down the pebbly beach , you 'll be alone with views of the long beach bar lighthouse , shelter island , and awesome sunsets . get there : take the l.i . expressway to the east end , where it becomes rte . 25 . follow the signs to orient beach state park . 9 . cow yard landing , massachusetts chatham is on the elbow of cape cod , which means that just about every beach view is drop-dead gorgeous -- if you can see around all the people . cow yard is one rare spot where you 'll be able to ditch those crowds . this is also one of the better places on the cape to launch a kayak , if that 's the kind of thing that floats your boat . get there : take rte . 28/main st. to old harbor rd . go 1.1 miles ; turn right on cow yard lane . get there early . parking is limited . budget travel : greatest travel books of all time get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you free - click here ! copyright © 2010 newsweek budget travel , inc. , all rights reserved . | only long island locals know about orient beach , where you can catch gorgeous sunsets |
livorno <tsp> ( cnn ) -- dutch international wesley sneijder scored twice as inter milan continued their renaissance in serie a by beating udinese 3-1 , keeping alive the italian side 's chances of european champions league qualification . sneijder 's brace turned wednesday 's match after udinese had taken an early lead through danilo , then midfielder ricardo alvarez scored at the end of the first half to all but seal the win for inter . the result means that the nerazzurri have been undefeated -- winning three matches and drawing two -- since youth team coach andrea stramaccioni replaced claudio ranieri earlier this month . champions league football was but a distant dream for inter , but 11 points from a possible 15 has left the 2010 european title winners sixth in the table -- just three points off third-placed lazio , who surprisingly lost 2-1 to relegation-threatened novara earlier in the day . the unusually timed round of matches took place wednesday afternoon , a rescheduling of the games canceled as a mark of respect for livorno 's piermario morosini , who collapsed and died during a second division game at pescara . unbeaten juventus remained three points clear of defending champions with four matches to play after both teams won narrowly against lowly opposition . juve , seeking a first serie a title since 2003 and 28th overall , condemned bottom club cesena to division two next season thanks to a late goal from striker marco borriello -- his first since joining on loan from roma in january . borriello 's goal came with 11 minutes to play -- and kevin prince-boateng 's winner for milan came even later at home to fourth-bottom genoa . napoli , also chasing a champions league spot , beat lecce 2-0 to move up to fourth above udinese -- who will be sunday 's opponents . roma lost again , this time 2-1 at home to fiorentina to be two points behind inter . in the day 's two other games siena drew 1-1 with bologna while parma won 2-1 away at palermo . | wednesday 's matches were rescheduled after death of livorno 's piermario morosini |
irish daily star <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- palace officials slammed the decision of the irish daily star newspaper saturday to print pictures of prince william 's wife catherine sunbathing topless on vacation as driven only by greed . the irish daily star 's move comes a day after the royal couple launched legal action against the french magazine closer over the images , and as italian magazine chi says it will publish the photos on monday . there can be no motivation for this action other than greed , ' a st. james 's palace spokeswoman said of the irish tabloid 's decision . but editor mike o'kane told the bbc that outrage over the images was only felt in britain and that readers in the republic of ireland wanted to know what all the kerfuffle ' was about . he was a little taken aback by the reaction in the uk , ' he said , saying the newspaper was treating catherine no differently to any other celebrity . she 's not the future queen of ireland so really the only place this is causing fury seems to be in the uk , ' he said , suggesting that the british press were behaving with some hypocrisy . o'kane said the irish daily star was reproducing the images as published in closer on friday rather than buying them itself directly . the pictures are not being published in the northern ireland edition . pacific welcome awaits william and kate the publication of the photos in the french closer magazine , owned by the same parent company as chi , the mondadori group , sparked an angry response from the royal couple and palace officials . william and catherine were said to be hugely saddened ' by what palace officials called a grotesque ' invasion of privacy while they were on a private vacation . the latest controversy comes only three weeks after the british royal family was caught up in a media furor over images of william 's younger brother , prince harry , partying naked in his las vegas hotel room with a group of girls . in a sign of how divisive the issue of royal privacy has become , a co-owner of the irish daily star , media group northern & shell , said it in no way backed the newspaper 's decision to run the pictures of catherine . in a statement , the company -- which runs the irish daily star in a joint venture with independent news & media , but does not exert editorial control over it -- said it was profoundly dismayed ' by the move . we abhor the decision of the irish daily star to publish these intrusive pictures of the duke and duchess of cambridge , which we , like st james 's palace , believe to be a grotesque invasion of their privacy , ' northern & shell 's communications director mimi turner said . northern & shell also owns the daily express and the daily star , among other british publications , which have not run the pictures of catherine , nor of prince harry . william , who is second in line to the throne , and his wife are on an official tour of southeast asian nations . they were in borneo saturday , where they escaped from the outside world on a rainforest trek . they will travel on to the solomon islands sunday on the next leg of a tour that has been overshadowed by the furor over the photographs . catherine was upset ' with closer magazine , a palace source told cnn . mondadori told cnn it plans to run 26 pages of photographs of william and kate on vacation in an extraordinary ' special edition to go on sale in italy on monday . chi 's front cover will also feature three revealing pictures of catherine , according to a copy of the page and statement sent by mondadori spokeswoman carmen mugione via e-mail . it is a story worth publishing in an extraordinary edition because it shows in a natural light the everyday life of a very famous contemporary young couple in love , ' chi 's editor-in-chief , alfonso signorini , is quoted as saying in the statement . the fact that they happen to be the future king and queen of england certainly makes it more interesting and current , and in line with today 's concept of monarchy . ' a st. james 's palace spokeswoman said : we will not be commenting on potential legal action concerning the alleged intended publication of the photos in italy save to say that all proportionate responses will be kept under review . any such publication would serve no purpose other than to cause further , entirely unjustifiable upset to the duke and duchess of cambridge , who were enjoying time alone together in the privacy of a relative 's home . ' the palace confirmed friday that legal proceedings for breach of privacy had been launched in france by the couple against the publishers of closer in france . opinion : british privacy should start with british press according to mondadori 's website , closer has an average weekly circulation of about 414,000 , while chi sells more than 340,000 copies a week . marina berlusconi , daughter of former italian prime minister silvio berlusconi , has been chairwoman of the media group since 2003 . legal analysts suggest the company hopes to recoup any legal costs and fines it may incur by increasing sales , thanks to the revealing pictures . the grainy pictures published by closer in france appear to have been taken with a long camera lens while the couple was staying at a private chateau belonging to william 's uncle in provence , in southern france . the new privacy controversies have dredged up the royal family 's often rocky relationship with the press and put a spotlight on how the palace deals with the media after the tragic death of william 's mother , diana , as she fled photographers in paris 15 years ago . william and catherine were hugely saddened to learn that a french publication and a photographer have invaded their privacy in such a grotesque and totally unjustifiable manner , ' a st. james 's palace spokesman said friday . the incident is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the press and paparazzi during the life of diana , princess of wales , and all the more upsetting to the duke and duchess for being so , ' the palace spokesman said . their royal highnesses had every expectation of privacy in the remote house . it is unthinkable that anyone should take such photographs , let alone publish them . ' laurence pieau , editor-in-chief of closer in france , defended the decision to publish the images in an interview with cnn affiliate bfm-tv , saying : we were just doing our job . ' pieau said that there had been no debate at the magazine over whether to publish the photos , and that they show the royals are just like any other couple in love . ' the website of closer on friday showed the front cover of the magazine with blurry images of william and kate , along with the headline oh my god ! ' but did not link to the four-page spread . uk tabloid prints naked prince harry pictures but by saturday that was replaced by a statement from the management of closer , which said the photos it chose to publish are in no case degrading . ' they show a young couple on vacation , beautiful , in love and modern , in their normal life . the article recounts the time the couple recently spent in southern france , ' it said . it also made clear the magazine is not linked with the uk publication of the same name . william and his wife were in malaysia when the news broke , part way through a nine-day southeast asian tour of commonwealth nations , which started in singapore and will conclude with a stop in tuvalu . the asia tour forms part of diamond jubilee celebrations for the queen , william 's grandmother . british lawyer charlotte harris said friday that closer 's decision to publish was a clear breach of french legal codes and was out of line with current views on people 's right to privacy . the perception of the french was that they are less aggressive , that they have a culturally different opinion of where privacy laws should lie . here they appear to have gone right over the other way , ' she said . french law provides for draconian sanctions ' to protect against this kind of behavior , she said , including orders to take magazines off shelves and the imposition of serious fines . but even if distribution of the images is contained to a degree , harris said , the damage is done to the extent that very private information about the duchess has now become public knowledge . no uk newspaper has so far published the photographs of catherine . in the case of prince harry , the photographs were widely circulated online but were published in only one uk tabloid , the sun , after palace officials asked uk media not to run them . the sun has made clear that it wo n't publish the pictures of catherine , however . editor dominic mohan tweeted : the sun has no intention of breaching the royal couple 's privacy . the circumstances are very different to those relating to the photos of prince harry in las vegas . ' the press complaints commission , the uk press watchdog , received about 3,800 complaints from the public over the prince harry photos but said it was inappropriate for it to take any action in the absence of a formal complaint from the palace . royal officials appear to be taking publication of the photographs of william and catherine much more seriously . the british media is currently under close scrutiny after revelations of phone hacking and other abuses . the conclusions of an independent judge-led inquiry , which may recommend greater restrictions on media freedoms , are expected by the end of the year . after diana : how can intimate royal photos be published in france ? cnn 's hada messia contributed to this report . | editor of the irish daily star says catherine is no different to any other celebrity |
irish daily star <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- palace officials slammed the decision of the irish daily star newspaper saturday to print pictures of prince william 's wife catherine sunbathing topless on vacation as driven only by greed . the irish daily star 's move comes a day after the royal couple launched legal action against the french magazine closer over the images , and as italian magazine chi says it will publish the photos on monday . there can be no motivation for this action other than greed , ' a st. james 's palace spokeswoman said of the irish tabloid 's decision . but editor mike o'kane told the bbc that outrage over the images was only felt in britain and that readers in the republic of ireland wanted to know what all the kerfuffle ' was about . he was a little taken aback by the reaction in the uk , ' he said , saying the newspaper was treating catherine no differently to any other celebrity . she 's not the future queen of ireland so really the only place this is causing fury seems to be in the uk , ' he said , suggesting that the british press were behaving with some hypocrisy . o'kane said the irish daily star was reproducing the images as published in closer on friday rather than buying them itself directly . the pictures are not being published in the northern ireland edition . pacific welcome awaits william and kate the publication of the photos in the french closer magazine , owned by the same parent company as chi , the mondadori group , sparked an angry response from the royal couple and palace officials . william and catherine were said to be hugely saddened ' by what palace officials called a grotesque ' invasion of privacy while they were on a private vacation . the latest controversy comes only three weeks after the british royal family was caught up in a media furor over images of william 's younger brother , prince harry , partying naked in his las vegas hotel room with a group of girls . in a sign of how divisive the issue of royal privacy has become , a co-owner of the irish daily star , media group northern & shell , said it in no way backed the newspaper 's decision to run the pictures of catherine . in a statement , the company -- which runs the irish daily star in a joint venture with independent news & media , but does not exert editorial control over it -- said it was profoundly dismayed ' by the move . we abhor the decision of the irish daily star to publish these intrusive pictures of the duke and duchess of cambridge , which we , like st james 's palace , believe to be a grotesque invasion of their privacy , ' northern & shell 's communications director mimi turner said . northern & shell also owns the daily express and the daily star , among other british publications , which have not run the pictures of catherine , nor of prince harry . william , who is second in line to the throne , and his wife are on an official tour of southeast asian nations . they were in borneo saturday , where they escaped from the outside world on a rainforest trek . they will travel on to the solomon islands sunday on the next leg of a tour that has been overshadowed by the furor over the photographs . catherine was upset ' with closer magazine , a palace source told cnn . mondadori told cnn it plans to run 26 pages of photographs of william and kate on vacation in an extraordinary ' special edition to go on sale in italy on monday . chi 's front cover will also feature three revealing pictures of catherine , according to a copy of the page and statement sent by mondadori spokeswoman carmen mugione via e-mail . it is a story worth publishing in an extraordinary edition because it shows in a natural light the everyday life of a very famous contemporary young couple in love , ' chi 's editor-in-chief , alfonso signorini , is quoted as saying in the statement . the fact that they happen to be the future king and queen of england certainly makes it more interesting and current , and in line with today 's concept of monarchy . ' a st. james 's palace spokeswoman said : we will not be commenting on potential legal action concerning the alleged intended publication of the photos in italy save to say that all proportionate responses will be kept under review . any such publication would serve no purpose other than to cause further , entirely unjustifiable upset to the duke and duchess of cambridge , who were enjoying time alone together in the privacy of a relative 's home . ' the palace confirmed friday that legal proceedings for breach of privacy had been launched in france by the couple against the publishers of closer in france . opinion : british privacy should start with british press according to mondadori 's website , closer has an average weekly circulation of about 414,000 , while chi sells more than 340,000 copies a week . marina berlusconi , daughter of former italian prime minister silvio berlusconi , has been chairwoman of the media group since 2003 . legal analysts suggest the company hopes to recoup any legal costs and fines it may incur by increasing sales , thanks to the revealing pictures . the grainy pictures published by closer in france appear to have been taken with a long camera lens while the couple was staying at a private chateau belonging to william 's uncle in provence , in southern france . the new privacy controversies have dredged up the royal family 's often rocky relationship with the press and put a spotlight on how the palace deals with the media after the tragic death of william 's mother , diana , as she fled photographers in paris 15 years ago . william and catherine were hugely saddened to learn that a french publication and a photographer have invaded their privacy in such a grotesque and totally unjustifiable manner , ' a st. james 's palace spokesman said friday . the incident is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the press and paparazzi during the life of diana , princess of wales , and all the more upsetting to the duke and duchess for being so , ' the palace spokesman said . their royal highnesses had every expectation of privacy in the remote house . it is unthinkable that anyone should take such photographs , let alone publish them . ' laurence pieau , editor-in-chief of closer in france , defended the decision to publish the images in an interview with cnn affiliate bfm-tv , saying : we were just doing our job . ' pieau said that there had been no debate at the magazine over whether to publish the photos , and that they show the royals are just like any other couple in love . ' the website of closer on friday showed the front cover of the magazine with blurry images of william and kate , along with the headline oh my god ! ' but did not link to the four-page spread . uk tabloid prints naked prince harry pictures but by saturday that was replaced by a statement from the management of closer , which said the photos it chose to publish are in no case degrading . ' they show a young couple on vacation , beautiful , in love and modern , in their normal life . the article recounts the time the couple recently spent in southern france , ' it said . it also made clear the magazine is not linked with the uk publication of the same name . william and his wife were in malaysia when the news broke , part way through a nine-day southeast asian tour of commonwealth nations , which started in singapore and will conclude with a stop in tuvalu . the asia tour forms part of diamond jubilee celebrations for the queen , william 's grandmother . british lawyer charlotte harris said friday that closer 's decision to publish was a clear breach of french legal codes and was out of line with current views on people 's right to privacy . the perception of the french was that they are less aggressive , that they have a culturally different opinion of where privacy laws should lie . here they appear to have gone right over the other way , ' she said . french law provides for draconian sanctions ' to protect against this kind of behavior , she said , including orders to take magazines off shelves and the imposition of serious fines . but even if distribution of the images is contained to a degree , harris said , the damage is done to the extent that very private information about the duchess has now become public knowledge . no uk newspaper has so far published the photographs of catherine . in the case of prince harry , the photographs were widely circulated online but were published in only one uk tabloid , the sun , after palace officials asked uk media not to run them . the sun has made clear that it wo n't publish the pictures of catherine , however . editor dominic mohan tweeted : the sun has no intention of breaching the royal couple 's privacy . the circumstances are very different to those relating to the photos of prince harry in las vegas . ' the press complaints commission , the uk press watchdog , received about 3,800 complaints from the public over the prince harry photos but said it was inappropriate for it to take any action in the absence of a formal complaint from the palace . royal officials appear to be taking publication of the photographs of william and catherine much more seriously . the british media is currently under close scrutiny after revelations of phone hacking and other abuses . the conclusions of an independent judge-led inquiry , which may recommend greater restrictions on media freedoms , are expected by the end of the year . after diana : how can intimate royal photos be published in france ? cnn 's hada messia contributed to this report . | new : owners of the irish daily star profoundly dismayed ' by its publication of images |
