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katie price <tsp> ( cnn ) -- british model and television personality katie price , also known as jordan , and her singer husband , peter andre , are to separate , according to a statement released monday . peter andre and katie price , who ran the london marathon last month , are separating . the couple found romance on the reality show i 'm a celebrity ... get me out of here ! , ' which was filmed in the australian jungle . the statement said : peter andre and katie price are separating after four-and-a-half years of marriage , ' the british press association reported . they have both requested that the media respect their families'privacy at this difficult time . ' only last month the couple , whose reality tv show of their life features on british television , said they were trying for another child . they have two children together , son junior , 3 , and 1-year-old daughter princess tiáamii . price has a 6-year-old son harvey , by footballer dwight yorke , who is disabled . price first made her name as a tabloid newspaper topless model , but has since gone on to become a television star , author and clothes designer . she also competes in show jumping events and has her own stable of horses . andre , who was born in london but raised in australia , came to prominence in 1996 with his international hit mysterious girl . ' | katie price and husband , peter andre , are to separate |
tiáamii <tsp> ( cnn ) -- british model and television personality katie price , also known as jordan , and her singer husband , peter andre , are to separate , according to a statement released monday . peter andre and katie price , who ran the london marathon last month , are separating . the couple found romance on the reality show i 'm a celebrity ... get me out of here ! , ' which was filmed in the australian jungle . the statement said : peter andre and katie price are separating after four-and-a-half years of marriage , ' the british press association reported . they have both requested that the media respect their families'privacy at this difficult time . ' only last month the couple , whose reality tv show of their life features on british television , said they were trying for another child . they have two children together , son junior , 3 , and 1-year-old daughter princess tiáamii . price has a 6-year-old son harvey , by footballer dwight yorke , who is disabled . price first made her name as a tabloid newspaper topless model , but has since gone on to become a television star , author and clothes designer . she also competes in show jumping events and has her own stable of horses . andre , who was born in london but raised in australia , came to prominence in 1996 with his international hit mysterious girl . ' | they have two children together -- junior , 3 , and 1-year-old princess tiáamii |
hamilton <tsp> monza , italy ( cnn ) -- mercedes has the fastest two cars in formula one this season but there is just one problem -- there can only be one world champion . lewis hamilton and nico rosberg arrive at the italian grand prix this weekend with the title fight distilled into a thrillingly intense duel . mercedes is desperate to keep a lid on the seething tensions spilling over from a belgian bust-up as the german team chases its first world title since 1955 . but is it too late to mend the poisoned relationship between the star drivers ? where did it go wrong ? in the dry desert heat of bahrain , rivalries between the mercedes teammates began to sizzle . rosberg complained over the team radio when hamilton cut across him to retake the lead , saying the move was not on . ' mercedes then warned the drivers to bring both cars home ' as they vied for victory until the checkered flag . monaco was not exactly home sweet home for rosberg , who lives in the principality . after setting the fastest time in qualifying , the german went off track -- denying hamilton , who was behind him , a chance to set his potential quickest time . there was more drama in hungary when mercedes asked hamilton to allow rosberg , who was on a different tire strategy , to pass . the 2008 world champion , who was second at the time , refused to obey the team order and finished third , one place ahead of rosberg . the pair 's duel was short but by no means sweet in belgium two weeks ago . in an ill-judged attempt to take the lead on lap two , rosberg gave hamilton 's car a punctured tire and effectively put him out of the race . the german finished second but was greeted by a chorus of boos on the podium from fans who saw his pass as a deliberately cynical move . who 's to blame ? rosberg increasingly finds himself cast as the bad guy , akin to dick dastardly in cartoon caper wacky races . ' after admitting the spa clash was his fault , mercedes handed him a hefty fine -- although not by f1 driver salary standards . but the 29-year-old , who is always polite and affable in person , has since apologized to hamilton and told the media melee in monza this week he was not proud of his behavior . rosberg may not be machiavellian but one thing is for sure , hamilton has had his share of bad luck in 2014 . whether it was brake failures or engine fires , fate has been a fickle friend . but is hamilton entirely blameless ? well , the briton has arguably brought some hard luck on himself . there have , in particular , been misjudgments in qualifying , most notably in canada , austria and britain , when he chose not to set a final lap when the damp track conditions were improving . interactive : take a tour of the monza circuit who 's refereeing the fight ? mercedes wants to calm tensions between its racers as it attempts to win both the driver and constructor titles . five days after the belgium bust-up , the team issued a statement warning another such incident will not be tolerated . ' it added : lewis and nico understand and accept the team 's number one rule : there must be no contact between the team 's cars on track . ' mercedes motorsport director toto wolff said in italy he was not ruling out changing a driver lineup if we are not able to manage the two of them . ' rosberg recently signed a new contract , which will keep him at the team until the end of 2016 , while hamilton has a deal until 2015 . f1 's governing body , the fia , decided not to investigate the spa clash , even after rosberg admitted his culpability . there has been debate among f1 experts about whether the fia should be more proactive in refereeing the heavyweight title bout or whether it should stand by and let the drivers slug it out . asked by cnn in italy whether the fia should have investigated the spa incident more closely , hamilton responded : that 's a very good question because how do we move forward ? does that mean we can race a lot closer and if the guy in front comes off and is out of the race , nothing 's going to happen ? or does it mean if it happens again there will be a penalty ? we 're always asking to be able to race ... but there 's a fine line . ' who 's in pole position for the title ? with seven races left to go , rosberg has a 29-point lead over hamilton . he is on course to win his first world title and follow in the footsteps of his father keke , the 1982 champion . hamilton knows this is his best chance of winning a second world title since his triumph with mclaren in 2008 . the british racer has to keep out of trouble on track and hope his luck turns . there is , however , a new twist to the 2014 season , which could be decisive . the final race in abu dhabi will reward the drivers with double points , which means a win is worth 50 points and second place 36 points . but if rosberg takes a 15-point advantage to the desert finale he can afford to finish second to hamilton and still win the title . while the two mercedes drivers are locked in an intense fight , daniel ricciardo is sneaking up on the rails . the red bull racer has the momentum after winning the last two races in hungary and belgium and is now 64 points behind rosberg in the standings . could the australian snatch the title ? yeah i can , ' ricciardo said in italy . but it obviously is going to take more than just winning the next seven races . it is going to have to take a bit of luck as well . if they crash into each other at every race this year that will probably hand me the championship on a platter ! ' who can handle the heat ? there is a feeling in the f1 paddock that the intense 2014 championship is turning into a psychological battle between the mercedes men . your mental state is always important in sport , ' rosberg chirpily agreed in italy . the mercedes rivals are very different characters and very different racers . on one side of the garage is the ice-cool calm and consistency of rosberg and on the other side is hamilton 's fiery passion and blistering pace . keeping a cool head , as well as a steady hand on the wheel , could decide which of the contenders wins the 2014 world title . | briton hamilton won the title in 2008 , while rosberg is bidding for his first crown |
hamilton <tsp> monza , italy ( cnn ) -- mercedes has the fastest two cars in formula one this season but there is just one problem -- there can only be one world champion . lewis hamilton and nico rosberg arrive at the italian grand prix this weekend with the title fight distilled into a thrillingly intense duel . mercedes is desperate to keep a lid on the seething tensions spilling over from a belgian bust-up as the german team chases its first world title since 1955 . but is it too late to mend the poisoned relationship between the star drivers ? where did it go wrong ? in the dry desert heat of bahrain , rivalries between the mercedes teammates began to sizzle . rosberg complained over the team radio when hamilton cut across him to retake the lead , saying the move was not on . ' mercedes then warned the drivers to bring both cars home ' as they vied for victory until the checkered flag . monaco was not exactly home sweet home for rosberg , who lives in the principality . after setting the fastest time in qualifying , the german went off track -- denying hamilton , who was behind him , a chance to set his potential quickest time . there was more drama in hungary when mercedes asked hamilton to allow rosberg , who was on a different tire strategy , to pass . the 2008 world champion , who was second at the time , refused to obey the team order and finished third , one place ahead of rosberg . the pair 's duel was short but by no means sweet in belgium two weeks ago . in an ill-judged attempt to take the lead on lap two , rosberg gave hamilton 's car a punctured tire and effectively put him out of the race . the german finished second but was greeted by a chorus of boos on the podium from fans who saw his pass as a deliberately cynical move . who 's to blame ? rosberg increasingly finds himself cast as the bad guy , akin to dick dastardly in cartoon caper wacky races . ' after admitting the spa clash was his fault , mercedes handed him a hefty fine -- although not by f1 driver salary standards . but the 29-year-old , who is always polite and affable in person , has since apologized to hamilton and told the media melee in monza this week he was not proud of his behavior . rosberg may not be machiavellian but one thing is for sure , hamilton has had his share of bad luck in 2014 . whether it was brake failures or engine fires , fate has been a fickle friend . but is hamilton entirely blameless ? well , the briton has arguably brought some hard luck on himself . there have , in particular , been misjudgments in qualifying , most notably in canada , austria and britain , when he chose not to set a final lap when the damp track conditions were improving . interactive : take a tour of the monza circuit who 's refereeing the fight ? mercedes wants to calm tensions between its racers as it attempts to win both the driver and constructor titles . five days after the belgium bust-up , the team issued a statement warning another such incident will not be tolerated . ' it added : lewis and nico understand and accept the team 's number one rule : there must be no contact between the team 's cars on track . ' mercedes motorsport director toto wolff said in italy he was not ruling out changing a driver lineup if we are not able to manage the two of them . ' rosberg recently signed a new contract , which will keep him at the team until the end of 2016 , while hamilton has a deal until 2015 . f1 's governing body , the fia , decided not to investigate the spa clash , even after rosberg admitted his culpability . there has been debate among f1 experts about whether the fia should be more proactive in refereeing the heavyweight title bout or whether it should stand by and let the drivers slug it out . asked by cnn in italy whether the fia should have investigated the spa incident more closely , hamilton responded : that 's a very good question because how do we move forward ? does that mean we can race a lot closer and if the guy in front comes off and is out of the race , nothing 's going to happen ? or does it mean if it happens again there will be a penalty ? we 're always asking to be able to race ... but there 's a fine line . ' who 's in pole position for the title ? with seven races left to go , rosberg has a 29-point lead over hamilton . he is on course to win his first world title and follow in the footsteps of his father keke , the 1982 champion . hamilton knows this is his best chance of winning a second world title since his triumph with mclaren in 2008 . the british racer has to keep out of trouble on track and hope his luck turns . there is , however , a new twist to the 2014 season , which could be decisive . the final race in abu dhabi will reward the drivers with double points , which means a win is worth 50 points and second place 36 points . but if rosberg takes a 15-point advantage to the desert finale he can afford to finish second to hamilton and still win the title . while the two mercedes drivers are locked in an intense fight , daniel ricciardo is sneaking up on the rails . the red bull racer has the momentum after winning the last two races in hungary and belgium and is now 64 points behind rosberg in the standings . could the australian snatch the title ? yeah i can , ' ricciardo said in italy . but it obviously is going to take more than just winning the next seven races . it is going to have to take a bit of luck as well . if they crash into each other at every race this year that will probably hand me the championship on a platter ! ' who can handle the heat ? there is a feeling in the f1 paddock that the intense 2014 championship is turning into a psychological battle between the mercedes men . your mental state is always important in sport , ' rosberg chirpily agreed in italy . the mercedes rivals are very different characters and very different racers . on one side of the garage is the ice-cool calm and consistency of rosberg and on the other side is hamilton 's fiery passion and blistering pace . keeping a cool head , as well as a steady hand on the wheel , could decide which of the contenders wins the 2014 world title . | mercedes drivers nico rosberg and lewis hamilton are battling for the f1 world championship |
hamilton <tsp> monza , italy ( cnn ) -- mercedes has the fastest two cars in formula one this season but there is just one problem -- there can only be one world champion . lewis hamilton and nico rosberg arrive at the italian grand prix this weekend with the title fight distilled into a thrillingly intense duel . mercedes is desperate to keep a lid on the seething tensions spilling over from a belgian bust-up as the german team chases its first world title since 1955 . but is it too late to mend the poisoned relationship between the star drivers ? where did it go wrong ? in the dry desert heat of bahrain , rivalries between the mercedes teammates began to sizzle . rosberg complained over the team radio when hamilton cut across him to retake the lead , saying the move was not on . ' mercedes then warned the drivers to bring both cars home ' as they vied for victory until the checkered flag . monaco was not exactly home sweet home for rosberg , who lives in the principality . after setting the fastest time in qualifying , the german went off track -- denying hamilton , who was behind him , a chance to set his potential quickest time . there was more drama in hungary when mercedes asked hamilton to allow rosberg , who was on a different tire strategy , to pass . the 2008 world champion , who was second at the time , refused to obey the team order and finished third , one place ahead of rosberg . the pair 's duel was short but by no means sweet in belgium two weeks ago . in an ill-judged attempt to take the lead on lap two , rosberg gave hamilton 's car a punctured tire and effectively put him out of the race . the german finished second but was greeted by a chorus of boos on the podium from fans who saw his pass as a deliberately cynical move . who 's to blame ? rosberg increasingly finds himself cast as the bad guy , akin to dick dastardly in cartoon caper wacky races . ' after admitting the spa clash was his fault , mercedes handed him a hefty fine -- although not by f1 driver salary standards . but the 29-year-old , who is always polite and affable in person , has since apologized to hamilton and told the media melee in monza this week he was not proud of his behavior . rosberg may not be machiavellian but one thing is for sure , hamilton has had his share of bad luck in 2014 . whether it was brake failures or engine fires , fate has been a fickle friend . but is hamilton entirely blameless ? well , the briton has arguably brought some hard luck on himself . there have , in particular , been misjudgments in qualifying , most notably in canada , austria and britain , when he chose not to set a final lap when the damp track conditions were improving . interactive : take a tour of the monza circuit who 's refereeing the fight ? mercedes wants to calm tensions between its racers as it attempts to win both the driver and constructor titles . five days after the belgium bust-up , the team issued a statement warning another such incident will not be tolerated . ' it added : lewis and nico understand and accept the team 's number one rule : there must be no contact between the team 's cars on track . ' mercedes motorsport director toto wolff said in italy he was not ruling out changing a driver lineup if we are not able to manage the two of them . ' rosberg recently signed a new contract , which will keep him at the team until the end of 2016 , while hamilton has a deal until 2015 . f1 's governing body , the fia , decided not to investigate the spa clash , even after rosberg admitted his culpability . there has been debate among f1 experts about whether the fia should be more proactive in refereeing the heavyweight title bout or whether it should stand by and let the drivers slug it out . asked by cnn in italy whether the fia should have investigated the spa incident more closely , hamilton responded : that 's a very good question because how do we move forward ? does that mean we can race a lot closer and if the guy in front comes off and is out of the race , nothing 's going to happen ? or does it mean if it happens again there will be a penalty ? we 're always asking to be able to race ... but there 's a fine line . ' who 's in pole position for the title ? with seven races left to go , rosberg has a 29-point lead over hamilton . he is on course to win his first world title and follow in the footsteps of his father keke , the 1982 champion . hamilton knows this is his best chance of winning a second world title since his triumph with mclaren in 2008 . the british racer has to keep out of trouble on track and hope his luck turns . there is , however , a new twist to the 2014 season , which could be decisive . the final race in abu dhabi will reward the drivers with double points , which means a win is worth 50 points and second place 36 points . but if rosberg takes a 15-point advantage to the desert finale he can afford to finish second to hamilton and still win the title . while the two mercedes drivers are locked in an intense fight , daniel ricciardo is sneaking up on the rails . the red bull racer has the momentum after winning the last two races in hungary and belgium and is now 64 points behind rosberg in the standings . could the australian snatch the title ? yeah i can , ' ricciardo said in italy . but it obviously is going to take more than just winning the next seven races . it is going to have to take a bit of luck as well . if they crash into each other at every race this year that will probably hand me the championship on a platter ! ' who can handle the heat ? there is a feeling in the f1 paddock that the intense 2014 championship is turning into a psychological battle between the mercedes men . your mental state is always important in sport , ' rosberg chirpily agreed in italy . the mercedes rivals are very different characters and very different racers . on one side of the garage is the ice-cool calm and consistency of rosberg and on the other side is hamilton 's fiery passion and blistering pace . keeping a cool head , as well as a steady hand on the wheel , could decide which of the contenders wins the 2014 world title . | rosberg leads the drivers'standings , 29 points ahead of hamilton in second |
scotland <tsp> ( cnn ) -- in the heat of battle , it 's best to have your key allies closest to you and european ryder cup captain paul mcginley has certainly done that by naming two close friends as his vice-captains . his decision was eased by knowing that both sam torrance and des smyth have previously played major roles in leading europe to victory . the irishman now hopes they can do the same when the europeans seek to defend the trophy at gleneagles in scotland in september . mcginley 's compatriot smyth was one of ian woosnam 's vice captains in 2006 when europe recorded their largest home victory -- by 18½ points to 9½ -- at the k club in ireland . torrance , meanwhile , was an unforgettable skipper as he inspired europe to a 15½-12½ victory at the belfry in england in 2002 . neither the scot nor mcginley will ever forget the success since it was the irishman himself who sunk the winning putt on his ryder cup debut . paul was a special part of my team at the belfry in 2002 and he knows i will do everything possible to help him and the team at gleneagles , ' torrance , 60 , said in a statement . everyone knows how much the ryder cup has meant to me over my career so i am absolutely delighted to be involved once again . ' a veteran of 11 ryder cups , torrance has won the competition three times -- twice as a player and once as a captain . smyth , 61 , is a relative newcomer by comparison , having lost both competitions he contested as a player in 1979 and 1981 prior to the stunning turnaround in fortunes when vice captain eight years ago . however , he does have the advantage of having known mcginley , now 47 , since the irishman was a teenager . as well as being good friends , ( smyth and torrance ) are two guys i greatly admire both personally and professionally and i know they will be vital assets to me in scotland , ' mcginley said . they were the first two people i had in mind for this role when i was appointed captain and , since then , i have talked to a lot of the experienced european players about having them as part of the team and , to a man , they have been very supportive of the idea . des took me under his wing when i was a young rookie on tour and gave me tremendous advice which was not only valuable then but has continued to ring true for me throughout my professional career . his views and ideas about the ryder cup particularly have consistently proved to be spot on and i really enjoyed working with him as a vice captain in 2006 when i was a player . ' mcginley added that he is spoiled for choice when it comes to his other vice captains but he will only name them once he learns who has qualified automatically for the european team in september . among the possible candidates are thomas bjorn of denmark and spanish duo miguel angel jimenez and jose maria olazabal , who captained europe to victory in 2012 . it 's quite clear a lot of potential further vice captains could more than likely qualify for the team , ' said mcginley . a lot of them would still like to make the team so i just do n't want to distract them by talking about ryder cup and so they can focus on making the side . ' tom watson , the captain of the american team , has also already unveiled two of his vice captains : raymond floyd , 71 , and andy north , 63 . wgc 's monstrous start meanwhile , the opening action of the wgc championship was suspended after dangerous weather affected the first day at the blue monster course at doral . american jason dufner had been top of the leaderboard , five under par after 10 holes , before the combination of a tornado watch and violent thunderstorms prompted a halt in play . world no . 2 adam scott , who can replace tiger woods at the top of the rankings with victory , was level par -- with woods , the defending champion , one over -- after both had gone through six holes . | scotland 's sam torrance and irishman des smyth named as first european vice captains |
lucy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the oldest-known hominid skeleton was a 4-foot-tall female who walked upright more than 4 million years ago and offers new clues to how humans may have evolved , scientists say . this sketch shows what a 4 million-year-old hominid , nicknamed ardi , may have looked like . scientists believe that the fossilized remains , which were discovered in 1994 in ethiopia and studied for years by an international team of researchers , support beliefs that humans and chimpanzees evolved separately from a common ancestor . this is not an ordinary fossil . it 's not a chimp . it 's not a human . it shows us what we used to be , ' said project co-director tim white , a paleontologist at the university of california , berkeley . ardipithecus ramidus , nicknamed ardi , ' is a hominid species that lived 4.4 million years ago in what is now aramis , ethiopia . that makes ardi more than a million years older than the celebrated lucy , the partial ape-human skeleton found in africa in 1974 . ardi 's 125-piece skeleton includes the skull , teeth , pelvis , hands and feet bones . scientists say the data collected from ardi 's bone fragments over the past 17 years push back the story of human evolution further than previously believed . in fact , what ardipithecus tells us is that we as humans have been evolving to what we are today for at least 6 million years , ' c. owen lovejoy , an evolutionary biologist at kent state university and project anatomist , said thursday . analysis of ardi 's skeleton reveals that she weighed about 110 pounds , had very long arms and fingers , and possessed an opposable big toe that would have helped her grasp branches while moving through trees . ardi 's brain was believed to be the size of a chimp 's , but she also had many human-like features , such as the ability to walk upright on two legs . her all-purpose type ' teeth indicate that she probably ate a combination of plants , fruits and small mammals , scientists say . the anatomy behind this behavioral combination is very unexpected and is certain to cause considerable rethinking of not only our evolutionary past , but also that of our living relatives : the great apes , ' said alan walker , professor of biological anthropology at pennsylvania state university . many scientists hypothesize that humans took a different evolutionary trajectory from those of chimpanzees , bonobos and gorillas . ardi 's findings help challenge earlier beliefs that humans evolved from chimpanzees , their closest genetic relatives , scientists say . researchers are still trying to pinpoint when the two lineages -- chimps and humans -- split from their common ancestor . digging up the past has not been easy . scientists stumbled upon the ardipithecus fossil in 1994 when a graduate student found a single upper molar tooth . the rest of ardi 's fossilized bones , sandwiched between layers of volcanic rock , took three years to be recovered and many more to be analyzed . in many ways , the discovery of ardipithecus has been like a marathon , ' white said . ardipithecus ramidus and its prevailing anatomy revolutionize the way most of us understood the earlier part of our evolutionary history , ' said team member yohannes haile-selassie , paleontologist at the cleveland museum of natural history . the ardi findings are the work of 47 paleontologists and geologists representing 10 countries . the results will be published friday in 11 articles in a special edition of the journal science . until now , australopithecus , nicknamed lucy , ' was the oldest fossil studied by scientists seeking to explain human evolution . lucy is believed to have lived about 3.2 million years ago in what is now ethiopia . many scientists credit ethiopia with taking the lead in helping the world better understand the origins of humans . this finding points to a deeper sense of our [ humans'] interconnectedness , ' samuel assefa , ethiopian ambassador to the united states , said thursday . we are all ethiopians at heart . ' ardi 's skeleton resides in the national museum of ethiopia in addis ababa . | it replaces lucy , a much-publicized skeleton that dates back about 3 million years |
communist party <tsp> hong kong ( cnn ) -- three more officials have been given the chop as part of china 's anti-corruption drive . the disgraced politicians are the latest in a string of purges of former aides to zhou yongkang , china 's retired chief of domestic security , fueling speculation that zhou will eventually face charges . ji wenlin , former deputy governor of hainan , and yu gang , former senior official in the politics and legal affairs commission , have both been expelled from the communist party for taking huge bribes ' and committing adultery , announced the central commission for discipline inspection ( ccdi ) on wednesday . adultery , while not illegal in china , is considered a serious violation of party regulations . the third official charged with corruption is tan hong , a former senior officer in the ministry of public security . all three have close ties to zhou , working under the security czar at some point during their careers . zhou was a former member of the politburo standing committee , china 's top decision-making body , until he retired in 2012 . he was considered one of the most powerful men in china , serving as the head of china 's security and police institutions . rumors surrounding zhou 's downfall have been circulating on china 's social media for two years , gaining momentum in recent months as high-profile corruption probes have led to the detention of senior officials linked to him throughout his career . zhou would become the highest-ranking official ever to face corruption charges in the history of the people 's republic . but there has been no official announcement of an investigation into zhou . reuters has reported sources saying zhou is now under house arrest . china 's anti-corruption campaign catches another'tiger' netted'tigers' in 2013 , some 182,000 officials were disciplined while courts nationwide tried 23,000 corruption cases , according to the ccdi . after coming into power in late 2012 , president xi jinping banned official extravagance -- from banquets to year-end gifts -- and vowed to target tigers and flies ' alike in his fight against corruption when describing his resolve to spare no one regardless of their position . on monday , one of the biggest tigers ' met his downfall : xu caihou , former vice chairman of the central military commission that runs the world 's largest standing army , and a former politburo member , was found to have accepted bribes . longtime china observers , however , point to the limits of president xi 's war on corruption . corruption is so widespread and so endemic that campaigns are just not going do it , ' said frank ching , a hong kong-based commentator and columnist on chinese politics . something has to be done about the system . ' there have been public calls for a law to require officials disclosing their assets . there has been no indication that they are going to do that . in fact , a number of people calling for this law have ended up in prison , ' he added . i think people will be much more convinced of the seriousness of this anti-corruption campaign if there were a move to enact such a law . ' cnn 's steven jiang and jaime florcruz contributed to this article . | the three officials have been expelled from communist party for corruption and adultery |
africa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- portuguese sailors called it the gates of hell . namibia 's bushmen speak of the land god made in anger . from the air , the bleak shoreline of the skeleton coast looks wonderful -- a deep green sea , fringed with surf , breaks over a shore receding into infinite dunes . from land , it 's a different story . the benguela current rushes in , urgent and strong , hurtling the chilling atlantic into the fierce heat of the namib . whale and seal skeletons from the former whaling industry still litter the coastline -- the source of the region 's frightening name . humans have suffered , too -- the remains of ships wrecked on the hidden rocks offshore rust and crumble beside the animal bones . survivors did n't last long in this harsh environment . punishing trip ? why , then , visit this brutal-sounding place ? because its forbidding nature has left namibia 's skeleton coast one of the most pristine shorelines in the world . it may be bleak , but it 's beautiful . the territory extends from just north of the city of swakopmund to the angolan border in northwest namibia , taking in 500 kilometers of shoreline and 2 million hectares of dunes and gravel plains . it forms a national park , divided by rivers . more : 9 not-in-the-guidebook africa safari tips the southern section runs between the ugab and hoanib rivers , the north between the hoanib and kunene . independent travelers can apply for permits for day trips but only to the south -- and it 's the northern extremes , the skeleton coast wilderness , that most people want to see . visitors to the latter part of the park are restricted to around 800 a year to preserve the fragile environment . exclusive and expensive the only way to reach the north is to join a fly-in safari -- an exclusive , if expensive , experience . a typical four-day trip costs around $ 6,000 per person . after flying to an inland camp , my guide , bariar , and i reach the sea following a 200-kilometer drive through dune country . we climb out of the land rover into a huge animal graveyard : seal skulls jumbled with turtles'rib cages and the colossal , bleached vertebrae of whales . the wind shunts me from one set of remains to the next . one ghoulish question suggests itself : are there human skeletons , too ? ' of course ! ' bariar shouts , his voice almost lost in the wind . it 's the shore of a thousand shipwrecks . ' wreck-spotting one of the coast 's best-known wrecks is a british liner , the dunedin star , beached by her master after hitting a reef ( some say a u-boat ) in the 1940s . a tug , the sir charles elliott , went to her aid but it sank , too . an arch of whale bones marks the grave of the two crewmen who led the rescue attempt , trying in vain to secure a line from the ship to the shore . every now and then the wreck of their tug can be seen above the waves . more : 10 things to know before visiting south africa at cape frio , thousands of seals provide light relief . their noise is deafening , their smell overwhelming , but their antics draw you in . the surf is full of writhing bodies . at the water 's edge , the occasional rock twitches , rolls over and throws itself into the sea . we follow the coastline for miles . ours are the only tire marks , soon to be erased by the sand . ghost crabs scuttle into the waves ; terns swoop over the surf ; a jackal flops , seemingly exhausted , onto the shore . little game when it comes to watching wildlife , the skeleton coast is n't about big game . guides focus on small mammals , birds and insects and the stories of how they survive . with ocean fogs the only moisture supply , creatures conserve what they can . black-backed jackals lick humidity from stones . desert beetles channel droplets along their backs and into their mouths . tok-tokkie beetles pair up , then climb on top of one another , taking it in turns to provide shade . without compass or sat nav , bariar drives us on a convoluted route back into the desert . he suggests i look out the window for unexpected stones ' -- indicators to turn left or right or double back a touch . they 're meant to keep vehicles on course and not flatten tracts of this delicate ecosystem . hear the dunes roar we arrive at the legendary roaring ' dunes , climb to the top and slide down on our butts . i know the fearsome rumble comes from air trapped between grains of sand , but i still glance up convinced there are low-flying jets overhead . the next couple of days are spent hiking through gorges , tracking desert-adapted elephants and exploring a wilderness that never seems to end . what looks like wasteland to me is , to the himba people , home . more : zimbabwe proposes disneyland in africa ' they 're the last of namibia 's nomadic pastoralists : they grow nothing and eat only meat . the women braid their hair and scrub their bodies with ocher to keep clean . their skin gleams like polished copper in the sun . one morning , we visit their camp . the trip is laid on for tourists , but when it 's over we head to the home of one of the guides on the tour . his mother offers me a necklace of porcupine quills as young girls sit and smile . eventually they overcome their shyness and get up to sing . as i leave , i notice a small boy , eyeing me from the top of a dune . keen to impress , he somersaults over the top and falls flat on his face in the sand . he gets up , shakes himself down and laughs . even in this tough environment , the survivors find plenty of reasons to smile . wilderness safaris ( +27 11 807 1800 ) and skeleton coast safaris ( +264 61 224 248 ) are two companies providing tours of namibia 's skeleton coast . karen bowerman is a travel writer and former bbc broadcaster who specializes in conservation issues and adventure travel . | wildlife watching mostly small scale here , not africa 's usual big game |
suleman <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- nadya suleman , who gave birth to octuplets in january , will star in a reality television series about her family , a tv executive said . nadya suleman will star in a quasi-reality tv series , ' says a tv executive . the eyeworks executive , who asked not to be named , confirmed a us magazine report that quoted suleman 's lawyer , jeff czech , saying a deal has been reached after months of negotiations . the quasi-reality tv series ' would be an arrangement whereby several events in the children 's lives would be filmed in a documentary series , ' czech told us . eyeworks'british division will produce the show , the eyeworks executive said . there is a story to be told ' about the family , he said . they might be several shows aired during a year . there are all kinds of possibilities . it really depends on what the networks want , ' czech was quoted as saying . though he said the show has not been named , suleman has sought to trademark her media nickname -- octomom -- for a tv show and a line of diapers . suleman has six other children . all 14 were conceived through in-vitro fertilization . | suleman will star in a tv show , produced by eyeworks'british division |
suleman <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- nadya suleman , who gave birth to octuplets in january , will star in a reality television series about her family , a tv executive said . nadya suleman will star in a quasi-reality tv series , ' says a tv executive . the eyeworks executive , who asked not to be named , confirmed a us magazine report that quoted suleman 's lawyer , jeff czech , saying a deal has been reached after months of negotiations . the quasi-reality tv series ' would be an arrangement whereby several events in the children 's lives would be filmed in a documentary series , ' czech told us . eyeworks'british division will produce the show , the eyeworks executive said . there is a story to be told ' about the family , he said . they might be several shows aired during a year . there are all kinds of possibilities . it really depends on what the networks want , ' czech was quoted as saying . though he said the show has not been named , suleman has sought to trademark her media nickname -- octomom -- for a tv show and a line of diapers . suleman has six other children . all 14 were conceived through in-vitro fertilization . | nadya suleman gave birth to octuplets in january and had 6 children already |
eyeworks <tsp> los angeles , california ( cnn ) -- nadya suleman , who gave birth to octuplets in january , will star in a reality television series about her family , a tv executive said . nadya suleman will star in a quasi-reality tv series , ' says a tv executive . the eyeworks executive , who asked not to be named , confirmed a us magazine report that quoted suleman 's lawyer , jeff czech , saying a deal has been reached after months of negotiations . the quasi-reality tv series ' would be an arrangement whereby several events in the children 's lives would be filmed in a documentary series , ' czech told us . eyeworks'british division will produce the show , the eyeworks executive said . there is a story to be told ' about the family , he said . they might be several shows aired during a year . there are all kinds of possibilities . it really depends on what the networks want , ' czech was quoted as saying . though he said the show has not been named , suleman has sought to trademark her media nickname -- octomom -- for a tv show and a line of diapers . suleman has six other children . all 14 were conceived through in-vitro fertilization . | suleman will star in a tv show , produced by eyeworks'british division |
germans <tsp> ( cnn ) -- once again , a big thank you to everyone who took the time to share their links between india and germany . we had hundreds of responses and are highlighting some of the best here . we started the week by speaking to craig glenday , editor-in-chief of the guinness book of world records . he told cnn 's becky anderson that the two countries have a rivalry of sorts when it comes to world records . it seems that every time a german sets a record , an indian will smash it . for instance , the largest pen ever made , a record held by a german , was beaten within a year by an indian . himanshu ' pointed out a linguistic connection between the two . german and sanskrit have several similarities , and the grammar of both languages is amazingly similar . sudheer ' noted that many german tourists travel to india to learn more about practicing the ancient holistic medicine known as ayurveda . we also heard some personal stories . two families -- one in germany , the other in india -- got in touch with us to explain their connection via student exchange . a woman in the united states whose family emigrated from india wrote in to say that she married a man whose family emigrated to the united states from germany . now she ca n't live without sauerkraut and he loves the indian dish sambhar , she said . kurt hammel pointed out another food-related link . many german foods are flavored with spices that originally came from india . what good would bratwurst be without mace and nutmeg ? what would strudel be without sugar and cinnamon ? he noted . there were also connections made in entertainment . we were n't too surprised to hear that many germans are fans of bollywood . daniel santos , a brazilian living in germany , said many german students love indian movies and that there are many bollywood dance schools there . sumanth venkatesh from bangalore found an automotive connection between the two countries . volkswagen , which means the people 's car , ' was originally made so ordinary germans could afford cars . sumanth said that 's the same thing india 's tata motors is trying to do . we also spoke to award-winning author anita desai . born to a bengali father and german mother , desai is a connection of sorts herself . she told us that even though she lives in the united states now , she carries india with her wherever she goes . we love your comments so please keep sending them . remember , you can make links through geography , music , business , food -- the list goes on and on . whatever the connection , we want to hear it . we also hope you 'll take part in our next challenge : finding the ways that canada and the ivory coast are linked . share your connections on our blog , and we 'll choose the best ones to look at on connect the world . happy connecting ! | many germans travel to india to learn more about ayurveda |
india <tsp> ( cnn ) -- once again , a big thank you to everyone who took the time to share their links between india and germany . we had hundreds of responses and are highlighting some of the best here . we started the week by speaking to craig glenday , editor-in-chief of the guinness book of world records . he told cnn 's becky anderson that the two countries have a rivalry of sorts when it comes to world records . it seems that every time a german sets a record , an indian will smash it . for instance , the largest pen ever made , a record held by a german , was beaten within a year by an indian . himanshu ' pointed out a linguistic connection between the two . german and sanskrit have several similarities , and the grammar of both languages is amazingly similar . sudheer ' noted that many german tourists travel to india to learn more about practicing the ancient holistic medicine known as ayurveda . we also heard some personal stories . two families -- one in germany , the other in india -- got in touch with us to explain their connection via student exchange . a woman in the united states whose family emigrated from india wrote in to say that she married a man whose family emigrated to the united states from germany . now she ca n't live without sauerkraut and he loves the indian dish sambhar , she said . kurt hammel pointed out another food-related link . many german foods are flavored with spices that originally came from india . what good would bratwurst be without mace and nutmeg ? what would strudel be without sugar and cinnamon ? he noted . there were also connections made in entertainment . we were n't too surprised to hear that many germans are fans of bollywood . daniel santos , a brazilian living in germany , said many german students love indian movies and that there are many bollywood dance schools there . sumanth venkatesh from bangalore found an automotive connection between the two countries . volkswagen , which means the people 's car , ' was originally made so ordinary germans could afford cars . sumanth said that 's the same thing india 's tata motors is trying to do . we also spoke to award-winning author anita desai . born to a bengali father and german mother , desai is a connection of sorts herself . she told us that even though she lives in the united states now , she carries india with her wherever she goes . we love your comments so please keep sending them . remember , you can make links through geography , music , business , food -- the list goes on and on . whatever the connection , we want to hear it . we also hope you 'll take part in our next challenge : finding the ways that canada and the ivory coast are linked . share your connections on our blog , and we 'll choose the best ones to look at on connect the world . happy connecting ! | a selection of some of the connections you made between india and germany |
india <tsp> ( cnn ) -- once again , a big thank you to everyone who took the time to share their links between india and germany . we had hundreds of responses and are highlighting some of the best here . we started the week by speaking to craig glenday , editor-in-chief of the guinness book of world records . he told cnn 's becky anderson that the two countries have a rivalry of sorts when it comes to world records . it seems that every time a german sets a record , an indian will smash it . for instance , the largest pen ever made , a record held by a german , was beaten within a year by an indian . himanshu ' pointed out a linguistic connection between the two . german and sanskrit have several similarities , and the grammar of both languages is amazingly similar . sudheer ' noted that many german tourists travel to india to learn more about practicing the ancient holistic medicine known as ayurveda . we also heard some personal stories . two families -- one in germany , the other in india -- got in touch with us to explain their connection via student exchange . a woman in the united states whose family emigrated from india wrote in to say that she married a man whose family emigrated to the united states from germany . now she ca n't live without sauerkraut and he loves the indian dish sambhar , she said . kurt hammel pointed out another food-related link . many german foods are flavored with spices that originally came from india . what good would bratwurst be without mace and nutmeg ? what would strudel be without sugar and cinnamon ? he noted . there were also connections made in entertainment . we were n't too surprised to hear that many germans are fans of bollywood . daniel santos , a brazilian living in germany , said many german students love indian movies and that there are many bollywood dance schools there . sumanth venkatesh from bangalore found an automotive connection between the two countries . volkswagen , which means the people 's car , ' was originally made so ordinary germans could afford cars . sumanth said that 's the same thing india 's tata motors is trying to do . we also spoke to award-winning author anita desai . born to a bengali father and german mother , desai is a connection of sorts herself . she told us that even though she lives in the united states now , she carries india with her wherever she goes . we love your comments so please keep sending them . remember , you can make links through geography , music , business , food -- the list goes on and on . whatever the connection , we want to hear it . we also hope you 'll take part in our next challenge : finding the ways that canada and the ivory coast are linked . share your connections on our blog , and we 'll choose the best ones to look at on connect the world . happy connecting ! | many germans travel to india to learn more about ayurveda |
seth macfarlane <tsp> ( cnn ) -- frank welker 's name may not immediately ring a bell to you , but you almost certainly know his voice . he 's acted in nearly 700 films and television shows . from fred in scooby doo ' to ray in the real ghostbusters ' to the most recent garfield ' -- if it 's an animated show , there 's a very good chance you 'll hear welker 's work ( he also specializes in animals , like aladdin 's ' abu ) . he can currently be heard reprising his memorable role as the evil megatron on transformers prime , ' with his old friend , peter cullen , who plays one of the most noble characters ever created , optimus prime . cullen was also a mainstay of 1980s animation , in roles such as venger in dungeons & dragons . ' welker and cullen make their living as voice actors and it 's not easy to forget , as the pair of them often break into voices like john wayne , peter lorre and jabberjaw , one of welker 's favorites . however , more and more a-list actors are joining the voice-over club over the last 20 years . it 's even gotten to the point where chris rock , star of the madagascar ' franchise , took the opportunity of presenting an animation oscar to quip about how easy ' it is to do voice work . rock joked that all he had to do was say the lines , and then they give me a million dollars . ' ( no less than danny devito took issue with that characterization . ) voice actor seth macfarlane -- creator of family guy , ' american dad ' and the cleveland show ' -- is enough of an a-lister to host both saturday night live ' and next year 's oscars . so how has the world of voice acting changed since welker and cullen 's early days ( besides the fact that a show like mighty man and yukk , ' their first job together , probably would n't get made today ) ? the technology has changed a lot , ' welker told cnn . you see the cgi animation is so pretty and you could do a lot more with it than our old flat animation which i still like , of course . watching those shows absolutely blows me away on an hd screen . you see so much more detail . it gives the actor more opportunity to bend your voice and be more subtle . ' cullen said , the respect level ( for voice acting ) is climbing and climbing faster than it ever did before in the last few years . the studios are recognizing they do n't have to hire a big name actor . people do n't know the difference in most cases . they 're finding they can take a chance with talent and accomplish the same thing . ' welker also noted that the internet has made a big difference , and made it easier for fans to follow particular voice actors . in the old days doing the show , we never got one piece of fan mail , ' he said . we had no idea there was an audience out there . the only way to tell there was some interest was if we got picked up for another season -- oh , somebody liked us . ' crispin freeman became a voice actor in 1997 , just at the time when animation attracting a-listers was going strong . he 's best known for his work dubbing japanese anime like howl 's moving castle ' and most recently cartoon network 's young justice . ' cartoon network is owned cnn 's parent company . voice actors have always been quite popular in japan , but american culture is now becoming more aware of the artistic contribution of voice actors because of the swell in popularity of video games and animated films , ' he said . not only have both mediums been expanding their market penetration in america in recent years , but the maturity of the storytelling in each medium has grown as well , ' freeman said . this attracts an older audience that is more curious about the performers behind their favorite animation or video game character . it seems that as we see a convergence of film , animation and video games , american audiences will become more and more aware of the importance of voice acting . ' patrick seitz has a slightly different perspective . he got into voicing even more recently , in 2000 , and is mostly involved with the world of video game voice work , as well as anime . i do n't know if voice acting is more respected , per se , but i do think it 's a higher profile pursuit than it was in decades past , ' he said . games progressing to the point where they can be fully voiced has opened a whole new sphere of awareness and fandom , and ever since the animated feature films got the idea to fill their casts with celebrities ( for better or for worse ) , they 've never looked back . ' but he certainly agrees with cullen and welker that online fandom for voice actors has been a game changer . it 's amazing how completely some of the fans have sussed out our vocal fingerprint , so to speak . i 've had folks identify me based on nothing more than a roar . ' | one of the most famous , seth macfarlane recently hosted saturday night live ' |
