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nez <tsp> for more than two decades , chester nez kept silent about his role as one of the original navajo code talkers responsible for developing an unbreakable code during world war ii . his death wednesday at his home in albuquerque , new mexico , at age 93 was lamented by the marine corps as the end of an era -- for both the country and its armed forces . we mourn his passing but honor and celebrate the indomitable spirit and dedication of those marines who became known as the navajo code talkers , ' the marines said in a statement . nez was the last remaining of the original 29 navajos recruited by the marine corps to develop the legendary code that was used for vital communications during battle . he was a teenager when he was recruited in 1942 and assigned with the other code talkers to the marine corps'382nd platoon at camp pendleton . together , they created a code , including developing a dictionary . military authorities chose navajo as a code language because its syntax and tonal qualities were almost impossible for a non-navajo to learn , and it had no written form . the ranks of the navajo code talkers swelled to more than 300 by the end of the war in 1945 . the code talkers were forbidden from telling anyone about it -- not their fellow marines , not their families -- until their work was declassified in 1968 . the original 29 were presented with the congressional gold medal in 2001 by president george w. bush . in developing our code , we were careful to use everyday navajo words , so that we could memorize and retain the words easily , ' nez told cnn in 2011 while promoting his book code talker . ' i think that made our job easier , and i think it helped us to be successful in the heat of battle . ' still , nez said he worried every day that an error might cost the life of an american military service member . nez was among the code talkers who were shipped out to guadalcanal in 1942 , where the code talkers worked in teams of two , with one relaying and receiving messages while the other cranked the portable radio and listened for errors in transmission . that was my first combat experience , and there was a lot of suffering and a lot of the condition was real bad out there , ' he told cnn 's larry king in 2002 . nez also fought in guam and peleliu . when bombs dropped , generally we code talkers could n't just curl up in a shelter , ' nez wrote in his book . we were almost always needed to transmit information , to ask for supplies and ammunition , and to communicate strategies . and after each transmission , to avoid japanese fire , we had to move . ' the code talkers faced initial resistance from fellow marines who did not understand who they were and what they were doing . that changed once they understood the importance of the code , nez said . the navajo code baffled the japanese , who had successfuly deciphered codes used by the u.s. army . after the war , the japanese chief of intelligence , lt. general seizo arisue , admitted they were never able to crack the navajo code used by the marines and navy , according to the navy . nez was discharged in 1945 , but later volunteered to fight in the korean war . after the code talkers'exploits were declassified by the military , the group gained legendary status with books and , ultimately , a movie that was inspired by their stories . the recognition of the code talkers came late , but it has been good for my navajo people . i hope that this type of recognition continues across cultures , ' nez said . the 2002 film windtalkers , ' starring adam beach and nicolas cage , followed the fictional account of two marines assigned to protect two code talkers during the battle of saipan . i could understand when they sent the message and received on the other end , ' nez said . i could understand , and i could sit there and write it down myself . i still remember it . ' it was a far cry from his childhood , when he was forced to attend a boarding school and punished by the teachers for speaking navajo , according to his book . it 's a language , though , that appears lost even to many members of his own family . my own children do not speak navajo , although my daughter-in-law ... speaks it well , ' he said . nez said he decided to tell his story because he wanted to share the contributions and sacrifices of the navajo during world war ii . our navajo code was one of the most important military secrets of world war ii . the fact that the marines did not tell us navajo men how to develop that code indicated their trust in us and in our abilities , ' he said . the feeling that i could make it in both the white world and the navajo world began there , and it has stayed with me all of my life . for that i am grateful . ' the navajo nation 's flags have been ordered lowered in nez 's honor , president ben shelly said . people we have lost in 2014 | as a child , chester nez was punished for speaking navajo |
nez <tsp> for more than two decades , chester nez kept silent about his role as one of the original navajo code talkers responsible for developing an unbreakable code during world war ii . his death wednesday at his home in albuquerque , new mexico , at age 93 was lamented by the marine corps as the end of an era -- for both the country and its armed forces . we mourn his passing but honor and celebrate the indomitable spirit and dedication of those marines who became known as the navajo code talkers , ' the marines said in a statement . nez was the last remaining of the original 29 navajos recruited by the marine corps to develop the legendary code that was used for vital communications during battle . he was a teenager when he was recruited in 1942 and assigned with the other code talkers to the marine corps'382nd platoon at camp pendleton . together , they created a code , including developing a dictionary . military authorities chose navajo as a code language because its syntax and tonal qualities were almost impossible for a non-navajo to learn , and it had no written form . the ranks of the navajo code talkers swelled to more than 300 by the end of the war in 1945 . the code talkers were forbidden from telling anyone about it -- not their fellow marines , not their families -- until their work was declassified in 1968 . the original 29 were presented with the congressional gold medal in 2001 by president george w. bush . in developing our code , we were careful to use everyday navajo words , so that we could memorize and retain the words easily , ' nez told cnn in 2011 while promoting his book code talker . ' i think that made our job easier , and i think it helped us to be successful in the heat of battle . ' still , nez said he worried every day that an error might cost the life of an american military service member . nez was among the code talkers who were shipped out to guadalcanal in 1942 , where the code talkers worked in teams of two , with one relaying and receiving messages while the other cranked the portable radio and listened for errors in transmission . that was my first combat experience , and there was a lot of suffering and a lot of the condition was real bad out there , ' he told cnn 's larry king in 2002 . nez also fought in guam and peleliu . when bombs dropped , generally we code talkers could n't just curl up in a shelter , ' nez wrote in his book . we were almost always needed to transmit information , to ask for supplies and ammunition , and to communicate strategies . and after each transmission , to avoid japanese fire , we had to move . ' the code talkers faced initial resistance from fellow marines who did not understand who they were and what they were doing . that changed once they understood the importance of the code , nez said . the navajo code baffled the japanese , who had successfuly deciphered codes used by the u.s. army . after the war , the japanese chief of intelligence , lt. general seizo arisue , admitted they were never able to crack the navajo code used by the marines and navy , according to the navy . nez was discharged in 1945 , but later volunteered to fight in the korean war . after the code talkers'exploits were declassified by the military , the group gained legendary status with books and , ultimately , a movie that was inspired by their stories . the recognition of the code talkers came late , but it has been good for my navajo people . i hope that this type of recognition continues across cultures , ' nez said . the 2002 film windtalkers , ' starring adam beach and nicolas cage , followed the fictional account of two marines assigned to protect two code talkers during the battle of saipan . i could understand when they sent the message and received on the other end , ' nez said . i could understand , and i could sit there and write it down myself . i still remember it . ' it was a far cry from his childhood , when he was forced to attend a boarding school and punished by the teachers for speaking navajo , according to his book . it 's a language , though , that appears lost even to many members of his own family . my own children do not speak navajo , although my daughter-in-law ... speaks it well , ' he said . nez said he decided to tell his story because he wanted to share the contributions and sacrifices of the navajo during world war ii . our navajo code was one of the most important military secrets of world war ii . the fact that the marines did not tell us navajo men how to develop that code indicated their trust in us and in our abilities , ' he said . the feeling that i could make it in both the white world and the navajo world began there , and it has stayed with me all of my life . for that i am grateful . ' the navajo nation 's flags have been ordered lowered in nez 's honor , president ben shelly said . people we have lost in 2014 | nez was one of 29 navajos recruited to develop the code |
nez <tsp> for more than two decades , chester nez kept silent about his role as one of the original navajo code talkers responsible for developing an unbreakable code during world war ii . his death wednesday at his home in albuquerque , new mexico , at age 93 was lamented by the marine corps as the end of an era -- for both the country and its armed forces . we mourn his passing but honor and celebrate the indomitable spirit and dedication of those marines who became known as the navajo code talkers , ' the marines said in a statement . nez was the last remaining of the original 29 navajos recruited by the marine corps to develop the legendary code that was used for vital communications during battle . he was a teenager when he was recruited in 1942 and assigned with the other code talkers to the marine corps'382nd platoon at camp pendleton . together , they created a code , including developing a dictionary . military authorities chose navajo as a code language because its syntax and tonal qualities were almost impossible for a non-navajo to learn , and it had no written form . the ranks of the navajo code talkers swelled to more than 300 by the end of the war in 1945 . the code talkers were forbidden from telling anyone about it -- not their fellow marines , not their families -- until their work was declassified in 1968 . the original 29 were presented with the congressional gold medal in 2001 by president george w. bush . in developing our code , we were careful to use everyday navajo words , so that we could memorize and retain the words easily , ' nez told cnn in 2011 while promoting his book code talker . ' i think that made our job easier , and i think it helped us to be successful in the heat of battle . ' still , nez said he worried every day that an error might cost the life of an american military service member . nez was among the code talkers who were shipped out to guadalcanal in 1942 , where the code talkers worked in teams of two , with one relaying and receiving messages while the other cranked the portable radio and listened for errors in transmission . that was my first combat experience , and there was a lot of suffering and a lot of the condition was real bad out there , ' he told cnn 's larry king in 2002 . nez also fought in guam and peleliu . when bombs dropped , generally we code talkers could n't just curl up in a shelter , ' nez wrote in his book . we were almost always needed to transmit information , to ask for supplies and ammunition , and to communicate strategies . and after each transmission , to avoid japanese fire , we had to move . ' the code talkers faced initial resistance from fellow marines who did not understand who they were and what they were doing . that changed once they understood the importance of the code , nez said . the navajo code baffled the japanese , who had successfuly deciphered codes used by the u.s. army . after the war , the japanese chief of intelligence , lt. general seizo arisue , admitted they were never able to crack the navajo code used by the marines and navy , according to the navy . nez was discharged in 1945 , but later volunteered to fight in the korean war . after the code talkers'exploits were declassified by the military , the group gained legendary status with books and , ultimately , a movie that was inspired by their stories . the recognition of the code talkers came late , but it has been good for my navajo people . i hope that this type of recognition continues across cultures , ' nez said . the 2002 film windtalkers , ' starring adam beach and nicolas cage , followed the fictional account of two marines assigned to protect two code talkers during the battle of saipan . i could understand when they sent the message and received on the other end , ' nez said . i could understand , and i could sit there and write it down myself . i still remember it . ' it was a far cry from his childhood , when he was forced to attend a boarding school and punished by the teachers for speaking navajo , according to his book . it 's a language , though , that appears lost even to many members of his own family . my own children do not speak navajo , although my daughter-in-law ... speaks it well , ' he said . nez said he decided to tell his story because he wanted to share the contributions and sacrifices of the navajo during world war ii . our navajo code was one of the most important military secrets of world war ii . the fact that the marines did not tell us navajo men how to develop that code indicated their trust in us and in our abilities , ' he said . the feeling that i could make it in both the white world and the navajo world began there , and it has stayed with me all of my life . for that i am grateful . ' the navajo nation 's flags have been ordered lowered in nez 's honor , president ben shelly said . people we have lost in 2014 | nez served as a code talker in the battles of guadalcanal , guam and peleliu |
vietnam <tsp> ( cnn ) -- as many as 175 enemy troops killed , 18 wounds from enemy fire , 38 hours of battle , 48 hours evading the north vietnamese troops in the bush -- and one tiger . those are the numbers behind sgt . maj. bennie adkins'medal of honor , an award he received from president barack obama in a white house ceremony monday . adkins of opelika , alabama , was honored for his actions in vietnam 's a shau valley more than 48 years ago . then a 32-year-old sergeant first class , adkins was among a handful of americans working with troops of the south vietnamese civilian irregular defense group at camp a shau when the camp was attacked by a large north vietnamese and viet cong force on march 9 , 1966 , according to an army report . adkins rushed through intense enemy fire and manned a mortar position defending the camp , ' the army report says . he continued to mount a defense even while incurring wounds from several direct hits from enemy mortars . upon learning that several soldiers were wounded near the center of camp , he temporarily turned the mortar over to another soldier , ran through exploding mortar rounds and dragged several comrades to safety . as the hostile fire subsided , adkins exposed himself to sporadic sniper fire and carried his wounded comrades to a more secure position . ' later , under enemy fire , some of it coming from south vietnamese allies who had defected to the north during the battle , adkins took wounded troops to an airstrip outside the camp for evacuation and drew enemy fire away from the evacuation aircraft . he went outside the camp again to retrieve supplies from an airdrop that fell into a minefield . and that was just day one . the bottom line is that it was just not my day to go , ' adkins said in an army interview at fort benning , georgia , last week . the fighting , and adkins'heroism , continued in the early morning of march 10 when the north vietnamese hit the camp with their main attack , according to the army report . within two hours , sergeant first class adkins was the only defender firing a mortar weapon . when all mortar rounds were expended , adkins began placing effective rifle fire upon enemy as they infiltrated the camp perimeter and assaulted his position . despite receiving additional wounds from enemy rounds exploding on his position , adkins fought off relentless waves of attacking north vietnamese soldiers , ' the army report says . after falling back to a smaller bunker in camp a shau , adkins killed more enemy troops with small arms fire , destroyed equipment and classified documents to prevent them from getting into north vietnamese hands , and led a group of soldiers in digging their way out of the rear of the bunker and escaping the besieged camp . but adkins'ordeal was not over . because he was carrying a wounded comrade , he and his small group could n't get to the evacuation helicopters sent to pick up the battle 's survivors . the band faded into the jungle , avoiding their north vietnamese pursuers for 48 hours . and that 's where the tiger comes in . the north vietnamese soldiers had us surrounded on a little hilltop and everything started getting kind of quiet , ' adkins is quoted as saying in an army report . we could look around and all at once , all we could see were eyes going around us . it was a tiger that stalked us that night . we were all bloody and in this jungle , the tiger stalked us and the north vietnamese soldiers were more afraid of the tiger than they were of us . so , they backed off some and we were ( able to escape ) . ' helicopters rescued adkins and the rest of his group on march 12 . the army says adkins killed 135 to 175 enemy soldiers during the camp a shau battle . he suffered 18 wounds during the 86-hour ordeal . forty-eight years later , adkins does n't cite those numbers but two others . i 'm just a keeper of the medal for those other 16 ( u.s. troops ) who were in the battle , especially the five who did n't make it , ' he told army news service . i can tell you every man who was there and the five who lost their lives . i can tell you how that happened . it diminishes , but it does not go away , ' adkins said . and he remembers the south vietnamese who stuck by his side . there were about 410 indigenous civilian irregular defense group soldiers there with us , and of those , only about 122 survived , and most of those were wounded . it was a horrible , horrible battle . there was valor on all sides , not only from the americans , but from the cidg soldiers also , ' he 's quoted as saying in an army report . others to receive honor honored with adkins at the white house ceremony was one other soldier , posthumously . spc . donald p. sloat was awarded the medal of honor for his actions in using his body to shield comrades from a grenade blast near danang , vietnam , in january 1970 . additionally , the white house has announced one more medal of honor recipient : from the civil war , 1st lt. alonzo h. cushing , who held out against confederate troops during pickett 's charge on july 3 , 1863 , part of the battle of gettysburg . cushing manned the last serviceable union artillery battery during the confederate assault , which came within 100 yards of his position . he was killed by confederate gunfire . his actions made it possible for the union army to successfully repulse the confederate assault , ' a white house statement said . a ceremony for the presentation of cushing 's honor has yet to be announced , the white house said . | sgt . maj. bennie adkins honored for his actions in vietnam in 1966 |
iraqi <tsp> ( cnn ) do you remember the talk about plans for iraqi-led force to try to take back mosul this spring ? well , you might want to forget it . nearly three months after a u.s. official said up to 25,000 iraqis troops were expected to return to the key northern iraqi city in april or may , a senior official in president barack obama 's administration said thursday that washington is not putting a timeframe on ' a possible invasion . it might be some time from now . might be soon , ' another senior administration official said . mosul has long been the big prize in the iraqi government 's fight -- aided by a u.s.-led military coalition , which has carried out airstrikes for months -- to defeat isis . it has also long been a source of embarrassment , considering how it fell after iraqi troops dropped their weapons , abandoned their posts and ran for their lives when militants arrived last june . the senior administration officials who talked to reporters thursday stressed the iraqis and their allies are making progress in their fight against the group that calls itself the islamic state . in fact , officials insist that isis has been degraded substantially thanks to a combination of air power and ground combat . the biggest and most recent example of this came with the recapture a few weeks ago of tikrit , the hometown of former iraqi dictator saddam hussein that is located some 100 miles ( 160 kilometers ) north of baghdad . iraqi forces aided by iranian-backed shiite militiamen took that northern city , the same place where isis allegedly massacred iraqi troops last year . still , mosul is n't tikrit . for one thing , it has a lot more people -- about a million , one obama administration official noted . and it 's more important not only to iraq , but isis , meaning the terrorist group has all the more reason to go all-out to defend it . in some ways , the campaign for mosul has begun , according to officials . there are no plans for u.s. combat troops involvement in an eventual operation , they say , but airstrikes have already targeted isis positions in the area . just because the area has been softened up some from the air , though , does n't mean a full ground assault is imminent . calling for patience , ' an administration official said that winning mosul is a complex endeavor . it will take a lot of capacity , ' the official said , and some time to build . ' | u.s. official said in february that iraqi troops could go into mosul in april or may |
isis <tsp> ( cnn ) do you remember the talk about plans for iraqi-led force to try to take back mosul this spring ? well , you might want to forget it . nearly three months after a u.s. official said up to 25,000 iraqis troops were expected to return to the key northern iraqi city in april or may , a senior official in president barack obama 's administration said thursday that washington is not putting a timeframe on ' a possible invasion . it might be some time from now . might be soon , ' another senior administration official said . mosul has long been the big prize in the iraqi government 's fight -- aided by a u.s.-led military coalition , which has carried out airstrikes for months -- to defeat isis . it has also long been a source of embarrassment , considering how it fell after iraqi troops dropped their weapons , abandoned their posts and ran for their lives when militants arrived last june . the senior administration officials who talked to reporters thursday stressed the iraqis and their allies are making progress in their fight against the group that calls itself the islamic state . in fact , officials insist that isis has been degraded substantially thanks to a combination of air power and ground combat . the biggest and most recent example of this came with the recapture a few weeks ago of tikrit , the hometown of former iraqi dictator saddam hussein that is located some 100 miles ( 160 kilometers ) north of baghdad . iraqi forces aided by iranian-backed shiite militiamen took that northern city , the same place where isis allegedly massacred iraqi troops last year . still , mosul is n't tikrit . for one thing , it has a lot more people -- about a million , one obama administration official noted . and it 's more important not only to iraq , but isis , meaning the terrorist group has all the more reason to go all-out to defend it . in some ways , the campaign for mosul has begun , according to officials . there are no plans for u.s. combat troops involvement in an eventual operation , they say , but airstrikes have already targeted isis positions in the area . just because the area has been softened up some from the air , though , does n't mean a full ground assault is imminent . calling for patience , ' an administration official said that winning mosul is a complex endeavor . it will take a lot of capacity , ' the official said , and some time to build . ' | they note that recapturing mosul from isis could be a complicated endeavor |
mosul <tsp> ( cnn ) do you remember the talk about plans for iraqi-led force to try to take back mosul this spring ? well , you might want to forget it . nearly three months after a u.s. official said up to 25,000 iraqis troops were expected to return to the key northern iraqi city in april or may , a senior official in president barack obama 's administration said thursday that washington is not putting a timeframe on ' a possible invasion . it might be some time from now . might be soon , ' another senior administration official said . mosul has long been the big prize in the iraqi government 's fight -- aided by a u.s.-led military coalition , which has carried out airstrikes for months -- to defeat isis . it has also long been a source of embarrassment , considering how it fell after iraqi troops dropped their weapons , abandoned their posts and ran for their lives when militants arrived last june . the senior administration officials who talked to reporters thursday stressed the iraqis and their allies are making progress in their fight against the group that calls itself the islamic state . in fact , officials insist that isis has been degraded substantially thanks to a combination of air power and ground combat . the biggest and most recent example of this came with the recapture a few weeks ago of tikrit , the hometown of former iraqi dictator saddam hussein that is located some 100 miles ( 160 kilometers ) north of baghdad . iraqi forces aided by iranian-backed shiite militiamen took that northern city , the same place where isis allegedly massacred iraqi troops last year . still , mosul is n't tikrit . for one thing , it has a lot more people -- about a million , one obama administration official noted . and it 's more important not only to iraq , but isis , meaning the terrorist group has all the more reason to go all-out to defend it . in some ways , the campaign for mosul has begun , according to officials . there are no plans for u.s. combat troops involvement in an eventual operation , they say , but airstrikes have already targeted isis positions in the area . just because the area has been softened up some from the air , though , does n't mean a full ground assault is imminent . calling for patience , ' an administration official said that winning mosul is a complex endeavor . it will take a lot of capacity , ' the official said , and some time to build . ' | u.s. official said in february that iraqi troops could go into mosul in april or may |
mosul <tsp> ( cnn ) do you remember the talk about plans for iraqi-led force to try to take back mosul this spring ? well , you might want to forget it . nearly three months after a u.s. official said up to 25,000 iraqis troops were expected to return to the key northern iraqi city in april or may , a senior official in president barack obama 's administration said thursday that washington is not putting a timeframe on ' a possible invasion . it might be some time from now . might be soon , ' another senior administration official said . mosul has long been the big prize in the iraqi government 's fight -- aided by a u.s.-led military coalition , which has carried out airstrikes for months -- to defeat isis . it has also long been a source of embarrassment , considering how it fell after iraqi troops dropped their weapons , abandoned their posts and ran for their lives when militants arrived last june . the senior administration officials who talked to reporters thursday stressed the iraqis and their allies are making progress in their fight against the group that calls itself the islamic state . in fact , officials insist that isis has been degraded substantially thanks to a combination of air power and ground combat . the biggest and most recent example of this came with the recapture a few weeks ago of tikrit , the hometown of former iraqi dictator saddam hussein that is located some 100 miles ( 160 kilometers ) north of baghdad . iraqi forces aided by iranian-backed shiite militiamen took that northern city , the same place where isis allegedly massacred iraqi troops last year . still , mosul is n't tikrit . for one thing , it has a lot more people -- about a million , one obama administration official noted . and it 's more important not only to iraq , but isis , meaning the terrorist group has all the more reason to go all-out to defend it . in some ways , the campaign for mosul has begun , according to officials . there are no plans for u.s. combat troops involvement in an eventual operation , they say , but airstrikes have already targeted isis positions in the area . just because the area has been softened up some from the air , though , does n't mean a full ground assault is imminent . calling for patience , ' an administration official said that winning mosul is a complex endeavor . it will take a lot of capacity , ' the official said , and some time to build . ' | they note that recapturing mosul from isis could be a complicated endeavor |
albania <tsp> bacliff , texas ( cnn ) -- sitting on their front porch in this houston suburb , edmond demiraj and his family seem the picture of a contented family . but the department of justice now wants to upend the family : threatening to deport his wife and 19-year-old son back to their native albania , even though he says federal prosecutors a decade ago promised him help and a green card in exchange for edmond 's promised testimony in a human smuggling case against a fellow albanian immigrant . for the demiraj family , they believe it will mean great harm , even death , for those deported . a decade ago , edmond demiraj ( pronounced : dem-ear-eye ) was himself an illegal immigrant . he told cnn he had walked across the u.s. border from mexico to brownsville , texas without any paperwork . he found work as a painter , he says , with a fellow albanian named bill bedini . not long afterwards , the justice department indicted bedini , accusing him and others of running a human smuggling ring , bringing illegal aliens from mexico into the united states . demiraj was named in the original indictment but charges against him were later dropped . attorneys for the justice department based in houston wanted demiraj to testify against bedini . in exchange , demiraj told cnn that prosecutors promised him and his family protection and promised him a green card , which would lead to citizenship . the offer , he says , was verbal and not on paper . i 'm ready to work for the u.s. government , whatever they need from me , ' demiraj told cnn . but bedini entered a plea of not guilty , was granted bail and soon fled to albania , according to the u.s . marshal 's office in houston . federal prosecutors did n't need demiraj 's testimony and handed him over to immigration officials , who quickly deported him as well . within a few weeks back in his native albania , demiraj says , bedini attacked him and tried to kill him . i was on my knees and he pointed the gun straight at me , ' demiraj told cnn . he shot me . ' demiraj says it was only luck that saved him . neighbors , he said , heard the gunshot and came to his assistance . bedini fled , leaving demiraj with a bullet wound in his side and stomach . demiraj also says bedini forced three nieces into prostitution in italy but they were eventually rescued . demiraj returned once again to the united states , again he says entering illegally at brownsville . this time , immigration agents apprehended him and he says he spent seven months in an immigration jail before being allowed to remain in the united states on temporary status . that was six years ago . almost ever since his return to the united states , he says , federal prosecutors have tried to deport his wife , rodina and son , rediol , back to albania . his two other smaller children were born in texas and are legal residents . what do you think will happen to your wife and son if they back to albania , ? ' demiraj was asked . oh , they 're going to be killed . they are going to be killed , ' he replied . one federal prosecutor agreed , saying in an appellate court argument that there is a possibility that mrs. demiraj will be persecuted ' if she returns to albania . still , she added , she ( mrs. demiraj ) has n't met her legal burden when it comes to asylum . ' even despite the dangers for rodina demiraj , the justice department is pursuing deportation . the original assistant u.s. attorney who offered edmond demiraj a green card and , according to him , protection will not comment to cnn . she is marina garcia marmojelo , now nominated by president barack obama to be a federal judge . the only official comment to cnn from justice is this : the department is not aware of any promises of physical protection ever made to mr. demiraj or his family . notwithstanding this fact , we have been ( in ) active discussions with counsel for the demiraj family for some time . ' demiraj 's lawyers are outraged . this is just a shameful display of how the u.s. government will use people who they need to keep us safe and then cavalierly discard them when they are no longer of use to them , ' said josh rosenkranz , a new york city attorney whose firm is now representing the family . edmond demiraj says he will never let his wife and son return to albania . i do n't know what i am going to do , ' he told cnn . but i am not going to let them go . ' watch anderson cooper 360° weeknights 10pm et . for the latest from ac360° click here . | he was almost killed when sent back to albania |
justice department <tsp> bacliff , texas ( cnn ) -- sitting on their front porch in this houston suburb , edmond demiraj and his family seem the picture of a contented family . but the department of justice now wants to upend the family : threatening to deport his wife and 19-year-old son back to their native albania , even though he says federal prosecutors a decade ago promised him help and a green card in exchange for edmond 's promised testimony in a human smuggling case against a fellow albanian immigrant . for the demiraj family , they believe it will mean great harm , even death , for those deported . a decade ago , edmond demiraj ( pronounced : dem-ear-eye ) was himself an illegal immigrant . he told cnn he had walked across the u.s. border from mexico to brownsville , texas without any paperwork . he found work as a painter , he says , with a fellow albanian named bill bedini . not long afterwards , the justice department indicted bedini , accusing him and others of running a human smuggling ring , bringing illegal aliens from mexico into the united states . demiraj was named in the original indictment but charges against him were later dropped . attorneys for the justice department based in houston wanted demiraj to testify against bedini . in exchange , demiraj told cnn that prosecutors promised him and his family protection and promised him a green card , which would lead to citizenship . the offer , he says , was verbal and not on paper . i 'm ready to work for the u.s. government , whatever they need from me , ' demiraj told cnn . but bedini entered a plea of not guilty , was granted bail and soon fled to albania , according to the u.s . marshal 's office in houston . federal prosecutors did n't need demiraj 's testimony and handed him over to immigration officials , who quickly deported him as well . within a few weeks back in his native albania , demiraj says , bedini attacked him and tried to kill him . i was on my knees and he pointed the gun straight at me , ' demiraj told cnn . he shot me . ' demiraj says it was only luck that saved him . neighbors , he said , heard the gunshot and came to his assistance . bedini fled , leaving demiraj with a bullet wound in his side and stomach . demiraj also says bedini forced three nieces into prostitution in italy but they were eventually rescued . demiraj returned once again to the united states , again he says entering illegally at brownsville . this time , immigration agents apprehended him and he says he spent seven months in an immigration jail before being allowed to remain in the united states on temporary status . that was six years ago . almost ever since his return to the united states , he says , federal prosecutors have tried to deport his wife , rodina and son , rediol , back to albania . his two other smaller children were born in texas and are legal residents . what do you think will happen to your wife and son if they back to albania , ? ' demiraj was asked . oh , they 're going to be killed . they are going to be killed , ' he replied . one federal prosecutor agreed , saying in an appellate court argument that there is a possibility that mrs. demiraj will be persecuted ' if she returns to albania . still , she added , she ( mrs. demiraj ) has n't met her legal burden when it comes to asylum . ' even despite the dangers for rodina demiraj , the justice department is pursuing deportation . the original assistant u.s. attorney who offered edmond demiraj a green card and , according to him , protection will not comment to cnn . she is marina garcia marmojelo , now nominated by president barack obama to be a federal judge . the only official comment to cnn from justice is this : the department is not aware of any promises of physical protection ever made to mr. demiraj or his family . notwithstanding this fact , we have been ( in ) active discussions with counsel for the demiraj family for some time . ' demiraj 's lawyers are outraged . this is just a shameful display of how the u.s. government will use people who they need to keep us safe and then cavalierly discard them when they are no longer of use to them , ' said josh rosenkranz , a new york city attorney whose firm is now representing the family . edmond demiraj says he will never let his wife and son return to albania . i do n't know what i am going to do , ' he told cnn . but i am not going to let them go . ' watch anderson cooper 360° weeknights 10pm et . for the latest from ac360° click here . | the justice department wants to deport his wife and son |