gross <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- could former u.s. state department contractor alan gross be part of a new prisoner swap ? two cubans convicted of spying in the united states are pushing for the deal . they argue that u.s. president barack obama could follow the release of army sgt . bowe bergdahl with a similar exchange , swapping three of their imprisoned colleagues in exchange for gross . the only thing missing is political will , ' fernando gonzalez told reporters tuesday , speaking from havana in a teleconference broadcast at the cuban interests section in washington . i can not think of a reason for him not to do something similar to what he did ( with bergdahl ) . ' gross , 65 , is serving a 15-year sentence for bringing satellite communications equipment to cuba as part of his work as a subcontractor for the u.s. agency for international development . he was convicted in march 2011 . gonzalez is one of the cuban five , ' a group of cuban agents who were arrested in south florida in 1998 and convicted of espionage in 2001 . two of them -- fernando gonzalez and rene gonzalez -- were released from prison and have returned to cuba . gerardo hernández , ramón labañino and antonio guerrero remain in prison in the united states . since their conviction , the agents have been the focus of an international campaign by the cuban government to have them freed . both of the freed agents have joined the lobbying effort . the pair already say the bergdahl exchange shows a deal is possible , despite the criticism obama has faced since the controversial swap of the u.s. soldier for five taliban figures who 'd been detained at guantanamo bay . i think this is the time to do it . i think we had never had a more favorable moment to go that route than we have now . i think that the end result would have an important and positive impact , not only on us , but also on future generations , ' rene gonzalez said during tuesday 's teleconference . but state department officials have stressed that bergdahl 's case is different , given that he was a member of the u.s. armed forces who was captured in the midst of a military conflict . however , state department officials say they are taking steps to ensure that gross is returned to the united states . alan gross is an international development worker , and his situation is not comparable in any way to those of the convicted cuban intelligence agents . the cuban intelligence agents were tried transparently under due process rights that we extend to all defendants in our judicial system , ' a state department spokesman said in an e-mail to cnn . cuban government interlocutors frequently attempt to compare mr . gross'imprisonment to that of five convicted cuban intelligence agents , three of whom continue to serve sentences in the united states . ' u.s. officials said gross was merely trying to help cubans bypass the island 's stringent restrictions on internet access . but cuban authorities say gross was part of a plot to create a cuban spring ' and destabilize the island 's single-party communist government . u.s. federal prosecutors called the cuban five ' a dangerous undercover spy cell . the cuban government said they were gathering intelligence to prevent terrorist attacks against cuba . the apparent u.s. reluctance to pursue a swap has n't stopped the cuban government from pushing for it and saying that it would be open to discussing the matter with the united states . we are not talking about an exchange , we are talking about unilateral decisions which , obviously , would have to be interrelated , ' said cuban ambassador jose ramon cabañas . the united states government has called on us to discuss humanitarian concerns . we , too , have a number of humanitarian concerns . we have said repeatedly that we are willing to seek a solution . ' cnn 's patrick oppmann and catherine e. shoichet contributed to this report . | cuban authorities want the u.s. to swap gross for three imprisoned cuban spies |
gross <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- could former u.s. state department contractor alan gross be part of a new prisoner swap ? two cubans convicted of spying in the united states are pushing for the deal . they argue that u.s. president barack obama could follow the release of army sgt . bowe bergdahl with a similar exchange , swapping three of their imprisoned colleagues in exchange for gross . the only thing missing is political will , ' fernando gonzalez told reporters tuesday , speaking from havana in a teleconference broadcast at the cuban interests section in washington . i can not think of a reason for him not to do something similar to what he did ( with bergdahl ) . ' gross , 65 , is serving a 15-year sentence for bringing satellite communications equipment to cuba as part of his work as a subcontractor for the u.s. agency for international development . he was convicted in march 2011 . gonzalez is one of the cuban five , ' a group of cuban agents who were arrested in south florida in 1998 and convicted of espionage in 2001 . two of them -- fernando gonzalez and rene gonzalez -- were released from prison and have returned to cuba . gerardo hernández , ramón labañino and antonio guerrero remain in prison in the united states . since their conviction , the agents have been the focus of an international campaign by the cuban government to have them freed . both of the freed agents have joined the lobbying effort . the pair already say the bergdahl exchange shows a deal is possible , despite the criticism obama has faced since the controversial swap of the u.s. soldier for five taliban figures who 'd been detained at guantanamo bay . i think this is the time to do it . i think we had never had a more favorable moment to go that route than we have now . i think that the end result would have an important and positive impact , not only on us , but also on future generations , ' rene gonzalez said during tuesday 's teleconference . but state department officials have stressed that bergdahl 's case is different , given that he was a member of the u.s. armed forces who was captured in the midst of a military conflict . however , state department officials say they are taking steps to ensure that gross is returned to the united states . alan gross is an international development worker , and his situation is not comparable in any way to those of the convicted cuban intelligence agents . the cuban intelligence agents were tried transparently under due process rights that we extend to all defendants in our judicial system , ' a state department spokesman said in an e-mail to cnn . cuban government interlocutors frequently attempt to compare mr . gross'imprisonment to that of five convicted cuban intelligence agents , three of whom continue to serve sentences in the united states . ' u.s. officials said gross was merely trying to help cubans bypass the island 's stringent restrictions on internet access . but cuban authorities say gross was part of a plot to create a cuban spring ' and destabilize the island 's single-party communist government . u.s. federal prosecutors called the cuban five ' a dangerous undercover spy cell . the cuban government said they were gathering intelligence to prevent terrorist attacks against cuba . the apparent u.s. reluctance to pursue a swap has n't stopped the cuban government from pushing for it and saying that it would be open to discussing the matter with the united states . we are not talking about an exchange , we are talking about unilateral decisions which , obviously , would have to be interrelated , ' said cuban ambassador jose ramon cabañas . the united states government has called on us to discuss humanitarian concerns . we , too , have a number of humanitarian concerns . we have said repeatedly that we are willing to seek a solution . ' cnn 's patrick oppmann and catherine e. shoichet contributed to this report . | they say former usaid contractor alan gross could be next |
democratic <tsp> just days after dismissing two top advisers for their roles in the george washington bridge scandal , new jersey gov . chris christie faced questions over the use of superstorm sandy relief funds . cnn has learned that federal officials are investigating whether christie improperly used some of that money to produce tourism ads that starred him and his family . the news could n't come at a worse time for the embattled republican , who is facing two probes in new jersey of whether his staff orchestrated traffic gridlock near the country 's busiest bridge to punish a democratic mayor who refused to endorse his re-election . n.j. democratic legislator :'i do believe laws have been broken' if the sandy inquiry by a watchdog finds any wrongdoing , it could prove even more damaging to christie 's national ambitions . he 's considered a possible presidential candidate in 2016 . his performance during and after the october 2012 storm just before the presidential election has been widely praised and is a fundamental illustration of his straight-shooting political brand . in the new investigation , federal auditors will examine new jersey 's use of $ 25 million in sandy relief funds for a marketing campaign to promote tourism at the jersey shore , new jersey democratic rep. frank pallone told cnn in an august letter , pallone asked the department of housing and urban development inspector general to look into how christie chose to spend the marketing money approved by the department . the inspector general 's office confirmed the investigation . documents : christie aides stonewalled queries into lane closings pallone wrote that he was concerned about the bidding process for the firm awarded the marketing plan ; the winning firm is charging the state about $ 2 million more than the next lowest bidder . the winning bid of $ 4.7 million featured christie and his family in the advertisements while the losing $ 2.5 million proposal did not feature the christies , pallone said . on sunday , pallone told cnn that the inspector general conducted a preliminary review and concluded there was enough evidence to launch a full-scale investigation into the state 's use of federal funds . the audit will take several months and the findings will be issued in an official report , he said . pallone , a 27-year veteran of the house and vocal christie critic , said this is not about politics . this was money that could have directly been used for sandy recovery . and , as you know , many of my constituents still have n't gotten the money that is owed them to rebuild their homes or raise their homes or to help , ' he said . legal woes lurk for christie over bridge traffic jam democrats slammed christie over the summer for starring in taxpayer-funded ads as he was running for re-election in november , arguing it gave him an unfair advantage . christie aides said at the time that the winning bid provided more value . in a statement on monday , christie 's office said the stronger than the storm ' campaign was part of an action plan ' approved by the obama administration and developed with the goal of showing that the new jersey shore was open for business just several months after the storm . federal agency reviews are routine and standard operating procedure with all federally allocated resources to ensure that funds are distributed fairly . we 're confident that any review will show that the ads were a key part in helping new jersey get back on its feet after being struck by the worst storm in state history , ' according to the statement issued in response to questions from cnn . last week , christie dismissed two top aides for their apparent involvement in the closure of access lanes to the george washington bridge , which caused traffic nightmares for days in and around fort lee . new jersey legislators are investigating whether the aides -- a senior christie staffer and a high-level appointee at the port authority of new york and new jersey -- ordered the lane closures as political retribution . the u.s. attorney in new jersey also is looking into the matter . christie has said he did n't know about the alleged scheme and was embarrassed and humiliated ' by it . democrats in new jersey and nationally have jumped on the scandal , saying it gives the nation a chance to see what they 've said for years -- that christie is a bully who governs by fear . his supporters say his swagger and frank nature convey confidence and have helped make him a successful governor . but as bad as the bridge scandal is for christie , any finding that he improperly spent sandy aid would tarnish the signature achievement that has helped elevate his legacy and made him a serious potential challenger for the white house . sandy , a historic storm , pummeled coastal areas along the mid-atlantic , knocking out power to millions , causing massive flooding and killing more than 100 people in the united states . parts of the new jersey shore were devastated , but the state and local communities in many hard-hit areas rebounded surprisingly quickly and reopened their beaches last summer . christie and president barack obama toured one community in may to demonstrate the effectiveness of recovery efforts helped by billions in federal money that went to new jersey and other states affected by the storm . | new jersey democratic rep. pallone said he was concerned about bidding process |
christie <tsp> just days after dismissing two top advisers for their roles in the george washington bridge scandal , new jersey gov . chris christie faced questions over the use of superstorm sandy relief funds . cnn has learned that federal officials are investigating whether christie improperly used some of that money to produce tourism ads that starred him and his family . the news could n't come at a worse time for the embattled republican , who is facing two probes in new jersey of whether his staff orchestrated traffic gridlock near the country 's busiest bridge to punish a democratic mayor who refused to endorse his re-election . n.j. democratic legislator :'i do believe laws have been broken' if the sandy inquiry by a watchdog finds any wrongdoing , it could prove even more damaging to christie 's national ambitions . he 's considered a possible presidential candidate in 2016 . his performance during and after the october 2012 storm just before the presidential election has been widely praised and is a fundamental illustration of his straight-shooting political brand . in the new investigation , federal auditors will examine new jersey 's use of $ 25 million in sandy relief funds for a marketing campaign to promote tourism at the jersey shore , new jersey democratic rep. frank pallone told cnn in an august letter , pallone asked the department of housing and urban development inspector general to look into how christie chose to spend the marketing money approved by the department . the inspector general 's office confirmed the investigation . documents : christie aides stonewalled queries into lane closings pallone wrote that he was concerned about the bidding process for the firm awarded the marketing plan ; the winning firm is charging the state about $ 2 million more than the next lowest bidder . the winning bid of $ 4.7 million featured christie and his family in the advertisements while the losing $ 2.5 million proposal did not feature the christies , pallone said . on sunday , pallone told cnn that the inspector general conducted a preliminary review and concluded there was enough evidence to launch a full-scale investigation into the state 's use of federal funds . the audit will take several months and the findings will be issued in an official report , he said . pallone , a 27-year veteran of the house and vocal christie critic , said this is not about politics . this was money that could have directly been used for sandy recovery . and , as you know , many of my constituents still have n't gotten the money that is owed them to rebuild their homes or raise their homes or to help , ' he said . legal woes lurk for christie over bridge traffic jam democrats slammed christie over the summer for starring in taxpayer-funded ads as he was running for re-election in november , arguing it gave him an unfair advantage . christie aides said at the time that the winning bid provided more value . in a statement on monday , christie 's office said the stronger than the storm ' campaign was part of an action plan ' approved by the obama administration and developed with the goal of showing that the new jersey shore was open for business just several months after the storm . federal agency reviews are routine and standard operating procedure with all federally allocated resources to ensure that funds are distributed fairly . we 're confident that any review will show that the ads were a key part in helping new jersey get back on its feet after being struck by the worst storm in state history , ' according to the statement issued in response to questions from cnn . last week , christie dismissed two top aides for their apparent involvement in the closure of access lanes to the george washington bridge , which caused traffic nightmares for days in and around fort lee . new jersey legislators are investigating whether the aides -- a senior christie staffer and a high-level appointee at the port authority of new york and new jersey -- ordered the lane closures as political retribution . the u.s. attorney in new jersey also is looking into the matter . christie has said he did n't know about the alleged scheme and was embarrassed and humiliated ' by it . democrats in new jersey and nationally have jumped on the scandal , saying it gives the nation a chance to see what they 've said for years -- that christie is a bully who governs by fear . his supporters say his swagger and frank nature convey confidence and have helped make him a successful governor . but as bad as the bridge scandal is for christie , any finding that he improperly spent sandy aid would tarnish the signature achievement that has helped elevate his legacy and made him a serious potential challenger for the white house . sandy , a historic storm , pummeled coastal areas along the mid-atlantic , knocking out power to millions , causing massive flooding and killing more than 100 people in the united states . parts of the new jersey shore were devastated , but the state and local communities in many hard-hit areas rebounded surprisingly quickly and reopened their beaches last summer . christie and president barack obama toured one community in may to demonstrate the effectiveness of recovery efforts helped by billions in federal money that went to new jersey and other states affected by the storm . | christie 's office says it worked with the obama administration on marketing plan |
christie <tsp> just days after dismissing two top advisers for their roles in the george washington bridge scandal , new jersey gov . chris christie faced questions over the use of superstorm sandy relief funds . cnn has learned that federal officials are investigating whether christie improperly used some of that money to produce tourism ads that starred him and his family . the news could n't come at a worse time for the embattled republican , who is facing two probes in new jersey of whether his staff orchestrated traffic gridlock near the country 's busiest bridge to punish a democratic mayor who refused to endorse his re-election . n.j. democratic legislator :'i do believe laws have been broken' if the sandy inquiry by a watchdog finds any wrongdoing , it could prove even more damaging to christie 's national ambitions . he 's considered a possible presidential candidate in 2016 . his performance during and after the october 2012 storm just before the presidential election has been widely praised and is a fundamental illustration of his straight-shooting political brand . in the new investigation , federal auditors will examine new jersey 's use of $ 25 million in sandy relief funds for a marketing campaign to promote tourism at the jersey shore , new jersey democratic rep. frank pallone told cnn in an august letter , pallone asked the department of housing and urban development inspector general to look into how christie chose to spend the marketing money approved by the department . the inspector general 's office confirmed the investigation . documents : christie aides stonewalled queries into lane closings pallone wrote that he was concerned about the bidding process for the firm awarded the marketing plan ; the winning firm is charging the state about $ 2 million more than the next lowest bidder . the winning bid of $ 4.7 million featured christie and his family in the advertisements while the losing $ 2.5 million proposal did not feature the christies , pallone said . on sunday , pallone told cnn that the inspector general conducted a preliminary review and concluded there was enough evidence to launch a full-scale investigation into the state 's use of federal funds . the audit will take several months and the findings will be issued in an official report , he said . pallone , a 27-year veteran of the house and vocal christie critic , said this is not about politics . this was money that could have directly been used for sandy recovery . and , as you know , many of my constituents still have n't gotten the money that is owed them to rebuild their homes or raise their homes or to help , ' he said . legal woes lurk for christie over bridge traffic jam democrats slammed christie over the summer for starring in taxpayer-funded ads as he was running for re-election in november , arguing it gave him an unfair advantage . christie aides said at the time that the winning bid provided more value . in a statement on monday , christie 's office said the stronger than the storm ' campaign was part of an action plan ' approved by the obama administration and developed with the goal of showing that the new jersey shore was open for business just several months after the storm . federal agency reviews are routine and standard operating procedure with all federally allocated resources to ensure that funds are distributed fairly . we 're confident that any review will show that the ads were a key part in helping new jersey get back on its feet after being struck by the worst storm in state history , ' according to the statement issued in response to questions from cnn . last week , christie dismissed two top aides for their apparent involvement in the closure of access lanes to the george washington bridge , which caused traffic nightmares for days in and around fort lee . new jersey legislators are investigating whether the aides -- a senior christie staffer and a high-level appointee at the port authority of new york and new jersey -- ordered the lane closures as political retribution . the u.s. attorney in new jersey also is looking into the matter . christie has said he did n't know about the alleged scheme and was embarrassed and humiliated ' by it . democrats in new jersey and nationally have jumped on the scandal , saying it gives the nation a chance to see what they 've said for years -- that christie is a bully who governs by fear . his supporters say his swagger and frank nature convey confidence and have helped make him a successful governor . but as bad as the bridge scandal is for christie , any finding that he improperly spent sandy aid would tarnish the signature achievement that has helped elevate his legacy and made him a serious potential challenger for the white house . sandy , a historic storm , pummeled coastal areas along the mid-atlantic , knocking out power to millions , causing massive flooding and killing more than 100 people in the united states . parts of the new jersey shore were devastated , but the state and local communities in many hard-hit areas rebounded surprisingly quickly and reopened their beaches last summer . christie and president barack obama toured one community in may to demonstrate the effectiveness of recovery efforts helped by billions in federal money that went to new jersey and other states affected by the storm . | christie fired two aides last week over the george washington bridge scandal |