syria <tsp> ( cnn ) -- residents of one of syria 's most war-ravaged cities demanded answers thursday after a pair of devastating explosions killed dozens of children . the bloodshed wednesday spurred mourning residents to demand the ouster of the homs governor and his assistant , according to the syrian observatory for human rights . it spurred a syrian official , hilal al-hilal , to visit the wounded and offer condolences to loved ones of the dead at the direction of president bashar al-assad . ( these ) heinous crimes against innocent children reflects the cowardice of the terrorists who have sought to kill science , ' al-hilal said , according to the state-run syrian arab news agency . an earlier sana story said that an explosives-packed car was detonated minutes before a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a school . the blasts were timed to coincide with students leaving school , to inflict maximum casualties , that report said . horrifying video shows pieces of bodies lying on the street afterward , amid the injured and the scared . the syrian observatory for human rights , a london-based monitoring group , said thursday that at least 53 were killed in the blasts in homs'ekrima neighborhood , adding , the number of the dead is likely to rise ( due ) to the serious injuries . ' those killed include 46 children , most of them less than 12 years old ; the united nations reported that at least 30 of the dead were schoolchildren between the ages of 6 and 9 . the neighborhood that was attacked is predominantly alawite , a religious minority that is a shiite offshoot to which al-assad belongs . there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack , which u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon called an act of the utmost depravity . ' whomever is to blame , the blasts shows that homs is once again in the middle of war . for much of syria 's 3â½-year civil war , the ancient city has been known as the capital of the uprising against al-assad -- and it became a prime target for his forces as a result . u.n. humanitarian chief valerie amos estimates that as of september 30 , the ongoing war has killed more than 190,000 people , and thousands more were thought to be trapped in a siege dating to june 2012 . yet the situation appeared to stabilize this spring after a truce between government and rebel forces . since then , homs has been firmly under government control and relatively quiet . but wednesday 's blasts shattered that sense of security and stability . syrian rebel groups unite to fight isis | homs had been a focal point in syria 's civil war but was relatively quiet in recent months |
colorado <tsp> ( cnn ) -- nine people were killed and 19 injured after a tour bus carrying people on a ski trip left a highway and rolled over sunday night in southeastern utah , a highway patrol spokesman said . the seats of the bus that rolled over are exposed to the snow at the crash site in southeastern utah on monday . at least 50 people were on the arrow stage lines bus when it crashed on state highway 163 , about five miles north of mexican hat , at 7:30 p.m. ( 9:30 p.m . et ) , said utah highway patrol trooper cameron roden . troopers reported the road was wet but not icy , he said . the bus was traveling south from telluride , colorado , to phoenix , arizona , when it left the right side of the highway and rolled over , roden said . see where the crash occurred » police said the bus lost control on a curve , ran off the road and rolled over several times , tumbling 41 feet down an embankment , according to the associated press . when the vehicle was overturning , the roof of the bus split open and multiple occupants of the vehicle were ejected , ' roden told the ap . watch how the crash left the bus a mangled hulk » rescue crews took the injured people to hospitals in utah , colorado and arizona , he said . the salt lake tribune reported that ambulances from utah , colorado , arizona and new mexico responded to the accident , and a helicopter from colorado could not fly to the crash site because of winter storms . four of the dead were male and five were female , the utah highway patrol said . most of the passengers were returning home from a weekend ski trip to telluride , he said . e-mail to a friend cnn radio 's barbara hall contributed to this report . copyright 2008 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report . | bus was en route from telluride , colorado , to phoenix , arizona , after weekend ski trip |
lionel messi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it is a timely boost for barcelona heading into their spanish title showdown with atletico madrid . lionel messi , one of the world 's best soccer players , is on the verge of a penning a new deal at the club . the argentina striker has had a lean season by his own impossibly high standards , but has still scored 28 la liga goals in his 30 games . barcelona head into saturday 's epic title decider against atletico knowing a win will secure their second successive la liga crown . and news that the club 's record goalscorer is set to extend his stay at the camp nou is a huge fillip for the catalans after weeks of negotiations . a statement on the club 's official website read : fc barcelona has reached an agreement to adjust the terms in the contract binding leo messi to the club as a professional first team player . the revised and updated contract will be signed over the next few days . ' messi joined the catalans in 2000 at the age of 13 and has gone on to win 21 trophies with barca , including six la liga titles and three european champions league crowns . the 26-year was also voted world player of the year in four successive seasons , between 2009 and 2012 , and will be one of the biggest names at the world cup in brazil . news of his new contract comes just 24 hours before the biggest match of the season in spain , as the two title contenders go head-to-head . atletico , who will also contest the champions league final next weekend against city rivals real madrid , top the table and lead barcelona by three points . a barca victory will hand gerardo martino 's men the title courtesy of a better head-to-head record against their opponents . atletico need only to avoid defeat . just a few weeks ago , after a disappointing home draw with getafe , martino said barca 's title race was run , but an unexpected dip in form by atletico has presented them with a second chance . and midfielder xavi , who is chasing an eighth title in barca colors , insists they must seize this opportunity . we really believed we had no chance , but maybe we gave up too soon , ' he told the club 's website . we thought we 'd lost the league and these things happen in football , and now it 's in our hands . it 's a very important title , and we have to be together . it 's an historic opportunity . it will be a great final match . ( atletico ) are the best in defense , they pressurize you , support each other , and have different options up front . we are still hungry and people should be encouraged . la liga should be seen as it is , competing until the end . up against us are a great team . we are still hungry and people should be encouraged . this is a great generation , and this is an historic opportunity for us . it 's a unique game and i do n't know if it will happen again . it would be the icing on the cake for this generation , playing such an important match . ' | argentine striker lionel messi agrees a new contract at fc barcelona |
mossad <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's not every day you meet an active field agent of israel 's super secret spy agency , the mossad . generally , if you did , you would n't know it . but there he was , taking us on a tour of operation finale : the story of the capture of eichmann ' before the v.i.p . guests arrived for opening night . this spy is the curator of the extraordinary exhibit of recently declassified spycraft chronicling the capture of adolf eichmann , one of the chief architects of the holocaust . it 's a passionate side project to document one of mossad 's most famous successes . i ca n't use his name and we could n't film him , but he told us why he spent months in the archive . it was our first big'james bond'operation . i knew we had the material in the archive , ' he says , but until today , people only knew a small part of the story , we had to tell the whole thing . ' the story starts with eichmann , a german ss officer put in charge of orchestrating the final solution , ' the nazi plan to kill all of the jews in europe , during world war two in the early 1940s . eichmann was the chief logistician , organizing transport for millions of jews to the gas chambers . in the waning years of the war , when nazis were trying to destroy all evidence of the holocaust and halted the killing , eichmann insisted on continuing his evil work . at the end of world war two , eichmann escaped and evaded capture several times . he was a wanted man , but the trail went dry . but in the 1950s , word began to reach mossad and israel 's domestic security service , shin bet , that adolf eichmann was hiding in buenos aires using the name ricardo klement . ' at first , agents sent to argentina did n't believe that the shabby suburb where klement lived could be the residence of a senior nazi officer . agents then traveled to argentina to take photos of the man who called himself klement . they pretended to be property investors . the small leica camera , a simple converted business case with a secret camera trigger , and original photographs , are part of the operation finale ' exhibit . the agents took the negatives to a developing shop in town and got three shots of an ordinary looking man standing over a barbed wire fence . but adolf eichmann was no ordinary man . the covert pictures were compared to ss photos in mossad 's files . a 10-point analysis of his ears ( apparently ears are unique ) told mossad they had their man . avi armoni , the ceo of the museum of the jewish people , says the exhibit shows the evolution of mossad , then in its early days . even the mighty mossad started with improvising solutions , ' says armoni . and it 's painstakingly documented in an exhibit crammed with originals : the crudely made license plates ; the fake passports used by agents , the metal syringe used to drug eichmann . what people react to in museums , aside from the story , is to see original artifacts , to feel that they are in the presence of the real thing , ' he says . and to all of us it symbolized evil , it symbolized the holocaust , it symbolized the notion of justice . ' to bring adolf eichmann to justice , 11 agents traveled to argentina under assumed names . dozens of jews living in argentina helped provide the cover needed to succeed . the agents put eichmann in an el al crew uniform and shoved him into a pontiac . they slipped him onto a special el al flight and spirited him out of argentina . in april 1961 , the trial of adolf eichmann began in jerusalem . during nine months of testimony , the world was astounded by the personal testimony of 120 witnesses ( 99 of them holocaust survivors ) . the impact was greatest in israel . i grew up in israel . i was born here , ' says armoni . the whole notion for young israelis growing up here -- of the shoah , of the holocaust -- was very much not spoken of , it was hidden , we were in shock . ' the capture of adolf eichmann -- bringing him to court and to justice in jerusalem -- was for so many israelis of my generation a watershed event . it actually brought out the stories and the horror of what happened to the jews in europe . ' the operation finale ' exhibit ends with the actual bulletproof glass booth where adolf eichmann sat impassively during the duration of the nine-month trial . the message is clear . the agents who painstakingly tracked down and captured eichmann were after one thing : justice . | the exhibit follows the evolution of mossad and the capture of one of it 's most high profile targets |
mossad <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's not every day you meet an active field agent of israel 's super secret spy agency , the mossad . generally , if you did , you would n't know it . but there he was , taking us on a tour of operation finale : the story of the capture of eichmann ' before the v.i.p . guests arrived for opening night . this spy is the curator of the extraordinary exhibit of recently declassified spycraft chronicling the capture of adolf eichmann , one of the chief architects of the holocaust . it 's a passionate side project to document one of mossad 's most famous successes . i ca n't use his name and we could n't film him , but he told us why he spent months in the archive . it was our first big'james bond'operation . i knew we had the material in the archive , ' he says , but until today , people only knew a small part of the story , we had to tell the whole thing . ' the story starts with eichmann , a german ss officer put in charge of orchestrating the final solution , ' the nazi plan to kill all of the jews in europe , during world war two in the early 1940s . eichmann was the chief logistician , organizing transport for millions of jews to the gas chambers . in the waning years of the war , when nazis were trying to destroy all evidence of the holocaust and halted the killing , eichmann insisted on continuing his evil work . at the end of world war two , eichmann escaped and evaded capture several times . he was a wanted man , but the trail went dry . but in the 1950s , word began to reach mossad and israel 's domestic security service , shin bet , that adolf eichmann was hiding in buenos aires using the name ricardo klement . ' at first , agents sent to argentina did n't believe that the shabby suburb where klement lived could be the residence of a senior nazi officer . agents then traveled to argentina to take photos of the man who called himself klement . they pretended to be property investors . the small leica camera , a simple converted business case with a secret camera trigger , and original photographs , are part of the operation finale ' exhibit . the agents took the negatives to a developing shop in town and got three shots of an ordinary looking man standing over a barbed wire fence . but adolf eichmann was no ordinary man . the covert pictures were compared to ss photos in mossad 's files . a 10-point analysis of his ears ( apparently ears are unique ) told mossad they had their man . avi armoni , the ceo of the museum of the jewish people , says the exhibit shows the evolution of mossad , then in its early days . even the mighty mossad started with improvising solutions , ' says armoni . and it 's painstakingly documented in an exhibit crammed with originals : the crudely made license plates ; the fake passports used by agents , the metal syringe used to drug eichmann . what people react to in museums , aside from the story , is to see original artifacts , to feel that they are in the presence of the real thing , ' he says . and to all of us it symbolized evil , it symbolized the holocaust , it symbolized the notion of justice . ' to bring adolf eichmann to justice , 11 agents traveled to argentina under assumed names . dozens of jews living in argentina helped provide the cover needed to succeed . the agents put eichmann in an el al crew uniform and shoved him into a pontiac . they slipped him onto a special el al flight and spirited him out of argentina . in april 1961 , the trial of adolf eichmann began in jerusalem . during nine months of testimony , the world was astounded by the personal testimony of 120 witnesses ( 99 of them holocaust survivors ) . the impact was greatest in israel . i grew up in israel . i was born here , ' says armoni . the whole notion for young israelis growing up here -- of the shoah , of the holocaust -- was very much not spoken of , it was hidden , we were in shock . ' the capture of adolf eichmann -- bringing him to court and to justice in jerusalem -- was for so many israelis of my generation a watershed event . it actually brought out the stories and the horror of what happened to the jews in europe . ' the operation finale ' exhibit ends with the actual bulletproof glass booth where adolf eichmann sat impassively during the duration of the nine-month trial . the message is clear . the agents who painstakingly tracked down and captured eichmann were after one thing : justice . | an exhibition documenting mossad 's capture of german nazi adolf eichmann has just opened |
mossad <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's not every day you meet an active field agent of israel 's super secret spy agency , the mossad . generally , if you did , you would n't know it . but there he was , taking us on a tour of operation finale : the story of the capture of eichmann ' before the v.i.p . guests arrived for opening night . this spy is the curator of the extraordinary exhibit of recently declassified spycraft chronicling the capture of adolf eichmann , one of the chief architects of the holocaust . it 's a passionate side project to document one of mossad 's most famous successes . i ca n't use his name and we could n't film him , but he told us why he spent months in the archive . it was our first big'james bond'operation . i knew we had the material in the archive , ' he says , but until today , people only knew a small part of the story , we had to tell the whole thing . ' the story starts with eichmann , a german ss officer put in charge of orchestrating the final solution , ' the nazi plan to kill all of the jews in europe , during world war two in the early 1940s . eichmann was the chief logistician , organizing transport for millions of jews to the gas chambers . in the waning years of the war , when nazis were trying to destroy all evidence of the holocaust and halted the killing , eichmann insisted on continuing his evil work . at the end of world war two , eichmann escaped and evaded capture several times . he was a wanted man , but the trail went dry . but in the 1950s , word began to reach mossad and israel 's domestic security service , shin bet , that adolf eichmann was hiding in buenos aires using the name ricardo klement . ' at first , agents sent to argentina did n't believe that the shabby suburb where klement lived could be the residence of a senior nazi officer . agents then traveled to argentina to take photos of the man who called himself klement . they pretended to be property investors . the small leica camera , a simple converted business case with a secret camera trigger , and original photographs , are part of the operation finale ' exhibit . the agents took the negatives to a developing shop in town and got three shots of an ordinary looking man standing over a barbed wire fence . but adolf eichmann was no ordinary man . the covert pictures were compared to ss photos in mossad 's files . a 10-point analysis of his ears ( apparently ears are unique ) told mossad they had their man . avi armoni , the ceo of the museum of the jewish people , says the exhibit shows the evolution of mossad , then in its early days . even the mighty mossad started with improvising solutions , ' says armoni . and it 's painstakingly documented in an exhibit crammed with originals : the crudely made license plates ; the fake passports used by agents , the metal syringe used to drug eichmann . what people react to in museums , aside from the story , is to see original artifacts , to feel that they are in the presence of the real thing , ' he says . and to all of us it symbolized evil , it symbolized the holocaust , it symbolized the notion of justice . ' to bring adolf eichmann to justice , 11 agents traveled to argentina under assumed names . dozens of jews living in argentina helped provide the cover needed to succeed . the agents put eichmann in an el al crew uniform and shoved him into a pontiac . they slipped him onto a special el al flight and spirited him out of argentina . in april 1961 , the trial of adolf eichmann began in jerusalem . during nine months of testimony , the world was astounded by the personal testimony of 120 witnesses ( 99 of them holocaust survivors ) . the impact was greatest in israel . i grew up in israel . i was born here , ' says armoni . the whole notion for young israelis growing up here -- of the shoah , of the holocaust -- was very much not spoken of , it was hidden , we were in shock . ' the capture of adolf eichmann -- bringing him to court and to justice in jerusalem -- was for so many israelis of my generation a watershed event . it actually brought out the stories and the horror of what happened to the jews in europe . ' the operation finale ' exhibit ends with the actual bulletproof glass booth where adolf eichmann sat impassively during the duration of the nine-month trial . the message is clear . the agents who painstakingly tracked down and captured eichmann were after one thing : justice . | ' operation finale : the story of the capture of eichmann'is curated by an active mossad field agent |
mossad <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it 's not every day you meet an active field agent of israel 's super secret spy agency , the mossad . generally , if you did , you would n't know it . but there he was , taking us on a tour of operation finale : the story of the capture of eichmann ' before the v.i.p . guests arrived for opening night . this spy is the curator of the extraordinary exhibit of recently declassified spycraft chronicling the capture of adolf eichmann , one of the chief architects of the holocaust . it 's a passionate side project to document one of mossad 's most famous successes . i ca n't use his name and we could n't film him , but he told us why he spent months in the archive . it was our first big'james bond'operation . i knew we had the material in the archive , ' he says , but until today , people only knew a small part of the story , we had to tell the whole thing . ' the story starts with eichmann , a german ss officer put in charge of orchestrating the final solution , ' the nazi plan to kill all of the jews in europe , during world war two in the early 1940s . eichmann was the chief logistician , organizing transport for millions of jews to the gas chambers . in the waning years of the war , when nazis were trying to destroy all evidence of the holocaust and halted the killing , eichmann insisted on continuing his evil work . at the end of world war two , eichmann escaped and evaded capture several times . he was a wanted man , but the trail went dry . but in the 1950s , word began to reach mossad and israel 's domestic security service , shin bet , that adolf eichmann was hiding in buenos aires using the name ricardo klement . ' at first , agents sent to argentina did n't believe that the shabby suburb where klement lived could be the residence of a senior nazi officer . agents then traveled to argentina to take photos of the man who called himself klement . they pretended to be property investors . the small leica camera , a simple converted business case with a secret camera trigger , and original photographs , are part of the operation finale ' exhibit . the agents took the negatives to a developing shop in town and got three shots of an ordinary looking man standing over a barbed wire fence . but adolf eichmann was no ordinary man . the covert pictures were compared to ss photos in mossad 's files . a 10-point analysis of his ears ( apparently ears are unique ) told mossad they had their man . avi armoni , the ceo of the museum of the jewish people , says the exhibit shows the evolution of mossad , then in its early days . even the mighty mossad started with improvising solutions , ' says armoni . and it 's painstakingly documented in an exhibit crammed with originals : the crudely made license plates ; the fake passports used by agents , the metal syringe used to drug eichmann . what people react to in museums , aside from the story , is to see original artifacts , to feel that they are in the presence of the real thing , ' he says . and to all of us it symbolized evil , it symbolized the holocaust , it symbolized the notion of justice . ' to bring adolf eichmann to justice , 11 agents traveled to argentina under assumed names . dozens of jews living in argentina helped provide the cover needed to succeed . the agents put eichmann in an el al crew uniform and shoved him into a pontiac . they slipped him onto a special el al flight and spirited him out of argentina . in april 1961 , the trial of adolf eichmann began in jerusalem . during nine months of testimony , the world was astounded by the personal testimony of 120 witnesses ( 99 of them holocaust survivors ) . the impact was greatest in israel . i grew up in israel . i was born here , ' says armoni . the whole notion for young israelis growing up here -- of the shoah , of the holocaust -- was very much not spoken of , it was hidden , we were in shock . ' the capture of adolf eichmann -- bringing him to court and to justice in jerusalem -- was for so many israelis of my generation a watershed event . it actually brought out the stories and the horror of what happened to the jews in europe . ' the operation finale ' exhibit ends with the actual bulletproof glass booth where adolf eichmann sat impassively during the duration of the nine-month trial . the message is clear . the agents who painstakingly tracked down and captured eichmann were after one thing : justice . | mossad agent :'' it was our first big'james bond'operation ' |
keith ratliff <tsp> atlanta ( cnn ) -- authorities in georgia are investigating the apparent homicide of a georgia man who produced popular gun-related youtube videos . keith ratliff was found shot in the head january 3 in his home-office in carnesville , georgia , about 80 miles northeast of atlanta . ratliff was co-owner of fps industries , whose website says it is proud to be world leaders in product development and testing for hard use firearms shooters . ' investigators from many agencies -- including the georgia bureau of investigation and the federal bureau of alcohol , tobacco , firearms and explosives -- are investigating , and the gbi said friday that they are making progress in identifying the shooter . several guns were found at the scene , but none of them were used to shoot ratliff , the gbi said in a news release . ratliff 's youtube channel had more than 530,000,000 views . gun rights group says georgia home invasion proves their point | keith ratliff produced popular gun-related youtube videos |
ebola <tsp> a highly anticipated test of an experimental ebola vaccine will begin this week at the national institutes of health , amid mounting anxiety about the spread of the deadly virus in west africa . after an expedited review by the u.s. food and drug administration , researchers were given the green light to begin what 's called a human safety trial , said dr. anthony fauci , director of the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases ( niaid ) . it will be the first test of this type of ebola vaccine in humans . the experimental vaccine , developed by the pharmaceutical company glaxosmithkline and the niaid , will first be given to three healthy human volunteers to see if they suffer any adverse effects . if deemed safe , it will then be given to another small group of volunteers , aged 18 to 50 , to see if it produces a strong immune response to the virus . all will be monitored closely for side effects . the vaccine will be administered to volunteers by an injection in the deltoid muscle of their arm , first in a lower dose , then later in a higher dose after the safety of the vaccine has been determined . some of the preclinical studies that are normally done on these types of vaccines were waived by the fda during the expedited review , fauci said , so we want to take extra special care that we go slowly with the dosing . ' the vaccine did extremely well in earlier trials with chimpanzees , fauci said . he noted that the method being used to prompt an immune response to ebola can not cause a healthy individual to become infected with the virus . still , he said , i have been fooled enough in my many years of experience ... you really ca n't predict what you will see ( in humans ) . ' according to the nih , the vaccine will also be tested on healthy volunteers in the united kingdom , gambia and mali , once details are finalized with health officials in those countries . cdc director raises ebola alarm trials can not currently be done in the four countries affected by the recent outbreak -- guinea , sierra leone , liberia and nigeria -- because the existing health care infrastructure would n't support them , fauci said . gambia and mali were selected because the nih has long-standing collaborative relationships ' with researchers in those countries . according to the nih , officials from the centers for disease control and prevention are also in talks with health officials from nigeria about conducting part of the safety trial there . funding from an international consortium formed to fight ebola will enable glaxosmithkline to begin manufacturing up to 10,000 additional doses of the vaccine while clinical trials are ongoing , the pharmaceutical company said in a statement . these doses would be made available if the world health organization decides to allow emergency immunizations in high-risk communities . the gsk/niaid vaccine is one of two leading candidate vaccines . the other was developed by the public health agency of canada and licensed this month to newlink genetics , a company based in iowa . according to the nih , safety trials of that vaccine will start this fall . ebola victim :'i felt like i was about to die' earlier this month , the canadian government shipped what it said was 800 to 1,000 ' doses of that vaccine to liberia , at the government 's request . it 's not clear whether it has been given to health workers or anyone else there . worth noting : in 2009 , an earlier version of the vaccine was given to a lab worker in germany after he thought he had pricked himself with a needle tainted with ebola . he did not develop the disease . while there currently is no proven treatment for ebola beyond supportive care , government agencies and small biotech firms have been scrambling to speed up development of several potential therapies and vaccines . a third vaccine , also developed by the nih , was recently tested in primates and found to protect them from infection ; it was given in combination with depovax , an adjuvant that has been used with other vaccines and cancer therapies to boost the body 's immune response . while vaccines might be given to prevent infection among health workers or other people thought to be at high risk , development has also been sped up on drugs that might potentially be given to patients who already have the disease . the drug that 's received the most attention is zmapp , which has been given to at least seven individuals in the current outbreak , including two american missionary medical workers , nancy writebol and dr. kent brantly . the drug has never been formally tested in humans , and while the results in human patients are encouraging -- five of the seven known to have received it are still alive -- experts say there is too little data to say whether it played a role in their recoveries . are myths making the ebola outbreak worse ? earlier versions of zmapp , which received backing from the u.s. and canadian governments as well as from biotech firms , have shown some ability to protect rhesus macaque monkeys more than two days after they were infected with the virus . the u.s. department of health and human services announced on tuesday a $ 24.9 million , 18-month contract with zmapp 's manufacturer , mapp biopharmaceutical , to accelerate the development of the medication . mapp will make a small amount of the drug for early stage clinical safety studies and nonclinical studies ' to gauge how the drug works on people , the hhs department said in a news release . the various new steps will contribute to increasing the amount of product potentially available to treat patients with ebola . ' another drug , tkm-ebola , has been tested for safety in a small number of humans . that trial was put on hold in january , after one volunteer developed moderate gastrointestinal side effects after receiving a high dose of the medication . last month , the fda modified the hold to a partial clinical hold . ' in effect , this means that tekmira could potentially be allowed to give the drug to doctors or hospitals who request it , on an emergency basis . there 's no indication that the company has received any such requests . the vaccine going into trials this week is based on an adenovirus -- a type of cold virus -- that 's found in chimpanzees . the virus delivers genetic material derived from two species of ebola virus , including the zaire strain that 's responsible for the current outbreak . those genes are meant to trigger the development of antibodies in the person who receives the vaccine , antibodies that can specifically defend against ebola . another trial , using a version of the gsk/niaid vaccine that uses only the zaire strain of ebola , will be launched in october , according to the nih . all participants in the trial will be evaluated nine times over a 48-week period . nih expects to reveal the results of the trial by the end of the year . if it 's approved for widespread use , the first priority will be to give the vaccine to health care workers or lab workers who are fighting the spread of the virus , fauci said . it will then be considered for people in the communities where outbreaks occur . nine things to know about the killer disease what happens when you survive ebola ? | fda gives green light for ebola vaccine human safety trial to begin |
ebola <tsp> a highly anticipated test of an experimental ebola vaccine will begin this week at the national institutes of health , amid mounting anxiety about the spread of the deadly virus in west africa . after an expedited review by the u.s. food and drug administration , researchers were given the green light to begin what 's called a human safety trial , said dr. anthony fauci , director of the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases ( niaid ) . it will be the first test of this type of ebola vaccine in humans . the experimental vaccine , developed by the pharmaceutical company glaxosmithkline and the niaid , will first be given to three healthy human volunteers to see if they suffer any adverse effects . if deemed safe , it will then be given to another small group of volunteers , aged 18 to 50 , to see if it produces a strong immune response to the virus . all will be monitored closely for side effects . the vaccine will be administered to volunteers by an injection in the deltoid muscle of their arm , first in a lower dose , then later in a higher dose after the safety of the vaccine has been determined . some of the preclinical studies that are normally done on these types of vaccines were waived by the fda during the expedited review , fauci said , so we want to take extra special care that we go slowly with the dosing . ' the vaccine did extremely well in earlier trials with chimpanzees , fauci said . he noted that the method being used to prompt an immune response to ebola can not cause a healthy individual to become infected with the virus . still , he said , i have been fooled enough in my many years of experience ... you really ca n't predict what you will see ( in humans ) . ' according to the nih , the vaccine will also be tested on healthy volunteers in the united kingdom , gambia and mali , once details are finalized with health officials in those countries . cdc director raises ebola alarm trials can not currently be done in the four countries affected by the recent outbreak -- guinea , sierra leone , liberia and nigeria -- because the existing health care infrastructure would n't support them , fauci said . gambia and mali were selected because the nih has long-standing collaborative relationships ' with researchers in those countries . according to the nih , officials from the centers for disease control and prevention are also in talks with health officials from nigeria about conducting part of the safety trial there . funding from an international consortium formed to fight ebola will enable glaxosmithkline to begin manufacturing up to 10,000 additional doses of the vaccine while clinical trials are ongoing , the pharmaceutical company said in a statement . these doses would be made available if the world health organization decides to allow emergency immunizations in high-risk communities . the gsk/niaid vaccine is one of two leading candidate vaccines . the other was developed by the public health agency of canada and licensed this month to newlink genetics , a company based in iowa . according to the nih , safety trials of that vaccine will start this fall . ebola victim :'i felt like i was about to die' earlier this month , the canadian government shipped what it said was 800 to 1,000 ' doses of that vaccine to liberia , at the government 's request . it 's not clear whether it has been given to health workers or anyone else there . worth noting : in 2009 , an earlier version of the vaccine was given to a lab worker in germany after he thought he had pricked himself with a needle tainted with ebola . he did not develop the disease . while there currently is no proven treatment for ebola beyond supportive care , government agencies and small biotech firms have been scrambling to speed up development of several potential therapies and vaccines . a third vaccine , also developed by the nih , was recently tested in primates and found to protect them from infection ; it was given in combination with depovax , an adjuvant that has been used with other vaccines and cancer therapies to boost the body 's immune response . while vaccines might be given to prevent infection among health workers or other people thought to be at high risk , development has also been sped up on drugs that might potentially be given to patients who already have the disease . the drug that 's received the most attention is zmapp , which has been given to at least seven individuals in the current outbreak , including two american missionary medical workers , nancy writebol and dr. kent brantly . the drug has never been formally tested in humans , and while the results in human patients are encouraging -- five of the seven known to have received it are still alive -- experts say there is too little data to say whether it played a role in their recoveries . are myths making the ebola outbreak worse ? earlier versions of zmapp , which received backing from the u.s. and canadian governments as well as from biotech firms , have shown some ability to protect rhesus macaque monkeys more than two days after they were infected with the virus . the u.s. department of health and human services announced on tuesday a $ 24.9 million , 18-month contract with zmapp 's manufacturer , mapp biopharmaceutical , to accelerate the development of the medication . mapp will make a small amount of the drug for early stage clinical safety studies and nonclinical studies ' to gauge how the drug works on people , the hhs department said in a news release . the various new steps will contribute to increasing the amount of product potentially available to treat patients with ebola . ' another drug , tkm-ebola , has been tested for safety in a small number of humans . that trial was put on hold in january , after one volunteer developed moderate gastrointestinal side effects after receiving a high dose of the medication . last month , the fda modified the hold to a partial clinical hold . ' in effect , this means that tekmira could potentially be allowed to give the drug to doctors or hospitals who request it , on an emergency basis . there 's no indication that the company has received any such requests . the vaccine going into trials this week is based on an adenovirus -- a type of cold virus -- that 's found in chimpanzees . the virus delivers genetic material derived from two species of ebola virus , including the zaire strain that 's responsible for the current outbreak . those genes are meant to trigger the development of antibodies in the person who receives the vaccine , antibodies that can specifically defend against ebola . another trial , using a version of the gsk/niaid vaccine that uses only the zaire strain of ebola , will be launched in october , according to the nih . all participants in the trial will be evaluated nine times over a 48-week period . nih expects to reveal the results of the trial by the end of the year . if it 's approved for widespread use , the first priority will be to give the vaccine to health care workers or lab workers who are fighting the spread of the virus , fauci said . it will then be considered for people in the communities where outbreaks occur . nine things to know about the killer disease what happens when you survive ebola ? | this will be the first test of this type of ebola vaccine in humans |
uk <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- lawyers acting for david miranda , the partner of journalist glenn greenwald , said they will bring his case to the high court in london on thursday after he was detained at heathrow airport . greenwald , who works for the guardian newspaper , has been at the forefront of high-profile reports exposing secrets in u.s. intelligence programs , based on leaks from former u.s. national security agency contractor edward snowden . miranda , a brazilian citizen , spent nearly nine hours in detention sunday being questioned under a provision of britain 's terrorism laws . he was stopped as he passed through london on his way from berlin to his home in brazil . opinion : silence the media , compromise freedom authorities confiscated miranda 's electronic equipment , including his mobile phone , laptop , memory sticks , smart watch , dvds and games consoles , lawyer gwendolen morgan wrote in the court filing wednesday . the lawyers , hired by the guardian to represent miranda , are trying to recover his property and prevent the government from inspecting the items or sharing what data they may have already gleaned from them . what they 're essentially seeking right now is a declaration from the british court that what the british authorities did is illegal , because the only thing they 're allowed to detain and question people over is investigations relating to terrorism , and they had nothing to do with terrorism , they went well beyond the scope of the law , ' greenwald told cnn 's ac360 on tuesday . and , secondly , to order them to return all the items they stole from david and to order that they are barred from using them in any way or sharing them with anybody else . ' miranda'afraid'during questioning pressure on the guardian ? meanwhile , new claims have emerged that the pressure placed on the guardian over its reporting on information leaked by snowden came from the highest levels of government . the british newspaper the independent reported wednesday that prime minister david cameron ordered the country 's top civil servant , sir jeremy heywood , to contact the guardian to spell out the serious consequences that could follow if it failed to hand over classified material received from edward snowden . ' asked about the report by cnn , cameron 's office did not deny it . we wo n't go in to specific cases , but if highly sensitive information was being held insecurely , the government would have a responsibility to secure it , ' a downing street press officer said . she declined to be named in line with policy . the guardian 's editor , alan rusbridger , said in an editorial published monday that the paper had physically destroyed computer hard drives under the eyes of representatives of britain 's general communications headquarters -- the uk equivalent of the nsa . the move followed several meetings with a very senior government official claiming to represent the views of the prime minister ' and shadowy whitehall figures , ' rusbridger said . they demanded the guardian hand over the snowden material or destroy it , he said . deputy prime minister nick clegg , the head of cameron 's liberal democrat coalition partners , considered the request reasonable , ' his office said . ‪ ' the deputy prime minister felt this was a preferable approach to taking legal action , ' according to a statement issued wednesday evening . he was keen to protect the guardian 's freedom to publish , whilst taking the necessary steps to safeguard security . ' greenwald broke the story of the existence of a u.s. national security agency program that is thought to have collected large amounts of phone and internet data . the guardian also claimed , based on documents provided by snowden , that gchq made use of the nsa program , known as prism , to illegally spy on uk citizens . a uk parliamentary committee subsequently found no basis ' for this claim . the uk government says gchq acts within a strong legal framework .'journalistic material' miranda was stopped as he returned to the couple 's rio de janeiro home after staying in berlin with filmmaker laura poitras , who has been working with greenwald on nsa-related stories . miranda will seek a judicial review on the grounds that the legislation under which he was detained was misused , his solicitor morgan said tuesday . morgan wrote to home secretary theresa may and the metropolitan police chief asking for assurances that there will be no inspection , copying , disclosure , transfer , distribution or interference , in any way , with our client 's data pending determination of our client 's claim . ' the law firm has also demanded the same from any third party , either domestic or foreign , that may have been given access to the material . the letter , seen by cnn , claims that schedule 7 of terrorism act 2000 was used to detain miranda in order to obtain access to journalistic material ' and that this is of exceptional and grave concern . ' miranda has said he does not know what data he was carrying back with him .'huge black eye'for british government britain 's home office on tuesday defended miranda 's questioning , saying the government and police have a duty to protect the public and our national security . ' if the police believe that an individual is in possession of highly sensitive stolen information that would help terrorism , then they should act and the law provides them with a framework to do that , ' it said . those who oppose this sort of action need to think about what they are condoning . ' in a statement that did n't name miranda but referred to his detention , the metropolitan police called what happened legally and procedurally sound ' and said it came after a detailed decision-making process . ' the statement describes the law under which miranda was detained as a key part of our national security capability which is used regularly and carefully by the metropolitan police service to help keep the public safe . ' but that 's not how miranda and greenwald view the law , or at least how it was applied in this case . sitting alongside his partner , greenwald said the detention gave the british government a huge black eye in the world , ( made ) them look thuggish and authoritarian ( for ) interfering in the journalism process ( and created ) international incidents with the government of brazil , which is indignant about this . ' greenwald added , to start detaining people who they think they are reporting on what they 're doing under terrorism laws , that is as dangerous and oppressive as it gets . ' white house knew miranda would be detained miranda , who did n't have an interpreter on hand during his detention despite english being a second language for him , said : they did n't ask me anything about terrorism , not one question . ' he added , they were just telling me :'if you do n't answer this , you are going to jail .'' greenwald said the entire episode was designed to intimidate him and other investigative journalists from using classified information and digging into stories critical of the british and allied governments . but , he said , it will have the reverse effect on him , making him more determined to carry on . the seizure of material from miranda will not stop the newspaper reporting on the story , he added . of course , we have multiple copies of every single thing that we 're working on , ' greenwald said . nobody would ever travel with only one copy of anything . ' cnn 's bryony jones , greg botelho , caroline paterson and stephanie halasz contributed to this report . watch anderson cooper 360° weeknights 10pm et . for the latest from ac360° click here . | the uk government says it has a duty to protect national security |
uk <tsp> london ( cnn ) -- lawyers acting for david miranda , the partner of journalist glenn greenwald , said they will bring his case to the high court in london on thursday after he was detained at heathrow airport . greenwald , who works for the guardian newspaper , has been at the forefront of high-profile reports exposing secrets in u.s. intelligence programs , based on leaks from former u.s. national security agency contractor edward snowden . miranda , a brazilian citizen , spent nearly nine hours in detention sunday being questioned under a provision of britain 's terrorism laws . he was stopped as he passed through london on his way from berlin to his home in brazil . opinion : silence the media , compromise freedom authorities confiscated miranda 's electronic equipment , including his mobile phone , laptop , memory sticks , smart watch , dvds and games consoles , lawyer gwendolen morgan wrote in the court filing wednesday . the lawyers , hired by the guardian to represent miranda , are trying to recover his property and prevent the government from inspecting the items or sharing what data they may have already gleaned from them . what they 're essentially seeking right now is a declaration from the british court that what the british authorities did is illegal , because the only thing they 're allowed to detain and question people over is investigations relating to terrorism , and they had nothing to do with terrorism , they went well beyond the scope of the law , ' greenwald told cnn 's ac360 on tuesday . and , secondly , to order them to return all the items they stole from david and to order that they are barred from using them in any way or sharing them with anybody else . ' miranda'afraid'during questioning pressure on the guardian ? meanwhile , new claims have emerged that the pressure placed on the guardian over its reporting on information leaked by snowden came from the highest levels of government . the british newspaper the independent reported wednesday that prime minister david cameron ordered the country 's top civil servant , sir jeremy heywood , to contact the guardian to spell out the serious consequences that could follow if it failed to hand over classified material received from edward snowden . ' asked about the report by cnn , cameron 's office did not deny it . we wo n't go in to specific cases , but if highly sensitive information was being held insecurely , the government would have a responsibility to secure it , ' a downing street press officer said . she declined to be named in line with policy . the guardian 's editor , alan rusbridger , said in an editorial published monday that the paper had physically destroyed computer hard drives under the eyes of representatives of britain 's general communications headquarters -- the uk equivalent of the nsa . the move followed several meetings with a very senior government official claiming to represent the views of the prime minister ' and shadowy whitehall figures , ' rusbridger said . they demanded the guardian hand over the snowden material or destroy it , he said . deputy prime minister nick clegg , the head of cameron 's liberal democrat coalition partners , considered the request reasonable , ' his office said . ‪ ' the deputy prime minister felt this was a preferable approach to taking legal action , ' according to a statement issued wednesday evening . he was keen to protect the guardian 's freedom to publish , whilst taking the necessary steps to safeguard security . ' greenwald broke the story of the existence of a u.s. national security agency program that is thought to have collected large amounts of phone and internet data . the guardian also claimed , based on documents provided by snowden , that gchq made use of the nsa program , known as prism , to illegally spy on uk citizens . a uk parliamentary committee subsequently found no basis ' for this claim . the uk government says gchq acts within a strong legal framework .'journalistic material' miranda was stopped as he returned to the couple 's rio de janeiro home after staying in berlin with filmmaker laura poitras , who has been working with greenwald on nsa-related stories . miranda will seek a judicial review on the grounds that the legislation under which he was detained was misused , his solicitor morgan said tuesday . morgan wrote to home secretary theresa may and the metropolitan police chief asking for assurances that there will be no inspection , copying , disclosure , transfer , distribution or interference , in any way , with our client 's data pending determination of our client 's claim . ' the law firm has also demanded the same from any third party , either domestic or foreign , that may have been given access to the material . the letter , seen by cnn , claims that schedule 7 of terrorism act 2000 was used to detain miranda in order to obtain access to journalistic material ' and that this is of exceptional and grave concern . ' miranda has said he does not know what data he was carrying back with him .'huge black eye'for british government britain 's home office on tuesday defended miranda 's questioning , saying the government and police have a duty to protect the public and our national security . ' if the police believe that an individual is in possession of highly sensitive stolen information that would help terrorism , then they should act and the law provides them with a framework to do that , ' it said . those who oppose this sort of action need to think about what they are condoning . ' in a statement that did n't name miranda but referred to his detention , the metropolitan police called what happened legally and procedurally sound ' and said it came after a detailed decision-making process . ' the statement describes the law under which miranda was detained as a key part of our national security capability which is used regularly and carefully by the metropolitan police service to help keep the public safe . ' but that 's not how miranda and greenwald view the law , or at least how it was applied in this case . sitting alongside his partner , greenwald said the detention gave the british government a huge black eye in the world , ( made ) them look thuggish and authoritarian ( for ) interfering in the journalism process ( and created ) international incidents with the government of brazil , which is indignant about this . ' greenwald added , to start detaining people who they think they are reporting on what they 're doing under terrorism laws , that is as dangerous and oppressive as it gets . ' white house knew miranda would be detained miranda , who did n't have an interpreter on hand during his detention despite english being a second language for him , said : they did n't ask me anything about terrorism , not one question . ' he added , they were just telling me :'if you do n't answer this , you are going to jail .'' greenwald said the entire episode was designed to intimidate him and other investigative journalists from using classified information and digging into stories critical of the british and allied governments . but , he said , it will have the reverse effect on him , making him more determined to carry on . the seizure of material from miranda will not stop the newspaper reporting on the story , he added . of course , we have multiple copies of every single thing that we 're working on , ' greenwald said . nobody would ever travel with only one copy of anything . ' cnn 's bryony jones , greg botelho , caroline paterson and stephanie halasz contributed to this report . watch anderson cooper 360° weeknights 10pm et . for the latest from ac360° click here . | they are seeking a declaration that what the uk authorities did is illegal , greenwald says |