edmond demiraj <tsp> bacliff , texas ( cnn ) -- sitting on their front porch in this houston suburb , edmond demiraj and his family seem the picture of a contented family . but the department of justice now wants to upend the family : threatening to deport his wife and 19-year-old son back to their native albania , even though he says federal prosecutors a decade ago promised him help and a green card in exchange for edmond 's promised testimony in a human smuggling case against a fellow albanian immigrant . for the demiraj family , they believe it will mean great harm , even death , for those deported . a decade ago , edmond demiraj ( pronounced : dem-ear-eye ) was himself an illegal immigrant . he told cnn he had walked across the u.s. border from mexico to brownsville , texas without any paperwork . he found work as a painter , he says , with a fellow albanian named bill bedini . not long afterwards , the justice department indicted bedini , accusing him and others of running a human smuggling ring , bringing illegal aliens from mexico into the united states . demiraj was named in the original indictment but charges against him were later dropped . attorneys for the justice department based in houston wanted demiraj to testify against bedini . in exchange , demiraj told cnn that prosecutors promised him and his family protection and promised him a green card , which would lead to citizenship . the offer , he says , was verbal and not on paper . i 'm ready to work for the u.s. government , whatever they need from me , ' demiraj told cnn . but bedini entered a plea of not guilty , was granted bail and soon fled to albania , according to the u.s . marshal 's office in houston . federal prosecutors did n't need demiraj 's testimony and handed him over to immigration officials , who quickly deported him as well . within a few weeks back in his native albania , demiraj says , bedini attacked him and tried to kill him . i was on my knees and he pointed the gun straight at me , ' demiraj told cnn . he shot me . ' demiraj says it was only luck that saved him . neighbors , he said , heard the gunshot and came to his assistance . bedini fled , leaving demiraj with a bullet wound in his side and stomach . demiraj also says bedini forced three nieces into prostitution in italy but they were eventually rescued . demiraj returned once again to the united states , again he says entering illegally at brownsville . this time , immigration agents apprehended him and he says he spent seven months in an immigration jail before being allowed to remain in the united states on temporary status . that was six years ago . almost ever since his return to the united states , he says , federal prosecutors have tried to deport his wife , rodina and son , rediol , back to albania . his two other smaller children were born in texas and are legal residents . what do you think will happen to your wife and son if they back to albania , ? ' demiraj was asked . oh , they 're going to be killed . they are going to be killed , ' he replied . one federal prosecutor agreed , saying in an appellate court argument that there is a possibility that mrs. demiraj will be persecuted ' if she returns to albania . still , she added , she ( mrs. demiraj ) has n't met her legal burden when it comes to asylum . ' even despite the dangers for rodina demiraj , the justice department is pursuing deportation . the original assistant u.s. attorney who offered edmond demiraj a green card and , according to him , protection will not comment to cnn . she is marina garcia marmojelo , now nominated by president barack obama to be a federal judge . the only official comment to cnn from justice is this : the department is not aware of any promises of physical protection ever made to mr. demiraj or his family . notwithstanding this fact , we have been ( in ) active discussions with counsel for the demiraj family for some time . ' demiraj 's lawyers are outraged . this is just a shameful display of how the u.s. government will use people who they need to keep us safe and then cavalierly discard them when they are no longer of use to them , ' said josh rosenkranz , a new york city attorney whose firm is now representing the family . edmond demiraj says he will never let his wife and son return to albania . i do n't know what i am going to do , ' he told cnn . but i am not going to let them go . ' watch anderson cooper 360° weeknights 10pm et . for the latest from ac360° click here . | edmond demiraj says he is still ready to help prosecutors |
kashmir <tsp> new delhi , india ( cnn ) -- indian border guards fired four rockets into pakistan on saturday in what they said was retaliation to a similar fire from the other side . pakistan denied that claim . two unexploded rockets were traced after midnight near an indian outpost along the border dividing the punjab region between the two countries , said k. srinivasan , a deputy inspector-general of india 's border security force . we have standing instructions to retaliate and retaliate heavily , ' he said , adding that indian borders guards also fired about 50 gunshots . the firing has stopped as of now , he said . but a spokesman for the pakistan rangers said india 's allegations were false . nadeem raza said that an explosion was heard at about 11:30 p.m. , after which indians fired mortars into pakistani territory . saturday 's skirmish came a day after a long gunfight ended between indian security forces and militants in srinagar , the summer capital of india 's jammu and kashmir state . the border between india and pakistan is disputed in the kashmir region , where india accuses pakistan of fueling an insurgency . the two nations have fought three wars over the territory since their independence in 1947 and routinely exchanged fire along the border , known as the line of control , until a 2003 ceasefire agreement . but tensions between the two south asian rivals , both nuclear powers , escalated after the deadly siege on mumbai in november , 2008 . more than 160 people were killed in the mumbai assault , which derailed the peace process . the indian government hinted friday that pakistan was behind this week 's attack in srinagar . the two militants who were killed were in communication with their handlers outside india , ' said a statement issued by home minister p. chidambaram . the incident highlights the fact that the country , especially jammu and kashmir , remains vulnerable to militant attacks sponsored by forces from across the border . ' chidambaram 's comment echoed india 's allegations that the terrorists who laid siege to mumbai were in touch with their leaders in pakistan by phone . cnn 's harmeet shah singh and journalist umar aziz khan contributed to this report . | incident follows gunfight ended between indian forces , militants in kashmir |
imb <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- a russian naval ship rescued a dutch container vessel under attack by suspected somali pirates in the gulf of aden , the head of the international maritime bureau said wednesday . the liberian-flagged oil tanker sirius star was recently released by pirates off somalia . two or three pirate speedboats were chasing the dutch ship , with the goal of boarding it , when the russians intervened , said capt . pottengal mukundan , director of the international maritime bureau in london . he said the pirates fired two rocket-propelled grenades at the dutch ship , but no injuries were reported . the incident occurred about midday tuesday . the russians chased one of the speedboats but the pirates got away , mukundan said . he said he did not know where the dutch ship was headed . it is important that the naval vessels continue to respond robustly to these pirates , ' he said . watch how attacks peaked in 2008 » hijackings off the coast of east africa have become a growing international concern , prompting a number of foreign navies to patrol the gulf of aden and neighboring coastal areas . the gulf of aden links the indian ocean and the red sea . about 20,000 oil tankers , freighters and merchant vessels pass along the crucial shipping route near somalia each year . most of the attacks are blamed on pirates based in largely lawless somalia , a country racked by poverty and conflict . watch cnn 's exclusive interview with a pirate according to the united nations , there were 115 reported pirate attacks off the somali coast in 2008 , including 46 successful hijackings . read blog on how cnn contacted a pirate the troubling rise in somali piracy has led the united nations to step up efforts to tackle the crime . the first u.n. group to address piracy met wednesday in new york . mark kimmitt , u.s. assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs chaired the contact group ' of two dozen nations and five multi-national organizations . he said the group was formed to establish a counter-piracy coordination mechanism , ' and the members believe more can be done to halt piracy . still , kimmitt noted that less than one percent of manifests off the somali coast are attacked by pirates and only 50 percent of those have crew and passengers taken hostage . the u.n. security council adopted a resolution in december expanding counter-piracy measures off the horn of africa , including a stipulation that allows national and regional military forces to chase pirates onshore in somalia when in hot pursuit . ' | imb : the pirates fired two rocket-propelled grenades at the dutch ship |
imb <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- a russian naval ship rescued a dutch container vessel under attack by suspected somali pirates in the gulf of aden , the head of the international maritime bureau said wednesday . the liberian-flagged oil tanker sirius star was recently released by pirates off somalia . two or three pirate speedboats were chasing the dutch ship , with the goal of boarding it , when the russians intervened , said capt . pottengal mukundan , director of the international maritime bureau in london . he said the pirates fired two rocket-propelled grenades at the dutch ship , but no injuries were reported . the incident occurred about midday tuesday . the russians chased one of the speedboats but the pirates got away , mukundan said . he said he did not know where the dutch ship was headed . it is important that the naval vessels continue to respond robustly to these pirates , ' he said . watch how attacks peaked in 2008 » hijackings off the coast of east africa have become a growing international concern , prompting a number of foreign navies to patrol the gulf of aden and neighboring coastal areas . the gulf of aden links the indian ocean and the red sea . about 20,000 oil tankers , freighters and merchant vessels pass along the crucial shipping route near somalia each year . most of the attacks are blamed on pirates based in largely lawless somalia , a country racked by poverty and conflict . watch cnn 's exclusive interview with a pirate according to the united nations , there were 115 reported pirate attacks off the somali coast in 2008 , including 46 successful hijackings . read blog on how cnn contacted a pirate the troubling rise in somali piracy has led the united nations to step up efforts to tackle the crime . the first u.n. group to address piracy met wednesday in new york . mark kimmitt , u.s. assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs chaired the contact group ' of two dozen nations and five multi-national organizations . he said the group was formed to establish a counter-piracy coordination mechanism , ' and the members believe more can be done to halt piracy . still , kimmitt noted that less than one percent of manifests off the somali coast are attacked by pirates and only 50 percent of those have crew and passengers taken hostage . the u.n. security council adopted a resolution in december expanding counter-piracy measures off the horn of africa , including a stipulation that allows national and regional military forces to chase pirates onshore in somalia when in hot pursuit . ' | two or three speedboats were chasing the dutch container ship , imb says |
rodman <tsp> ( cnn ) -- seth rogen and james franco do not amuse north korea whose president kim jong un is apparently livid over the october release of the interview , ' a comedy starring rogen and franco as tv people trying to score an interview with kim , but are recruited by the cia to take the president out . seriously , folks : is this comedy really supposed to be an act of war , ' as a spokesman for the north korean foreign ministry contends in a letter to the united nations ? does it constitute grounds for what the statement warns will be a decisive and merciless countermeasure ' against the united states ? would it surprise you to know that these vitriolic reactions against a movie come from people who have n't seen the whole movie , but come by their assertions from watching the trailer ... and only the trailer ? of course it would n't . even in the u.s. , there are humorless citizens who want to ban books based on nothing more than jacket blurbs . but this saber-rattling is well , kind of extreme . can anything be done to pull us from the brink ? maybe ... just maybe ... there 's somebody who can save the day , someone who can do the world a solid . one man ... one unlikely man ... let 's make that a very unlikely man . ... and let 's now imagine ( only imagine ) the following exchange in the president 's home entertainment center , where the leader of north korea has just finished screening the trailer for the interview ' for this unlikely hero , this very good friend of kim 's ( fok ) : kim jong un : well ? dennis rodman ( rubbing his eyes from beneath his dark glasses ) : well , what , man ? kim jong un : what do you think ? should i declare war over this ? dennis rodman : hey , man , i dunno ... i mean , if it was me , i 'd stay in miami with riley , but if lebron wants to go ... kim jong un : what ? no ... no ! i 'm not talking about lebron james ! dennis rodman : good . cause i 'm sick of hearing about him . so what you wan na go to war over ? kim jong un : this ! this ... movie which insults me , tells people i speak dolphin and do n't urinate ... dennis rodman : oh , snap ! ( giggling ) yeah , i remember that line . now , where did i hear that anyway ? kim jong un : ( barely containing himself ) : just now ! i showed you this trailer for the interview , ' it 's ... dennis rodman : you mean that was n't the whole movie ? damn . pretty funny , anyway .... kim jong un : funny ? you think it 's funny these decadent americans want to kill me ? dennis rodman : ( peering around the room ) what 's funny is i do n't see any guns pointed at you , brother ... you see my drink anywhere ? kim jong un : ( indignant , raging ) this movie threatens my life . and if it threatens my life , it threatens the people of north korea ... dennis rodman : c'mon , man , turn down the volume . i 've seen these cats in movies before . the people they play are too messed up to do anything straight . and if there 's anything i know about , it 's about being messed up . kim jong un : this is my life , not yours ! ! i 'll ... dennis rodman : what you need to do , kim , is take this mess over for yourself . you got to make the bad publicity work for you . they 've been saying all kinds of mess about me for years and i let it roll off me . i even let them think i 'm in on the joke by doing ads and comedy sketches and stuff against me . hell , it it 'd been me , i 'd have asked for points as soon as they bought the script . kim jong un : ( bewildered , still seething ) i do n't understand you ... dennis rodman : that 's it exactly , bro . nobody does . and i make it work for me . i do n't even know what i 'm doing half the time . and do n't care either . kim jong un : sooo ... how do i do this ? own ' this thing like you say .... dennis rodman : i dunno . you could do your own trailer and make it about your own self or , maybe ... threaten reprisals or something like that .... kim jong un : i ... just did that .... dennis rodman : well , there it is , k. you just delivered a whole buncha tickets to those dudes . they got ta give you points now . kim jong un : points ... like in basketball .... dennis rodman : do n't ask me . i only do rebounds . you sure you did n't take my drink away ? | he says maybe dennis rodman can talk kim out of his anger |
rodman <tsp> ( cnn ) -- seth rogen and james franco do not amuse north korea whose president kim jong un is apparently livid over the october release of the interview , ' a comedy starring rogen and franco as tv people trying to score an interview with kim , but are recruited by the cia to take the president out . seriously , folks : is this comedy really supposed to be an act of war , ' as a spokesman for the north korean foreign ministry contends in a letter to the united nations ? does it constitute grounds for what the statement warns will be a decisive and merciless countermeasure ' against the united states ? would it surprise you to know that these vitriolic reactions against a movie come from people who have n't seen the whole movie , but come by their assertions from watching the trailer ... and only the trailer ? of course it would n't . even in the u.s. , there are humorless citizens who want to ban books based on nothing more than jacket blurbs . but this saber-rattling is well , kind of extreme . can anything be done to pull us from the brink ? maybe ... just maybe ... there 's somebody who can save the day , someone who can do the world a solid . one man ... one unlikely man ... let 's make that a very unlikely man . ... and let 's now imagine ( only imagine ) the following exchange in the president 's home entertainment center , where the leader of north korea has just finished screening the trailer for the interview ' for this unlikely hero , this very good friend of kim 's ( fok ) : kim jong un : well ? dennis rodman ( rubbing his eyes from beneath his dark glasses ) : well , what , man ? kim jong un : what do you think ? should i declare war over this ? dennis rodman : hey , man , i dunno ... i mean , if it was me , i 'd stay in miami with riley , but if lebron wants to go ... kim jong un : what ? no ... no ! i 'm not talking about lebron james ! dennis rodman : good . cause i 'm sick of hearing about him . so what you wan na go to war over ? kim jong un : this ! this ... movie which insults me , tells people i speak dolphin and do n't urinate ... dennis rodman : oh , snap ! ( giggling ) yeah , i remember that line . now , where did i hear that anyway ? kim jong un : ( barely containing himself ) : just now ! i showed you this trailer for the interview , ' it 's ... dennis rodman : you mean that was n't the whole movie ? damn . pretty funny , anyway .... kim jong un : funny ? you think it 's funny these decadent americans want to kill me ? dennis rodman : ( peering around the room ) what 's funny is i do n't see any guns pointed at you , brother ... you see my drink anywhere ? kim jong un : ( indignant , raging ) this movie threatens my life . and if it threatens my life , it threatens the people of north korea ... dennis rodman : c'mon , man , turn down the volume . i 've seen these cats in movies before . the people they play are too messed up to do anything straight . and if there 's anything i know about , it 's about being messed up . kim jong un : this is my life , not yours ! ! i 'll ... dennis rodman : what you need to do , kim , is take this mess over for yourself . you got to make the bad publicity work for you . they 've been saying all kinds of mess about me for years and i let it roll off me . i even let them think i 'm in on the joke by doing ads and comedy sketches and stuff against me . hell , it it 'd been me , i 'd have asked for points as soon as they bought the script . kim jong un : ( bewildered , still seething ) i do n't understand you ... dennis rodman : that 's it exactly , bro . nobody does . and i make it work for me . i do n't even know what i 'm doing half the time . and do n't care either . kim jong un : sooo ... how do i do this ? own ' this thing like you say .... dennis rodman : i dunno . you could do your own trailer and make it about your own self or , maybe ... threaten reprisals or something like that .... kim jong un : i ... just did that .... dennis rodman : well , there it is , k. you just delivered a whole buncha tickets to those dudes . they got ta give you points now . kim jong un : points ... like in basketball .... dennis rodman : do n't ask me . i only do rebounds . you sure you did n't take my drink away ? | seymour : let 's imagine what kim and rodman would say to each other |
american <tsp> ( cnn ) -- seth rogen and james franco do not amuse north korea whose president kim jong un is apparently livid over the october release of the interview , ' a comedy starring rogen and franco as tv people trying to score an interview with kim , but are recruited by the cia to take the president out . seriously , folks : is this comedy really supposed to be an act of war , ' as a spokesman for the north korean foreign ministry contends in a letter to the united nations ? does it constitute grounds for what the statement warns will be a decisive and merciless countermeasure ' against the united states ? would it surprise you to know that these vitriolic reactions against a movie come from people who have n't seen the whole movie , but come by their assertions from watching the trailer ... and only the trailer ? of course it would n't . even in the u.s. , there are humorless citizens who want to ban books based on nothing more than jacket blurbs . but this saber-rattling is well , kind of extreme . can anything be done to pull us from the brink ? maybe ... just maybe ... there 's somebody who can save the day , someone who can do the world a solid . one man ... one unlikely man ... let 's make that a very unlikely man . ... and let 's now imagine ( only imagine ) the following exchange in the president 's home entertainment center , where the leader of north korea has just finished screening the trailer for the interview ' for this unlikely hero , this very good friend of kim 's ( fok ) : kim jong un : well ? dennis rodman ( rubbing his eyes from beneath his dark glasses ) : well , what , man ? kim jong un : what do you think ? should i declare war over this ? dennis rodman : hey , man , i dunno ... i mean , if it was me , i 'd stay in miami with riley , but if lebron wants to go ... kim jong un : what ? no ... no ! i 'm not talking about lebron james ! dennis rodman : good . cause i 'm sick of hearing about him . so what you wan na go to war over ? kim jong un : this ! this ... movie which insults me , tells people i speak dolphin and do n't urinate ... dennis rodman : oh , snap ! ( giggling ) yeah , i remember that line . now , where did i hear that anyway ? kim jong un : ( barely containing himself ) : just now ! i showed you this trailer for the interview , ' it 's ... dennis rodman : you mean that was n't the whole movie ? damn . pretty funny , anyway .... kim jong un : funny ? you think it 's funny these decadent americans want to kill me ? dennis rodman : ( peering around the room ) what 's funny is i do n't see any guns pointed at you , brother ... you see my drink anywhere ? kim jong un : ( indignant , raging ) this movie threatens my life . and if it threatens my life , it threatens the people of north korea ... dennis rodman : c'mon , man , turn down the volume . i 've seen these cats in movies before . the people they play are too messed up to do anything straight . and if there 's anything i know about , it 's about being messed up . kim jong un : this is my life , not yours ! ! i 'll ... dennis rodman : what you need to do , kim , is take this mess over for yourself . you got to make the bad publicity work for you . they 've been saying all kinds of mess about me for years and i let it roll off me . i even let them think i 'm in on the joke by doing ads and comedy sketches and stuff against me . hell , it it 'd been me , i 'd have asked for points as soon as they bought the script . kim jong un : ( bewildered , still seething ) i do n't understand you ... dennis rodman : that 's it exactly , bro . nobody does . and i make it work for me . i do n't even know what i 'm doing half the time . and do n't care either . kim jong un : sooo ... how do i do this ? own ' this thing like you say .... dennis rodman : i dunno . you could do your own trailer and make it about your own self or , maybe ... threaten reprisals or something like that .... kim jong un : i ... just did that .... dennis rodman : well , there it is , k. you just delivered a whole buncha tickets to those dudes . they got ta give you points now . kim jong un : points ... like in basketball .... dennis rodman : do n't ask me . i only do rebounds . you sure you did n't take my drink away ? | a new american comedy about north korea has upset president kim jong un |
florida <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- federal authorities indicted and arrested more than 100 doctors , nurses and health care executives nationwide thursday in what officials said was the biggest crackdown ever in a single day in connection with medicare fraud . we are pleased to announce the largest federal health care fraud takedown in our nation 's history , ' proclaimed attorney general eric holder . holder said that at the time of the midday news conference in washington , the number of arrests stood at 111 and was expected to increase later in the day . the false billings to defraud medicare totaled $ 225 million , holder said . the arrests occurred in nine cities . thirty-two defendants including two doctors and eight nurses were charged in miami with various fraud schemes . another 21 defendants were charged in detroit , along with 11 in chicago ; 10 in brooklyn , new york ; 10 in tampa , florida ; nine in houston ; seven in dallas ; six in baton rouge , louisiana ; and five in los angeles . doctors , nurses , and medical professionals from los angeles to new york and cities in between have cheated taxpayers and patients alike by defrauding the medicare program , ' declared assistant attorney general lanny breuer . medical professionals charge for phantom procedures and unnecessary equipment . kickbacks dictate treatment . fraud drives prescriptions . criminals profit , and taxpayers foot the bill , ' breuer said . officials from the justice department and the department of health and human services said the cost of enforcing health care fraud laws is proving to be a good financial investment . last year , federal agencies recovered a record $ 4 billion from fraudsters . from 2008 to 2010 , every dollar the federal government spent under its health care fraud and abuse control programs averaged a return on investment ( of ) $ 6.80 , ' health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius said . with the growing pot of federal money for medicare expected to increase by more than $ 6 trillion in the next decade , officials said they recognize the potential allure of medicare to potential fraudsters and to organized crime groups . fbi executive assistant director shawn henry said all citizens will feel the pinch of health care fraud . you will absolutely feel the financial impact , ' henry said . like a pickpocket , you 'll just feel the pinch in a different way : higher health care costs , higher insurance premiums and more expensive prescription drugs . ' | other cities with double-digit defendants were chicago , brooklyn and tampa , florida |
houston <tsp> bastrop , texas ( cnn ) -- firefighters southeast of austin , texas , battled strong winds monday as they struggled to gain ground against a fast-moving wildfire that has so far scorched some 25,000 acres and destroyed close to 500 homes . another fire in eastern texas killed a mother and her 18-month-old child when flames engulfed their mobile home sunday near gladewater , the gregg county sheriff 's department said . we got a long way to go to get this thing contained , ' gov . rick perry said about the fire raging near austin . i have seen a number of big fires in my life . this one is as mean looking as i 've ever seen . ' dozens of fires are burning across the parched state , the texas forest service said monday . earlier , the governor issued a statement in which he called the wildfire situation in texas severe ' and said that all state resources were being made available to protect lives and property . we will pick up the pieces . we always do , ' he told reporters . texas is battling its worst fire season in state history . a record 3.5 million acres -- an area roughly the size of connecticut , perry said -- have burned since the start of the season in november as hot and dry weather , coupled with a historic drought , made conditions ripe for rapid fire growth . it 's a very serious , scary situation , ' said jan amen , a texas forest service spokeswoman . the drought has gone on so long -- it 's just bone dry . anything that catches fire takes off . ' over the weekend , officials said low relative humidity and strong winds from lee , which made landfall as a tropical storm but then weakened , further fanned the flames . a red flag warning was in effect for much of east , south and central texas on monday , with wind gusts of up to 35 mph in places , according to the national weather service . a fire broke out about 45 miles north of houston monday afternoon . it was moving between 15 and 20 mph and threatening homes , said rhonda reinholz with the magnolia volunteer fire department . another fire burned in the steiner ranch subdivision in travis county , forcing families out of their homes . justin allen evacuated from there with his five kids . though he does not think the flames will reach their house , which is tucked near the back of the development , they are close enough to worry about , he said . it 's pretty scary , ' said allen . and it 's really sad for everyone that 's in that path . ' the outbreak of wildfires prompted perry to return to texas from south carolina , where he was scheduled to participate in a forum for republican presidential candidates . the massive , uncontained fire in bastrop county , near austin , was the state 's largest monday . it destroyed 476 homes , according to bastrop county judge ronnie mcdonald , and threatened about 1,000 others , officials with the forest service 's incident management team reported . about 5,000 residents evacuated as flames approached , officials said . lisa ross learned she needed to leave her bastrop home when her husband called 911 after realizing a looming fire had darkened the skies above . you learn what is valuable in life , and it is n't the stuff , ' she said . it 's people in your life , and what means something to you . ' cars crammed with belongings and pets packed a gas station on a highway near austin , attorney jonathan a. zendeh del said . i 've lived in texas almost all my life , and i 've never seen a fire that big in central texas , ' he said . officials issued a boil water notice for parts of bastrop monday . dark clouds of smoke billowing across the sky could be seen miles from the fire . satellite images monday showed the fire stretching over about 25,000 acres , jumping the colorado river and a highway , the texas forest service said . more evacuations are likely as the fire spreads , officials said . already , hundreds of people are in shelters as dangerous flames keep them from finding out whether their homes survived . we have been told already from three people that live in that area that our house has been burnt . i had a gut feeling that it did not , but now it 's looking worse and worse , ' said gisele vocal , an evacuee . we just have to wait now . ' firefighters used black hawk helicopters to douse flames with a mixture of water and fire retardant monday , officials said . the fire forced parts of state highways 71 and 21 to shut and additional road closures were expected . at least 63 new fires across texas on sunday burned nearly 33,000 acres , the state 's fire service said . fires were reported in at least 17 counties . cnn 's jim spellman , antoinette campbell , chris welch , paul steinhauser , shawna shephard , stephanie gallman and anna gonzalez contributed to this report . | another fire breaks out near houston |
democrats <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- secretary of state hillary clinton reached an important milestone wednesday in her quest to pay the debt from her failed 2008 presidential bid : for the first time in eight months , her campaign committee reported having more money in the bank than it owes . secretary of state hillary clinton 's campaign committee reported owing $ 2.3 million in debt at the end of march . on a day most americans were preoccupied with filing their federal income taxes , clinton 's campaign committee filed finance documents with the federal election commission , reporting a total of $ 2.3 million in debts at the end of march , compared with $ 2.6 million in the bank . the nation 's top diplomat has been steadily chipping away at unpaid campaign bills since suspending her white house bid in june 2008 , when her debt peaked at $ 25.2 million . that amount covered $ 12 million owed to vendors , as well as the $ 13.2 million she loaned her campaign from personal funds . clinton 's campaign was unable to repay that personal loan by the time the democratic national convention convened in denver , colorado , last august , the deadline mandated by the 2002 mccain-feingold campaign finance law . the former new york senator was forced to forgive the entire loan amount . her campaign owed $ 6.4 million to 16 creditors at the end of november ; $ 5.9 million to five creditors at the end of december ; and the current $ 2.3 million owed to just one creditor at the end of march . that creditor is penn , schoen & berland , a political consulting and polling firm that advised clinton during her presidential bid . the firm 's president , mark penn , was clinton 's senior campaign strategist until he stepped down last april amid revelations that he had lobbied on behalf of colombia for a u.s.-colombia trade deal that clinton opposed . penn remained involved with the campaign . earlier this year , clinton and her supporters raced to pay as much of the debt as possible by the time she was confirmed and sworn in as the nation 's 67th secretary of state on january 21 . as of that date , clinton became subject to a federal law known as the hatch act , which prohibits federal employees from personally soliciting or accepting political contributions . the hatch act allows others to keep raising money on clinton 's behalf , without her direct involvement . this week , longtime clinton ally james carville , a cnn contributor , sent a fundraising e-mail to democrats on behalf of clinton 's campaign , requesting contributions of as little as $ 5 in exchange for a chance to win one of several prizes , including spending a day with former president bill clinton . i wo n't spend a lot of time trying to convince you to help hillary , ' carville e-mailed . i know what she means to you , and i 'm sure you know how important it is for her to have her campaign pay off all its obligations . ' it 's unclear whether the campaign will use the $ 2.6 million in the bank to clear its $ 2.3 million in debts in the short term . continued fundraising indicates that it will not . additional operating expenses and other outlays could emerge . any extra money from the campaign could be donated to political causes or returned to donors . clinton 's campaign reported raising $ 938,000 in contributions in the first three months of 2009 . in addition to tapping traditional fundraising , the campaign also generated money by selling or renting various campaign assets to other organizations . it received $ 2.6 million from clinton 's friends of hillary ' u.s. senate campaign committee for the sale of unspecified assets and an additional $ 2.2 million from renting out its lists of campaign supporters . organizations that have rented clinton 's lists include the democratic congressional campaign committee , the inaugural committee of then-president-elect barack obama , and the william jefferson clinton foundation . those organizations each paid $ 274,297 . clinton 's political action committee , hillpac , rented the lists for $ 822,492 . among the democratic candidates who have rented clinton 's campaign lists are arkansas sen. blanche lincoln ; virginia gubernatorial candidate and former clinton campaign chairman terry mcauliffe ; new york sen. kirsten gillibrand , who was appointed to fill clinton 's seat ; and new york congressional candidate scott murphy , who hopes to succeed gillibrand in the u.s. house . | clinton ally james carville recently sent fundraising e-mail to democrats |