christie <tsp> just days after dismissing two top advisers for their roles in the george washington bridge scandal , new jersey gov . chris christie faced questions over the use of superstorm sandy relief funds . cnn has learned that federal officials are investigating whether christie improperly used some of that money to produce tourism ads that starred him and his family . the news could n't come at a worse time for the embattled republican , who is facing two probes in new jersey of whether his staff orchestrated traffic gridlock near the country 's busiest bridge to punish a democratic mayor who refused to endorse his re-election . n.j. democratic legislator :'i do believe laws have been broken' if the sandy inquiry by a watchdog finds any wrongdoing , it could prove even more damaging to christie 's national ambitions . he 's considered a possible presidential candidate in 2016 . his performance during and after the october 2012 storm just before the presidential election has been widely praised and is a fundamental illustration of his straight-shooting political brand . in the new investigation , federal auditors will examine new jersey 's use of $ 25 million in sandy relief funds for a marketing campaign to promote tourism at the jersey shore , new jersey democratic rep. frank pallone told cnn in an august letter , pallone asked the department of housing and urban development inspector general to look into how christie chose to spend the marketing money approved by the department . the inspector general 's office confirmed the investigation . documents : christie aides stonewalled queries into lane closings pallone wrote that he was concerned about the bidding process for the firm awarded the marketing plan ; the winning firm is charging the state about $ 2 million more than the next lowest bidder . the winning bid of $ 4.7 million featured christie and his family in the advertisements while the losing $ 2.5 million proposal did not feature the christies , pallone said . on sunday , pallone told cnn that the inspector general conducted a preliminary review and concluded there was enough evidence to launch a full-scale investigation into the state 's use of federal funds . the audit will take several months and the findings will be issued in an official report , he said . pallone , a 27-year veteran of the house and vocal christie critic , said this is not about politics . this was money that could have directly been used for sandy recovery . and , as you know , many of my constituents still have n't gotten the money that is owed them to rebuild their homes or raise their homes or to help , ' he said . legal woes lurk for christie over bridge traffic jam democrats slammed christie over the summer for starring in taxpayer-funded ads as he was running for re-election in november , arguing it gave him an unfair advantage . christie aides said at the time that the winning bid provided more value . in a statement on monday , christie 's office said the stronger than the storm ' campaign was part of an action plan ' approved by the obama administration and developed with the goal of showing that the new jersey shore was open for business just several months after the storm . federal agency reviews are routine and standard operating procedure with all federally allocated resources to ensure that funds are distributed fairly . we 're confident that any review will show that the ads were a key part in helping new jersey get back on its feet after being struck by the worst storm in state history , ' according to the statement issued in response to questions from cnn . last week , christie dismissed two top aides for their apparent involvement in the closure of access lanes to the george washington bridge , which caused traffic nightmares for days in and around fort lee . new jersey legislators are investigating whether the aides -- a senior christie staffer and a high-level appointee at the port authority of new york and new jersey -- ordered the lane closures as political retribution . the u.s. attorney in new jersey also is looking into the matter . christie has said he did n't know about the alleged scheme and was embarrassed and humiliated ' by it . democrats in new jersey and nationally have jumped on the scandal , saying it gives the nation a chance to see what they 've said for years -- that christie is a bully who governs by fear . his supporters say his swagger and frank nature convey confidence and have helped make him a successful governor . but as bad as the bridge scandal is for christie , any finding that he improperly spent sandy aid would tarnish the signature achievement that has helped elevate his legacy and made him a serious potential challenger for the white house . sandy , a historic storm , pummeled coastal areas along the mid-atlantic , knocking out power to millions , causing massive flooding and killing more than 100 people in the united states . parts of the new jersey shore were devastated , but the state and local communities in many hard-hit areas rebounded surprisingly quickly and reopened their beaches last summer . christie and president barack obama toured one community in may to demonstrate the effectiveness of recovery efforts helped by billions in federal money that went to new jersey and other states affected by the storm . | christie and his family starred in ads for new jersey tourism after sandy |
obama <tsp> just days after dismissing two top advisers for their roles in the george washington bridge scandal , new jersey gov . chris christie faced questions over the use of superstorm sandy relief funds . cnn has learned that federal officials are investigating whether christie improperly used some of that money to produce tourism ads that starred him and his family . the news could n't come at a worse time for the embattled republican , who is facing two probes in new jersey of whether his staff orchestrated traffic gridlock near the country 's busiest bridge to punish a democratic mayor who refused to endorse his re-election . n.j. democratic legislator :'i do believe laws have been broken' if the sandy inquiry by a watchdog finds any wrongdoing , it could prove even more damaging to christie 's national ambitions . he 's considered a possible presidential candidate in 2016 . his performance during and after the october 2012 storm just before the presidential election has been widely praised and is a fundamental illustration of his straight-shooting political brand . in the new investigation , federal auditors will examine new jersey 's use of $ 25 million in sandy relief funds for a marketing campaign to promote tourism at the jersey shore , new jersey democratic rep. frank pallone told cnn in an august letter , pallone asked the department of housing and urban development inspector general to look into how christie chose to spend the marketing money approved by the department . the inspector general 's office confirmed the investigation . documents : christie aides stonewalled queries into lane closings pallone wrote that he was concerned about the bidding process for the firm awarded the marketing plan ; the winning firm is charging the state about $ 2 million more than the next lowest bidder . the winning bid of $ 4.7 million featured christie and his family in the advertisements while the losing $ 2.5 million proposal did not feature the christies , pallone said . on sunday , pallone told cnn that the inspector general conducted a preliminary review and concluded there was enough evidence to launch a full-scale investigation into the state 's use of federal funds . the audit will take several months and the findings will be issued in an official report , he said . pallone , a 27-year veteran of the house and vocal christie critic , said this is not about politics . this was money that could have directly been used for sandy recovery . and , as you know , many of my constituents still have n't gotten the money that is owed them to rebuild their homes or raise their homes or to help , ' he said . legal woes lurk for christie over bridge traffic jam democrats slammed christie over the summer for starring in taxpayer-funded ads as he was running for re-election in november , arguing it gave him an unfair advantage . christie aides said at the time that the winning bid provided more value . in a statement on monday , christie 's office said the stronger than the storm ' campaign was part of an action plan ' approved by the obama administration and developed with the goal of showing that the new jersey shore was open for business just several months after the storm . federal agency reviews are routine and standard operating procedure with all federally allocated resources to ensure that funds are distributed fairly . we 're confident that any review will show that the ads were a key part in helping new jersey get back on its feet after being struck by the worst storm in state history , ' according to the statement issued in response to questions from cnn . last week , christie dismissed two top aides for their apparent involvement in the closure of access lanes to the george washington bridge , which caused traffic nightmares for days in and around fort lee . new jersey legislators are investigating whether the aides -- a senior christie staffer and a high-level appointee at the port authority of new york and new jersey -- ordered the lane closures as political retribution . the u.s. attorney in new jersey also is looking into the matter . christie has said he did n't know about the alleged scheme and was embarrassed and humiliated ' by it . democrats in new jersey and nationally have jumped on the scandal , saying it gives the nation a chance to see what they 've said for years -- that christie is a bully who governs by fear . his supporters say his swagger and frank nature convey confidence and have helped make him a successful governor . but as bad as the bridge scandal is for christie , any finding that he improperly spent sandy aid would tarnish the signature achievement that has helped elevate his legacy and made him a serious potential challenger for the white house . sandy , a historic storm , pummeled coastal areas along the mid-atlantic , knocking out power to millions , causing massive flooding and killing more than 100 people in the united states . parts of the new jersey shore were devastated , but the state and local communities in many hard-hit areas rebounded surprisingly quickly and reopened their beaches last summer . christie and president barack obama toured one community in may to demonstrate the effectiveness of recovery efforts helped by billions in federal money that went to new jersey and other states affected by the storm . | christie 's office says it worked with the obama administration on marketing plan |
world cup <tsp> ( cnn ) -- and then there were two . sunday 's showpiece european championship final in the ukrainian capital kiev pits holders spain against italy , between them the winners of the last two world cups . spain are on the brink of creating soccer history ; never before has a country won three major international football tournaments in a row and the spanish , who won euro 2008 and the 2010 world cup , now have the chance to earn a place in the record books . before the euros , former barcelona and england striker gary lineker said la furia roja ' were just one trophy away from greatness . if they won three tournaments in a row , something no other team has done , you would have to put them up there among the all-time greatest teams , ' said lineker , who helped england reach the world cup semifinals in 1990 . spain reach euro 2012 final after shootout victory vicente del bosque 's side enjoyed huge good fortune in wednesday 's semifinal against iberian neighbors portugal , winning 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw , with cesc fabregas scuffing the decisive spot-kick as it hit the inside of the post and rolled along the goalline before creeping into rui patricio 's net . fabregas'penalty can perhaps be seen as a symbol of spain 's unconvincing performances at euro 2012 so far , which have left a large proportion of the watching public unsatisfied as they struggled to break down packed opposition defenses . the end of a love affair ? for all their possession ( spain have enjoyed around 67 % of the ball in their five matches ) , there has been frustration that they have neither moved the ball around quickly enough nor created enough goalscoring chances , instead wearing the other team down by making their players chase shadows before waiting for a mistake . whisper it quietly , but some have even labeled spain 's previously much-feted tiki-taka style of play boring ' and claimed it is currently a more defensive tactic than offensive -- an argument perhaps backed up by the fact that spain have now not conceded a knockout-stage goal in any tournament since the 2006 world cup , a run of nine matches and a remarkable 900 minutes of action . against italy in the group stage and france in the last eight , del bosque even picked a starting xi without a single striker -- a tactic designed to help spain keep the ball better and lure the opposing defense out so they could get in behind . it has n't worked flawlessly , but they have churned out results regardless . beautiful football might be what people demand , but results are what del bosque deals in first ; since taking over from previous coach luis aragones following euro 2008 , the 61-year-old has led the national team to an incredible 50 wins from 59 matches . midfielder andres iniesta , who scored the winner in the 2010 world cup final , says spain are n't bothered by the boring ' tag . the 27-year-old instead focuses on the positives of their possession-based game . when a team wants to attack and comes up against an opponent that sits back and tries to close the space and not try to create its own chances , that 's not always the football you want to watch , ' said iniesta . it 's easy to forget that only a few years ago this style is what changed the story of spain . ' a change in mentality it is a story that began at euro 2008 -- and really , truly began with spain 's quarterfinal penalty shootout victory over italy in vienna , a match that defender gerard pique looks back on as the turning point . i think it changed the mentality of the national team , ' said the barcelona star . before , spain played to avoid losing -- but afterwards they played to win . ' italy were the world cup champions at the time and favorites to go through , but it is perhaps not as well remembered that they were missing the suspended andrea pirlo , who has been in such glorious form at this tournament . pirlo , let 's not forget , was also injured at the 2010 world cup and played only 34 minutes in their final group game game as italy crashed out at the first hurdle following draws with paraguay and new zealand and a 3-2 defeat at the hands of slovakia . but the 33-year-old midfielder is enjoying a stunning renaissance in his career . a year ago he was discarded by ac milan after 10 years of service , but signed for juventus and led the old lady ' to the italian league title before showcasing the full range of his majestic talents for the world to see in poland and ukraine . if italy were besieged by the storm of another match-fixing scandal in their domestic game brewing prior to euro 2012 , pirlo provided the steady hand on the tiller to sail the ship into calmer waters . with hardly a hair out of place and rarely breaking into a sweat , the masterful pirlo has dictated the knockout matches against england and germany with breathtaking class , providing an exhibition in how to create space and pass the ball both of the long and short variety . the master and the maverick when looking long , pirlo has often sought out mario balotelli , the maverick manchester city striker who is as well-known for his controversial lifestyle away from football as his performances on the pitch -- something which may change after his monumental two-goal showing against the much-fancied germans in the semifinal . balotelli double sends italy through to euro 2012 final balotelli went into euro 2012 considered a talented liability , as capable of moments of madness as those of brilliance , but he powered home a header to give italy the lead and then crashed a stunning second into the top corner from 18 yards . even germany keeper manuel neuer had to applaud the 21-year-old 's chutzpah . tonight was the most beautiful of my life -- but i hope that this sunday is even better , ' said balotelli in the aftermath . along with spain , we are the two best teams in the tournament . we are the only side to have scored against spain so far . we proved that we are equal to them , if not more , and we want to win . ' whoever wins on sunday , it will provide a fairytale finish to a competition that has surpassed all expectations . scare stories the buildup to the first major football tournament behind the old iron curtain in eastern europe was dominated by scare stories : the transport infrastructure was n't ready ; there were n't enough ( affordable ) hotels for supporters to stay in ; racism was a widespread problem in both host countries ; foreign fans would not be welcomed in many of the host cities , and so on . yet most of the fears have been unfounded . yes , there have been issues with supporters that european football 's governing body uefa has had to deal with , and member associations have been fined for specific incidents of failing to keep their fans under control . some of the magnificent stadia have not been full for every game , but that is probably down to the fact that europe is going through difficult economic times right now and poland and ukraine are further away than most host nations have been , resulting in increased traveling costs . but by and large , euro 2012 has been an unqualified success . the group stage matches were full of attacking intent and fine goals and the knockout stages have produced two penalty shootouts of unbearable tension , not to mention italy 's awesome destruction of germany . referees have let games flow and kept the card count down , and the players have responded by concentrating more on their football and less on feigning injury and trying to artificially gain their team an advantage . everywhere you looked , there was a story : andriy shevchenko gave the ukraine people a memory they will never forget with two goals to see off sweden ; greece put their country 's vast financial problems aside to qualify from group a ; the much-fancied netherlands went back home with tails between legs ; and then there was spain and italy , quietly working their way through the tournament . sensational scoring with 30 of the 31 matches played we have seen only three red cards -- two of which came in the opening game as poland drew with greece -- and there have been 21 goals scored from headers , which at 29 % of the total 72 stands way higher than at any previous euros . wonderful goals have crashed in with regularity , from the acrobatics of zlatan ibrahimovic and balotelli to the gorgeous flick of danny welbeck , the emphatic volleys of sami khedira and marco reus to the unstoppable rocket shots of jakub blaszczykowski and , again , balotelli . and then there was pirlo 's panenka . ' with england leading italy 2-1 after the first two penalties in sunday 's quarterfinal shootout , pirlo produced a moment of genius to change the momentum entirely in italy 's favor . he watched the england keeper buzz around on the line trying to put him off , before coolly chipping the ball -- a la antonin panenka in the 1976 european championship final shootout -- delicately into the net after joe hart had dived early and erroneously to his right . england missed their next two penalties and italy triumphed . hart seemed to be very confident in himself . i needed to do something to beat him and it seemed to be a psychological blow , ' said the unflappable pirlo . england boss roy hodgson added : the cool , calculated way pirlo chipped it , that is something you either have or you do n't have as a player . ' the watching football world swooned , and pirlo produced his second successive man-of-the-match display to help italy slay germany in the semis and continue the azzurri 's amazing record of never having lost a competitive game to die mannschaft . ' on sunday , cesare prandelli 's team can keep another record intact : that of a country never winning three major international tournaments in a row . spain are potentially 90 minutes away from sporting immortality . a captivating conclusion to euro 2012 lies in wait . | italy looking for first euros triumph since 1968 , but won world cup in 2006 |
daytona beach <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a fast-moving brush fire near daytona beach at one point forced the evacuation of 300 homes and spread to 1,000 acres saturday , greg dunn of the florida forest service said . by late saturday , the blaze was 75 % contained and occupants of most of the homes were allowed to return . interstate 95 in volusia county reopened after it was closed in both directions because of the fire and poor visibility , authorities said . thick smoke rose from the fast-moving fire , which was being fueled by high winds and low humidity , dunn said , adding he expects the same conditions sunday . firefighters from volusia and flagler counties , the state forest service and all city fire departments were working to fight the fire , the volusia county government website said . by saturday evening , the fire had destroyed two structures -- a barn and a chicken coop , dunn said . volusia county animal control was helping to evacuate horses and other large animals from the area , the county government said . cnn 's janet digiacomo and melissa gray contributed to this report . | the fire is burning near daytona beach |