germany <tsp> abu usama appears to be in his late 20s . with a neat ginger beard and a rifle slung over his shoulder , he addresses fellow muslims back in germany from his new home in northern syria . in a 9-minute video released by the islamic state of iraq and syria ( isis ) , he explains that he took his name from osama bin laden , because he hit the head of injustice , and he is the one who terrorized [ the west ] as they terrorized us . since they did not stop doing this , we will treat them in kind . ' he asks his audience : are you happy with your life in germany ? going to the nightclubs and having female friends ? ' according to a translation of the video by site intelligence . abu usama then appeals for muslims to join the struggle led by isis leader abu bakr al baghdadi . addressing al baghdadi , he says : the entire world is against you , because you are inviting to establish the islamic state . therefore , we love you and we stand beside you . ' the message was recorded last november . there is no record of abu usama since then . german media have reported that he is a former pizza delivery driver from a small town in north rhine-westphalia . but just how many have beaten the same path as abu usama -- from florida and france , austria and australia ? and if they come home , will they bring terrorism with them ? isis 's ambitions are focused on creating an emirate ' in the parts of syria and iraq it now controls , as the first step toward the greater goal of a wider islamic caliphate . but any u.s. military action to support the iraqi government could change that . if it chose to , isis could unleash a tide of young men with clean ' passports , fighting or bomb-making skills and unshakeable belief on their home countries . in his video , abu usama said it was the americans who were the terrorists . the task of counter-terrorism agencies is complicated by the fact that in many western states it is not illegal to travel to syria . after all , these governments are supporting the free syrian army and many who do go are inspired by humanitarian concerns . a senior u.s. official , who spoke to cnn on condition of anonymity , said last week that events in syria and iraq are dominating discussions in the counter-terrorism community . the official said isis was now focused on iraq , but the big concern ' was that it will shift its attention to the west -- identifying , recruiting and training western individuals to return to their homelands as hardened , combat-trained extremists . the signs are there . in january , isis leader abu bakr al baghdadi blamed jews and crusaders ' for stoking infighting between jihadist groups in syria , adding : very soon you will be in direct confrontation—you will be forced to do so , allah permitting . ' a french-algerian extremist , mehdi nemmouche , is accused of killing four people at the jewish museum in brussels last month . when french police arrested him they also seized a kalashnikov rifle wrapped in a flag bearing the isis insignia , according to prosecutors , who said nemmouche spent about a year fighting in syria . it is not known whether he joined isis . at best , western intelligence has a worryingly incomplete picture of who has traveled to join isis and other jihadist groups , despite some success in ascertaining identities through electronic eavesdropping and monitoring social media . there is very little first-hand intelligence from iraq or syria ; the majority of foreign fighters have traveled via turkey . authorities in france believe some 800 french nationals have travelled to syria , or intend to . analysts believe as many as 100 american citizens have made the trek . one additional concern : most europeans are able to travel to the u.s. without visas . french and german citizens have carried out suicide bombings in syria this year . so has at least one american . last month , 22-year old moner mohammad abusalha from florida became the first american suicide bomber in syria , after joining isis rival and al qaeda affiliate jabhat al-nusra . uk police say they made 40 arrests for syria-related offences in the first three months of this year , almost double the number of the entire previous year . richard walton , head of scotland yard 's counter-terrorism command , warned last year there were signs these recruits could be turned around to launch attacks in the uk . i do n't think the public realizes the seriousness of the problem , ' he said . the penny has n't dropped . but syria is a game-changer . ' fbi director james comey said last month : there 's going to be a diaspora out of syria at some point , and we are determined not to let lines be drawn from syria today to a future 9/11 . ' aaron zelin , a fellow at the washington center for near east policy , estimates that almost 3,000 european citizens have travelled to fight in syria . many of these young men were drawn to the cause of overthrowing bashar al-assad and establishing an islamic state in part or all of syria . they see themselves as the foot soldiers of a fledgling islamic emirate at the heart of the arab world . but now it is isis -- not al qaeda -- that is bringing the dream of a new islamic caliphate so tantalizingly close . if the group can retain even a few of its spectacular gains in iraq , adding to the northern parts of syria it already controls , the flow of foreign fighters from the arab world and the west will likely be turbo-charged . isis has already proved adept at releasing a string of propaganda videos featuring foreign fighters . so far , the little evidence that has come to light -- mainly from isis 's own announcements -- suggests that most suicide bombers in iraq have been arabs , including moroccans , tunisians and jordanians . but in march , it celebrated the martyrdom of a dane who had been involved in an attack against an iraqi army base in taji , north of baghdad . another dane detonated a suicide car bomb against iraqi troops south of mosul , and a french citizen bombed a police headquarters in mosul , the group said in may , in a statement translated by site intelligence . the frenchman , called abu al-qa'qa'al-firansi , had come to iraq through syria . al qaeda in pakistan taught many european and american recruits how to make high-explosive bombs out of readily available materials . to date there is no public evidence that isis or jabhat al-nusra have provided western recruits with bomb-making training tailored for taking home . ' attacking the west has not been a priority for either group to date . but it would be naïve to think that overt u.s. military action -- such as air strikes -- against isis fighters in iraq would not provoke a response . laith alkhouri , an analyst at flashpoint says the united states would be crossing a red line : the risk of terrorist attacks in the west will increase because isis will see any u.s. intervention as the crusaders trying to stop an islamic state rising . ' al qaeda operatives in the region , despite their differences with isis , may also step up attempts to hit the west in the wake of any u.s. strikes . last month the u.s. treasury department stated that abd al-rahman al-juhani , a high-ranking saudi al qaeda operative previously based in pakistan was now operating in syria and part of a group of senior al qaeda members in syria formed to conduct external operations against western targets . ' many analysts expect retaliation would be against u.s. interests overseas , rather than the in homeland itself . it has been a growing focus of discussion on jihadist forums . u.s. allies in the region are already concerned about isis spreading its wings . in march , saudi arabia designated isis a terrorist group ; hundreds of saudis are said to have joined the group . the challenge posed by isis is compounded by the fact that it treats iraq and syria as one theatre of war . it has even declared the border as non-existent . its fighters have great mobility , and may gain experience of a variety of combat situations . and as an organization it has depth . while observers tend to focus on the'syria foreign fighter issue ,'the problem actually spans two countries . iraq is now a key part of the same quandary that western leaders have been attempting to figure out in syria for some time , ' says zelin . additionally , isis has shown itself entirely independent -- and highly critical - of al qaeda'central'under the leadership of ayman al zawahiri . it has set itself up as the real bearer of osama bin laden 's legacy , and may be tempted to cement its growing reputation by announcing its reach far beyond mosul or raqqa , its capital ' in syria . the senior u.s. official said isis was growing and making a huge name for itself . and what better way to capitalize on that than make a major attack in the west ? ' he added . terrifying execution images in iraq isis uses social media to wage propaganda war bergen : bush 's toxic legacy in iraq iraq crisis pulls in u.s. and iran as violent militants capture more cities | citizens from france , germany , denmark , u.s. have carried out bombings in iraq and syria |
colorado <tsp> president george h.w . bush appointed me as the nation 's first director of national drug control policy -- or drug czar ' -- in 1989 . we took on many big fights , the largest of which was the cocaine epidemic spreading from the jungles of colombia to the streets of the united states . we conducted an all-out assault on drugs through tough enforcement measures and public education . contrary to war on drugs ' critics , drug use and addiction dropped across the country . the issue of marijuana legalization was far less prominent than it is today , although even then , some argued that we should experiment with legalization . i told them not on my watch ; the cost to society would be too great . if you do n't want to take my word that it can be harmful , perhaps you 'll take lady gaga 's . in a recent interview , the world-famous pop star admitted she was heavily addicted to marijuana . i have been addicted to it and it 's ultimately related to anxiety coping and it 's a form of self-medication and i was smoking up to 15 or 20 marijuana cigarettes a day with no tobacco , ' she said . i was living on a totally other psychedelic plane , numbing myself completely . ' lady gaga said she was speaking out to bust the myth that marijuana is just a harmless plant . i just want young kids to know that you actually can become addicted to it , and there 's this sentiment that you ca n't and that 's actually not true . ' today a fully functioning experiment in legal marijuana for adults is going on in colorado and another one is set to begin later this year in washington . supreme court justice louis brandeis once remarked that in our democratic republic , the states are the laboratories of democracy . we are running a few labs now and shall see what happens . but , as with any public debate , we need to hear all sides . so far , the advocates of marijuana legalization have dominated the public arena . it 's certainly had an effect . according to a new cnn poll , a majority of americans support legalizing marijuana . but where are the voices of the wounded ? where is the outrage from the families who have been hurt ? we know they are out there . more americans are admitted to treatment facilities for marijuana use than any other illegal drug . i 've talked to parents all over the country who lost children to drug abuse -- not to marijuana alone ; though in many cases it was a gateway drug or part of their deadly drug concoction . people have been deeply hurt by drug related accidents or spent thousands of dollars on drug rehabilitation . we need to hear their voices . during my tenure as drug czar , i traveled to more than 120 communities to see firsthand the impact of illegal drugs . among those visits was a trip to boston to take part in drug busts in some of the city 's most broken and dangerous neighborhoods . not once during that visit did a parent or community leader advocate for legalization or loosening drug restrictions . rather , they wanted the drugs confiscated and drug dealers locked up . they knew the damage drugs had inflicted on their children and communities . that same evening harvard university held a discussion on drugs and law enforcement . there i listened to scores of academics argue for legalizing or decriminalizing drugs . it 's hardly an exercise in intellectual rigor for those in the middle- and upper-class who live in areas with little crime and violence to be willing to experiment with drug legalization . they live far removed from the realities of the drug trade . but travel to its core , to the slums and projects run by ruthless drug dealers , and these intellectuals may rethink their position . it 's a myth that marijuana , because it is not as harmful as cocaine , heroin or some other illegal hard drugs , is safe or safe enough to warrant legalization . opponents contest that marijuana has n't ravaged communities or that the drug itself is n't to blame . but that 's not true . it 's ravaged the community of the young . marijuana is the most widely used drug in the country , especially among young people . according to the 2012 national survey on drug use and health , of the 7.3 million persons aged 12 or older classified with illicit drug dependence or abuse in 2012 , 4.3 million persons had marijuana dependence or abuse , ' making marijuana the drug with the largest number of people with dependence or abuse . the medical community has warned about the danger . a recent northwestern university study found that marijuana users have abnormal brain structure and poor memory and that chronic marijuana abuse may lead to brain changes resembling schizophrenia . the study also reported that the younger the person starts using marijuana , the worse the effects become . in its own report arguing against marijuana legalization , the american medical association said : heavy cannabis use in adolescence causes persistent impairments in neurocognitive performance and iq , and use is associated with increased rates of anxiety , mood and psychotic thought disorders . ' the country can ill-afford a costly experiment with drugs . while we are undergoing a national debate over improving health care costs and education performance , legalizing marijuana will undercut those vital missions . we will wait and see what colorado 's and washington 's experiments hold , but i expect that after several years , we will see marijuana use rise dramatically , even among adolescents . the states will come to regret their decisions . as the late , great political scientist james q. wilson remarked , the central problem with legalizing drugs is that it will increase drug consumption ' -- and all its inherent harm . | bennett : colorado and washington will come to regret decision to legalize pot for adults |
klas <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a las vegas cabbie had no second thoughts when he found $ 300,000 in cash in a brown paper bag in his cab this week . he made sure it was returned to the forgetful owner . i do n't care from $ 10 to higher . my dignity is not for sale , and that 's the way i am . that 's the way our parents taught us when i was a kid , ' cabbie gerardo gamboa told cnn affiliate kvvu . all i wanted to do was just call my dispatcher and return it , and this is the only chance i have to show cab drivers in las vegas are not bad people . ' the loser of the money -- at least temporarily , thanks to gamboa 's good deed -- was a famous 28-year-old professional poker player , whom officials were n't publicly identifying , according to another cnn affiliate , klas . the gambler was so devastated at his loss monday that he wanted to shoot himself in the head , ' a cab company official told klas . he was grateful . he was very understanding ; he was n't irritated . to a point he was irritated , but he was n't mad or aggressive or anything . maybe a little more embarrassed than anything . i mean , he left $ 300,000 in a cab , but he was an awesome guy , ' yellow checker star field operations manager joel willden told kvvu . the chief operating officer of the cab company described the sum as the most found in a cab in his 32 years in the business . we had to be as a company extremely cautious that the right person got the money , ' cab firm ceo bill shranko told klas . it 's the christmas season and we think it 's the best story that i 've seen in 32 years , and cab drivers worldwide are going to be very proud . ' it all began when gamboa drove a man about two miles between casino-hotels , from the cosmopolitan on the las vegas strip to palms place , klas reported . the man gave him a $ 5 tip . gamboa then went back to the strip -- the bellagio casino-hotel . when the doorman at the bellagio opened up the door for the next passenger , he said ,'there 's a bag in here . it 's full of chocolate ,'' gamboa told klas . when he opened the bag , gamboa was stunned at the six bundles of $ 100 bills inside . his next fare was already in the cab , and gamboa told the passenger , look sir , you are my witness . i did n't touch anything here , ' gamboa told klas . meanwhile , the poker player went to the cab company looking for his lost money . gamboa took the small fortune to the office of his nevada cab company , which contacted authorities . after a four-hour police investigation , officials confirmed the gambler was the rightful owner of the money , klas reported . yellow check star gave gamboa a $ 1,000 reward , made him driver of the year , and gave him a steak dinner for two , the affiliates reported . i did the right thing , that 's it , ' gamboa told klas . they call us sin city . but it 's not . it 's angel city . ' rabbi returns $ 98,000 he found in desk he bought on craigslist | new : i did the right thing , that 's it , ' cabbie tell klas |
bo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- bo xilai , the chinese politician who fell from grace amid a dramatic political scandal , has been expelled from the communist party and relieved of his duties , china 's state-run news agency , xinhua , reported friday . bo once was considered a top contender for the politburo standing committee , the team of nine politicians who effectively rule china , but the news report on his expulsion painted a portrait of corruption , abuse of power and improper sexual relationships . the party said bo made severe mistakes ' in the killing of a british businessman -- a crime for which his wife was imprisoned -- and a diplomatic incident involving a police official , xinhua said . investigators cited influence peddling , bribery and womanizing , new details found in the course of the party 's investigation . bo had or maintained improper sexual relationships with a number of women , ' the state news agency said . he also took advantage of his power to seek profits and received bribes , xinhua said . and his family accepted a huge amount of money and property from others , ' the news agency reported . the news came a month before china 's communist party is expected to meet at its 18th national congress in beijing to announce who 'll occupy the top positions . bo xilai saga nears end game bo is a charismatic , albeit controversial , politician who launched a smashing black , singing red ' campaign in the southwestern city of chongqing that promoted communist ideology and zealously cracked down on organized crime . his economic programs , which included millions spent on social welfare , made him a popular leader in chongqing . but analysts say his populist policies and high-profile personal style were seen as a challenge to the more economically liberal and reform-oriented faction that dominates the current party leadership . bo 's fortunes changed when news surfaced this year that his wife , gu kailai , was suspected to be an accomplice in a murder case . gu and family aide zhang xiaojun were arrested in early april , suspected of poisoning british businessman neil heywood . heywood died in november in chongqing , where bo was the communist party chief . his death was originally blamed on excessive alcohol consumption . bo was soon stripped of his top posts for serious breach of discipline . ' in august , his wife received a suspended death sentence after a seven-hour trial . days later , four senior chongqing police officers were also sentenced to jail for covering up the murder . opinion : china murder trial a rigged spectacle why was gu kailai spared ? wang lijun , the former police chief of chongqing , set off the bo story on february 6 , when he fled to the u.s. consulate in chengdu and told american diplomats that gu was a suspected accomplice in a murder case . after his request for asylum was turned down , wang left the consulate and was taken away by chinese officials . but his accusations rocked the world 's most populous nation . wang this week was sentenced to 15 years for defection , coverup , bribe taking and abuse of power . the party expelled bo after an investigation of the killing and wang 's visit to the consulate , a trip made without permission , ' xinhua said . the investigators said bo bore major responsibility ' in the wang incident and the killing , xinhua reported , citing the investigation results . bo xilai'implicated'in murder bo 's fall from grace ' he took advantage of his office to seek profits for others and received huge bribes personally and through his family . his position was also abused by his wife ... to seek profits for others and his family thereby accepted a huge amount of money and property from others , ' xinhua said . investigators determined that his behavior tarnished the party 's reputation , xinhua reported . the investigation discovered clues to his suspected involvement in other crimes . ' the party investigators sent their conclusions to judicial authorities . bo had affairs and maintained improper sexual relationships with a number of women . he was also found to have violated organizational and personnel disciplines and made wrong decisions in personnel promotion , which led to serious consequences . ' the trials and convictions have been carefully scripted and apparently timed to deal ' with bo ahead of the planned leadership transition at the communist party 's 18th national congress . disgraced party chief looms large over china 's leadership who are the next generation of chinese leaders ? jockeying for position ahead of china 's leadership jamboree | bo 's fortunes changed when his wife was tied to a murder case |
bo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- bo xilai , the chinese politician who fell from grace amid a dramatic political scandal , has been expelled from the communist party and relieved of his duties , china 's state-run news agency , xinhua , reported friday . bo once was considered a top contender for the politburo standing committee , the team of nine politicians who effectively rule china , but the news report on his expulsion painted a portrait of corruption , abuse of power and improper sexual relationships . the party said bo made severe mistakes ' in the killing of a british businessman -- a crime for which his wife was imprisoned -- and a diplomatic incident involving a police official , xinhua said . investigators cited influence peddling , bribery and womanizing , new details found in the course of the party 's investigation . bo had or maintained improper sexual relationships with a number of women , ' the state news agency said . he also took advantage of his power to seek profits and received bribes , xinhua said . and his family accepted a huge amount of money and property from others , ' the news agency reported . the news came a month before china 's communist party is expected to meet at its 18th national congress in beijing to announce who 'll occupy the top positions . bo xilai saga nears end game bo is a charismatic , albeit controversial , politician who launched a smashing black , singing red ' campaign in the southwestern city of chongqing that promoted communist ideology and zealously cracked down on organized crime . his economic programs , which included millions spent on social welfare , made him a popular leader in chongqing . but analysts say his populist policies and high-profile personal style were seen as a challenge to the more economically liberal and reform-oriented faction that dominates the current party leadership . bo 's fortunes changed when news surfaced this year that his wife , gu kailai , was suspected to be an accomplice in a murder case . gu and family aide zhang xiaojun were arrested in early april , suspected of poisoning british businessman neil heywood . heywood died in november in chongqing , where bo was the communist party chief . his death was originally blamed on excessive alcohol consumption . bo was soon stripped of his top posts for serious breach of discipline . ' in august , his wife received a suspended death sentence after a seven-hour trial . days later , four senior chongqing police officers were also sentenced to jail for covering up the murder . opinion : china murder trial a rigged spectacle why was gu kailai spared ? wang lijun , the former police chief of chongqing , set off the bo story on february 6 , when he fled to the u.s. consulate in chengdu and told american diplomats that gu was a suspected accomplice in a murder case . after his request for asylum was turned down , wang left the consulate and was taken away by chinese officials . but his accusations rocked the world 's most populous nation . wang this week was sentenced to 15 years for defection , coverup , bribe taking and abuse of power . the party expelled bo after an investigation of the killing and wang 's visit to the consulate , a trip made without permission , ' xinhua said . the investigators said bo bore major responsibility ' in the wang incident and the killing , xinhua reported , citing the investigation results . bo xilai'implicated'in murder bo 's fall from grace ' he took advantage of his office to seek profits for others and received huge bribes personally and through his family . his position was also abused by his wife ... to seek profits for others and his family thereby accepted a huge amount of money and property from others , ' xinhua said . investigators determined that his behavior tarnished the party 's reputation , xinhua reported . the investigation discovered clues to his suspected involvement in other crimes . ' the party investigators sent their conclusions to judicial authorities . bo had affairs and maintained improper sexual relationships with a number of women . he was also found to have violated organizational and personnel disciplines and made wrong decisions in personnel promotion , which led to serious consequences . ' the trials and convictions have been carefully scripted and apparently timed to deal ' with bo ahead of the planned leadership transition at the communist party 's 18th national congress . disgraced party chief looms large over china 's leadership who are the next generation of chinese leaders ? jockeying for position ahead of china 's leadership jamboree | bo xilai 's economic programs made him popular in chongqing |
libya <tsp> ( cnn ) -- syria says results will be available monday from its referendum on changes to the country 's constitution , a vote taken as government troops continued pounding the opposition stronghold of homs and other cities . opposition activists reported at least 55 deaths across the country on sunday , including 25 in homs , which has been under bombardment for more than three weeks . despite the ongoing violence , it held a vote on what the government of president bashar al-assad calls a move toward reform . interior minister mohammed al-shaar said the voting ran normally ' in most provinces , and turnout was huge ... except in some areas , ' the state-run syrian arab news agency reported . results from the vote would be announced monday evening , sana said . but analysts and protesters ridicule the constitutional referendum as window dressing , the latest in a series of superficial measures intended to pacify al-assad 's critics . lt. col. mohamed hamado , a spokesman for the rebel free syrian army , said civilians reported government authorities were pressuring them to support the new constitution . al-assad 's family has ruled syria for four decades . andrew tabler , a syria expert at the washington institute for near east policy , said the president is using the referendum to get people to leave the streets ' after a nearly year-long uprising . the local coordination committees of syria , a network of opposition activists , has said about 9,000 people have been killed since the government launched its crackdown on opposition last march . the syrian government says more than 2,000 members of its security forces have been killed by terrorists ' during that period , including seven martyrs ' who were buried sunday , sana reported . cnn and other media outlets can not independently verify opposition or government reports because syria has severely limited access to the country by foreign journalists . but the vast majority of reports from the ground indicate government forces are massacring citizens in an attempt to wipe out dissidents seeking al-assad 's ouster . in homs , the international committee of the red cross has been trying for days to negotiate even a temporary cease-fire to deliver humanitarian aid into the homs and its hardest-hit neighborhood , baba amr , without success . the negotiations continue -- they never stop . we remain very hopeful to get back into baba amr , but the negotiations have been difficult , ' said saleh dabkah , a spokesman for the local partner organization , the red crescent . sunday 's toll also included nine deaths in hama , seven in daraa and 11 in idlib , where syrian tanks began shelling the city early sunday , according to the lcc . syria announced the referendum amid intense international pressure to halt the bloodshed and open up its regime to reforms . but among the changes in sunday 's referendum was one article that states the law shall regulate the provisions and procedures related to the formation of political parties . ' carrying out any political activity or forming any political parties or groupings on the basis of religious , sectarian , tribal , regional , class-based , professional , or on discrimination based on gender , origin , race or color may not be undertaken , ' it continues . the language suggests government permission is needed to form a party and excludes a number of people and groups from political activity , tabler said . it 's not going to change the fact that it 's a minority-dominated situation , ' he said . it will remain a presidential system with powers vested in the hands of the president . ' but former syrian lawmaker george jabbour said clause 8 of the new draft of the constitution is the essential point ' of the document . it allows a multi-party system ' instead of leaving the ruling baath party as the leading party of the society and the state , ' as current constitution does . jabbour said special committees will be formed to look into the licensing of new parties in line with the new constitution . ' as for presidential elections , they will be competitive since there is no leading party anymore , and all the parties'candidates are eligible provided their candidacy is endorsed by at least 35 members of parliament , ' jabbour said . meanwhile , the opposition syrian national council urged syria 's alawite community , the minority sect to which al-assad belongs , to join the revolt and promised their rights would be protected in a post-assad syria . the alawites remain an important component of syria , and will continue to enjoy the same rights as other citizens as we build one nation of christians , muslims , and other sects , ' an snc statement declared . the regime will not be successful in pitting us against one another . we are determined to unite our society , and the first step is for us to extend our hand to our alawite brothers and sisters , to build in syria a nation governed by citizenship and the rule of law . ' the opposition council acknowledged that the revolt had been tinged with sectarian strife ' -- but it blamed that on al-assad 's brutal violence , which has led to an increase in sectarianism . ' however , it is important to emphasize that the first step in halting sectarian strife in syria is to overthrow the regime , ' it said . we in the snc consider members of the alawite sect to be an essential element of syria 's cultural and ethnic fabric . ' and u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton said sunday that diplomatic efforts were under way to peel away support from syria 's president bashar al-assad . we have a lot of contacts , as do other countries -- a lot of sources within the syrian government and the business community and minority communities -- and our message is the same to all of them :'you can not continue to support this illegitimate regime because it is going to fall ,' clinton told cnn . but she said the snc was not yet the kind of united opposition movement that toppled moammar gadhafi with international help in libya last year . the libyan opposition base in the city of beghazi gave the international community an address ' to deal with , clinton said . we do n't have that in syria , ' she said . the syrian national council is doing the best it can but obviously it is not yet a united opposition . ' and former u.s. national security adviser zbigniew brzezinski also cautioned against seeing syria as another libya . we should n't be careless in any comparisons between assad and gadhafi . gadhafi was far more vulnerable than assad is . i think it 's far from clear yet that assad can , in fact , be overthrown at this stage , ' brzezinski told cnn 's fareed zakaria gps . ' he recommended letting regional powers take the lead on whether to arm syria 's opposition . i would be very much guided by the turks and the saudis . the turks have the regional role to play . they 're assuming that role . they have intelligent leadership , ' he said . the choice of how to act and particularly if one is to be engaged in some fashion militarily , i think , has to be made first by them and also the saudis , and not first by us . ' questioned about the brutality that the government has unleashed since demonstrations began nearly a year ago , brzezinksi said that history shows brutality often works . cnn 's salma abdelaziz , holly yan , joe sterling and yousuf basil contributed to this report . | a former top white house official warns that syria is not like libya |
south africa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ever hopped in a taxi and sat in traffic for hours whilst pedestrians and cyclists sailed past your window ? if so , you may wondered whether you 're part of the problem and not the solution . as public transport networks continue to improve in many african cities , taxis remain a common mode of getting around . but for neil du preez , there must be a better way . the south african entrepreneur has developed mellowcabs -- electric three-wheeled vehicles designed for eco-friendly and efficient transportation in urban areas . cnn 's african start-up caught up with du preez to talk travel , business and starting up in south africa . an edited version of the interview follows . cnn : what got you thinking about changing the taxi concept ? neil du preez : the departure point was when i learned 80 % of all urban trips are less than four kilometers . globally , taxi rides are fairly short and it 's really inefficient to use a traditional taxi for these journeys . efficiencies that can come with a small vehicle are enormous and passenger savings would be enormous . cnn : what stage of development is mellowcabs at ? ndp : we built eight prototype cars and did a lot of testing -- we tested brakes , lights , everything . after the test , we basically wanted to re-design the entire vehicle and took the prototypes off the road . we are now at the stage of building chassis and want to be on south african roads in the first quarter of 2015 . cnn : you say these vehicles are designed for urban areas . where are you targeting in south africa and beyond ? ndp : we already have demand from advertisers for 60 vehicles in the western cape [ the south african province where cape town is located ] . after that , we will focus on gauteng province -- south africa 's province where johannesburg and pretoria are located . beyond that a big mobile phone company in nigeria is interested too and we are considering an initial focus on lagos . but this could go beyond africa too . we have had talks about a project in washington dc and other cities in usa . cnn : how safe will traveling in these vehicles be ? ndp : we have developed ultra-rigid roll cage , safety belts and proximity sensors for the vehicles and some will be fitted with doors . i also recognize there are some security issues in south africa . in very slow moving traffic , there is a risk of bag-snatching . passengers will be able to use lockable baggage areas underneath the seat to keep property safe . and we are also looking at some vehicles to be fitted with a cctv camera . cnn : how much will it cost for a normal journey ? ndp : the goal is to make each ride 15-20 rand ( less than $ 2 ) per ride , irrespective of distance traveled . we want a mellowcab ride to be way , way cheaper than traditional taxis . normal taxis in south africa are 8rand per kilometer in a flagged ride , plus 15 rand for flag fall . ' i recently took a 15 kilometer taxi ride north of cape town , and it cost 370 rand ( $ 33 ) . we want mellowcab to be much cheaper for the passenger and for the operator too . passengers will be able to pay cash or through an app . cnn : will all mellowcabs be driven by employees , or can people hire them for self-drive ? ndp : all drivers will be permanently employed staff -- there 's more than enough people looking for quality work around here . i want to build up a team of really strong drivers . we 're putting successful drivers through a formal tour-guide training course , which will benefit not only us , but ideally develop them into small business owners later on . we 're also equipping them with communication and client interaction courses . what we 're also thinking of doing is transferring ownership of the vehicles to the drivers after a period of successful operation ... enabling them to become semi-owner drivers . cnn : where is the funding coming from ? ndp : at the moment , the south african government is not involved . they have promised to get involved in the future , but i 'm not sure i want that . at the moment , the funding comes from a south african venture capital fund , and i own the majority of the shares . there is one other investor -- it 's [ been ] almost three years of playing around with different transport ideas . cnn : why have you decided to start in south africa -- is it a good country for entrepreneurs ? ndp : as far as africa goes , south africa is ideal -- we have good infrastructure and good internet connectivity . but we should all start thinking outside of africa . there 's quite a lot of demand outside of south africa for south african products . traditionally , there was a very old school mindset -- south africa was a very isolated market . now things are happening , a lot of good opportunities and focus on startups . cnn : is the government doing enough to encourage innovation ? ndp : the south african government could get much more involved in developing entrepreneurs . i 'd love them to get more involved particularly with funding . there is funding available for entrepreneurs , but it 's practically impossible . it 's really difficult to access the funding from south african government . read this : bike tour gives taste of township life more from african start-up monique todd contributed to this story | after south africa du preez wants to expand to nigeria and the u.s . |
neil du preez <tsp> ( cnn ) -- ever hopped in a taxi and sat in traffic for hours whilst pedestrians and cyclists sailed past your window ? if so , you may wondered whether you 're part of the problem and not the solution . as public transport networks continue to improve in many african cities , taxis remain a common mode of getting around . but for neil du preez , there must be a better way . the south african entrepreneur has developed mellowcabs -- electric three-wheeled vehicles designed for eco-friendly and efficient transportation in urban areas . cnn 's african start-up caught up with du preez to talk travel , business and starting up in south africa . an edited version of the interview follows . cnn : what got you thinking about changing the taxi concept ? neil du preez : the departure point was when i learned 80 % of all urban trips are less than four kilometers . globally , taxi rides are fairly short and it 's really inefficient to use a traditional taxi for these journeys . efficiencies that can come with a small vehicle are enormous and passenger savings would be enormous . cnn : what stage of development is mellowcabs at ? ndp : we built eight prototype cars and did a lot of testing -- we tested brakes , lights , everything . after the test , we basically wanted to re-design the entire vehicle and took the prototypes off the road . we are now at the stage of building chassis and want to be on south african roads in the first quarter of 2015 . cnn : you say these vehicles are designed for urban areas . where are you targeting in south africa and beyond ? ndp : we already have demand from advertisers for 60 vehicles in the western cape [ the south african province where cape town is located ] . after that , we will focus on gauteng province -- south africa 's province where johannesburg and pretoria are located . beyond that a big mobile phone company in nigeria is interested too and we are considering an initial focus on lagos . but this could go beyond africa too . we have had talks about a project in washington dc and other cities in usa . cnn : how safe will traveling in these vehicles be ? ndp : we have developed ultra-rigid roll cage , safety belts and proximity sensors for the vehicles and some will be fitted with doors . i also recognize there are some security issues in south africa . in very slow moving traffic , there is a risk of bag-snatching . passengers will be able to use lockable baggage areas underneath the seat to keep property safe . and we are also looking at some vehicles to be fitted with a cctv camera . cnn : how much will it cost for a normal journey ? ndp : the goal is to make each ride 15-20 rand ( less than $ 2 ) per ride , irrespective of distance traveled . we want a mellowcab ride to be way , way cheaper than traditional taxis . normal taxis in south africa are 8rand per kilometer in a flagged ride , plus 15 rand for flag fall . ' i recently took a 15 kilometer taxi ride north of cape town , and it cost 370 rand ( $ 33 ) . we want mellowcab to be much cheaper for the passenger and for the operator too . passengers will be able to pay cash or through an app . cnn : will all mellowcabs be driven by employees , or can people hire them for self-drive ? ndp : all drivers will be permanently employed staff -- there 's more than enough people looking for quality work around here . i want to build up a team of really strong drivers . we 're putting successful drivers through a formal tour-guide training course , which will benefit not only us , but ideally develop them into small business owners later on . we 're also equipping them with communication and client interaction courses . what we 're also thinking of doing is transferring ownership of the vehicles to the drivers after a period of successful operation ... enabling them to become semi-owner drivers . cnn : where is the funding coming from ? ndp : at the moment , the south african government is not involved . they have promised to get involved in the future , but i 'm not sure i want that . at the moment , the funding comes from a south african venture capital fund , and i own the majority of the shares . there is one other investor -- it 's [ been ] almost three years of playing around with different transport ideas . cnn : why have you decided to start in south africa -- is it a good country for entrepreneurs ? ndp : as far as africa goes , south africa is ideal -- we have good infrastructure and good internet connectivity . but we should all start thinking outside of africa . there 's quite a lot of demand outside of south africa for south african products . traditionally , there was a very old school mindset -- south africa was a very isolated market . now things are happening , a lot of good opportunities and focus on startups . cnn : is the government doing enough to encourage innovation ? ndp : the south african government could get much more involved in developing entrepreneurs . i 'd love them to get more involved particularly with funding . there is funding available for entrepreneurs , but it 's practically impossible . it 's really difficult to access the funding from south african government . read this : bike tour gives taste of township life more from african start-up monique todd contributed to this story | south african entrepreneur neil du preez started working on the idea three years ago |
tron <tsp> ( cnn ) -- need a break from shopping and celebrating the holidays ? there will be lots of offerings at your local cinema as hollywood is releasing a crop of new films through the end of the year . now playing ' burlesque ' plot summary : a small-town girl goes to california to perform in a burlesque musical revue . starring : christina aguilera , cher , stanley tucci and kristen bell ' faster ' plot summary : an ex-con out to avenge his brother 's murder must also deal with a hit man and a police officer hunting him . starring : dwayne johnson , billy bob thornton and maggie grace ' love and other drugs ' plot summary : a pharmaceutical salesman begins a relationship with a woman who has parkinson 's disease . starring : jake gyllenhaal , anne hathaway and judy greer ' tangled ' plot summary : love inspires the long-haired princess rapunzel to leave her tower in this reboot of a beloved fairy tale . starring : voices of mandy moore , zachary levi and donna murphy ' the legend of pale male ' * limited release in new york plot summary : documentary about a red-tailed hawk who becomes a famous resident of new york . starring : n/a ' the nutcracker in 3d ' * limited release ; wide release december 3 plot summary : the classic story of girl whose gift comes to life one christmas eve gets a modern , 3-d twist . starring : elle fanning , nathan lane and john turturro friday ' the king 's speech ' plot summary : an australian speech therapist tries to help king george vi of britain overcome a speech impediment . starring : colin firth , geoffrey rush and helena bonham carter ' london boulevard ' plot summary : a parolee battles with a gangster for the affections of a movie star . starring : keira knightley , colin farrell and jamie campbell bower december 3 ' all good things ' * limited release in new york plot summary : inspired by one of the most notorious unsolved crime cases in new york history , the film is part murder mystery , part love story . starring : ryan gosling , kirsten dunst , kristen wiig and frank langella ' the assistants ' * limited release in los angeles . plot summary : a group of hollywood assistants struggle to get a film made . starring : joe mantegna , jane seymour , stacy keach and chris conner ' black swan ' plot summary : a thriller in which a ballet dancer finds herself pitted against a newcomer as they both compete for the ultimate role . starring : natalie portman , mila kunis and vincent cassel ' i love you phillip morris ' plot summary : a con man meets the love of his life behind bars . starring : jim carrey , ewan mcgregor and leslie mann ' dead awake ' plot summary : a young man attempts to unravel a past that is haunting him . starring : nick stahl , rose mcgowan and amy smart ' meskada ' * limited release plot summary : a detective 's investigation of a boy 's murder leads him back to his hometown . starring : nick stahl , rachel nichols , kellan lutz and jonathan tucker ' night catches us ' * limited release in new york ; new jersey ; philadelphia , pennsylvania ; and west hollywood , california plot summary : in 1976 , a young man returns after years of being away to the race-torn philadelphia neighborhood where he grew up . starring : anthony mackie , kerry washington , jamie hector and wendell pierce ' the warrior 's way ' plot summary : a master swordsman seeks sanctuary in an american town after refusing a mission . starring : jang dong-gun , kate bosworth and geoffrey rush december 10 ' the chronicles of narnia : the voyage of the dawn treader ' plot summary : lucy , edmund and their cousin eustace are drawn to narnia again . starring : georgie henley , skandar keynes and ben barnes ' the company men ' plot summary : three men try to survive during a year in which their company undergoes corporate downsizing . starring : tommy lee jones , ben affleck and chris cooper ' the fighter ' plot summary : the story of the early years of boxer irish ' micky ward and his brother before the former went pro in the mid-1980s . starring : mark wahlberg , christian bale and amy adams ' garden of eden ' plot summary : promising american novelist david bourne travels across europe with his wife and her italian girlfriend . starring : jack huston , mena suvari and richard e. grant ' the tourist ' plot summary : an interpol agent draws a tourist into a web of intrigue . starring : angelina jolie , johnny depp and paul bettany ' you wo n't miss me ' plot summary : a troubled young woman is released from a psychiatric hospital and lashes out at the world with a series of self-destructive acts . starring : stella schnabel , simon o'connor , zachary tucker and borden capalino ' the tempest ' plot summary : based on shakespeare 's play , a vengeful sorceress unleashes her powers against shipwrecked enemies . starring : helen mirren , russell brand , djimon hounsou and alfred molina december 17 ' and soon the darkness ' plot summary : two american girls bike in a remote part of argentina when one disappears and the other must find her before it 's too late . starring : odette yustman , amber heard , karl urban and adriana barraza . how do you know ' plot summary : a woman is caught in a love triangle involving a baseball player and an old acquaintance . starring : reese witherspoon , owen wilson , paul rudd and jack nicholson ' rabbit hole ' * limited release ; wide release january 14 plot summary : a man and his wife struggle to come to terms with the accidental death of their 4-year-old son . starring : nicole kidman , aaron eckhart , sandra oh and dianne wiest ' yogi bear ' plot summary : a documentary filmmaker travels to jellystone park where he discovers yogi and boo-boo . starring : voices of anna faris , dan aykroyd and justin timberlake ' tron : legacy ' plot summary : a man is haunted by the disappearance of his father , a world-renowned video game developer . starring : garrett hedlund , jeff bridges and olivia wilde december 22 ' little fockers ' plot summary : the focker family prepares for the arrival of a baby . starring : robert de niro , ben stiller and teri polo ' somewhere ' plot summary : a hollywood bad-boy re-examines his life after an unexpected visit from his young daughter . starring : stephen dorff , elle fanning and chris pontius ' true grit ' plot summary : a teenager enlists the aid of a boozy , trigger-happy lawman to find her father 's killer . starring : jeff bridges , matt damon , josh brolin and hailee steinfeld ' gulliver 's travels ' plot summary : a shipwrecked travel writer is a giant in lilliput , land of little people . starring : jack black , emily blunt , jason segel and billy connolly december 25 ' the illusionist ' plot summary : an aging magician bonds with a young fan who believes his tricks are real magic . starring : voices of jean-claude donda , eilidh rankin and didier gustin december 29 ' another year ' plot summary : a happy middle-aged couple are hit with life 's highs and lows over the span of four seasons , including embracing their son 's newly discovered partner and enduring an unexpected death in the family . starring : david bradley , jim broadbent , karina fernandez and oliver maltman ' biutiful ' plot summary : a crook with a terminal illness tries to set his affairs in order . starring : javier bardem , maricel álvarez , hanaa bouchaib and diarytou daff ' casino jack ' plot summary : kevin spacey stars as washington lobbyist jack abramoff , whose greed and corruption get him in a heap of legal hot water . starring : kevin spacey , barry pepper , jon lovitz and kelly preston ' the debt ' plot summary : past events haunt a former mossad agent when she returns to eastern europe to investigate the apparent reappearance of a nazi war criminal she thought was long dead . starring : helen mirren , sam worthington , jessica chastain and jesper christensen ' the way back ' plot summary : this drama follows a group of soldiers who escaped from a siberian gulag in 1940 . starring : colin farrell , jim sturgess , saoirse ronan and ed harris ' wild target ' * limited release plot summary : a respected hit man is thinking about retirement and starting a family when he meets a beautiful thief who may shake up his plans . starring : bill nighy , emily blunt and rupert grint december 31 ' blue valentine ' plot summary : a love story centered on a couple who try to save their marriage amidst the romantic memories of their past . starring : ryan gosling , michelle williams and john doman | garrett hedlund gets pulled into the cyberworld of tron in tron : legacy ' |
uefa <tsp> belgrade , serbia -- partizan belgrade are unlikely to appeal against their ban from the uefa cup , the serbian first division club 's deputy general secretary gordan petric said on thursday . there is little for the partizan players to celebrate after uefa 's verdict . we will decide what to do over the next few days but appealing against the verdict may not be the smartest thing to do because uefa may react by imposing even stronger repercussions , ' petric told belgrade 's b 92 television . we really left no room to the uefa disciplinary committee to be lenient because we had been punished in 25 of our 36 european matches in the last five years and we need to address the problem very seriously , ' he said . earlier on thursday , uefa took the most drastic action against a serbian club to date , banning them from european competition for one year and fining them 50,000 swiss francs ( $ 41.259 ) . the penalty followed serious crowd trouble during partizan 's 6-1 win at bosnian rivals zrinjski mostar in last week 's uefa cup first qualifying round first leg . uefa said on its official website partizan could appeal against the verdict within three days of the european governing body sending out the formal grounds for its decision . subject to any such appeal , uefa confirmed that zrinjski would now progress to the second qualifying round . violence in last thursday 's match erupted early in the first half after rival fans clashed with police while pelting each other with rocks , flares and ripped-up seats . play was held up for 10 minutes and resumed only after the few riot police on duty managed to create a buffer zone between the 8,000 home fans and the visitors . after the game , 36 people were injured and six arrested . police used tear gas to separate the home fans from departing partizan supporters . violence is rife in serbian football and clubs well as the national team have been made to play their matches either behind closed doors or at neutral venues in recent times . serbia kicked off their euro 2008 qualifying campaign in an empty stadium after trouble during their 2006 world cup home qualifier against bosnia . e-mail to a friend | partizan , who won 6-1 , are unlikely to appeal against uefa 's verdict |
uefa <tsp> belgrade , serbia -- partizan belgrade are unlikely to appeal against their ban from the uefa cup , the serbian first division club 's deputy general secretary gordan petric said on thursday . there is little for the partizan players to celebrate after uefa 's verdict . we will decide what to do over the next few days but appealing against the verdict may not be the smartest thing to do because uefa may react by imposing even stronger repercussions , ' petric told belgrade 's b 92 television . we really left no room to the uefa disciplinary committee to be lenient because we had been punished in 25 of our 36 european matches in the last five years and we need to address the problem very seriously , ' he said . earlier on thursday , uefa took the most drastic action against a serbian club to date , banning them from european competition for one year and fining them 50,000 swiss francs ( $ 41.259 ) . the penalty followed serious crowd trouble during partizan 's 6-1 win at bosnian rivals zrinjski mostar in last week 's uefa cup first qualifying round first leg . uefa said on its official website partizan could appeal against the verdict within three days of the european governing body sending out the formal grounds for its decision . subject to any such appeal , uefa confirmed that zrinjski would now progress to the second qualifying round . violence in last thursday 's match erupted early in the first half after rival fans clashed with police while pelting each other with rocks , flares and ripped-up seats . play was held up for 10 minutes and resumed only after the few riot police on duty managed to create a buffer zone between the 8,000 home fans and the visitors . after the game , 36 people were injured and six arrested . police used tear gas to separate the home fans from departing partizan supporters . violence is rife in serbian football and clubs well as the national team have been made to play their matches either behind closed doors or at neutral venues in recent times . serbia kicked off their euro 2008 qualifying campaign in an empty stadium after trouble during their 2006 world cup home qualifier against bosnia . e-mail to a friend | serbian club partizan belgrade are thrown out of this year 's uefa cup |