king <tsp> a judge in georgia on wednesday ordered the rev . martin luther king jr. 's bible and nobel peace prize to be stored in a safe deposit box that only the court will access until litigation over the items between the slain civil rights leader 's children can be worked out . fulton county superior judge robert mcburney ordered king 's daughter , bernice , to turn over the items but did not set a timeline . the judge 's order is the latest development in a feud between king 's daughter and two sons -- dexter king and martin luther king iii -- over control of the bible and nobel prize . bernice king alleges her brothers want to sell the objects . the slain civil rights icon 's estate -- controlled by his sons -- sued king 's daughter to force her to turn over the items . the judge ordered the items placed in a safe deposit box in the name of the king estate , but only the court would hold the keys . mcburney based his decision on the likelihood the estate will show the bible and peace prize are possessions of the estate . ' the items are in a safe deposit box in an unknown location , ' the judge said . bernice king , who was 5 when her father was assassinated , is acting as the gatekeeper ' to her father 's property , said attorney william hill , who represents the king estate . he says she has no individual claim to the property that belongs to the estate controlled by her brothers . according to the complaint , king 's heirs agreed in 1995 to give up their inheritance to the estate of martin luther king jr. inc. , but bernice king has secreted and sequestered ' the items in question . the estate wants the civil rights leader 's 1964 nobel peace prize and his traveling bible , which was used by president barack obama when he was sworn in for his second term . the bible used to be on display at the martin luther king jr. center for nonviolent social change in atlanta . bernice king has said her brothers told her on january 22 that they wanted the items so they could sell them . her attorney , eric barnum , argued in court that the items in question should be left in the custody of the king center . barnum called the attempt to sell the items a money grab , ' saying there 's a history of the king sons taking money made from possessions sold to line their own pockets . he said bernice king was n't interested in selling critical , sacred items , ' no matter the price . the judge compared bernice king 's stance against the sale of her father 's possessions to coca-cola not wanting to sell its cola recipe . he later noted he was not trivializing the value of king 's possessions with the comparison . this is not the first time the family has been at odds over king 's legacy . over the years , the siblings have sued and counter-sued one another . bernice king and martin luther king iii sued dexter king in 2008 , accusing him of converting substantial funds from the estate 's financial account at bank of america ' for his own use . they later agreed to a settlement and avoided a public trial . | the judge made the ruling in a case that pits king 's daughter against his two sons |
king <tsp> a judge in georgia on wednesday ordered the rev . martin luther king jr. 's bible and nobel peace prize to be stored in a safe deposit box that only the court will access until litigation over the items between the slain civil rights leader 's children can be worked out . fulton county superior judge robert mcburney ordered king 's daughter , bernice , to turn over the items but did not set a timeline . the judge 's order is the latest development in a feud between king 's daughter and two sons -- dexter king and martin luther king iii -- over control of the bible and nobel prize . bernice king alleges her brothers want to sell the objects . the slain civil rights icon 's estate -- controlled by his sons -- sued king 's daughter to force her to turn over the items . the judge ordered the items placed in a safe deposit box in the name of the king estate , but only the court would hold the keys . mcburney based his decision on the likelihood the estate will show the bible and peace prize are possessions of the estate . ' the items are in a safe deposit box in an unknown location , ' the judge said . bernice king , who was 5 when her father was assassinated , is acting as the gatekeeper ' to her father 's property , said attorney william hill , who represents the king estate . he says she has no individual claim to the property that belongs to the estate controlled by her brothers . according to the complaint , king 's heirs agreed in 1995 to give up their inheritance to the estate of martin luther king jr. inc. , but bernice king has secreted and sequestered ' the items in question . the estate wants the civil rights leader 's 1964 nobel peace prize and his traveling bible , which was used by president barack obama when he was sworn in for his second term . the bible used to be on display at the martin luther king jr. center for nonviolent social change in atlanta . bernice king has said her brothers told her on january 22 that they wanted the items so they could sell them . her attorney , eric barnum , argued in court that the items in question should be left in the custody of the king center . barnum called the attempt to sell the items a money grab , ' saying there 's a history of the king sons taking money made from possessions sold to line their own pockets . he said bernice king was n't interested in selling critical , sacred items , ' no matter the price . the judge compared bernice king 's stance against the sale of her father 's possessions to coca-cola not wanting to sell its cola recipe . he later noted he was not trivializing the value of king 's possessions with the comparison . this is not the first time the family has been at odds over king 's legacy . over the years , the siblings have sued and counter-sued one another . bernice king and martin luther king iii sued dexter king in 2008 , accusing him of converting substantial funds from the estate 's financial account at bank of america ' for his own use . they later agreed to a settlement and avoided a public trial . | a judge has ordered bernice king to turn over her father 's bible and nobel peace prize |
nobel peace prize <tsp> a judge in georgia on wednesday ordered the rev . martin luther king jr. 's bible and nobel peace prize to be stored in a safe deposit box that only the court will access until litigation over the items between the slain civil rights leader 's children can be worked out . fulton county superior judge robert mcburney ordered king 's daughter , bernice , to turn over the items but did not set a timeline . the judge 's order is the latest development in a feud between king 's daughter and two sons -- dexter king and martin luther king iii -- over control of the bible and nobel prize . bernice king alleges her brothers want to sell the objects . the slain civil rights icon 's estate -- controlled by his sons -- sued king 's daughter to force her to turn over the items . the judge ordered the items placed in a safe deposit box in the name of the king estate , but only the court would hold the keys . mcburney based his decision on the likelihood the estate will show the bible and peace prize are possessions of the estate . ' the items are in a safe deposit box in an unknown location , ' the judge said . bernice king , who was 5 when her father was assassinated , is acting as the gatekeeper ' to her father 's property , said attorney william hill , who represents the king estate . he says she has no individual claim to the property that belongs to the estate controlled by her brothers . according to the complaint , king 's heirs agreed in 1995 to give up their inheritance to the estate of martin luther king jr. inc. , but bernice king has secreted and sequestered ' the items in question . the estate wants the civil rights leader 's 1964 nobel peace prize and his traveling bible , which was used by president barack obama when he was sworn in for his second term . the bible used to be on display at the martin luther king jr. center for nonviolent social change in atlanta . bernice king has said her brothers told her on january 22 that they wanted the items so they could sell them . her attorney , eric barnum , argued in court that the items in question should be left in the custody of the king center . barnum called the attempt to sell the items a money grab , ' saying there 's a history of the king sons taking money made from possessions sold to line their own pockets . he said bernice king was n't interested in selling critical , sacred items , ' no matter the price . the judge compared bernice king 's stance against the sale of her father 's possessions to coca-cola not wanting to sell its cola recipe . he later noted he was not trivializing the value of king 's possessions with the comparison . this is not the first time the family has been at odds over king 's legacy . over the years , the siblings have sued and counter-sued one another . bernice king and martin luther king iii sued dexter king in 2008 , accusing him of converting substantial funds from the estate 's financial account at bank of america ' for his own use . they later agreed to a settlement and avoided a public trial . | a judge has ordered bernice king to turn over her father 's bible and nobel peace prize |
embassy <tsp> an american woman has died after being stabbed by an unknown attacker in the restroom of a high-end mall in abu dhabi , the capital of the united arab emirates , police said . ibolya ryan , 47 , was taken to the hospital after the attack monday on reem island but died of her injuries , abu dhabi police said . she worked as a schoolteacher and had 11-year-old twins who are being cared for by authorities until their father , the victim 's ex-husband , arrives from abroad , police said . authorities previously said she was 37 . ryan was stabbed with a sharp tool , later recovered by police , after a fight broke out in the women 's restroom , according to col. dr. rashid mohammad borshid , head of the criminal investigation department of abu dhabi police . the cause of the fight remains unknown ; the suspect fled the scene immediately after committing the crime , he said . authorities seek witnesses , clues police have appealed for help tracking down the killer . investigations are still under way to identify the suspect 's identity and gender , ' a police statement tuesday said . witnesses reported that the culprit was fully covered wearing an abaya , black gloves and face cover ( niqab ) . ' the abaya is a black , full-length gown traditionally worn by local emirati women . the suspect was also wearing a hijab , or headscarf . embassy working with uae authorities the u.s. embassy in abu dhabi said it was working with all the appropriate authorities to seek further information ' about the killing of a u.s. citizen . we offer our condolences to those affected by this terrible tragedy , ' a spokesman said in a statement . the safety and welfare of u.s. citizens abroad is one of the department of state 's highest priorities . we stand ready to provide all possible consular assistance . ' the attack happened at the boutik mall on reem island , a newly developed area of abu dhabi where many western expatriates live . the embassy had issued a statement , back in october , warning u.s. citizens of an anonymous internet post that encouraged attacks against teachers at american and other international schools . the embassy was unaware of any specific , credible threat at that time , but called on citizens to be vigilant about their personal security . video shows suspect cctv footage released by police shows the suspect , fully covered , walking calmly in through the parking lot entrance , speaking to security guards , picking up a paper and disappearing around the corner out of sight . it then shows the suspect running to the elevator , followed by others , and getting into the elevator , before another clip shows the person leaving the mall through the same parking lot doors . violent crime in the uae is rare and eyewitnesses have expressed shock at the incident . the abu dhabi police will spare no effort in order to unveil this heinous crime and bring the culprit to justice , ' said borshid . | u.s. embassy in october issued a security message to teachers at international schools |
ebola <tsp> ( cnn ) -- passengers on a united airlines flight from brussels were quarantined at new jersey 's newark airport and later released this weekend over ebola fears that turned out to be unwarranted . in this case and that of the ebola patient in dallas , government and our citizens struggle to define the parameters of the sanctioned suppression of individual liberty that is the quarantine . in the modern united states , the people boast unparalleled personal freedoms . whether enumerated in the constitution or penumbral , ' the inalienable liberties of the individual are designed to never be overridden by the interests of the majority . unless , of course , you are really , really sick . in that case , all those liberty and property rights we talk about ? yeah , not so much . government policies of quarantine and isolation raise the classic balancing test of the rights of the individual versus the security of the people . nearly every law or regulation can be boiled down to this analysis in one form or another . the game changer here is that with an epidemic , the potential harm to the masses is tremendous , so large that it justifies virtually any invasion of individual rights . indeed , when one man threatens mankind itself , individual liberties go out the window , and then that window is hermetically sealed . and as long as you are not that one man , ' you are fine with that . quarantine is perhaps the ultimate invasion of privacy by the state , but constitutionally , it 's an authorized intrusion . under the police power granted it by the tenth amendment , states can quarantine and isolate a person , property , a geographic area , and even common carriers -- which are trains , buses and airlines . some definitions : the difference between quarantine and isolation is that isolation applies to persons who are known to be ill with the contagious disease . quarantine applies to people exposed to a contagious disease but who may not actually be sick . the united airlines passengers were only quarantined . the state of texas , on the other hand , has exercised its authority to swiftly isolate thomas eric duncan , the liberian citizen who is ill with ebola . of course , texas would prefer you use their euphemistic moniker control measures ' . see how much less invasive that sounds than quarantine ' or isolation ' ? sometimes government words can sooth government action . of course , the authority to quarantine is not unlimited . state quarantine statutes are subject to some constitutional constraints . the fifth and fourteenth amendments require some due process ' before depriving citizens of constitutionally protected liberty interests . in texas , that just means an order . not an order obtained from a judicial or democratic process , but a form filled out by the appropriate health official and served on the persons to be isolated or quarantined . from there , the state 's power to enforce these control measures is practically limitless and includes criminal penalties . there are collateral effects to quarantine and isolation . when people are confined to their homes , they are deprived of property rights and the right to earn an income . currently only a few states have enacted laws providing any job security to quarantined employees . and texas has no requirement that quarantined persons be reimbursed for the consequences of being isolated . texas and other courts permit an individual to challenge his or her isolation or quarantine by a petition for a writ of habeas corpus , ' asking a court to declare that the quarantine law is unconstitutional or violates due process . courts will defer to the state 's police power and public health decisions unless they are arbitrary , oppressive and unreasonable . ' that does n't mean it 's without precedent : if the state can not show good enough reason , some courts have struck down a quarantine . while the process may not overall feel very protective of individual rights , contagious diseases force a sobering realization . due process ' is ultimately a fluid concept , defined by the circumstances . in this case , we balance duncan 's liberty interests against the governmental interest served by the restraints , and ask whether the measures are reasonably calculated to achieve the government 's aims . with the nation whipped up into a fear over ebola-calypse , most people will support the government 's authority to impose these control measures , even when it appears undefined or limitless . but the constitution is not the only check on the broad state authority to impose control measures . state power is ultimately limited by the people ; control measures must have public support and cooperation . isolating a single liberian is one thing . on the other hand , quarantining a population any larger than a cul-de-sac or a passenger jet is going to require a modicum of public support . if not , then , no amount of statutory or regulatory authority can prevent a popular revolt , short of the national guard , assuming they have n't taken ill too . the truth is , we do n't ask about the limits of the quarantine power because we really do n't want to have to find out . how far can texas control measures ' go ? more appropriately , how far will we , as citizens , allow them to go ? it raises an interesting legal and moral question , one any fan of the zombie genre has wondered about : if one of our citizens is living but fatally infected , and will harm others if allowed to live out their doomed life , does the state 's broad authority include authority to terminate the infected ? at what point would we be comfortable with that ? in the zombie movies , it 's a no-brainer : generally , as soon as the group knows someone 's infected , execution follows . and it 's not always humane . do n't think we 're above that in the real world . if the life of one threatens millions , does the state 's police power authorize the pre-emptive taking of that one life ? constitution aside , the view of quarantine that we all really hold is one we wo n't admit to : in the case of ebola , we endorse any suppression of the rights of the individual ... until that individual is me ' . then , we may all become champions of individual rights . | passengers on a jet at newark were quarantined until ebola was ruled out |
liverpool <tsp> ( cnn ) -- martin skrtel 's early own goal gave fulham a historic first win at anfield on tuesday and left liverpool in danger of finishing outside the top eight in the english top flight for the first time since 1954 . with saturday 's fa cup final against chelsea in mind , reds manager kenny dalglish rested a host of first-choice players , including luis suarez , steven gerrard and goalkeeper pepe reina . the home side made the worst possible start when skrtel headed in former liverpool defender john arne riise 's cross , and could n't recover against a fulham team that had won only three previous away games this season . the london club moved level on points with eighth-placed liverpool , while everton edged closer to finishing above their merseyside rivals for the first time in seven years with a 1-1 draw at stoke . an own goal by stoke striker peter crouch -- the 1,000th goal of this premier league season -- gave everton the lead after 44 minutes before fellow forward cameron jerome came off the bench to snatch a point in the 69th minute . everton lost to liverpool in the fa cup semifinals , but the draw left david moyes'side three points above the reds with two league games to play . liverpool were booed off by their home fans , having won three of the last 13 league games and only five times at home in the premier league all season . our attitude was n't right , and if you go in with a bad attitude you 're going to get a bad performance , ' said dalglish , whose team won the english league cup in february . in la liga on tuesday , villarreal secured a vital 3-2 win at sporting gijon that moved them closer to safety and all but condemned the opposition to the second division . marcos senna put the visitors 2-1 up from the penalty spot just before half time and hernan perez added a third in the 56th minute before a late consolation from alejandro galvez . the end of the game was marred by the home fans throwing objects onto the pitch as they saw their team slump to a loss that leaves them needing to win their last two games and hope rayo vallecano lose both theirs . villarreal will be safe if zaragoza do not beat levante on wednesday , as will granada who beat espanyol 2-1 thanks to a first-half double by nigerian striker odion ighalo . getafe could only draw 1-1 at home to relegated racing santander to damage their chances of qualifying for the europa league . in serie a , roma seem destined to miss out on champions league qualification after playing out a 0-0 draw in torrential rain at chievo . if they are to finish third , roma need to win their last two games and hope neither napoli , lazio , inter milan nor udinese take more than three points from their final three matches . | everton draw 1-1 at stoke to move three points clear of liverpool |
liverpool <tsp> ( cnn ) -- martin skrtel 's early own goal gave fulham a historic first win at anfield on tuesday and left liverpool in danger of finishing outside the top eight in the english top flight for the first time since 1954 . with saturday 's fa cup final against chelsea in mind , reds manager kenny dalglish rested a host of first-choice players , including luis suarez , steven gerrard and goalkeeper pepe reina . the home side made the worst possible start when skrtel headed in former liverpool defender john arne riise 's cross , and could n't recover against a fulham team that had won only three previous away games this season . the london club moved level on points with eighth-placed liverpool , while everton edged closer to finishing above their merseyside rivals for the first time in seven years with a 1-1 draw at stoke . an own goal by stoke striker peter crouch -- the 1,000th goal of this premier league season -- gave everton the lead after 44 minutes before fellow forward cameron jerome came off the bench to snatch a point in the 69th minute . everton lost to liverpool in the fa cup semifinals , but the draw left david moyes'side three points above the reds with two league games to play . liverpool were booed off by their home fans , having won three of the last 13 league games and only five times at home in the premier league all season . our attitude was n't right , and if you go in with a bad attitude you 're going to get a bad performance , ' said dalglish , whose team won the english league cup in february . in la liga on tuesday , villarreal secured a vital 3-2 win at sporting gijon that moved them closer to safety and all but condemned the opposition to the second division . marcos senna put the visitors 2-1 up from the penalty spot just before half time and hernan perez added a third in the 56th minute before a late consolation from alejandro galvez . the end of the game was marred by the home fans throwing objects onto the pitch as they saw their team slump to a loss that leaves them needing to win their last two games and hope rayo vallecano lose both theirs . villarreal will be safe if zaragoza do not beat levante on wednesday , as will granada who beat espanyol 2-1 thanks to a first-half double by nigerian striker odion ighalo . getafe could only draw 1-1 at home to relegated racing santander to damage their chances of qualifying for the europa league . in serie a , roma seem destined to miss out on champions league qualification after playing out a 0-0 draw in torrential rain at chievo . if they are to finish third , roma need to win their last two games and hope neither napoli , lazio , inter milan nor udinese take more than three points from their final three matches . | fulham beat liverpool 1-0 for the first ever win at anfield |
chievo <tsp> ( cnn ) -- martin skrtel 's early own goal gave fulham a historic first win at anfield on tuesday and left liverpool in danger of finishing outside the top eight in the english top flight for the first time since 1954 . with saturday 's fa cup final against chelsea in mind , reds manager kenny dalglish rested a host of first-choice players , including luis suarez , steven gerrard and goalkeeper pepe reina . the home side made the worst possible start when skrtel headed in former liverpool defender john arne riise 's cross , and could n't recover against a fulham team that had won only three previous away games this season . the london club moved level on points with eighth-placed liverpool , while everton edged closer to finishing above their merseyside rivals for the first time in seven years with a 1-1 draw at stoke . an own goal by stoke striker peter crouch -- the 1,000th goal of this premier league season -- gave everton the lead after 44 minutes before fellow forward cameron jerome came off the bench to snatch a point in the 69th minute . everton lost to liverpool in the fa cup semifinals , but the draw left david moyes'side three points above the reds with two league games to play . liverpool were booed off by their home fans , having won three of the last 13 league games and only five times at home in the premier league all season . our attitude was n't right , and if you go in with a bad attitude you 're going to get a bad performance , ' said dalglish , whose team won the english league cup in february . in la liga on tuesday , villarreal secured a vital 3-2 win at sporting gijon that moved them closer to safety and all but condemned the opposition to the second division . marcos senna put the visitors 2-1 up from the penalty spot just before half time and hernan perez added a third in the 56th minute before a late consolation from alejandro galvez . the end of the game was marred by the home fans throwing objects onto the pitch as they saw their team slump to a loss that leaves them needing to win their last two games and hope rayo vallecano lose both theirs . villarreal will be safe if zaragoza do not beat levante on wednesday , as will granada who beat espanyol 2-1 thanks to a first-half double by nigerian striker odion ighalo . getafe could only draw 1-1 at home to relegated racing santander to damage their chances of qualifying for the europa league . in serie a , roma seem destined to miss out on champions league qualification after playing out a 0-0 draw in torrential rain at chievo . if they are to finish third , roma need to win their last two games and hope neither napoli , lazio , inter milan nor udinese take more than three points from their final three matches . | roma 's champions league hopes suffer after 0-0 draw at chievo in serie a |
european union <tsp> bamako , mali ( cnn ) -- french and malian forces squaring off with islamist militants seized a key city from them friday , a high-ranking french source told cnn . the city is konna , in the central region of mali , a sprawling , landlocked saharan nation . that region is the latest front in the grinding fight between the west and al qaeda-linked militants . read more : opinion : why africa backs french in mali the development is an important advance a week after france launched an air and ground military offensive against a strong militant presence across northern mali and other locations in the sprawling country . insurgents advancing south toward the capital , bamako , took konna on january 10 . they started retreating a week ago after the french and malian forces pushed back , with attacks from the air and other firepower . read more : france continues mali airstrikes ; residents frantic the fighting in mali has captured the world 's attention . it was one of the most successful democracies in africa until last year , when a coup toppled the president and islamists capitalized on the chaos by establishing themselves in the north . read more : six reasons events in mali matter there , they imposed a strict interpretation of sharia law , banning music , smoking , drinking and watching sports on television . they also damaged historic tombs and shrines . france , once the colonial power in mali , unleashed an offensive against the militants last week , a mission that president francois hollande says is designed to destroy ' the terrorist groups that have taken root . french envoy stresses urgency france is sending troops to mali from military facilities in africa and from france . paris is seeking help from its regional allies and the international community . such assistance has its perils . after algeria permitted france to use its airspace to take on insurgents , militants angry about the move stormed a gas field in eastern algeria and took hostages in what is now an ongoing hostage crisis . french ambassador to mali christian rouyer reiterated the need for the french offensive . we had a friendly country that was on the verge of dying , ' he told cnn in an interview friday . it was absolutely necessary to act with urgency . we did it , i believe , with full knowledge of the reasons . faced with the seriousness of the situation , to my knowledge , there was no other solution . ' french military power has been boosted , he said , because we know we have an adversary who 's determined , who 's not afraid , knows the terrain well and who 's well-equipped . ' the offensive has made an impact , stopping the terrorist advance ' and saving other towns : mopti and sevare , for example , rouyer said . the advance of terrorist forces -- either in the western or eastern sectors -- has stopped , ' he said , adding that this is helping to establish calm in bamako . if mopti and sevare had fallen into terrorist hands , ' he said , i believe that today , we would have chaos in bamako and all mali . ' prepare for a refugee crisis in mali france seeks help leaders from several countries have offered troops or logistical support for the offensive . the european union has approved a training mission . the canadians and british are deploying military transport aircraft . nigeria is set to deploy soldiers as part of a u.n.-mandated african force to fight the insurgents . u.s. policy prohibits direct military aid to mali because the fledgling government is a result of a coup . no support can go to the malian military directly until leaders are chosen through an election , said victoria nuland , a state department spokeswoman . we are not in a position to train the malian military until we have democracy restored , ' she said this week . but we 're not precluded from assisting allies and partners in trying to restore security to that country . ' so far , the united states has only shared intelligence from satellites and intercepted signals with the french , defense officials said . the pentagon is also considering sending refueling tankers so that french jets can fly longer , more sustained combat missions , according to the officials . u.s. trainers will be in african nations to train forces that are set to be deployed in mali . we have deployed 100-ish , about 100 trainers to africa . they 're traveling to niger , nigeria , burkina faso , senegal , togo and ghana to discuss training and equipping and deployment needs of those countries in the interest of getting them ready to go into mali , ' she said . u.n. says warring threatens cultural heritage the united nations educational , scientific and cultural organization has issued calls for the protection of cultural heritage sites in mali . the ancient city of timbuktu is a unesco world heritage site of huge cultural significance , but its carefully preserved heritage has come under severe threat amid the ongoing conflict . the fabled city , whose name is sometimes used in the west as a synonym for a faraway place , was at the center of trans-sahara trade in earlier times . last year , al qaeda-linked rebels in northern mali destroyed historic and religious landmarks there , claiming such relics are idolatrous . now it is threatened by warfare . i ask all armed forces to make every effort to protect the cultural heritage of the country , which has already been severely damaged , ' unesco director-general irina bokova said in an appeal to all combatants . mali 's cultural heritage is a jewel whose protection is important for the whole of humanity . this is our common heritage , nothing can justify damaging it . ' refugees flee the u.n. refugee agency said that in treks that began last year , when the crisis started , malians are fleeing to other nations , including burkina faso , mauritania , niger , guinea , algeria and togo , and many are internally displaced . refugees in burkina faso said they fled the recent military intervention , the lack of any means of subsistence , and fear of the strict application of sharia law , ' the agency said . people talked about family members disappearing . they reported having witnessed executions and amputations , and mentioned that large amounts of money are being offered to civilians to fight against the malian army and its supporters . according to the accounts from refugees there are children among the rebel fighters , ' the united nations said . ethnic tuareg women and children are among the latest refugees . they said that more people , including their husbands and fathers , are on their way to burkina faso by foot , many using donkeys or local transport , and many bringing livestock with them . despite ongoing insecurity in northern mali in recent months , they say that people have delayed fleeing mali to allow the men to take care of businesses and animals , ' the united nations said . human rights abuses the united nations has noted accounts of amputations , floggings and public executions , such as the july stoning of a couple that reportedly had an affair . the international criminal court has launched a war crimes investigation amid reports that residents have been mutilated and killed for disobeying the islamists . the current human rights situation is linked to long-standing and unresolved issues , ' and human rights violations have been committed both in the north and in the area under government control , ' the human rights council said , citing abuses since january 2012 . in northern mali , serious human rights violations have been taking place since january 2012 , including summary executions and extrajudicial killings , ' the council said . it also said : -- fighters allegedly used students as human shields to force military forces to surrender and later on allegedly executed 94 of the 153 captured and disarmed soldiers . ' -- several tuareg soldiers , including nine in timbuktu , were also reportedly victims of reprisals by members of the malian army in the north . -- among civilian deaths were people who tried to resist the looting of humanitarian warehouses by armed groups . -- ten amputation cases by extremists were reported in the north , including the case of a 30-year-old man whose right hand was cut off with a kitchen knife for allegedly stealing cattle following a summary trial set up by a militia . -- women have been assaulted , harassed and abused after being accused of being improperly veiled or dressed , or for riding on a motorbike . in april , six armed men allegedly belonging to the ansar dine extremist group raped a woman for not wearing her veil in her own home . ' -- rapes of women and girls have been done at times in front of family members and often apparently carried out on an ethnic basis . ' -- girls as young as 12 or 13 are reported to have been forcibly married to members of militias . -- child soldiers who were recruited were sometimes as young as 10 . cnn 's joe sterling reported and wrote from atlanta . cnn 's ingrid formanek and nima elbagir reported from bamako , mali . | the european union , canada , britain and nigeria are among those assisting |
dublin <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the town of dublin , georgia , is putting saggy , baggy pants in the category of indecent exposure , with violators facing fines of up to $ 200 . dublin mayor phil best said he plans to sign this week an amendment to the municipality 's indecent exposure ordinance . the amendment , which best plans to put into immediate effect at the city council meeting , prohibits the wearing of pants or skirts more than three inches below the top of the hips exposing the skin or undergarments . ' we 've gotten several complaints from citizens saying the folks with britches down below their buttocks was offensive , and was n't there something we could do about it , ' best said . the mayor said after about a year of fielding complaints , he put the city attorney to work researching how other localities have dealt with the derriere dilemma . the result was that council members decided to put exposure due to baggy clothing in the same category as masturbation , fornication and urination in public places . patrolling for offenders will be left to local police in the town about 140 miles southeast of atlanta . violators could face fines ranging from $ 25 to $ 200 , or court-mandated community service . that 's not our intent , we 'd ( rather ) not fine anybody but we are prepared to , ' best said . dublin residents are divided on the issue . lashika haynes supports the push to force folks to pull up , it 's just disrespectful by showing your drawers to people , ' she said . but there are those who feel that the ordinance singles out a specific group of citizens . jean wolf , who volunteers with young black men in the community said , they 're the ones wearing the saggy , baggy pants . ' wolf said she believes the ordinance will lead to profiling by authorities . mayor best said that accusation is ridiculous . ' it 's for white , black , man , woman . the ordinance is for everyone , and i 've seen it violated by all races and sexes , ' best said . dublin is not alone in its pull-up-the-pants campaign . riviera beach , florida , and flint , michigan , passed bans against sagging pants in recent years , but the riviera beach legislation later was declared unconstitutional after a court challenge . in the non-judicial realm , a state senator in brooklyn , new york , announced plans earlier this year for a series of billboards featuring young men wearing low-hanging pants and the catchphrase , raise your pants , raise your image . ' and up the road from dublin , 62-year-old atlantan general ' larry platt made it all the way to american idol ' and became an online one-hit wonder with his song pants on the ground . ' ( sample lyrics : pants on the ground , pants on the ground/looking like a fool with your pants on the ground . ' ) it is not lost on the mayor and the city council in dublin that this ordinance opens the door to what could be a pretty tricky debate over what is indecent exposure . for instance , how much is too much cleavage , and are certain tattoos indecent ? the mayor seems to welcome the discussion as a natural part of the law-making process . i do n't know a law or ordinance that does n't stand scrutiny by the people and the court system . so time will tell . there have been plenty of laws that have gone all the way to supreme court , ' best said . according to the mayor , the local high school already enforces a strict dress code which puts a tight belt around students and their saggy pants , sending violators home for the day . it 's time we all have a mutual respect for each other ... what a person does in the privacy of their home is fine , ' best said . but if i had an 8-year-old daughter , i do n't think she needs to be subjected to looking at someone 's rear end . ' | dublin residents are divided on the new law |