cnn.com <tsp> ( cnn ) -- yes , it 's a limited sample . yes , it 's more likely for people who are disgruntled to comment than people who are pleased . bruce springsteen expressed strong reservations about a possible ticketmaster-live nation merger . but still : cnn.com users who responded to our ireport and blog queries about the possible ticketmaster-live nation merger were really , really unhappy . put'going to a rock concert'on your list of'things you used to do , but ca n't anymore ,'along with watching free television , seeing a double-feature with a cartoon , and riding a train cross country , ' wrote carlos sandoval . ahh , the beginning of yet another monopoly . i hope the feds nix this one , ' added rj . ticketmaster is already nearly a monopoly in the ticket game . live nation is built on greed . might be a marriage made in heaven for them , but it 's a marriage made in hell for the concert-going public , ' wrote allison . many who commented were compelled to share their horror stories , of which there were many . i was recently at a concert where i sat at the top of the stadium -- read : the worst seats , ' wrote kim levering . and i was surrounded by people who had bought their tickets through a ticketmaster pre-sale . so lem me get this straight ... ticketmaster rewards its customers and loyal fans by providing them with the worst seats in the house ( even when selecting'best available') during a pre-sale ? ' i hoped live nation would provide competition for ticketmaster and the outlandish surcharges and service fees , ' wrote avettbrosfan . unfortunately , when i went to buy a'30 dollar'lawn ticket to see the avett brothers and dave matthews band , the live nation surcharges bumped the ticket up to 52 dollars ! so much for that hope . ' read more comments on the marquee blog other people wrote of being forced to pay $ 100 surcharges , of being sent to other ticket sites ( including ticketmaster 's own premium site , ticketsnow ) and of all the other costs to go to a concert , such as parking , refreshments and merchandise . ireport : your reaction to the possible merger ' here in l.a. , the [ bruce springsteen ] ticketsnow tickets were available immediately when the tickets when on sale . those seats were never available to the public to begin with .'reputable brokers'means'really just us using a different name ,' wrote mauricio heilbron jr. , m.d . still , ticketmaster had its defenders . the company 's web site is clean and simple , and it beats the old days of camping out at stores , wrote steve . i remember all too well those days of standing in line for hours at dillards to get to their ticketmaster outlet , and still getting lousy tickets , ' he said . i 'll be glad for the day when all tickets are available from one single outlet online . ' lost in all this is the impact on musicians , who seldom have a choice regarding ticket sellers at large venues . pearl jam had its protest in the '90s ; bruce springsteen sounded off on the sales snafu for his 2009 tour . but in general , if you want to see -- or play -- a concert , there are n't many options . i could have gone on for hours about this . the fact is , i would love to change my purchasing plans , but how can i ? if i want to see a show , what option do i have ? ' said musician , and music fan , brian riback on ireport . ireport.com : read more of riback 's comments ' sure , i can purchase off of stubhub or craigslist ... but i do n't want to pay even more than i 'm already being ripped off . the other end is even if i 'm purchasing second hand ... the original purchaser still supported [ ticketmaster/live nation ] ... so i 'm damned if i do and i 'm damned if i do n't , ' riback said . | cnn.com users have few nice things to say about either company |
standard <tsp> harare , zimbabwe ( cnn ) -- the wife of zimbabwe 's president has sued a zimbabwean newspaper for $ 15 million following its publication of allegations that she was linked to and profited from illegal diamond sales in the southern african country . according to papers filed at the high court in harare wednesday , grace mugabe , the wife of president robert mugabe , is suing the standard for defamation after its report based on diplomatic cables released by the website wikileaks . the cables in question , from the u.s. embassy in harare , claimed that zimbabwe 's first lady was among the senior zanu-pf and government officials who were gaining huge profits from the smuggling of diamonds in the eastern part of zimbabwe . the diamonds that are sold to regime members and elites are sold for freshly printed zimbabwean notes issued by the rbz ( reserve bank of zimbabwe ) , ' the paper quoted a 2008 cable as saying . the cables suggested that ( the head of the bank , gideon ) gono kept the money printing press running to finance the purchase of diamonds and this could have accelerated hyperinflation , which eventually rendered the zimbabwe dollar worthless , ' the newspaper charged . grace mugabe said in the suit that the report published sunday by the standard was false , scandalous , malicious and bent on damaging ( her ) reputation . ' the documents said the newspaper wrongly suggested that grace mugabe had used her position as the first lady to access diamonds clandestinely , enriching herself in circumstances in which the country was facing serious foreign currency shortages , which amounts should have been channeled to the fiscus . the imputation of such conduct on a person of such high standing , the mother of the nation , is to lower the respect with which she is held by all right thinking persons , to a point of disappearance , ' the lawsuit said . chris mhike , an attorney for the newspaper , said the summons is being studied and in due course we shall respond . but looking at most of the claims , so far , i can say they are just meant to harass the press , ' he said . foster dongozi , a spokesman for the zimbabwe union of journalists , said the group was concerned ' about the lawsuit . we condemn suing newspapers for merely reproducing something which is in the public domain . it is one way of trying to frustrate access to information , and to squeeze newspapers out of existence . as a union , we are really concerned that a crackdown on journalists may resurface , ' he said . | the standard said the sales accelerated hyperinflation in the country |
african-american <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an oklahoma judge entered not guilty pleas monday for two men accused of killing three people in a shooting spree in a predominately african-american neighborhood in tulsa this month , according to an attorney for one of the suspects . jake england and alvin watts face murder and hate crime charges in connection with the april 6 shootings that also left two people wounded . they appeared before a judge via a video link from jail to hear the charges against them , said clark brewster , england 's attorney . neither of the men , who are being held without bond , spoke . watts was assigned a public defender , brewster said . a preliminary hearing was scheduled for may 30 . authorities say england and watts went into a largely african-american section of tulsa shortly after midnight and gunned down apparent strangers at four locations . two men and one woman died after being shot in the chest , while two others were shot and survived . all the shooting victims are black . police have identified watts and england as white , though a probable cause affidavit released friday noted england was co-owner of a truck that had cherokee nation license plates . england confessed to shooting three people , while watts admitted to police that he shot the other two , both of them fatally , according to police documents . on friday , tulsa county district attorney tim harris filed , against both men , three counts of first-degree murder tied to the deaths of bobby clark , 54 , dannaer fields , 49 , and william terrell allen , 31 . they also face two counts of shooting with intent to kill related to the two people who were wounded , according to the press release from the district attorney 's office . in addition , the men face five counts of malicious harassment . the district attorney notes that , according to oklahoma law , that charge infers that a person has acted maliciously and with the specific intent to intimidate or harass another person because of that person 's race , color , religion , ancestry , national origin or disability . ' the charge is equivalent to a hate crime under oklahoma law , according to partners against hate , a joint project of the anti-defamation league , the leadership conference education fund and the center for preventing hate nonprofit groups . if found guilty on the murder charges , england and watts could be sentenced to death or to life in prison . the maximum sentence for each charge of shooting with intent to kill is life in prison . first assistant district attorney doug drummond said in a press release that the prosecution is likely to decide whether to seek the death penalty after the preliminary hearing is complete . cnn 's carma hassan contributed to this report . | they are accused of killing 3 , wounding 2 in a predominately african-american neighborhood |
st. petersburg <tsp> ( cnn ) -- relationship breakdowns can happen to anyone -- even to cities . after nearly 20 years of building ties with their sister city ' of st. petersburg , russia , leaders in lansing , michigan , have found a key sticking point -- russia 's clampdown on discussion of gay issues . the city council in michigan 's capital voiced its concerns over russian anti-gay policies on monday by adopting a resolution calling for an end to the sister cities ' relationship with st. petersburg . local news site mlive.com reported that the vote was unanimous . russia has been drawing controversy for a recently enacted law that bars the public discussion of gay rights and relationships anywhere that children could overhear . city council member jody washington first brought the matter before the city council during a meeting last month . lansing mayor virg bernero had issued a statement saying that while he opposes the oppression of the lgbt community in russia , ' he also hopes to maintain the relationship with st. petersburg , which began in 1994 with a russian-language high school exchange program . i encourage the city council and the commission to issue a resolution condemning the violence and discrimination in russia , ' bernero said . we must denounce the bigotry , but we should not sever the sister city relationship , because we have the potential for progressive dialogue between citizens . ' meanwhile , a local agency said tuesday there 's really no relationship to sever , according to mlive.com . lansing regional sisters commission president barbara roberts mason said it was only one district within st. petersburg that was the sister city for lansing , and that ceased abruptly ' when the governmental structure of st. petersburg changed years ago . but the issue that triggered monday 's council vote is just one reflection from an international spotlight that is being cast on russia ahead of the winter olympics in sochi early next year . russian president vladimir putin signed the anti-gay law , which took effect last month . it has been condemned by russian and international rights groups as highly discriminatory . gay rights group all out delivered a 320,000-signature petition to the international olympic committee headquarters in lausanne , switzerland , earlier this month . the petition urges the ioc to condemn the law and urges russia to ensure the security of all visitors , athletes and russian people before , during , and after the games . the ioc said that it had received assurances from the highest level of government in russia that the legislation will not affect those attending or taking part in the games . ' | lansing 's city council votes to end sister cities ' relationship with st. petersburg , russia |
russian <tsp> ( cnn ) -- relationship breakdowns can happen to anyone -- even to cities . after nearly 20 years of building ties with their sister city ' of st. petersburg , russia , leaders in lansing , michigan , have found a key sticking point -- russia 's clampdown on discussion of gay issues . the city council in michigan 's capital voiced its concerns over russian anti-gay policies on monday by adopting a resolution calling for an end to the sister cities ' relationship with st. petersburg . local news site mlive.com reported that the vote was unanimous . russia has been drawing controversy for a recently enacted law that bars the public discussion of gay rights and relationships anywhere that children could overhear . city council member jody washington first brought the matter before the city council during a meeting last month . lansing mayor virg bernero had issued a statement saying that while he opposes the oppression of the lgbt community in russia , ' he also hopes to maintain the relationship with st. petersburg , which began in 1994 with a russian-language high school exchange program . i encourage the city council and the commission to issue a resolution condemning the violence and discrimination in russia , ' bernero said . we must denounce the bigotry , but we should not sever the sister city relationship , because we have the potential for progressive dialogue between citizens . ' meanwhile , a local agency said tuesday there 's really no relationship to sever , according to mlive.com . lansing regional sisters commission president barbara roberts mason said it was only one district within st. petersburg that was the sister city for lansing , and that ceased abruptly ' when the governmental structure of st. petersburg changed years ago . but the issue that triggered monday 's council vote is just one reflection from an international spotlight that is being cast on russia ahead of the winter olympics in sochi early next year . russian president vladimir putin signed the anti-gay law , which took effect last month . it has been condemned by russian and international rights groups as highly discriminatory . gay rights group all out delivered a 320,000-signature petition to the international olympic committee headquarters in lausanne , switzerland , earlier this month . the petition urges the ioc to condemn the law and urges russia to ensure the security of all visitors , athletes and russian people before , during , and after the games . the ioc said that it had received assurances from the highest level of government in russia that the legislation will not affect those attending or taking part in the games . ' | a new russian law bars public discussion of gay rights and relationships near children |
gabriel <tsp> las vegas , nevada ( cnn ) -- attention audiophiles , old-school vinyl listeners and the very rich : do we have a piece of stereo equipment for you . angelis labor 's gabriel turntable is made from bronze and steel and can be customized with up to four arms . it 's called the gabriel turntable , and you wo n't find it at wal-mart . crafted in limited editions by an italian company that will engrave each buyer 's name on it , the gabriel is to a kenner close 'n play what a ferrari is to a yugo . when i look at it , ' said placido pappalardo , co-owner of maker angelis labor , the only word that comes to mind is love . ' angelis labor executives proudly unveiled their turntable last week at the international consumer electronics show , where its retro appearance and mechanical design set it apart from the cacophony of digital gadgets on display . that , and the price : up to $ 64,000 , depending on which model is ordered . the gabriel is made from aluminum , bronze and stainless steel and can be customized with up to four arms . each arm is made in a modena , italy , factory that also builds ferrari parts . a one-armed model costs about $ 27,000 , while a four-armed version runs for $ 64,000 , including installation . watch the gabriel in action » ' it is a thing of beauty , ' said jonathan valin , executive editor of the absolute sound magazine , who saw the turntable in las vegas but did n't get to hear it . whether it is a world-class turntable , i do n't know . ' why would anyone want four arms on their record player ? different pickup cartridges produce different types of sound , and some audiophiles like to match their record players'arms to different genres of music without going through the hassle of swapping cartridges . the gabriel is a magnetic suspension turntable , meaning that calibrated magnets are used to lift the platter a few millimeters above its bearings . this helps reduce vibration , which can affect sound quality . it 's as if the whole turntable is floating in air , ' pappalardo said . the entire device rests on a custom-built , vibration-dampening table . it takes half a day for an angelis labor technician to set the whole thing up and calibrate the turntable . the gabriel is not yet in stores . angelis labor is now seeking a distributor to sell the turntable through specialty audio retailers who can demonstrate it personally for customers . unlike most manufacturers , the company has no interest in selling it on the web . we will never allow anybody to sell our products on the internet , ' said pappalardo , perhaps the only business executive at ces this year to make such a statement . the gabriel is not the only four-armed record player on the market . nor is it the most expensive : the german-made , 770-pound clearaudio statement turntable costs twice as much . but with vinyl making a comeback , the gabriel may appeal to audiophiles who believe that listening to old records on a high-end player is like going back in time . they 're not just eye candy . they actually sound better , ' said valin , who prefers analog sound to the digital sound produced by cds and mp3 files . but even valin wonders what kind of person would pay $ 64,000 for a turntable . you 'd have to be very wealthy , very much into vinyl or very crazy , ' he said . or all three . ' | gabriel turntable is made with bronze and can be customized with up to four arms |
mississippi <tsp> a mississippi baby scientists thought was functionally cured ' of hiv now has detectable levels of the virus in her blood , her doctors say . the news is disappointing for a case the scientific community hailed just last year as a potential game changer in the fight against aids . it felt like a punch to the gut , ' dr. hannah gay , a pediatric hiv specialist at the university of mississippi medical center , said of seeing signs of the virus on test results earlier this month . it was extremely disappointing from both the scientific standpoint ... but mainly for the sake of the child who is back on medicine and expected to stay on medicine for a very long time . ' media outlets around the world covered the mississippi case when it was first made public in march 2013 . cnn updated its story again in october when researchers announced the toddler was still hiv free . the child was born to a mother who received no prenatal care and was not diagnosed as hiv-positive herself until just before delivery . we did n't have the opportunity to treat the mom during the pregnancy as we would like to be able to do , to prevent transmission to the baby , ' gay said last year . doctors administered high doses of three antiretroviral drugs 30 hours after the girl was born in case she was infected . they hoped to control the virus , which was not detectable at the time . the child remained on antiretroviral drugs for approximately 18 months . her mother then stopped administering the drugs for an unknown reason . a few months later , doctors said the little girl had no evidence of the life-threatening disease in her blood . they announced that the girl was the first child to be functionally cured ' of hiv . a functional cure ' is when the presence of the virus is so small , lifelong treatment is not necessary and standard clinical tests can not detect the virus in the blood . however , during a routine doctor visit early this month , tests detected hiv antibodies in the now 4-year-old child . her t-cell count was also low , indicating a weakened immune system . more than two years after being taken off the medication , doctors started her again on antiretroviral therapy . she will need to be on these medications for life -- or until scientists find a cure for hiv . certainly , this is a disappointing turn of events for this young child , the medical staff involved in the child 's care , and the hiv/aids research community , ' niaid director dr. anthony fauci said in a statement . scientifically , this development reminds us that we still have much more to learn about the intricacies of hiv infection and where the virus hides in the body . ' despite the setback , researchers are optimistic about using this early treatment method on infants infected with hiv . a clinical trial aimed at studying the effect will be amended to include this new information , they said , before it begins recruiting participants . we´ve always known that the search for an hiv cure was n't going to be easy , ' françoise barre-sinoussi , president of the international aids society , said in a statement . cases like this are hugely important for informing researchers on where to focus their efforts . ' current treatment methods researchers have long known that treating hiv-positive mothers while they are pregnant is important for the health of the child because they pass antibodies on to their babies that can protect them from disease . all hiv-positive moms will pass on those antibodies , but only 30 % will transmit the actual virus , said dr. katherine luzuriaga , an immunologist at the university of massachusetts who worked closely with gay . and hiv-positive mothers who are given appropriate treatment pass on the virus in less than 2 % of cases . so all babies are born antibody-positive , but only a fraction of babies born to hiv-positive women will actually get the virus , and that fraction depends on whether the mom and baby are getting antiviral prophylaxis ( preventive treatment ) or not . ' newborns are considered high-risk if their mothers'hiv infections are not under control or if the mothers are found to be hiv-positive when they 're close to delivering . usually , these infants would get antiviral drugs at preventive doses for six weeks to prevent infection , then start antiretroviral therapy , or art , if hiv is diagnosed . art is a combination of at least three drugs used to suppress the virus and stop the progression of the disease . but they do not kill the virus . in march , doctors announced that another child born with hiv appeared to be free of the virus after receiving similar treatment to the mississippi baby . the case report was presented at the annual conference on retroviruses and opportunistic infections in boston . the girl was delivered at miller children 's hospital in long beach , california , last summer to a mother with hiv who had not received antiretroviral drugs during pregnancy . doctors gave the baby high doses of three drugs -- azt , 3tc and nevirapine -- four hours after birth . eleven days later , the virus was undetectable in her body and remained undetectable eight months later . taking kids off antiretroviral therapy intentionally is not standard of care , ' said dr. deborah persaud at the time , a virologist with johns hopkins children 's center who has been involved in both cases . on thursday persaud said the california baby is still on antiretroviral treatment and doing well , said persaud . at this time , there is no plan to stop treatment . ' measles virus used to put woman 's cancer into remission | mississippi baby cured ' of hiv is now showing signs of the virus |