conrad murray <tsp> los angeles ( cnn ) -- jurors in the involuntary manslaughter trial of michael jackson 's doctor tuesday heard dramatic opening statements and a startling recording of the pop singer , his words slow and slurred as he talks about his planned comeback concerts . prosecutors portrayed dr. conrad murray as motivated by money , while the defense contended murray 's superstar client self-administered a fatal mix of drugs . witnesses gave varying accounts of jackson 's condition as he prepared for the shows in london . murray abandoned all principles of medical care ' in attending to jackson , prosecutor david walgren said in his opening statement . defense attorney ed chernoff countered , saying jackson 's death was tragic , but the evidence will not show that dr. murray did it . ' murray acquired massive quantities of the powerful surgical anesthetic propofol to help jackson sleep , giving him a final dose of the drug after a long , restless night when the singer begged for help sleeping , according to recordings played by prosecutors . murray gave in to jackson 's demands not because it was the right medical decision , but because he was motivated by a $ 150,000 a month contract to serve as jackson 's doctor , walgren said . the evidence in this case will show that michael jackson trusted his life to the medical skills of conrad murray , unequivocally that that misplaced trust had far too high a price to pay , ' walgren said . that misplaced trust in the hands of conrad murray cost michael jackson his life . ' jackson fans create bizarre scene outside courthouse jurors heard a may 10 , 2009 , recording , captured by murray 's iphone , of jackson highly under the influences of unknown agents , ' as he talked about his planned comeback concert , according to walgren . we have to be phenomenal , ' jackson said in a low voice , his speech slurred . when people leave this show , when people leave my show , i want them to say ,'i 've never seen nothing like this in my life . go . go . i 've never seen nothing like this . go . it 's amazing . he 's the greatest entertainer in the world .'i 'm taking that money , a million children , children 's hospital , the biggest in the world , michael jackson 's children 's hospital . ' the tape , prosecutors say , is evidence that murray knew about jackson 's health problems weeks before his death . jurors also saw a video of the superstar rehearsing at the staples center in los angeles the night before he died . jackson sang and danced to earth song , ' the last song he would rehearse on stage . prosecutors also presented a photo of jackson 's lifeless body on a hospital gurney , about 12 hours later . if convicted of involuntary manslaughter , murray , who wiped away tears during his lawyer 's opening statement , could spend four years in a california prison and lose his medical license . chernoff blamed jackson 's death on drugs that he said murray had neither given to jackson nor known about . scientific evidence will show that , on the morning jackson died , he swallowed a sedative without his doctor 's knowledge , enough to put six of you to sleep and he did this when dr. murray was not around , ' chernoff said . jackson , desperate for sleep , then ingested a dose of propofol on his own , creating a perfect storm that killed him instantly , ' chernoff said . when dr. murray came into the room and found michael jackson , there was no cpr , no paramedic , no machine that was going to revive michael jackson , ' he said . he died so rapidly , so instantly that he did n't have time to close his eyes , ' chernoff said . chernoff told jurors that murray was trying to wean jackson off propofol when jackson died . jackson was addicted to demerol , prescribed by another doctor , and his insomnia was at least in part related to that , according to chernoff . jackson 's inability to sleep on the morning he died was one of the insidious effects ' of demerol addiction withdrawal , chernoff said . since murray did not know about the demerol , he could not understand why jackson was unable to fall asleep that morning , chernoff said . jackson told murray a day before he died that he needed to fall asleep in order to be able to rehearse for upcoming concerts , chernoff said . i have to sleep , i have to get some sleep . they will cancel my rehearsals . i will lose that performance , ' chernoff quoted jackson as saying . chernoff said tuesday that he will challenge prosecution assertions that greed factored into murray 's treatment of jackson . if the prosecution is going to tell you he is greedy , callous and reckless , you need to hear the full story , ' he told jurors , adding that jackson was the only celebrity murray had ever met . jackson died june 25 , 2009 . just make me sleep . it does n't matter what time i get up , ' murray quoted jackson as telling him , according to a recording of a police interview played in court . he agreed to administer the drug and jackson fell asleep . after he left to go to the bathroom , he discovered jackson was no longer breathing . walgren argued murray was not a specialist with anesthetics and misused the drug , which he said can suppress proper function of the heart and lungs . it is not a sleep aid , it is not a sleep agent , ' walgren told jurors . it is a general anesthetic . ' between april 6 , 2009 , and the time of michael jackson 's death , murray ordered enough propofol to give jackson 1,937 milligrams a day , walgren said . murray told police he gave the entertainer doses of propofol virtually every night for two months , according to a recording played in court . murray also used a cheap instrument to monitor oxygen levels in jackson 's blood , walgren said . the device was utterly useless ' unless murray constantly monitored it because it lacked an alarm that would go off if jackson was not getting enough oxygen into his lungs , walgren said . murray repeatedly acted with gross negligence , repeatedly denied care , appropriate care , to his patient , michael jackson , and it was dr. murray 's repeated incompetent and unskilled acts that led to michael jackson 's death , ' walgren told jurors . prosecutors contend that murray used a makeshift intravenous drip to administer propofol , a practice they argue violated the standard of care and led to the pop star 's death . but chernoff said murray did not use a makeshift intravenous drip to administer the drug . chernoff added that an expert on propofol will testify that murray was not responsible for jackson 's death . murray never told emergency responders or emergency room doctors trying to save jackson 's life that the musician had been dosed with the propofol , walgren said . producer kenny ortega , the first prosecution witness , said he was jolted by michael jackson 's appearance when the latter arrived at a rehearsal , on june 19 , less than a week before he died . he appeared lost and a little incoherent , ' said ortega . i did not feel he was well . ' ortega said he gave the pop singer food and wrapped him in a blanket to ward off chill . jackson watched the rehearsal and did not participate . ortega was helping jackson prepare for the this is it ' world tour scheduled for london 's o2 arena in autumn 2009 . in an e-mail written early june 20 , ortega wrote , in part , to aeg president randy phillips , my concern is , now that we 've brought the doctor in to the fold and have played the tough love , now or never card , is that the artist may be unable to rise to the occasion due to real emotional stuff . he appeared quite week and fatigued this evening . he had a terrible case of the chills , was trembling , rambling and obsessing . everything in me says he should be psychologically evaluated . if we have any chance at all to get him back in the light . it 's going to take a strong therapist to ( get ) him through this as well as immediate physical nurturing . ... tonight i was feeding him , wrapping him in blankets to warm his chills , massaging his feet to calm him and calling his doctor . i believe that he really wants this ... it would shatter him , break his heart if we pulled the plug , ' ortega wrote . he 's terribly frightened it 's all going to go away . he asked me repeatedly tonight if i was going to leave him . he was practically begging for my confidence . it broke my heart . he was like a lost boy . there still may be a chance he can rise to the occasion if get him the help he needs . ' aeg was the concert promoter . murray was unhappy that jackson did not rehearse and told ortega not to try to be the singer 's physician , ortega testified , adding jackson insisted the next day he was capable of doing the rehearsals . jackson was a full rehearsal participant in the days before he died , the producer said . aeg executive paul gongaware testified that after the 50 london shows sold out instantly , there were still 250,000 buyers wanting tickets . gongaware said he negotiated with murray , at jackson 's request , to work as the singer 's personal doctor . murray initially asked for $ 5 million a year , explaining that he would have to close four clinics and lay off employees . gongaware rejected that deal , but later offered him $ 150,000 a month , an amount recommended by jackson . the physician agreed . both gongaware and ortega testified that jackson on many occasions appeared fully engaged and excited about the impending concerts . the trial has attracted widespread attention . on tuesday , a woman rushed toward murray as he was walking to the courtroom , but she was stopped by three deputies guarding him . the woman said she just wanted to talk to murray . jackson 's parents , brothers tito , jermaine and randy , and sisters la toya , janet and rebe filled a row in the courtroom for opening statements and the first witness tuesday . jackson 's three children are not expected to attend the trial or testify , according to a source close to their grandmother , katherine jackson . cnn 's alan duke contributed to this report . | conrad murray abandoned all principles of medical care , ' prosecutor says |
eritrean <tsp> ali addeh refugee camp , djibouti ( cnn ) henol and mebratu emerge from their current home , a modest structure with plastic sheeting serving as its roof , carrying the master folder . ' one of the most important documents on the camp , it 's a record of each eritrean 's name and their case -- whether they 've been granted refugee status , whether they 've had their resettlement interview , whether they 've attempted the journey to europe by sea , and whether they 've survived it . by the rows of names , red dots are marked to signify the dead . in the past few days , news -- from the network of friends and family across the world -- came in that 20 new dots needed to be scratched in -- for the 20 friends who 'd drowned off the shores of italy . for 25 years , ali addeh refugee camp has been a holding point for those fleeing into djibouti , which borders eritrea , ethiopia and somalia in the horn of africa . for the camp 's 10,000 residents , who mostly come from these countries , this is supposed to be just the first stop on their journey to resettlement through the united nations . many though say it 's been years and they 're tired of waiting . for those willing to pay , there 's another route to a new life . across the ethiopian border , through to sudan and then up and across into libya -- from where the migrant ships operated by human traffickers set sail at high tide . henol 's friend soloman was among the hundreds who lost their lives this week when their boat capsized in the mediterranean en route to europe , he tells me . they 'd grown up together -- even made the risky journey to djibouti together . when the time came for soloman to travel , henol says he was asked to go too but said no . he hoped to give the legal route a little longer . it was the first time they 'd been separated in years . i ask henol if he still believes in the legal route . i can see now that we 've been forgotten by the world , ' he says . there is no solution here . no solution back home -- what can we do ? we are living in limbo . ' he tells me he now plans to follow his friend . even though he died trying , i ask ? yes , ' he replies . eritrea is ranked as one of the most repressive countries in the world , with an aging dictator enforcing a brutal regime of forced conscription to the army that rights groups believe is a cover for mass exploitation . elected by the country 's national assembly in 1993 , isaias afewerki runs what is essentially a one-party state . one young man at the camp comes over on crutches to show us his disfigured knee . the commander of his military unit , he says , accused him of insubordination and with a viscous kick left him disabled for life -- just a few months shy of his 17th birthday . he asks that we not reveal his name . these are the things no one here will talk about on camera . back in djibouti we find a man who is willing to speak , as long as we obscure his identity . with his face in shadow he haltingly tells us that the last time he saw his father was 20 years ago -- the night his mother was killed trying to stop the men who came to take him away . he believes they were working for the security forces . as soon as he was old enough , he says he made his first attempt at crossing into djibouti . he was discovered and wounded by gunfire . as soon as he 'd recovered though , he tried again , knowing that if he was caught this time he 'd be killed . despite a wound that had barely healed , he made it into djibouti after four days of walking day and night . this is where he 's been for the last seven years , waiting to be resettled through the un . the uncertainty is agony . he understands why others have pinned their hopes on people smugglers and leaky vessels . people risk their lives , ' he says , for a better life . all this that is happening [ in europe ] is because of the neglect of the international community . people come to djibouti and look at someone like me who 's been waiting so long and think there is no hope . it 's better to put ourselves in the hands of god . ' if he had the money , he says , he would too . | despite the risks , eritrean refugees say they 'd risk their lives with people smugglers |
somalia <tsp> ali addeh refugee camp , djibouti ( cnn ) henol and mebratu emerge from their current home , a modest structure with plastic sheeting serving as its roof , carrying the master folder . ' one of the most important documents on the camp , it 's a record of each eritrean 's name and their case -- whether they 've been granted refugee status , whether they 've had their resettlement interview , whether they 've attempted the journey to europe by sea , and whether they 've survived it . by the rows of names , red dots are marked to signify the dead . in the past few days , news -- from the network of friends and family across the world -- came in that 20 new dots needed to be scratched in -- for the 20 friends who 'd drowned off the shores of italy . for 25 years , ali addeh refugee camp has been a holding point for those fleeing into djibouti , which borders eritrea , ethiopia and somalia in the horn of africa . for the camp 's 10,000 residents , who mostly come from these countries , this is supposed to be just the first stop on their journey to resettlement through the united nations . many though say it 's been years and they 're tired of waiting . for those willing to pay , there 's another route to a new life . across the ethiopian border , through to sudan and then up and across into libya -- from where the migrant ships operated by human traffickers set sail at high tide . henol 's friend soloman was among the hundreds who lost their lives this week when their boat capsized in the mediterranean en route to europe , he tells me . they 'd grown up together -- even made the risky journey to djibouti together . when the time came for soloman to travel , henol says he was asked to go too but said no . he hoped to give the legal route a little longer . it was the first time they 'd been separated in years . i ask henol if he still believes in the legal route . i can see now that we 've been forgotten by the world , ' he says . there is no solution here . no solution back home -- what can we do ? we are living in limbo . ' he tells me he now plans to follow his friend . even though he died trying , i ask ? yes , ' he replies . eritrea is ranked as one of the most repressive countries in the world , with an aging dictator enforcing a brutal regime of forced conscription to the army that rights groups believe is a cover for mass exploitation . elected by the country 's national assembly in 1993 , isaias afewerki runs what is essentially a one-party state . one young man at the camp comes over on crutches to show us his disfigured knee . the commander of his military unit , he says , accused him of insubordination and with a viscous kick left him disabled for life -- just a few months shy of his 17th birthday . he asks that we not reveal his name . these are the things no one here will talk about on camera . back in djibouti we find a man who is willing to speak , as long as we obscure his identity . with his face in shadow he haltingly tells us that the last time he saw his father was 20 years ago -- the night his mother was killed trying to stop the men who came to take him away . he believes they were working for the security forces . as soon as he was old enough , he says he made his first attempt at crossing into djibouti . he was discovered and wounded by gunfire . as soon as he 'd recovered though , he tried again , knowing that if he was caught this time he 'd be killed . despite a wound that had barely healed , he made it into djibouti after four days of walking day and night . this is where he 's been for the last seven years , waiting to be resettled through the un . the uncertainty is agony . he understands why others have pinned their hopes on people smugglers and leaky vessels . people risk their lives , ' he says , for a better life . all this that is happening [ in europe ] is because of the neglect of the international community . people come to djibouti and look at someone like me who 's been waiting so long and think there is no hope . it 's better to put ourselves in the hands of god . ' if he had the money , he says , he would too . | many come from somalia , ethiopia and especially eritrea -- which is ruled by a one-party state |
djibouti <tsp> ali addeh refugee camp , djibouti ( cnn ) henol and mebratu emerge from their current home , a modest structure with plastic sheeting serving as its roof , carrying the master folder . ' one of the most important documents on the camp , it 's a record of each eritrean 's name and their case -- whether they 've been granted refugee status , whether they 've had their resettlement interview , whether they 've attempted the journey to europe by sea , and whether they 've survived it . by the rows of names , red dots are marked to signify the dead . in the past few days , news -- from the network of friends and family across the world -- came in that 20 new dots needed to be scratched in -- for the 20 friends who 'd drowned off the shores of italy . for 25 years , ali addeh refugee camp has been a holding point for those fleeing into djibouti , which borders eritrea , ethiopia and somalia in the horn of africa . for the camp 's 10,000 residents , who mostly come from these countries , this is supposed to be just the first stop on their journey to resettlement through the united nations . many though say it 's been years and they 're tired of waiting . for those willing to pay , there 's another route to a new life . across the ethiopian border , through to sudan and then up and across into libya -- from where the migrant ships operated by human traffickers set sail at high tide . henol 's friend soloman was among the hundreds who lost their lives this week when their boat capsized in the mediterranean en route to europe , he tells me . they 'd grown up together -- even made the risky journey to djibouti together . when the time came for soloman to travel , henol says he was asked to go too but said no . he hoped to give the legal route a little longer . it was the first time they 'd been separated in years . i ask henol if he still believes in the legal route . i can see now that we 've been forgotten by the world , ' he says . there is no solution here . no solution back home -- what can we do ? we are living in limbo . ' he tells me he now plans to follow his friend . even though he died trying , i ask ? yes , ' he replies . eritrea is ranked as one of the most repressive countries in the world , with an aging dictator enforcing a brutal regime of forced conscription to the army that rights groups believe is a cover for mass exploitation . elected by the country 's national assembly in 1993 , isaias afewerki runs what is essentially a one-party state . one young man at the camp comes over on crutches to show us his disfigured knee . the commander of his military unit , he says , accused him of insubordination and with a viscous kick left him disabled for life -- just a few months shy of his 17th birthday . he asks that we not reveal his name . these are the things no one here will talk about on camera . back in djibouti we find a man who is willing to speak , as long as we obscure his identity . with his face in shadow he haltingly tells us that the last time he saw his father was 20 years ago -- the night his mother was killed trying to stop the men who came to take him away . he believes they were working for the security forces . as soon as he was old enough , he says he made his first attempt at crossing into djibouti . he was discovered and wounded by gunfire . as soon as he 'd recovered though , he tried again , knowing that if he was caught this time he 'd be killed . despite a wound that had barely healed , he made it into djibouti after four days of walking day and night . this is where he 's been for the last seven years , waiting to be resettled through the un . the uncertainty is agony . he understands why others have pinned their hopes on people smugglers and leaky vessels . people risk their lives , ' he says , for a better life . all this that is happening [ in europe ] is because of the neglect of the international community . people come to djibouti and look at someone like me who 's been waiting so long and think there is no hope . it 's better to put ourselves in the hands of god . ' if he had the money , he says , he would too . | for 25 years , ali addeh refugee camp has been a holding point for those fleeing into djibouti |
ali addeh <tsp> ali addeh refugee camp , djibouti ( cnn ) henol and mebratu emerge from their current home , a modest structure with plastic sheeting serving as its roof , carrying the master folder . ' one of the most important documents on the camp , it 's a record of each eritrean 's name and their case -- whether they 've been granted refugee status , whether they 've had their resettlement interview , whether they 've attempted the journey to europe by sea , and whether they 've survived it . by the rows of names , red dots are marked to signify the dead . in the past few days , news -- from the network of friends and family across the world -- came in that 20 new dots needed to be scratched in -- for the 20 friends who 'd drowned off the shores of italy . for 25 years , ali addeh refugee camp has been a holding point for those fleeing into djibouti , which borders eritrea , ethiopia and somalia in the horn of africa . for the camp 's 10,000 residents , who mostly come from these countries , this is supposed to be just the first stop on their journey to resettlement through the united nations . many though say it 's been years and they 're tired of waiting . for those willing to pay , there 's another route to a new life . across the ethiopian border , through to sudan and then up and across into libya -- from where the migrant ships operated by human traffickers set sail at high tide . henol 's friend soloman was among the hundreds who lost their lives this week when their boat capsized in the mediterranean en route to europe , he tells me . they 'd grown up together -- even made the risky journey to djibouti together . when the time came for soloman to travel , henol says he was asked to go too but said no . he hoped to give the legal route a little longer . it was the first time they 'd been separated in years . i ask henol if he still believes in the legal route . i can see now that we 've been forgotten by the world , ' he says . there is no solution here . no solution back home -- what can we do ? we are living in limbo . ' he tells me he now plans to follow his friend . even though he died trying , i ask ? yes , ' he replies . eritrea is ranked as one of the most repressive countries in the world , with an aging dictator enforcing a brutal regime of forced conscription to the army that rights groups believe is a cover for mass exploitation . elected by the country 's national assembly in 1993 , isaias afewerki runs what is essentially a one-party state . one young man at the camp comes over on crutches to show us his disfigured knee . the commander of his military unit , he says , accused him of insubordination and with a viscous kick left him disabled for life -- just a few months shy of his 17th birthday . he asks that we not reveal his name . these are the things no one here will talk about on camera . back in djibouti we find a man who is willing to speak , as long as we obscure his identity . with his face in shadow he haltingly tells us that the last time he saw his father was 20 years ago -- the night his mother was killed trying to stop the men who came to take him away . he believes they were working for the security forces . as soon as he was old enough , he says he made his first attempt at crossing into djibouti . he was discovered and wounded by gunfire . as soon as he 'd recovered though , he tried again , knowing that if he was caught this time he 'd be killed . despite a wound that had barely healed , he made it into djibouti after four days of walking day and night . this is where he 's been for the last seven years , waiting to be resettled through the un . the uncertainty is agony . he understands why others have pinned their hopes on people smugglers and leaky vessels . people risk their lives , ' he says , for a better life . all this that is happening [ in europe ] is because of the neglect of the international community . people come to djibouti and look at someone like me who 's been waiting so long and think there is no hope . it 's better to put ourselves in the hands of god . ' if he had the money , he says , he would too . | for 25 years , ali addeh refugee camp has been a holding point for those fleeing into djibouti |
ethiopia <tsp> ali addeh refugee camp , djibouti ( cnn ) henol and mebratu emerge from their current home , a modest structure with plastic sheeting serving as its roof , carrying the master folder . ' one of the most important documents on the camp , it 's a record of each eritrean 's name and their case -- whether they 've been granted refugee status , whether they 've had their resettlement interview , whether they 've attempted the journey to europe by sea , and whether they 've survived it . by the rows of names , red dots are marked to signify the dead . in the past few days , news -- from the network of friends and family across the world -- came in that 20 new dots needed to be scratched in -- for the 20 friends who 'd drowned off the shores of italy . for 25 years , ali addeh refugee camp has been a holding point for those fleeing into djibouti , which borders eritrea , ethiopia and somalia in the horn of africa . for the camp 's 10,000 residents , who mostly come from these countries , this is supposed to be just the first stop on their journey to resettlement through the united nations . many though say it 's been years and they 're tired of waiting . for those willing to pay , there 's another route to a new life . across the ethiopian border , through to sudan and then up and across into libya -- from where the migrant ships operated by human traffickers set sail at high tide . henol 's friend soloman was among the hundreds who lost their lives this week when their boat capsized in the mediterranean en route to europe , he tells me . they 'd grown up together -- even made the risky journey to djibouti together . when the time came for soloman to travel , henol says he was asked to go too but said no . he hoped to give the legal route a little longer . it was the first time they 'd been separated in years . i ask henol if he still believes in the legal route . i can see now that we 've been forgotten by the world , ' he says . there is no solution here . no solution back home -- what can we do ? we are living in limbo . ' he tells me he now plans to follow his friend . even though he died trying , i ask ? yes , ' he replies . eritrea is ranked as one of the most repressive countries in the world , with an aging dictator enforcing a brutal regime of forced conscription to the army that rights groups believe is a cover for mass exploitation . elected by the country 's national assembly in 1993 , isaias afewerki runs what is essentially a one-party state . one young man at the camp comes over on crutches to show us his disfigured knee . the commander of his military unit , he says , accused him of insubordination and with a viscous kick left him disabled for life -- just a few months shy of his 17th birthday . he asks that we not reveal his name . these are the things no one here will talk about on camera . back in djibouti we find a man who is willing to speak , as long as we obscure his identity . with his face in shadow he haltingly tells us that the last time he saw his father was 20 years ago -- the night his mother was killed trying to stop the men who came to take him away . he believes they were working for the security forces . as soon as he was old enough , he says he made his first attempt at crossing into djibouti . he was discovered and wounded by gunfire . as soon as he 'd recovered though , he tried again , knowing that if he was caught this time he 'd be killed . despite a wound that had barely healed , he made it into djibouti after four days of walking day and night . this is where he 's been for the last seven years , waiting to be resettled through the un . the uncertainty is agony . he understands why others have pinned their hopes on people smugglers and leaky vessels . people risk their lives , ' he says , for a better life . all this that is happening [ in europe ] is because of the neglect of the international community . people come to djibouti and look at someone like me who 's been waiting so long and think there is no hope . it 's better to put ourselves in the hands of god . ' if he had the money , he says , he would too . | many come from somalia , ethiopia and especially eritrea -- which is ruled by a one-party state |
russia <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an escaped jail inmate turned himself in just so that he could warm up -- that 's how cold the u.s. has been this week . with the country swept with unforgiving weather since december due to a distorted polar vortex , brimson in minnesota plunged to -40 celcius ( -40 fahrenheit : this is the point at which the temperature scales meet ) on wednesday while chicago saw its record low of -27 c ( -16.6 f ) on monday . as dangerously cold as it seems to be , however , it 's ( fortunately ) still a long way from beating the world 's lowest temperature record . everybody is interested in extremes -- the hottest , the wettest , the windiest -- so creating a database of professionally verified records is useful in that fact alone , ' says randall cerveny from the world meteorological organization ( wmo ) . with that in mind , what other extreme weather records are there ? cerveny helped us pick out a few highlights from around the world . lowest temperature according to wmo , the lowest temperature noted was -89.2 c , recorded on july 21 , 1983 , in vostok , antarctica . yes , celsius , not fahrenheit . in the latter , that 's minus 128.5 degrees . an absence of solar radiation , clear skies , little vertical mixing , calm air for a long duration and high elevation ( 3,420 meters , 11,220 feet ) accounted for the frigid weather . highest temperature with an average high of 46.7 c ( 116 f ) in july , summer in death valley , california , can be baking . but it was the summer of 1913 that entered the record books , acknowledged officially as the hottest temperature ever recorded at 56.7 c ( 134 f ) in recent years , according to wmo . greatest rainfall in one minute , unionville this record is owned by unionville , maryland , where on july 4 , 1956 , 1.22 inches ( 31.2 millimeters ) of rain fell in one minute . to give you an idea -- in sub-tropical hong kong , the most severe black rainstorm signal will be hoisted if the rainfall exceeds 70 millimeters ( 2.75 inches ) in an hour . greatest rainfall in 24 hours the biggest rainfall in a day occurred with the passage of cyclone denise in foc-foc , la rã©union , an island in the southern indian ocean . some 1.825 meters ( 71.8 inches ) of rain fell over 24 hours , from january 7 to 8 , 1966 . heaviest hailstone , bangladesh the heaviest hailstone was discovered during a hailstorm in gopalganj , bangladesh on april 14 , 1986 . the storm killed 92 people and included one hailstone that weighed 1.02 kilos ( 2.25 pounds ) . longest recorded dry period , arica the longest dry period in history was measured in years . there was not a single raindrop in arica , chile , for more than 14 years , from october 1903 to january 1918 -- a total of 173 months . highest cold water geyser located in andernach , germany , geysir andernach usually blows water from 30 to 60 meters ( 98 feet to 197 feet ) high . the highest ejection reached 61.5 meters ( 201.7 feet ) , recorded on september 19 , 2002 . cold-water geysers are different from naturally occurring hot-water geysers . the cold underground water erupts from a drilled well . the andernach well is more than 350 meters ( 1,148 feet ) deep . coldest road the kolyma highway ( m56 ) in russia is the coldest road on earth -- temperatures once plunged to -67.7 degrees c ( -89.8 f ) . a section of the 2,031-kilometer ( 1,262-mile ) highway is called the road of bones ' to commemorate the prisoners from the sewostlag labour camp who died constructing the road and were buried beneath it . largest non-polar ice field you do n't need to live in the polar regions to be stuck in the middle of a vast ice field . the largest ice field outside the poles is yukon territory in canada , inside the 21,980-square-kilometer ( 8,486-square-mile ) kluane national park and reserve . largest desert no , not the sahara . a desert is defined as an area that has no or very little rainfall . the largest desert in the world is antarctica , which is 14 million kilometers squared ( 5.4 million square miles ) and records only 50 millimeters ( 2 inches ) of precipitation per year . the 9.1-million-kilometer-square ( 3.5 million square miles ) sahara , according to guinness world records , is only the biggest hot desert . inhabited place with the lowest temperature the coldest permanently inhabited place is the siberian village of oymyakon , russia . the temperature once dropped to -68 c ( -90.4 f ) in 1933 -- the coldest temperature recorded outside antarctica . some extreme weather records are provided by guinness world records . the latest edition of guinness world records 2013 was released on september 13 , 2012 . check out more on guinness world records'website . | the kolyma highway ( m56 ) in russia is the coldest road on earth |
northern ireland <tsp> ( cnn ) -- paris and rome are lovely this time of year , but they 're also packed with summer travelers . for something a little quieter , consider lonely planet 's latest list of top european destinations that offer café culture , history and outdoor adventures outside of europe 's most popular cities . this year 's europe list , developed by lonely planet 's editors and writers , includes the next hot spots to visit as well as longtime favorites with something new to enjoy . we try to point out what 's the next hot thing , what 's been overlooked and deserving of more attention and places that people have heard about forever but may not know have been revitalized in recent years , ' said andy murdock , lonely planet 's u.s. digital editor . it 's food for thought for travelers looking to explore europe more deeply . ' 1 . porto & the douro valley , portugal portugal 's second-largest city has so much going for it , murdock says . the birthplace of port , this picturesque hilly town in northern portugal also has a thriving arts scene and up and coming culinary reputation . and it 's a good value destination right now . ( many of the port houses offer tastings and tours for free or a small fee . ) porto is really the best in show for this year , ' murdock said . porto is a great value for people interested in food and the arts . ' the douro valley 's wine and port scene is very easy to explore as a day trip . there you can visit some of the most famous port houses , including taylor 's , w & j graham 's , fonseca porto and casa ramos pinto . check their websites for tours and tastings . 2 . budapest , hungary budapest is starting to steal the cool from berlin right now , murdock said , with unique summer pop-up bars in old buildings and gardens . ( the city 's architecture is an eclectic testament to its previous rulers , showing the influence of the ottoman empire , the austro-hungarian empire and the soviet regime . ) there are a variety of different looks to them : some are hipster weed patches with drinks , and others are manicured gardens , ' he said . it 's a unique type of bar you 're not going to find most other places . ' these ruin bars ' are mostly open in the summer , although some are starting to winterize their locations , so they can be open for more than the may-to-september season . although some bars often switch locations , szimpla kert is one of the oldest , and visitors can find other bars on the same strip . sometimes known as the city of baths , ' budapest has thermal spring-filled baths and traditional turkish baths to choose from . murdock recommends the turkish-era racz baths , which recently reopened attached to the modern luxury racz hotel . the museum of music history also had a recent update . top u.s. travel destinations for 2013 3 . northern iceland while everyone seems to know that iceland is a cool weekend for u.s. east coasters , reykjavik , the blue lagoon spa and the golden circle are the popular stops on that quick trip . for a look beyond those spots , take a quick flight north to check out the northern lights in akureyri , iceland 's second-largest town ( population 17,000 ) . explore lava fields , waterfalls like you 've never imagined , horseback rides and great whale watching out of husavik ( an hour from akureyri ) , ' murdock said . myvatn nature spa offers a mini version of the blue lagoon -- without the tourists . 4 . cinque terre , italy the five villages of italy 's popular cinque terre are ready for visitors again . repairs to the cliffside villages after the devastating floods of 2011 were made more difficult because of the cinque terre 's remote , mountainous location . the towns are connected by trains and are served within the villages by public buses . a national park and unesco site , the villages do n't allow cars or motorbikes . it 's very well-known but hard to reach , ' murdock said . but it 's worth it if you 're ready to walk , he says . they rebuilt the paths , the stone terraces are back , the vineyards are replaned , and the drainage is improved for the next flood . ' the small , isolated beaches below the towns are also worth a visit . they have a sense of fishery stewardship , allowing line-caught fish only . there is really lovely seafood coming out of the waters in cinque terre . ' 5 . moravia , czech republic if you 've been to prague or shy away from popular cities that have been overtaken by tourists , try moravia . it 's known locally for bike tours and wine tasting , especially big robust reds . it 's a lot slower pace ( than prague ) and gives you a much different feel of the country , ' murdock said . for a mini version of prague , head to olomouc , home of the country 's second-oldest university , a lovely town square and the holy trinity column ( an 18th-century baroque sculpture on unesco 's world heritage list ) . for gothic charm , head to telc , which is also on unesco 's list . the region 's capital , brno , has great museums . airports where architecture soars 6 . bern , switzerland when travelers land in the capital of switzerland , they tend to head out into the mountainous region of bernese oberland , but the city itself is worth a visit . named a unesco world heritage site for its medieval architecture , bern is also home to one of albert einstein 's homes and a paul klee museum designed by renzo piano that includes other artists'works . we 're trying to call attention to bern itself , ' murdock said , calling it a very interesting mix of historical , modern and edgy ' things to do . although people think of swiss food as a bit stodgy , murdock raves about the locavore restaurants on the river than runs through town . try visiting in august , when the streets of bern are filled with musicians , puppeteers , jugglers and other entertainers for the buskers bern festival . 7 . marseille , france this year 's european capital of culture , marseille is one of those incredibly historic seaport towns along the mediterranean , ' murdock said , and he 's not kidding . the town dates to 600 b.c. , when greeks first settled in the area . france 's second-largest city is trying to shake off its reputation as a gritty , dangerous seaport town , ' murdock said . with the cultural capital designation , a lot of money has been poured into new museums and public transportation . ' that includes the museum of european and mediterranean civilisations that opened june 7 . and the musée des beaux-arts in marseille , housed in the left wing of the palais longchamp , has reopened after a renovation . the museum 's exhibit , from van gogh to bonnard , ' runs through october 13 . foodies can enjoy the city that 's home to bouillabaisse at the old port , where maritime culture and fresh seafood mix . 8 . croatia in some ways , croatia 's popularity is old news to american travelers , but a lot of people are seeing the coast . there will be a lot more attention on the country if it enters the european union in july . zagreb is an interesting and underrated european capital , with a huge coffee and café scene , ' murdock said . if you have that image of italy or paris , sitting at a café and watching the world go by , that 's preserved in croatia . there 's also an extension of northern italian cuisine because the border in istria ( now croatia ) has jumped around , and the cuisine does n't abide by the border , ' murdock said , pointing to croatians' same italian love of cured meats and cheeses , ' and there 's seafood on the adriatic as well . for game of thrones ' fans , dubrovnik is the place to visit to see king 's landing location shots . ( tours are available . ) and you can find a hikers'paradise in the 16 turquoise blue lakes of plitvice lakes national park , another unesco world heritage site . 9 . northern ireland if you 're addicted to game of thrones , ' northern ireland should be on your itinerary , too . a lot of the scenery is in northern ireland , including the causeway coast and the glens . the sites on the self-guided and tour-guide-led tours are so magnificent that fans and non-fans alike can appreciate their majesty . the giant 's causeway is northern ireland 's only unesco world heritage site , and it can be very crowded . although its basalt columns can appear to look constructed by the might of giant finn mccool , the causeway is actually the result of ancient volcanic activity . a new visitor 's center opened last year . the truly adventurous can walk the 16-kilometer route from giant 's causeway to ballycastle , taking a moment to cross the carrick-a-rede rope bridge . it 's a 20-meter walk on the bridge to the island of carrick-a-rede , swaying 30 meters above the rocky waters below . it 's not for those with a fear of heights , says murdock , who loves it all . there are all these inlets , islands , castles and ruins and sea birds and stunning scenery , ' he said . also not to be missed is derry/londonderry , this year 's uk city of culture . remembering the religious strife in northern ireland , the walk and cycle peace bridge across the foyle river opened in june 2011 . it 's considered a symbolic handshake across the river , connecting historically catholic and protestant sides of town .'game of thrones'tours in ireland , croatia 10 . copenhagen , denmark the danish capital of copenhagen is the place to visit for ecotourists and foodies . the city is a poster child for the green movement , where almost half of the residents commute to work by bicycle and hotels brag about their green construction . in the two-michelin star noma , the city boasts the no . 2 restaurant in the world ( according to restaurant magazine 's annual rankings ) . it 's the new nordic cuisine with very clean and local experimental flavors , ' murdock said . and there 's a little more swedish mixing into the city these days . ever since the 10-mile øresund bridge and tunnel system was completed in 1999 , the residents of copenhagen , denmark , and malmo , sweden , are more easily connected . it changed the feeling of both cities once only connected by ferry , ' murdock said . | follow the game of thrones ' path to northern ireland and dubrovnik , croatia |
italy <tsp> ( cnn ) -- paris and rome are lovely this time of year , but they 're also packed with summer travelers . for something a little quieter , consider lonely planet 's latest list of top european destinations that offer café culture , history and outdoor adventures outside of europe 's most popular cities . this year 's europe list , developed by lonely planet 's editors and writers , includes the next hot spots to visit as well as longtime favorites with something new to enjoy . we try to point out what 's the next hot thing , what 's been overlooked and deserving of more attention and places that people have heard about forever but may not know have been revitalized in recent years , ' said andy murdock , lonely planet 's u.s. digital editor . it 's food for thought for travelers looking to explore europe more deeply . ' 1 . porto & the douro valley , portugal portugal 's second-largest city has so much going for it , murdock says . the birthplace of port , this picturesque hilly town in northern portugal also has a thriving arts scene and up and coming culinary reputation . and it 's a good value destination right now . ( many of the port houses offer tastings and tours for free or a small fee . ) porto is really the best in show for this year , ' murdock said . porto is a great value for people interested in food and the arts . ' the douro valley 's wine and port scene is very easy to explore as a day trip . there you can visit some of the most famous port houses , including taylor 's , w & j graham 's , fonseca porto and casa ramos pinto . check their websites for tours and tastings . 2 . budapest , hungary budapest is starting to steal the cool from berlin right now , murdock said , with unique summer pop-up bars in old buildings and gardens . ( the city 's architecture is an eclectic testament to its previous rulers , showing the influence of the ottoman empire , the austro-hungarian empire and the soviet regime . ) there are a variety of different looks to them : some are hipster weed patches with drinks , and others are manicured gardens , ' he said . it 's a unique type of bar you 're not going to find most other places . ' these ruin bars ' are mostly open in the summer , although some are starting to winterize their locations , so they can be open for more than the may-to-september season . although some bars often switch locations , szimpla kert is one of the oldest , and visitors can find other bars on the same strip . sometimes known as the city of baths , ' budapest has thermal spring-filled baths and traditional turkish baths to choose from . murdock recommends the turkish-era racz baths , which recently reopened attached to the modern luxury racz hotel . the museum of music history also had a recent update . top u.s. travel destinations for 2013 3 . northern iceland while everyone seems to know that iceland is a cool weekend for u.s. east coasters , reykjavik , the blue lagoon spa and the golden circle are the popular stops on that quick trip . for a look beyond those spots , take a quick flight north to check out the northern lights in akureyri , iceland 's second-largest town ( population 17,000 ) . explore lava fields , waterfalls like you 've never imagined , horseback rides and great whale watching out of husavik ( an hour from akureyri ) , ' murdock said . myvatn nature spa offers a mini version of the blue lagoon -- without the tourists . 4 . cinque terre , italy the five villages of italy 's popular cinque terre are ready for visitors again . repairs to the cliffside villages after the devastating floods of 2011 were made more difficult because of the cinque terre 's remote , mountainous location . the towns are connected by trains and are served within the villages by public buses . a national park and unesco site , the villages do n't allow cars or motorbikes . it 's very well-known but hard to reach , ' murdock said . but it 's worth it if you 're ready to walk , he says . they rebuilt the paths , the stone terraces are back , the vineyards are replaned , and the drainage is improved for the next flood . ' the small , isolated beaches below the towns are also worth a visit . they have a sense of fishery stewardship , allowing line-caught fish only . there is really lovely seafood coming out of the waters in cinque terre . ' 5 . moravia , czech republic if you 've been to prague or shy away from popular cities that have been overtaken by tourists , try moravia . it 's known locally for bike tours and wine tasting , especially big robust reds . it 's a lot slower pace ( than prague ) and gives you a much different feel of the country , ' murdock said . for a mini version of prague , head to olomouc , home of the country 's second-oldest university , a lovely town square and the holy trinity column ( an 18th-century baroque sculpture on unesco 's world heritage list ) . for gothic charm , head to telc , which is also on unesco 's list . the region 's capital , brno , has great museums . airports where architecture soars 6 . bern , switzerland when travelers land in the capital of switzerland , they tend to head out into the mountainous region of bernese oberland , but the city itself is worth a visit . named a unesco world heritage site for its medieval architecture , bern is also home to one of albert einstein 's homes and a paul klee museum designed by renzo piano that includes other artists'works . we 're trying to call attention to bern itself , ' murdock said , calling it a very interesting mix of historical , modern and edgy ' things to do . although people think of swiss food as a bit stodgy , murdock raves about the locavore restaurants on the river than runs through town . try visiting in august , when the streets of bern are filled with musicians , puppeteers , jugglers and other entertainers for the buskers bern festival . 7 . marseille , france this year 's european capital of culture , marseille is one of those incredibly historic seaport towns along the mediterranean , ' murdock said , and he 's not kidding . the town dates to 600 b.c. , when greeks first settled in the area . france 's second-largest city is trying to shake off its reputation as a gritty , dangerous seaport town , ' murdock said . with the cultural capital designation , a lot of money has been poured into new museums and public transportation . ' that includes the museum of european and mediterranean civilisations that opened june 7 . and the musée des beaux-arts in marseille , housed in the left wing of the palais longchamp , has reopened after a renovation . the museum 's exhibit , from van gogh to bonnard , ' runs through october 13 . foodies can enjoy the city that 's home to bouillabaisse at the old port , where maritime culture and fresh seafood mix . 8 . croatia in some ways , croatia 's popularity is old news to american travelers , but a lot of people are seeing the coast . there will be a lot more attention on the country if it enters the european union in july . zagreb is an interesting and underrated european capital , with a huge coffee and café scene , ' murdock said . if you have that image of italy or paris , sitting at a café and watching the world go by , that 's preserved in croatia . there 's also an extension of northern italian cuisine because the border in istria ( now croatia ) has jumped around , and the cuisine does n't abide by the border , ' murdock said , pointing to croatians' same italian love of cured meats and cheeses , ' and there 's seafood on the adriatic as well . for game of thrones ' fans , dubrovnik is the place to visit to see king 's landing location shots . ( tours are available . ) and you can find a hikers'paradise in the 16 turquoise blue lakes of plitvice lakes national park , another unesco world heritage site . 9 . northern ireland if you 're addicted to game of thrones , ' northern ireland should be on your itinerary , too . a lot of the scenery is in northern ireland , including the causeway coast and the glens . the sites on the self-guided and tour-guide-led tours are so magnificent that fans and non-fans alike can appreciate their majesty . the giant 's causeway is northern ireland 's only unesco world heritage site , and it can be very crowded . although its basalt columns can appear to look constructed by the might of giant finn mccool , the causeway is actually the result of ancient volcanic activity . a new visitor 's center opened last year . the truly adventurous can walk the 16-kilometer route from giant 's causeway to ballycastle , taking a moment to cross the carrick-a-rede rope bridge . it 's a 20-meter walk on the bridge to the island of carrick-a-rede , swaying 30 meters above the rocky waters below . it 's not for those with a fear of heights , says murdock , who loves it all . there are all these inlets , islands , castles and ruins and sea birds and stunning scenery , ' he said . also not to be missed is derry/londonderry , this year 's uk city of culture . remembering the religious strife in northern ireland , the walk and cycle peace bridge across the foyle river opened in june 2011 . it 's considered a symbolic handshake across the river , connecting historically catholic and protestant sides of town .'game of thrones'tours in ireland , croatia 10 . copenhagen , denmark the danish capital of copenhagen is the place to visit for ecotourists and foodies . the city is a poster child for the green movement , where almost half of the residents commute to work by bicycle and hotels brag about their green construction . in the two-michelin star noma , the city boasts the no . 2 restaurant in the world ( according to restaurant magazine 's annual rankings ) . it 's the new nordic cuisine with very clean and local experimental flavors , ' murdock said . and there 's a little more swedish mixing into the city these days . ever since the 10-mile øresund bridge and tunnel system was completed in 1999 , the residents of copenhagen , denmark , and malmo , sweden , are more easily connected . it changed the feeling of both cities once only connected by ferry , ' murdock said . | return to italy 's cinque terre towns , restored to their picturesque former selves |