dublin <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the town of dublin , georgia , is putting saggy , baggy pants in the category of indecent exposure , with violators facing fines of up to $ 200 . dublin mayor phil best said he plans to sign this week an amendment to the municipality 's indecent exposure ordinance . the amendment , which best plans to put into immediate effect at the city council meeting , prohibits the wearing of pants or skirts more than three inches below the top of the hips exposing the skin or undergarments . ' we 've gotten several complaints from citizens saying the folks with britches down below their buttocks was offensive , and was n't there something we could do about it , ' best said . the mayor said after about a year of fielding complaints , he put the city attorney to work researching how other localities have dealt with the derriere dilemma . the result was that council members decided to put exposure due to baggy clothing in the same category as masturbation , fornication and urination in public places . patrolling for offenders will be left to local police in the town about 140 miles southeast of atlanta . violators could face fines ranging from $ 25 to $ 200 , or court-mandated community service . that 's not our intent , we 'd ( rather ) not fine anybody but we are prepared to , ' best said . dublin residents are divided on the issue . lashika haynes supports the push to force folks to pull up , it 's just disrespectful by showing your drawers to people , ' she said . but there are those who feel that the ordinance singles out a specific group of citizens . jean wolf , who volunteers with young black men in the community said , they 're the ones wearing the saggy , baggy pants . ' wolf said she believes the ordinance will lead to profiling by authorities . mayor best said that accusation is ridiculous . ' it 's for white , black , man , woman . the ordinance is for everyone , and i 've seen it violated by all races and sexes , ' best said . dublin is not alone in its pull-up-the-pants campaign . riviera beach , florida , and flint , michigan , passed bans against sagging pants in recent years , but the riviera beach legislation later was declared unconstitutional after a court challenge . in the non-judicial realm , a state senator in brooklyn , new york , announced plans earlier this year for a series of billboards featuring young men wearing low-hanging pants and the catchphrase , raise your pants , raise your image . ' and up the road from dublin , 62-year-old atlantan general ' larry platt made it all the way to american idol ' and became an online one-hit wonder with his song pants on the ground . ' ( sample lyrics : pants on the ground , pants on the ground/looking like a fool with your pants on the ground . ' ) it is not lost on the mayor and the city council in dublin that this ordinance opens the door to what could be a pretty tricky debate over what is indecent exposure . for instance , how much is too much cleavage , and are certain tattoos indecent ? the mayor seems to welcome the discussion as a natural part of the law-making process . i do n't know a law or ordinance that does n't stand scrutiny by the people and the court system . so time will tell . there have been plenty of laws that have gone all the way to supreme court , ' best said . according to the mayor , the local high school already enforces a strict dress code which puts a tight belt around students and their saggy pants , sending violators home for the day . it 's time we all have a mutual respect for each other ... what a person does in the privacy of their home is fine , ' best said . but if i had an 8-year-old daughter , i do n't think she needs to be subjected to looking at someone 's rear end . ' | the mayor of dublin , georgia , plans to sign an amendment to an indecent exposure ordinance |
grant park <tsp> ( cnn ) -- joyful supporters cheered as president barack obama stepped out to speak at his victory party in chicago in the early hours of wednesday , thanking them and millions of voters for allowing him another four years to lead the nation forward . tonight , in this election , you , the american people , reminded us that while our road has been hard , while our journey has been long , we have picked ourselves up , we have fought our way back , and we know in our hearts that for the united states of america , the best is yet to come , ' he told them . when obama finished , the first family and vice president joe biden and his family joined him onstage in a celebration of waves and hugs amid a blizzard of confetti . but despite the happiness and relief , the mood was perhaps more subdued than that experienced by those who were present for the wild celebrations four years earlier in grant park . nearly everyone in the room had worked to get the president re-elected , either making phone calls or knocking on doors , and as they eagerly awaited his remarks early wednesday morning there seemed to be less of the dreamy optimism that surrounded the 2008 campaign . those seated in the bleachers energetically waved tiny american flags , and those on the floor calmly mingled , cheering sporadically whenever networks called a state for the president . but gone were the chants of yes we can , ' replaced instead with chants of four more years , ' and the president 's re-election message was echoed in conversations throughout the convention hall -- there 's still more work to do . gov . mitt romney 's concession speech was played on the monitors flanking the stage , and the crowd cheered as the defeated challenger admitted that the nation chose another leader . ' but it also cheered , albeit somewhat begrudgingly , when the president thanked campaign volunteers from both parties , saying , whether you held an obama sign or a romney sign , you made your voice heard and you made a difference . ' and when obama talked of sitting down with his former rival to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward , ' there was scattered yet enthusiastic applause at the prospect of bipartisanship . after getting their pictures taken or recording some cell phone video , a few members of the audience floated toward the exits to beat the crowds , but the vast majority stayed through to the end . in conversations they expressed a conviction that the country is indeed moving in the right direction , but most admitted readily that the change they 'd voted for would require more hard work . the president 's final exit from the campaign stage had come more than 24 hours earlier . with the imposing iowa state capitol looming over a soggy crowd that bore near-freezing temperatures in windswept des moines , obama made his last major appearance of the 2012 campaign to urge the more than 20,000 supporters to maintain the enthusiasm that first catapulted him from a fresh-faced senator to presidential front-runner nearly five years ago . flanked by first lady michelle obama and rock star bruce springsteen , obama 's final bow just before midnight marked at long last the arrival of election day and the end of the president 's last campaign -- 105 rallies after kicking off his re-election effort in ohio and virginia seven months prior . how obama got to 270 electoral votes and when air force one touched down in obama 's hometown of chicago 60 minutes later , the president 's role as a candidate was all but done . on election day itself , obama largely lay low , as has long been his practice when it comes time for voters to head to the polls . that 's not to say the president closed the book on entirely on his re-election effort . obama sat for a string of satellite interviews with television stations in battleground states in a final effort to get his message out , including two each in iowa , ohio and florida -- states the president 's campaign particularly focused on . markets in nevada and colorado also got interviews . and in the afternoon , the president sat for an additional six interviews in yet more battleground markets . the president also turned up at a campaign field office in chicago on tuesday to shake hands with volunteers . i just want to say how grateful michelle and i am for all the families , all the communities who have welcomed us , into their homes in some cases , into the neighborhoods , and have in some cases worked so hard on our behalf , ' the president said at the stop . the great thing about these campaigns is after all the tv ads and all the fundraising and all the debates and all the electioneering . it comes down to this , one day , and these incredible folks who are working so hard , ' he said . but for all intents and purposes , obama remained largely out of sight tuesday , containing whatever nerves he felt behind closed doors surrounded by friends , family and a circle of advisers who have been with him since the early days of his 2008 presidential race . a heavy dose of nostalgia and reflection was in the air , given that whatever the result obama would never run for political office again . some of the president 's senior advisers , including david axelrod and david plouffe , were spotted wearing obama 2008 fleece jackets monday . meanwhile , other veterans of the 2008 campaign , such as speechwriters jon favreau and ben rhodes , were also on hand for the president 's final sprint . the 2012 campaign in 27 tweets ' it 's like the end of a long-running series , and all the characters are coming back , ' axelrod mused . perhaps with an eye toward recreating some of 2008 's magic , obama reconvened a game of pickup basketball that he got in the habit of playing every election day during that year 's drawn out primary process . senior campaign aide robert gibbs said instructions were sent several days ago to reggie love , the president 's former body man and frequent basketball companion , to organize an election day game . the game kicked off shortly after 2 p.m. at the attack athletics facility in downtown chicago . a white house aide said that in addition to love , friends and staff ' were participating in the game , including education secretary arne duncan and obama friend mike ramos . kamarck : five things obama must do ' i think it 's safe all rituals will be observed , ' said gibbs , who also noted that the one time the president did n't play basketball on an election day was when he had a surprise loss to hillary clinton in the 2008 new hampshire primary . we wo n't make that mistake again , ' he joked . kennedy : obama 's win wo n't transform america one thing the president did not do tuesday was visit any additional battleground states , the campaign 's traveling press secretary jen psaki said , even as romney went out to meet and greet voters in ohio and pennsylvania until polls closed . that was a calculated decision not to get in the way of the campaign 's get-out-the-vote efforts in the battleground states , said stephan cutter , a senior adviser to the campaign . on election day , the last thing you want to do is take your gotv staff off from getting people out to the polls , ' she told cnn . instead , the president was aware his fate was largely out of his hands and instead in those of the thousands of grassroots operatives and volunteers who are charged with getting voters to the polls across the country . speaking to a virginia crowd saturday night , obama mused that he now felt like a prop ' because there was little left he could do with so few hours remaining until voters issued their final judgment . it 's up to the volunteers , ' he told the virginia crowd . it 's up to somebody knocking on a door . it 's up to somebody making a phone call . ' share your reaction to the results ultimately , the president spent the majority of his time tuesday simply trying to stay at ease with a close circle that includes the first lady and old friends such as martin nesbitt and marvin nicholson . he also put the finishing touches on two speeches -- one for a victory , and the other for the eventuality that he lost . and just as the first wave of results flowed in , the president sat down to dinner with the first lady , his two daughters and mother-in-law -- all of whom flew in from washington earlier in the evening . at that final rally in iowa on monday night , bruce springsteen ended his 30-minute concert with his classic , in the land of hopes and dreams , ' crooning , well , you do n't know where you 're goin'now , but you know you wo n't be back . ' it was a fitting end for a president who did n't yet know if he 'd hold on to white house but could be certain his days as a candidate were forever over . obama : my vision for america cnn 's john helton contributed to this report . | new : the mood is upbeat but less dreamily euphoric than in grant park four years earlier |
michel fournier <tsp> ( cnn ) -- french parachutist michel fournier vowed tuesday to try again to launch a record-breaking skydive in august , hours after a freak ' accident over canada aborted his second attempt to do so . michel fournier tests his equipment a few days before his attempt to break four world records . i 'm not about to give up , ' the 64-year-old adventurer said of his shot at setting a world record for the highest jump and fastest , longest free fall by a man riding a balloon . tuesday 's attempt was thwarted when an electrical charge broke the cable connecting the balloon to the gondola , causing it to slip away from his ground crew and rise into the saskatchewan skies over north battleford . the question is , why was it electrically activated ? ' said michel chevalet , a balloon expert working on fournier 's technical team . he suggested that static electricity may have been to blame but that it had been an unforeseen possibility . unexpected freak accidents do happen , ' he said . watch report on michel fournier 's failed free-fall quest » fournier said the failure came as a blow . it was like having a hammer over the head , ' he said . watch fournier talk about trying again » the former paratrooper had hoped his big jump ' would start 40 kilometers ( 25 miles ) above the earth 's surface . but his hopes dissipated over the canadian prairie shortly after 5 a.m. ( 7 a.m . et ) , when the balloon took off before his capsule could be attached . still clad in his bright yellow pressure suit , a visibly frustrated fournier waved away cameras after his balloon 's abrupt departure . it drifted back to the ground about 40 km away . fournier says he spent nearly 12.7 million euros ( $ 20 million ) on his quest , a risky endeavor that french authorities refused to allow him to attempt over france . canadian authorities approved the mission over the town of north battleford , in sparsely populated saskatchewan . the town 's mayor , julian sadlowski , said monday 's failure was a disappointment . ' i thought this was going to be the day that we saw history made in the battlefords , ' he said . balloon trouble also doomed fournier 's effort to break the record in 2003 . fournier holds the french record for the highest parachute jump at 12,000 meters ( 40,000 feet ) . he says his next chance is in august because that is when the jet stream will next be favorable . the big jump ' will collect data that will help astronauts and others survive at high altitudes , he says . fournier estimated that tuesday 's failed effort cost him and his sponsors about 600,000 euros ( $ 946,000 ) . | new : parachutist michel fournier promises to try record jump again |
wright county egg <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- the companies that have recalled more than half a billion eggs following a salmonella outbreak fell short of safety standards at their farms , fda commissioner margaret hamburg said sunday . there 's no question these farms involved in the recall were not operating with the standards of practice we consider responsible , ' hamburg told cnn . she said about 1,000 ' people have been sickened by a salmonella outbreak that federal regulators have traced back to two iowa egg producers . one of those companies said sunday it is devastated ' by the possible connection between its product and salmonella . hillandale farms of iowa announced friday it was recalling more than 170 million eggs . another 380 million have been recalled by another iowa producer , wright county egg , after the u.s. food and drug administration linked the eggs to an outbreak of salmonella that has sickened hundreds of people nationwide . we are devastated that our eggs have been implicated in making people sick , ' hillandale farms , one of the largest u.s. producers , said in a statement issued sunday . we have never had a product recall in our 45-year history , and it flies in the face of our mission to provide wholesome , nutritious food for the american public . we regret that anyone might have become ill , and the concern and disruption this has caused our customers . ' the eggs were shipped to 17 states across the country . the company said it would work with the fda to review its every phase of our operation ' and fix any problems . hillandale farms said it shared a number of common suppliers ' with wright county egg , including a company called quality egg , which provided feed and young birds . both wright county and quality egg are owned by the decoster family , which has a string of agribusiness interests in the midwest and northeast . those companies'records have come under new scrutiny since the recalls were announced earlier this month . in june , company owner jack decoster admitted to 10 civil counts of animal cruelty in maine after a nonprofit animal welfare group conducted an undercover video investigation and forwarded its findings to maine animal welfare officials . dr. donald e. hoenig , the maine state veterinarian , said the allegations included keeping too many birds in case , failing to treat injured chickens or promptly remove dead animals and improper euthanization . hoenig said decoster and his company agreed to a $ 25,000 fine and made a $ 100,000 payment to reimburse the state for future monitoring of the facility . in 1996 , the labor department accused decoster of maintaining sweatshop conditions ' for migrant workers at its turner , maine , chicken farm , where then-labor secretary robert reich said workers risked salmonella by handling dead chickens and manure with their bare hands . the occupational safety and health administration fined it $ 3.6 million . in january 2002 , the equal employment opportunity commission hit another decoster company with allegations that its supervisors sexually assaulted and harassed female employees , including some of whom were in the country illegally , and threatened to retaliate against them if they complained . the managers were fired for unrelated reasons , ' the eeoc said , and decoster agreed to pay a settlement of more than $ 1.5 million . and in 2000 , iowa 's attorney general declared decoster a habitual violator ' of state environmental laws after a series of discharges of manure from his hog-farming operations . he paid a $ 150,000 penalty , had to build six concrete storage structures and his company was barred from expanding those operations . in a statement issued sunday night , wright county egg said it was working with the fda on the current recalls and defended its record . when issues have been raised about our farms , our management team has addressed them swiftly and effectively , working with recognized outside experts to identify and establish corrective measures for our operations , ' it said . we are approaching our work with fda in the same forthright manner . ' while the recall involves hundreds of millions of eggs , they represent less than 1 percent of the 80 billion eggs produced in the united states each year , said krista eberle , director of the food safety program at the trade association egg safety institute . this is one of the larger recalls that have happened , ' eberle said . but she added , this is an extremely rare occurrence . ' cnn 's don lemon , sandra endo and matt smith contributed to this report . | hillandale farms says it shared supplier with wright county egg |
ice <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- in a huge , seven-day operation covering all 50 states and four u.s. territories , u.s. immigration and customs enforcement officials arrested 2,901 convicted criminal immigrants as part of the cross check ' enforcement operation , ice officials announced wednesday . ice officials trumpeted the arrests at a news conference designed to highlight the obama administration 's ongoing commitment to prioritizing the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators . ' ice director john morton said all those arrested had prior criminal convictions , including 1,282 who had multiple convictions . more than 1,600 of those arrested had felony convictions including manslaughter , attempted murder , kidnapping , armed robbery , drug trafficking , child abuse , sexual crimes against minors and aggravated assault . forty-two of them were gang members and 151 were convicted sex offenders , officials said . ice officials acknowledged that despite the large number of arrests , there were still an estimated 1 million convicted criminal aliens in the united states . morton said one of the issues ice is trying to deal with is the lack of notification to immigration authorities when offenders are released from jail . most of the people detained -- 2,642 -- were men . those arrested came from 115 countries , with immigration fugitives accounting for 681 of those detained in the operation , morton said . of the people arrested , 386 were illegal re-entrants . the results of this targeted enforcement operation underscore ice 's ongoing commitment and focus on the arrest and removal of convicted criminal aliens and those that game our nation 's immigration system , ' morton in a statement released before the news conference . because of the tireless efforts and teamwork of ice officers and agents in tracking down at large criminal aliens and fugitives , there are 2,901 fewer criminal aliens in our neighborhoods across the country . ' ice began conducting large-scale operations to target convicted criminal aliens in december 2009 and since then , nine regional and national cross check operations -- including last week 's -- have resulted in the arrest of more than 7,400 convicted criminal aliens . cnn 's athena jones and terry frieden contributed to this report | new : there are still 1 million convicted criminal immigrants in u.s. , ice says |
ice <tsp> washington ( cnn ) -- in a huge , seven-day operation covering all 50 states and four u.s. territories , u.s. immigration and customs enforcement officials arrested 2,901 convicted criminal immigrants as part of the cross check ' enforcement operation , ice officials announced wednesday . ice officials trumpeted the arrests at a news conference designed to highlight the obama administration 's ongoing commitment to prioritizing the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators . ' ice director john morton said all those arrested had prior criminal convictions , including 1,282 who had multiple convictions . more than 1,600 of those arrested had felony convictions including manslaughter , attempted murder , kidnapping , armed robbery , drug trafficking , child abuse , sexual crimes against minors and aggravated assault . forty-two of them were gang members and 151 were convicted sex offenders , officials said . ice officials acknowledged that despite the large number of arrests , there were still an estimated 1 million convicted criminal aliens in the united states . morton said one of the issues ice is trying to deal with is the lack of notification to immigration authorities when offenders are released from jail . most of the people detained -- 2,642 -- were men . those arrested came from 115 countries , with immigration fugitives accounting for 681 of those detained in the operation , morton said . of the people arrested , 386 were illegal re-entrants . the results of this targeted enforcement operation underscore ice 's ongoing commitment and focus on the arrest and removal of convicted criminal aliens and those that game our nation 's immigration system , ' morton in a statement released before the news conference . because of the tireless efforts and teamwork of ice officers and agents in tracking down at large criminal aliens and fugitives , there are 2,901 fewer criminal aliens in our neighborhoods across the country . ' ice began conducting large-scale operations to target convicted criminal aliens in december 2009 and since then , nine regional and national cross check operations -- including last week 's -- have resulted in the arrest of more than 7,400 convicted criminal aliens . cnn 's athena jones and terry frieden contributed to this report | nearly 1,300 had multiple convictions , ice officials say |
colombian <tsp> havana , cuba ( cnn ) -- hundreds of thousands of people packed a main square in the cuban capital sunday to witness a rare and ambitious concert that , despite its nonpolitical theme , drew criticism from some cuban exiles in the united states . colombian singer juanes , creator of the peace without borders ' concert , performs at sunday 's event in havana . colombian singer juanes -- a 17-time latin grammy winner -- brought 15 international artists to havana for sunday 's peace without borders ' concert . all of the artists wore white as a symbol of peace . i ca n't believe what my eyes are seeing , ' juanes said on stage , describing the sea of people as a beautiful dream . ' sunday 's event was juanes'attempt to connect isolated cubans with the rest of the region , including the united states . the decades-old u.s. embargo on cuba is the most visible manifestation of the communist country 's political isolation . the crowd cheered when juanes said , we are all brothers , and we all have to be connected . ' but the reaction in miami , florida , home to both juanes and a large cuban exile community , has not been entirely peaceful . juanes has received death threats over the concert via twitter , he said , and his home in miami is under police protection . some cuban exiles in florida have called the concert a declaration of war , smashing his records in a public anti-juanes demonstration . juanes sang with cuban performers barred from visiting the united states , like silvio rodriguez . but missing from this concert were cuban-american performers like gloria estefan and willy chirino , fierce critics of the cuban government . we asked the government and we asked willy and we asked gloria and we tried , ' juanes said . but at this time it 's not going to happen . it 's not in our hands . but we really tried . ' chirino said juanes'project will only benefit the communist authorities . the revolution is going to win , ' chirino said , referring to the government established by fidel castro more than 50 years ago . an old system that 's dying already , you know , they 're going to give it oxygen . ' still , chirino said , he respects juanes'motives . i think juanes'idea is brilliant and it 's full of love . nobody is against an artist going to a country and bringing his or her work to the people , ' he said . concert officials said more than 1.1 million people attended sunday 's event , though some other estimates were lower . what seemed certain was that this was the largest staged event at la plaza de la revolucion since pope john paul ii said mass here in front of an estimated 850,000 people in 1998 . the concert was the second peace without borders ' show . a previous concert in colombia aimed to ease tensions between that country and neighboring venezuela . juanes said the reaction to sunday 's concert neither surprised nor deterred him . i mean , we knew that this was going to happen , ' he said in a statement on his web site . i have been living in miami for seven years , and the first time i visited miami was 10 or more years ago , so i know what happened in miami with the cuba issue and with all these things before [ we decided ] to go to cuba to do this event . i deeply regret having caused , let 's say , this bad moment , ' he said . he said he had spoken to cuban exile leaders in miami to explain his motives . both countries helped him overcome obstacles typical to big , free events staged by foreigners in cuba -- a lack of visas and expensive sound and stage equipment . he told the official cuban youth newspaper juventud rebelde that he would like to stage the same concert with the same artists in miami . thirty-six cuban dissidents gave their blessing , signing a petition in favor of the concert . we think juanes'initiative is good because it can help bring about national reconciliation and unity among cubans , ' castro opponent oscar espinosa chepe said . and cubans seemed delighted by their first chance in decades to hear international top-caliber latin stars . cnn 's soledad o'brien and shasta darlington contributed to this report . | event was attempt by colombian singer juanes to connect cuba , rest of region |
mario batali <tsp> ( cnn ) gwyneth paltrow , the actress turned lifestyle guru , is known for promoting detoxes and health cleanses on her site , goop.com . but she 's now bringing awareness to the difficulties of life on food stamps . in a tweet friday , paltrow showcased an array of leafy greens , dried beans and rice , purchased for the amount a person living on food stamps is allotted each week , she explained . the amount of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits a person can get is based on the u.s. department of agriculture 's thrifty food plan . the plan estimates how much it costs to buy food , according to the united states department of agriculture . in this case , paltrow will be spending just under $ 30 for groceries . her participation is part of the # foodbanknycchallenge . celebrity chef mario batali , a close friend of the star 's , nominated paltrow and musicians sting and deborah harry for the challenge through a video . the challenge urges participants to use only $ 29 for all the food a person eats for seven days . for one week , walk in someone else 's shoes , ' batali is quoted saying on the food bank for new york city 's website . by truly understanding what our friends and neighbors are going through , we will be better equipped to find solutions . ' the # foodbanknycchallenge is an attempt to live on a food stamp budget for one week , which translates to $ 1.38 per meal , according to the site . the effort is in response to recent cuts to food stamps . congress cut food stamps twice since 2013 , and soup kitchens and food pantries saw an immediate increase in visitors , ' the site explains . organizers hope the challenge will raise public awareness of the struggles for families to afford food while on food stamps . | paltrow was nominated by her friend chef mario batali |
foodbanknycchallenge <tsp> ( cnn ) gwyneth paltrow , the actress turned lifestyle guru , is known for promoting detoxes and health cleanses on her site , goop.com . but she 's now bringing awareness to the difficulties of life on food stamps . in a tweet friday , paltrow showcased an array of leafy greens , dried beans and rice , purchased for the amount a person living on food stamps is allotted each week , she explained . the amount of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits a person can get is based on the u.s. department of agriculture 's thrifty food plan . the plan estimates how much it costs to buy food , according to the united states department of agriculture . in this case , paltrow will be spending just under $ 30 for groceries . her participation is part of the # foodbanknycchallenge . celebrity chef mario batali , a close friend of the star 's , nominated paltrow and musicians sting and deborah harry for the challenge through a video . the challenge urges participants to use only $ 29 for all the food a person eats for seven days . for one week , walk in someone else 's shoes , ' batali is quoted saying on the food bank for new york city 's website . by truly understanding what our friends and neighbors are going through , we will be better equipped to find solutions . ' the # foodbanknycchallenge is an attempt to live on a food stamp budget for one week , which translates to $ 1.38 per meal , according to the site . the effort is in response to recent cuts to food stamps . congress cut food stamps twice since 2013 , and soup kitchens and food pantries saw an immediate increase in visitors , ' the site explains . organizers hope the challenge will raise public awareness of the struggles for families to afford food while on food stamps . | it 's a part of the # foodbanknycchallenge , which is bringing awareness to food poverty |
paltrow <tsp> ( cnn ) gwyneth paltrow , the actress turned lifestyle guru , is known for promoting detoxes and health cleanses on her site , goop.com . but she 's now bringing awareness to the difficulties of life on food stamps . in a tweet friday , paltrow showcased an array of leafy greens , dried beans and rice , purchased for the amount a person living on food stamps is allotted each week , she explained . the amount of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits a person can get is based on the u.s. department of agriculture 's thrifty food plan . the plan estimates how much it costs to buy food , according to the united states department of agriculture . in this case , paltrow will be spending just under $ 30 for groceries . her participation is part of the # foodbanknycchallenge . celebrity chef mario batali , a close friend of the star 's , nominated paltrow and musicians sting and deborah harry for the challenge through a video . the challenge urges participants to use only $ 29 for all the food a person eats for seven days . for one week , walk in someone else 's shoes , ' batali is quoted saying on the food bank for new york city 's website . by truly understanding what our friends and neighbors are going through , we will be better equipped to find solutions . ' the # foodbanknycchallenge is an attempt to live on a food stamp budget for one week , which translates to $ 1.38 per meal , according to the site . the effort is in response to recent cuts to food stamps . congress cut food stamps twice since 2013 , and soup kitchens and food pantries saw an immediate increase in visitors , ' the site explains . organizers hope the challenge will raise public awareness of the struggles for families to afford food while on food stamps . | paltrow was nominated by her friend chef mario batali |
paltrow <tsp> ( cnn ) gwyneth paltrow , the actress turned lifestyle guru , is known for promoting detoxes and health cleanses on her site , goop.com . but she 's now bringing awareness to the difficulties of life on food stamps . in a tweet friday , paltrow showcased an array of leafy greens , dried beans and rice , purchased for the amount a person living on food stamps is allotted each week , she explained . the amount of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits a person can get is based on the u.s. department of agriculture 's thrifty food plan . the plan estimates how much it costs to buy food , according to the united states department of agriculture . in this case , paltrow will be spending just under $ 30 for groceries . her participation is part of the # foodbanknycchallenge . celebrity chef mario batali , a close friend of the star 's , nominated paltrow and musicians sting and deborah harry for the challenge through a video . the challenge urges participants to use only $ 29 for all the food a person eats for seven days . for one week , walk in someone else 's shoes , ' batali is quoted saying on the food bank for new york city 's website . by truly understanding what our friends and neighbors are going through , we will be better equipped to find solutions . ' the # foodbanknycchallenge is an attempt to live on a food stamp budget for one week , which translates to $ 1.38 per meal , according to the site . the effort is in response to recent cuts to food stamps . congress cut food stamps twice since 2013 , and soup kitchens and food pantries saw an immediate increase in visitors , ' the site explains . organizers hope the challenge will raise public awareness of the struggles for families to afford food while on food stamps . | actress gwyneth paltrow is trying to live on $ 29 worth of food for one week |