senate <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the justice department has decided it wo n't referee charges -- and countercharges -- of spying between the cia and the senate intelligence committee . the cia 's general counsel and inspector general each made criminal referrals to the justice department seeking an investigation of whether senate staffers obtained unauthorized access to classified documents related to the agency 's now-defunct post-9/11 interrogation program . soon after , senate intelligence committee chairman dianne feinstein went to the senate floor to accuse the agency of spying on computers used by committee staffers at a cia facility to investigate the bush-era interrogation program . now , the justice department has notified the cia and the senate committee that it ca n't find enough evidence to warrant a full-blown probe . the department carefully reviewed the matters referred to us and did not find sufficient evidence to warrant a criminal investigation , ' justice department spokesman peter carr said . the cia declined comment . feinstein 's office did n't immediately comment . critical report on cia the unusual dispute has raised tensions between the agency and lawmakers charged with overseeing its activities . the committee has produced a 6,300-page report on the program , which critics say violated prohibitions on torture and exceeded legal guidance from the justice department . the white house and the cia are reviewing an executive summary of the report to remove classified information before it can be released . the documents that prompted the dispute relate to an internal review by former cia director leon panetta and , according to the agency , were intended to help summarize material it was providing to the committee for its investigation of the program . the documents were plainly labeled as for internal use and were not supposed to be reviewed by the committee , according to the cia . feinstein said senate staffers found the documents in the course of their work that were put in the computer system either on purpose by a whistleblower or perhaps in error , and that they corroborated some of the committee 's findings that the agency now says it disagrees with . she said committee staff routinely sees such documents and did n't violate any classified restrictions . senate majority leader harry reid said thursday he believes the senate has handled the matter appropriately . i think what the cia did to my senators is wrong . i 'm going to drop it at that , ' reid said . democratic sen. mark udall of colorado said , i still believe the cia 's entry into our computers was unacceptable perhaps even unconstitutional and we should n't let this drop until we have some sort of fundamental resolution of what happened . this was n't the first time this occurred and the division of powers in our nation 's constitution is at some risk here . ' udall said it 's time for the white house and the cia to release the portions of the senate 's report under review . feinstein is usually one of the intelligence community 's staunchest allies in congress . cia says it acted properly cia director john brennan has disputed feinstein 's accusations of agency wrongdoing in uncovering senate staff access to the internal report . speaking to the council on foreign relations in march , he said , when the facts come out on this , i think a lot of people who are claiming that there has been this tremendous sort of spying and monitoring and hacking will be proved wrong . ' dean boyd , a cia spokesman , said in an op-ed published in usa today in march that the agency acted properly after it discovered senate staffers may have accessed and retained sensitive documents stored in a cia computer network . these documents were privileged , deliberative , pre-decisional executive branch material that implicated separation of powers concerns , ' boyd wrote . because we were concerned that there may have been a breach or vulnerability in the cia local area network on which cia stored these documents , cia information technology specialists were asked to conduct a limited review to determine whether these files were located on the side of the cia network the committee was authorized to use . that review appeared to confirm the committee 's unauthorized access to the documents . ' fbi looks into dispute between cia , senate | cia sought probe of whether senate staffers improperly accessed classified documents |
senate <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the justice department has decided it wo n't referee charges -- and countercharges -- of spying between the cia and the senate intelligence committee . the cia 's general counsel and inspector general each made criminal referrals to the justice department seeking an investigation of whether senate staffers obtained unauthorized access to classified documents related to the agency 's now-defunct post-9/11 interrogation program . soon after , senate intelligence committee chairman dianne feinstein went to the senate floor to accuse the agency of spying on computers used by committee staffers at a cia facility to investigate the bush-era interrogation program . now , the justice department has notified the cia and the senate committee that it ca n't find enough evidence to warrant a full-blown probe . the department carefully reviewed the matters referred to us and did not find sufficient evidence to warrant a criminal investigation , ' justice department spokesman peter carr said . the cia declined comment . feinstein 's office did n't immediately comment . critical report on cia the unusual dispute has raised tensions between the agency and lawmakers charged with overseeing its activities . the committee has produced a 6,300-page report on the program , which critics say violated prohibitions on torture and exceeded legal guidance from the justice department . the white house and the cia are reviewing an executive summary of the report to remove classified information before it can be released . the documents that prompted the dispute relate to an internal review by former cia director leon panetta and , according to the agency , were intended to help summarize material it was providing to the committee for its investigation of the program . the documents were plainly labeled as for internal use and were not supposed to be reviewed by the committee , according to the cia . feinstein said senate staffers found the documents in the course of their work that were put in the computer system either on purpose by a whistleblower or perhaps in error , and that they corroborated some of the committee 's findings that the agency now says it disagrees with . she said committee staff routinely sees such documents and did n't violate any classified restrictions . senate majority leader harry reid said thursday he believes the senate has handled the matter appropriately . i think what the cia did to my senators is wrong . i 'm going to drop it at that , ' reid said . democratic sen. mark udall of colorado said , i still believe the cia 's entry into our computers was unacceptable perhaps even unconstitutional and we should n't let this drop until we have some sort of fundamental resolution of what happened . this was n't the first time this occurred and the division of powers in our nation 's constitution is at some risk here . ' udall said it 's time for the white house and the cia to release the portions of the senate 's report under review . feinstein is usually one of the intelligence community 's staunchest allies in congress . cia says it acted properly cia director john brennan has disputed feinstein 's accusations of agency wrongdoing in uncovering senate staff access to the internal report . speaking to the council on foreign relations in march , he said , when the facts come out on this , i think a lot of people who are claiming that there has been this tremendous sort of spying and monitoring and hacking will be proved wrong . ' dean boyd , a cia spokesman , said in an op-ed published in usa today in march that the agency acted properly after it discovered senate staffers may have accessed and retained sensitive documents stored in a cia computer network . these documents were privileged , deliberative , pre-decisional executive branch material that implicated separation of powers concerns , ' boyd wrote . because we were concerned that there may have been a breach or vulnerability in the cia local area network on which cia stored these documents , cia information technology specialists were asked to conduct a limited review to determine whether these files were located on the side of the cia network the committee was authorized to use . that review appeared to confirm the committee 's unauthorized access to the documents . ' fbi looks into dispute between cia , senate | the issue arose during senate review of documents related to cia 's interrogation program |
kentucky <tsp> ( cnn ) -- real housewives of atlanta ' husband apollo nida has reported to prison to start an eight-year federal sentence for a fraud conviction , despite a side trip to have a final word with his wife . nida was still in atlanta at the home he shared with his wife , real housewives ' co-star phaedra parks , on wednesday after the noon deadline that u.s. marshals gave him to turn himself in to the minimum-security federal prison in lexington , kentucky . park 's publicist , steve honig , who was at the home when nida arrived wednesday afternoon , told cnn there was an incident ' around 4 p.m. , although he declined to give details on the record . a source who witnessed the incident told cnn that nida came to the house because he was upset that parks would not deposit money into his prison account . the source asked not to be identified . nida , 35 , eventually checked into prison as inmate 65725-019 , prison spokesman kenny coleman said thursday . inmate privacy rules prevented the spokesman for disclosing details about what time nida arrived . i can tell you that he is here , ' coleman said . however , nida posted a message on his twitter account early thursday saying i would like to say thanks 4 everyone 's support & thanks 4 holding me in prayer i 've arrived 2 my destination and i 'm going asunder ' he also posted a video on his instagram account with a similar message that apparently was recorded just before turning himself in at the prison . nida 's lawyer did not respond to cnn calls about nida 's status . parks , a lawyer and reality tv star , would not comment on the record about tabloid reports that she was upset that nida ignored his children and spent much of his time drinking in clubs during his last weeks of freedom . phaedra is now putting all of her energy into ensuring the well-being of her two children and making decisions that are in their best interests , ' her publicist said in a statement to cnn on wednesday . this situation has put a tremendous strain on phaedra and her family , and she is working hard to bring back a sense of normalcy to everyone 's lives . ' nida , who appears on the reality tv series with parks , was arrested in january and pleaded guilty in may to charges in a fraud scheme that federal prosecutors say stole millions of dollars from at least 50 people over four years . he must serve five years under parole supervision after he completes his eight years in a federal prison , u.s. district court judge charles a. pannell , jr. ordered at his sentencing in july . this is the second prison stint for nida , who served five years in a federal prison for auto title fraud before marrying parks in 2009 . in the most recent case , nida created two fake collection companies to gather personal information used to steal victims'identities , u.s. attorney sally quillian yates said after his sentencing in atlanta . he used the information to get fraudulent auto loans in the names of his victims , according to the criminal complaint . he was busted after a yearlong investigation by the u.s. secret service . the break in the case came in september , when federal investigators arrested gayla st. julien , a woman who described herself as nida 's'right hand b -- --'in executing the legwork of his fraud schemes , ' the criminal complaint said . st. julien , who previously served prison time for identity theft , told agents that nida only paid her'scraps' for her work , compared to the amount of money he made from the fraud schemes , ' the filing said . she turned on him and agreed to let agents record their phone calls , it said . nida knowingly and willfully ( did ) execute and attempt to execute a scheme to defraud federally insured financial institutions by depositing stolen and fraudulently obtained checks and fraudulently obtained auto loan proceeds into bank accounts opened in the stolen identities of real persons , and conspire with others to do so , and knowingly convert to his use and the use of others stolen and fraudulently obtained united states treasury checks , ' special agent alexandre herrera said in a sworn affidavit . nida 's fake companies fraudulently signed up with lexisnexis , equifax , and mircrobilt databases ' to steal personal information on people . along with the fraudulent auto loan checks , nida stole u.s. treasury checks , retirement checks issued to delta airlines employees , and checks in the names of real people that were owed unclaimed property from various state and federal government agencies , ' the complaint said . agents recorded phone calls st. julien made to nida , during which he discussed details of pending fraudulent auto loans and details of future auto loan checks that he was expecting to receive any day now from in the mail , ' the affidavit said . porsha williams charged with battery in'real housewives'scuffle | nida was ordered to report to a federal prison in kentucky on wednesday |
al-adel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- what 's in a name ? if you are mohamed ibrahim makkawi , years of trouble and the shadow of a senior al qaeda figure lurking over your every move . makkawi 's arrival at cairo 's airport wednesday caused a brief flutter of excitement . could it be that one of the most senior figures in al qaeda had been detained in dramatic ( and highly unlikely ) fashion after stepping off an emirates flight from islamabad in pakistan ? the confusion arose because saif al-adel -- regarded as al qaeda 's third-most-senior figure -- had long been associated with an alias identical to makkawi 's name . the two men do have some common background . both were egyptian military officers who joined the egyptian islamic jihad . makkawi was a major and an explosives expert in egypt 's special forces . he went on trial in 1987 for his islamist connections and was dismissed from the army . both he and al-adel -- then a lieutenant and apparently a more active militant -- left for pakistan and joined osama bin laden 's jihad . by 1988 , makkawi was fighting soviet forces and their surrogates in afghanistan . i last saw makkawi in 1989 when we fought together , ' mohamed omar abdel rahman , another former jihadist from egypt , told cnn wednesday . i also knew al-adel well and fought alongside with him during our jihad , ' added abdel rahman , who is also the son of the blind sheikh now serving a jail term in the united states for his involvement in the 1993 attempt to blow up the world trade center . according to a source who followed al qaeda at the time , makkawi fell out with bin laden and ayman al zawahiri , al qaeda 's current leader , soon after arriving in pakistan . by about 1990 , the source says , makkawi had given up the gun in favor of contributing to a magazine in islamabad -- akdas wakadaya or events and issues . ' nearly a decade later , al-adel became a wanted man for his part in the plots to blow up the u.s. embassies in kenya and tanzania . u.s. authorities published his profile as part of the rewards for justice program and listed muhamad ibrahim makkawi ' as an alias . and the real makkawi 's nightmare began . by then , he had married a pakistani woman and was living as a political refugee in islamabad . for 10 years , makkawi was regularly confused with al qaeda 's rising star . he adopted the e-mail address unjustly_guilty @ ..... , ' and from his home in islamabad 's upper portion began a campaign to clear his name . cnn has obtained a copy of a letter makkawi wrote to the u.n. high commissioner for refugees in 2009 that recounts his appeals to authorities in several countries . i am trying to resettle my normal life in pakistan after getting married to a pakistani lady but have accomplished nothing as a result of the egyptian and saudi regime 's pressure on pakistani agencies and my moral obduracy , ' he began . makkawi said his children had been expelled from school and friends , neighbors and relatives had become informants for intelligence agencies . after the agencies lost hope to force me to accept fake al qaeda no . 3 role and the big 9/11 lie , they attempted to kill me and my two elder sons by despicable means , ' makkawi claims , adding that at one point there had been an attempt to poison him . in desperation , he told the unhcr , he appealed to president george w. bush and also asked the fbi to detain him . hoping to put an end to this preposterous puppet show and to put myself under the responsibility of fbi , i sent an e-mail on 7th september 2005 to the head office of fbi requesting to be arrested and to face all accusations raised against me in a fair trial , ' he wrote . he did not receive a reply . somehow , after being denied travel papers for more than 10 years , makkawi was apparently able to obtain travel documents from the egyptian embassy in islamabad . and then he boarded a plane to cairo wednesday , in an effort to clear his name and expunge the shadow of saif al-adel . the confusion over his real identity persisted for some hours after his arrival . eventually , the egyptian ministry of interior confirmed that al-adel was still at large . mohamed ibrahim makkawi is not saif al-adel , ' the ministry said . there is obvious confusion of data among security apparatus and the media . they are two different people. but the real makkawi 's troubles are far from over . the interior ministry confirmed to cnn that makkawi was still a wanted man and faced charges of terrorism and conspiracy to topple the regime . he will remain in detention and appear before the higher state security court , the ministry said . cnn 's mohamed fadel fahmy contributed to this report . | there are many similarities between makkawi and al-adel |
al-adel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- what 's in a name ? if you are mohamed ibrahim makkawi , years of trouble and the shadow of a senior al qaeda figure lurking over your every move . makkawi 's arrival at cairo 's airport wednesday caused a brief flutter of excitement . could it be that one of the most senior figures in al qaeda had been detained in dramatic ( and highly unlikely ) fashion after stepping off an emirates flight from islamabad in pakistan ? the confusion arose because saif al-adel -- regarded as al qaeda 's third-most-senior figure -- had long been associated with an alias identical to makkawi 's name . the two men do have some common background . both were egyptian military officers who joined the egyptian islamic jihad . makkawi was a major and an explosives expert in egypt 's special forces . he went on trial in 1987 for his islamist connections and was dismissed from the army . both he and al-adel -- then a lieutenant and apparently a more active militant -- left for pakistan and joined osama bin laden 's jihad . by 1988 , makkawi was fighting soviet forces and their surrogates in afghanistan . i last saw makkawi in 1989 when we fought together , ' mohamed omar abdel rahman , another former jihadist from egypt , told cnn wednesday . i also knew al-adel well and fought alongside with him during our jihad , ' added abdel rahman , who is also the son of the blind sheikh now serving a jail term in the united states for his involvement in the 1993 attempt to blow up the world trade center . according to a source who followed al qaeda at the time , makkawi fell out with bin laden and ayman al zawahiri , al qaeda 's current leader , soon after arriving in pakistan . by about 1990 , the source says , makkawi had given up the gun in favor of contributing to a magazine in islamabad -- akdas wakadaya or events and issues . ' nearly a decade later , al-adel became a wanted man for his part in the plots to blow up the u.s. embassies in kenya and tanzania . u.s. authorities published his profile as part of the rewards for justice program and listed muhamad ibrahim makkawi ' as an alias . and the real makkawi 's nightmare began . by then , he had married a pakistani woman and was living as a political refugee in islamabad . for 10 years , makkawi was regularly confused with al qaeda 's rising star . he adopted the e-mail address unjustly_guilty @ ..... , ' and from his home in islamabad 's upper portion began a campaign to clear his name . cnn has obtained a copy of a letter makkawi wrote to the u.n. high commissioner for refugees in 2009 that recounts his appeals to authorities in several countries . i am trying to resettle my normal life in pakistan after getting married to a pakistani lady but have accomplished nothing as a result of the egyptian and saudi regime 's pressure on pakistani agencies and my moral obduracy , ' he began . makkawi said his children had been expelled from school and friends , neighbors and relatives had become informants for intelligence agencies . after the agencies lost hope to force me to accept fake al qaeda no . 3 role and the big 9/11 lie , they attempted to kill me and my two elder sons by despicable means , ' makkawi claims , adding that at one point there had been an attempt to poison him . in desperation , he told the unhcr , he appealed to president george w. bush and also asked the fbi to detain him . hoping to put an end to this preposterous puppet show and to put myself under the responsibility of fbi , i sent an e-mail on 7th september 2005 to the head office of fbi requesting to be arrested and to face all accusations raised against me in a fair trial , ' he wrote . he did not receive a reply . somehow , after being denied travel papers for more than 10 years , makkawi was apparently able to obtain travel documents from the egyptian embassy in islamabad . and then he boarded a plane to cairo wednesday , in an effort to clear his name and expunge the shadow of saif al-adel . the confusion over his real identity persisted for some hours after his arrival . eventually , the egyptian ministry of interior confirmed that al-adel was still at large . mohamed ibrahim makkawi is not saif al-adel , ' the ministry said . there is obvious confusion of data among security apparatus and the media . they are two different people. but the real makkawi 's troubles are far from over . the interior ministry confirmed to cnn that makkawi was still a wanted man and faced charges of terrorism and conspiracy to topple the regime . he will remain in detention and appear before the higher state security court , the ministry said . cnn 's mohamed fadel fahmy contributed to this report . | egypt 's interior ministry says al-adel is still at large |