minnesota <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as minnesota gears up for its first wolf hunt , advocates of the once-endangered gray wolf are hoping the court will intervene . last week , the center for biological diversity , a national conservation organization , joined the minnesota group howling for wolves in asking the state 's supreme court to stop wolf hunting and trapping this fall . the state 's first regulated wolf season is expected to start saturday , november 3 . the minnesota court of appeals denied the groups'motion for a preliminary injunction earlier this month because the groups failed to demonstrate the existence of irreparable harm to the wolves , ' and consequently , they are asking the state 's supreme court to review the decision . rushing to open a hunt this fall , the department ( of natural resources ) slammed the door on meaningful public participation in a controversial management decision about wolf hunting and trapping , ' collette adkins giese , an attorney with the center for biological diversity , said in a statement . only by stopping the hunt can we ensure that these state officials follow the law and do their duty to protect our state 's wildlife . ' in a separate legal issue , the humane society and the fund for animals filed notice of their intent to sue the u.s . fish and wildlife service to restore federal protections for great lakes wolves under the endangered species act . the groups also asked minnesota to postpone wolf hunting until the case is decided . this is a hunting season , pure and simple . it is recreational killing , ' said howard goldman , the minnesota state director of the humane society . wolves are highly intelligent , complex animals that play a very important role in our natural ecosystem . they are not stalks of corn ; they are n't something you could harvest . people care deeply about wolves in the state , and they do n't want wolves to be taken for sport or recreation . ' in minnesota , gray wolves were added to the endangered species list in 1974 when their population dipped to about 750 , according to the minnesota-based international wolf center . gray wolf back from near extinction today , the international wolf center lists the gray wolf population in the great lakes area as increasing/stable . ' gray wolves were removed from federal protection earlier this year , and as a result , the minnesota department of natural resources assumed state management of the species . the state initially had a five-year waiting period for hunting after wolf delisting , but the minnesota legislature knocked that down . the u.s . fish and wildlife service put faith in the state wildlife agencies to responsibly manage wolf populations , but their overzealous and extreme plans to allow for trophy hunting and recreational trapping immediately after de-listing demonstrate that such confidence was unwarranted , ' wayne pacelle , the humane society 's president and ceo , said in a statement . the u.s . fish and wildlife service , which would not comment on the pending legal action , said gray wolves are thriving . wolves total more than 4,000 animals in the three core recovery states ( michigan , minnesota and wisconsin ) in the western great lakes area , ' said georgia parham , the u.s . fish and wildlife service spokeswoman . the region 's gray wolf population and distribution have exceeded recovery goals since at least 2001 and far exceed minimum population goals in each of the three states , ' she said in an e-mail to cnn . cnn photos : trophy hunters chase african wildlife the minnesota department of natural resources estimates the state 's wolf population to be about 3,000 wolves and says the target harvest of 400 wolves is a conservative approach that does not pose a threat to the conservation of the population . ' the wolf hunting and trapping season closes january 31 or whenever the 400 wolves are hunted , whichever comes first . more than 23,000 hunters entered the lottery to participate in the wolf hunting season , and 6,000 licenses will be given out . we are confident state and tribal wildlife managers will continue to effectively manage healthy wolf populations , ' parham said . the ( u.s . fish and wildlife service ) , as is required under the endangered species act , is monitoring the western great lakes wolf population , and if it appears , at any time , that the status of the gray wolf may again warrant the protections of the endangered species act , the service can initiate the normal or emergency listing process . ' goldman says the humane society 's research demonstrates otherwise . we were given an estimate of 3,000 wolves in our state . we are going to have a harvest of 400 . there will be another 300 wolves that will be killed under the depredation programs , and we are estimating another 300 wolves will be killed illegally , so that 's a total of 1,000 wolves already . that 's a third of the wolf population , and many biologists say that the tipping point of when the population begins to decline is 30 % , so we are right there , ' he said . chris niskanen , the communications director for the minnesota department of natural resources , said the state 's wolf population met federal standards for recovery nearly a decade ago and that they have some of the highest wolf densities they have ever had . as the wolf population rises , so do human-wolf conflicts . in general , wolves mainly prey on deer , moose and beaver , but the international wolf center says that wherever they coexist , wolves may prey on domestic animals . we have a stake in making sure that wolves remain on the landscape here . it is a high priority for us , ' niskanen said . in addition to that mission , our job is to reduce human-wolf conflicts . ' we hope that this first hunting and trapping season will give us a lot of information , ' he added , so we can manage the wolves'population and reduce conflicts at the same time . ' but goldman holds a different opinion . the only reason there is a wolf harvest is to satisfy hunters , they are having the hunt for trophies , for sport , ' he said . we are saying , stay back , what 's the rush , they were just delisted , study this population . we have to err on the side of the caution . this is a population that was driven virtually to extinction . ' | minnesota hunters will be able to hunt gray wolves for first time next month |
israel <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the sea of gallilee , where christ reputedly walked on water , is today home to another miracle of sorts . it is where hundreds of millions of birds migrate across israel and a paradise for bird watchers . located west of the golan heights , the area is part of the great rift valley , which stretches from northern syria to central mozambique in africa . it is akin to a superhighway of bird migration routes , creating thermal currents that raptors and other birds can ride from central africa to europe . israel is at a bottleneck on the migratory birds'flight path where an estimated 540 species converge . compare that with 460 species in germany , which is 20 times bigger . the hula valley , in galilee , is an important resting and refueling place for migrating birds on their annual journey of thousands of kilometers from europe and asia to africa and back . in late autumn , tens of thousands of common cranes and pelicans flock to the area , as well as more than 25 species of raptors like the imperial eagles and spotted eagles . some of these birds stay in the area for the entire winter . it is a spectacular sight , and the area has become a popular spot for amateur bird watchers and ornithologists . there is even the hula valley bird festival held every november . according to yossi lessem , director of the international center for the study of bird migration , every year the hula valley 's agamon bird sanctuary attracts 398 bird species , more than 400,000 visitors and 50,000 hardcore bird watchers . nadav yisraeli , manager of the hula valley bird watching center , has been studying birds here for years . in the middle of the migration season , he will catch hundreds of birds a day , and they will be taken to the ringing station for inspection and measurement . he showed cnn the ringing procedure . first , i 'm going to record the ring number , ' he said , before moving on to measure the bird 's wing length , tail length and weight . we are learning that there are certain species that are doing quite well with the changes , ' yisraeli said , and some species are declining , so we can tell something is happening . ' one of these change is the war in neighboring syria . if they arrive on a war zone , and that was land on a stop for them and they ca n't stop and rest , then they are in a problem , ' yisraeli said . they have to move on and sometimes their body will not be fit for that . ' luckily food is abundant in the hula valley . in the 1990s , as israel started to restore its wetlands , more cranes began to stop here and many -- an estimated 30,000 birds -- decided to spend the whole winter in the area . the cranes took a shine to the local peanut crops , costing farmers around $ 350,000 a year . to avoid conflict between farmers and birds , the israeli government now provides corn and other bird feed . tourists can ride along the feeding tractor and the wild birds are hardly disturbed by the gawking visitors . yenni kwok contributed to this report . | located between three continents -- europe , asia and africa , israel is at a bottleneck on the migratory birds'flight path |
windsor <tsp> ( cnn ) -- shortly after we filed our case challenging the defense of marriage act , my client edie windsor was asked what it felt like to be a plaintiff suing the federal government . edie , who grew up in a middle-class household after the great depression , said it was one thing to be out ' as a lesbian but another thing entirely to be the out lesbian who happens to be suing the united states of america . ' one year ago on thursday , the u.s. supreme court decided edie 's case by issuing a landmark decision that gay people have have the same right to dignity and respect under the law that straight people do . the so-called defense of marriage act , also known as doma , was passed in 1996 and defined marriage as a union exclusively between a man and a woman . as a result , otherwise valid marriages of same-sex couples were rendered null and void under federal law and gay married couples were denied the full range of federal benefits that straight married couples received . when we filed edie 's case in 2010 , only five states and washington , d.c. , permitted same-sex couples to marry . when the supreme court 's decision came down last year , 12 states and d.c. did . today , 19 states and d.c. -- representing almost 44 % of the u.s. population -- do . if you had told me last june that the world would look the way it does today for gay people , i would have said you need to be more realistic . how did this happen ? first and foremost , from the very beginning , our strategy was , to borrow a phrase from bill clinton 's first presidential campaign , it 's all about edie , stupid . ' unlike many previous lgbt civil rights cases , our case involved only one plaintiff . the trouble with cases involving multiple plaintiffs is that the plaintiffs'stories often got lost in the shuffle . after all , it 's hard for a judge or jury to focus on several plaintiff couples at once . it is much easier to focus only on one . and unfortunately , when the plaintiffs'stories get lost in the background , a gay civil rights case can sound more like a debate between fox news and msnbc than a case about real people and their lives . our view was that the best way to defeat doma was not to focus on lawyers or pundits , but instead to explain how doma harmed two real people , edie windsor , and her late spouse , thea spyer . so how did we do that ? we decided to tell the story of edie and thea 's lives as the great love story that it was . our goal was n't to write a harlequin romance . rather , what we hoped to do was to show that edie and thea , who spent 44 years together in sickness and health till death did them part , lived their lives with the same decency and dignity as anyone else . we demonstrated that edie and thea had what justice ruth bader ginsburg called a grand partnership , ' surely the kind of marriage any one of us -- straight or gay -- would be lucky to have . and the $ 363,000 federal estate tax bill that edie received upon thea 's death solely because of doma did n't hurt either . if edie had been married to a man -- if thea ' had been theo ' -- then her estate tax bill would have been zero . any american , gay or straight , democrat or republican , can understand how unfair it is to have to pay a huge tax bill simply because you are gay . in our brief for the supreme court , we made three points to illustrate why the supreme court needed to be suspicious of congress'motivation for passing doma . first , doma was enacted because of moral disapproval of gay people who at the time were largely feared and misunderstood ; second , doma essentially wrote gay people out of much of federal law ; and third , by instructing the federal government to ignore the marriages of only gay people by denying them benefits , doma upset the historic relationship between the federal government and the states . the federal government had always otherwise deferred to the states'definitions of marriage . fortunately , these three themes are interwoven throughout the supreme court 's opinion . on the moral disapproval point , justice anthony kennedy explains that interference with the equal dignity of same-sex marriages was more than an incidental effect of [ doma ] . it was its essence . ' as for doma 's scope , the supreme court notes that doma writes inequality into the entire united states code ' and describes doma as touching many aspects of married and family life , from the mundane to the profound . ' and on our third point , the supreme court points out doma 's unusual deviation ' from the federal government 's practice of recognizing otherwise lawful marriages . as the court concludes , doma was invalid because no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and to injure those whom the state , by its marriage laws , sought to protect in personhood and dignity . ' in other words , by treating [ gay people ] as living in marriages less respected than others , [ doma ] is in violation of the fifth amendment . ' the supreme court uses the word dignity ' 10 times in its 26-page opinion in united states v windsor . sometimes , it 's the simplest and most obvious things that say the most . dignity , the state of being worthy of honor or respect , is exactly what the windsor case was all about . now that the supreme court has recognized that gay people and their relationships are equally worthy of respect under the constitution , the legal equivalent of the battle of normandy in the struggle for gay rights has been won . and you do n't have to take my word for it . twenty-five decisions throughout the country in states as far apart in geography and culture as ohio and utah , new jersey and oklahoma , wisconsin and arkansas , have relied on windsor to extend rights to gay people . as of today , there 's not a single case that has gone the other way . it seems as though nearly every week , another court in another state expands the rights of gay people using the logic and language of the windsor decision . although i have the greatest regard for the superhuman bravery and brilliance of the playwright and activist larry kramer , i have to respectfully disagree with his recent statement that considering how many of us there are ... we have achieved very little . ' the truth is that no other minority group in american history has seen more progress toward equality more rapidly than gay people have . i completely agree with republican sen. orrin hatch when he recently conceded that anybody who does not believe that gay marriage is going to be the law of the land ... is n't living in the real world . ' but why is this so ? what has changed ? the answer is n't complicated . it 's because of the incredible courage of people such as larry kramer and edie windsor who came out ' and told the rest of the world i 'm here and i 'm gay ' that full equality for gay people under the law is about to become a reality . | kaplan 's amazed at how many states have used windsor case to pass same-sex marriage |
windsor <tsp> ( cnn ) -- shortly after we filed our case challenging the defense of marriage act , my client edie windsor was asked what it felt like to be a plaintiff suing the federal government . edie , who grew up in a middle-class household after the great depression , said it was one thing to be out ' as a lesbian but another thing entirely to be the out lesbian who happens to be suing the united states of america . ' one year ago on thursday , the u.s. supreme court decided edie 's case by issuing a landmark decision that gay people have have the same right to dignity and respect under the law that straight people do . the so-called defense of marriage act , also known as doma , was passed in 1996 and defined marriage as a union exclusively between a man and a woman . as a result , otherwise valid marriages of same-sex couples were rendered null and void under federal law and gay married couples were denied the full range of federal benefits that straight married couples received . when we filed edie 's case in 2010 , only five states and washington , d.c. , permitted same-sex couples to marry . when the supreme court 's decision came down last year , 12 states and d.c. did . today , 19 states and d.c. -- representing almost 44 % of the u.s. population -- do . if you had told me last june that the world would look the way it does today for gay people , i would have said you need to be more realistic . how did this happen ? first and foremost , from the very beginning , our strategy was , to borrow a phrase from bill clinton 's first presidential campaign , it 's all about edie , stupid . ' unlike many previous lgbt civil rights cases , our case involved only one plaintiff . the trouble with cases involving multiple plaintiffs is that the plaintiffs'stories often got lost in the shuffle . after all , it 's hard for a judge or jury to focus on several plaintiff couples at once . it is much easier to focus only on one . and unfortunately , when the plaintiffs'stories get lost in the background , a gay civil rights case can sound more like a debate between fox news and msnbc than a case about real people and their lives . our view was that the best way to defeat doma was not to focus on lawyers or pundits , but instead to explain how doma harmed two real people , edie windsor , and her late spouse , thea spyer . so how did we do that ? we decided to tell the story of edie and thea 's lives as the great love story that it was . our goal was n't to write a harlequin romance . rather , what we hoped to do was to show that edie and thea , who spent 44 years together in sickness and health till death did them part , lived their lives with the same decency and dignity as anyone else . we demonstrated that edie and thea had what justice ruth bader ginsburg called a grand partnership , ' surely the kind of marriage any one of us -- straight or gay -- would be lucky to have . and the $ 363,000 federal estate tax bill that edie received upon thea 's death solely because of doma did n't hurt either . if edie had been married to a man -- if thea ' had been theo ' -- then her estate tax bill would have been zero . any american , gay or straight , democrat or republican , can understand how unfair it is to have to pay a huge tax bill simply because you are gay . in our brief for the supreme court , we made three points to illustrate why the supreme court needed to be suspicious of congress'motivation for passing doma . first , doma was enacted because of moral disapproval of gay people who at the time were largely feared and misunderstood ; second , doma essentially wrote gay people out of much of federal law ; and third , by instructing the federal government to ignore the marriages of only gay people by denying them benefits , doma upset the historic relationship between the federal government and the states . the federal government had always otherwise deferred to the states'definitions of marriage . fortunately , these three themes are interwoven throughout the supreme court 's opinion . on the moral disapproval point , justice anthony kennedy explains that interference with the equal dignity of same-sex marriages was more than an incidental effect of [ doma ] . it was its essence . ' as for doma 's scope , the supreme court notes that doma writes inequality into the entire united states code ' and describes doma as touching many aspects of married and family life , from the mundane to the profound . ' and on our third point , the supreme court points out doma 's unusual deviation ' from the federal government 's practice of recognizing otherwise lawful marriages . as the court concludes , doma was invalid because no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and to injure those whom the state , by its marriage laws , sought to protect in personhood and dignity . ' in other words , by treating [ gay people ] as living in marriages less respected than others , [ doma ] is in violation of the fifth amendment . ' the supreme court uses the word dignity ' 10 times in its 26-page opinion in united states v windsor . sometimes , it 's the simplest and most obvious things that say the most . dignity , the state of being worthy of honor or respect , is exactly what the windsor case was all about . now that the supreme court has recognized that gay people and their relationships are equally worthy of respect under the constitution , the legal equivalent of the battle of normandy in the struggle for gay rights has been won . and you do n't have to take my word for it . twenty-five decisions throughout the country in states as far apart in geography and culture as ohio and utah , new jersey and oklahoma , wisconsin and arkansas , have relied on windsor to extend rights to gay people . as of today , there 's not a single case that has gone the other way . it seems as though nearly every week , another court in another state expands the rights of gay people using the logic and language of the windsor decision . although i have the greatest regard for the superhuman bravery and brilliance of the playwright and activist larry kramer , i have to respectfully disagree with his recent statement that considering how many of us there are ... we have achieved very little . ' the truth is that no other minority group in american history has seen more progress toward equality more rapidly than gay people have . i completely agree with republican sen. orrin hatch when he recently conceded that anybody who does not believe that gay marriage is going to be the law of the land ... is n't living in the real world . ' but why is this so ? what has changed ? the answer is n't complicated . it 's because of the incredible courage of people such as larry kramer and edie windsor who came out ' and told the rest of the world i 'm here and i 'm gay ' that full equality for gay people under the law is about to become a reality . | roberta kaplan argued the case for edie windsor on behalf of same-sex marriage |
defense of marriage act <tsp> ( cnn ) -- shortly after we filed our case challenging the defense of marriage act , my client edie windsor was asked what it felt like to be a plaintiff suing the federal government . edie , who grew up in a middle-class household after the great depression , said it was one thing to be out ' as a lesbian but another thing entirely to be the out lesbian who happens to be suing the united states of america . ' one year ago on thursday , the u.s. supreme court decided edie 's case by issuing a landmark decision that gay people have have the same right to dignity and respect under the law that straight people do . the so-called defense of marriage act , also known as doma , was passed in 1996 and defined marriage as a union exclusively between a man and a woman . as a result , otherwise valid marriages of same-sex couples were rendered null and void under federal law and gay married couples were denied the full range of federal benefits that straight married couples received . when we filed edie 's case in 2010 , only five states and washington , d.c. , permitted same-sex couples to marry . when the supreme court 's decision came down last year , 12 states and d.c. did . today , 19 states and d.c. -- representing almost 44 % of the u.s. population -- do . if you had told me last june that the world would look the way it does today for gay people , i would have said you need to be more realistic . how did this happen ? first and foremost , from the very beginning , our strategy was , to borrow a phrase from bill clinton 's first presidential campaign , it 's all about edie , stupid . ' unlike many previous lgbt civil rights cases , our case involved only one plaintiff . the trouble with cases involving multiple plaintiffs is that the plaintiffs'stories often got lost in the shuffle . after all , it 's hard for a judge or jury to focus on several plaintiff couples at once . it is much easier to focus only on one . and unfortunately , when the plaintiffs'stories get lost in the background , a gay civil rights case can sound more like a debate between fox news and msnbc than a case about real people and their lives . our view was that the best way to defeat doma was not to focus on lawyers or pundits , but instead to explain how doma harmed two real people , edie windsor , and her late spouse , thea spyer . so how did we do that ? we decided to tell the story of edie and thea 's lives as the great love story that it was . our goal was n't to write a harlequin romance . rather , what we hoped to do was to show that edie and thea , who spent 44 years together in sickness and health till death did them part , lived their lives with the same decency and dignity as anyone else . we demonstrated that edie and thea had what justice ruth bader ginsburg called a grand partnership , ' surely the kind of marriage any one of us -- straight or gay -- would be lucky to have . and the $ 363,000 federal estate tax bill that edie received upon thea 's death solely because of doma did n't hurt either . if edie had been married to a man -- if thea ' had been theo ' -- then her estate tax bill would have been zero . any american , gay or straight , democrat or republican , can understand how unfair it is to have to pay a huge tax bill simply because you are gay . in our brief for the supreme court , we made three points to illustrate why the supreme court needed to be suspicious of congress'motivation for passing doma . first , doma was enacted because of moral disapproval of gay people who at the time were largely feared and misunderstood ; second , doma essentially wrote gay people out of much of federal law ; and third , by instructing the federal government to ignore the marriages of only gay people by denying them benefits , doma upset the historic relationship between the federal government and the states . the federal government had always otherwise deferred to the states'definitions of marriage . fortunately , these three themes are interwoven throughout the supreme court 's opinion . on the moral disapproval point , justice anthony kennedy explains that interference with the equal dignity of same-sex marriages was more than an incidental effect of [ doma ] . it was its essence . ' as for doma 's scope , the supreme court notes that doma writes inequality into the entire united states code ' and describes doma as touching many aspects of married and family life , from the mundane to the profound . ' and on our third point , the supreme court points out doma 's unusual deviation ' from the federal government 's practice of recognizing otherwise lawful marriages . as the court concludes , doma was invalid because no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose and effect to disparage and to injure those whom the state , by its marriage laws , sought to protect in personhood and dignity . ' in other words , by treating [ gay people ] as living in marriages less respected than others , [ doma ] is in violation of the fifth amendment . ' the supreme court uses the word dignity ' 10 times in its 26-page opinion in united states v windsor . sometimes , it 's the simplest and most obvious things that say the most . dignity , the state of being worthy of honor or respect , is exactly what the windsor case was all about . now that the supreme court has recognized that gay people and their relationships are equally worthy of respect under the constitution , the legal equivalent of the battle of normandy in the struggle for gay rights has been won . and you do n't have to take my word for it . twenty-five decisions throughout the country in states as far apart in geography and culture as ohio and utah , new jersey and oklahoma , wisconsin and arkansas , have relied on windsor to extend rights to gay people . as of today , there 's not a single case that has gone the other way . it seems as though nearly every week , another court in another state expands the rights of gay people using the logic and language of the windsor decision . although i have the greatest regard for the superhuman bravery and brilliance of the playwright and activist larry kramer , i have to respectfully disagree with his recent statement that considering how many of us there are ... we have achieved very little . ' the truth is that no other minority group in american history has seen more progress toward equality more rapidly than gay people have . i completely agree with republican sen. orrin hatch when he recently conceded that anybody who does not believe that gay marriage is going to be the law of the land ... is n't living in the real world . ' but why is this so ? what has changed ? the answer is n't complicated . it 's because of the incredible courage of people such as larry kramer and edie windsor who came out ' and told the rest of the world i 'm here and i 'm gay ' that full equality for gay people under the law is about to become a reality . | a year ago thursday , a supreme court ruling dismantled defense of marriage act |
kim <tsp> ( cnn ) -- north korea 's longtime leader kim jong il , the embodiment of the reclusive state where his cult of personality is deeply entrenched , has died . he was believed to be 69 . regarded as one of the world 's most-repressive leaders , kim jong il always cut a slightly bizarre figure . his diminutive stature and characteristically bouffant hair have been parodied by some in the west . he 's a mysterious person -- i think by design , ' said han s. park , director of the center for the study of global issues at the university of georgia and a frequent visitor to north korea . mystery is a source of leverage and power . it 's maintaining uncertainty . ' but for the citizens of his democratic people 's republic of korea , kim was well regarded . this just in : up-to-the-minute news on the death of kim jong il his father , kim il sung , founded north korea with soviet backing after world war ii . kim jong il was just a little boy when the communist north invaded the american-backed south , sparking the korean war in 1950 . after the fighting ended , kim became steeped in his father 's philosophy of juche ' or self-reliance -- the basis of north korea 's reclusive nature . north and south korea never formally signed a peace treaty and remain technically at war -- separated by a tense demilitarized zone . north korea gives kim 's official birthplace as sacred mount paektu . the peak , on the northern border with chinese manchuria , is the highest on the peninsula and the site where korean legend says the nation came into existence 5,000 years ago . cause of death reported to be overwork ' researchers who are more objective place kim 's birth in the far eastern region of the soviet union on february 16 , 1942 . his father had fled to the soviet union when the japanese put a price on his head for guerrilla activities in occupied korea . the family returned to the northern part of the peninsula after the japanese surrender in world war ii , and soviet dictator josef stalin anointed kim il sung as the leader of the democratic people 's republic of korea . timeline : kim jong il kim jong il 's younger brother drowned as a child and his mother died when he was 7 years old . shortly after , when the korean war broke out , he was sent to manchuria , returning three years later when it ended . despite these hardships , kim jong il was presumably surrounded by luxury and privilege for most of his upbringing . as the first-born son of an iron-fisted dictator , the doors were likely opening for him from a very young age , ' according to dae-sook suh , a professor of political science at the university of hawaii who specializes in the pyongyang government . time : the iconography of kim jong il gradually kim jong il was groomed for the top position , making public appearances in front of cheering crowds . in 1980 , kim il sung formally designated his son as his successor . kim jong il was given senior posts in the politburo , the military commission and the party secretariat . he took on the title dear leader ' and the government began spinning a personality cult around him patterned after that of his father , the great leader . ' in 1991 , kim jong il became commander-in-chief of north korea 's powerful armed forces , the final step in the long grooming process . three years later , when kim il sung died suddenly from a heart attack at 82 , most outsiders predicted the imminent collapse of north korea . the nation had lost its venerated founding father . just a few years earlier , its powerful alliances had evaporated with the fall of the soviet bloc and china 's move toward a market-based system . the economy was on the rocks and energy and food were in short supply . a series of weather disasters , combined with an inefficient state-run agricultural system , further eroded the food supply , leading to mass starvation . the timing could not have been worse for replacing the only leader north korea had known . heaven did n't smile on kim jong il , ' said the university of hawaii 's dae-sook suh . after his father 's elaborate public funeral , kim jong il dropped out of sight , fueling rumors , but he soon managed to consolidate power . zakaria : will the north koreans rise up ? under his newly organized government , his father 's presidential post was left vacant and kim took the titles of general secretary of the workers party and chairman of the national defense commission -- a group of 10 men that includes the heads of the air force , army and navy , who are now considered the most powerful in the country . it 's a peculiar government to say the least , ' dae-sook suh said . he honors the legacy of his father , but the new government is a kim jong il government . it 's quite different from his father 's . ' kim il sung 's unique style of stalinism was subordinated to the more militant theme of kim jong il 's red banner ' policy , introduced in 1996 . the changes afoot were dramatically illustrated in 1997 by the defection of hwang jang yop -- the architect of the juche philosophy and the first high-level official to seek asylum in south korea . in a news conference after his defection , hwang warned of a growing possibility that his homeland might launch an attack . the preparation for war exceeds your imagination , ' he said . many outsiders viewed the flight of hwang as another sign that the north korean regime was on its last legs , but once again it weathered the storm , perhaps even benefiting from the fears of war heightened by hwang 's warning . despite sending a test missile over japan in june 1999 and other such incidents , north korea under kim jong il also sent signals that it is open to new alliances after decades of isolation . billions of dollars in international aid poured into north korea during the 1990s , which did little in return . many analysts conclude that kim jong il has played a poor hand of cards skillfully . i tend to disregard rumors that he 's irrational , a man that nobody can do business with , ' said alexander mansourov , a longtime korea scholar and a former russian diplomat who was posted in pyongyang in the late 1980s . i believe that he is smart . he 's pragmatic . and i think he can be ruthless . he 's a man who will not loosen his grip in any way on the people around him . ' his obsession for movies led to one of the strangest incidents associated with him : the 1978 kidnappings of south korean actress choi en-hui and her director husband shin sang-ok . the couple 's account of their ordeal , given after they escaped north korea in 1986 , sounds like a b-movie script . they said kim jong il held choi under house arrest and imprisoned shin for four years for a failed escape attempt . kim then forced them to work in the north korean film industry , paying them handsomely while keeping them in the gilded cage of his artistic and social circles . although the country was having problems paying its debts , kim lived extravagantly and spent tens of millions of dollars on their film productions , according to choi and shin . the couple told washington post reporter don oberdorfer that kim was a micro-manager ' who made all the major decisions in north korea because of his father 's ailing condition . shin described kim as very bright , ' but said that he had no sense of guilt about his misdeeds due to his background and upbringing . ' while the dear leader is said to have indulged his appetite for the finer things , his people were literally starving to death . the collapse of the soviet union in the early 1990s hit north korea hard when guaranteed trade deals with moscow came to an end . and then devastating floods compounded the famine . the north korean regime admitted almost 250,000 people perished between 1995 and 1998 , but some outside groups believe it was more like ten times that figure . nevertheless , an artifice of a successful state was maintained in the capital , pyongyang , including an opulent subway -- proof that kim would say reflected north korea 's progress under his and his father 's leadership . in 2000 , there appeared to be a thaw in north-south relations leading to the first-ever summit meeting between kim jong il and his then counterpart from the south president kim dae jung . south korea 's so-called sunshine policy ' of engagement seemed to be bearing fruit . but kim jong il pressed ahead with his nuclear weapons program and then-u.s. president george w. bush labeled north korea as part of the axis of evil ' in his 2002 state of the union address . a year later , north korea withdrew from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty . in 2006 , the north conducted a nuclear test and test fired missiles adding extra urgency to the six-party talks designed to deal with north korea 's nuclear program . a breakthrough came in 2007 , when kim jong il finally agreed to disable the nuclear reactor at yongbyon in return for fuel and better relations with the u.s . but despite dramatically blowing up yongbyon 's cooling tower , north korea seemed to backtrack afterwards and the deal appeared to be jeopardy . in august 2008 , pyongyang halted the disabling of the plutonium-producing plants in after a stalemate over verification measures . months later -- as bush wrapped up his final term in office -- the u.s. government agreed to take north korea off its list of countries that sponsor terrorism . the move was a turnaround from the bush administration 's previous refusal to drop north korea from the list until pyongyang agreed to set up an internationally recognizable mechanism to verify it was revealing all its nuclear secrets . analysts say it is easy for outsiders to demonize kim jong il , a dictator who spent an estimated 25 % or more of his country 's gross national product on the military while many in his country went hungry . but in north korea , closed off from outside influences , fearful of threats from its neighbors , and subjected to decades of political socialization on top of a long tradition of a strict hierarchical system , kim jong il is viewed positively by most people , said han park of the center for study of global issues . the level of reverence for kim jong il in north korea is quite underestimated by the outside , ' park said . he is regarded by many as not only a superior leader but a decent person , a man of high morality . whether that 's accurate is not important if you want to deal with north korea . you have to understand their belief system . perception is reality . ' but to the outside world , kim jong il will be remembered as one of the worst despots in history , according to andre lankov , an author on korea 's history . he will be remembered as a person who was responsible for awful things : for the existence of one of the worst dictatorships in not only korean history but the world history at least in the 20th and 21st centuries , ' lankov said . yet he did not create this dictatorship -- it was his father 's but he took responsibility , and he made sure it continued for many more years . ' cnn 's dan rivers contributed to this report . | kim was well regarded within north korea |
kim <tsp> ( cnn ) -- north korea 's longtime leader kim jong il , the embodiment of the reclusive state where his cult of personality is deeply entrenched , has died . he was believed to be 69 . regarded as one of the world 's most-repressive leaders , kim jong il always cut a slightly bizarre figure . his diminutive stature and characteristically bouffant hair have been parodied by some in the west . he 's a mysterious person -- i think by design , ' said han s. park , director of the center for the study of global issues at the university of georgia and a frequent visitor to north korea . mystery is a source of leverage and power . it 's maintaining uncertainty . ' but for the citizens of his democratic people 's republic of korea , kim was well regarded . this just in : up-to-the-minute news on the death of kim jong il his father , kim il sung , founded north korea with soviet backing after world war ii . kim jong il was just a little boy when the communist north invaded the american-backed south , sparking the korean war in 1950 . after the fighting ended , kim became steeped in his father 's philosophy of juche ' or self-reliance -- the basis of north korea 's reclusive nature . north and south korea never formally signed a peace treaty and remain technically at war -- separated by a tense demilitarized zone . north korea gives kim 's official birthplace as sacred mount paektu . the peak , on the northern border with chinese manchuria , is the highest on the peninsula and the site where korean legend says the nation came into existence 5,000 years ago . cause of death reported to be overwork ' researchers who are more objective place kim 's birth in the far eastern region of the soviet union on february 16 , 1942 . his father had fled to the soviet union when the japanese put a price on his head for guerrilla activities in occupied korea . the family returned to the northern part of the peninsula after the japanese surrender in world war ii , and soviet dictator josef stalin anointed kim il sung as the leader of the democratic people 's republic of korea . timeline : kim jong il kim jong il 's younger brother drowned as a child and his mother died when he was 7 years old . shortly after , when the korean war broke out , he was sent to manchuria , returning three years later when it ended . despite these hardships , kim jong il was presumably surrounded by luxury and privilege for most of his upbringing . as the first-born son of an iron-fisted dictator , the doors were likely opening for him from a very young age , ' according to dae-sook suh , a professor of political science at the university of hawaii who specializes in the pyongyang government . time : the iconography of kim jong il gradually kim jong il was groomed for the top position , making public appearances in front of cheering crowds . in 1980 , kim il sung formally designated his son as his successor . kim jong il was given senior posts in the politburo , the military commission and the party secretariat . he took on the title dear leader ' and the government began spinning a personality cult around him patterned after that of his father , the great leader . ' in 1991 , kim jong il became commander-in-chief of north korea 's powerful armed forces , the final step in the long grooming process . three years later , when kim il sung died suddenly from a heart attack at 82 , most outsiders predicted the imminent collapse of north korea . the nation had lost its venerated founding father . just a few years earlier , its powerful alliances had evaporated with the fall of the soviet bloc and china 's move toward a market-based system . the economy was on the rocks and energy and food were in short supply . a series of weather disasters , combined with an inefficient state-run agricultural system , further eroded the food supply , leading to mass starvation . the timing could not have been worse for replacing the only leader north korea had known . heaven did n't smile on kim jong il , ' said the university of hawaii 's dae-sook suh . after his father 's elaborate public funeral , kim jong il dropped out of sight , fueling rumors , but he soon managed to consolidate power . zakaria : will the north koreans rise up ? under his newly organized government , his father 's presidential post was left vacant and kim took the titles of general secretary of the workers party and chairman of the national defense commission -- a group of 10 men that includes the heads of the air force , army and navy , who are now considered the most powerful in the country . it 's a peculiar government to say the least , ' dae-sook suh said . he honors the legacy of his father , but the new government is a kim jong il government . it 's quite different from his father 's . ' kim il sung 's unique style of stalinism was subordinated to the more militant theme of kim jong il 's red banner ' policy , introduced in 1996 . the changes afoot were dramatically illustrated in 1997 by the defection of hwang jang yop -- the architect of the juche philosophy and the first high-level official to seek asylum in south korea . in a news conference after his defection , hwang warned of a growing possibility that his homeland might launch an attack . the preparation for war exceeds your imagination , ' he said . many outsiders viewed the flight of hwang as another sign that the north korean regime was on its last legs , but once again it weathered the storm , perhaps even benefiting from the fears of war heightened by hwang 's warning . despite sending a test missile over japan in june 1999 and other such incidents , north korea under kim jong il also sent signals that it is open to new alliances after decades of isolation . billions of dollars in international aid poured into north korea during the 1990s , which did little in return . many analysts conclude that kim jong il has played a poor hand of cards skillfully . i tend to disregard rumors that he 's irrational , a man that nobody can do business with , ' said alexander mansourov , a longtime korea scholar and a former russian diplomat who was posted in pyongyang in the late 1980s . i believe that he is smart . he 's pragmatic . and i think he can be ruthless . he 's a man who will not loosen his grip in any way on the people around him . ' his obsession for movies led to one of the strangest incidents associated with him : the 1978 kidnappings of south korean actress choi en-hui and her director husband shin sang-ok . the couple 's account of their ordeal , given after they escaped north korea in 1986 , sounds like a b-movie script . they said kim jong il held choi under house arrest and imprisoned shin for four years for a failed escape attempt . kim then forced them to work in the north korean film industry , paying them handsomely while keeping them in the gilded cage of his artistic and social circles . although the country was having problems paying its debts , kim lived extravagantly and spent tens of millions of dollars on their film productions , according to choi and shin . the couple told washington post reporter don oberdorfer that kim was a micro-manager ' who made all the major decisions in north korea because of his father 's ailing condition . shin described kim as very bright , ' but said that he had no sense of guilt about his misdeeds due to his background and upbringing . ' while the dear leader is said to have indulged his appetite for the finer things , his people were literally starving to death . the collapse of the soviet union in the early 1990s hit north korea hard when guaranteed trade deals with moscow came to an end . and then devastating floods compounded the famine . the north korean regime admitted almost 250,000 people perished between 1995 and 1998 , but some outside groups believe it was more like ten times that figure . nevertheless , an artifice of a successful state was maintained in the capital , pyongyang , including an opulent subway -- proof that kim would say reflected north korea 's progress under his and his father 's leadership . in 2000 , there appeared to be a thaw in north-south relations leading to the first-ever summit meeting between kim jong il and his then counterpart from the south president kim dae jung . south korea 's so-called sunshine policy ' of engagement seemed to be bearing fruit . but kim jong il pressed ahead with his nuclear weapons program and then-u.s. president george w. bush labeled north korea as part of the axis of evil ' in his 2002 state of the union address . a year later , north korea withdrew from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty . in 2006 , the north conducted a nuclear test and test fired missiles adding extra urgency to the six-party talks designed to deal with north korea 's nuclear program . a breakthrough came in 2007 , when kim jong il finally agreed to disable the nuclear reactor at yongbyon in return for fuel and better relations with the u.s . but despite dramatically blowing up yongbyon 's cooling tower , north korea seemed to backtrack afterwards and the deal appeared to be jeopardy . in august 2008 , pyongyang halted the disabling of the plutonium-producing plants in after a stalemate over verification measures . months later -- as bush wrapped up his final term in office -- the u.s. government agreed to take north korea off its list of countries that sponsor terrorism . the move was a turnaround from the bush administration 's previous refusal to drop north korea from the list until pyongyang agreed to set up an internationally recognizable mechanism to verify it was revealing all its nuclear secrets . analysts say it is easy for outsiders to demonize kim jong il , a dictator who spent an estimated 25 % or more of his country 's gross national product on the military while many in his country went hungry . but in north korea , closed off from outside influences , fearful of threats from its neighbors , and subjected to decades of political socialization on top of a long tradition of a strict hierarchical system , kim jong il is viewed positively by most people , said han park of the center for study of global issues . the level of reverence for kim jong il in north korea is quite underestimated by the outside , ' park said . he is regarded by many as not only a superior leader but a decent person , a man of high morality . whether that 's accurate is not important if you want to deal with north korea . you have to understand their belief system . perception is reality . ' but to the outside world , kim jong il will be remembered as one of the worst despots in history , according to andre lankov , an author on korea 's history . he will be remembered as a person who was responsible for awful things : for the existence of one of the worst dictatorships in not only korean history but the world history at least in the 20th and 21st centuries , ' lankov said . yet he did not create this dictatorship -- it was his father 's but he took responsibility , and he made sure it continued for many more years . ' cnn 's dan rivers contributed to this report . | kim jong il took over when his father died of a heart attack in 1994 |
sotheby 's <tsp> ( cnn ) -- for one private collector , it 's the beginning of a beautiful friendship . a buyer has purchased the piano used in one of the most beloved scenes in all of film : the playing of as time goes by ' in casablanca ' -- the 1942 classic movie starring humphrey bogart and ingrid bergman . sotheby 's new york auctioned the piano for $ 602,500 on friday , a sale price lower than expected . the estimated price for the piano had been $ 800,000 to $ 1.2 million . the 58-key piano is a memorable part of the romantic flashback sequence in paris at la belle aurore , where rick ( bogart ) and ilsa ( bergman ) listen to sam ( dooley wilson ) sing and play as time goes by . ' the piano is distinctive for its diminutive size and distinct hue . seeing the piano in real life you end up with a couple of things , ' said david redden , vice chairman at sotheby 's . it 's quite colorful , green and distressed yellow . and you do n't realize how small it is , so small in fact bogart and bergman sort of tower over it . ' redden is no stranger to this famous hollywood prop . he first auctioned it off back in 1988 . it was sold to a japanese man and now it 's come back to us , ' redden told cnn . he paid $ 154,000 for it . ' on friday , a pianist played as time goes by ' in the sotheby 's salesroom before the piano was spun around on the turnstile to an awaiting audience and bought by a private collector , ' the auction house said . the sale was greeted by applause , sotheby 's said . the instrument had no significant value in the golden age of moviemaking , redden added . it would be re-used again and again , ' he said . many critics and movie-lovers regard casablanca ' as one of the greatest films ever made . directed by michael curtiz , it won three oscars , and is replete with memorable lines and scenes . the piano is a star of the film , ' redden said . the music is so emotive , so moving and the piano really becomes a symbol of the love story between bogart and bergman . ' wilson , the actor who portrayed sam , was a trumpeter , not a pianist , according to redden . he is sort of miming the fingering . but someone else is playing nearby and he was following the real player , ' redden said . now , the unknown new owner -- just a citizen of the world , ' like the character rick -- gets to tickle the ivories as time goes by . | the sale was greeted by applause at sotheby 's |
mingora <tsp> islamabad , pakistan ( cnn ) -- pakistan 's military is pounding taliban targets in the country 's swat valley , trying to clear militants who control parts of the district 's main city , military officials said . pakistani army trucks transport cannons for the military operation against the taliban . the pakistani forces had killed 35 militants in wednesday 's fighting , the officials said . the officials said there are reports of some civilian casualties in wednesday 's fighting -- which has been concentrated in swat 's district capital of mingora -- but they denied local media reports that 35 civilians died . an eyewitness said he saw the bodies of 15 civilians were being taken from a village near mingora on wednesday . twelve of the dead were children . taliban militants have laid siege to mingora , looting banks , attacking army headquarters , the police station , and the main power grid station , the officials said . they are also occupying civilian houses and government buildings in the city center , according to the military . see a map of taliban-controlled areas » the fighting has trapped 80 boys inside an orphanage in the city , according to muhammad ali , the director of the facility . another 20 staffers are also holed up inside the four-story building , and they only have enough food for two more days , ali said . local government officials issued an evacuation order for the swat area tuesday , ahead of the military operation . an estimated 40,000 people have fled mingora , according to khushhal khan , district coordination officer . government officials warn that the fighting could lead to the exodus of 500,000 civilians . watch as thousands flee military offensive » for the last two weeks , pakistani troops have battled taliban fighters in buner and lower dir , two districts bordering swat . army generals claim to have killed scores of militants . fighting continues in those two districts , and the operations are progressing smoothly , ' the military said wednesday . militants struck a girls'college in the area with rocket fire , partially damaging the building , the military said . watch conditions in a refugee camp in pakistan » pakistan 's government recently signed a deal that would allow islamic law , or sharia , in the swat valley , in exchange for an end to fighting . the government began its military operation after taliban militants moved into the buner district and refused to disarm , in violation of the agreement . pakistan 's president asif ali zardari will meet with u.s. president barack obama and afghan president hamid karzai on wednesday in washington . obama is hoping to build an enduring regional alliance with both countries , enlisting them as full partners rather than treating them as battlefields for u.s. soldiers to fight extremists . last week , obama said pakistan 's government appears to be very fragile ' and argued that the united states has huge national security interests in making sure that pakistan is stable ' and does n't end up a nuclear-armed militant state . ' cnn 's samson desta and elise labott contributed to this report . | pakistani military pounds taliban fighters , killing 35 in swat valley offensive an estimated 40,000 people flee city of mingora as forces clash |