madoff <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- the wife of accused swindler bernard madoff pulled $ 15.5 million out of a madoff-related brokerage firm in massachusetts in the weeks before his arrest , authorities there disclosed wednesday . bernard madoff is under 24-hour house arrest in his upper east side luxury apartment . the withdrawals by ruth madoff took place in november and december , according to a complaint filed by state regulators against cohmad securities , a firm they said was intertwined ' with madoff 's new york-based company . the regulators say cohmad has refused to provide information about its ties to madoff , who is accused of running a ponzi scheme that may have cost investors up to $ 50 billion . daily wire transaction reports show cohmad was aware of transfers to and from madoff-related accounts , the filing states . for example , the few reports produced by cohmad show that ruth madoff withdrew $ 5.5 million on november 25 , 2008 and withdrew $ 10 million on december 10 , 2008 , ' investigators said . bernard madoff , 70 , was arrested december 11 and is currently under house arrest in his manhattan luxury apartment . he faces one charge of securities fraud in connection with an international scheme that has cost some investors their life savings and could face up to 20 years in prison and a $ 5 million fine if convicted . in january , prosecutors tried to revoke his $ 10 million bail after he mailed more than $ 1 million worth of diamond-studded jewelry to friends and family , a move they said showed he was trying to move assets out of government hands . but a judge ruled madoff was neither a danger to the community nor a flight risk . prosecutors and madoff 's lawyers have agreed for a second time to push back the deadline for an indictment or probable cause hearing for the former investor , sources close to the case said wednesday . the previous deadline of wednesday -- which was itself a delay -- has now been moved back another 30 days . madoff and the securities and exchange commission already have agreed to a partial civil judgment against the disgraced investment manager , one that could eventually force him to pay fines and return investors'money . under the terms of the deal , madoff will keep a previously reached agreement to freeze his assets and not to violate any other securities laws , but it does not require him to admit or deny any allegations . cnn 's allan chernoff and amy sahba contributed to this report . | madoff faces one charge of securities fraud and could face up to 20 years in prison |
madoff <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- the wife of accused swindler bernard madoff pulled $ 15.5 million out of a madoff-related brokerage firm in massachusetts in the weeks before his arrest , authorities there disclosed wednesday . bernard madoff is under 24-hour house arrest in his upper east side luxury apartment . the withdrawals by ruth madoff took place in november and december , according to a complaint filed by state regulators against cohmad securities , a firm they said was intertwined ' with madoff 's new york-based company . the regulators say cohmad has refused to provide information about its ties to madoff , who is accused of running a ponzi scheme that may have cost investors up to $ 50 billion . daily wire transaction reports show cohmad was aware of transfers to and from madoff-related accounts , the filing states . for example , the few reports produced by cohmad show that ruth madoff withdrew $ 5.5 million on november 25 , 2008 and withdrew $ 10 million on december 10 , 2008 , ' investigators said . bernard madoff , 70 , was arrested december 11 and is currently under house arrest in his manhattan luxury apartment . he faces one charge of securities fraud in connection with an international scheme that has cost some investors their life savings and could face up to 20 years in prison and a $ 5 million fine if convicted . in january , prosecutors tried to revoke his $ 10 million bail after he mailed more than $ 1 million worth of diamond-studded jewelry to friends and family , a move they said showed he was trying to move assets out of government hands . but a judge ruled madoff was neither a danger to the community nor a flight risk . prosecutors and madoff 's lawyers have agreed for a second time to push back the deadline for an indictment or probable cause hearing for the former investor , sources close to the case said wednesday . the previous deadline of wednesday -- which was itself a delay -- has now been moved back another 30 days . madoff and the securities and exchange commission already have agreed to a partial civil judgment against the disgraced investment manager , one that could eventually force him to pay fines and return investors'money . under the terms of the deal , madoff will keep a previously reached agreement to freeze his assets and not to violate any other securities laws , but it does not require him to admit or deny any allegations . cnn 's allan chernoff and amy sahba contributed to this report . | new : ruth madoff made withdrawals in november and december |
indonesians <tsp> fifty-two people are missing after a south korean fishing boat sank in the bering sea , the south korean government said . the vessel sank monday with 60 crew members on board . eight people were rescued , but one of them later died , said kim hong-won , an official at the south korean ministry of oceans and fisheries . the cause of the sinking , in the frigid waters that lie between far-eastern russia and alaska , was n't clear . the crew consisted of 35 indonesians , 13 filipinos , 11 south koreans and one russian , kim said . | the vessel 's crew included indonesians , filipinos , south koreans and a russian |
south korea <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a report in south korean media is fueling the ongoing speculation about the deteriorating health of north korean leader kim jong il . kim jong il , seen in an undated state-issued photo , has made only two public appearances since august . ytn news , citing unidentified intelligence sources in south korea and china , reported monday that the 67-year-old leader has pancreatic cancer . south korea 's unification ministry flatly denied the report , which comes a week after a frail-looking kim appeared in public for the first time in months . doctors told south korea 's state-run yonhap news agency that it is impossible to tell the status of kim 's health from the recent video of the reclusive leader . kim appeared at a july 8 ceremony to commemorate the 15th anniversary of his father 's death . he seemed frail and gaunt as he walked into the service flanked by senior party and military officials . north korea 's official kcna news agency has routinely criticized the western media for erroneously exaggerating the status of kim 's health . last week 's appearance was his second since he was widely reported to have suffered a stroke in august . kim was seen in april when he was reappointed as chairman of north korea 's military board . his recent health problems and long absence from public functions have prompted speculation on whether he was ready to groom an heir . the rules governing transfer of power in the secretive communist nation are unclear , but it is widely believed that kim 's youngest son , kim jong un , will succeed him . facts about north korea » in april , the north korean leader named kim jong un and brother-in-law chang sung taek to the country 's powerful national defense commission . chang , who is married to kim jong il 's sister , has effectively run the country in the wake of the leader 's health problems , according to time magazine . chang is the bridge from kim jong il to kim jong un , ' according to baek seung joo , who watches north korea at the korea institute for defense analysis , who spoke to time magazine last month . | south korea 's unification ministry denies claims of illness |
ban <tsp> ( cnn ) -- back in his native south korea , the korean foreign ministry nicknamed him ban-chusa , ' meaning the bureaucrat ' or the administrative clerk . ' u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon has focused on global warming policy by world governments . while ban ki-moon was known for his attention to detail and administrative skill , he was also seen by some as lacking in charisma and subservient to his superiors , while the korean press called him the slippery eel ' for his ability to dodge questions . but on october 13 , 2006 , south korea 's foreign minister ban ki-moon was elected to be the eighth secretary-general by the united nations general assembly . following up on a campaign aiming to bring out his charismatic side , ban surprised the audience of a un correspondents'dinner that december by singing ban ki-moon is coming to town ' on the melody of santa claus is coming to town . ' ban was born on 13 june 1944 . he received a bachelor 's degree in international relations from seoul national university in 1970 , and a master 's degree in public administration from the kennedy school of government at harvard university in 1985 . he and his wife , yoo ( ban ) soon-taek , whom he met in high school in 1962 , have one son and two daughters . in addition to korean , ban speaks fluent english and is studying french . ban was the minister of foreign affairs and trade of the republic of korea from january 2004 to november 2006 . his tenure included postings in new delhi , washington d.c. and vienna , while he was responsible for a variety of portfolios such as foreign policy advisor to the president , chief national security adviser to the president , deputy minister for policy planning and director-general of american affairs . throughout this service , his guiding vision was that of a peaceful korean peninsula , playing an expanding role for peace and prosperity in the region and the wider world . ban had long been actively involved in issues relating to inter-korean relations . in 1992 , as special advisor to the foreign minister , he served as vice chair of the south-north joint nuclear control commission following the adoption of the historic joint declaration on the denuclearization of the korean peninsula . in september 2005 , as foreign minister , he played a leading role in bringing about another landmark agreement aimed at promoting peace and stability on the korean peninsula with the adoption at the six party talks of the joint statement on resolving the north korean nuclear issue . in january 2007 ban succeeded kofi annan and has since pushed the sudanese government to allow peacekeeping troops in darfur and focused on global warming policy by world governments . | ban ki-moon elected eighth u.n. secretary-general in october 2006 |
ban <tsp> ( cnn ) -- back in his native south korea , the korean foreign ministry nicknamed him ban-chusa , ' meaning the bureaucrat ' or the administrative clerk . ' u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon has focused on global warming policy by world governments . while ban ki-moon was known for his attention to detail and administrative skill , he was also seen by some as lacking in charisma and subservient to his superiors , while the korean press called him the slippery eel ' for his ability to dodge questions . but on october 13 , 2006 , south korea 's foreign minister ban ki-moon was elected to be the eighth secretary-general by the united nations general assembly . following up on a campaign aiming to bring out his charismatic side , ban surprised the audience of a un correspondents'dinner that december by singing ban ki-moon is coming to town ' on the melody of santa claus is coming to town . ' ban was born on 13 june 1944 . he received a bachelor 's degree in international relations from seoul national university in 1970 , and a master 's degree in public administration from the kennedy school of government at harvard university in 1985 . he and his wife , yoo ( ban ) soon-taek , whom he met in high school in 1962 , have one son and two daughters . in addition to korean , ban speaks fluent english and is studying french . ban was the minister of foreign affairs and trade of the republic of korea from january 2004 to november 2006 . his tenure included postings in new delhi , washington d.c. and vienna , while he was responsible for a variety of portfolios such as foreign policy advisor to the president , chief national security adviser to the president , deputy minister for policy planning and director-general of american affairs . throughout this service , his guiding vision was that of a peaceful korean peninsula , playing an expanding role for peace and prosperity in the region and the wider world . ban had long been actively involved in issues relating to inter-korean relations . in 1992 , as special advisor to the foreign minister , he served as vice chair of the south-north joint nuclear control commission following the adoption of the historic joint declaration on the denuclearization of the korean peninsula . in september 2005 , as foreign minister , he played a leading role in bringing about another landmark agreement aimed at promoting peace and stability on the korean peninsula with the adoption at the six party talks of the joint statement on resolving the north korean nuclear issue . in january 2007 ban succeeded kofi annan and has since pushed the sudanese government to allow peacekeeping troops in darfur and focused on global warming policy by world governments . | ban was ban was south korea 's foreign minister from jan. 2004 to nov. 2006 |
ban <tsp> ( cnn ) -- back in his native south korea , the korean foreign ministry nicknamed him ban-chusa , ' meaning the bureaucrat ' or the administrative clerk . ' u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon has focused on global warming policy by world governments . while ban ki-moon was known for his attention to detail and administrative skill , he was also seen by some as lacking in charisma and subservient to his superiors , while the korean press called him the slippery eel ' for his ability to dodge questions . but on october 13 , 2006 , south korea 's foreign minister ban ki-moon was elected to be the eighth secretary-general by the united nations general assembly . following up on a campaign aiming to bring out his charismatic side , ban surprised the audience of a un correspondents'dinner that december by singing ban ki-moon is coming to town ' on the melody of santa claus is coming to town . ' ban was born on 13 june 1944 . he received a bachelor 's degree in international relations from seoul national university in 1970 , and a master 's degree in public administration from the kennedy school of government at harvard university in 1985 . he and his wife , yoo ( ban ) soon-taek , whom he met in high school in 1962 , have one son and two daughters . in addition to korean , ban speaks fluent english and is studying french . ban was the minister of foreign affairs and trade of the republic of korea from january 2004 to november 2006 . his tenure included postings in new delhi , washington d.c. and vienna , while he was responsible for a variety of portfolios such as foreign policy advisor to the president , chief national security adviser to the president , deputy minister for policy planning and director-general of american affairs . throughout this service , his guiding vision was that of a peaceful korean peninsula , playing an expanding role for peace and prosperity in the region and the wider world . ban had long been actively involved in issues relating to inter-korean relations . in 1992 , as special advisor to the foreign minister , he served as vice chair of the south-north joint nuclear control commission following the adoption of the historic joint declaration on the denuclearization of the korean peninsula . in september 2005 , as foreign minister , he played a leading role in bringing about another landmark agreement aimed at promoting peace and stability on the korean peninsula with the adoption at the six party talks of the joint statement on resolving the north korean nuclear issue . in january 2007 ban succeeded kofi annan and has since pushed the sudanese government to allow peacekeeping troops in darfur and focused on global warming policy by world governments . | ban has pushed sudan on peacekeepers in darfur and focused on climate change |
chris brown <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the best way to get tongues wagging is to say nothing at all , and it 's a skill rihanna has down to a science . rihanna apparently revealed the release date for her new album over twitter . the barbadian songstress arrived a bit late to the twitter party when she -- or her people -- created a rihanna ' tag yesterday and sent out a single , sparse tweet : the wait is ova . nov. 23 09 . ' whether that 's the name of a new single , the beginning of a viral marketing campaign -- or both -- is unknown , but a representative for rihanna told entertainment weekly that though the date looks accurate ' for her album release , the wait is ova ' is not the album title . the only other object fans can mine for clues about the singer 's upcoming release is the logo , a metallic nail fashioned into a crudely shaped r ' that has swarmed the internet . the new record would be her fourth since her debut at 17 . in the four years since , she 's evolved from an unknown , breezy pop singer to a sonically and fashionably more distinct persona . one can only expect that her latest effort would continue to show that growth . yet there are extra layers of anticipation surrounding the unnamed work : not only is this rihanna 's follow-up to good girl gone bad , ' the album that made her an international superstar , it 's also the first time she is piping up as a solo artist since the infamous fight with her ex-boyfriend , chris brown , in february . those who 've worked with the star on the record have said to expect something with more ferocity . expect an edgier , almost angrier rihanna on this one , ' ne-yo told e ! online . rihanna says some things on this album that you 've never heard her say before . ' but , said mariel concepcion , associate editor for billboard.com , that statement should n't be taken too literally . she has changed a bit , but i think she 's simply grown . fans are expecting her to reveal some details , but i think she 's going to subliminally let it be known that'yes , [ chris ] hurt me , but i 'm moving forward with life .'this issue was such a serious issue , it calls for more than putting out an angry song about it . ' tracey johnson , who said she 's been a fan of the singer since the beginning , has high expectations for the upcoming release , but not because she expects to hear about rihanna 's personal life . [ some fans ] feel like it would be good for her to represent abused women in some sort of way and say something , but in my perspective , she does n't owe us anything , ' johnson said . she 's always been pretty private about the relationship , and she 's never opened a lot in her music anyway . ' if rihanna maintains her silence , johnson said , it will be kind of a hit back at the critics who said she disappeared after not becoming the spokesperson for domestic abuse . she 's saying this is what you should be paying attention to : i 'm a fashion icon , and i make great music . ' johnson , co-founder and editor of celebrity web site neonlimelight.com , has paid close attention to rihanna 's reported studio time over the past few months , but said he did n't expect to see the album appear so soon -- and with a tweet , no less . i 'm definitely expecting more for this album , ' she said . rihanna has a platform now that she did n't have before'good girl gone bad .'she 's gone a step forward with each album , and i think it 's going to be a little more of what we heard on'good girl gone bad ,'but to the next level . ' that 's a prediction that concepcion agrees with , considering that the people who have been pulled in on this album resemble the team who worked on good girl ' : justin timberlake , ne-yo and tricky stewart , who was behind the single umbrella ' that launched rihanna to a new level of pop stardom . devin lazerine , editor of rap-up.com , said stewart is n't trying to top the success of umbrella , ' but rather create a sound that would live up to its success . just from hearing'run this town'we can see the direction she 's heading in , ' lazerine said . it 's going to be darker and more edgy . she was actually going to put that song on this album , and then jay-z heard it and they traded songs . ' still , lazerine said , dark ' and edgy ' do n't always equal personal . ' she 's all about the music and the sound -- i think we 're going to get something that embodies her fashion sense , ' he said . i do n't think there 's going to be much about the chris brown situation ; i do n't even think her fans expect that . they just want something that pushes the boundaries . ' rihanna 's former other half , chris brown , has been busying in the studio as well . the singer , who was sentenced to five years'probation and more than 1,400 hours of community service in august , released the single i can transform ya ' with swizz beatz and lil wayne a few weeks ago , but it 's not the only one circulating the internet . so cold , ' a ballad with lyrics that sound suspiciously autobiographical , was leaked onto the internet yesterday , as brown 's twitter page confirms . nonetheless , the artist does plan to keep it on the upcoming album graffiti , ' which has an undetermined release date . | album would be the first since fight with chris brown in february |
king felipe vi <tsp> madrid ( cnn ) -- spanish police arrested eight suspected islamic militants in madrid in predawn raids monday , for allegedly recruiting and sending radical fighters to aid the terrorist group islamic state in iraq and syria , the interior ministry said in a statement . the arrests come just ahead of the proclamation of spain 's new king felipe vi on thursday in parliament , and the ministry last week raised the terror alert level from 2 to 3 , to tighten security in the capital during the festivities . the suspected leader of the cell broken up monday had been detained in afghanistan in 2001 and later was a prisoner at the u.s. base at guantanamo bay , cuba , the ministry said . just last month , police arrested six spanish men in the spanish enclave of melilla , on morocco 's north coast , on suspicion of recruiting and sending 26 radical islamic fighters for terrorist groups in syria , mali and libya . also in melilla , last march , a spaniard and two frenchmen were arrested on similar charges . the movement of islamic militants from europe and north africa to conflict zones such as syria , mali and libya -- and their eventual return to spain to potentially carry out terrorist attacks -- has been a prime concern for authorities battling terrorism . this week , thousands of police and security forces will be on alert throughout madrid ; king juan carlos , 76 , spain 's head of state and commander in chief , formalizes his abdication wednesday , leading to the proclamation of his son , crown prince felipe , 46 , as the new king , in a nation where the elected government runs the country . the new king and his wife , princess letizia , who will become queen of spain , are due to ride through the streets , from parliament to the royal palace , and city officials have urged spaniards to turn out for the parade and to hang spanish flags from their homes . | the arrests come just ahead of the proclamation of spain 's new king felipe vi on thursday |
obama <tsp> newt gingrich is a political opportunist . his job is to pack as much powerfully charged meaning into every sentence as he can , which makes him a working poet . so he knows full well that calling someone a food stamp president ' brings up the working person 's fear , looming reality , and in some cases the actual experience , of unemployment -- while making a shout-out to racism and affixing a stigma to poverty . all the while hiding behind the symbol of a flag . it is the bane of america and americans that too often , those who best grasp the language of hatred and fear are those who are most likely to lead . this is simply because tacticians like gingrich are well-versed in the traditional battle-cry and have no fear of the outcome of political civil war . why should they be afraid ? they will never be down in the streets suffering with the people . gingrich says his words were misinterpreted , that anybody who criticizes his characterization of president obama is attacking the very fiber of american democracy . he sounds like a lawyer explaining away a crime by influencing the point of view of the jury with doubletalk . it is not that my client is n't guilty but that you can not prove that he is . ' woe be it to america when our lawyers become our poets . it is the job of the lawyer , poet and politician to stir the emotions of their audience . but where literary poets speak of love and loss , the lawyer vindicates and the politician aims to take the reins of power . characters are assassinated and whole groups of people are vilified in order that new blood ascend the throne . what is most revealing about gingrich 's statement is the nature of the comment , rather than who said it or even what it means . we see , at the beginning of the race for president , that our contestants for the greatest power in the world are limited in their choice of tactics , that they must destroy their opponents and , later , those that stood against their campaign . how do i know this is true ? because mr. gingrich is a political poet and good political poets always have their finger on the jugular vein of the nation . mr. gingrich has told me in three words that the battle line will be drawn by fear-stoked hatred . hatred and fear have deep roots in the american heart . the original colonists came here to escape religious , cultural and political oppression . sadly , these idealistic refugees brought those social banes along with them . there was once a time when only white male property owners participated in the democratic process of america . there was a time when we slaughtered the original inhabitants of these shores . but it was not the landed gentry that made up the rank and file . our senators and congresspersons , our millionaires and gentlemen farmers did not have to bleed for the crimes we 've committed and the freedoms we 've attained . all our leaders had to do was to locate our fear and greed and hatred . these feelings were exhorted in speech and song and catchy phrases . once this was accomplished we , the people , standing on sodden streets and dressed in rough cloth , marched off to die for another man 's dream . that was then and this is now . we -- americans of every stripe , gender and race -- are brothers and sisters in that great and ever-changing experiment of democracy . we are not enemies . if someone has a better plan he or she should ascend to our presidency . if they have lied we should know it . if they are corrupt it must come out . but we can not allow our emotions to be ignited by hidden messages of fear and hatred . this election is about us working together to implement our brightest potentials , not our basest natures . follow cnn opinion on twitter . join the conversation on facebook . | walter mosley : gingrich called obama the food stamp president , ' knowing its impact |
andrew pochter <tsp> ( cnn ) -- an american student fatally stabbed in egypt was so fascinated with the region , he read poems about it to his girlfriend , his mother said . andrew pochter of chevy chase , maryland , was stabbed friday in the port city of alexandria . he was in the country teaching english to elementary school children . as we understand it , he was witnessing the protest as a bystander and was stabbed by a protester , ' his family said in a statement . he went to egypt because he cared profoundly about the middle east , and he planned to live and work there in the pursuit of peace and understanding . ' egyptian state media reported that he was stabbed in the chest while filming the protests . protests have raged for days between supporters and foes of egyptian president mohamed morsy , prompting the united states to recently warn its citizens against travel to the nation . poetry about the region the 21-year-old went to egypt this year after spending time in morocco and falling in love with the region . before the trip , he interned for amideast , an american nonprofit that focuses on the middle east and north africa . he also took a class in regional politics . while enrolled in the class , he read poems about the israeli-palestinian conflict to his girlfriend , said his mother , elizabeth pochter . the class was n't just about some detached war to him , but a struggle that he passionately wanted to resolve , ' she said , according to a statement by kenyon college , where he had just completed his sophomore year . andrew was a person who did n't see the world as separate nations , but a collection of vibrant cultures . ' governments issue warnings against travel to egypt'one of the rare kids' his goal was to understand the political and religious dynamics in the region , sharpen his arabic skills and learn the different dialects , according to his family . he was one of the rare kids who lived what he believed , ' said marc bragin , a chaplain at kenyon . his belief was that everyone should be included , everyone had a voice , and no one should be left out because what they think is different than what others think . ' rugby player , radio station host a religious studies major , pochter was raised in a christian and jewish household , and was a member of the middle eastern students association . he was headed into his junior year in college . after egypt and morocco , he planned to venture farther into the region , including a planned trip to amman , jordan . in an essay as part of his application for the study-abroad program in jordan , andrew ... reflected on his hopes to develop'life-long ties ... with arab-speaking friends ,' the college said in a statement . pochter , a college radio station host , had varied interests , including rugby and cooking , his mother said . kenyon college said it was planning a memorial service in the fall . in addition to his mother , pochter is survived by his father , theodore pochter , and sister , emily pochter opinion : get ready for egypt 's'second revolution' cnn 's yousuf basil and greg botelho contributed to this report . | relatives : andrew pochter was watching protests in alexandria when he was stabbed |
routh <tsp> stephenville , texas ( cnn ) before prosecutors wrapped up their case against him , eddie ray routh 's words were in the spotlight tuesday . a chilling video shown in court showed police placing routh into a squad car moments after authorities chased him down a texas highway . earlier that day in february 2013 , authorities say he gunned down two men who were trying to help him at a firing range : chris kyle , subject of the hit film american sniper , ' and kyle 's friend , chad littlefield . in the video , routh is breathing heavily and teary-eyed . an officer asks if he 's ok. routh replies : i 'm just so nervous about what 's been happening in my life today . i do n't know what 's been happening . i 've been so paranoid schizophrenic all day . i do n't know what to even think of the world right now . i do n't know if i 'm insane or sane . ' at times , routh appears agitated in the video . he squirms around the back seat . other times he rests his head with his eyes closed . the small arsenal of weapons kyle brought to the range that day was shown to the jury , which included five long rifles and several handguns , including one of kyle 's rifles labeled american sniper . ' according to defense attorneys , routh , in his psychotic state , thought he was walking into a showdown on the range another piece of evidence prosecutors presented tuesday : a recording of a conversation routh had while behind bars . from inside the jail where routh has spent the last two years , he spoke with a writer from the new yorker magazine three months after the shootings routh can be heard saying he was annoyed at kyle and littlefield . so we 're shooting pistols here huh ? hmmm , ok , again , that 's pretty much saying duel motherf * * * * * . ' later in the interview , he 's asked what sparked the killings . routh blames chad littlefield for not shooting with him . i was like what the f * * * are you even doing here man ? this is n't a spectator sport , it 's a shooting sport , you shoot . and that 's what got me all , you know , wired up . ' he also said : i took care of business and then i got in the truck and left . ' routh 's lawyer admits his client killed kyle and littlefield , but contends he was insane at the time . prosecutors have described routh as a troubled young man , but they argue he was n't insane ; they say these are the actions of a cold-blooded killer . taking the stand for the defense , mother jodi routh painted a different picture , describing her son 's history of mental health problems . after his time serving in the military , she said , he was no longer his happy-go-lucky self . ' his first stay in a va mental ward was for three days in 2011 , she said . then he returned again , against his will , and spent weeks in the facility . when he was released , she said , he was on nine different medications , including mood elevators , anti-psychotic medications and sleep aids . jodi routh said she had asked kyle to help , telling him that her son had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder . she told kyle that her son had been hospitalized multiple times , but did not tell him that he 'd also threatened to kill himself and his family . do you regret not sharing that level of detail ? ' prosecutor jane starnes asked . i just wanted to get help for my son , ' the mother replied . routh 's trial comes just weeks after the release of the film about kyle , a former navy seal who claimed to be the deadliest sniper in u.s. history , with 160 confirmed kills in iraq . american sniper , ' directed by clint eastwood and starring bradley cooper , has grossed the most ever for a war movie . kyle 's autobiography by the same name spent weeks on best-seller lists . he had already risen to fame through his book when he died , and was involved in charitable work to help former troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder . kyle and littlefield took routh to the firing range as a kind of therapy . the range is a small , remote part of the sprawling 11,000-acre rough creek lodge , and the men were isolated . a hunting guide found kyle , 38 , and littlefield , 35 , kyle 's friend , motionless and called 911 . the men were dead when officers arrived . correction : earlier versions of this report incorrectly described the military background of chad littlefield , who was killed with chris kyle . littlefield was not a veteran . cnn 's catherine e. shoichet and dana ford contributed to this report . | eddie ray routh is on trial for the 2013 shooting deaths of chris kyle and chad littlefield |
routh <tsp> stephenville , texas ( cnn ) before prosecutors wrapped up their case against him , eddie ray routh 's words were in the spotlight tuesday . a chilling video shown in court showed police placing routh into a squad car moments after authorities chased him down a texas highway . earlier that day in february 2013 , authorities say he gunned down two men who were trying to help him at a firing range : chris kyle , subject of the hit film american sniper , ' and kyle 's friend , chad littlefield . in the video , routh is breathing heavily and teary-eyed . an officer asks if he 's ok. routh replies : i 'm just so nervous about what 's been happening in my life today . i do n't know what 's been happening . i 've been so paranoid schizophrenic all day . i do n't know what to even think of the world right now . i do n't know if i 'm insane or sane . ' at times , routh appears agitated in the video . he squirms around the back seat . other times he rests his head with his eyes closed . the small arsenal of weapons kyle brought to the range that day was shown to the jury , which included five long rifles and several handguns , including one of kyle 's rifles labeled american sniper . ' according to defense attorneys , routh , in his psychotic state , thought he was walking into a showdown on the range another piece of evidence prosecutors presented tuesday : a recording of a conversation routh had while behind bars . from inside the jail where routh has spent the last two years , he spoke with a writer from the new yorker magazine three months after the shootings routh can be heard saying he was annoyed at kyle and littlefield . so we 're shooting pistols here huh ? hmmm , ok , again , that 's pretty much saying duel motherf * * * * * . ' later in the interview , he 's asked what sparked the killings . routh blames chad littlefield for not shooting with him . i was like what the f * * * are you even doing here man ? this is n't a spectator sport , it 's a shooting sport , you shoot . and that 's what got me all , you know , wired up . ' he also said : i took care of business and then i got in the truck and left . ' routh 's lawyer admits his client killed kyle and littlefield , but contends he was insane at the time . prosecutors have described routh as a troubled young man , but they argue he was n't insane ; they say these are the actions of a cold-blooded killer . taking the stand for the defense , mother jodi routh painted a different picture , describing her son 's history of mental health problems . after his time serving in the military , she said , he was no longer his happy-go-lucky self . ' his first stay in a va mental ward was for three days in 2011 , she said . then he returned again , against his will , and spent weeks in the facility . when he was released , she said , he was on nine different medications , including mood elevators , anti-psychotic medications and sleep aids . jodi routh said she had asked kyle to help , telling him that her son had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder . she told kyle that her son had been hospitalized multiple times , but did not tell him that he 'd also threatened to kill himself and his family . do you regret not sharing that level of detail ? ' prosecutor jane starnes asked . i just wanted to get help for my son , ' the mother replied . routh 's trial comes just weeks after the release of the film about kyle , a former navy seal who claimed to be the deadliest sniper in u.s. history , with 160 confirmed kills in iraq . american sniper , ' directed by clint eastwood and starring bradley cooper , has grossed the most ever for a war movie . kyle 's autobiography by the same name spent weeks on best-seller lists . he had already risen to fame through his book when he died , and was involved in charitable work to help former troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder . kyle and littlefield took routh to the firing range as a kind of therapy . the range is a small , remote part of the sprawling 11,000-acre rough creek lodge , and the men were isolated . a hunting guide found kyle , 38 , and littlefield , 35 , kyle 's friend , motionless and called 911 . the men were dead when officers arrived . correction : earlier versions of this report incorrectly described the military background of chad littlefield , who was killed with chris kyle . littlefield was not a veteran . cnn 's catherine e. shoichet and dana ford contributed to this report . | in an audio recording , routh says he was annoyed at kyle and littlefield |