hughes <tsp> ( cnn ) -- baku has been a citadel amidst potentially destabilizing forces for centuries , routinely blasted by gale-force winds , seismic activity and positioned near one of the world 's largest and most coveted oil reserves . but , having declared independence and with the establishment of a lucrative oil pipeline , azerbaijan now has its sights set firmly on urban renewal in its capital . this year , the astonishing flame towers project was completed by global architecture giant hok , creating a building that developers hoped would become an icon for baku 's coastal skyline . texan-born barry hughes , vice president of hok , says building an icon ' is one of the most intimidating briefs for an architect . it 's probably dangerous to try to do something iconic . the biggest challenge a designer faces is that blank sheet of paper , ' he says , and if you pile on the idea that you want something iconic ... ' unesco world heritage : historic buildings in peril hok ultimately created three flame-shaped towers , clad in orange and blue-tinted glass , encircling a honeycomb-roofed podium . this is hughes'favorite building , although he is reluctant to take all of the credit . i feel guilty because i get to take a bow for the work of 150 people who worked on this project , ' he says . the towers'shape was inspired by the city 's history of zoroastrian fire worship and its ongoing connection with natural gas . the client absolutely latched onto the idea of the flame , and then it became an interesting conversation about how literal that would be . ' view a hi-res gallery of barry hughes'favorite buildings whether your tower looks like a flame , or merely evokes the concept , comes down , it seems , to how much it flickers at the roof line , and hughes says a dedicated team worked exclusively on refining the towers'quiffs . they had long conversations about that moment when a candle is burning , the gestural moment when it catches the wind . somebody drew that a hundred times in the computer , and once that 's drawn it gets passed through different programs , and the contractors have to further rationalize it . ' watch'great buildings'on connect the world the towers posed numerous other challenges . they had to be weighted to withstand potential earthquakes , and parts needed to be constructed without the use of cranes , due to baku 's harsh winds . the site is large , but dense , containing offices , a hotel and residential apartments above a shopping mall , above a parking lot . making all those spaces work in tandem was the biggest engineering challenge of all , ' hughes admits . but , standing at the top of one tower shortly before the building was completed , hughes found himself marveling at another unexpected feat . rare is the place in the world where you can stand in one tower ... and have two other towers that seem to form a space that i was n't clever enough to anticipate , ' he says . maybe i was just drunk on the accomplishment but that space up there is really magical . ''marilyn monroe'towers shape city 's future ' somebody will have a hotel room or office where they 'll look across and be part of those three objects in the sky and that , for me , is kind of spiritual . ' the building hughes most wishes he 'd designed is the notre dame du haut , a concrete catholic chapel in ronchamp , france , designed by swiss-born architect le corbusier . completed in 1954 , long before the advent of computer-aided design , the chapel 's roof and walls curve and slope in response to the hill on which they sit . today , many architects would find such complexity impossible to execute without the aid of computer , hughes says . within the context of that period , i think it 's really a piece of sculpture . ' he particularly admires the approach to the chapel , which winds up a hill and past some trees . when i went there , it was one of those charmingly underdone things . that 's true of a lot of corbu 's work -- you have to work to get there . that processional route is special and comes from corbusier looking at the parthenon . ' hughes believes the inflection of humanity in corbusier 's work is what makes him relevant today . modernists were really fascinated with the machine , and buildings as machines for living . i find that idea compelling but at the same time , machines can be soulless , and we 're now in an age where we expect our machines to have a little spirit , ' he said . corbusier was starting to do that in his later work . mid-corbusier was very angular , but ronchamp is more gestural and evocative . you walk up and go'oh , wow !'you get that lump in your throat . which goes back to what everybody 's trying to do when they start with that blank sheet of paper . ' cnn 's special coverage sometimes carries sponsorship . cnn retains full editorial control over all of its reports . read the policy | hughes wishes he had designed notre dame du haut , a concrete catholic chapel in ronchamp , france |
hughes <tsp> ( cnn ) -- baku has been a citadel amidst potentially destabilizing forces for centuries , routinely blasted by gale-force winds , seismic activity and positioned near one of the world 's largest and most coveted oil reserves . but , having declared independence and with the establishment of a lucrative oil pipeline , azerbaijan now has its sights set firmly on urban renewal in its capital . this year , the astonishing flame towers project was completed by global architecture giant hok , creating a building that developers hoped would become an icon for baku 's coastal skyline . texan-born barry hughes , vice president of hok , says building an icon ' is one of the most intimidating briefs for an architect . it 's probably dangerous to try to do something iconic . the biggest challenge a designer faces is that blank sheet of paper , ' he says , and if you pile on the idea that you want something iconic ... ' unesco world heritage : historic buildings in peril hok ultimately created three flame-shaped towers , clad in orange and blue-tinted glass , encircling a honeycomb-roofed podium . this is hughes'favorite building , although he is reluctant to take all of the credit . i feel guilty because i get to take a bow for the work of 150 people who worked on this project , ' he says . the towers'shape was inspired by the city 's history of zoroastrian fire worship and its ongoing connection with natural gas . the client absolutely latched onto the idea of the flame , and then it became an interesting conversation about how literal that would be . ' view a hi-res gallery of barry hughes'favorite buildings whether your tower looks like a flame , or merely evokes the concept , comes down , it seems , to how much it flickers at the roof line , and hughes says a dedicated team worked exclusively on refining the towers'quiffs . they had long conversations about that moment when a candle is burning , the gestural moment when it catches the wind . somebody drew that a hundred times in the computer , and once that 's drawn it gets passed through different programs , and the contractors have to further rationalize it . ' watch'great buildings'on connect the world the towers posed numerous other challenges . they had to be weighted to withstand potential earthquakes , and parts needed to be constructed without the use of cranes , due to baku 's harsh winds . the site is large , but dense , containing offices , a hotel and residential apartments above a shopping mall , above a parking lot . making all those spaces work in tandem was the biggest engineering challenge of all , ' hughes admits . but , standing at the top of one tower shortly before the building was completed , hughes found himself marveling at another unexpected feat . rare is the place in the world where you can stand in one tower ... and have two other towers that seem to form a space that i was n't clever enough to anticipate , ' he says . maybe i was just drunk on the accomplishment but that space up there is really magical . ''marilyn monroe'towers shape city 's future ' somebody will have a hotel room or office where they 'll look across and be part of those three objects in the sky and that , for me , is kind of spiritual . ' the building hughes most wishes he 'd designed is the notre dame du haut , a concrete catholic chapel in ronchamp , france , designed by swiss-born architect le corbusier . completed in 1954 , long before the advent of computer-aided design , the chapel 's roof and walls curve and slope in response to the hill on which they sit . today , many architects would find such complexity impossible to execute without the aid of computer , hughes says . within the context of that period , i think it 's really a piece of sculpture . ' he particularly admires the approach to the chapel , which winds up a hill and past some trees . when i went there , it was one of those charmingly underdone things . that 's true of a lot of corbu 's work -- you have to work to get there . that processional route is special and comes from corbusier looking at the parthenon . ' hughes believes the inflection of humanity in corbusier 's work is what makes him relevant today . modernists were really fascinated with the machine , and buildings as machines for living . i find that idea compelling but at the same time , machines can be soulless , and we 're now in an age where we expect our machines to have a little spirit , ' he said . corbusier was starting to do that in his later work . mid-corbusier was very angular , but ronchamp is more gestural and evocative . you walk up and go'oh , wow !'you get that lump in your throat . which goes back to what everybody 's trying to do when they start with that blank sheet of paper . ' cnn 's special coverage sometimes carries sponsorship . cnn retains full editorial control over all of its reports . read the policy | building towers was a challenge says hughes and had to be weighted to withstand earthquakes |
hughes <tsp> ( cnn ) -- baku has been a citadel amidst potentially destabilizing forces for centuries , routinely blasted by gale-force winds , seismic activity and positioned near one of the world 's largest and most coveted oil reserves . but , having declared independence and with the establishment of a lucrative oil pipeline , azerbaijan now has its sights set firmly on urban renewal in its capital . this year , the astonishing flame towers project was completed by global architecture giant hok , creating a building that developers hoped would become an icon for baku 's coastal skyline . texan-born barry hughes , vice president of hok , says building an icon ' is one of the most intimidating briefs for an architect . it 's probably dangerous to try to do something iconic . the biggest challenge a designer faces is that blank sheet of paper , ' he says , and if you pile on the idea that you want something iconic ... ' unesco world heritage : historic buildings in peril hok ultimately created three flame-shaped towers , clad in orange and blue-tinted glass , encircling a honeycomb-roofed podium . this is hughes'favorite building , although he is reluctant to take all of the credit . i feel guilty because i get to take a bow for the work of 150 people who worked on this project , ' he says . the towers'shape was inspired by the city 's history of zoroastrian fire worship and its ongoing connection with natural gas . the client absolutely latched onto the idea of the flame , and then it became an interesting conversation about how literal that would be . ' view a hi-res gallery of barry hughes'favorite buildings whether your tower looks like a flame , or merely evokes the concept , comes down , it seems , to how much it flickers at the roof line , and hughes says a dedicated team worked exclusively on refining the towers'quiffs . they had long conversations about that moment when a candle is burning , the gestural moment when it catches the wind . somebody drew that a hundred times in the computer , and once that 's drawn it gets passed through different programs , and the contractors have to further rationalize it . ' watch'great buildings'on connect the world the towers posed numerous other challenges . they had to be weighted to withstand potential earthquakes , and parts needed to be constructed without the use of cranes , due to baku 's harsh winds . the site is large , but dense , containing offices , a hotel and residential apartments above a shopping mall , above a parking lot . making all those spaces work in tandem was the biggest engineering challenge of all , ' hughes admits . but , standing at the top of one tower shortly before the building was completed , hughes found himself marveling at another unexpected feat . rare is the place in the world where you can stand in one tower ... and have two other towers that seem to form a space that i was n't clever enough to anticipate , ' he says . maybe i was just drunk on the accomplishment but that space up there is really magical . ''marilyn monroe'towers shape city 's future ' somebody will have a hotel room or office where they 'll look across and be part of those three objects in the sky and that , for me , is kind of spiritual . ' the building hughes most wishes he 'd designed is the notre dame du haut , a concrete catholic chapel in ronchamp , france , designed by swiss-born architect le corbusier . completed in 1954 , long before the advent of computer-aided design , the chapel 's roof and walls curve and slope in response to the hill on which they sit . today , many architects would find such complexity impossible to execute without the aid of computer , hughes says . within the context of that period , i think it 's really a piece of sculpture . ' he particularly admires the approach to the chapel , which winds up a hill and past some trees . when i went there , it was one of those charmingly underdone things . that 's true of a lot of corbu 's work -- you have to work to get there . that processional route is special and comes from corbusier looking at the parthenon . ' hughes believes the inflection of humanity in corbusier 's work is what makes him relevant today . modernists were really fascinated with the machine , and buildings as machines for living . i find that idea compelling but at the same time , machines can be soulless , and we 're now in an age where we expect our machines to have a little spirit , ' he said . corbusier was starting to do that in his later work . mid-corbusier was very angular , but ronchamp is more gestural and evocative . you walk up and go'oh , wow !'you get that lump in your throat . which goes back to what everybody 's trying to do when they start with that blank sheet of paper . ' cnn 's special coverage sometimes carries sponsorship . cnn retains full editorial control over all of its reports . read the policy | texas-born architect barry hughes picks the flame towers in baku as his favorite building |
roc <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the world of eve online ' is brutal . there are enemies and alliances , death and destruction . gamers fight for territory , profit and fame in a never-ending quest to top their opponent . it 's a bit like the real world that way . when marcus dickinson first created his eve ' character , roc wieler , the two had little in common . roc was a retired colonel from the minmatar tribes -- a stoic , physically imposing disciplinarian . dickinson was a 230-pound canadian with an affinity for bacon . over time , the line between fiction and reality has blurred . i 'm a role player inherently , ' dickinson says . i take it seriously . ' for dickinson , roc wieler is a brand . the 40-year-old advertising director has a blog called roc 's ramblings that he writes for daily -- as roc . he also creates music albums and 3-d artwork . he even sells roc-related paraphernalia to his fans through the blog and social media sites . brand loyalty is one of the reasons dickinson first decided to shape up . during his trip to the 2009 eve online ' fanfest , real life hit him smack in the face . walking into the convention , he did n't feel like roc . he felt like a stereotypical geek , surrounded by other stereotypical geeks . we were all just a bunch of pathetic losers , ' dickinson remembers . we paid good money to fly all the way to iceland and instead of enjoying iceland , most of us spent all our time sitting around playing the video game we already played back home . ' something snapped inside me , and i realized i was n't being true to my brand . why ca n't i be this character ? why ca n't i look like this ? he acts and talks like me because he is me . i 'm the one who gave him life . ' why gamers are a great fit at the gym for years , dickinson 's wife , farah iqbal , had been bugging him to go the gym . when he returned from iceland , the pair joined on a trial basis . the first month was hard , dickinson says -- his knees hurt , his feet hurt and he could barely run a mile . but he kept at it . he executed his fitness plan as seriously as roc would execute a mission . he told himself his weight loss was a matter of life or death . if i do not make these changes today , and every day going forward , i will die , ' he says . i know it sounds tragic but that 's what it took for me . ' so he made the changes . he got up at 5:30 every morning . he did leg workouts that made him collapse . he pushed himself until he vomited . he did fitness programs like p90x and insanity . he ran a half-marathon . dickinson also changed the way he ate . iqbal remembers a trip to visit friends in montreal when dickinson created a grocery list for their hosts and made all his own meals . it was almost embarrassing , ' she says of the grocery list creation , but you know what , i got over myself . because he 's on a path that i support . ' dickinson now eats 3,000 calories a day -- mostly lean protein and vegetables -- to sustain his body-building lifestyle . five years ago if i was eating 3,000 calories a day , it was because i had bags of doritos in front of me , ' he says with a laugh . he 's rigid about his lifestyle . he does n't eat dessert or allow for cheat days . it 's a struggle , but one he embraces as a sort of real-life challenge . he always had this attitude of not giving up , but now it 's extreme , ' iqbal says . he 's become very well-focused -- or stubborn -- with ( the ) journey he 's on . ' his laser focus has paid off . dickinson now weighs 185 pounds and is only 14 % body fat . he can squat almost twice his weight and dead-lift 450 pounds . i 'm closer to looking like roc than i 've ever been , ' he says . dickinson realizes he sounds slightly schizophrenic . but if you think about it , he says , all guys have fantasy lives . when they read comic books , they envision themselves as caped crusaders . when they watch james bond , they envision themselves as suave womanizers with oodles of money . superman , vin diesel -- we want to be them so badly , ' dickinson says . the difference is you 'll never be superman . you 're setting yourself up to fail . the reason roc worked was that he was a fantasy hero of my creation , so i was already part way there . i just had to get the physical . ' iqbal says she keeps her husband from crossing the line between fantasy and reality . she 's not a big fan of roc -- she prefers her men balanced , with a feminine side . when dickinson slips into roc 's deep voice with a hello , darling ... ' greeting after work , i 'm like'oh , shut the hell up ,'' she says . i have to remind him that it is a character . ' still , iqbal encourages him to blog and play eve online ' as much as possible because she knows his fans are eager for more advice on how to get fit . plus , there 's that other side benefit ... ' if i said to him ,'this is affecting our relationship ,'i know he would ( stop ) , ' iqbal says . but i do n't want to -- he looks yummy ! ''the beast'races to lose 100 pounds | roc wieler is a retired colonel from the minmatar tribes with an affinity for discipline |