republicans <tsp> st. paul , minnesota ( cnn ) -- seventeen-year-old claire thomas has found the silver lining in minnesota 's government shutdown : she gets to spend more time with her two mothers on her summer vacation . toby mcadams and her partner , wendy crowell , were both included in the mass layoff that left more than 20,000 state workers jobless . it 's actually a little bit nice to have my mothers home for a teency bit , ' said the soon-to-be high school senior . but if it 's ( going to last ) months , i ca n't imagine . i mean already my mom is wandering around a little lost , because she wants to work . ... both of my moms'jobs are so important to them . ' mcadams , 43 , has worked for the state for 17 years , currently in the office of emergency preparedness , and crowell , 50 , studies invasive species for the department of natural resources . both their jobs were deemed nonessential ' by the state , thus they 've been laid off . they 'll receive benefits but no pay , and there 's no guarantee they will keep their jobs when all is said and done . coming spending cuts could be significant when or if a new state budget is finally agreed upon . democratic gov . mark dayton offered a budget proposal that included a mix of spending cuts and tax increases to offset the state 's $ 5 billion budget gap , but republicans in control of the legislature have thus far refused to budge on any plan that includes a tax increase . the minneapolis star tribune reported this week that 138 legislators are still collecting paychecks during the shutdown , while 62 have declined to accept the checks . ireporter : i 'm not sure i can wait for my job to come back to me . ' that news certainly does n't make mcadams'and crowell 's layoffs any easier to swallow . it 's hard . i miss my job , and i miss doing the work that i know is so important for minnesota , ' mcadams said . the couple worry that , should this continue very long , they 'll have to tap into a college savings fund they set up for claire and her younger brother , adam . i 'm counting on our family to have a safety net if something bad happens , ' claire said , just minutes after a brief discussion with her parents over lunch regarding the varying costs of her top college choices . the family has also had discussions on how to cut back with everyday trips to the grocery store . claire , who also works part time at a nearby farm , has an affinity for fancy ' food , which is organic and chemical-free . doing the family 's shopping will be tougher . i would have to compromise my values a little bit ... i would buy cheaper things , buy cheaper milk , ' she said . but i work at a farm ( so ) i can use the surplus there , and it helps that we have a garden . ' aside from the financial effects , mcadams and crowell worry what a lack of government services -- and thousands of employees -- will do to the state long-term . things are going to get worse , and we are n't going to be able to do anything about it . so it 's going to be painful to watch , ' mcadams said . minnesota wo n't be such a nice place to live after a while . ' we have legislators . and their job is to work out a budget for us , ' she added . i 'd like to see them do it . ' | democrats , republicans at odds on how to pay for state budget gap |
white house <tsp> ( cnn ) -- years before the first gulf war , saddam hussein was slaughtering iraq 's kurds with bombs , bullets and gas . kurdish refugees fleeing saddam hussein 's chemical weapons attacks in 1988 . the reagan white house saw it as a ruthless attempt to put down a rebellion by a minority ethnic group fighting for independence and allied with iraq 's enemy , iran . but peter galbraith thought it was something worse . a light went off in my head , and i said ,'saddam hussein is committing genocide ,'' said galbraith , who was on the staff of the senate foreign relations committee at the time . an unabashed idealist , galbraith was known for tackling unconventional issues . if you 're going to be idealistic in life , you 're going to be disappointed , ' he said . but that 's not a reason to abandon idealism . ' galbraith was one of the first westerners to witness the effects of the slaughter . during a fact-finding trip for the senate in 1987 , he saw something troubling . when we crossed from the arab part of iraq into the kurdish part of iraq , the villages and towns that showed on our maps just were n't there , ' he said . bulldozing kurdish villages was just the first phase of hussein 's war against the kurds . in 1988 , it escalated with chemical weapons . thousands , maybe tens of thousands of people were killed in those attacks , and then iraqi troops moved into those villages and gunned down the survivors . ' galbraith wanted to invoke the u.n. 's genocide convention , which requires countries to prevent and punish such crimes . we could not stand aside and allow saddam hussein to commit genocide against the kurds of iraq . ' with the support of his boss , democratic sen. claiborne pell of rhode island , galbraith drafted a bill -- the prevention of genocide act -- that would cut off u.s. foreign aid to iraq and impose a trade embargo . that would have been an appropriate response to a dictator who is gassing his own people , ' galbraith said . i thought with a name like that it would garner a lot of support . ' but the compelling name was not enough . so galbraith went back to the region to gather more evidence . watch as galbraith describes his fight to end the slaughter » tens of thousands of kurds had fled to turkey . survivors described blinding , burning clouds of poison gas that dropped people in their tracks . these people do n't make up these stories . these are real stories . and if you talk to them , if you simply talk to them ... you know that they 're telling the truth , ' galbraith said . his report was still not enough to persuade the white house to punish saddam . watch as galbraith discusses genocide » the reagan administration had invested several years cultivating iraq as an ally against iran , their mutual enemy , and as a market for u.s. products , including more than $ 1 billion a year in farm exports . the prevention of genocide act would end the diplomatic courtship and hurt u.s businesses . read once-secret documents from the reagan administration ' i had a fellow who worked for one of the louisiana senators call me up really in tears , ' galbraith said . and when i talked about genocide against the kurds , he talked about the genocide that i was committing against the rice farmers of louisiana . ' although then-secretary of state george schultz warned iraq that use of outlawed chemical weapons jeopardized the two countries'budding relationship , schultz 's spokesman said imposing economic sanctions would be premature . watch as george schultz explains the administration 's position » to galbraith , that was a morally repugnant statement . ' the reagan administration also claimed galbraith 's bill used inaccurate terms like genocide . ' but for galbraith , this was no time for semantics . should we have waited until he used chemical weapons again ? should we have waited until instead of 5 percent of the kurdish population was murdered -- 10 ? 15 ? ' in the end , the house of representatives killed galbraith 's sanctions bill with backing from the reagan administration . politics had trumped principle . galbraith calls the u.s. policy appeasement . ' we were not able to modify iraq 's behavior , ' galbraith said . and guess what ? ' two years later , in august 1990 , iraq invaded kuwait , its oil-rich neighbor to the south . this time , the u.s. compared saddam to hitler . and with kuwait 's oil at stake , the u.s finally screamed bloody murder . | the house killed his sanctions bill with backing from the reagan white house |
massachusetts <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as any seasoned observer of the political dance could have predicted , mitt romney 's debate performance on wednesday completed his full-circle journey of ideology . when romney ran for governor of massachusetts in 2002 ( and for senator in 1994 ) he was a republican moderate in the mold of his father . when he began his marathon run ( s ) for president way back in the middle of the last decade he went through a battlefield conversion . he morphed into a severely ' conservative primary candidate , leaning so far to the right he might have suffered from mild attacks of vertigo . wednesday night a national audience witnessed a kind of homecoming as romney embraced the successes of his adopted blue state . romney 's ardor for the good times he had as governor came after he spent the last two cycles of republican primaries ridiculing massachusetts'liberal tendencies , describing his experience among the lefties as being a vegetarian at a cattle ranch . ' the romney we saw on wednesday was subtly different . he loved education , hated tax deductions , enjoyed working with democrats and claimed the romneycare precursor of obamacare as his own . romney starts to fill in blanks on his tax plan he told the debate 's moderator , jim lehrer : jim , i had the great experience -- it did n't seem like it at the time -- of being elected in a state where my legislature was 87 % democrat . and that meant i figured out from day one i had to get along and i had to work across the aisle to get anything done . we drove our schools to be no . 1 in the nation . we cut taxes 19 times . ' in short , he painted a portrait of bipartisan bliss . no surprises there . the passage of presidential candidates from the extreme margins of their parties'base to the center is as predictable as the annual migration of buzzards from miami to hinckley , ohio . still , as a public service , a quick examination of romney 's new embrace of massachusetts is in order . but before we get into the details , tuck away this truism on the ways of massachusetts politics . governors come and go ; the overriding constant is an overwhelming democratic majority in the state legislature . it has the final , veto-proof say on budgets , laws and policy . to credit any bay state governor for a balanced budget or blame him for a high unemployment rate is akin to holding him responsible for the weather . let 's take it by categories . education in the debate , romney stressed the importance of education , noting more than once that massachusetts leads the nation in education outcomes . this is largely true , depending on which metric you use ( and if you ignore the fact that there are poorer communities in the state that resemble the education outcomes of mississippi and texas ) . but what was romney 's role in all this ? he inherited an education system that had been trending to the top of national rankings over the previous decade . in 2003 , the year he took office , massachusetts high school seniors were first in sat scores and among the top three in percentage of students taking the test . the state continued to rank at the top during and after romney 's term . massachusetts public schools receive state aid under a law called chapter 70 . the budget ritual begins with the governor setting a number for chapter 70 distributions . that is usually changed when the legislature 's budget committees take over . in his 2004 fiscal year proposal ( the state 's budget calendar runs from july 1 to june 30 ) romney actually budgeted more chapter 70 money than the legislature settled on . but there is an asterisk that goes with that . opinion : romney 's demographic bind romney 's plan would have robbed peter to pay paul , cutting other state aid to municipalities to fund his largess to education . the legislature smoothed the differences by returning some of the education money to the other account . in subsequent budget years the legislature raised romney 's proposed education funding by amounts ranging from $ 3 million to $ 50 million on total chapter 70 funding of $ 3 billion annually , according to state records . romney gets average marks when it comes to other education issues . his administration launched no major initiatives or reforms . higher education funding and the state university system 's infrastructure languished in his four years as governor -- a time , to be fair , when there was little additional money in the budget . budget/taxes romney brags that he did n't raise taxes in massachusetts even though the state budget faced a $ 3 billion budget gap when he took office . it is true ; he did n't . instead he proposed , and the legislature accepted , dozens of increases on state fees . marriage licenses went from $ 4 to $ 50 . the cost of registering deeds and mortgages quadrupled ( $ 25 to $ 100 ) and driving permits doubled to $ 30 . romney also proposed raising the firearms registration fee from $ 25 to $ 75 . despite howls from gun owners , the legislature joined in and raised the fee to $ 100 while extending the life of the license from four to six years . romney 's proposal included a new $ 10 fee to acquire a state certificate of blindness and $ 15 for a photo identification card . the legislature removed that provision . the total revenue raised by romney and the legislature remains a matter of debate . romney 's campaign says fees rose a total of $ 240 million in the 2004 fiscal budget ; others , including the cato institute , put the figure around $ 500 million . another matter in the romney revenue debate is the $ 350 million to $ 375 million he raised annually for three years by closing business tax loopholes . romney has contended his move was not a tax increase . massachusetts business organizations had a different opinion at the time . so did his republican rivals during the brutal primary season . opinion : romney shakes up the race romney did benefit from a tax increase - a $ 1.1 billion tax hike passed by democrats a year before he took office -- that helped cut the looming deficit . on the other side of the coin , romney 's claim of 19 tax cuts during his term is a bit too self-generous by definition and scope since a number of cuts ' originated in the legislature . among them , a one-year delay in a capital gains tax increase enacted before he took office , prescription drug and property tax relief for seniors , tax breaks for commuters and veterans , a business deduction for installing automatic sprinkler systems , extensions of temporary tax breaks and two ritual sales tax holidays for one weekend in august . working with the opposition in criticizing obama 's testy relationship with republicans in congress , romney proudly noted his good times with massachusetts democratic legislators . i like the fact that in my state , we had republicans and democrats come together and work together , ' romney scolded the president . what you did instead was to push through a plan without a single republican vote . ' romney 's situation was something of a mirror image . he was unable to push anything through that the democratic leadership did n't like , including 800 vetoes romney issued as governor . the legislature overrode all but a few vetoes issued when it was out of session . on wednesday night romney used his weekly meetings with the house speaker and senate president as evidence of his ability to work with the other side . the meetings did happen , but not as a result of romney 's initiative . these weekly sessions have been a regular part of the statehouse schedule going back at least to the administration of michael dukakis . they took place during the 12 years republicans held the governorship before romney took office and they continue today . democratic lawmakers of the time recall romney as a ceo type who dealt only with the legislative leadership . even tom finneran , the former house speaker who went on to host a conservative talk radio show in boston , recalls romney as being imperious when he called legislative leaders in to discuss the budget crisis . initially his sense was , ` i have been elected governor , i am the ceo here , and you guys are the board of directors and you monitor the implementation of what i say ,'' finneran told the associated press in august . that ruffled the feathers of legislators who see themselves as an equal branch ( of government ) . ' opinion : the audacity of romney 's etch a sketch ironically , the single biggest bipartisan achievement during his administration was the state 's health care reform law that requires all residents to buy health insurance -- i.e . the individual mandate of obamacare . legislators of that time give romney high marks for working with them to get the law refined and passed . the same lawmakers note , with pride , that the romney-democratic love fest resulted in legislation that was a model for obamacare . welcome home , mitt . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of fred bayles . | mitt romney painted a portrait of bipartisan bliss in his time as massachusetts governor |
romney <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as any seasoned observer of the political dance could have predicted , mitt romney 's debate performance on wednesday completed his full-circle journey of ideology . when romney ran for governor of massachusetts in 2002 ( and for senator in 1994 ) he was a republican moderate in the mold of his father . when he began his marathon run ( s ) for president way back in the middle of the last decade he went through a battlefield conversion . he morphed into a severely ' conservative primary candidate , leaning so far to the right he might have suffered from mild attacks of vertigo . wednesday night a national audience witnessed a kind of homecoming as romney embraced the successes of his adopted blue state . romney 's ardor for the good times he had as governor came after he spent the last two cycles of republican primaries ridiculing massachusetts'liberal tendencies , describing his experience among the lefties as being a vegetarian at a cattle ranch . ' the romney we saw on wednesday was subtly different . he loved education , hated tax deductions , enjoyed working with democrats and claimed the romneycare precursor of obamacare as his own . romney starts to fill in blanks on his tax plan he told the debate 's moderator , jim lehrer : jim , i had the great experience -- it did n't seem like it at the time -- of being elected in a state where my legislature was 87 % democrat . and that meant i figured out from day one i had to get along and i had to work across the aisle to get anything done . we drove our schools to be no . 1 in the nation . we cut taxes 19 times . ' in short , he painted a portrait of bipartisan bliss . no surprises there . the passage of presidential candidates from the extreme margins of their parties'base to the center is as predictable as the annual migration of buzzards from miami to hinckley , ohio . still , as a public service , a quick examination of romney 's new embrace of massachusetts is in order . but before we get into the details , tuck away this truism on the ways of massachusetts politics . governors come and go ; the overriding constant is an overwhelming democratic majority in the state legislature . it has the final , veto-proof say on budgets , laws and policy . to credit any bay state governor for a balanced budget or blame him for a high unemployment rate is akin to holding him responsible for the weather . let 's take it by categories . education in the debate , romney stressed the importance of education , noting more than once that massachusetts leads the nation in education outcomes . this is largely true , depending on which metric you use ( and if you ignore the fact that there are poorer communities in the state that resemble the education outcomes of mississippi and texas ) . but what was romney 's role in all this ? he inherited an education system that had been trending to the top of national rankings over the previous decade . in 2003 , the year he took office , massachusetts high school seniors were first in sat scores and among the top three in percentage of students taking the test . the state continued to rank at the top during and after romney 's term . massachusetts public schools receive state aid under a law called chapter 70 . the budget ritual begins with the governor setting a number for chapter 70 distributions . that is usually changed when the legislature 's budget committees take over . in his 2004 fiscal year proposal ( the state 's budget calendar runs from july 1 to june 30 ) romney actually budgeted more chapter 70 money than the legislature settled on . but there is an asterisk that goes with that . opinion : romney 's demographic bind romney 's plan would have robbed peter to pay paul , cutting other state aid to municipalities to fund his largess to education . the legislature smoothed the differences by returning some of the education money to the other account . in subsequent budget years the legislature raised romney 's proposed education funding by amounts ranging from $ 3 million to $ 50 million on total chapter 70 funding of $ 3 billion annually , according to state records . romney gets average marks when it comes to other education issues . his administration launched no major initiatives or reforms . higher education funding and the state university system 's infrastructure languished in his four years as governor -- a time , to be fair , when there was little additional money in the budget . budget/taxes romney brags that he did n't raise taxes in massachusetts even though the state budget faced a $ 3 billion budget gap when he took office . it is true ; he did n't . instead he proposed , and the legislature accepted , dozens of increases on state fees . marriage licenses went from $ 4 to $ 50 . the cost of registering deeds and mortgages quadrupled ( $ 25 to $ 100 ) and driving permits doubled to $ 30 . romney also proposed raising the firearms registration fee from $ 25 to $ 75 . despite howls from gun owners , the legislature joined in and raised the fee to $ 100 while extending the life of the license from four to six years . romney 's proposal included a new $ 10 fee to acquire a state certificate of blindness and $ 15 for a photo identification card . the legislature removed that provision . the total revenue raised by romney and the legislature remains a matter of debate . romney 's campaign says fees rose a total of $ 240 million in the 2004 fiscal budget ; others , including the cato institute , put the figure around $ 500 million . another matter in the romney revenue debate is the $ 350 million to $ 375 million he raised annually for three years by closing business tax loopholes . romney has contended his move was not a tax increase . massachusetts business organizations had a different opinion at the time . so did his republican rivals during the brutal primary season . opinion : romney shakes up the race romney did benefit from a tax increase - a $ 1.1 billion tax hike passed by democrats a year before he took office -- that helped cut the looming deficit . on the other side of the coin , romney 's claim of 19 tax cuts during his term is a bit too self-generous by definition and scope since a number of cuts ' originated in the legislature . among them , a one-year delay in a capital gains tax increase enacted before he took office , prescription drug and property tax relief for seniors , tax breaks for commuters and veterans , a business deduction for installing automatic sprinkler systems , extensions of temporary tax breaks and two ritual sales tax holidays for one weekend in august . working with the opposition in criticizing obama 's testy relationship with republicans in congress , romney proudly noted his good times with massachusetts democratic legislators . i like the fact that in my state , we had republicans and democrats come together and work together , ' romney scolded the president . what you did instead was to push through a plan without a single republican vote . ' romney 's situation was something of a mirror image . he was unable to push anything through that the democratic leadership did n't like , including 800 vetoes romney issued as governor . the legislature overrode all but a few vetoes issued when it was out of session . on wednesday night romney used his weekly meetings with the house speaker and senate president as evidence of his ability to work with the other side . the meetings did happen , but not as a result of romney 's initiative . these weekly sessions have been a regular part of the statehouse schedule going back at least to the administration of michael dukakis . they took place during the 12 years republicans held the governorship before romney took office and they continue today . democratic lawmakers of the time recall romney as a ceo type who dealt only with the legislative leadership . even tom finneran , the former house speaker who went on to host a conservative talk radio show in boston , recalls romney as being imperious when he called legislative leaders in to discuss the budget crisis . initially his sense was , ` i have been elected governor , i am the ceo here , and you guys are the board of directors and you monitor the implementation of what i say ,'' finneran told the associated press in august . that ruffled the feathers of legislators who see themselves as an equal branch ( of government ) . ' opinion : the audacity of romney 's etch a sketch ironically , the single biggest bipartisan achievement during his administration was the state 's health care reform law that requires all residents to buy health insurance -- i.e . the individual mandate of obamacare . legislators of that time give romney high marks for working with them to get the law refined and passed . the same lawmakers note , with pride , that the romney-democratic love fest resulted in legislation that was a model for obamacare . welcome home , mitt . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of fred bayles . | he says romney had no choice but to cooperate with a democrat-dominated legislature |
romney <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as any seasoned observer of the political dance could have predicted , mitt romney 's debate performance on wednesday completed his full-circle journey of ideology . when romney ran for governor of massachusetts in 2002 ( and for senator in 1994 ) he was a republican moderate in the mold of his father . when he began his marathon run ( s ) for president way back in the middle of the last decade he went through a battlefield conversion . he morphed into a severely ' conservative primary candidate , leaning so far to the right he might have suffered from mild attacks of vertigo . wednesday night a national audience witnessed a kind of homecoming as romney embraced the successes of his adopted blue state . romney 's ardor for the good times he had as governor came after he spent the last two cycles of republican primaries ridiculing massachusetts'liberal tendencies , describing his experience among the lefties as being a vegetarian at a cattle ranch . ' the romney we saw on wednesday was subtly different . he loved education , hated tax deductions , enjoyed working with democrats and claimed the romneycare precursor of obamacare as his own . romney starts to fill in blanks on his tax plan he told the debate 's moderator , jim lehrer : jim , i had the great experience -- it did n't seem like it at the time -- of being elected in a state where my legislature was 87 % democrat . and that meant i figured out from day one i had to get along and i had to work across the aisle to get anything done . we drove our schools to be no . 1 in the nation . we cut taxes 19 times . ' in short , he painted a portrait of bipartisan bliss . no surprises there . the passage of presidential candidates from the extreme margins of their parties'base to the center is as predictable as the annual migration of buzzards from miami to hinckley , ohio . still , as a public service , a quick examination of romney 's new embrace of massachusetts is in order . but before we get into the details , tuck away this truism on the ways of massachusetts politics . governors come and go ; the overriding constant is an overwhelming democratic majority in the state legislature . it has the final , veto-proof say on budgets , laws and policy . to credit any bay state governor for a balanced budget or blame him for a high unemployment rate is akin to holding him responsible for the weather . let 's take it by categories . education in the debate , romney stressed the importance of education , noting more than once that massachusetts leads the nation in education outcomes . this is largely true , depending on which metric you use ( and if you ignore the fact that there are poorer communities in the state that resemble the education outcomes of mississippi and texas ) . but what was romney 's role in all this ? he inherited an education system that had been trending to the top of national rankings over the previous decade . in 2003 , the year he took office , massachusetts high school seniors were first in sat scores and among the top three in percentage of students taking the test . the state continued to rank at the top during and after romney 's term . massachusetts public schools receive state aid under a law called chapter 70 . the budget ritual begins with the governor setting a number for chapter 70 distributions . that is usually changed when the legislature 's budget committees take over . in his 2004 fiscal year proposal ( the state 's budget calendar runs from july 1 to june 30 ) romney actually budgeted more chapter 70 money than the legislature settled on . but there is an asterisk that goes with that . opinion : romney 's demographic bind romney 's plan would have robbed peter to pay paul , cutting other state aid to municipalities to fund his largess to education . the legislature smoothed the differences by returning some of the education money to the other account . in subsequent budget years the legislature raised romney 's proposed education funding by amounts ranging from $ 3 million to $ 50 million on total chapter 70 funding of $ 3 billion annually , according to state records . romney gets average marks when it comes to other education issues . his administration launched no major initiatives or reforms . higher education funding and the state university system 's infrastructure languished in his four years as governor -- a time , to be fair , when there was little additional money in the budget . budget/taxes romney brags that he did n't raise taxes in massachusetts even though the state budget faced a $ 3 billion budget gap when he took office . it is true ; he did n't . instead he proposed , and the legislature accepted , dozens of increases on state fees . marriage licenses went from $ 4 to $ 50 . the cost of registering deeds and mortgages quadrupled ( $ 25 to $ 100 ) and driving permits doubled to $ 30 . romney also proposed raising the firearms registration fee from $ 25 to $ 75 . despite howls from gun owners , the legislature joined in and raised the fee to $ 100 while extending the life of the license from four to six years . romney 's proposal included a new $ 10 fee to acquire a state certificate of blindness and $ 15 for a photo identification card . the legislature removed that provision . the total revenue raised by romney and the legislature remains a matter of debate . romney 's campaign says fees rose a total of $ 240 million in the 2004 fiscal budget ; others , including the cato institute , put the figure around $ 500 million . another matter in the romney revenue debate is the $ 350 million to $ 375 million he raised annually for three years by closing business tax loopholes . romney has contended his move was not a tax increase . massachusetts business organizations had a different opinion at the time . so did his republican rivals during the brutal primary season . opinion : romney shakes up the race romney did benefit from a tax increase - a $ 1.1 billion tax hike passed by democrats a year before he took office -- that helped cut the looming deficit . on the other side of the coin , romney 's claim of 19 tax cuts during his term is a bit too self-generous by definition and scope since a number of cuts ' originated in the legislature . among them , a one-year delay in a capital gains tax increase enacted before he took office , prescription drug and property tax relief for seniors , tax breaks for commuters and veterans , a business deduction for installing automatic sprinkler systems , extensions of temporary tax breaks and two ritual sales tax holidays for one weekend in august . working with the opposition in criticizing obama 's testy relationship with republicans in congress , romney proudly noted his good times with massachusetts democratic legislators . i like the fact that in my state , we had republicans and democrats come together and work together , ' romney scolded the president . what you did instead was to push through a plan without a single republican vote . ' romney 's situation was something of a mirror image . he was unable to push anything through that the democratic leadership did n't like , including 800 vetoes romney issued as governor . the legislature overrode all but a few vetoes issued when it was out of session . on wednesday night romney used his weekly meetings with the house speaker and senate president as evidence of his ability to work with the other side . the meetings did happen , but not as a result of romney 's initiative . these weekly sessions have been a regular part of the statehouse schedule going back at least to the administration of michael dukakis . they took place during the 12 years republicans held the governorship before romney took office and they continue today . democratic lawmakers of the time recall romney as a ceo type who dealt only with the legislative leadership . even tom finneran , the former house speaker who went on to host a conservative talk radio show in boston , recalls romney as being imperious when he called legislative leaders in to discuss the budget crisis . initially his sense was , ` i have been elected governor , i am the ceo here , and you guys are the board of directors and you monitor the implementation of what i say ,'' finneran told the associated press in august . that ruffled the feathers of legislators who see themselves as an equal branch ( of government ) . ' opinion : the audacity of romney 's etch a sketch ironically , the single biggest bipartisan achievement during his administration was the state 's health care reform law that requires all residents to buy health insurance -- i.e . the individual mandate of obamacare . legislators of that time give romney high marks for working with them to get the law refined and passed . the same lawmakers note , with pride , that the romney-democratic love fest resulted in legislation that was a model for obamacare . welcome home , mitt . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of fred bayles . | mitt romney painted a portrait of bipartisan bliss in his time as massachusetts governor |
lessing <tsp> ( cnn ) -- author doris lessing , who won a nobel prize for her life of literature , died sunday at age 94 , her publisher , harpercollins , said . the british author was best known for the golden notebook , ' which is considered by many critics to be one of the most important feminist novels ever written . lessing passed away peacefully ' at her london home early sunday , according to harpercollins spokeswoman susanna frayn . lessing began writing at 7 , which she said was not the result of inspiration , but her innate capacity . i was born to write , as other people are born to paint ... that 's all , ' she said . writers tell stories . this is what we do . ' lessing was awarded the nobel prize in literature in 2007 at the age of 88 . the swedish academy called her the epicist of the female experience ' who had subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny . ' she is survived by her daughter jean and granddaughters anna and susannah , ' the publisher said . her family has asked for privacy at this time . ' lessing was born to british parents in persia ( now iran ) . much of her fiction was based on her experiences growing up in southern rhodesia ( now zimbabwe ) , where she moved as a young child . her mother raised her on storytelling , reading stories that lessing gave her own spin when sharing them with her younger brother . these childhood stories evolved into the powerful fiction that made up her 50 books . lessing , who dropped out of a school in the rhodesian capital , salisbury , when she was just 13 , developed her writing skills by reading the works of dickens , tolstoy , d.h. lawrence and dostoevsky . i educated myself by reading , ' she said . in her nobel prize acceptance speech , lessing spoke of the desperate struggle for knowledge of people in some developing countries . not long ago a friend who had been in zimbabwe told me about a village where people had not eaten for three days , but they were still talking about books and how to get them , about education . ' she left home at 15 to work as a nursemaid but also started writing stories and later sold two of them to magazines in south africa . her first novel , the grass is singing , ' was in her suitcase when she moved to london in 1949 , the harpercollins statement said . published in 1950 , it examines the tension between oppressed black africans and white colonials . lessing broke new ground ' in 1962 with the golden notebook , ' the publisher said . harpercollins editor nicholas pearson called it a handbook to a whole generation . ' but her many books have spoken to us in so many various ways , ' pearson said . doris has been called a visionary and , to be in her company , which was a privilege i had as her editor towards the end of her writing life , was to experience something of that . even in very old age she was always intellectually restless , reinventing herself , curious about the changing world around us , always completely inspirational . we 'll miss her hugely . ' she was a wonderful writer with a fascinating and original mind ; it was a privilege to work for her and we shall miss her immensely , ' longtime friend and agent jonathan clowes said sunday . doris lessing was a one of the great writers of our age , ' harpercollins uk ceo charlie redmayne said . she was a compelling storyteller with a fierce intellect and a warm heart who was not afraid to fight for what she believed in . it was an honor for harpercollins to publish her . ' people we lost in 2013 | lessing passed away peacefully ' at her london home , publisher says |
lessing <tsp> ( cnn ) -- author doris lessing , who won a nobel prize for her life of literature , died sunday at age 94 , her publisher , harpercollins , said . the british author was best known for the golden notebook , ' which is considered by many critics to be one of the most important feminist novels ever written . lessing passed away peacefully ' at her london home early sunday , according to harpercollins spokeswoman susanna frayn . lessing began writing at 7 , which she said was not the result of inspiration , but her innate capacity . i was born to write , as other people are born to paint ... that 's all , ' she said . writers tell stories . this is what we do . ' lessing was awarded the nobel prize in literature in 2007 at the age of 88 . the swedish academy called her the epicist of the female experience ' who had subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny . ' she is survived by her daughter jean and granddaughters anna and susannah , ' the publisher said . her family has asked for privacy at this time . ' lessing was born to british parents in persia ( now iran ) . much of her fiction was based on her experiences growing up in southern rhodesia ( now zimbabwe ) , where she moved as a young child . her mother raised her on storytelling , reading stories that lessing gave her own spin when sharing them with her younger brother . these childhood stories evolved into the powerful fiction that made up her 50 books . lessing , who dropped out of a school in the rhodesian capital , salisbury , when she was just 13 , developed her writing skills by reading the works of dickens , tolstoy , d.h. lawrence and dostoevsky . i educated myself by reading , ' she said . in her nobel prize acceptance speech , lessing spoke of the desperate struggle for knowledge of people in some developing countries . not long ago a friend who had been in zimbabwe told me about a village where people had not eaten for three days , but they were still talking about books and how to get them , about education . ' she left home at 15 to work as a nursemaid but also started writing stories and later sold two of them to magazines in south africa . her first novel , the grass is singing , ' was in her suitcase when she moved to london in 1949 , the harpercollins statement said . published in 1950 , it examines the tension between oppressed black africans and white colonials . lessing broke new ground ' in 1962 with the golden notebook , ' the publisher said . harpercollins editor nicholas pearson called it a handbook to a whole generation . ' but her many books have spoken to us in so many various ways , ' pearson said . doris has been called a visionary and , to be in her company , which was a privilege i had as her editor towards the end of her writing life , was to experience something of that . even in very old age she was always intellectually restless , reinventing herself , curious about the changing world around us , always completely inspirational . we 'll miss her hugely . ' she was a wonderful writer with a fascinating and original mind ; it was a privilege to work for her and we shall miss her immensely , ' longtime friend and agent jonathan clowes said sunday . doris lessing was a one of the great writers of our age , ' harpercollins uk ceo charlie redmayne said . she was a compelling storyteller with a fierce intellect and a warm heart who was not afraid to fight for what she believed in . it was an honor for harpercollins to publish her . ' people we lost in 2013 | lessing won the nobel prize in literature at the age of 88 |
lessing <tsp> ( cnn ) -- author doris lessing , who won a nobel prize for her life of literature , died sunday at age 94 , her publisher , harpercollins , said . the british author was best known for the golden notebook , ' which is considered by many critics to be one of the most important feminist novels ever written . lessing passed away peacefully ' at her london home early sunday , according to harpercollins spokeswoman susanna frayn . lessing began writing at 7 , which she said was not the result of inspiration , but her innate capacity . i was born to write , as other people are born to paint ... that 's all , ' she said . writers tell stories . this is what we do . ' lessing was awarded the nobel prize in literature in 2007 at the age of 88 . the swedish academy called her the epicist of the female experience ' who had subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny . ' she is survived by her daughter jean and granddaughters anna and susannah , ' the publisher said . her family has asked for privacy at this time . ' lessing was born to british parents in persia ( now iran ) . much of her fiction was based on her experiences growing up in southern rhodesia ( now zimbabwe ) , where she moved as a young child . her mother raised her on storytelling , reading stories that lessing gave her own spin when sharing them with her younger brother . these childhood stories evolved into the powerful fiction that made up her 50 books . lessing , who dropped out of a school in the rhodesian capital , salisbury , when she was just 13 , developed her writing skills by reading the works of dickens , tolstoy , d.h. lawrence and dostoevsky . i educated myself by reading , ' she said . in her nobel prize acceptance speech , lessing spoke of the desperate struggle for knowledge of people in some developing countries . not long ago a friend who had been in zimbabwe told me about a village where people had not eaten for three days , but they were still talking about books and how to get them , about education . ' she left home at 15 to work as a nursemaid but also started writing stories and later sold two of them to magazines in south africa . her first novel , the grass is singing , ' was in her suitcase when she moved to london in 1949 , the harpercollins statement said . published in 1950 , it examines the tension between oppressed black africans and white colonials . lessing broke new ground ' in 1962 with the golden notebook , ' the publisher said . harpercollins editor nicholas pearson called it a handbook to a whole generation . ' but her many books have spoken to us in so many various ways , ' pearson said . doris has been called a visionary and , to be in her company , which was a privilege i had as her editor towards the end of her writing life , was to experience something of that . even in very old age she was always intellectually restless , reinventing herself , curious about the changing world around us , always completely inspirational . we 'll miss her hugely . ' she was a wonderful writer with a fascinating and original mind ; it was a privilege to work for her and we shall miss her immensely , ' longtime friend and agent jonathan clowes said sunday . doris lessing was a one of the great writers of our age , ' harpercollins uk ceo charlie redmayne said . she was a compelling storyteller with a fierce intellect and a warm heart who was not afraid to fight for what she believed in . it was an honor for harpercollins to publish her . ' people we lost in 2013 | new : harpercollins uk ceo says lessing had a fierce intellect and a warm heart ' |
lessing <tsp> ( cnn ) -- author doris lessing , who won a nobel prize for her life of literature , died sunday at age 94 , her publisher , harpercollins , said . the british author was best known for the golden notebook , ' which is considered by many critics to be one of the most important feminist novels ever written . lessing passed away peacefully ' at her london home early sunday , according to harpercollins spokeswoman susanna frayn . lessing began writing at 7 , which she said was not the result of inspiration , but her innate capacity . i was born to write , as other people are born to paint ... that 's all , ' she said . writers tell stories . this is what we do . ' lessing was awarded the nobel prize in literature in 2007 at the age of 88 . the swedish academy called her the epicist of the female experience ' who had subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny . ' she is survived by her daughter jean and granddaughters anna and susannah , ' the publisher said . her family has asked for privacy at this time . ' lessing was born to british parents in persia ( now iran ) . much of her fiction was based on her experiences growing up in southern rhodesia ( now zimbabwe ) , where she moved as a young child . her mother raised her on storytelling , reading stories that lessing gave her own spin when sharing them with her younger brother . these childhood stories evolved into the powerful fiction that made up her 50 books . lessing , who dropped out of a school in the rhodesian capital , salisbury , when she was just 13 , developed her writing skills by reading the works of dickens , tolstoy , d.h. lawrence and dostoevsky . i educated myself by reading , ' she said . in her nobel prize acceptance speech , lessing spoke of the desperate struggle for knowledge of people in some developing countries . not long ago a friend who had been in zimbabwe told me about a village where people had not eaten for three days , but they were still talking about books and how to get them , about education . ' she left home at 15 to work as a nursemaid but also started writing stories and later sold two of them to magazines in south africa . her first novel , the grass is singing , ' was in her suitcase when she moved to london in 1949 , the harpercollins statement said . published in 1950 , it examines the tension between oppressed black africans and white colonials . lessing broke new ground ' in 1962 with the golden notebook , ' the publisher said . harpercollins editor nicholas pearson called it a handbook to a whole generation . ' but her many books have spoken to us in so many various ways , ' pearson said . doris has been called a visionary and , to be in her company , which was a privilege i had as her editor towards the end of her writing life , was to experience something of that . even in very old age she was always intellectually restless , reinventing herself , curious about the changing world around us , always completely inspirational . we 'll miss her hugely . ' she was a wonderful writer with a fascinating and original mind ; it was a privilege to work for her and we shall miss her immensely , ' longtime friend and agent jonathan clowes said sunday . doris lessing was a one of the great writers of our age , ' harpercollins uk ceo charlie redmayne said . she was a compelling storyteller with a fierce intellect and a warm heart who was not afraid to fight for what she believed in . it was an honor for harpercollins to publish her . ' people we lost in 2013 | i was born to write , ' lessing said |
london <tsp> ( cnn ) -- author doris lessing , who won a nobel prize for her life of literature , died sunday at age 94 , her publisher , harpercollins , said . the british author was best known for the golden notebook , ' which is considered by many critics to be one of the most important feminist novels ever written . lessing passed away peacefully ' at her london home early sunday , according to harpercollins spokeswoman susanna frayn . lessing began writing at 7 , which she said was not the result of inspiration , but her innate capacity . i was born to write , as other people are born to paint ... that 's all , ' she said . writers tell stories . this is what we do . ' lessing was awarded the nobel prize in literature in 2007 at the age of 88 . the swedish academy called her the epicist of the female experience ' who had subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny . ' she is survived by her daughter jean and granddaughters anna and susannah , ' the publisher said . her family has asked for privacy at this time . ' lessing was born to british parents in persia ( now iran ) . much of her fiction was based on her experiences growing up in southern rhodesia ( now zimbabwe ) , where she moved as a young child . her mother raised her on storytelling , reading stories that lessing gave her own spin when sharing them with her younger brother . these childhood stories evolved into the powerful fiction that made up her 50 books . lessing , who dropped out of a school in the rhodesian capital , salisbury , when she was just 13 , developed her writing skills by reading the works of dickens , tolstoy , d.h. lawrence and dostoevsky . i educated myself by reading , ' she said . in her nobel prize acceptance speech , lessing spoke of the desperate struggle for knowledge of people in some developing countries . not long ago a friend who had been in zimbabwe told me about a village where people had not eaten for three days , but they were still talking about books and how to get them , about education . ' she left home at 15 to work as a nursemaid but also started writing stories and later sold two of them to magazines in south africa . her first novel , the grass is singing , ' was in her suitcase when she moved to london in 1949 , the harpercollins statement said . published in 1950 , it examines the tension between oppressed black africans and white colonials . lessing broke new ground ' in 1962 with the golden notebook , ' the publisher said . harpercollins editor nicholas pearson called it a handbook to a whole generation . ' but her many books have spoken to us in so many various ways , ' pearson said . doris has been called a visionary and , to be in her company , which was a privilege i had as her editor towards the end of her writing life , was to experience something of that . even in very old age she was always intellectually restless , reinventing herself , curious about the changing world around us , always completely inspirational . we 'll miss her hugely . ' she was a wonderful writer with a fascinating and original mind ; it was a privilege to work for her and we shall miss her immensely , ' longtime friend and agent jonathan clowes said sunday . doris lessing was a one of the great writers of our age , ' harpercollins uk ceo charlie redmayne said . she was a compelling storyteller with a fierce intellect and a warm heart who was not afraid to fight for what she believed in . it was an honor for harpercollins to publish her . ' people we lost in 2013 | lessing passed away peacefully ' at her london home , publisher says |
harpercollins <tsp> ( cnn ) -- author doris lessing , who won a nobel prize for her life of literature , died sunday at age 94 , her publisher , harpercollins , said . the british author was best known for the golden notebook , ' which is considered by many critics to be one of the most important feminist novels ever written . lessing passed away peacefully ' at her london home early sunday , according to harpercollins spokeswoman susanna frayn . lessing began writing at 7 , which she said was not the result of inspiration , but her innate capacity . i was born to write , as other people are born to paint ... that 's all , ' she said . writers tell stories . this is what we do . ' lessing was awarded the nobel prize in literature in 2007 at the age of 88 . the swedish academy called her the epicist of the female experience ' who had subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny . ' she is survived by her daughter jean and granddaughters anna and susannah , ' the publisher said . her family has asked for privacy at this time . ' lessing was born to british parents in persia ( now iran ) . much of her fiction was based on her experiences growing up in southern rhodesia ( now zimbabwe ) , where she moved as a young child . her mother raised her on storytelling , reading stories that lessing gave her own spin when sharing them with her younger brother . these childhood stories evolved into the powerful fiction that made up her 50 books . lessing , who dropped out of a school in the rhodesian capital , salisbury , when she was just 13 , developed her writing skills by reading the works of dickens , tolstoy , d.h. lawrence and dostoevsky . i educated myself by reading , ' she said . in her nobel prize acceptance speech , lessing spoke of the desperate struggle for knowledge of people in some developing countries . not long ago a friend who had been in zimbabwe told me about a village where people had not eaten for three days , but they were still talking about books and how to get them , about education . ' she left home at 15 to work as a nursemaid but also started writing stories and later sold two of them to magazines in south africa . her first novel , the grass is singing , ' was in her suitcase when she moved to london in 1949 , the harpercollins statement said . published in 1950 , it examines the tension between oppressed black africans and white colonials . lessing broke new ground ' in 1962 with the golden notebook , ' the publisher said . harpercollins editor nicholas pearson called it a handbook to a whole generation . ' but her many books have spoken to us in so many various ways , ' pearson said . doris has been called a visionary and , to be in her company , which was a privilege i had as her editor towards the end of her writing life , was to experience something of that . even in very old age she was always intellectually restless , reinventing herself , curious about the changing world around us , always completely inspirational . we 'll miss her hugely . ' she was a wonderful writer with a fascinating and original mind ; it was a privilege to work for her and we shall miss her immensely , ' longtime friend and agent jonathan clowes said sunday . doris lessing was a one of the great writers of our age , ' harpercollins uk ceo charlie redmayne said . she was a compelling storyteller with a fierce intellect and a warm heart who was not afraid to fight for what she believed in . it was an honor for harpercollins to publish her . ' people we lost in 2013 | new : harpercollins uk ceo says lessing had a fierce intellect and a warm heart ' |