littlefield <tsp> stephenville , texas ( cnn ) before prosecutors wrapped up their case against him , eddie ray routh 's words were in the spotlight tuesday . a chilling video shown in court showed police placing routh into a squad car moments after authorities chased him down a texas highway . earlier that day in february 2013 , authorities say he gunned down two men who were trying to help him at a firing range : chris kyle , subject of the hit film american sniper , ' and kyle 's friend , chad littlefield . in the video , routh is breathing heavily and teary-eyed . an officer asks if he 's ok. routh replies : i 'm just so nervous about what 's been happening in my life today . i do n't know what 's been happening . i 've been so paranoid schizophrenic all day . i do n't know what to even think of the world right now . i do n't know if i 'm insane or sane . ' at times , routh appears agitated in the video . he squirms around the back seat . other times he rests his head with his eyes closed . the small arsenal of weapons kyle brought to the range that day was shown to the jury , which included five long rifles and several handguns , including one of kyle 's rifles labeled american sniper . ' according to defense attorneys , routh , in his psychotic state , thought he was walking into a showdown on the range another piece of evidence prosecutors presented tuesday : a recording of a conversation routh had while behind bars . from inside the jail where routh has spent the last two years , he spoke with a writer from the new yorker magazine three months after the shootings routh can be heard saying he was annoyed at kyle and littlefield . so we 're shooting pistols here huh ? hmmm , ok , again , that 's pretty much saying duel motherf * * * * * . ' later in the interview , he 's asked what sparked the killings . routh blames chad littlefield for not shooting with him . i was like what the f * * * are you even doing here man ? this is n't a spectator sport , it 's a shooting sport , you shoot . and that 's what got me all , you know , wired up . ' he also said : i took care of business and then i got in the truck and left . ' routh 's lawyer admits his client killed kyle and littlefield , but contends he was insane at the time . prosecutors have described routh as a troubled young man , but they argue he was n't insane ; they say these are the actions of a cold-blooded killer . taking the stand for the defense , mother jodi routh painted a different picture , describing her son 's history of mental health problems . after his time serving in the military , she said , he was no longer his happy-go-lucky self . ' his first stay in a va mental ward was for three days in 2011 , she said . then he returned again , against his will , and spent weeks in the facility . when he was released , she said , he was on nine different medications , including mood elevators , anti-psychotic medications and sleep aids . jodi routh said she had asked kyle to help , telling him that her son had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder . she told kyle that her son had been hospitalized multiple times , but did not tell him that he 'd also threatened to kill himself and his family . do you regret not sharing that level of detail ? ' prosecutor jane starnes asked . i just wanted to get help for my son , ' the mother replied . routh 's trial comes just weeks after the release of the film about kyle , a former navy seal who claimed to be the deadliest sniper in u.s. history , with 160 confirmed kills in iraq . american sniper , ' directed by clint eastwood and starring bradley cooper , has grossed the most ever for a war movie . kyle 's autobiography by the same name spent weeks on best-seller lists . he had already risen to fame through his book when he died , and was involved in charitable work to help former troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder . kyle and littlefield took routh to the firing range as a kind of therapy . the range is a small , remote part of the sprawling 11,000-acre rough creek lodge , and the men were isolated . a hunting guide found kyle , 38 , and littlefield , 35 , kyle 's friend , motionless and called 911 . the men were dead when officers arrived . correction : earlier versions of this report incorrectly described the military background of chad littlefield , who was killed with chris kyle . littlefield was not a veteran . cnn 's catherine e. shoichet and dana ford contributed to this report . | eddie ray routh is on trial for the 2013 shooting deaths of chris kyle and chad littlefield |
littlefield <tsp> stephenville , texas ( cnn ) before prosecutors wrapped up their case against him , eddie ray routh 's words were in the spotlight tuesday . a chilling video shown in court showed police placing routh into a squad car moments after authorities chased him down a texas highway . earlier that day in february 2013 , authorities say he gunned down two men who were trying to help him at a firing range : chris kyle , subject of the hit film american sniper , ' and kyle 's friend , chad littlefield . in the video , routh is breathing heavily and teary-eyed . an officer asks if he 's ok. routh replies : i 'm just so nervous about what 's been happening in my life today . i do n't know what 's been happening . i 've been so paranoid schizophrenic all day . i do n't know what to even think of the world right now . i do n't know if i 'm insane or sane . ' at times , routh appears agitated in the video . he squirms around the back seat . other times he rests his head with his eyes closed . the small arsenal of weapons kyle brought to the range that day was shown to the jury , which included five long rifles and several handguns , including one of kyle 's rifles labeled american sniper . ' according to defense attorneys , routh , in his psychotic state , thought he was walking into a showdown on the range another piece of evidence prosecutors presented tuesday : a recording of a conversation routh had while behind bars . from inside the jail where routh has spent the last two years , he spoke with a writer from the new yorker magazine three months after the shootings routh can be heard saying he was annoyed at kyle and littlefield . so we 're shooting pistols here huh ? hmmm , ok , again , that 's pretty much saying duel motherf * * * * * . ' later in the interview , he 's asked what sparked the killings . routh blames chad littlefield for not shooting with him . i was like what the f * * * are you even doing here man ? this is n't a spectator sport , it 's a shooting sport , you shoot . and that 's what got me all , you know , wired up . ' he also said : i took care of business and then i got in the truck and left . ' routh 's lawyer admits his client killed kyle and littlefield , but contends he was insane at the time . prosecutors have described routh as a troubled young man , but they argue he was n't insane ; they say these are the actions of a cold-blooded killer . taking the stand for the defense , mother jodi routh painted a different picture , describing her son 's history of mental health problems . after his time serving in the military , she said , he was no longer his happy-go-lucky self . ' his first stay in a va mental ward was for three days in 2011 , she said . then he returned again , against his will , and spent weeks in the facility . when he was released , she said , he was on nine different medications , including mood elevators , anti-psychotic medications and sleep aids . jodi routh said she had asked kyle to help , telling him that her son had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder . she told kyle that her son had been hospitalized multiple times , but did not tell him that he 'd also threatened to kill himself and his family . do you regret not sharing that level of detail ? ' prosecutor jane starnes asked . i just wanted to get help for my son , ' the mother replied . routh 's trial comes just weeks after the release of the film about kyle , a former navy seal who claimed to be the deadliest sniper in u.s. history , with 160 confirmed kills in iraq . american sniper , ' directed by clint eastwood and starring bradley cooper , has grossed the most ever for a war movie . kyle 's autobiography by the same name spent weeks on best-seller lists . he had already risen to fame through his book when he died , and was involved in charitable work to help former troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder . kyle and littlefield took routh to the firing range as a kind of therapy . the range is a small , remote part of the sprawling 11,000-acre rough creek lodge , and the men were isolated . a hunting guide found kyle , 38 , and littlefield , 35 , kyle 's friend , motionless and called 911 . the men were dead when officers arrived . correction : earlier versions of this report incorrectly described the military background of chad littlefield , who was killed with chris kyle . littlefield was not a veteran . cnn 's catherine e. shoichet and dana ford contributed to this report . | in an audio recording , routh says he was annoyed at kyle and littlefield |
northwest <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- on march 30 the open skies treaty went into effect , liberalizing air travel between the u.s. and europe . but how will the ease of restrictions on transatlantic routes affect business travelers ? under open skies , european and u.s. airlines will be given unlimited access between europe and u.s. points . the treaty puts an end to the exclusive arrangement granted to british airways , virgin atlantic , united airlines and american airlines to fly transatlantic out of london heathrow . but with the airport currently operating at almost-maximum capacity , new flights will be severely limited . as a result competition is fierce for heathrow slots , with airlines paying as much as $ 60 million to get their hands on them . for each flight that is added , another less lucrative service is scrapped . airlines are giving priority to high-yield business routes to and from heathrow . while european carriers are now allowed to fly from any point within e.u across the atlantic , the u.s. domestic market remains closed to them . operators in europe hope that a second phase of the open skies deal will mean a relaxation of restrictions on european airlines'investment in u.s. carriers and the ability for european airlines to compete in the u.s. domestic market . the issue is pending in u.s. congress . if the u.s. does n't deliver , there is a clause in the agreement that states the open skies treaty -- phase i included -- can be torn up . industry experts foresee some fare wars in both economy and business-class . service options are also likely to improve as competition intensifies . u.s. airlines will vie with ba , the dominant carrier at heathrow , that currently has flights to 24 u.s. cities . the biggest challenge to the incumbent airlines operating out of heathrow will come from carriers in the skyteam alliance , that includes air france and klm , delta air lines , northwest airlines news , and continental airlines . before open skies , the skyteam alliance offered no transatlantic routes to and from heathrow . by summer they will offer 10 percent of these flights . skyteam carriers will be located for the first time in terminal 4 . given the size of the market for u.s.-london flights , airlines will continue to offer services from gatwick , london 's second-busiest airport . open skies will intensify competition for ailing u.s. airlines on what has been their most profitable route . analysts expect to see consolidation between u.s. airlines as they combine international networks to beat competition . one advantage u.s. airlines can offer is opportunity for connecting flights to other european cities as well as on to asia and the mideast . european carriers on the other hand , can not operate domestic flights within the u.s. new flights and new airlines oneworld alliance british airways will shift its dallas and houston services from gatwick to heathrow and its warsaw operation to gatwick . flights to detroit and harare will be axed . in june , the airline will also launch services between continental europe and new york . operated by subsidiary openskies , the daily flights will fly from either jfk or newark to brussels or paris cdg using boeing 757s from its existing fleet . in the future , openskies plans to fly to other business centers , including amsterdam , frankfurt , milan , madrid , zurich , and geneva . ba will also commence business-only flights between new york and london city airport next year using airbus a318 jets in a 32-seat layout . skyteam airline alliance 's new transatlantic flights starting between march 30 and june 2008 • air france in joint venture with delta : daily service to los angeles • continental : twice-daily service to houston and twice-daily service to newark liberty international ( ewr ) from may 29 2008 • delta in joint venture with air france : daily service to atlanta and twice-daily service to new york jfk • northwest in joint venture with klm : daily service to detroit , daily service to minneapolis and daily service to seattle . slots were secured as a result of air france ditching four daily rotations from london to paris charles de gaulle and klm dropping three of its slots to northwest from eindhoven and rotterdam . non-aligned airlines aer lingus launched services from dublin to washington dc , orlando and san francisco last year . this followed agreement between the irish and u.s. governments that the airline could begin operations before others . low-cost airline ryanair is considering setting up a separate long-haul carrier that would fly ultra-low-fares between secondary airports in europe and u.s. such as stansted and baltimore-washington international . virgin atlantic has decided to wait to see if open skies phase ii is adopted before starting new flights to new york from non-uk cities . e-mail to a friend | new flights start this year from air france , continental , delta and northwest |
suntech <tsp> suntech power holdings , which was until recently the world 's largest producer of solar panels , has said its main subsidiary in china is bankrupt , in a further stark illustration of the declining fortunes of the global solar industry . suntech 's wuxi subsidiary is the first big chinese solar group to declare insolvency and the world 's biggest such bankruptcy , following a string of failed western solar companies including q-cells in germany and solyndra in the us . what the suntech case shows us is that the chinese companies are not too big to fail , ' said jenny chase , head of solar analysis at bloomberg new energy finance . we are entering a period of great difficulty for chinese solar manufacturers . ' china is the world 's biggest producer of solar panels , but the sector is suffering from overcapacity after rapid expansion fuelled by cheap loans and preferential government policies . us-listed suntech was the posterchild of the country 's swift entry into , and then dominance of , the market . it announced on wednesday that eight chinese banks had filed a petition for insolvency and restructuring of wuxi suntech in a court in jiangsu province . the bankruptcy is a milestone because , until now , china 's larger struggling solar companies have been kept afloat by cheap credit and indirect state support . suntech defaulted last week on a $ 541m convertible bond issued by its cayman islands subsidiary , which triggered cross-defaults on other loans outstanding . according to the company 's most recent reports , suntech 's net debt stood at $ 1.6bn at the end of march 2012 . the case is set to be a big test of china 's new bankruptcy law , which came into effect in 2007 but has rarely been applied to overseas-listed companies with assets in china . it will be complicated by the fact that neither the us-listed entity , suntech power holdings , nor any subsidiaries other than wuxi are declaring insolvency . it 's going to be a test of what , exactly , do the us entities and the cayman entities really own ? ' said one singapore-based analyst who asked not to be named . under chinese law , the courts will have six months to come up with a restructuring plan that is then presented to creditors , with the possibility of an additional three-month extension . bankruptcy specialist han chuanhua , a partner at the zhongzi law office in beijing , said : it is rare for such a big company to get into bankruptcy proceedings , even though many companies can not pay off their debts . ' he cited local government bailouts , and creditor reluctance , as two main reasons why insolvent chinese companies avoid bankruptcy . the government of wuxi , the city where suntech is headquartered , has come to suntech 's aid in the past -- and appears to be taking an even more active role in the company with the appointment earlier this week of a new president , zhou weiping , who previously worked for the government-backed wuxi guolian development co. mr han said the co-ordinated action of the eight banks suggested the local government had given its blessing to the proceedings . without government support , even if creditors file a petition , the court would n't accept it , ' he explained . david king , suntech 's chief executive , said : while we evaluate restructuring initiatives and strategic alternatives , we are committed to continuing to provide high-quality solar products to our global customer base . ' | until recently suntech was the world 's largest producer of solar panels |
suntech <tsp> suntech power holdings , which was until recently the world 's largest producer of solar panels , has said its main subsidiary in china is bankrupt , in a further stark illustration of the declining fortunes of the global solar industry . suntech 's wuxi subsidiary is the first big chinese solar group to declare insolvency and the world 's biggest such bankruptcy , following a string of failed western solar companies including q-cells in germany and solyndra in the us . what the suntech case shows us is that the chinese companies are not too big to fail , ' said jenny chase , head of solar analysis at bloomberg new energy finance . we are entering a period of great difficulty for chinese solar manufacturers . ' china is the world 's biggest producer of solar panels , but the sector is suffering from overcapacity after rapid expansion fuelled by cheap loans and preferential government policies . us-listed suntech was the posterchild of the country 's swift entry into , and then dominance of , the market . it announced on wednesday that eight chinese banks had filed a petition for insolvency and restructuring of wuxi suntech in a court in jiangsu province . the bankruptcy is a milestone because , until now , china 's larger struggling solar companies have been kept afloat by cheap credit and indirect state support . suntech defaulted last week on a $ 541m convertible bond issued by its cayman islands subsidiary , which triggered cross-defaults on other loans outstanding . according to the company 's most recent reports , suntech 's net debt stood at $ 1.6bn at the end of march 2012 . the case is set to be a big test of china 's new bankruptcy law , which came into effect in 2007 but has rarely been applied to overseas-listed companies with assets in china . it will be complicated by the fact that neither the us-listed entity , suntech power holdings , nor any subsidiaries other than wuxi are declaring insolvency . it 's going to be a test of what , exactly , do the us entities and the cayman entities really own ? ' said one singapore-based analyst who asked not to be named . under chinese law , the courts will have six months to come up with a restructuring plan that is then presented to creditors , with the possibility of an additional three-month extension . bankruptcy specialist han chuanhua , a partner at the zhongzi law office in beijing , said : it is rare for such a big company to get into bankruptcy proceedings , even though many companies can not pay off their debts . ' he cited local government bailouts , and creditor reluctance , as two main reasons why insolvent chinese companies avoid bankruptcy . the government of wuxi , the city where suntech is headquartered , has come to suntech 's aid in the past -- and appears to be taking an even more active role in the company with the appointment earlier this week of a new president , zhou weiping , who previously worked for the government-backed wuxi guolian development co. mr han said the co-ordinated action of the eight banks suggested the local government had given its blessing to the proceedings . without government support , even if creditors file a petition , the court would n't accept it , ' he explained . david king , suntech 's chief executive , said : while we evaluate restructuring initiatives and strategic alternatives , we are committed to continuing to provide high-quality solar products to our global customer base . ' | suntech power holdings has said its main subsidiary in china is bankrupt |
elizabeth <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the goal of bioshock infinite , ' creative director ken levine said , was to have moved the ball down the field ' in terms of how video games can be vehicles for telling engrossing , expansive stories . but the latest entry into the wildly popular franchise does more than just move the ball down the field . it kicks it squarely through the goalposts with a mind-blowing story set in an alternate reality that may be only a short trip from our real-world track . bioshock infinite ' takes place in a version of 1912 america in the floating city of columbia , a technological marvel on which a prophet has chosen to lead his people away from the sodom below . ' booker dewitt , a former military man and pinkerton agent , is charged with going to the city in the sky and rescuing a young girl , elizabeth , who has the power to manipulate time and space . indeed , the game plays with the concept of time from its very beginning . an edwardian barbershop quartet sings god only knows ' by the beach boys . a mechanical horse is advertised as horse of the future today . ' the city itself feels like a floating world 's fair , with new inventions , a carnival-like atmosphere and everyone speaking about how much better things will be tomorrow -- all based on the prophet 's guidance . the environments are colorful and vibrant , reflective of the game 's disparate moods of optimism and turmoil . the city feels like it has gravitas while remaining lofty in the clouds . there is even a beach and ocean , ' so i guess we get to see where rain really comes from . steampunkish voxophones ' and kinetoscopes ' scattered throughout the city help provide aural and visual backstories for current events . they fill in the history blanks and give the player a better understanding of actions that take place . of course , elizabeth is key to the prophet 's plan to bring judgment on the sinners below , so booker 's time in columbia is not going to be an easy one . combat in infinite ' is based very much on the principles from other bioshock ' games , with some slight tweaks . instead of plasmids ( the power source in the first two games ) , so-called vigors are the source of booker 's environmental powers . from throwing fireballs to directing flocks of ravens or firing lightning bolts , the vigors are permanent once acquired and powered by salts found throughout the city . think of salts as ammunition for your vigor weapons .'bioshock'creator talks history , writing and'nerdity' there are more traditional weapons as well . pistols , shotguns , machine guns -- they 're all here . both the guns and the vigors are upgradable through purchased additions at vending machines , so keep an eye out for coins wherever you find them . the nice addition for combat is making vigors and weapons dual-wieldable . you can mow down an opponent with bullets or rockets while tossing them in the air with a bucking bronco vigor . in previous games , this was an either/or venture , so it is nice to be able to mix and match your attacks to whatever you choose . however , the heart of the game is elizabeth . she is your constant companion throughout the game , offering help in combat or pointing out items you might miss as you travel throughout columbia . her ability to create windows into other worlds can help bring in supplies or allies during battle as well . she is also a master thief who can pick locks quickly . elizabeth is never in danger during combat and never takes damage . in that way , she is not one big escort mission but a true companion during your adventures . getting elizabeth just right was a massive undertaking for irrational games and levine , who said the game 's release date was pushed back a year solely to perfect her . their success lies in the empathy the player develops toward her as the game progresses . you feel and see her frustrations , her joys and her pain . her tiny movements , such as bending over to closely examine a new item for the first time ( even one that has no bearing on the game ) , give her a human feeling without treading into uncanny valley ( where animation comes so close to actual human behavior that it causes discomfort ) . without going into spoiler territory , there were two separate instances where i really thought the development teams nailed it . the first was during a tense situation early in the game where elizabeth is trying to understand what 's going on and why people were fighting over her . booker tries to explain that different sides want different things from her . her response : well , i want a puppy , but that does n't mean i 'm going to get one . ' it felt like the way a teenager would react to a stressful situation . the second came during a scene in which booker is talking with people who suddenly disappear . as a gamer , i shrugged it off and accepted it . however , when i turned around , i caught sight of elizabeth , who was standing there with the best wth ? ' look i 've ever seen in a video game . little moments like that combine to reveal a character who is n't just a companion but who helps move the story along in a meaningful way . at first , you want to help yourself . later , you want to help elizabeth . by the end , you want both . the experiences will linger . and your emotions will be real . in this way , levine and his team have succeeded in creating not only an excitingly wonderful game but one that will make the player think for days after the game is done . bioshock infinite ' earns its title by the end of the game . the possibilities , like time and space , are endless . the overarching narrative portrays struggles on so many different levels , but it is your story of struggle that is ultimately important and the one you guide to its conclusion . bioshock infinite ' is available worldwide on tuesday for the playstation 3 , xbox 360 and windows pc . it is rated m for mature due to blood and gore , intense violence , language , mild sexual themes and use of alcohol and tobacco . this review was completed using a provided retail copy for the xbox 360 . | fully realized elizabeth , a companion character , is the soul of the game |
de pedis <tsp> rome ( cnn ) -- the body of a mobster buried among cardinals and bishops on a vatican property has been exhumed in an investigation into a teenage girl 's disappearance . investigators at the church of sant'apollinare in central rome opened the tomb of enrico renatino ' de pedis on monday in the search for clues about what happened to emanuela orlandi , the daughter of a prominent vatican employee . the 15-year-old vanished without a trace after leaving her vatican apartment for music lessons on the afternoon of june 22 , 1983 . the mystery has captivated people throughout italy and triggered numerous conspiracy theories . in the crypt , in addition to de pedis'body , investigators found dozens of boxes of human bones , which they are testing . at the time of emanuela 's disappearance nearly 30 years ago , a witness reported seeing a girl who fit her description getting into a dark green bmw near the music school , which was adjacent to the sant'apollinare church . that lead was never corroborated . in 1981 , two years before the girl 's disappearance , turkish national mehmet ali agca shot pope john paul ii . in the days after emanuela disappeared , her parents received anonymous phone calls from someone promising the safe return of their daughter if the vatican released agca . meanwhile , an anonymous caller told police that emanuela was kidnapped to keep her father , ercole orlandi , quiet . that caller said ercole orlandi had stumbled upon sensitive documents that tied banker roberto calvi to an organized crime syndicate . calvi was known as god 's banker ' for his close association with both the holy see and its primary banking facility , banco ambrosiano . orlandi worked in the vatican 's special events office that organizes papal functions and catholic celebrations . calvi was found hanged in london in 1982 . speculation turned from suicide to homicide in that case . the tipster to police in italy said orlandi 's daughter was nabbed to ensure her father 's silence . ercole orlandi died in 2004 . in 2005 , another anonymous call to an italian detective said emanuela was kidnapped on the orders of the then-vicar of rome , cardinal ugo poletti , and that the secret to the mystery lies in a tomb in sant'apollinare basilica ' -- specifically de pedis'tomb . de pedis was gunned down in rome in 1990 and his body was moved to the basilica some time before 1997 , presumably either as part of a secret deal for a massive loan de pedis made to the vatican or to protect his tomb from being desecrated by rival gang members . in 2008 , de pedis'mistress said he was involved in emanuela 's kidnapping and that the girl was buried under the foundation of a house outside of rome . investigators searched that house but found that the concrete foundation was poured the year before the girl 's disappearance and could not have been connected to the crime . the vatican has distanced itself from the orlandi controversy . in a three-page letter broadcast on rai television , vatican spokesman federico lombardi said he asked vatican cardinals whether the vatican 's failure to collaborate in the original kidnapping probe was normal and justifiable affirmation of vatican sovereignty , or if in fact circumstances were withheld that might have helped clear something up . ' the vatican cooperated immediately with the exhumation . after opening the tomb monday , investigators found de pedis'body so well preserved that scientific police were able to confirm his identity through fingerprints . also inside the crypt were the boxes of bones , according to investigators on the scene . the church has been used for burials for two centuries . still , all of the bones will be tested to determine whether they are tied to de pedis or to emanuela 's disappearance . de pedis will not be reburied in the church , the vatican said . de pedis family lawyer lorenzo radogna said the remains will either be cremated or reinterred in a public cemetery in rome . | de pedis will not be reburied at the site |
de pedis <tsp> rome ( cnn ) -- the body of a mobster buried among cardinals and bishops on a vatican property has been exhumed in an investigation into a teenage girl 's disappearance . investigators at the church of sant'apollinare in central rome opened the tomb of enrico renatino ' de pedis on monday in the search for clues about what happened to emanuela orlandi , the daughter of a prominent vatican employee . the 15-year-old vanished without a trace after leaving her vatican apartment for music lessons on the afternoon of june 22 , 1983 . the mystery has captivated people throughout italy and triggered numerous conspiracy theories . in the crypt , in addition to de pedis'body , investigators found dozens of boxes of human bones , which they are testing . at the time of emanuela 's disappearance nearly 30 years ago , a witness reported seeing a girl who fit her description getting into a dark green bmw near the music school , which was adjacent to the sant'apollinare church . that lead was never corroborated . in 1981 , two years before the girl 's disappearance , turkish national mehmet ali agca shot pope john paul ii . in the days after emanuela disappeared , her parents received anonymous phone calls from someone promising the safe return of their daughter if the vatican released agca . meanwhile , an anonymous caller told police that emanuela was kidnapped to keep her father , ercole orlandi , quiet . that caller said ercole orlandi had stumbled upon sensitive documents that tied banker roberto calvi to an organized crime syndicate . calvi was known as god 's banker ' for his close association with both the holy see and its primary banking facility , banco ambrosiano . orlandi worked in the vatican 's special events office that organizes papal functions and catholic celebrations . calvi was found hanged in london in 1982 . speculation turned from suicide to homicide in that case . the tipster to police in italy said orlandi 's daughter was nabbed to ensure her father 's silence . ercole orlandi died in 2004 . in 2005 , another anonymous call to an italian detective said emanuela was kidnapped on the orders of the then-vicar of rome , cardinal ugo poletti , and that the secret to the mystery lies in a tomb in sant'apollinare basilica ' -- specifically de pedis'tomb . de pedis was gunned down in rome in 1990 and his body was moved to the basilica some time before 1997 , presumably either as part of a secret deal for a massive loan de pedis made to the vatican or to protect his tomb from being desecrated by rival gang members . in 2008 , de pedis'mistress said he was involved in emanuela 's kidnapping and that the girl was buried under the foundation of a house outside of rome . investigators searched that house but found that the concrete foundation was poured the year before the girl 's disappearance and could not have been connected to the crime . the vatican has distanced itself from the orlandi controversy . in a three-page letter broadcast on rai television , vatican spokesman federico lombardi said he asked vatican cardinals whether the vatican 's failure to collaborate in the original kidnapping probe was normal and justifiable affirmation of vatican sovereignty , or if in fact circumstances were withheld that might have helped clear something up . ' the vatican cooperated immediately with the exhumation . after opening the tomb monday , investigators found de pedis'body so well preserved that scientific police were able to confirm his identity through fingerprints . also inside the crypt were the boxes of bones , according to investigators on the scene . the church has been used for burials for two centuries . still , all of the bones will be tested to determine whether they are tied to de pedis or to emanuela 's disappearance . de pedis will not be reburied in the church , the vatican said . de pedis family lawyer lorenzo radogna said the remains will either be cremated or reinterred in a public cemetery in rome . | an anonymous caller and his former mistress have linked de pedis to the disappearance |
de pedis <tsp> rome ( cnn ) -- the body of a mobster buried among cardinals and bishops on a vatican property has been exhumed in an investigation into a teenage girl 's disappearance . investigators at the church of sant'apollinare in central rome opened the tomb of enrico renatino ' de pedis on monday in the search for clues about what happened to emanuela orlandi , the daughter of a prominent vatican employee . the 15-year-old vanished without a trace after leaving her vatican apartment for music lessons on the afternoon of june 22 , 1983 . the mystery has captivated people throughout italy and triggered numerous conspiracy theories . in the crypt , in addition to de pedis'body , investigators found dozens of boxes of human bones , which they are testing . at the time of emanuela 's disappearance nearly 30 years ago , a witness reported seeing a girl who fit her description getting into a dark green bmw near the music school , which was adjacent to the sant'apollinare church . that lead was never corroborated . in 1981 , two years before the girl 's disappearance , turkish national mehmet ali agca shot pope john paul ii . in the days after emanuela disappeared , her parents received anonymous phone calls from someone promising the safe return of their daughter if the vatican released agca . meanwhile , an anonymous caller told police that emanuela was kidnapped to keep her father , ercole orlandi , quiet . that caller said ercole orlandi had stumbled upon sensitive documents that tied banker roberto calvi to an organized crime syndicate . calvi was known as god 's banker ' for his close association with both the holy see and its primary banking facility , banco ambrosiano . orlandi worked in the vatican 's special events office that organizes papal functions and catholic celebrations . calvi was found hanged in london in 1982 . speculation turned from suicide to homicide in that case . the tipster to police in italy said orlandi 's daughter was nabbed to ensure her father 's silence . ercole orlandi died in 2004 . in 2005 , another anonymous call to an italian detective said emanuela was kidnapped on the orders of the then-vicar of rome , cardinal ugo poletti , and that the secret to the mystery lies in a tomb in sant'apollinare basilica ' -- specifically de pedis'tomb . de pedis was gunned down in rome in 1990 and his body was moved to the basilica some time before 1997 , presumably either as part of a secret deal for a massive loan de pedis made to the vatican or to protect his tomb from being desecrated by rival gang members . in 2008 , de pedis'mistress said he was involved in emanuela 's kidnapping and that the girl was buried under the foundation of a house outside of rome . investigators searched that house but found that the concrete foundation was poured the year before the girl 's disappearance and could not have been connected to the crime . the vatican has distanced itself from the orlandi controversy . in a three-page letter broadcast on rai television , vatican spokesman federico lombardi said he asked vatican cardinals whether the vatican 's failure to collaborate in the original kidnapping probe was normal and justifiable affirmation of vatican sovereignty , or if in fact circumstances were withheld that might have helped clear something up . ' the vatican cooperated immediately with the exhumation . after opening the tomb monday , investigators found de pedis'body so well preserved that scientific police were able to confirm his identity through fingerprints . also inside the crypt were the boxes of bones , according to investigators on the scene . the church has been used for burials for two centuries . still , all of the bones will be tested to determine whether they are tied to de pedis or to emanuela 's disappearance . de pedis will not be reburied in the church , the vatican said . de pedis family lawyer lorenzo radogna said the remains will either be cremated or reinterred in a public cemetery in rome . | the body of mobster enrico renatino ' de pedis was moved to a rome basilica in the 1990s |