roc <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the world of eve online ' is brutal . there are enemies and alliances , death and destruction . gamers fight for territory , profit and fame in a never-ending quest to top their opponent . it 's a bit like the real world that way . when marcus dickinson first created his eve ' character , roc wieler , the two had little in common . roc was a retired colonel from the minmatar tribes -- a stoic , physically imposing disciplinarian . dickinson was a 230-pound canadian with an affinity for bacon . over time , the line between fiction and reality has blurred . i 'm a role player inherently , ' dickinson says . i take it seriously . ' for dickinson , roc wieler is a brand . the 40-year-old advertising director has a blog called roc 's ramblings that he writes for daily -- as roc . he also creates music albums and 3-d artwork . he even sells roc-related paraphernalia to his fans through the blog and social media sites . brand loyalty is one of the reasons dickinson first decided to shape up . during his trip to the 2009 eve online ' fanfest , real life hit him smack in the face . walking into the convention , he did n't feel like roc . he felt like a stereotypical geek , surrounded by other stereotypical geeks . we were all just a bunch of pathetic losers , ' dickinson remembers . we paid good money to fly all the way to iceland and instead of enjoying iceland , most of us spent all our time sitting around playing the video game we already played back home . ' something snapped inside me , and i realized i was n't being true to my brand . why ca n't i be this character ? why ca n't i look like this ? he acts and talks like me because he is me . i 'm the one who gave him life . ' why gamers are a great fit at the gym for years , dickinson 's wife , farah iqbal , had been bugging him to go the gym . when he returned from iceland , the pair joined on a trial basis . the first month was hard , dickinson says -- his knees hurt , his feet hurt and he could barely run a mile . but he kept at it . he executed his fitness plan as seriously as roc would execute a mission . he told himself his weight loss was a matter of life or death . if i do not make these changes today , and every day going forward , i will die , ' he says . i know it sounds tragic but that 's what it took for me . ' so he made the changes . he got up at 5:30 every morning . he did leg workouts that made him collapse . he pushed himself until he vomited . he did fitness programs like p90x and insanity . he ran a half-marathon . dickinson also changed the way he ate . iqbal remembers a trip to visit friends in montreal when dickinson created a grocery list for their hosts and made all his own meals . it was almost embarrassing , ' she says of the grocery list creation , but you know what , i got over myself . because he 's on a path that i support . ' dickinson now eats 3,000 calories a day -- mostly lean protein and vegetables -- to sustain his body-building lifestyle . five years ago if i was eating 3,000 calories a day , it was because i had bags of doritos in front of me , ' he says with a laugh . he 's rigid about his lifestyle . he does n't eat dessert or allow for cheat days . it 's a struggle , but one he embraces as a sort of real-life challenge . he always had this attitude of not giving up , but now it 's extreme , ' iqbal says . he 's become very well-focused -- or stubborn -- with ( the ) journey he 's on . ' his laser focus has paid off . dickinson now weighs 185 pounds and is only 14 % body fat . he can squat almost twice his weight and dead-lift 450 pounds . i 'm closer to looking like roc than i 've ever been , ' he says . dickinson realizes he sounds slightly schizophrenic . but if you think about it , he says , all guys have fantasy lives . when they read comic books , they envision themselves as caped crusaders . when they watch james bond , they envision themselves as suave womanizers with oodles of money . superman , vin diesel -- we want to be them so badly , ' dickinson says . the difference is you 'll never be superman . you 're setting yourself up to fail . the reason roc worked was that he was a fantasy hero of my creation , so i was already part way there . i just had to get the physical . ' iqbal says she keeps her husband from crossing the line between fantasy and reality . she 's not a big fan of roc -- she prefers her men balanced , with a feminine side . when dickinson slips into roc 's deep voice with a hello , darling ... ' greeting after work , i 'm like'oh , shut the hell up ,'' she says . i have to remind him that it is a character . ' still , iqbal encourages him to blog and play eve online ' as much as possible because she knows his fans are eager for more advice on how to get fit . plus , there 's that other side benefit ... ' if i said to him ,'this is affecting our relationship ,'i know he would ( stop ) , ' iqbal says . but i do n't want to -- he looks yummy ! ''the beast'races to lose 100 pounds | dickinson blogs as roc , in addition to creating 3-d artwork and music albums |
3-d <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the world of eve online ' is brutal . there are enemies and alliances , death and destruction . gamers fight for territory , profit and fame in a never-ending quest to top their opponent . it 's a bit like the real world that way . when marcus dickinson first created his eve ' character , roc wieler , the two had little in common . roc was a retired colonel from the minmatar tribes -- a stoic , physically imposing disciplinarian . dickinson was a 230-pound canadian with an affinity for bacon . over time , the line between fiction and reality has blurred . i 'm a role player inherently , ' dickinson says . i take it seriously . ' for dickinson , roc wieler is a brand . the 40-year-old advertising director has a blog called roc 's ramblings that he writes for daily -- as roc . he also creates music albums and 3-d artwork . he even sells roc-related paraphernalia to his fans through the blog and social media sites . brand loyalty is one of the reasons dickinson first decided to shape up . during his trip to the 2009 eve online ' fanfest , real life hit him smack in the face . walking into the convention , he did n't feel like roc . he felt like a stereotypical geek , surrounded by other stereotypical geeks . we were all just a bunch of pathetic losers , ' dickinson remembers . we paid good money to fly all the way to iceland and instead of enjoying iceland , most of us spent all our time sitting around playing the video game we already played back home . ' something snapped inside me , and i realized i was n't being true to my brand . why ca n't i be this character ? why ca n't i look like this ? he acts and talks like me because he is me . i 'm the one who gave him life . ' why gamers are a great fit at the gym for years , dickinson 's wife , farah iqbal , had been bugging him to go the gym . when he returned from iceland , the pair joined on a trial basis . the first month was hard , dickinson says -- his knees hurt , his feet hurt and he could barely run a mile . but he kept at it . he executed his fitness plan as seriously as roc would execute a mission . he told himself his weight loss was a matter of life or death . if i do not make these changes today , and every day going forward , i will die , ' he says . i know it sounds tragic but that 's what it took for me . ' so he made the changes . he got up at 5:30 every morning . he did leg workouts that made him collapse . he pushed himself until he vomited . he did fitness programs like p90x and insanity . he ran a half-marathon . dickinson also changed the way he ate . iqbal remembers a trip to visit friends in montreal when dickinson created a grocery list for their hosts and made all his own meals . it was almost embarrassing , ' she says of the grocery list creation , but you know what , i got over myself . because he 's on a path that i support . ' dickinson now eats 3,000 calories a day -- mostly lean protein and vegetables -- to sustain his body-building lifestyle . five years ago if i was eating 3,000 calories a day , it was because i had bags of doritos in front of me , ' he says with a laugh . he 's rigid about his lifestyle . he does n't eat dessert or allow for cheat days . it 's a struggle , but one he embraces as a sort of real-life challenge . he always had this attitude of not giving up , but now it 's extreme , ' iqbal says . he 's become very well-focused -- or stubborn -- with ( the ) journey he 's on . ' his laser focus has paid off . dickinson now weighs 185 pounds and is only 14 % body fat . he can squat almost twice his weight and dead-lift 450 pounds . i 'm closer to looking like roc than i 've ever been , ' he says . dickinson realizes he sounds slightly schizophrenic . but if you think about it , he says , all guys have fantasy lives . when they read comic books , they envision themselves as caped crusaders . when they watch james bond , they envision themselves as suave womanizers with oodles of money . superman , vin diesel -- we want to be them so badly , ' dickinson says . the difference is you 'll never be superman . you 're setting yourself up to fail . the reason roc worked was that he was a fantasy hero of my creation , so i was already part way there . i just had to get the physical . ' iqbal says she keeps her husband from crossing the line between fantasy and reality . she 's not a big fan of roc -- she prefers her men balanced , with a feminine side . when dickinson slips into roc 's deep voice with a hello , darling ... ' greeting after work , i 'm like'oh , shut the hell up ,'' she says . i have to remind him that it is a character . ' still , iqbal encourages him to blog and play eve online ' as much as possible because she knows his fans are eager for more advice on how to get fit . plus , there 's that other side benefit ... ' if i said to him ,'this is affecting our relationship ,'i know he would ( stop ) , ' iqbal says . but i do n't want to -- he looks yummy ! ''the beast'races to lose 100 pounds | dickinson blogs as roc , in addition to creating 3-d artwork and music albums |
dickinson <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the world of eve online ' is brutal . there are enemies and alliances , death and destruction . gamers fight for territory , profit and fame in a never-ending quest to top their opponent . it 's a bit like the real world that way . when marcus dickinson first created his eve ' character , roc wieler , the two had little in common . roc was a retired colonel from the minmatar tribes -- a stoic , physically imposing disciplinarian . dickinson was a 230-pound canadian with an affinity for bacon . over time , the line between fiction and reality has blurred . i 'm a role player inherently , ' dickinson says . i take it seriously . ' for dickinson , roc wieler is a brand . the 40-year-old advertising director has a blog called roc 's ramblings that he writes for daily -- as roc . he also creates music albums and 3-d artwork . he even sells roc-related paraphernalia to his fans through the blog and social media sites . brand loyalty is one of the reasons dickinson first decided to shape up . during his trip to the 2009 eve online ' fanfest , real life hit him smack in the face . walking into the convention , he did n't feel like roc . he felt like a stereotypical geek , surrounded by other stereotypical geeks . we were all just a bunch of pathetic losers , ' dickinson remembers . we paid good money to fly all the way to iceland and instead of enjoying iceland , most of us spent all our time sitting around playing the video game we already played back home . ' something snapped inside me , and i realized i was n't being true to my brand . why ca n't i be this character ? why ca n't i look like this ? he acts and talks like me because he is me . i 'm the one who gave him life . ' why gamers are a great fit at the gym for years , dickinson 's wife , farah iqbal , had been bugging him to go the gym . when he returned from iceland , the pair joined on a trial basis . the first month was hard , dickinson says -- his knees hurt , his feet hurt and he could barely run a mile . but he kept at it . he executed his fitness plan as seriously as roc would execute a mission . he told himself his weight loss was a matter of life or death . if i do not make these changes today , and every day going forward , i will die , ' he says . i know it sounds tragic but that 's what it took for me . ' so he made the changes . he got up at 5:30 every morning . he did leg workouts that made him collapse . he pushed himself until he vomited . he did fitness programs like p90x and insanity . he ran a half-marathon . dickinson also changed the way he ate . iqbal remembers a trip to visit friends in montreal when dickinson created a grocery list for their hosts and made all his own meals . it was almost embarrassing , ' she says of the grocery list creation , but you know what , i got over myself . because he 's on a path that i support . ' dickinson now eats 3,000 calories a day -- mostly lean protein and vegetables -- to sustain his body-building lifestyle . five years ago if i was eating 3,000 calories a day , it was because i had bags of doritos in front of me , ' he says with a laugh . he 's rigid about his lifestyle . he does n't eat dessert or allow for cheat days . it 's a struggle , but one he embraces as a sort of real-life challenge . he always had this attitude of not giving up , but now it 's extreme , ' iqbal says . he 's become very well-focused -- or stubborn -- with ( the ) journey he 's on . ' his laser focus has paid off . dickinson now weighs 185 pounds and is only 14 % body fat . he can squat almost twice his weight and dead-lift 450 pounds . i 'm closer to looking like roc than i 've ever been , ' he says . dickinson realizes he sounds slightly schizophrenic . but if you think about it , he says , all guys have fantasy lives . when they read comic books , they envision themselves as caped crusaders . when they watch james bond , they envision themselves as suave womanizers with oodles of money . superman , vin diesel -- we want to be them so badly , ' dickinson says . the difference is you 'll never be superman . you 're setting yourself up to fail . the reason roc worked was that he was a fantasy hero of my creation , so i was already part way there . i just had to get the physical . ' iqbal says she keeps her husband from crossing the line between fantasy and reality . she 's not a big fan of roc -- she prefers her men balanced , with a feminine side . when dickinson slips into roc 's deep voice with a hello , darling ... ' greeting after work , i 'm like'oh , shut the hell up ,'' she says . i have to remind him that it is a character . ' still , iqbal encourages him to blog and play eve online ' as much as possible because she knows his fans are eager for more advice on how to get fit . plus , there 's that other side benefit ... ' if i said to him ,'this is affecting our relationship ,'i know he would ( stop ) , ' iqbal says . but i do n't want to -- he looks yummy ! ''the beast'races to lose 100 pounds | marcus dickinson has lost 45 pounds and toned up to be more like his character |
dickinson <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the world of eve online ' is brutal . there are enemies and alliances , death and destruction . gamers fight for territory , profit and fame in a never-ending quest to top their opponent . it 's a bit like the real world that way . when marcus dickinson first created his eve ' character , roc wieler , the two had little in common . roc was a retired colonel from the minmatar tribes -- a stoic , physically imposing disciplinarian . dickinson was a 230-pound canadian with an affinity for bacon . over time , the line between fiction and reality has blurred . i 'm a role player inherently , ' dickinson says . i take it seriously . ' for dickinson , roc wieler is a brand . the 40-year-old advertising director has a blog called roc 's ramblings that he writes for daily -- as roc . he also creates music albums and 3-d artwork . he even sells roc-related paraphernalia to his fans through the blog and social media sites . brand loyalty is one of the reasons dickinson first decided to shape up . during his trip to the 2009 eve online ' fanfest , real life hit him smack in the face . walking into the convention , he did n't feel like roc . he felt like a stereotypical geek , surrounded by other stereotypical geeks . we were all just a bunch of pathetic losers , ' dickinson remembers . we paid good money to fly all the way to iceland and instead of enjoying iceland , most of us spent all our time sitting around playing the video game we already played back home . ' something snapped inside me , and i realized i was n't being true to my brand . why ca n't i be this character ? why ca n't i look like this ? he acts and talks like me because he is me . i 'm the one who gave him life . ' why gamers are a great fit at the gym for years , dickinson 's wife , farah iqbal , had been bugging him to go the gym . when he returned from iceland , the pair joined on a trial basis . the first month was hard , dickinson says -- his knees hurt , his feet hurt and he could barely run a mile . but he kept at it . he executed his fitness plan as seriously as roc would execute a mission . he told himself his weight loss was a matter of life or death . if i do not make these changes today , and every day going forward , i will die , ' he says . i know it sounds tragic but that 's what it took for me . ' so he made the changes . he got up at 5:30 every morning . he did leg workouts that made him collapse . he pushed himself until he vomited . he did fitness programs like p90x and insanity . he ran a half-marathon . dickinson also changed the way he ate . iqbal remembers a trip to visit friends in montreal when dickinson created a grocery list for their hosts and made all his own meals . it was almost embarrassing , ' she says of the grocery list creation , but you know what , i got over myself . because he 's on a path that i support . ' dickinson now eats 3,000 calories a day -- mostly lean protein and vegetables -- to sustain his body-building lifestyle . five years ago if i was eating 3,000 calories a day , it was because i had bags of doritos in front of me , ' he says with a laugh . he 's rigid about his lifestyle . he does n't eat dessert or allow for cheat days . it 's a struggle , but one he embraces as a sort of real-life challenge . he always had this attitude of not giving up , but now it 's extreme , ' iqbal says . he 's become very well-focused -- or stubborn -- with ( the ) journey he 's on . ' his laser focus has paid off . dickinson now weighs 185 pounds and is only 14 % body fat . he can squat almost twice his weight and dead-lift 450 pounds . i 'm closer to looking like roc than i 've ever been , ' he says . dickinson realizes he sounds slightly schizophrenic . but if you think about it , he says , all guys have fantasy lives . when they read comic books , they envision themselves as caped crusaders . when they watch james bond , they envision themselves as suave womanizers with oodles of money . superman , vin diesel -- we want to be them so badly , ' dickinson says . the difference is you 'll never be superman . you 're setting yourself up to fail . the reason roc worked was that he was a fantasy hero of my creation , so i was already part way there . i just had to get the physical . ' iqbal says she keeps her husband from crossing the line between fantasy and reality . she 's not a big fan of roc -- she prefers her men balanced , with a feminine side . when dickinson slips into roc 's deep voice with a hello , darling ... ' greeting after work , i 'm like'oh , shut the hell up ,'' she says . i have to remind him that it is a character . ' still , iqbal encourages him to blog and play eve online ' as much as possible because she knows his fans are eager for more advice on how to get fit . plus , there 's that other side benefit ... ' if i said to him ,'this is affecting our relationship ,'i know he would ( stop ) , ' iqbal says . but i do n't want to -- he looks yummy ! ''the beast'races to lose 100 pounds | dickinson blogs as roc , in addition to creating 3-d artwork and music albums |
the wizard of oz <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's that time of year for seasonal trips to the movies , and to celebrate , the screening room is taking a look back at our favorite family hits over the years . the best of spielberg : e.t . ' is our perfect family movie and perfectly captures childhood . from blockbuster to blockbuster , these are the films with something for everyone . they 've got to be live action -- we 've covered animated films before -- and family friendly . do n't agree ? think we 've missed one ? post your comments to the screening room blog and we 'll publish the best . read other cnn viewers'favorite and worst family films , and tell us yours > > 1 . e.t . : the extra-terrestrial ( steven spielberg , 1982 ) spielberg 's magic captures a perfect moment in childhood . we laughed and wept as his ugly little critter from outer space stole our hearts , while the kids fell firmly on the cute side of annoying . and oh , the music ... 2 . willy wonka and the chocolate factory ( mel stuart , 1971 ) gene wilder 's whacked-out willy wonka adds a pinch of sinister to roald dahl 's anarchic sweet treat , while the ignoble exits of veruca salt , augustus gloop and mike teevee were delicious . 3 . babe ( chris noonan , 1995 ) that 'll do , pig . ' babe is wide-eyed with wonder in dick king-smith 's touching tale of a lonely little sheep-pig . comic relief from the ewes , subtle special effects and a heartwarming turn from james cromwell as farmer hoggett make this a magical tale for all . 4 . bugsy malone ( alan parker , 1976 ) jodie foster and scott baio ( yes , chachi from happy days ! ' ) star in this glorious escapade set in a musical world of pint-sized gangsters and mini-molls . al capone for the kids ; just watch out for the splurge guns ... 5 . oliver ! ( carol reed , 1968 ) jack wild is delightful as the artful dodger , ron moody 's devilish fagin glints with avaricious greed and shani willis shines as poor , ill-fated nancy . but it 's oliver reed 's dark and sinister bill sykes who stayed with us -- and left us wanting more . 6 . back to the future ( robert zemeckis , 1985 ) christopher lloyd 's mad professor , a delorean-cum-time machine , rock 'n'roll and a convenient bolt of lightning see biff the bully get his come-uppance . all that , and a skateboarding michael j . fox ? mr zemeckis , you spoil us ! 7 . home alone ( chris columbus , 1990 ) macaulay culkin 's abandoned little boy sees off bungling burglars joe pesci and daniel stern with a series of eye-watering stunts . it proves just how great a child actor culkin was ; pity the unpopular babysitters who became the victims of copycat pranksters ... 8 . ghostbusters ( ivan reitman , 1984 ) bill murray , dan ackroyd and harold ramis blast ghostly green monsters to oblivion in this slime-filled romp around nyc , while taking time out to annoy sigourney weaver en route . who you gon na call ? 9 . the muppet movie ( james frawley , 1979 ) kermit and co. 's roadtrip to hollywood is a fabulously fuzzy tale of friendship and following your dreams , but the muppet movie 's not just for kids : there 's cameos a-plenty ( bob hope , steve martin , richard pryor , orson welles ! ) for dad and smart one-liners by the bucketful for mom . 10 . harry potter ( various , 2001-present ) the hogwarts trio 's wizarding adventures , backed by a cast plump with the best of british actors . fast-paced plots , spellbinding special effects and magical sets , but be warned : it 'll have the li'l critters pestering you to go to boarding school ... and our favorite hide-behind-the-sofa moments ... the wizard of oz ( victor fleming , 1939 ) i 'll get you , my pretty , and your little dog , too ! ' margaret hamilton 's green , cackling wicked witch of the west is hell-bent on revenging the death of her sister and getting those ruby slippers ; she 'll use deadly poppies and flying monkeys to do it . terror as a rite of passage . chitty chitty bang bang ( ken hughes , 1968 ) with his battered top hat and lank hair , robert helpmann 's creepy child catcher prowled from vulgaria into our nightmares , hoping to catch a whiff of his prey with his unfeasibly long nose . the only film character to give the wicked witch of the west a run for her money . star wars ( george lucas , 1977 ) darth vader may cast a formidable shadow , but it 's the sound of his labored breathing that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up -- as it gets closer , closer , closer ... ghostbusters ( ivan reitman , 1984 ) rule 475 of surviving the movies : never go into the basement ! the thick silence in new york 's central library masks a phantom infestation -- and they 're not going quietly . as the gray-haired librarian switched to shrieking ghoul , a generation of children was put off reading for life . jurassic park ( steven spielberg , 1993 ) and again , it 's the sound effects that make the velociraptors so scary -- as the frighteningly intelligent pack of lizards hunt for lex and tim among the kitchen workbenches , their hissing grows ever nearer ... do n't agree ? think we 've missed one ? sound off and read others'thoughts in the screening room blog . e-mail to a friend | hide-behind-the-sofa moments include the wizard of oz , ' jurassic park ' |