powerball <tsp> ( cnn ) -- no , some guy named daniels on facebook did n't win the powerball lottery . and , no , he 's not really giving anyone $ 1 million of his winnings . but that did n't stop a doctored photo claiming just that from becoming possibly the most-shared image in the site 's history . in the photo , posted on the social-media ubersite thursday night , a grinning man identified as nolan daniels holds up a powerball ticket with the correct numbers for the massive $ 588 million jackpot awarded wednesday . the caption that went along with it was the stuff of get-rich-quick daydreams : looks like i wo n't be going to work ever ! ! ! ! share this photo and i will give a random person 1 million dollars ! ' and share they did . by monday morning , more than 2 million people had clicked in hopes of a windfall . the problem , of course , being that the numbers on the ticket were out of sequence -- a tip-off that the image had been doctored . and it did n't help when the two holders of actual winning tickets were found . neither ticket belonged to daniels , although one winner , like daniels , is from the phoenix area . the photo , which is the only publicly shared item on daniels'page , had gotten more than 27,000 comments by monday morning . more than three days after the original post , some commenters were still oblivious to the hoax . you have given a lot of people hope at a wonderful time of year , what a kind and generous thing to do ! ' one user wrote . merry christmas to you and your family ! ' but most had taken a harsher turn , ranging from ha ! ha ! you got us ' to angrier fare . what a jerk ... this is fake ! ! ! ! ' someone wrote . all i can say is karma ! ! ! ! ' the story first gained traction on social media , then took off when the savannah ( georgia ) morning news published an article friday on the activity surrounding daniels'facebook page . a man claiming to be daniels'brother then left a comment on the morning news'site , discrediting the accuracy of the photo . even though most knew it was fake , people hang onto the most slim opportunities for some luck , some hope ... , ' wrote derek daniels in the post . i hope people were able to shake it off . i 'm sure the vast majority did . the idea of someone winning and then sharing in a second lottery is touching . too bad ... this was n't the case . ' the morning news contacted derek daniels , who told the newspaper his brother nolan is a 35-year-old software engineer . he thinks his brother was just seeking attention , according to the paper . i think he craves the love from people , ' he said saturday in a follow-up article published by the newspaper . he did this to make himself feel better . ' nolan daniels did not immediately respond to a message on facebook on monday seeking comment for this report . among the comments on his facebook photo were at least dozens that recounted stories of personal hardship , from people with disabilities to tales of children diagnosed with terminal diseases . that , derek daniels said in his post , may be where a prank went too far . with 2 million-plus shares , the image may be the most-shared item in the eight-year history of facebook . a photo of president barack obama hugging his wife , michelle , posted after his re-election victory last month , received 581,000 shares . and facebook 's most-shared item last year was a new york times photo gallery of the japanese earthquake and tsunami . it was shared about 600,000 times . a facebook representative did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment . | man claimed he had won $ 588 million powerball and would share |
south <tsp> ( cnn ) -- south korea accused north korea wednesday of carrying out a wave of cyberattacks that paralyzed the networks of major south korean banks and broadcasters last month . an official investigation found that many of the malignant codes employed in the attacks were similar to ones used by the north previously , said lee seung-won , an official at the south korean science ministry . although some observers said at the time of the computer crashes that they suspected north korean involvement , this is the first time that seoul has formally pointed the finger at pyongyang . the allegations coincide with a tense situation on the korean peninsula , with the north making repeated threats of war . south korean and u.s. officials have warned that a north korean missile test could take place at any moment . north korea 's war of words escalates : a timeline of the crisis south korea believes north korea had spent at least eight months preparing for the cyberattacks , which also affected hundreds of individual citizens'computers and websites that cover north korea , lee said at a news briefing wednesday . there did n't appear to be any immediate reaction on north korean state-run media to the south korean accusations . the main hacking attack took place on march 20 , hitting more than 48,000 computers at the south korean banks and broadcasters , authorities said . it infected the companies'computer networks with a malicious program , or malware , that slowed or shut down systems . the south 's investigation found evidence including ip addresses and other elements used in the cyberattacks that it said proved north korean responsibility . the hackers routed the attacks through more 10 different countries , lee said . south korea has accused the north of similar hacking attacks before , including incidents in 2010 and 2012 that also targeted banks and media organizations . pyongyang has rejected the allegations . dmz : tensions high at knife-edge of korean conflict journalist lee hyun-pyo in seoul contributed to this report . | it 's the first time the south has officially accused the north of conducting the attacks |
u.s . <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a fire swept through a hotel early friday in a resort in the northern philippines , killing six people including some u.s. citizens . two americans , one south korean and another foreigner whose nationality is yet to be established are among the dead , the owner of the hotel , david fischer , said by phone . authorities had initially suggested three americans were believed to be among the dead . fischer said the fire began around 2 a.m. local time on the ground floor of the dryden hotel , which is in a nightlife district of olongapo city , the site of a former u.s . naval base situated west of the philippine capital , manila . the flames destroyed seven bedrooms , as well as a set of offices , a communications center and a computer room , he added . the six victims were all killed by smoke inhalation , according to fischer , five of them in their rooms and one in the process of trying to escape . investigators are still looking into the cause of the blaze , but fischer said initial signs suggested it may have been an electrical fire . police are trying to identify the victims'remains , as their identification documents were burned in the fire , said a local fire investigator , jose borlagdatan . cnn 's brian walker and jessica king reported from atlanta , georgia . cnn 's kathy quiano in jakarta , indonesia , contributed to this report . | it took place at a hotel in olongapo city , the site of a former u.s . naval base |
once upon a time <tsp> months after once upon a time 's ' big season three finale reveal—elsa has arrived ! frozen ' is joining the fairy tale fray ! —the fantasy series has finally cast two key roles based on characters from disney 's blockbuster musical . greek ' alum scott michael foster will play kristoff , the rugged mountain man who befriends queen elsa 's younger sister anna , played by newcomer elizabeth lail . ew has confirmed that both roles will be recurring in season four . conspicuously missing is queen e herself ; casting for elsa has yet to be revealed . according to tvline , which first reported the news , the frozen ' arc will ostensibly pick up after the events of the film , with anna and kristoff already romantically linked and the latter adjusting to a new life as a castle-bound royal . see the original story at ew.com . | characters from frozen ' are joining once upon a time ' |
cornelius <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as news spread that soul train ' legend don cornelius died wednesday morning of a gunshot wound at the age of 75 , fans and friends took to twitter to express their grief in a stream of condolences that continued thursday . his son , tony cornelius , issued a statement thursday afternoon expressing sadness at the loss of his father . at this time , we respectfully ask that you allow our family and friends the privacy necessary to get through this difficult time , ' he wrote . we thank all the well-wishers and the fans who have supported the soul train legacy . love , peace and soul . ' soul train ' host cornelius would sign off the show with the words wishing you love , peace and soul , ' and many , including musician rob thomas and actor/rapper ice cube , honored cornelius'memory by tweeting his trademark phrase . others , like actress and tv personality holly robinson peete , chimed in with memories of cornelius as a friend . don was a friend , supporter , neighbor a pioneer . we will miss you . ... rest with angels don . prayers for son tony and entire family , ' she tweeted wednesday . both rapper talib kweli and abc news'robin roberts shared memories of watching cornelius host the long-running television show soul train , ' with kweli sharing wednesday , 'soul train'was a huge part of my saturday mornings growing up . ' legendary soul singer chaka khan also said , i 've known him practically all of my life , back when he was a dj at wvon radio in chicago . he was a great man . he opened the borders for black music . he was like family to me . don will be missed . ' singer aretha franklin called his death so sad , stunning and downright shocking . ' don cornelius single-handedly brought about a melding and unity of brother and sisterhood among young adults worldwide and globally with the unforgettable creation of'soul train ,' franklin said . the rev . al sharpton also took to twitter to express his sadness over cornelius'passing , sharing that he is shocked and grief stricken by the reported suicide of don cornelius of soul train . i have known him since i was 19 years old . ' he added in a statement that he and cornelius maintained a friendship for the last 38 years . ' the venerated producer brought soul music and dance to the world in a way that it had never been shown , and he was a cultural game changer on a global level , ' sharpton continued . had it not been for don cornelius , we would not have ever transcended from the chitlin circuit to become mainstream cultural trendsetters . ' music industry heavyweight quincy jones echoed that sentiment . i am shocked and deeply saddened at the sudden passing of my friend , colleague , and business partner don cornelius , ' jones says in a statement . don was a visionary pioneer and a giant in our business . before mtv there was'soul train ,'that will be the great legacy of don cornelius . his contributions to television , music and our culture as a whole will never be matched . my heart goes out to don 's family and loved ones . ' singer and actor tyrese gibson posted on his twitter page , first day of black history month ... we lost ( a ) legend today .. rip don cornelius i will never forget our laughs and moments .. ! bless you. ! ! ' televison personality tavis smiley said , don cornelius was our cultural ambassador at a time when black music , black dance and black fashion were underappreciated . ' | holly robinson peete says cornelius was a friend , and she will miss him |
cornelius <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as news spread that soul train ' legend don cornelius died wednesday morning of a gunshot wound at the age of 75 , fans and friends took to twitter to express their grief in a stream of condolences that continued thursday . his son , tony cornelius , issued a statement thursday afternoon expressing sadness at the loss of his father . at this time , we respectfully ask that you allow our family and friends the privacy necessary to get through this difficult time , ' he wrote . we thank all the well-wishers and the fans who have supported the soul train legacy . love , peace and soul . ' soul train ' host cornelius would sign off the show with the words wishing you love , peace and soul , ' and many , including musician rob thomas and actor/rapper ice cube , honored cornelius'memory by tweeting his trademark phrase . others , like actress and tv personality holly robinson peete , chimed in with memories of cornelius as a friend . don was a friend , supporter , neighbor a pioneer . we will miss you . ... rest with angels don . prayers for son tony and entire family , ' she tweeted wednesday . both rapper talib kweli and abc news'robin roberts shared memories of watching cornelius host the long-running television show soul train , ' with kweli sharing wednesday , 'soul train'was a huge part of my saturday mornings growing up . ' legendary soul singer chaka khan also said , i 've known him practically all of my life , back when he was a dj at wvon radio in chicago . he was a great man . he opened the borders for black music . he was like family to me . don will be missed . ' singer aretha franklin called his death so sad , stunning and downright shocking . ' don cornelius single-handedly brought about a melding and unity of brother and sisterhood among young adults worldwide and globally with the unforgettable creation of'soul train ,' franklin said . the rev . al sharpton also took to twitter to express his sadness over cornelius'passing , sharing that he is shocked and grief stricken by the reported suicide of don cornelius of soul train . i have known him since i was 19 years old . ' he added in a statement that he and cornelius maintained a friendship for the last 38 years . ' the venerated producer brought soul music and dance to the world in a way that it had never been shown , and he was a cultural game changer on a global level , ' sharpton continued . had it not been for don cornelius , we would not have ever transcended from the chitlin circuit to become mainstream cultural trendsetters . ' music industry heavyweight quincy jones echoed that sentiment . i am shocked and deeply saddened at the sudden passing of my friend , colleague , and business partner don cornelius , ' jones says in a statement . don was a visionary pioneer and a giant in our business . before mtv there was'soul train ,'that will be the great legacy of don cornelius . his contributions to television , music and our culture as a whole will never be matched . my heart goes out to don 's family and loved ones . ' singer and actor tyrese gibson posted on his twitter page , first day of black history month ... we lost ( a ) legend today .. rip don cornelius i will never forget our laughs and moments .. ! bless you. ! ! ' televison personality tavis smiley said , don cornelius was our cultural ambassador at a time when black music , black dance and black fashion were underappreciated . ' | chaka khan says cornelius was like family |
matthew weiner <tsp> ( ew.com ) -- there were several jaw-dropping plot twists on the most recent season of mad men , ' but the one that arguably left fans dangling the most was the exit of peggy olson ( elisabeth moss ) from sterling cooper draper pryce . every other character on the show who has left don draper 's ad agency has either never been heard from again , or revisited in a one-off episode and then rarely to never heard from again . peggy , by contrast , had been such an integral part of the show 's exploration of the 1960s that the thought of completely losing her †” and the emmy-nominated moss †” had some fans in a wee bit of a snit . ( of course , moss'appearance in the final moments of the season finale certainly suggested that peggy 's story was not complete , but why let that get in the way of wild speculation ? ) well , worry no more ! in an interview with tv line , mad men creator matthew weiner makes clear that peggy , and moss , still have a future on the series . when people leave sterling cooper , sometimes it is the end for [ the character ] , ' weiner said . but i will spoil that one tiny piece of anticipation and tell people that elisabeth will be showing up to work . ' weiner was n't kidding , though , when he said he 'd only spoil a tiny bit . he declined to illuminate how much moss will be appearing in the show 's sixth season , let alone in what capacity she would be on the show . ( he was clear , though , that the show will have a sixth and seventh season . ) so for now , we 'll just have to let our own fertile imaginations conjure up where peggy 's upward mobility could take her . see full story at ew.com . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly © 2011 entertainment weekly and time inc. all rights reserved . | creator matthew weiner makes clear that peggy still has a future on the series |
treve <tsp> ( cnn ) -- it was an international who 's who of horse racing super powers : japan , great britain , ireland , france , the united states and a resurgent germany were all represented in the start gate of this year 's prix de l'arc de triomphe . as the field entered the turn for home , the grey and maroon racing silks of sheikh joann al thani nudged ahead of early pacemaker joshua tree -- and from then there was only going to be one winner . five lengths clear , french jockey thierry jarnet had time to ease up past the winning post , flicking his whip in the air in celebration aboard treve , later named horse of the year for 2013 . it was a home success for the adoring parisian public , but the victory yet again highlighted the newest force in global horse racing . treve 's success is merely one headline in a myriad of horse-racing moments coming thick and fast for qatar , a country with the third richest natural gas reserves and a population of just two million people -- but a gdp of $ 183 billion . the first in the sport dated back to 2011 when the stallion dunaden won the melbourne cup at the first attempt by owner sheikh fahad , cousin of joann . it was a suitably dramatic event for anyone to make their mark ; after a photo finish , the stewards took nearly three minutes to decide the outcome and award a prestigious victory to a horse that had cost fahad a mere $ 150,000 . to highlight that fact , just a week after october 's prix de l'arc triumph , joann -- brother of qatar 's emir sheikh tamim bin hamad -- left attendees at auction house tattersalls aghast by paying $ 8.25 million for the daughter of 2001 epsom derby winner galileo , a world-record fee for a yearling filly . and then in november , joann announced further plans to make his mark on the sport by appointing harry herbert -- who runs england 's prestigious highclere stud -- as racing adviser to his al shaqab operation , with the ambitious stated view to be one of the leading forces in thoroughbred racing . ' veteran champion frankie dettori , meanwhile , has become sheikh joann 's retained jockey after his split with dubai-owned godolphin . the rise of qatar as a global player in the sport of kings has no previous equal . not even sheikh mohammad bin rashid al maktoum 's godolphin enjoyed anything like this level of success so soon despite plowing millions of pounds into it from day one . what is truly remarkable is the speed with which the gulf state has got to this point . the first major player was sheikh fahad . he watched horse racing on tv for the first time in 2008 , attended his first meeting at the start of 2010 and , by april of that year , had started buying horses . sheikh fahad 's first move was to give british bloodstock agent david redvers a relatively paltry £1 million to invest . he was looking for someone to put his toe in the water , to have a feel for it , ' redvers recalls . we had a huge amount of success in a short period of time . ' in fact , in his first year of racing , fahad 's horses won 26 % of the races he entered -- and that success paved the way for others to follow . when he won the melbourne cup with dunaden it showed to the rest of qatar royal family that things just were n't down to the al maktoum family , ' redvers adds . so there has been greater investment from sheikh fahad 's brothers and obviously sheikh joann . sheikh fahad 's hunger for knowledge is extraordinary . he 's an extremely good judge of horses and he 's utterly fascinated , he 's made some very good decisions and had some great results , particularly considering the scale of investment . it 's not the case of the person with the most money wins . if it was , horse racing would lose its magic . ' sheikh fahad has spent admirably but also wisely , pushing his acquisitions through pearl bloodstock and qatar bloodstock to feasible limits while still ensuring both are money-making businesses . after his early successes , sheikh fahad has increasingly tried to take more of a back seat in horse racing , allowing his brothers to come to the forefront , but along with joann he remains the integral figure for his country . as well as the arc victory with treve , joann has also enjoyed widespread success as an owner over the past 18 months . his portfolio of victories in 2013 includes olympic glory in the queen elizabeth ii stakes at ascot as well as toronado in the sussex stakes at goodwood . but as of last week , he has announced his intention to up the ante and increase his stable of 110 horses in england and france with al shaqab , a breeding operation set up by his brother hamad back in 1992 . our ambition is to have the most successful horse racing operation in the world , ' says his spokesman nasser sherida al kaabi . when he entered the race , he wanted to be number one . he does n't accept being second . ' sheikh fahad has also thrown his financial support behind two up-and-coming english trainers , olly stevens and his wife hetta , by setting them up at robins farm racing with redvers'help . olly earned his license in january before enjoying his first winner with only his second runner a month later . he has since enjoyed a first royal ascot winner with his first runner there , extortionist , plus a first group classification success with green door at doncaster . stevens was first approached to take over robins farm on the day his twin sons were born , and describes the tie-in with sheikh fahad as all quite fortuitous . ' he 's massively passionate about the sport , hugely knowledgeable with it too , ' stevens says of sheikh fahad . he 's a great person to work with and he 's really taken a chance on us . you could n't ask to train for a better person . he loves animals and he loves sport , and he 's very supportive . but also he leaves us to get on with the nuts and bolts day-to-day stuff . i hope he 's pleased . he 's certainly very optimistic about what we 're doing . he 's trying something new with us and we 'll see what happens . ' at a time when qatar is in the sporting spotlight for the wrong reasons , with difficulties in the lead-up to the 2022 world cup , its entry into the horse racing fraternity has almost virtually been one of positive stories and the sport 's often close-knit community has well received these relative newcomers . it has also invested heavily in sponsorship , agreeing a 10-year deal for the prix de l'arc de triomphe in june 2010 , via the qatar investments and projects holding company ( qipco ) . qipco also sponsors the 35-race british champions series , which culminates at ascot in the richest day in the uk horse racing calendar with $ 4.7 million at stake . both lucrative sponsorships are aimed at putting qatar on the global map -- its latest attempt to use sport to improve its political sway . as sheikh fahad said at the start of his horse-racing venture : it opens a lot of doors for us . sport unites the world , and that 's the vision of qatar . | prix de l'arc triomphe winner treve is among the horses owned by the qataris |
ichikawa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- he 's a youth icon in japan seeking to take the ancient art of kabuki theater into the modern age . kabuki actor ichikawa ebizo talk asia gets unprecedented backstage access to ichikawa as he prepares for a spectacular performance , discussing his life in the media glare and how he felt the pull of destiny in pursuing a career in kabuki . born into one of the most prestigious kabuki dynasties , ichikawa ebizo began his career at the age of six and became a star with his mixture of athletic ability and enigmatic personal image . as the poster boy for a new generation of kabuki , ichikawa does n't feel he has to play up the flashy image that is portrayed in the media . today , i love kabuki , kabuki is my life and very important to me . i accept it as my destiny as well . so rather than me becoming a star or whatever , i am very conscious that i am a creature who must carry on my family 's dna , ' he told cnn . by taking kabuki overseas to a new audience , ichikawa believes that as well as promoting the artform he is helping to reinvigorate interest back home in japan . i asked myself whether doing my best in japan is all that i can do for kabuki . it is n't . then , i came up with the idea of performing overseas . i thought it would be great if the japanese could renew their interest in kabuki if we performed successfully overseas , ' he told cnn . however , when i performed under the name'ebizo ichikawa'at chaillot theater in paris , i was inspired by how seriously the audience watched the art and reacted to my performance . i was moved and happy . i really felt that i wanted to perform again overseas . ' | ichikawa ebizo was born into one a prestigious kabuki dynasty |
ichikawa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- he 's a youth icon in japan seeking to take the ancient art of kabuki theater into the modern age . kabuki actor ichikawa ebizo talk asia gets unprecedented backstage access to ichikawa as he prepares for a spectacular performance , discussing his life in the media glare and how he felt the pull of destiny in pursuing a career in kabuki . born into one of the most prestigious kabuki dynasties , ichikawa ebizo began his career at the age of six and became a star with his mixture of athletic ability and enigmatic personal image . as the poster boy for a new generation of kabuki , ichikawa does n't feel he has to play up the flashy image that is portrayed in the media . today , i love kabuki , kabuki is my life and very important to me . i accept it as my destiny as well . so rather than me becoming a star or whatever , i am very conscious that i am a creature who must carry on my family 's dna , ' he told cnn . by taking kabuki overseas to a new audience , ichikawa believes that as well as promoting the artform he is helping to reinvigorate interest back home in japan . i asked myself whether doing my best in japan is all that i can do for kabuki . it is n't . then , i came up with the idea of performing overseas . i thought it would be great if the japanese could renew their interest in kabuki if we performed successfully overseas , ' he told cnn . however , when i performed under the name'ebizo ichikawa'at chaillot theater in paris , i was inspired by how seriously the audience watched the art and reacted to my performance . i was moved and happy . i really felt that i wanted to perform again overseas . ' | talk asia goes backstage as ichikawa prepares for a performance |
gazprom <tsp> ( cnn ) -- russian energy monopoly gazprom on wednesday said it would stop natural gas deliveries to ukraine over a dispute about payments . gazprom chief executive alexei miller accused ukraine of using the issue as a political bargaining chip . ' gazprom chief alexey miller said talks with ukraine have been unproductive ' and accused ukraine of using the issue as a political bargaining chip . ' the talks with ukraine have n't brought any concrete result ... gazprom has n't received any money from ukraine as payment for the supplies of russian gas , ' miller said in a statement on the gazprom web site . the state-controlled gazprom said supplies to its other european customers would not be affected by ukraine 's cut-off , which the company said would take place at 10 a.m. thursday ( 2 a.m . et ) . ukrainian prime minister yulia tymoshenko also assured the european union that there would be no disruptions in deliveries , the kiev post reported . ukrainian president viktor yuschenko called for every effort to be made for the earliest possible signature of an agreement with russia , ' yuschenko energy security commissioner , bohdan sokolovsky , told the russian news agency interfax on wednesday evening . watch a report on gazprom 's threats to cut off gas supplies to ukraine » it is the second time in three years gazprom has threatened to cut off gas supplies to ukraine . the company made good on its threat on january 1 , 2006 , but turned the spigots back on a day later . russia , the world 's biggest producer of natural gas , supplies europe with more than 40 percent of its imports -- mainly via pipelines that cross the former soviet republic of ukraine . ukraine owes gazprom about $ 2 billion for past natural gas deliveries . ukraine 's state-controlled energy company , naftogaz ukrainy , initially denied it owed the payment to gazprom , but later retreated from that claim . the kiev post reported tuesday that naftogaz said it had paid $ 1.5 billion toward the debt , but gazprom said it had not received the payment . also at issue is gazprom 's contract for 2009 deliveries . gazprom had wanted to more than double ukraine 's payments , but on wednesday offered a much lesser payment of $ 250 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas . ukraine , which currently pays about $ 100 per 1,000 cubic meters , balked at that figure . we have heard a negative reply to the offers from the russian side on the favorable terms of gas supply to ukraine in 2009 , and we are getting the impression that there are political forces in ukraine which have a strong interest in the gas standoff between our two countries , ' miller said . | russian gas giant gazprom says it will cut gas supply 10 a.m. thursday ( 2 a.m . et ) |
gazprom <tsp> ( cnn ) -- russian energy monopoly gazprom on wednesday said it would stop natural gas deliveries to ukraine over a dispute about payments . gazprom chief executive alexei miller accused ukraine of using the issue as a political bargaining chip . ' gazprom chief alexey miller said talks with ukraine have been unproductive ' and accused ukraine of using the issue as a political bargaining chip . ' the talks with ukraine have n't brought any concrete result ... gazprom has n't received any money from ukraine as payment for the supplies of russian gas , ' miller said in a statement on the gazprom web site . the state-controlled gazprom said supplies to its other european customers would not be affected by ukraine 's cut-off , which the company said would take place at 10 a.m. thursday ( 2 a.m . et ) . ukrainian prime minister yulia tymoshenko also assured the european union that there would be no disruptions in deliveries , the kiev post reported . ukrainian president viktor yuschenko called for every effort to be made for the earliest possible signature of an agreement with russia , ' yuschenko energy security commissioner , bohdan sokolovsky , told the russian news agency interfax on wednesday evening . watch a report on gazprom 's threats to cut off gas supplies to ukraine » it is the second time in three years gazprom has threatened to cut off gas supplies to ukraine . the company made good on its threat on january 1 , 2006 , but turned the spigots back on a day later . russia , the world 's biggest producer of natural gas , supplies europe with more than 40 percent of its imports -- mainly via pipelines that cross the former soviet republic of ukraine . ukraine owes gazprom about $ 2 billion for past natural gas deliveries . ukraine 's state-controlled energy company , naftogaz ukrainy , initially denied it owed the payment to gazprom , but later retreated from that claim . the kiev post reported tuesday that naftogaz said it had paid $ 1.5 billion toward the debt , but gazprom said it had not received the payment . also at issue is gazprom 's contract for 2009 deliveries . gazprom had wanted to more than double ukraine 's payments , but on wednesday offered a much lesser payment of $ 250 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas . ukraine , which currently pays about $ 100 per 1,000 cubic meters , balked at that figure . we have heard a negative reply to the offers from the russian side on the favorable terms of gas supply to ukraine in 2009 , and we are getting the impression that there are political forces in ukraine which have a strong interest in the gas standoff between our two countries , ' miller said . | gazprom cut supplies on january 1 , 2006 , but turned spigots back on a day later |
gazprom <tsp> ( cnn ) -- russian energy monopoly gazprom on wednesday said it would stop natural gas deliveries to ukraine over a dispute about payments . gazprom chief executive alexei miller accused ukraine of using the issue as a political bargaining chip . ' gazprom chief alexey miller said talks with ukraine have been unproductive ' and accused ukraine of using the issue as a political bargaining chip . ' the talks with ukraine have n't brought any concrete result ... gazprom has n't received any money from ukraine as payment for the supplies of russian gas , ' miller said in a statement on the gazprom web site . the state-controlled gazprom said supplies to its other european customers would not be affected by ukraine 's cut-off , which the company said would take place at 10 a.m. thursday ( 2 a.m . et ) . ukrainian prime minister yulia tymoshenko also assured the european union that there would be no disruptions in deliveries , the kiev post reported . ukrainian president viktor yuschenko called for every effort to be made for the earliest possible signature of an agreement with russia , ' yuschenko energy security commissioner , bohdan sokolovsky , told the russian news agency interfax on wednesday evening . watch a report on gazprom 's threats to cut off gas supplies to ukraine » it is the second time in three years gazprom has threatened to cut off gas supplies to ukraine . the company made good on its threat on january 1 , 2006 , but turned the spigots back on a day later . russia , the world 's biggest producer of natural gas , supplies europe with more than 40 percent of its imports -- mainly via pipelines that cross the former soviet republic of ukraine . ukraine owes gazprom about $ 2 billion for past natural gas deliveries . ukraine 's state-controlled energy company , naftogaz ukrainy , initially denied it owed the payment to gazprom , but later retreated from that claim . the kiev post reported tuesday that naftogaz said it had paid $ 1.5 billion toward the debt , but gazprom said it had not received the payment . also at issue is gazprom 's contract for 2009 deliveries . gazprom had wanted to more than double ukraine 's payments , but on wednesday offered a much lesser payment of $ 250 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas . ukraine , which currently pays about $ 100 per 1,000 cubic meters , balked at that figure . we have heard a negative reply to the offers from the russian side on the favorable terms of gas supply to ukraine in 2009 , and we are getting the impression that there are political forces in ukraine which have a strong interest in the gas standoff between our two countries , ' miller said . | gazprom said supplies to other european customers wo n't be affected by action |
turkey <tsp> ( cnn ) -- i spent part of my childhood in ankara , turkey , and part of it in madrid , spain . the school i attended in ankara was a local building where they strictly followed the turkish curriculum . my classroom oversaw a large courtyard , which we could n't see from our benches during class hours since all the windows had been half-painted in gray . who had done it , i often wondered . whose idea was it to cover the windows in such a dull color to prevent us from peering into the world outside ? the school i attended in madrid was an international college with a predominantly british curriculum . i was the only turk there . there were interesting contrasts between the two institutions , each of which left an impact on my young mind and soul . but the distinction that perhaps struck me most was the presence and the absence in each of the national oath ' . in ankara , every monday morning we would gather in the schoolyard , hundreds of us , wearing black uniforms and snow-white lace collars . turning our faces towards the bust of ataturk -- the founder of modern turkey -- and keeping our arms straight like soldiers , we would chant in perfect unison : i am a turk , i am correct , i am diligent ... ' and we would finish the oath with the same pledge : may my existence be a gift to you ! ' it was that final line that disturbed me deep inside . i just wanted to be myself . nothing more , nothing less . why was my being an offering to the turkish state and the turkish nation ? could i not have a self separate from the collective self ? as years went by i started asking new questions : was there room for individuality in the turkish society ? if so what were its limits and why ? generations in turkey have grown up repeating the national oath . even if you were kurdish you were still expected to say aloud , i am a turk . ' it was assumed that we all shared the same nationality ( turkish ) and the same religion ( muslim ) -- even those students who were jewish or armenian . the school system was based on sameness . we were treated as a mass of undifferentiated beings rather than individuals with diverse backgrounds and varying talents . it was only in 2013 that the national oath was abolished . but the ideology of sameness remains deeply-rooted . today , it is just as difficult as yesterday to be and to remain an individual in turkey . it is harder for women . in turkey a woman is primarily seen as someone 's wife or someone 's daughter or someone 's mother . as a woman novelist , i am always treated as a woman first , then as a writer . for a male novelist it is the exact opposite . he is seen as a writer first and then people talk about his gender , if at all . one thing that makes me happy as a writer is to witness the diversity of my readers in turkey : conservatives , liberals , leftists , secularists , kemalists , kurds , alevis , jews , armenians ... women with headscarves , women in miniskirts . but turkey 's mainstream culture is deeply suspicious of difference ' -- be it cultural , ethnic or sexual . turkish society is stubbornly patriarchal and homophobic . sameness is venerated . the prime minister tells us that every turkish woman should have at least three children while the government talks about the need for creating a new , pious muslim youth . ' when identity is imposed from above , once again , individuality is in danger . imagination is in danger . this land , which once upon a time , was a multi-ethnic , multilingual and multi-religious empire , has turned itself into a nation-state where uniformity and authoritarianism are venerated at the expense of diversity and cosmopolitanism . turkey is filled with dynamism and potential for change but its adherence to sameness is stifling creativity and preventing it becoming a true and mature democracy . it is frustrating to see how little progress we have made over the years when it comes to improving our democracy , freedom of speech and women 's rights . we draw endless zigzags ; one step forward , one step back . and beneath the weight of sameness , turkish society is more polarized than ever . the gap between supporters of the prime minister 's akp party and its opponents is so wide that no one even attempts to bridge it anymore . we are divided into ghettoes of the like-minded . glass walls surround us everywhere . we see each other but we neither listen nor talk , afraid and paranoid of the other . as a result , the culture of coexistence , which was never profound in the first place , is eroding fast . there are only three areas left where people from different cultural and political backgrounds can still get together : art , literature and football . outside these spaces we are a badly divided society . | shafak says turkey 's mainstream is suspicious of difference |
turkey <tsp> ( cnn ) -- i spent part of my childhood in ankara , turkey , and part of it in madrid , spain . the school i attended in ankara was a local building where they strictly followed the turkish curriculum . my classroom oversaw a large courtyard , which we could n't see from our benches during class hours since all the windows had been half-painted in gray . who had done it , i often wondered . whose idea was it to cover the windows in such a dull color to prevent us from peering into the world outside ? the school i attended in madrid was an international college with a predominantly british curriculum . i was the only turk there . there were interesting contrasts between the two institutions , each of which left an impact on my young mind and soul . but the distinction that perhaps struck me most was the presence and the absence in each of the national oath ' . in ankara , every monday morning we would gather in the schoolyard , hundreds of us , wearing black uniforms and snow-white lace collars . turning our faces towards the bust of ataturk -- the founder of modern turkey -- and keeping our arms straight like soldiers , we would chant in perfect unison : i am a turk , i am correct , i am diligent ... ' and we would finish the oath with the same pledge : may my existence be a gift to you ! ' it was that final line that disturbed me deep inside . i just wanted to be myself . nothing more , nothing less . why was my being an offering to the turkish state and the turkish nation ? could i not have a self separate from the collective self ? as years went by i started asking new questions : was there room for individuality in the turkish society ? if so what were its limits and why ? generations in turkey have grown up repeating the national oath . even if you were kurdish you were still expected to say aloud , i am a turk . ' it was assumed that we all shared the same nationality ( turkish ) and the same religion ( muslim ) -- even those students who were jewish or armenian . the school system was based on sameness . we were treated as a mass of undifferentiated beings rather than individuals with diverse backgrounds and varying talents . it was only in 2013 that the national oath was abolished . but the ideology of sameness remains deeply-rooted . today , it is just as difficult as yesterday to be and to remain an individual in turkey . it is harder for women . in turkey a woman is primarily seen as someone 's wife or someone 's daughter or someone 's mother . as a woman novelist , i am always treated as a woman first , then as a writer . for a male novelist it is the exact opposite . he is seen as a writer first and then people talk about his gender , if at all . one thing that makes me happy as a writer is to witness the diversity of my readers in turkey : conservatives , liberals , leftists , secularists , kemalists , kurds , alevis , jews , armenians ... women with headscarves , women in miniskirts . but turkey 's mainstream culture is deeply suspicious of difference ' -- be it cultural , ethnic or sexual . turkish society is stubbornly patriarchal and homophobic . sameness is venerated . the prime minister tells us that every turkish woman should have at least three children while the government talks about the need for creating a new , pious muslim youth . ' when identity is imposed from above , once again , individuality is in danger . imagination is in danger . this land , which once upon a time , was a multi-ethnic , multilingual and multi-religious empire , has turned itself into a nation-state where uniformity and authoritarianism are venerated at the expense of diversity and cosmopolitanism . turkey is filled with dynamism and potential for change but its adherence to sameness is stifling creativity and preventing it becoming a true and mature democracy . it is frustrating to see how little progress we have made over the years when it comes to improving our democracy , freedom of speech and women 's rights . we draw endless zigzags ; one step forward , one step back . and beneath the weight of sameness , turkish society is more polarized than ever . the gap between supporters of the prime minister 's akp party and its opponents is so wide that no one even attempts to bridge it anymore . we are divided into ghettoes of the like-minded . glass walls surround us everywhere . we see each other but we neither listen nor talk , afraid and paranoid of the other . as a result , the culture of coexistence , which was never profound in the first place , is eroding fast . there are only three areas left where people from different cultural and political backgrounds can still get together : art , literature and football . outside these spaces we are a badly divided society . | its wording made her query the place of separate and collective self in turkey , she writes |
rafah <tsp> gaza ( cnn ) -- an israeli airstrike on a house in gaza overnight killed three high-ranking members of hamas'military wing , the qassam brigades , the militant group said thursday . seven civilians were also killed . the three members of the brigades'15-member military council were killed in a bombing in rafah in southern gaza , according to hamas . the announcement of their deaths comes the day after hamas said an israeli strike had killed the wife and at least two children of mohammed deif , the head of the military wing . deif 's 7-month-old son was killed , and the body of one of his daughters was removed from the rubble later , according to hamas . another of deif 's daughters is missing and believed to be buried in the rubble . the strike failed to kill deif , hamas said . role in capture of israeli soldier the militant group , which controls gaza , said the leaders killed overnight were mohammed abu shamala , raed al-attar and mohammed barhoum . a crater the size of a residential block was left at the site of the airstrike . according to palestinian officials , israeli airstrikes have killed 27 since midnight local time ( 5 p.m . et wednesday ) . hamas vowed revenge for their deaths . the assassination of the qassam leaders is a great israeli crime that will not succeed in breaking the will of our people or even weaken the resistance , and israel will pay the price , ' spokesman sami abu zuhri said . al-attar , the commander of the qassam brigades in rafah , is believed to be the most senior of the three . the israeli military said it had confirmed that it killed the three men . it described al-attar and abu shamala as high-ranking hamas commanders responsible for major terror attacks against israelis . ' al-attar played a major role ' in the capture of israeli soldier gilad shalit in 2006 , the israel defense forces said on its twitter account . shalit was held captive until a deal was struck for his release in 2011 in exchange for more than 1,000 palestinian prisoners . this morning 's strike sends a clear message to those responsible for planning attacks , ' idf spokesman lt. col. peter lerner said in a statement . we will strike those that have terrorized our communities , towns and cities , we will pursue the perpetrators of abduction of our soldiers and teenagers , and we will succeed in restoring security to the state of israel . ' renewed fighting the return to violence between israel and hamas began tuesday after a cease-fire and peace talks in cairo fell apart , with each side blaming the other for the breakdown . the egyptian-brokered negotiations were aimed at finding a lasting end to the current gaza conflict , which has killed more than 2,000 palestinians , around 70 % of them civilians , according to the united nations . the fighting , which erupted in early july , has killed 67 people on the israeli side , most of them soldiers . but the two sides failed to reach a compromise , with israel calling for gaza to be demilitarized and hamas requesting , among other things , the lifting of israel 's economic blockade on gaza . humanitarian groups have warned of a dire situation in gaza , where tens of thousands of people have been left homeless amid the destruction caused by the conflict . the israeli military said thursday that more than 225 rockets have been fired at israel from gaza since the truce collapsed this week . over the same period , israeli forces have attacked around 150 targets in gaza , the idf said . one airstrike thursday hit a cemetery in gaza city , where a group of people were digging a grave for relatives , palestinian health officials said . the attack killed six people and injured others , paramedics told the hamas-run al aqsa tv . hamas threatens airport ' our policy is simple : if you shoot , you will get attacked , ' israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said wednesday . if you try more , you will get double . ' israel will not stop its efforts against hamas until we can ensure full safety and security ' for people in israel 's south , the prime minister said . the qassam brigades on wednesday warned international airlines to refrain from landing at or taking off from ben gurion airport in the israeli city of tel aviv from thursday morning onward . u.s. aviation authorities briefly banned u.s. carriers from flying to and from the airport in late july after a hamas rocket struck nearby . many international airlines followed suit , canceling flights to and from tel aviv . but flights picked up again after the u.s. federal aviation administration lifted the ban . israeli officials , including netanyahu , had lobbied washington to reverse the extraordinary order . talal abu rahma reported from gaza , and jethro mullen reported and wrote from hong kong . cnn 's samira said contributed to this report . | hamas says a bombing in rafah kills 3 senior leaders of the qassam brigades |
cnn original series <tsp> ( cnn ) at first blush , brian rogers and caitlin mcguire seem like any other small business owners -- polite , hardworking and passionate about what they do . but there 's the potential for things to get a little awkward when the conversation turns from hi ' s to highs . there 's always a moment of hesitation of'when are they going to ask us what we do ?'and'how are they going to receive that when we tell them ?'' mcguire , 25 , said . she and rogers , 34 , own the breckenridge cannabis club , a recreational marijuana dispensary in the historic and scenic ski town of breckenridge , colorado . the couple started their business as a medical cannabis dispensary in 2010 , but when colorado became the first state in the nation to allow the sale of recreational marijuana , they saw a once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity . previously , they were only permitted to sell medical marijuana to the approximate 4,500 permanent residents of breckenridge ; when the new legislation took effect on january 1 , 2014 , they could then sell to any of the 30,000-plus tourists ( 21 years or older ) who visited the town during peak season . by the end of the first day of recreational ' sales , they knew their lives had changed forever . the two said they brought in more than $ 47,000 in sales , roughly 30 times their normal daily sales of medical marijuana . the long lines and enthusiastic patrons also raised the ire of some of the residents who felt the shop detracted from the town 's family-friendly ' atmosphere now , the pair 's journey to build a legal marijuana empire is documented in the new cnn original series high profits , ' which premieres sunday , april 19 , at 10 p.m. et/pt . somebody is going to become a mogul , ' rogers said . in 2014 , legal marijuana was a $ 700 million industry in colorado and was billed as the fastest growing industry in the united states . and , according to a a 2014 gallup poll , 51 % of americans favored legalizing marijuana , though that was down from the previous year 's approval of 58 % . it 's a majority , but a slim majority -- and 23 states still prohibit marijuana outright . here are the next states to legalize pot ' we want to show people that it 's not just a bunch of stoners selling pot over the counter , ' mcguire said . it 's business-minded people -- hardworking americans -- who are just like any other business and trying to make their dream work . ' she and rogers are simultaneously pragmatic and optimistic about the public 's opinion . it 's 2015 : is weed legal in your state ? i think they often think we woke up and it was handed to us . our job was created ; we created our jobs through hard work and investment and risk , ' rogers said . as pioneers in a newly legalized business , the risks rogers and mcguire face go above and beyond those of your average small business . while the sale and private consumption of cannabis is legal in colorado , the federal government still considers it a schedule i controlled substance like heroin or lsd , a dangerous drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse . ' that classification makes it difficult for banks -- which are federally regulated -- to do business with marijuana retailers , even legal ones . few even try . this is pot 's $ 3 billion banking problem and forget about paying for your pot with plastic . like most colorado cannabis stores , the breckenridge cannabis club is a cash only business . without access to banking , mcguire and rogers are forced to pay their staff , their suppliers and even their taxes in cash . the two recognize that budtender ' might not be a career path any family expects their child to embark on , but for the most part , there has been surprising support : mcguire even got permission to use the remainder of her college fund to start breckenridge cannabis club more than five years ago . for both of us , it was pretty easy to see this as a great opportunity to do something different , ' mcguire said . we were just working in the service industry so it 's not like either of us had any full-fledged careers that we were afraid to leave behind or families that we were worried about risking or providing for . ' what 's worse -- pot or booze ? rogers'family used to tell his grandmother that he and mcguire ran a ski rental business . then one day she was like ,'you do n't rent skis , do you ?'' he laughs . mcguire had a similar experience with her grandma , until she came to the store for the first time and saw its legitimacy . she thought we were just your stereotypical drug dealers , ' she said . the couple says their grandmothers'attitude shift is what they 're hoping for on a larger scale : while you may not agree with them , entrepreneurs in four states and the district of columbia are out to prove that recreational cannabis and capitalism can coexist . we 're cannabis consumers and we support that part of it , too . but that 's not what this business is about , ' mcguire said . it 's about having the opportunity to create a life for us and have a professional career that sustains us . ' will they succeed ? tune in to high profits , ' sunday nights at 10 p.m. et/pt . | the cnn original series airs sundays at 10 p.m . et |
clinton <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton said thursday that north korea 's new leader , kim jung un , has a choice to make ' -- become a transformative leader ' or continue the communist nation 's existing policies , which she predicted would lead to its demise . he can continue the model of the past and eventually north korea will change , because at some point people can not live under such oppressive conditions -- starving to death , being put into gulags and having their basic human rights denied , ' she said . we are hoping that he will chart a different course for his people . ' the 29-year-old kim jong un became north korea 's most powerful figure about six months ago , following the death of his father kim jong il . he has only made two public speeches since rising to power -- the first coming at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of north korea 's founder and his grandfather kim il sung , and more recently in june in a speech to about 20,000 children . referring to kim jong un , clinton expressed hope that the new leadership in pyongyang will live up to its agreements , will not engage in threats and provocations ( and ) will put the north korean people first . ' rather than spending money on implements of war , feed your people , provide education and health care , and lift your people out of poverty and isolation , ' she advised north korea 's new leader . the comments followed a meeting in washington -- referred to by both sides as the 2-plus-2 ' talks -- involving clinton , u.s. defense secretary leon panetta and south korea 's foreign and defense ministers . afterward , the united states and south korea released a joint statement reaffirming their cooperation on security matters , an alliance they called a linchpin of stability , security , and prosperity in the asia-pacific region and increasingly around the world . ' that cooperation was evident in crisis management and intelligence sharing ' before , during and after north korea 's failed long-range rocket launch in april , south korean defense minister kim kwan-jin said thursday . some expressed concerns that launch , which the u.n. security council condemned as a serious violation ' of previous council resolutions , might signal pyongyang 's intentions to fire nuclear weapons on its foes . foreign minister kim sung hwan promised that south korea and the united states will show a decisive response ' if north korea moves to provoke again . ' yet he also opened the door for talks . the road to dialogue and cooperation is open should north korea stop its provocation , ' he said . a few years after the korean peninsula was divided after world war ii , u.s. forces joined south korea in the korean war -- a conflict that ended in a cease-fire , but no peace treaty . north korea 's nuclear weapons capabilities have further heightened tensions in recent years . this week 's meeting in washington showed the strength of the partnership between two of north korea 's staunchest foes . in addition to a continued focus on pyongyang 's nuclear and missile programs , the two parties announced a joint defense initiative focused on evolving threats , such as in space , the maritime domain , and cyberspace , ' according to the joint statement . working together , we can improve the security of our government , military and commercial infrastructure and better protect against cyber attacks , ' clinton said . | new : rather than spending money on implements of war , feed your people , ' clinton says |