allen <tsp> new orleans , louisiana ( cnn ) -- oil left on the surface of the gulf of mexico is breaking down naturally now that the flow of crude has been cut off beneath the surface , a coast guard admiral said sunday after touring the scene . rear adm. paul zukunft said the remnants of tropical storm bonnie did little to affect the oil slick , which is breaking down very quickly . ' the storm itself was not that significant , ' zukunft told cnn after an aerial survey of the northern gulf on sunday . we 've had nine days of no new oil being released , so what we 're seeing is the remnants of oil that was released nine days ago . ' bp crews managed to temporarily cap the undersea well at the heart of the three-month-old disaster on june 15 . but efforts to close off the gusher permanently by drilling a relief well were delayed by the storm , which forced the ships involved in the process to evacuate the area . those ships have returned to the area since the storm , he told reporters sunday night . zukunft told reporters that he saw only one large patch of emulsified oil , about 12 miles off grand isle , louisiana , during his six-hour aerial tour . no oil could be seen in louisiana 's lake borgne , lake pontchartrain or chandeleur sound , while only a light sheen was visible in other parts of the gulf . the oil is basically approaching the end of its life cycle , ' he said . oil had gushed from the ruptured well for nearly three months after the deepwater horizon rig exploded april 20 , leaving 11 workers dead . officials have said a relief well is the only permanent solution to the disaster , which saw as much as 60,000 barrels ( 2.5 million gallons ) of crude spewing into the gulf every day . ships critical for drilling the well started evacuating thursday and returning saturday afternoon , once bonnie lost her punch after crossing southern florida . the weather forced officials to temporarily scale back efforts to search beneath the surface for leaking oil and permanently plug the leak , drawing some criticism from local officials that the federal government was overreacting to the storm . but retired coast guard adm. thad allen , who is leading the federal government 's response to the spill , emphasized the need to move and protect equipment before a storm . he said told reporters friday that he was still haunted ' by the sight of submerged school buses that could not be used for the evacuation ' after hurricane katrina struck new orleans in 2005 . we 're going to be playing a cat-and-mouse game for the remainder of the hurricane season , ' allen said . sunday , allen said officials were examining new oil deposits on the shoreline created by the storm , and booms that were in sensitive marsh areas caused damage during the storm and may need to be removed before another surge happens . but with the storm 's passing , work on the relief well is scheduled to continue , he said . and by august 1 , he said crews could begin pumping drilling mud ' into the ruptured well to force oil back into the reservoir below -- a process known as a static kill . ' cnn 's david mattingly , rich phillips and matt smith contributed to this report . | static kill ' effort could start august 1 , allen says |
carnival cruise line <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a los angeles-area man has been charged with murder in the death of his wife while on a cruise along the mexican coast , an fbi spokesman told cnn sister network hln . shirley mcgill , 55 , was found dead on tuesday in her cabin on the carnival elation . shirley mcgill , 55 , was found dead in her cabin on the carnival elation on tuesday as the ship , after a five-day cruise to cabo san lucas , was heading back to its origination point of san diego , california , authorities said . robert mcgill , who is in his mid-50s , is charged with murder on the high seas , fbi special agent in charge keith slotter told hln . the fbi and the carnival cruise line said that a domestic dispute tuesday night resulted in the woman 's death , but did not elaborate on how she was killed . the fbi said the cause of death would be determined through autopsy . another passenger became suspicious that foul play had taken place for a variety of possible reasons , ' slotter said , and notified ship security . when security checked the couple 's room , shirley mcgill was found dead inside , he said . authorities believe she had been dead for no more than a couple of hours . watch slotter describe how the body was found » robert mcgill was arrested on board the ship and was kept in its brig for the remainder of the cruise , the fbi said . after the ship docked , he was taken into federal custody , as crimes on the high seas fall under federal jurisdiction . fbi agents boarded the ship to start the investigation as the vessel neared san diego , with the coast guard transporting the agents about 10 miles offshore . agents were completing their work on the ship thursday , having interviewed about 50 passengers and processed the crime scene , slotter said . he would not elaborate on the domestic dispute , saying authorities are still trying to piece together what happened . the 2,052-passenger carnival elation had departed on the cruise july 11 . cnn 's scott thompson contributed to this report . | fbi and carnival cruise line said domestic dispute tuesday night led to death |
baboon matters <tsp> cape town , south africa ( cnn ) -- as natural habitats disappear in south africa , baboons and humans are increasingly coming into close contact , and conflict . in south africa 's cape peninsula there has been a large-scale transformation of wild baboons'natural habitat into land for housing , industry and agriculture , according to the university of cape town baboon research unit . the result is that wild baboons are surrounded by humans , which the researchers say is causing human-baboon conflict to escalate . but the problem is n't confined only to the cape , as baboons are increasingly venturing into towns and villages across southern africa in search of food , often leaving a trail of damage in their wake . in the farming village of barrydale , a four-hour drive from cape town , baboons are a growing problem . while some local farmers say they want to shoot baboons found in the village , others favor a more sustainable solution . report : central african gorillas may go extinct jenny trethowan , of advocacy group baboon matters , is known as the baboon lady ' back in cape town . she has spent her career trying to protect the primates in the cape peninsula , of which there are more than 400 . in barrydale , she sees an opportunity to tackle the problem before it gets out of hand . what is so exciting about the barrydale scenario is the fact that they are being extremely proactive , ' trethowan told cnn . in many of the other areas it 's been a long time , where baboons have become habituated and trained . now in barrydale they are saying'let 's stop this behavior quickly before it gets started ,'and that 's enormously exciting for me . ' trethowan has pinned her hopes on implementing a baboon-monitoring program in the village . at the joshua baboon rehabilitation project , just outside barrydale , baboon matters is training locals to be baboon monitors . the monitors are tasked with patrolling barrydale and herding baboons away from homes and farms . if we can get the monitoring program going quickly before the baboons are habituated i believe we stand a good chance of success here , ' said trethowan . nola frazier runs the joshua baboon rehabilitation project and supports the village 's monitoring program . i do n't think the baboon problem is going to go away , ' frazier told cnn . it 's a learning curve . it 's something that 's happening here ; it 's happening all over south africa . ' an existing monitoring program on the cape is yielding benefits . statistics from the baboon research unit show human-induced injuries to baboons are at their lowest for five years . deaths are also down , and the baboon population is up , which means encounters with humans are more likely . african football academy creates future stars when she 's not helping to run monitoring programs , trethowan takes tourists on walks around the cape peninsula to see baboons in what she hopes will be their natural habitat . but despite the monitors'best efforts , the baboons sometimes stray from their natural environment . the smell of cooking , and windows left open , are practically an invitation to hungry baboons , whose food raids can result in damage to property . when i take people to walk , i never describe baboons as something they are not , ' said trethowan . they do cause incredible damage , and the ideal thing would be for them to be on the mountain and not in the village . the monitors can struggle without a doubt . what 's frustrating to me is to see the residents make little effort to help the monitors . if they were working with the monitors more , the monitors would be more efficient . ' when it comes to taking on one of the continent 's most opportunistic animals , researchers and advocates say there are no easy answers . baboons are definitely incredibly opportunistic and incredibly adaptable , so from a management point of view it makes it incredibly difficult , ' said trethowan . but she said it 's these same characteristics that drew her into a life of advocacy for baboons . it is hugely amazing to watch how these baboons will adapt to a situation and will seize an opportunity and work with whatever they 've got , ' she told cnn . i think we 've got a lot to learn from them , in hopes of showing more people the positives in an animal so often labeled a problem . ' robyn curnow and mark tutton contributed to this report | baboon matters organizes teams of monitors to herd baboons away from villages |
usoc <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the u.s. olympic committee said friday that the uniforms for the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2014 olympic winter games will be made in the united states . the news came after it was revealed that american athletes at this year 's games are going to be wearing clothing manufactured in china -- a fact that sparked outrage from some lawmakers and human rights activists . ralph lauren and the usoc were bombarded on facebook and twitter by critics who demanded the fashion design company manufacture new uniforms in the united states . from our readers : forget uniforms , u.s. olmypians should'go naked' ' with athletes having already arrived in london , and the apparel distribution process beginning this weekend , we are unfortunately not able to make a change for london , ' usoc ceo scott blackmun said in a statement . we are absolutely committed , however , to working with our sponsors to ensure that the concerns voiced are addressed . to that end , ralph lauren has agreed to domestically manufacture team usa 's apparel for opening and closing ceremonies for the 2014 olympic winter games , ' he said . in the meantime , we ask for the american people 's support . the members of team usa have dedicated their entire lives to training for this one moment . they are some of the finest men and women this country has to offer and they are prepared to succeed both on and off the field of play in london . our country should be proud of the individual athletes that will represent them in london and i 'm hopeful that everyone will rally around team usa , ' blackmun said . ralph lauren similarly released a statement friday , confirming it would manufacture uniforms domestically for the 2014 games . for more than 45 years ralph lauren has built a brand that embodies the best of american quality and design rooted in the rich heritage of our country , ' it said , promising to lead the conversation within our industry and our government addressing the issue of increasing manufacturing in the united states . ' previously , the usoc had defended the uniforms . in a statement thursday , usoc spokesman patrick sandusky said that unlike most olympic teams around the world , the u.s. olympic team is privately funded and we 're grateful for the support of our sponsors . ' he described the criticism as nonsense in a tweet . in testimony before congress last year , the american apparel and footwear association said that 98 % of all apparel and 99 % of all footwear sold in the united states are manufactured abroad . according to the labor department , 10 years ago , there were more than 350,000 americans employed by apparel manufacturers . last month , that number was 147,300 . dara torres , a former american olympic swimmer who won 12 medals in a span of 20 years , said the uniforms looked great but would be even better if they were produced domestically . wearing the u.s. uniform , going out there to represent the united states , it would be nice if it was actually made in the united states , ' she said . senate majority leader harry reid , d-nevada , told reporters thursday that the olympic committee should be ashamed of themselves . ' i think they should be embarrassed . i think they should take all the uniforms , put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again , ' he said . kenya athletics brand has ambitions to take on nike ' if they have to wear nothing but a singlet that says usa on it , painted by hand , then that 's what they should wear . ' actress and human rights advocate mia farrow took to twitter to call on the designer to explain its actions : please will you tell us why the us olympic uniforms are made in china ? why not made in the usa ? ' farrow , known for her advocacy on behalf of children , also called on the designer to heed reid 's call . burn them & start all over . how bout it ? ' she tweeted . at least one current olympic athlete also raised questions about the uniforms . our ralph lauren outfits for the olympic opening ceremonies were made in china . so , um , thanks china , ' tweeted distance runner nick symmonds , who represents the best hope for the united states to medal in the men 's 800-meters since the 1992 games in barcelona . the usoc is no stranger to controversy over its sponsorships , with questions being raised over why it opted last year to extend bp 's sponsorship through the 2016 rio de janeiro games , following the gulf of mexico oil spill in 2010 . it was also questioned as early as the 2002 during the winter games in salt lake city about why american athletes donned berets made by roots , a canadian company . ralph lauren has designed uniforms for the 2010 winter games in vancouver and the 2008 summer games in beijing , and both times portions of the clothing were manufactured in china , according to previous cnn reports . the revelations about the 2012 uniforms , first reported wednesday night by abc news , come at a critical time as the united states grapples with a struggling economy that has hit the american textile industry hard . muslim weightlifter 's wish to dress modestly triggers debate it also comes as house democrats introduced a make it in america ' jobs bill , which was first put forward in 2010 as a manufacturing jobs initiative . new york-based fashion designer nanette lepore , who boasts a made in america ' collection , said she was disturbed by the news that the uniforms were made in china . it 's very disturbing because it completely could have been manufactured here in the united states in new york city or in any other city where there 's factories that still exist , ' she told cnn . and it 's frustrating for us because it 's a cause we 've been fighting for , and we 've been trying to raise awareness and trying to convince designers to move work back to our shores and stop off-shoring and start on-shoring . this would have been the perfect opportunity . ' but free market advocates , such as the cato institute , say none of this is surprising . globalization means manufacturing companies will be drawn to countries where the costs are lowest , according to daniel j. ikenson of the cato institute . when companies are able to outsource , they are able to produce most competitively . they 're able to attend to their costs . and if they can do that , then they can deliver better quality , greater variety at lower prices for u.s. consumers , ' ikenson said . the united states is not the only place where citizens have questioned the production of their olympic uniforms . headlines were made in australia this year when it was revealed that australian uniforms for the olympics also were made in china . the australian olympic committee responded to critics by saying it was not financially viable to make the outfits at home , according to local media reports . some canadian lawmakers became irate in 2008 , when it was learned that canadian uniforms for the olympics in beijing were made in china . american companies have made olympic uniforms in the past , notably , reebok , levi 's and champion . from triumph to scandal : olympians in the social media spotlight | the usoc says it is unable to make a change in time for london |
china <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the u.s. olympic committee said friday that the uniforms for the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2014 olympic winter games will be made in the united states . the news came after it was revealed that american athletes at this year 's games are going to be wearing clothing manufactured in china -- a fact that sparked outrage from some lawmakers and human rights activists . ralph lauren and the usoc were bombarded on facebook and twitter by critics who demanded the fashion design company manufacture new uniforms in the united states . from our readers : forget uniforms , u.s. olmypians should'go naked' ' with athletes having already arrived in london , and the apparel distribution process beginning this weekend , we are unfortunately not able to make a change for london , ' usoc ceo scott blackmun said in a statement . we are absolutely committed , however , to working with our sponsors to ensure that the concerns voiced are addressed . to that end , ralph lauren has agreed to domestically manufacture team usa 's apparel for opening and closing ceremonies for the 2014 olympic winter games , ' he said . in the meantime , we ask for the american people 's support . the members of team usa have dedicated their entire lives to training for this one moment . they are some of the finest men and women this country has to offer and they are prepared to succeed both on and off the field of play in london . our country should be proud of the individual athletes that will represent them in london and i 'm hopeful that everyone will rally around team usa , ' blackmun said . ralph lauren similarly released a statement friday , confirming it would manufacture uniforms domestically for the 2014 games . for more than 45 years ralph lauren has built a brand that embodies the best of american quality and design rooted in the rich heritage of our country , ' it said , promising to lead the conversation within our industry and our government addressing the issue of increasing manufacturing in the united states . ' previously , the usoc had defended the uniforms . in a statement thursday , usoc spokesman patrick sandusky said that unlike most olympic teams around the world , the u.s. olympic team is privately funded and we 're grateful for the support of our sponsors . ' he described the criticism as nonsense in a tweet . in testimony before congress last year , the american apparel and footwear association said that 98 % of all apparel and 99 % of all footwear sold in the united states are manufactured abroad . according to the labor department , 10 years ago , there were more than 350,000 americans employed by apparel manufacturers . last month , that number was 147,300 . dara torres , a former american olympic swimmer who won 12 medals in a span of 20 years , said the uniforms looked great but would be even better if they were produced domestically . wearing the u.s. uniform , going out there to represent the united states , it would be nice if it was actually made in the united states , ' she said . senate majority leader harry reid , d-nevada , told reporters thursday that the olympic committee should be ashamed of themselves . ' i think they should be embarrassed . i think they should take all the uniforms , put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again , ' he said . kenya athletics brand has ambitions to take on nike ' if they have to wear nothing but a singlet that says usa on it , painted by hand , then that 's what they should wear . ' actress and human rights advocate mia farrow took to twitter to call on the designer to explain its actions : please will you tell us why the us olympic uniforms are made in china ? why not made in the usa ? ' farrow , known for her advocacy on behalf of children , also called on the designer to heed reid 's call . burn them & start all over . how bout it ? ' she tweeted . at least one current olympic athlete also raised questions about the uniforms . our ralph lauren outfits for the olympic opening ceremonies were made in china . so , um , thanks china , ' tweeted distance runner nick symmonds , who represents the best hope for the united states to medal in the men 's 800-meters since the 1992 games in barcelona . the usoc is no stranger to controversy over its sponsorships , with questions being raised over why it opted last year to extend bp 's sponsorship through the 2016 rio de janeiro games , following the gulf of mexico oil spill in 2010 . it was also questioned as early as the 2002 during the winter games in salt lake city about why american athletes donned berets made by roots , a canadian company . ralph lauren has designed uniforms for the 2010 winter games in vancouver and the 2008 summer games in beijing , and both times portions of the clothing were manufactured in china , according to previous cnn reports . the revelations about the 2012 uniforms , first reported wednesday night by abc news , come at a critical time as the united states grapples with a struggling economy that has hit the american textile industry hard . muslim weightlifter 's wish to dress modestly triggers debate it also comes as house democrats introduced a make it in america ' jobs bill , which was first put forward in 2010 as a manufacturing jobs initiative . new york-based fashion designer nanette lepore , who boasts a made in america ' collection , said she was disturbed by the news that the uniforms were made in china . it 's very disturbing because it completely could have been manufactured here in the united states in new york city or in any other city where there 's factories that still exist , ' she told cnn . and it 's frustrating for us because it 's a cause we 've been fighting for , and we 've been trying to raise awareness and trying to convince designers to move work back to our shores and stop off-shoring and start on-shoring . this would have been the perfect opportunity . ' but free market advocates , such as the cato institute , say none of this is surprising . globalization means manufacturing companies will be drawn to countries where the costs are lowest , according to daniel j. ikenson of the cato institute . when companies are able to outsource , they are able to produce most competitively . they 're able to attend to their costs . and if they can do that , then they can deliver better quality , greater variety at lower prices for u.s. consumers , ' ikenson said . the united states is not the only place where citizens have questioned the production of their olympic uniforms . headlines were made in australia this year when it was revealed that australian uniforms for the olympics also were made in china . the australian olympic committee responded to critics by saying it was not financially viable to make the outfits at home , according to local media reports . some canadian lawmakers became irate in 2008 , when it was learned that canadian uniforms for the olympics in beijing were made in china . american companies have made olympic uniforms in the past , notably , reebok , levi 's and champion . from triumph to scandal : olympians in the social media spotlight | sen. harry reid says team usa uniforms manufactured in china should be destroyed |
china <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the u.s. olympic committee said friday that the uniforms for the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2014 olympic winter games will be made in the united states . the news came after it was revealed that american athletes at this year 's games are going to be wearing clothing manufactured in china -- a fact that sparked outrage from some lawmakers and human rights activists . ralph lauren and the usoc were bombarded on facebook and twitter by critics who demanded the fashion design company manufacture new uniforms in the united states . from our readers : forget uniforms , u.s. olmypians should'go naked' ' with athletes having already arrived in london , and the apparel distribution process beginning this weekend , we are unfortunately not able to make a change for london , ' usoc ceo scott blackmun said in a statement . we are absolutely committed , however , to working with our sponsors to ensure that the concerns voiced are addressed . to that end , ralph lauren has agreed to domestically manufacture team usa 's apparel for opening and closing ceremonies for the 2014 olympic winter games , ' he said . in the meantime , we ask for the american people 's support . the members of team usa have dedicated their entire lives to training for this one moment . they are some of the finest men and women this country has to offer and they are prepared to succeed both on and off the field of play in london . our country should be proud of the individual athletes that will represent them in london and i 'm hopeful that everyone will rally around team usa , ' blackmun said . ralph lauren similarly released a statement friday , confirming it would manufacture uniforms domestically for the 2014 games . for more than 45 years ralph lauren has built a brand that embodies the best of american quality and design rooted in the rich heritage of our country , ' it said , promising to lead the conversation within our industry and our government addressing the issue of increasing manufacturing in the united states . ' previously , the usoc had defended the uniforms . in a statement thursday , usoc spokesman patrick sandusky said that unlike most olympic teams around the world , the u.s. olympic team is privately funded and we 're grateful for the support of our sponsors . ' he described the criticism as nonsense in a tweet . in testimony before congress last year , the american apparel and footwear association said that 98 % of all apparel and 99 % of all footwear sold in the united states are manufactured abroad . according to the labor department , 10 years ago , there were more than 350,000 americans employed by apparel manufacturers . last month , that number was 147,300 . dara torres , a former american olympic swimmer who won 12 medals in a span of 20 years , said the uniforms looked great but would be even better if they were produced domestically . wearing the u.s. uniform , going out there to represent the united states , it would be nice if it was actually made in the united states , ' she said . senate majority leader harry reid , d-nevada , told reporters thursday that the olympic committee should be ashamed of themselves . ' i think they should be embarrassed . i think they should take all the uniforms , put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again , ' he said . kenya athletics brand has ambitions to take on nike ' if they have to wear nothing but a singlet that says usa on it , painted by hand , then that 's what they should wear . ' actress and human rights advocate mia farrow took to twitter to call on the designer to explain its actions : please will you tell us why the us olympic uniforms are made in china ? why not made in the usa ? ' farrow , known for her advocacy on behalf of children , also called on the designer to heed reid 's call . burn them & start all over . how bout it ? ' she tweeted . at least one current olympic athlete also raised questions about the uniforms . our ralph lauren outfits for the olympic opening ceremonies were made in china . so , um , thanks china , ' tweeted distance runner nick symmonds , who represents the best hope for the united states to medal in the men 's 800-meters since the 1992 games in barcelona . the usoc is no stranger to controversy over its sponsorships , with questions being raised over why it opted last year to extend bp 's sponsorship through the 2016 rio de janeiro games , following the gulf of mexico oil spill in 2010 . it was also questioned as early as the 2002 during the winter games in salt lake city about why american athletes donned berets made by roots , a canadian company . ralph lauren has designed uniforms for the 2010 winter games in vancouver and the 2008 summer games in beijing , and both times portions of the clothing were manufactured in china , according to previous cnn reports . the revelations about the 2012 uniforms , first reported wednesday night by abc news , come at a critical time as the united states grapples with a struggling economy that has hit the american textile industry hard . muslim weightlifter 's wish to dress modestly triggers debate it also comes as house democrats introduced a make it in america ' jobs bill , which was first put forward in 2010 as a manufacturing jobs initiative . new york-based fashion designer nanette lepore , who boasts a made in america ' collection , said she was disturbed by the news that the uniforms were made in china . it 's very disturbing because it completely could have been manufactured here in the united states in new york city or in any other city where there 's factories that still exist , ' she told cnn . and it 's frustrating for us because it 's a cause we 've been fighting for , and we 've been trying to raise awareness and trying to convince designers to move work back to our shores and stop off-shoring and start on-shoring . this would have been the perfect opportunity . ' but free market advocates , such as the cato institute , say none of this is surprising . globalization means manufacturing companies will be drawn to countries where the costs are lowest , according to daniel j. ikenson of the cato institute . when companies are able to outsource , they are able to produce most competitively . they 're able to attend to their costs . and if they can do that , then they can deliver better quality , greater variety at lower prices for u.s. consumers , ' ikenson said . the united states is not the only place where citizens have questioned the production of their olympic uniforms . headlines were made in australia this year when it was revealed that australian uniforms for the olympics also were made in china . the australian olympic committee responded to critics by saying it was not financially viable to make the outfits at home , according to local media reports . some canadian lawmakers became irate in 2008 , when it was learned that canadian uniforms for the olympics in beijing were made in china . american companies have made olympic uniforms in the past , notably , reebok , levi 's and champion . from triumph to scandal : olympians in the social media spotlight | controversy erupted after it was revealed u.s. athletes will be wearing clothing made in china |
france <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the united states has been called the no-vacation nation , ' and looking at the table above , it 's not hard to see why . many other countries allow for much more vacation time , according to a 2009 survey by mercer , a human resources consulting firm . the numbers above reflect the minimum vacation days for an employee who works five days a week and has 10 years of service with a company . but the united states comes with an asterisk . that 's because the u.s. -- unlike the other countries on the list -- lacks a federal law that mandates vacation time . for comparison purposes , mercer listed the typical ' amount of days off that large u.s. companies give their 10-year employees : 15 paid vacation days and 10 public holidays ( 25 total ) . that 's a far cry from brazil and lithuania , which top the list with 41 total days off . finland , france and russia offer a minimum of 40 days off . india and china are the only countries in the survey that typically have fewer paid vacation days than the u.s. , but india makes up for it with 16 public holidays -- the most in the survey along with japan . more country comparisons : who requires the most education ? who 's got the highest ( and lowest ) unemployment rates ? | ten-year employees in brazil , lithuania , finland , france and russia get at least 40 days off |
portland <tsp> new york ( cnn ) -- thousands of occupy wall street demonstrators deluged new york on thursday , a show of strength in the movement 's original home that was echoed nationwide as part of a mass day of action . ' scores were arrested in new york , and several police officers were reported injured , as protesters fanned out across the city moved toward foley square in lower manhattan and the brooklyn bridge . by early thursday evening , many had crossed the bridge -- the same place where more than 700 had been arrested last month -- chanting , this is what democracy looks like -- this is what america looks like , ' according to the new york movement 's official twitter feed . this time , they marched in the pedestrian walkway , not blocking the roadway . nearby , pro-occupy slogans were projected onto one side of the verizon building . those in new york were not alone . like-minded activists also took to the streets in all corners of the nation -- from miami to los angeles to portland , oregon , to boston -- marking two months since the activist effort aimed at the nation 's wealthiest 1 % began in manhattan . roundup of protests across the country ' i think the numbers have increased dramatically today , ' said new york protester jo robin . particularly after the raid , our message is being broadcast all over the world . ' the group twice squared off against riot police in zuccotti park , where they 'd been evicted two days earlier . they 'd also engaged in several confrontations with police , leading to scores of arrests . that includes 64 protesters -- wearing t-shirts with the figure 99 % ' prominently featured -- arrested at an early evening sit-in on centre street near foley square in lower manhattan , a police spokesman said . ( earlier , police spokesmen and protest organizers had said -- incorrectly -- that 99 people were arrested in this same incident . ) in total , police said around 8 p.m. that a total of 245 people had been arrested around the city . during a late afternoon press conference , police commissioner ray kelly said that at least seven police officers were hurt thursday during exchanges with protesters . five of those officers were injured when a unidentified liquid was thrown on their faces , kelly said , adding that the officers experienced a burning sensation and required hospitalization . and a 24-year-old police officer was injured when a star-shaped glass object was thrown at him , mayor michael bloomberg told reporters during a visit to bellevue hospital center where the officer was being treated . it is not clear how many demonstrators have been injured during the clashes . overheard on cnn.com : some tire of occupy protesters cnn and cnn affiliate new york one broadcast images of the exchanges , including video of one man -- whose face appeared to be covered in blood -- sitting near police who wielded shields and batons . authorities constructed barricades at zuccotti park , in front of the new york stock exchange and along fifth avenue in an apparent attempt to keep demonstrators off the roads and on pedestrian walkways . residents and workers near the new york stock exchange were required to flash identification cards as police cordoned off the area amid concerns that demonstrators would try to disrupt trading . earlier in the day , protesters lifted metal barricades that ringed zuccotti park , a former home-base for the movement , defying authorities and blocking traffic . bloomberg said the day 's protests had caused minimal disruptions to our city , ' he asserted that some demonstrators had deliberately pursued violence . ' in lower manhattan , cnn ireporter alvaro perez shot video showing protesters being pulled away by police , including one woman who appeared to be dragged by her jacket and backpack . i do n't want to speculate on what happened in advance of that , ' police spokesman paul browne said of the incident . he said the big picture ' of how police have handled demonstrations has so far been mostly positive . people were able to get to work ' and protesters were able to protest , ' browne added . occupy roundup : movement marks 2 months earlier , on cnn 's american morning , ' howard wolfson , a new york city deputy mayor , vowed , we 'll make sure , if people want to peacefully protest , they have the right to . ' but , he added , if people break the law , we 'll have to deal with that . ' if they attempt to enter a building they 're not allowed in , that 's breaking the law . if they want to express their concerns about wall street , that 's totally fine , ' he said . while the city has come under fire from protesters and other critics for arrests and removing protesters from zuccotti park , wolfson insisted that we had to act ' to stop illegal activity , such as drug use , and to eliminate fire hazards . this is a place where we honor the first amendment , ' he added . still , the ouster from zuccotti park did not appear to stifle the new york protest effort . the group tried to sum up its intent on a twitter post : enough of this economy that exploits and divides us . it 's time we put an end to wall street 's reign of terror and begin building an economy that works for all . ' the occupy movement , likewise , showed few signs of abating elsewhere in the united states . in cities such as st. louis , milwaukee and elsewhere , thousands responded to the day of action ' plea . and as in new york , some of those ended up behind bars after refusing to heed law enforcement officers'calls to move . the next highest arrest figure was in los angeles , where 25 people were arrested early thursday and another 25 were arrested later in the day , officer andrew neiman said . bail was set at $ 5,000 for those detained , he added . in portland , police reported 48 people arrested in three separate incidents . that includes 25 taken into custody on the east end of the steel bridge , nine inside a wells fargo bank and 14 in and around a chase bank . in the latter incident on thursday evening , sgt . pete simpson said that police used pepper spray to get individuals to move off a street and from the path of a commuter rail line . another 21 were issued citations for blocking las vegas boulevard in that nevada city , las vegas police officer bill cassell told cnn , while atlanta police arrested eight for blocking a roadway . there were also arrests in other places , including los angeles , chicago and houston . and in denver , district attorney mitchell morrissey announced thursday that three men now face felony charges -- including inciting a riot and assaulting a police officer -- for their alleged actions while clashing with authorities during occupy denver protests . cnn 's josh levs , mary snow , brian vitagliano , steve kastenbaum , eden pontz and rob frehse contributed to this report . | 48 are arrested in 3 incidents in portland , oregon , say police |