haleigh ann-marie cummings <tsp> ( cnn ) -- investigators are pursuing several new leads in the case of a missing 5-year-old girl in florida , they said tuesday . haleigh ann-marie cummings , 5 , who vanished a week ago , may have been abducted , police say . the putnam county sheriff 's office on monday night searched the neighborhood of haleigh ann-marie cummings , who vanished a week ago . deputies also searched surrounding neighborhoods . authorities said the girl may have been abducted . officials would n't release any details on the leads . those leads , like i said , are as a result of doing the neighborhood canvass last night , and we will be following up on those leads today , ' said capt . steve rose of the putnam sheriff 's office . since opening the case a week ago , authorities have received more than 1,200 tips about the missing girl , 500 of them since monday , putnam county sheriff rick ryan said . tuesday afternoon , the sheriff 's office announced they have changed the amber alert they originally put out for the little girl , saying they changed the description of the clothing . what we need people to focus on is the face , because we do not know at this time what the clothing was at this point , ' said dominick pape with the florida department of law enforcement . rose said investigators also conducted a checkpoint in the area last night . ronald cummings'girlfriend , 17-year-old misty croslin , told police she was watching haleigh when she went missing sometime before dawn february 10 . watch why police now question the sitter 's story » cummings shares his double-wide mobile home with croslin , daughter haleigh and a 4-year-old son in satsuma , east of gainesville . he has said that when he returned home at 3 a.m . et , he was surprised to see croslin awake and asked her why she was up . croslin waited until cummings came home to phone 911 about the girl 's disappearance , though it 's unclear how long that wait was , authorities said . police said last week that croslin had tucked the girl and her brother into bed at 8 p.m. before going to sleep at 10 . the girl , boy and croslin usually sleep in the same bed . officials said they originally thought haleigh may have wandered outside on her own but are now certain that she was abducted . investigators are looking into various angles of the case , including finding out the location of 44 registered sexual offenders who live within a 5-mile radius of the cummings home , said lt. johnny greenwood of the putnam sheriff 's office . a nationwide amber alert said the girl was last seen wearing a pink shirt and underwear . | officers search florida neighborhood of haleigh ann-marie cummings , 5 |
amber alert <tsp> ( cnn ) -- investigators are pursuing several new leads in the case of a missing 5-year-old girl in florida , they said tuesday . haleigh ann-marie cummings , 5 , who vanished a week ago , may have been abducted , police say . the putnam county sheriff 's office on monday night searched the neighborhood of haleigh ann-marie cummings , who vanished a week ago . deputies also searched surrounding neighborhoods . authorities said the girl may have been abducted . officials would n't release any details on the leads . those leads , like i said , are as a result of doing the neighborhood canvass last night , and we will be following up on those leads today , ' said capt . steve rose of the putnam sheriff 's office . since opening the case a week ago , authorities have received more than 1,200 tips about the missing girl , 500 of them since monday , putnam county sheriff rick ryan said . tuesday afternoon , the sheriff 's office announced they have changed the amber alert they originally put out for the little girl , saying they changed the description of the clothing . what we need people to focus on is the face , because we do not know at this time what the clothing was at this point , ' said dominick pape with the florida department of law enforcement . rose said investigators also conducted a checkpoint in the area last night . ronald cummings'girlfriend , 17-year-old misty croslin , told police she was watching haleigh when she went missing sometime before dawn february 10 . watch why police now question the sitter 's story » cummings shares his double-wide mobile home with croslin , daughter haleigh and a 4-year-old son in satsuma , east of gainesville . he has said that when he returned home at 3 a.m . et , he was surprised to see croslin awake and asked her why she was up . croslin waited until cummings came home to phone 911 about the girl 's disappearance , though it 's unclear how long that wait was , authorities said . police said last week that croslin had tucked the girl and her brother into bed at 8 p.m. before going to sleep at 10 . the girl , boy and croslin usually sleep in the same bed . officials said they originally thought haleigh may have wandered outside on her own but are now certain that she was abducted . investigators are looking into various angles of the case , including finding out the location of 44 registered sexual offenders who live within a 5-mile radius of the cummings home , said lt. johnny greenwood of the putnam sheriff 's office . a nationwide amber alert said the girl was last seen wearing a pink shirt and underwear . | new : sheriff 's office changes description of missing girl 's clothing in amber alert |
isaac <tsp> ( cnn ) -- hurricane isaac contributed to a moist air mass that brought torrential rainfall and street flooding tuesday in charleston , south carolina , officials said . by evening , between 4 and 8 inches had fallen across the low-lying metropolitan area . we were stranded and had to be rescued ourselves , ' said charleston county spokeswoman tracey amick . our car had water coming through the doors . it 's ridiculous right now . there are trash cans floating down the street , cars stuck , people trying to get through these flooded streets on bicycles . ' the tropical moisture , combined with a trough of low pressure off the coast , prompted a flash-flood warning in the city that was to continue until 12:30 a.m. wednesday . about 20 vehicles were stranded on streets at one time , said meteorologist vern beaver of the national weather service . heavy flooding also was reported in mount pleasant and north charleston . the college of charleston reported 5 inches of rainfall by 7 p.m. tuesday . west ashley reported 7.5 inches , as did daniel island . significant flooding was reported near the historic charleston city market . the worst of the flooding appeared over late tuesday , forecasters said . senior forecaster steven taylor said most of the rain tuesday afternoon fell during low tide . winds were pushing slightly above normal tides in downtown charleston . if we get heavy rain to fall during high tide , the flooding level will only increase , ' he said . beaver expected rain to continue into thursday , although it wo n't be as heavy as tuesday 's downpour . preparing for a storm : links , tips and resources cnn 's nick valencia and phil gast contributed to this report , . | isaac contributes to heavy rains in coastal south carolina |
charleston <tsp> ( cnn ) -- hurricane isaac contributed to a moist air mass that brought torrential rainfall and street flooding tuesday in charleston , south carolina , officials said . by evening , between 4 and 8 inches had fallen across the low-lying metropolitan area . we were stranded and had to be rescued ourselves , ' said charleston county spokeswoman tracey amick . our car had water coming through the doors . it 's ridiculous right now . there are trash cans floating down the street , cars stuck , people trying to get through these flooded streets on bicycles . ' the tropical moisture , combined with a trough of low pressure off the coast , prompted a flash-flood warning in the city that was to continue until 12:30 a.m. wednesday . about 20 vehicles were stranded on streets at one time , said meteorologist vern beaver of the national weather service . heavy flooding also was reported in mount pleasant and north charleston . the college of charleston reported 5 inches of rainfall by 7 p.m. tuesday . west ashley reported 7.5 inches , as did daniel island . significant flooding was reported near the historic charleston city market . the worst of the flooding appeared over late tuesday , forecasters said . senior forecaster steven taylor said most of the rain tuesday afternoon fell during low tide . winds were pushing slightly above normal tides in downtown charleston . if we get heavy rain to fall during high tide , the flooding level will only increase , ' he said . beaver expected rain to continue into thursday , although it wo n't be as heavy as tuesday 's downpour . preparing for a storm : links , tips and resources cnn 's nick valencia and phil gast contributed to this report , . | motorists stranded on charleston streets |
lavigne <tsp> ( cnn ) when singer avril lavigne went missing from the music scene , there was tons of speculation . was she pregnant ? in rehab ? going through a split from her husband , nickelback front man chad kroeger ? focus on the mystery intensified in december after a fan twitter account posted a direct message from lavigne when she solicited prayers , saying she was having some health issues . ' now the canadian singer has revealed to people magazine that she was bedridden for five months after contracting lyme disease . i felt like i could n't breathe , i could n't talk , and i could n't move , ' she told the magazine . i thought i was dying . ' lyme disease : what you should know lavigne believes that she was bitten by a tick last spring . what followed was months of lightheadedness and lethargy that doctors were initially unable to diagnose . the 30-year-old performer said she recuperated in her ontario home , where her husband would use tour breaks to care for her and her mother moved in to assist . there were definitely times i could n't shower for a full week because i could barely stand , ' she told people . it felt like having all your life sucked out of you . ' opinion : why you should be afraid of lyme disease after her direct message about her health went viral , lavigne was inundated with concern from fans . the get-well messages and videos they sent touched me so deeply , ' she said . now declaring herself 80 percent better , ' lavigne is releasing a new single this month to support the 2015 special olympics and says that being ill was a wake-up call ' that has given her a new perspective . i really just want to enjoy life from here on out , ' she said . | lavigne was sometimes too weak to shower |
iraqi airways <tsp> ( cnn ) -- even during difficult times , iraqi airways is aiming high . earlier this year iraq 's national carrier started expanding its route network for the first time in 23 years . it added flights between baghdad and london , frankfurt , dusseldorf , and even kuwait . in the next few months , the airline is planning on adding connections to copenhagen , stockholm , kuala lumpur , and destinations throughout china , hoping ultimately to expand its network from 15 to 40 by 2017 . the main draw right now is for iraqis visiting family and friends . there are four million iraqis living outside of iraq , so that 's a big market , ' says saad al khafaji , a spokesman for the airline . john strickland , an independent transport consultant , notes that the country 's position as a recovering post-war country actually puts the airline in good stead . there 's a short-term boost from all the workers going in to get the country back on its feet , including ngos and construction companies . now that it 's on the mend , there 's a lot of potential , and as the oil industry continues to grow , it will continue to generate a lot of interest , ' he says . read more : iraqi women push to play the carrier first attempted a comeback in 2010 , but was thwarted by a $ 1.2 billion lawsuit by kuwait , which claimed iraq owed it for aircraft destroyed during the first gulf war . now that the suit has been settled , iraqi airways seems eager to again reach for the skies . al khafaji says the company has invested $ 700 million so far on a new fleet , including ten boeing 787 dreamliners . if you look at the planes iraqi airways is ordering , they 're really moving towards the next generation aircraft , ' says strickland . given iraq 's location , it will put them in a position where they 'll be able to reach most places in the world on a non-stop basis . ' the iraqi government is also making significant contributions on the ground . the country 's vast oil revenues ( it is now opec 's second biggest producer ) are helping to renovate libraries , museums and archaeological relics -- such as the 1,500-year-old arch of ctesiphon . the government 's objective is to show iraq is n't just about bombings . there is actual movement to restore the museums , and bring back some of the tourists , ' says denise natali , a middle east expert at the national defense university in washington . iraq 's ministry of transport is also investing heavily in its airports . plans are currently underway to add three new terminals to baghdad airport , doubling its annual capacity to 15 million passengers . similarly ambitious airport projects are in the works throughout the country , backed partly by the premise that a transport hub will spur growth in the surrounding cities . read more : world records in dubai ' the cities will grow towards the airport , ' says layla kareem , the project manager for yet-to-be-built middle euphrates international airport ( meia ) . the airport , which will have a capacity of 60 million passengers annually after the completion of the first stage ( projected 2017 ) , will be situated near the holy city of karbala , a place of pilgrimage for the region 's shiite muslims . there is still the issue of ongoing violence in the capital and other parts of the country that the tourism industry has the contend with . the last few months have been the deadliest in the country for five years . according to the united nations mission to iraq , last month witnessed 1,045 violent deaths , and another 712 in april , leaving one to ponder whether the country 's investment is n't premature . there 's this idea that the government is n't functioning due to infighting . the truth is , in spite of the terrible bombings in baghdad , you have considerable progress in the north and south . those are areas the violence has n't really touched , ' says natali . at the end of the day , it 's the airports that bring in the people that are going to make iraq stronger . as the airports develop , so too do the cities and towns around them . ' | iraqi airways is expanding its fleet and destinations |
kuwait <tsp> ( cnn ) -- even during difficult times , iraqi airways is aiming high . earlier this year iraq 's national carrier started expanding its route network for the first time in 23 years . it added flights between baghdad and london , frankfurt , dusseldorf , and even kuwait . in the next few months , the airline is planning on adding connections to copenhagen , stockholm , kuala lumpur , and destinations throughout china , hoping ultimately to expand its network from 15 to 40 by 2017 . the main draw right now is for iraqis visiting family and friends . there are four million iraqis living outside of iraq , so that 's a big market , ' says saad al khafaji , a spokesman for the airline . john strickland , an independent transport consultant , notes that the country 's position as a recovering post-war country actually puts the airline in good stead . there 's a short-term boost from all the workers going in to get the country back on its feet , including ngos and construction companies . now that it 's on the mend , there 's a lot of potential , and as the oil industry continues to grow , it will continue to generate a lot of interest , ' he says . read more : iraqi women push to play the carrier first attempted a comeback in 2010 , but was thwarted by a $ 1.2 billion lawsuit by kuwait , which claimed iraq owed it for aircraft destroyed during the first gulf war . now that the suit has been settled , iraqi airways seems eager to again reach for the skies . al khafaji says the company has invested $ 700 million so far on a new fleet , including ten boeing 787 dreamliners . if you look at the planes iraqi airways is ordering , they 're really moving towards the next generation aircraft , ' says strickland . given iraq 's location , it will put them in a position where they 'll be able to reach most places in the world on a non-stop basis . ' the iraqi government is also making significant contributions on the ground . the country 's vast oil revenues ( it is now opec 's second biggest producer ) are helping to renovate libraries , museums and archaeological relics -- such as the 1,500-year-old arch of ctesiphon . the government 's objective is to show iraq is n't just about bombings . there is actual movement to restore the museums , and bring back some of the tourists , ' says denise natali , a middle east expert at the national defense university in washington . iraq 's ministry of transport is also investing heavily in its airports . plans are currently underway to add three new terminals to baghdad airport , doubling its annual capacity to 15 million passengers . similarly ambitious airport projects are in the works throughout the country , backed partly by the premise that a transport hub will spur growth in the surrounding cities . read more : world records in dubai ' the cities will grow towards the airport , ' says layla kareem , the project manager for yet-to-be-built middle euphrates international airport ( meia ) . the airport , which will have a capacity of 60 million passengers annually after the completion of the first stage ( projected 2017 ) , will be situated near the holy city of karbala , a place of pilgrimage for the region 's shiite muslims . there is still the issue of ongoing violence in the capital and other parts of the country that the tourism industry has the contend with . the last few months have been the deadliest in the country for five years . according to the united nations mission to iraq , last month witnessed 1,045 violent deaths , and another 712 in april , leaving one to ponder whether the country 's investment is n't premature . there 's this idea that the government is n't functioning due to infighting . the truth is , in spite of the terrible bombings in baghdad , you have considerable progress in the north and south . those are areas the violence has n't really touched , ' says natali . at the end of the day , it 's the airports that bring in the people that are going to make iraq stronger . as the airports develop , so too do the cities and towns around them . ' | expansion stalled in 2010 because of multi-billion dollar lawsuit from kuwait |
philippines <tsp> dawu , taiwan ( cnn ) -- typhoon nanmadol pounded taiwan with heavy rains monday before it was downgraded to a tropical storm and headed toward china . the storm made landfall in the southern portion of taiwan about 3 a.m. monday , dousing some areas with up to 300 mm ( 11 inches ) of rain , officials said . there were no immediate reports of casualties , although officials closed several highways in the landslide-prone region . nanmadol reached taiwan after pummeling the philippines over the weekend . by monday , the death toll in the philippines had climbed to 12 . among them were two children who died when nanmadol , known locally as mina , triggered a landslide in northern philippines on saturday , authorities said . the landslide buried the victims in pangasinan province , according to the national disaster risk reduction and management council . ten others were killed in different incidents , 21 people were injured , and nine remain missing , the council said in a statement monday . journalist james reynolds contributed to this report . | in the philippines , it claims at least 12 lives |
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