dharun ravi <tsp> ( cnn ) -- rutgers university held an emotional vigil sunday evening as the campus grapples with the suicide of a student whose sexual encounter with another man was broadcast online . the body of tyler clementi , 18 , was recovered from the hudson river on thursday , more than a week after he jumped from the george washington bridge , which spans the river between new york and new jersey . two other rutgers students -- clementi 's roommate , dharun ravi , 18 , and molly wei , 18 -- have been charged with invasion of privacy . the pair allegedly placed a camera in clementi 's dorm room without his knowledge and then streamed his sexual encounter online , according to the middlesex county , new jersey , prosecutor 's office . our entire campus is very upset about what happened , ' said greg blimling , rutgers'vice president of student affairs . the entire campus is in mourning . and we feel very deeply for what happened to the family . this is a terrible tragedy . ' students and other members of the university community , some wearing pins that read pride , ' stood silently as they lit and held white candles . clementi remembered in new york park the vigil brought together student organizations , campus offices and lgbt communities as an opportunity for the members of the community and our allies to stand together united in peace , healing and social justice , ' a statement from the university said . a student who attended the vigil stressed the need for civility . we 're all linked on some sort of deeper level and we just need to find it , ' said caroline tuero . on friday , the president of rutgers pledged to meet with members of the university 's gay community as the school deals with scrutiny in the wake of the suicide . in a letter to the rutgers community , president richard mccormick praised what he called the school 's strong history of social activism on behalf of diversity . ' however , he said , the university is an imperfect institution in an imperfect society . ' university officials declined to respond to cnn 's questions about when rutgers first learned of the webcam incident , citing privacy laws . but a school spokesman said friday that officials did the best they can . ' i have spoken to virtually every principal involved in this matter , and they have attempted to handle this matter to the best of their ability , ' rutgers spokesman greg travor told cnn . mccormick said that the incident has raised questions about the campus climate . students , parents and alumni have expressed deep concern that our university , which prides itself on its rich diversity , is not fully welcoming and accepting of all students , ' the president said in a letter . new jersey prosecutors were working to determine whether additional charges , including bias , may be brought against ravi and wei . on the evening of september 19 , ravi allegedly sent a message via microblogging site twitter about clementi . roommate asked for the room till midnight . i went into molly 's room and turned on my webcam . i saw him making out with a dude . yay . ' ravi tried to use the webcam again two days later , on september 21 , according to the middlesex county prosecutor 's office . anyone with ichat , i dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 and 12 . yes it 's happening again , ' ravi is believed to have tweeted . the next day , clementi was dead . a mobile status update september 22 on a facebook page purportedly belonging to clementi said : jumping off the gw bridge sorry . ' clementi 's family has remained largely quiet , except to say that their personal tragedy has raised a host of legal issues for the country . regardless of legal outcomes , our hope is that our family 's personal tragedy will serve as a call for compassion , empathy and human dignity , ' the statement said . cnn 's ross levitt contributed to this report . | students dharun ravi and molly wei are charged with invasion of privacy |
massachusetts <tsp> kill devil hills , north carolina ( cnn ) -- weakening by the hour but still covering a massive area , hurricane earl spun off the north carolina on thursday night , lashing parts of the outer banks with rain and high wind . people along the east coast made just-in-case preparations despite the waning power of the storm . the hurricane has been downgraded to a category 2 storm , the national hurricane center said thursday night , but warned that earl is expected to remain a large and strong hurricane as it passes near the outer banks ' of north carolina . hurricane warnings and watches stretched from north carolina to delaware and into massachusetts , where a hurricane warning was issued for cape cod , martha 's vineyard , nantucket and the surrounding area . a hurricane watch was also issued for the coast of nova scotia , canada . tropical storm watches and warnings were in effect for most other coastal areas between north carolina and nova scotia . ireport : share your images and information as of 8 p.m. , the center of earl was about 160 miles ( 260 kilometers ) south of cape hatteras , north carolina , and about 625 miles ( 1,005 kilometers ) south-southwest of nantucket . it was heading north at about 18 mph ( 30 kph ) . a tropical storm warning is now in effect for the coast of massachusetts from north of hull to the merrimack river , and for the coast of maine from stonington to eastport . the tropical storm warning from cape fear to west of surf city , north carolina , has been discontinued . the storm , which had been a category 3 until thursday night , has maximum sustained winds of 105 mph ( 168 kph ) , the hurricane center reported just before 11 p.m . et . further weakening is expected overnight , forecasters said , but earl is expected to remain a large and strong hurricane as it passes near the outer banks . ' two more tropical systems are in the atlantic -- fiona and gaston . fiona is on track for bermuda , and as of thursday afternoon , gaston was n't threatening any land . read more on gaston and fiona but for now , all eyes are on earl . president barack obama signed a disaster declaration for north carolina on wednesday evening . the action authorizes the department of homeland security and the federal emergency management agency to coordinate relief efforts and makes federal funds available . maryland 's governor issued an emergency declaration earlier in the day . the monster storm is forecast to pass close to the outer banks on thursday night , the national hurricane center said . even if the center of earl remains offshore ... hurricane force winds are expected to occur in the outer banks overnight tonight , ' the center said in its 8 p.m. thursday forecast . the storm is expected to take aim at southeastern new england on friday night . hurricane force winds are expected within the hurricane warning area in massachusetts friday night , ' the center said thursday . officials in dare county , north carolina , issued mandatory evacuation orders thursday for visitors to the coastal county , including the outer banks . the mandatory evacuation extended to residents in some areas , including the town of south nags head and hatteras island . dare county schools and courts were closed thursday and will be closed friday . earl concerns homeowners along coast ' early this evening hatteras island will begin feeling the impact of hurricane earl 's approach , ' the county said in a statement thursday evening . throughout the evening , weather conditions will progressively deteriorate ... until the storm leaves the area around daybreak friday morning . ' hurricane earl will produce high seas , ocean overwash , dangerous rip currents , and strong winds , ' it said . on thursday night , dare county manager bobby outten told cnn that evacuations went well . ' we got everybody off hatteras [ wednesday ] , ' he said , referring to one coastal island . in other nearby areas , outten said , i 'm sure there are people holding out . ' residents of dare county have been through this many times , ' the county 's emergency response coordinator , warren judge , said on cnn 's american morning . ' and they have their own individual practices and procedures to get their homes and businesses secured and prepared for the oncoming storm . what we need to happen now is for the visitors to heed the warning , to evacuate . ' earl is a large storm , meaning effects will be widely felt even if it does not make a direct hit . it covers about 166,000 square miles -- larger than california , which covers just under 160,000 square miles . the storm 's outflow , or the clouds associated with it , could stretch from one end of the state of texas to the other , said cnn meteorologist reynolds wolf . the north carolina coast should begin experiencing tropical storm-force winds of at least 39 mph by thursday evening , forecasters said , with hurricane-force winds of at least 74 mph arriving later . local coverage by cnn affiliate wect ' conditions are going to deteriorate rapidly , ' fema administrator craig fugate said thursday , and people should not be lulled into thinking earl is going to miss them . we have teams in all coastal states ready to support ( governors ) all the way up the new england states , ' fugate told cnn thursday night , describing fema 's standby teams . we 're not going to wait till things get bad . ' large breaking waves of 10 to 15 feet are possible along the coast , with possible storm surge of 2 to 4 feet and 3 to 4 inches of rainfall , cnn meteorologist sean morris said . isolated tornadoes and waterspouts are possible . the national hurricane center said those in the hurricane warning area -- coastal north carolina from bogue inlet up to the virginia state line , including pamlico and albemarle sounds -- could see storm surge of 3 to 5 feet . however , the most severe part of earl is expected to remain offshore , which might mean a lower storm surge , according to cnn meteorologist rob marciano . the fact that it happens overnight always gives us cause for concern , ' judge said . but we 're going to get a glancing blow . ' he said he hoped the storm will not deal a direct hit to the area and will pass through quickly . this is my first hurricane and i 'm looking forward to it , said sarah baker , a native of oklahoma who works for a vacation rental company in kitty hawk , north carolina . the locals have been really nice , telling me what i needed to buy to get ready . ' rip currents and stormy seas were reported all the way up the east coast , from florida to maine . earl will make its closest pass to new jersey on friday afternoon , morris said . it is expected to make its closest pass to cape cod , massachusetts , on friday night as a category 1 hurricane . tourist towns on cape see effects from earl the long duration of tropical-storm-force winds threatens widespread power outages in parts of the south and the mid-atlantic region , he said . earl is expected to make a direct landfall over southern nova scotia on saturday morning as a strong category 1 hurricane . the storm will turn northeast as it collides with a cold front , said national hurricane center director bill read . but the hurricane was undergoing a phenomenon known as eyewall replacement , in which the existing eyewall weakens and a new one forms . that means the eye likely will grow in diameter and the storm will grow even larger as hurricane force winds stretch farther out , he said . several airlines said wednesday that passengers to and from cities along the eastern seaboard , from san juan , puerto rico , to bangor , maine , could reschedule travel in coming days without penalty . though they have not announced cancellations , air tran , american airlines , continental airlines and delta said they would waive reschedule fees for such travelers . north carolina gov . bev purdue urged residents and visitors to prepare for the storm and heed evacuation orders . indeed , some people were stocking up on food at grocery stores and attaching plywood to windows and doors of coastal homes . however , others thumbed their noses at earl , set to arrive just ahead of the labor day holiday , and said they were staying put . we 're from michigan , so we 're used to storms , ' one man said . but this is our first hurricane , so we 're kind of excited about it and hope everything goes well . ' i got three bottles of wine hidden in there , ' another man said , gesturing toward his grocery bags . the kids are good with the milk . ' he said earl might ruin some beach time ... looks like it 's ok , but we 'll keep an eye on the tv . ' one sign on the outer banks warned , earl , you are not welcome here . ' cnn 's angela fritz and randy harber contributed to this report . | in u.s. , warnings and watches stretch from north carolina to massachusetts |
al-shabaab <tsp> gunmen with the islamist militant group al-shabaab killed a somali former lawmaker and injured a current parliament member in a drive-by shooting in somalia 's capital thursday , police said . it marks the third deadly attack attributed to the group in as many days . the attack in mogadishu killed former somali legislator liibaan abdullahi . mustaf mayow , a current lawmaker , was seriously wounded , police capt . muse farah told cnn . al-shabaab assailants in a vehicle blocked the ( lawmaker 's ) car , ' farah said . the attackers sped off . ' an al-shabaab spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack and vowed to carry out similar shootings against somali lawmakers . on wednesday the al-shabaab militants attacked a united nations convoy near mogadishu 's airport killing at least four people , according to police three of those killed were civilians and another was a security force member , police col. mohamed hassan said . two united nations vehicles were damaged , a u.n. official said , but no u.n. staff members were killed or injured in the attack . the mogadishu airport also acts as a staging ground for united nations operations and for the african union troops on a peacekeeping mission in somalia . on tuesday al-shabaab militants raided a quarry in neighboring kenya , separating non-muslim workers from their muslim counterparts and executing them , a spokesman for the group said tuesday . at least 36 bodies were found dumped in the quarry in the village of kormey , near the somali border , the kenyan red cross said . al-shabaab said the attack was retaliation for mosque raids that kenyan security forces carried out last month to weed out extremists . the group has been active in east africa for years , waging an armed campaign that initially aimed to turn somalia into a fundamentalist islamic state , according to the council on foreign relations . | al-shabaab says it killed 36 non-muslims at a quarry in kenya tuesday |
al-shabaab <tsp> gunmen with the islamist militant group al-shabaab killed a somali former lawmaker and injured a current parliament member in a drive-by shooting in somalia 's capital thursday , police said . it marks the third deadly attack attributed to the group in as many days . the attack in mogadishu killed former somali legislator liibaan abdullahi . mustaf mayow , a current lawmaker , was seriously wounded , police capt . muse farah told cnn . al-shabaab assailants in a vehicle blocked the ( lawmaker 's ) car , ' farah said . the attackers sped off . ' an al-shabaab spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack and vowed to carry out similar shootings against somali lawmakers . on wednesday the al-shabaab militants attacked a united nations convoy near mogadishu 's airport killing at least four people , according to police three of those killed were civilians and another was a security force member , police col. mohamed hassan said . two united nations vehicles were damaged , a u.n. official said , but no u.n. staff members were killed or injured in the attack . the mogadishu airport also acts as a staging ground for united nations operations and for the african union troops on a peacekeeping mission in somalia . on tuesday al-shabaab militants raided a quarry in neighboring kenya , separating non-muslim workers from their muslim counterparts and executing them , a spokesman for the group said tuesday . at least 36 bodies were found dumped in the quarry in the village of kormey , near the somali border , the kenyan red cross said . al-shabaab said the attack was retaliation for mosque raids that kenyan security forces carried out last month to weed out extremists . the group has been active in east africa for years , waging an armed campaign that initially aimed to turn somalia into a fundamentalist islamic state , according to the council on foreign relations . | al-shabaab militants killed a former somali lawmaker thursday , police say |
al-shabaab <tsp> gunmen with the islamist militant group al-shabaab killed a somali former lawmaker and injured a current parliament member in a drive-by shooting in somalia 's capital thursday , police said . it marks the third deadly attack attributed to the group in as many days . the attack in mogadishu killed former somali legislator liibaan abdullahi . mustaf mayow , a current lawmaker , was seriously wounded , police capt . muse farah told cnn . al-shabaab assailants in a vehicle blocked the ( lawmaker 's ) car , ' farah said . the attackers sped off . ' an al-shabaab spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack and vowed to carry out similar shootings against somali lawmakers . on wednesday the al-shabaab militants attacked a united nations convoy near mogadishu 's airport killing at least four people , according to police three of those killed were civilians and another was a security force member , police col. mohamed hassan said . two united nations vehicles were damaged , a u.n. official said , but no u.n. staff members were killed or injured in the attack . the mogadishu airport also acts as a staging ground for united nations operations and for the african union troops on a peacekeeping mission in somalia . on tuesday al-shabaab militants raided a quarry in neighboring kenya , separating non-muslim workers from their muslim counterparts and executing them , a spokesman for the group said tuesday . at least 36 bodies were found dumped in the quarry in the village of kormey , near the somali border , the kenyan red cross said . al-shabaab said the attack was retaliation for mosque raids that kenyan security forces carried out last month to weed out extremists . the group has been active in east africa for years , waging an armed campaign that initially aimed to turn somalia into a fundamentalist islamic state , according to the council on foreign relations . | it was the third attack by al-shabaab is as many days |
south carolina <tsp> ( cnn ) -- federal immigration agents arrested about 300 workers tuesday in a raid at a poultry processing plant in greenville , south carolina , the department of justice said . the agents executed a criminal search warrant at 9 a.m. at the columbia farms poultry processing plant , capping a 10-month investigation into the plant 's employment practices , said barbara gonzalez , a spokeswoman for immigration and customs enforcement . about 58 of those arrested were allowed to return to their homes to take care of their children or for other humanitarian reasons , she said . the others were to be held in an ice detention facility in the area . they are all illegals , ' gonzalez said . we have charged them with being in violation of u.s. immigration laws . ' the investigation has already resulted in criminal charges being filed against 11 supervisors and a human resources manager , she said . maria juan , 22 , was one of about 50 relatives and friends of workers who huddled at the edge of the plant after the raid , some weeping and others talking frantically on cell phones , the associated press reported . she was seeking information about her 68-year-old grandmother , a legal immigrant from guatemala who went to work without identification papers but was later released , the ap reported . families are going to be broken apart , ' juan told the ap . there will be kids and babies left behind . why are they doing this ? why ? they did n't do anything . they only wanted to work . ' no one from columbia farms or from its parent company , house of raeford farms in raeford , north carolina , responded immediately to telephone messages . the charlotte observer newspaper first reported in february that plant workers were in the country illegally and company managers knew it , the ap reported . the raid is a drop in the bucket ' that is unlikely to persuade anyone in the united states illegally to go home , said dan kowalski , an austin , texas-based lawyer specializing in immigration law . he questioned the conclusion by gonzalez and ice that all of those arrested are indeed illegal immigrants . a judge has to say that , they ca n't just say that , ' he said . | federal immigration agents conduct raid at plant in greenville , south carolina |
deng xiaoping <tsp> beijing , china ( cnn ) -- china 's president has vowed to continue the economic reforms that have transformed the once poverty-riddled nation into an industrial powerhouse . deng xiaoping envisioned a modern , prosperous china . speaking on the 30th anniversary of china 's decision to open itself up to the outside world , president hu jintao told a crowd of 6,000 at beijing 's great hall of the people : standing still and regressing will lead only to a dead end . ' chinese leader deng xiaoping was the architect of the economic reform movement , which was to set the country on a radical new course when the first policies were approved on december 18 , 1978 . reform and opening up are the fundamental causes of all the achievements and progress we have made , ' hu said , according to state-run media . he said deng 's vision three decades ago was completely correct . ' over the past 30 years , china has maintained an average annual growth rate of 9.8 percent -- triple the world average , china 's xinhua news agency reported . watch as china marks 30 years of reform » the chinese gross domestic product soared from 360 billion yuan ( $ 53 billion ) in 1978 to 24.95 trillion yuan ( $ 3.7 trillion ) in 2007 , making china the world 's fourth-largest economy , according to xinhua . however , hu warned the chinese people not to grow complacent , especially in the midst of the global economic crisis . he said china must continue to concentrate on economic development and diversification . we must adhere to the correct direction of reform and opening up so as to build a system that is full of vigor , highly efficient , more open and has a favorable environment for scientific development , ' he said . | deng xiaoping was the architect of the economic reform movement in 1978 |
afghan <tsp> marjah , afghanistan ( cnn ) -- foreign and afghan forces encountered stiff resistance saturday as their offensive in southern afghanistan entered its second week , and a civilian was mistakenly shot dead . it is moving slowly but surely . the marines are making some headway , ' said cnn correspondent atia abawi , who is embedded with u.s. marines in and around marjah in southern afghanistan . the taliban are putting up quite a resistance . ' she said the militants , who usually operate in squads of 10 to 14 fighters , do n't have the weaponry and technology that the u.s. troops have , but they are able to put up a tough fight from fortified compounds and even civilian homes . the firefights have been going on all week long , ' abawi said . operation moshtarak , aimed at ousting the taliban from their stronghold in helmand province , is being conducted in and around the marjah area by predominantly american and afghan troops . british troops and their afghan partners have been concentrating in the nad ali district . troops are working to oust the taliban and establish afghan control . abawi said marines have been creating a forward operating base to prove to the people of marjah as well as to the taliban and insurgency in the area that they 're here to stay ' and hope to bring normalcy ' to the area . nato 's international security assistance force said on friday the battle against the taliban remains difficult ' in the northeast and west of marjah , and insurgent activity is not limited to those areas . british forces say taliban resistance has increased in recent days , and that has slowed progress , despite strides . on friday , british officials said more than two-thirds of the moshtarak clearance phase is completed . but british maj. gen. gordon messenger said with that effort , resistance in that area has increased . we did expect the enemy to up the level of resistance , and that has happened . isaf and afghan forces are being directly targeted more now than they were before , but the enemy is still uncoordinated . ' messenger said providing extra security to key roads between nad ali and lashkar gah , helmand 's capital , are high priorities . freedom of movement is vital so that locals can go about their business without fear of ieds on the road and so we can bring key supplies into the area , and so the afghan governors can get out to do their business , ' messenger said . watch why some call the operation a publicity stunt foreign and afghan forces have taken pains to avoid civilian casualties in the operation . civilian deaths and injuries during the afghan war during airstrikes , raids and so-called escalation of force ' confrontations at checkpoints have undermined nato efforts to get afghans on their side . but despite such efforts , such casualties have occurred in moshtarak , with the latest coming on friday , when coalition troops shot dead a man they mistook for a militant . isaf said the incident occurred in nad ali on friday when an isaf patrol thought he might have been carrying a bomb in a box . the patrol warned the individual by waving their hands , providing verbal warnings , and firing small pen flares into the air . the man dropped the box , turned and ran away from the patrol , and then for an unknown reason turned and ran toward the patrol , at which time they shot and killed him , ' isaf said in a news release . later , troops discovered that there was no bomb material . troops will meet with local leaders to discuss how to avoid such incidents , and a condolence payment will be offered to the victim 's family . this is truly a regrettable incident , and we offer our condolences to the family , ' said navy capt . jane campbell , isaf joint command spokeswoman . afghan president hamid karzai addressed the issue in parliament on saturday , acknowledging efforts to improve but stressing that more has to be done . regarding the civilian causalities in airstrikes and operations , the nato and coalition forces have tried to conduct their operations carefully and responsibly to avoid civilian casualties , ' he said . as a result civilian casualties have decreased . our goal is to completely avoid the civilian casualties . ' | troops trying to avoid civilian casualties , afghan president tells parliament |
afghan <tsp> marjah , afghanistan ( cnn ) -- foreign and afghan forces encountered stiff resistance saturday as their offensive in southern afghanistan entered its second week , and a civilian was mistakenly shot dead . it is moving slowly but surely . the marines are making some headway , ' said cnn correspondent atia abawi , who is embedded with u.s. marines in and around marjah in southern afghanistan . the taliban are putting up quite a resistance . ' she said the militants , who usually operate in squads of 10 to 14 fighters , do n't have the weaponry and technology that the u.s. troops have , but they are able to put up a tough fight from fortified compounds and even civilian homes . the firefights have been going on all week long , ' abawi said . operation moshtarak , aimed at ousting the taliban from their stronghold in helmand province , is being conducted in and around the marjah area by predominantly american and afghan troops . british troops and their afghan partners have been concentrating in the nad ali district . troops are working to oust the taliban and establish afghan control . abawi said marines have been creating a forward operating base to prove to the people of marjah as well as to the taliban and insurgency in the area that they 're here to stay ' and hope to bring normalcy ' to the area . nato 's international security assistance force said on friday the battle against the taliban remains difficult ' in the northeast and west of marjah , and insurgent activity is not limited to those areas . british forces say taliban resistance has increased in recent days , and that has slowed progress , despite strides . on friday , british officials said more than two-thirds of the moshtarak clearance phase is completed . but british maj. gen. gordon messenger said with that effort , resistance in that area has increased . we did expect the enemy to up the level of resistance , and that has happened . isaf and afghan forces are being directly targeted more now than they were before , but the enemy is still uncoordinated . ' messenger said providing extra security to key roads between nad ali and lashkar gah , helmand 's capital , are high priorities . freedom of movement is vital so that locals can go about their business without fear of ieds on the road and so we can bring key supplies into the area , and so the afghan governors can get out to do their business , ' messenger said . watch why some call the operation a publicity stunt foreign and afghan forces have taken pains to avoid civilian casualties in the operation . civilian deaths and injuries during the afghan war during airstrikes , raids and so-called escalation of force ' confrontations at checkpoints have undermined nato efforts to get afghans on their side . but despite such efforts , such casualties have occurred in moshtarak , with the latest coming on friday , when coalition troops shot dead a man they mistook for a militant . isaf said the incident occurred in nad ali on friday when an isaf patrol thought he might have been carrying a bomb in a box . the patrol warned the individual by waving their hands , providing verbal warnings , and firing small pen flares into the air . the man dropped the box , turned and ran away from the patrol , and then for an unknown reason turned and ran toward the patrol , at which time they shot and killed him , ' isaf said in a news release . later , troops discovered that there was no bomb material . troops will meet with local leaders to discuss how to avoid such incidents , and a condolence payment will be offered to the victim 's family . this is truly a regrettable incident , and we offer our condolences to the family , ' said navy capt . jane campbell , isaf joint command spokeswoman . afghan president hamid karzai addressed the issue in parliament on saturday , acknowledging efforts to improve but stressing that more has to be done . regarding the civilian causalities in airstrikes and operations , the nato and coalition forces have tried to conduct their operations carefully and responsibly to avoid civilian casualties , ' he said . as a result civilian casualties have decreased . our goal is to completely avoid the civilian casualties . ' | squads of 10-14 militants engage u.s. and afghan forces in firefights |
tamil tigers <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a crusading sri lankan journalist shot dead last week knew he would be killed -- he said so in a dramatic , posthumously published column touching a raw nerve in his war-torn island nation . a candlelight vigil in the sri lankan capital in memory of slain journalist lasantha wickrematunga . lasantha wickrematunga , editor-in-chief of the sunday leader , was gunned down execution-style january 8 but spoke from the grave three days later when the newspaper published and then they came for me . ' that posthumous column anticipated his slaying by government forces and defended the craft of journalism in his country , a profession under fire during its bitter civil war . diplomats , recognizing the risk journalists face in sri lanka , have offered me safe passage and the right of residence in their countries . whatever else i may have been stuck for , i have not been stuck for choice . but there is a calling that is yet above high office , fame , lucre and security . it is the call of conscience , ' wickrematunga wrote . people often ask me why i take such risks and tell me it 's a matter of time before i am bumped off . ' wickrematunga wrote that he was twice assaulted and his house was fired upon . despite the government 's sanctimonious assurances , there was never a serious police inquiry into the perpetrators of these attacks , and the attackers were never apprehended . in all of these cases , i have reason to believe the attacks were inspired by the government . when finally i am killed , it will be the government that kills me , ' he wrote . sri lankan president mahindra rajapaksa , asked about threats to journalists , voiced assurance that no journalist or media institution had cause to fear any threats or attacks by the government , according to a statement on the government 's official web site . watch sri lanka 's foreign minister discuss press freedom » ' the government had no interest whatever in seeking disgrace through any attacks on the media , ' he said , and he assured media leaders that the culprits would be captured and brought to justice , the statement said . hostility against journalists and their institutions has been high as the sinhalese-dominated government forces work to eradicate the last vestiges of tamil tiger separatists in the jaffna peninsula , the rebel-held northern region . the 25-year-old civil war has left more than 65,000 people dead . sunanda deshapriya , spokesman for sri lanka 's free media movement , said harassment of journalists has been common , and cited these examples from the past year : two journalists killed , another journalist shot at , more than 50 reports of intimidations and threats , 12 media personnel arrested , 16 journalists physically assaulted , one tortured , one assaulted in an abduction attempt , the circulation of a list with 27 journalists targeted for killings , the proposal of a censorship law , and the naming of some journalists as terrorists or terrorist supporters . on january 6 , 15 masked gunmen entered maharajah tv studios outside the capital , colombo . the journalism watchdog group committee to protect journalists said the attackers shot at and destroyed broadcast equipment , held staff members at gunpoint , and attempted to burn down the station 's facilities . cnn on wednesday interviewed the head of maharajah tv , chevaan daniel , about the incident . afterward , sri lanka 's defense secretary , gotabhaya rajapaksa , called for the arrest of a person who had talked to cnn , deshapriya said . cpj said the government-run media has criticized maharajah tv for its coverage of a suicide bombing in the capital and undermining ' a presidential victory speech after government troops took kilinochchi -- which had been the de facto capital of the tamil tigers movement . government officials have condemned strikes on colombo and have ordered probes . bob dietz , cpj 's asia program director , said that far too often the government or its unofficial allies have been prime suspects behind attacks on journalists and media organizations , ' despite government condemnations and investigations . as the civil warfare first unfolded , tamil journalists were targeted , dietz said . but in the past year and a half , mainstream journalists , such as those who raise questions about the government 's military activity , have been facing a crackdown -- even if they are from the majority sinhalese ethnic group or sharply critical of the tamil rebel movement . this includes wickrematunga , who questioned the government 's successes and value of its military actions . that really got under the skin of the government , ' dietz said . it 's one thing to insult the president , but another thing to insult the military during wartime . ' this killing is the worst , ' said dietz , who compared it to the impact that would be felt if a new york times or washington post columnist were killed in the united states . wickrematunga 's killing spurred a demonstration in colombo by 4,000 people , which reporters without borders said was the largest since the government of mahinda rajapaksa took power three years ago . another protest was to be held on thursday in london . the title of wickrematunga 's column was inspired by a poem by a german theologian about how germans failed to react to nazism in the past century before it was too late . in his rendition of the poem , wickrematunga wrote : first they came for the jews and i did not speak out because i was not a jew . then they came for the communists and i did not speak out because i was not a communist . then they came for the trade unionists and i did not speak out because i was not a trade unionist . then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me . ' wickrematunga pronounces his pride in his profession 's attempt to chronicle life in a country at war and his paper 's work to bravely represent all people -- sinhalese , tamil , muslim , low-caste , homosexual , dissident or disabled . ' he casts the paper as an independent organ that faithfully records events . he said the paper lacks a political agenda and wants to see sri lanka as a transparent , secular , liberal democracy . ' no other profession calls on its practitioners to lay down their lives for their art save the armed forces and , in sri lanka , journalism , ' he wrote , adding that countless journalists have been harassed , threatened and killed . it has been my honor to belong to all those categories and now especially the last . ' i have the satisfaction of knowing that i walked tall and bowed to no man . and i have not traveled this journey alone . fellow journalists in other branches of the media walked with me : most of them are now dead , imprisoned without trial or exiled in far-off lands . ' he also castigates the country 's president , who had been a long-time friend . in the wake of my death i know you will make all the usual sanctimonious noises and call upon the police to hold a swift and thorough inquiry . but like all the inquiries you have ordered in the past , nothing will come of this one too . ' | civil war with tamil tigers has killed more than 65,000 |
zahra baker <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the search for a freckle-faced 10-year-old north carolina girl is over , with police announcing friday that they had found her remains . we have recovered enough physical evidence to believe we have found zahra ( baker ) , ' said hickory , north carolina , police chief tom adkins . today , our community mourns , our state mourns , our nation mourns , and the world mourns . ' adkins said that dna from a bone dug up off christie road in caldwell county -- the same place zahra baker 's prosthetic leg was recovered late last month -- was consistent with that taken from the girl 's personal items in her hickory home , about 15 miles away . meanwhile , investigators are working to confirm that more human remains found earlier this week on dudley shoals road in caldwell county -- five miles from the christie road discovery -- also belonged to zahra . the north carolina state bureau of investigation will create a complete dna profile of zahra , using samples taken from her biological father and mother , to confirm they match the caldwell county remains , according to adkins . while there will be no confirmation until those tests are completed , adkins said friday that medical examiner 's staff at the dudley shoals road site said the remains found there were consistent with a child . ' investigators , agents , officers and staff who have worked on this case are devastated that they were not able to find zahra alive and bring her home safely , ' adkins said . the girl 's stepmother , elisa baker , reported zahra missing on october 9 . elisa baker was arrested the next day , after police said that she admitted writing a fake ransom note found at the family 's home in hickory . but no one other than a relative had seen zahra since september 25 , according to authorities , when a woman said she saw the girl at a furniture store . in mid-october , police announced they were treating zahra 's disappearance as a homicide . the disappearance of zahra made international news . the girl , whose biological parents were both from australia , lost part of her left leg at age 5 and lost hearing in both ears while being treated for cancer . the girl 's father , adam troy baker , was arrested late last month in nearby catawba county on eight charges : five counts of writing bad checks and three counts of failing to appear in court . authorities said that the charges were unrelated to zahra 's disappearance , and he was later released on bail . his wife , elisa baker , remains in jail . besides an obstruction of justice charge for the ransom note , she was accused of writing worthless checks . police said that she has been cooperating with investigators , including going with them to the dudley shoals search site . elisa baker 's sister , carrie fairchild , spoke on hln 's nancy grace ' soon after police reported they had found zahra 's remains . most of the family 's reaction is we 're heartbroken and dealing with probably a lot of anger , too , ' said fairchild . she 's made her way into everyone 's heart . she was a special girl and she will definitely be missed . ' friday 's announcement is the most significant , but not the first major development in the search for zahra 's remains . on october 27 , investigators announced they had found the 10-year-old 's prosthetic leg in a brushy area off christie road . and earlier this month , authorities reported finding the bone that adkins said friday belonged to zahra . zahra 's biological mother , emily dietrich , who has not seen her daughter since she was an infant , arrived in north carolina on thursday . dietrich was emotional as she kneeled outside a makeshift memorial at the baker home , cnn affiliate wcnc reported . at friday 's news conference , adkins stressed that this is still a developing case ' and that investigators would continue to gather evidence . no one has been charged with a crime directly related to zahra 's disappearance and death . cnn 's deborah bloom contributed to this report . | new : she 's made her way into everyone 's heart , ' a family member says about zahra baker |
darren criss <tsp> ( cnn ) -- glee star and semi-professional dreamboat darren criss has some very , very exciting news ' to announce : i 'm happy to officially announce my very first solo tour throughout north america . it 's canada , the united states — 16 dates , all over the place . hopefully we 're coming by to a city near you , ' he said in a video today . ew :'glee'- sue confronts blaine about his cheerios duties more deets : criss will be playing both old and new material ( like a set-list ! ) , be having a lot of fun , and — yes — he has been working on a solo album whilst also acting in tv shows and online musicals . ew :'glee'- two legendary faces to play key role in important ( and spoilery ! ) storyline ' but i still have these songs , and i really want to share them with people before we put them out into the world , ' criss said . so the tour will be called listen up ... , ' kicking off on may 29 in criss'hometown , san francisco before moving on to dates in l.a. , houston , chicago , nashville , and new york , among others . tickets and all other info at darrencriss.com . watch the tour announcement for yourself here . see the original story at ew.com . | darren criss plays blaine on'glee ' |
nsa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- i 'm finding it hard to get too worked up over the revelation that the national security agency has been authorized by the secret foreign intelligence surveillance court to collect all our call data from verizon . has n't everyone already assumed this ? everything we do in the digital realm -- from surfing the web to sending an e-mail to conducting a credit card transaction to , yes , making a phone call -- creates a data trail . and if that trail exists , chances are someone is using it -- or will be soon enough . this particular style of privacy invasion looks a bit different from those old tv movies where fbi agents sit in a van listening in on phone calls and recording them on reel-to-reel tape recorders . the government is n't interested in the content of our phone calls -- our conversations -- so much as who is calling whom and when , or what has become known as metadata . your life and pursuits are less important than the statistical profile of the way you use your digital devices . this is the world of big data . i remember the days when talking about such possibilities was considered conspiracy theory or paranoia . many of us imagined a future in which people would be planted with chips that monitor our conversations and whereabouts . perhaps we 'd even accept such tagging voluntarily , if it meant being able to track down our children in the unlikely event of a kidnapping . what does the verizon order mean for me ? but such extraordinary measures proved unnecessary ; we 're all walking around with tracking devices in our pockets , which are capable not simply of broadcasting our phone calls , but our physical locations , our movements , our interests -- and then tying all this data to our consumer profiles , credit histories ... everything . yes , it 's still creepy , but it 's a different kind creepy than it appears . big data analysis works by identifying patterns and anomalies in our behavior . nobody cares about the reasons why certain people do certain things . they only need to be able to predict the future . marketers use big data profiling to predict who is about to get pregnant , who is likely to buy a new car , and who is about to change sexual orientations . that 's how they know what ads to send to whom . the nsa , meanwhile , wants to know who is likely to commit an act of terrorism -- and for this , they need us . the only way for them to identify the kinds of statistical anomalies that point to a terror candidate is to have a giant database of all those behavior patterns that do n't suggest imminent violence . what is different about the tsarnaev brothers'patterns of telephone usage from that of every other young male chechen immigrants ? you need both sets of data to figure that out . we are not the targets so much as the control group . opinion : the great privacy debate of course , that 's small comfort to a people who have long valued and assumed some measure of privacy from government observation . the american assumption of privacy allows those of us who do break certain laws -- say , smoking pot or engaging in prostitution -- from the fear of selective enforcement if we happen to be personal or political enemies of those in charge . as recent internal revenue service scandals prove , our most trusted agencies are not above targeted investigations of ideological foes . the harder truth to accept is that we are moving into a digital reality where the assumption of privacy must be exchanged for an assumption of observation . our telephone metadata is just the tip of the iceberg . sure , president barack obama was quick to respond to the surprise discovery of his administration 's covert surveillance operation , promising americans that the leaked document describes the full extent of this technological intrusion on our privacy . but this court order was already top secret . ' had it not been uncovered , its provisions would have been denied as well . my own friends in the digital telephony and networking industries have long told me about splitters ' at all major communications companies , through which every data signal can be observed and diverted . other technicians have told me about giant server farms in virginia and utah , where all of our digital data -- including encrypted e-mails and phone calls -- are being stored . no , they do n't have the technological ability or legal authority to search this tremendous repository of data ( if it really exists ) . but they may at some point in the future . besides , the lack of court orders authorizing a particular style of surveillance do n't stop any of this surveillance from happening . it simply makes any information collected inadmissible in a court of law . since the dawn of the internet , i have always operated under the assumption that if the government or corporations have technological capability to do something , they are doing it -- whatever the laws we happen to know about might say . digital media are biased toward replication and storage . our digital photos practically upload and post themselves on facebook , and our most deleted e-mails tend to resurface when we least expect it . yes , everything you do in the digital realm may as well be broadcast on prime-time television and chiseled on the side of the parthenon . does this excuse our government 's behavior ? of course not . but the silver lining here is that this digital transparency cuts both ways . no sooner does the government win a court order to spy on us than the digital trail of that court order is discovered and leaked to the press . the government 's panicky surveillance of associated press reporters and disproportionate prosecution of wikileaks participants lay bare its own inability to contend with the transparency of digital communications . it is disheartening and disillusioning to realize that our government knows every digital thing we say or do . but now , at least we know they know . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of douglas rushkoff . | douglas rushkoff : nsa collecting call records from verizon should not be surprising |
nsa <tsp> ( cnn ) -- i 'm finding it hard to get too worked up over the revelation that the national security agency has been authorized by the secret foreign intelligence surveillance court to collect all our call data from verizon . has n't everyone already assumed this ? everything we do in the digital realm -- from surfing the web to sending an e-mail to conducting a credit card transaction to , yes , making a phone call -- creates a data trail . and if that trail exists , chances are someone is using it -- or will be soon enough . this particular style of privacy invasion looks a bit different from those old tv movies where fbi agents sit in a van listening in on phone calls and recording them on reel-to-reel tape recorders . the government is n't interested in the content of our phone calls -- our conversations -- so much as who is calling whom and when , or what has become known as metadata . your life and pursuits are less important than the statistical profile of the way you use your digital devices . this is the world of big data . i remember the days when talking about such possibilities was considered conspiracy theory or paranoia . many of us imagined a future in which people would be planted with chips that monitor our conversations and whereabouts . perhaps we 'd even accept such tagging voluntarily , if it meant being able to track down our children in the unlikely event of a kidnapping . what does the verizon order mean for me ? but such extraordinary measures proved unnecessary ; we 're all walking around with tracking devices in our pockets , which are capable not simply of broadcasting our phone calls , but our physical locations , our movements , our interests -- and then tying all this data to our consumer profiles , credit histories ... everything . yes , it 's still creepy , but it 's a different kind creepy than it appears . big data analysis works by identifying patterns and anomalies in our behavior . nobody cares about the reasons why certain people do certain things . they only need to be able to predict the future . marketers use big data profiling to predict who is about to get pregnant , who is likely to buy a new car , and who is about to change sexual orientations . that 's how they know what ads to send to whom . the nsa , meanwhile , wants to know who is likely to commit an act of terrorism -- and for this , they need us . the only way for them to identify the kinds of statistical anomalies that point to a terror candidate is to have a giant database of all those behavior patterns that do n't suggest imminent violence . what is different about the tsarnaev brothers'patterns of telephone usage from that of every other young male chechen immigrants ? you need both sets of data to figure that out . we are not the targets so much as the control group . opinion : the great privacy debate of course , that 's small comfort to a people who have long valued and assumed some measure of privacy from government observation . the american assumption of privacy allows those of us who do break certain laws -- say , smoking pot or engaging in prostitution -- from the fear of selective enforcement if we happen to be personal or political enemies of those in charge . as recent internal revenue service scandals prove , our most trusted agencies are not above targeted investigations of ideological foes . the harder truth to accept is that we are moving into a digital reality where the assumption of privacy must be exchanged for an assumption of observation . our telephone metadata is just the tip of the iceberg . sure , president barack obama was quick to respond to the surprise discovery of his administration 's covert surveillance operation , promising americans that the leaked document describes the full extent of this technological intrusion on our privacy . but this court order was already top secret . ' had it not been uncovered , its provisions would have been denied as well . my own friends in the digital telephony and networking industries have long told me about splitters ' at all major communications companies , through which every data signal can be observed and diverted . other technicians have told me about giant server farms in virginia and utah , where all of our digital data -- including encrypted e-mails and phone calls -- are being stored . no , they do n't have the technological ability or legal authority to search this tremendous repository of data ( if it really exists ) . but they may at some point in the future . besides , the lack of court orders authorizing a particular style of surveillance do n't stop any of this surveillance from happening . it simply makes any information collected inadmissible in a court of law . since the dawn of the internet , i have always operated under the assumption that if the government or corporations have technological capability to do something , they are doing it -- whatever the laws we happen to know about might say . digital media are biased toward replication and storage . our digital photos practically upload and post themselves on facebook , and our most deleted e-mails tend to resurface when we least expect it . yes , everything you do in the digital realm may as well be broadcast on prime-time television and chiseled on the side of the parthenon . does this excuse our government 's behavior ? of course not . but the silver lining here is that this digital transparency cuts both ways . no sooner does the government win a court order to spy on us than the digital trail of that court order is discovered and leaked to the press . the government 's panicky surveillance of associated press reporters and disproportionate prosecution of wikileaks participants lay bare its own inability to contend with the transparency of digital communications . it is disheartening and disillusioning to realize that our government knows every digital thing we say or do . but now , at least we know they know . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of douglas rushkoff . | he says nsa wants call info for database to help track terrorists , and we are control group |
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