maine <tsp> ( tribune media services ) -- the gomez family may be one of the few in the country who wo n't be too disappointed if it rains over the fourth of july weekend . joining family or friends at a vacation rental home is a great way to spend time together and save money . we just play indoor games in the cabins , ' says michele abril . for the last 20 years , she explains , her extended family -- 30 strong and including four generations -- has gathered at rustic cabins on lake sebago in new york for some old-fashioned fun . they crowd into four cabins ( showers are a walk away ) , tote everything they need ( even toilet paper ) and divide all the chores . and they would n't have it any other way . maybe it 's the economy . maybe it 's the need to reconnect with friends and family . at beach houses and on sailboats , city condos and mountain cabins , families and friends are joining forces on vacation . according to a new survey from tripadvisor of people with children , nearly a third report they will vacation with another family this year to save money -- a significant jump from 2008 . we get calls daily from family and friends who want to get together in our cabins , ' says stephanie seacord from point lookout resort in maine where cabins that sleep nine or more start at $ 195 . cabins can be rented for even less in colorado at the ymca of the rockies where my family has also shared quarters -- and cooking chores -- with relatives at a family reunion . more visitors to hawaii are opting to split condos rather than get individual hotel rooms , adds lisa cripe of aston hotels & resorts , which has hotels , condo resorts and villas all across hawaii . even disney is getting into the act , with new disney deluxe villa resorts vacation club options that you can turn into your home away from home . in florida , kidani village at animal kingdom lodge and treehouse villas at saratoga springs resort are brand-new with a third villa resort slated to open later this summer . another resort is expected to open at disneyland in california in the fall . you do the math . whether you are at rustic cabins or a luxurious beachfront rental house , you 'll spend less when splitting costs with another family . especially this year with rental owners -- 66 percent -- offering special deals to encourage business , according to a survey from www.homeaway.com , the leading online vacation rental web site . they 're throwing in everything from a free night to free cleaning service , discounts , even tickets to a local attraction or food . no wonder families are joining forces on everything from city apartment rentals ( lots cheaper than a hotel ! ) to road trips to tours of alaska . elaine masters and her son joined forced with another family and , says elaine , stayed in several suites where we could cook our meals , had cereal breakfasts and packed picnic lunches when we could . ' and they spent less than they would have on a cruise . we saw everything we wanted ( except denali stayed hidden behind clouds ) . ' when the kids were small , we met up every summer in minnesota at ludlow 's island resort where we ate the fish we caught for dinner and the kids would chase frogs and ride in the special car that goes in the water . we 've shared cape cod and caribbean houses , and every winter , colorado ski condos with friends and family . our next trip may be our farthest afield shared trip -- a sailboat in tahiti with another family and two of my daughter mel 's oldest camp friends -- the girls'high school graduation present . but these trips are about much more than saving money . i love that our group can get together once a year or every other year and feel like we have n't missed a beat , ' says carin kromm , a geologist from kernersville , north carolina . kromm gathers with her college friends and their children at a vacation home owned by one of the group . single mom kelly ladyga adds that it was much more relaxing to join forces with another single mom than to take her young daughter solo . besides sharing the cost of rent at a beach house in north carolina , groceries and rental car , she was able to get a much-needed break -- far more relaxing than the solo trip she took to hawaii . plus it was nice to sit with someone on the deck at night , drink wine and laugh about the day 's adventures . ' it helps with your sanity for sure , kids seem to play better when they have other kids to play with -- the more children , the busier they keep each other , ' says michelle revuelta , the miami mom of two young daughters who has rented condos in orlando and elsewhere with other families . you truly feel you are on vacation , ' she says . and that is n't easy to accomplish with young kids in tow . there are some rules to be sure . never discipline anyone else 's child , for one . that 's a parent 's prerogative . sophia bilinsky , who rents vacation homes as a business ( www.seaestahomes.com ) and who hosts her college group of seven families , says the hardest part is choosing the date . make sure there are enough bedrooms , bathrooms and a common space where the kids can hang out in addition to the adults . a swimming pool is mandatory , ' she adds . just remember that where you are is n't as important as the place you rent . ' rates for some three-bedroom vacation homes start at just $ 99 per night , but sleep up to eight travelers , not just one or two , notes alex risser , president of the vacation rental managers association . be clear how you are dividing the costs . in her case , each family takes a day of the week and gets groceries , cooks dinner and cleans up . other families simply split costs . some divide the rent based on the number of bedrooms they are using or split the cost straight down the middle . however you do it , suggests carin kromm , keep it simple . there is no need to schedule a lot of activities for the children . ' the beauty of a vacation like this is allowing the kids to entertain themselves . a pool or the beach may be all they need . and once the kids are in bed , says blinsky , the grown-ups can enjoy some adult ' time . they 're not stuck staring at the wall in a hotel room watching the children sleep . there 's no corralling kids in restaurants , no getting dressed to feed the hungry preschoolers in an ( overpriced ) hotel dining room , no worrying about a tired toddler melting down in a hotel lobby . there 's no worrying about the rain either . with a 30-person family , we make up our own entertainment , ' says michelle abril . that 's the best kind . ( for more taking the kids , visit www.takingthekids.com , where eileen ogintz welcomes your questions and comments . ) copyright 2009 eileen ogintz , distributed by tribune media services , inc . | at point lookout resort in maine cabins that sleep nine or more start at $ 195 |
william adams <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a judge , who was suspended after an online video showing him beating his teenage daughter went viral , was reinstated by the texas supreme court . judge william adams was back working wednesday at aransas county after his suspension was lifted by the state 's high court , a court clerk said . the state 's commission on judicial conduct earlier ruled that adams would receive a public warning for the incident , which cleared the way for the suspension to be lifted . the move to allow the judge back on the bench angered adams'former wife and daughter . my first feeling is extreme sadness , ' said hallie adams , the former wife . i feel sad for the public . i see the justice system is failing and justice review system is failing . ' hillary adams , the judge 's daughter , was also upset . i 'm embarrassed to live in texas , ' said the girl who was the buzz on the internet last year after releasing the beating video . adams was suspended last year after the 2004 video went public . it showed him beating his then-16-year-old daughter because she downloaded online music and games . the beating occurred when her father was punishing her for using the internet to acquire music and games that were unavailable for legal purchase at the time , ' hillary adams , wrote on the internet posting . she said she released the video after being harassed by her father . it was the straw that broke the camel 's back , ' she said last november . it was n't any huge happening or anything . ' she said she told her father she had the video , and he did n't seem to think anything of it , and basically dared me to post it . ' the video posting said , judge william adams is not fit to be anywhere near the law system if he ca n't even exercise fit judgment as a parent himself . do not allow this man to ever be re-elected again . his'judgment'is a giant farce . signed , hillary adams , his daughter . ' the 7 1/2-minute video is punctuated by cracks of the man 's belt and the girl 's screams and cries . at one point , the man says to his near-hysterical daughter , what happened to you , hillary ? once you were an obedient , nice little girl . now you lie , cheat and steal . ' at another point , he yells at her , you want to put some more computer games on ? you want some more ? ' william adams has acknowledged that the man in the video was him . as a judge , william adams handles misdemeanor cases , including family-related and juvenile court issues . | william adams handles misdemeanor cases |
supreme court <tsp> ( cnn ) -- one st. louis-area police officer resigned and another retired in the continued fallout from questionable police actions in the days after the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager in ferguson , missouri . the moves bring to three the number of police officers whose conduct was called into question after the august 9 fatal shooting of michael brown , an african-american teen shot multiple times by a white police officer . the three officers are : lt. ray albers , who threatened and pointed an assault rifle at protesters ; dan page , an officer caught on camera pushing a cnn correspondent before a video surfaced of him ranting about the supreme court and muslims ; and matthew pappert , an officer fired after making what his chief called very ... inappropriate ' facebook comments about the protests in ferguson . albers , a 20-year veteran of the st. ann , missouri , police department , resigned thursday , according to city administrator matt conley . albers stepped down after the city 's board of police commissioners recommended to the board of aldermen that he be fired or resign , st. ann police chief aaron jimenez told cnn on saturday . he 's one of my best friends but we have to do what 's best for the city , ' jimenez said . it does n't mean he 's a bad guy , but he made a mistake after 20 years of solving crimes . ' albers was the officer who pointed a semiautomatic rifle at a ferguson protester and threatened to kill him on august 19 -- a tense moment caught on video and posted online . a day after the incident , police officials announced that the officer had been relieved of duty and suspended indefinitely . ' in the video , albers can be seen walking around with his assault rifle raised , then pointing it in the direction of protesters . i 'm going to f -- -ing kill you , ' he says . get back . get back . ' police said the protester involved in what it deemed a verbal exchange ' was peaceful . ' another man in the crowd said out loud , did you threaten to kill him ? ' when the officer was asked for his name , he responded : go f -- - yourself . ' protesters mocked the officer before he was led away by another member of law enforcement . a cnn crew also saw the officer point his weapon at those around him as he cursed , shouted and threatened people by saying he 'd kill them unless they stayed away . jimenez said of albers : he 's not doing well , but he 's trying to stay positive . he knows over his 20 years , he 's done a lot of good work . you do one thing and it can ruin your career . he recognized what he did was wrong . that 's his first step in moving on . he feels remorse . he said he was scared and was n't thinking . ' page , an officer with the st. louis county police department , retired effective august 25 , according to st. louis county police spokesman brian schellman . page was caught on camera pushing cnn 's don lemon . he was placed on administrative leave after a video surfaced of him ranting about the supreme court and muslims , among other things . he also refers on the video to barack obama as that illegal alien who claims to be our president . ' this week , officials in the city of glendale , missouri , confirmed that pappert was fired after making what his chief called very ... inappropriate ' facebook comments , according to a city official . these protesters should be put down like a rabid dog the first night , ' pappert wrote in one post , according to cnn affiliate kmov . there were reportedly five inappropriate posts , kmov said . pappert , a six-year veteran of the glendale force , was originally suspended on august 22 after the comments came to light . an inquiry was initiated that day . officer pappert was dismissed following the conclusion of the investigation , ' city administrator jaysen christensen said . our focus at this point is to move past this , and turn the focus back to healing in ... ferguson . ' glendale , like ferguson , is a municipality in st. louis county . the two suburbs are about 15 miles apart . a week ago , glendale police chief jeffrey beaton suspended pappert and cited what he called the inappropriate posts on his personal facebook page , ' according to the webster-kirkwood times , an online news outlet in the area . police in the area have come under fire for their heavy-handed response to the ferguson protests following brown 's death . an attorney for pappert said his client was sorry for his online comments . officer pappert is deeply remorseful about what he posted on social media , ' lawyer william goldstein said . we ask for ( the ) same spirit of forgiveness and the opportunity for redemption . ' complete coverage of ferguson shooting and protests cnn 's greg botelho , joe sutton , anneclaire stapleton and joshua berlinger contributed to this report . | one officer threatened and pointed rifle at protesters ; another retired after video rant about supreme court , muslims |
facebook <tsp> ( cnn ) -- one st. louis-area police officer resigned and another retired in the continued fallout from questionable police actions in the days after the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager in ferguson , missouri . the moves bring to three the number of police officers whose conduct was called into question after the august 9 fatal shooting of michael brown , an african-american teen shot multiple times by a white police officer . the three officers are : lt. ray albers , who threatened and pointed an assault rifle at protesters ; dan page , an officer caught on camera pushing a cnn correspondent before a video surfaced of him ranting about the supreme court and muslims ; and matthew pappert , an officer fired after making what his chief called very ... inappropriate ' facebook comments about the protests in ferguson . albers , a 20-year veteran of the st. ann , missouri , police department , resigned thursday , according to city administrator matt conley . albers stepped down after the city 's board of police commissioners recommended to the board of aldermen that he be fired or resign , st. ann police chief aaron jimenez told cnn on saturday . he 's one of my best friends but we have to do what 's best for the city , ' jimenez said . it does n't mean he 's a bad guy , but he made a mistake after 20 years of solving crimes . ' albers was the officer who pointed a semiautomatic rifle at a ferguson protester and threatened to kill him on august 19 -- a tense moment caught on video and posted online . a day after the incident , police officials announced that the officer had been relieved of duty and suspended indefinitely . ' in the video , albers can be seen walking around with his assault rifle raised , then pointing it in the direction of protesters . i 'm going to f -- -ing kill you , ' he says . get back . get back . ' police said the protester involved in what it deemed a verbal exchange ' was peaceful . ' another man in the crowd said out loud , did you threaten to kill him ? ' when the officer was asked for his name , he responded : go f -- - yourself . ' protesters mocked the officer before he was led away by another member of law enforcement . a cnn crew also saw the officer point his weapon at those around him as he cursed , shouted and threatened people by saying he 'd kill them unless they stayed away . jimenez said of albers : he 's not doing well , but he 's trying to stay positive . he knows over his 20 years , he 's done a lot of good work . you do one thing and it can ruin your career . he recognized what he did was wrong . that 's his first step in moving on . he feels remorse . he said he was scared and was n't thinking . ' page , an officer with the st. louis county police department , retired effective august 25 , according to st. louis county police spokesman brian schellman . page was caught on camera pushing cnn 's don lemon . he was placed on administrative leave after a video surfaced of him ranting about the supreme court and muslims , among other things . he also refers on the video to barack obama as that illegal alien who claims to be our president . ' this week , officials in the city of glendale , missouri , confirmed that pappert was fired after making what his chief called very ... inappropriate ' facebook comments , according to a city official . these protesters should be put down like a rabid dog the first night , ' pappert wrote in one post , according to cnn affiliate kmov . there were reportedly five inappropriate posts , kmov said . pappert , a six-year veteran of the glendale force , was originally suspended on august 22 after the comments came to light . an inquiry was initiated that day . officer pappert was dismissed following the conclusion of the investigation , ' city administrator jaysen christensen said . our focus at this point is to move past this , and turn the focus back to healing in ... ferguson . ' glendale , like ferguson , is a municipality in st. louis county . the two suburbs are about 15 miles apart . a week ago , glendale police chief jeffrey beaton suspended pappert and cited what he called the inappropriate posts on his personal facebook page , ' according to the webster-kirkwood times , an online news outlet in the area . police in the area have come under fire for their heavy-handed response to the ferguson protests following brown 's death . an attorney for pappert said his client was sorry for his online comments . officer pappert is deeply remorseful about what he posted on social media , ' lawyer william goldstein said . we ask for ( the ) same spirit of forgiveness and the opportunity for redemption . ' complete coverage of ferguson shooting and protests cnn 's greg botelho , joe sutton , anneclaire stapleton and joshua berlinger contributed to this report . | third officer was fired for making inappropriate facebook posts |
portuguese <tsp> ( cnn ) -- jose mourinho has admitted that he is likely to take over at real madrid , in an attempt to become the first coach in history to win the champions league with three different clubs . in the aftermath of inter milan 's 2-0 victory over bayern munich on saturday , mourinho made a point of going over to the inter fans , appearing to wave goodbye to them in the process , and the portuguese later confirmed to reporters that he is expecting to be at the santiago bernabeu on a more regular basis next season . although manuel pellegrini continues to be coach of real , speculation surrounding mourinho 's probable appointment intensified in the days leading up to the champions league final -- and the former chelsea manager finally revealed that all the speculation had been true . the 2004 champions league was my last game for porto and this will almost certainly be my last game for inter , ' mourinho told italian tv station rai . world sport blog : mourinho will bring magic to madrid ' i want another challenge in my career . i want to become the only coach to win the champions league with three different clubs . it 's not definite that i 'll go but i want new risks , new experiences , and now is the moment to decide . ' although he stopped short of saying he will definitely be charge in of real madrid next season , mourinho then added : i do n't know the ( madrid ) project yet , so i have to hear the project , but at the moment i am not the coach of real madrid ; i am the coach of inter and a very proud coach of inter . inter remains an option and i have a fantastic family here , but real is the best option i have . the percentage of me leaving is higher than that of staying . ' madrid is an enormous club , a club that wants the same as me ; i want to win , i want to feel important , i want to keep winning . ' real madrid have been forced to play second fiddle to spanish rivals barcelona in recent seasons -- going out of the champions league at the last 16 stage six years in a row and winning just two trophies in seven seasons . | the portuguese wants to win the champions league with three different clubs |
grand slam <tsp> ( cnn ) -- andy murray became the first british man to win a grand slam final since fred perry in 1936 after defeating novak djokovic in the final of the u.s. open . the scot even surrendered a two-set lead during a five-set thriller that lasted almost five hours , before he regained his focus to win 7-6 ( 12-10 ) 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2 in swirling winds at flushing meadows . it proved to be fifth time lucky for the olympic champion , who -- like his coach ivan lendl -- had lost his previous four grand slam finals . murray will now replace the injured rafael nadal as world no.3 in the official men 's rankings .'shocked'williams wins u.s. open final thriller ' they were incredibly tricky conditions . it was really tough because novak is really strong and fights all the way , ' said murray after the final . i have always had tough matches with him . i do n't know how i managed to come through in the end . ' with his support team in new york swelled by fellow celebrity scots , manchester united manager alex ferguson and actor sean connery , the 25 year old singled out lendl , a three-time u.s. open champion , for praise . he was one of the greatest , ' murray said . he has helped me through the tough times as have all of my team . it 's the best feeling for me , i 've had an unbelievable summer . ' murray put the bitter disappointment of losing this year 's wimbledon final against roger federer behind him by taking the gold medal at the london olympics at the swiss star 's expense -- a result many believed could be a turning point in the dunblane-born star 's grand slam fortunes . but it was never going to be easy on monday night . after narrowly losing the first two sets , djokovic proved why he was the 2011 champion in new york , as he battled back to take the third and fourth sets with apparent ease as far as the scoreboard was concerned -- but in reality both players fought tooth and nail for every single point . though the momentum appeared to be with djokovic , murray refused to give up and summoned his earlier verve and aggression to put his visibly tiring opponent on the back foot once again . not even a late pause for treatment on the serb 's cramping leg could prevent murray from closing in on the prize british tennis has coveted for 76 years , much to the delight of the crowd inside the cavernous arthur ashe stadium . when the final shot of the match -- a rasping forehand from djokovic -- went long , murray was left visibly stunned by his achievement . but he had finally overcome lingering doubts about his mental fortitude when it mattered most . despite his own disappointment , djokovic was quick to pay pay tribute to his great friend and rival . it was n't to be and i want to congratulate andy on a first grand slam . he deserves it , ' said the serbian . i tried my best and i gave it my all . it was another tremendous match and i am proud to have been part of it . it went to the last moment . ' | andy murray becomes the first british man to win a grand slam in 76 years |
murray <tsp> ( cnn ) -- andy murray became the first british man to win a grand slam final since fred perry in 1936 after defeating novak djokovic in the final of the u.s. open . the scot even surrendered a two-set lead during a five-set thriller that lasted almost five hours , before he regained his focus to win 7-6 ( 12-10 ) 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2 in swirling winds at flushing meadows . it proved to be fifth time lucky for the olympic champion , who -- like his coach ivan lendl -- had lost his previous four grand slam finals . murray will now replace the injured rafael nadal as world no.3 in the official men 's rankings .'shocked'williams wins u.s. open final thriller ' they were incredibly tricky conditions . it was really tough because novak is really strong and fights all the way , ' said murray after the final . i have always had tough matches with him . i do n't know how i managed to come through in the end . ' with his support team in new york swelled by fellow celebrity scots , manchester united manager alex ferguson and actor sean connery , the 25 year old singled out lendl , a three-time u.s. open champion , for praise . he was one of the greatest , ' murray said . he has helped me through the tough times as have all of my team . it 's the best feeling for me , i 've had an unbelievable summer . ' murray put the bitter disappointment of losing this year 's wimbledon final against roger federer behind him by taking the gold medal at the london olympics at the swiss star 's expense -- a result many believed could be a turning point in the dunblane-born star 's grand slam fortunes . but it was never going to be easy on monday night . after narrowly losing the first two sets , djokovic proved why he was the 2011 champion in new york , as he battled back to take the third and fourth sets with apparent ease as far as the scoreboard was concerned -- but in reality both players fought tooth and nail for every single point . though the momentum appeared to be with djokovic , murray refused to give up and summoned his earlier verve and aggression to put his visibly tiring opponent on the back foot once again . not even a late pause for treatment on the serb 's cramping leg could prevent murray from closing in on the prize british tennis has coveted for 76 years , much to the delight of the crowd inside the cavernous arthur ashe stadium . when the final shot of the match -- a rasping forehand from djokovic -- went long , murray was left visibly stunned by his achievement . but he had finally overcome lingering doubts about his mental fortitude when it mattered most . despite his own disappointment , djokovic was quick to pay pay tribute to his great friend and rival . it was n't to be and i want to congratulate andy on a first grand slam . he deserves it , ' said the serbian . i tried my best and i gave it my all . it was another tremendous match and i am proud to have been part of it . it went to the last moment . ' | murray won the gold medal earlier in the summer at the london olympics |
murray <tsp> ( cnn ) -- andy murray became the first british man to win a grand slam final since fred perry in 1936 after defeating novak djokovic in the final of the u.s. open . the scot even surrendered a two-set lead during a five-set thriller that lasted almost five hours , before he regained his focus to win 7-6 ( 12-10 ) 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2 in swirling winds at flushing meadows . it proved to be fifth time lucky for the olympic champion , who -- like his coach ivan lendl -- had lost his previous four grand slam finals . murray will now replace the injured rafael nadal as world no.3 in the official men 's rankings .'shocked'williams wins u.s. open final thriller ' they were incredibly tricky conditions . it was really tough because novak is really strong and fights all the way , ' said murray after the final . i have always had tough matches with him . i do n't know how i managed to come through in the end . ' with his support team in new york swelled by fellow celebrity scots , manchester united manager alex ferguson and actor sean connery , the 25 year old singled out lendl , a three-time u.s. open champion , for praise . he was one of the greatest , ' murray said . he has helped me through the tough times as have all of my team . it 's the best feeling for me , i 've had an unbelievable summer . ' murray put the bitter disappointment of losing this year 's wimbledon final against roger federer behind him by taking the gold medal at the london olympics at the swiss star 's expense -- a result many believed could be a turning point in the dunblane-born star 's grand slam fortunes . but it was never going to be easy on monday night . after narrowly losing the first two sets , djokovic proved why he was the 2011 champion in new york , as he battled back to take the third and fourth sets with apparent ease as far as the scoreboard was concerned -- but in reality both players fought tooth and nail for every single point . though the momentum appeared to be with djokovic , murray refused to give up and summoned his earlier verve and aggression to put his visibly tiring opponent on the back foot once again . not even a late pause for treatment on the serb 's cramping leg could prevent murray from closing in on the prize british tennis has coveted for 76 years , much to the delight of the crowd inside the cavernous arthur ashe stadium . when the final shot of the match -- a rasping forehand from djokovic -- went long , murray was left visibly stunned by his achievement . but he had finally overcome lingering doubts about his mental fortitude when it mattered most . despite his own disappointment , djokovic was quick to pay pay tribute to his great friend and rival . it was n't to be and i want to congratulate andy on a first grand slam . he deserves it , ' said the serbian . i tried my best and i gave it my all . it was another tremendous match and i am proud to have been part of it . it went to the last moment . ' | andy murray becomes the first british man to win a grand slam in 76 years |
murray <tsp> ( cnn ) -- andy murray became the first british man to win a grand slam final since fred perry in 1936 after defeating novak djokovic in the final of the u.s. open . the scot even surrendered a two-set lead during a five-set thriller that lasted almost five hours , before he regained his focus to win 7-6 ( 12-10 ) 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2 in swirling winds at flushing meadows . it proved to be fifth time lucky for the olympic champion , who -- like his coach ivan lendl -- had lost his previous four grand slam finals . murray will now replace the injured rafael nadal as world no.3 in the official men 's rankings .'shocked'williams wins u.s. open final thriller ' they were incredibly tricky conditions . it was really tough because novak is really strong and fights all the way , ' said murray after the final . i have always had tough matches with him . i do n't know how i managed to come through in the end . ' with his support team in new york swelled by fellow celebrity scots , manchester united manager alex ferguson and actor sean connery , the 25 year old singled out lendl , a three-time u.s. open champion , for praise . he was one of the greatest , ' murray said . he has helped me through the tough times as have all of my team . it 's the best feeling for me , i 've had an unbelievable summer . ' murray put the bitter disappointment of losing this year 's wimbledon final against roger federer behind him by taking the gold medal at the london olympics at the swiss star 's expense -- a result many believed could be a turning point in the dunblane-born star 's grand slam fortunes . but it was never going to be easy on monday night . after narrowly losing the first two sets , djokovic proved why he was the 2011 champion in new york , as he battled back to take the third and fourth sets with apparent ease as far as the scoreboard was concerned -- but in reality both players fought tooth and nail for every single point . though the momentum appeared to be with djokovic , murray refused to give up and summoned his earlier verve and aggression to put his visibly tiring opponent on the back foot once again . not even a late pause for treatment on the serb 's cramping leg could prevent murray from closing in on the prize british tennis has coveted for 76 years , much to the delight of the crowd inside the cavernous arthur ashe stadium . when the final shot of the match -- a rasping forehand from djokovic -- went long , murray was left visibly stunned by his achievement . but he had finally overcome lingering doubts about his mental fortitude when it mattered most . despite his own disappointment , djokovic was quick to pay pay tribute to his great friend and rival . it was n't to be and i want to congratulate andy on a first grand slam . he deserves it , ' said the serbian . i tried my best and i gave it my all . it was another tremendous match and i am proud to have been part of it . it went to the last moment . ' | murray will now replace the injured rafael nadal as world number 3 |
english <tsp> editor 's note : cnn.com has a business partnership with careerbuilder.com , which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to cnn.com . a man from honduras reads in an english as a second language ' class in miami , florida . according to the u.s. census bureau 's 2006 american community survey , approximately 80 percent -- or 223.2 million people -- of americans use only english at home . the remaining 20 percent -- 55.8 million people -- speak a language other than english . add the millions of tourists visiting the country each year and you have a huge demand for workers who can communicate in more than one language . thankfully , bilingual workers come to the rescue . in almost every line of work the ability to speak a second language makes you a valuable asset . any job that requires you to interact with customers -- either in person , on the phone or online -- can use your knowledge of a second ( or third ) language . think about it : every additional customer you can speak with not only improves his or her experience but also brings in revenue to your employer . the states with the largest percentage of citizens speaking a language other than english at home are california , new mexico , texas , new york and arizona . spanish is by far the most popular non-english language spoken at home with roughly 34 million speakers nationwide . still , there are millions of people speaking other languages -- including french , german , mandarin , arabic and lesser known languages -- that also benefit from bilingual workers . if you speak more than one language or have thought about learning a second one , here are some industries and jobs where your skills will come in handy . industry : health care why : patients visiting emergency rooms and doctor 's offices come from all walks of life . in fact , america 's reputation as a leader in medicine attracts people from around the world , so you never know what language you 'll hear when someone walks through the door . jobs : registered nurse , paramedic , physician 's assistant , home health aide industry : hospitality why : spas , resorts and hotels help visitors escape their daily routine and makes them feel like royalty . creating a little bit of paradise -- for a tourist or a local just trying to get away -- is easier when you can understand what your client is saying to you . jobs : concierge , resort manager , hotel manager , desk clerk industry : education why : one of the richer aspects of an american education is the exposure to different cultures . you can walk into most classrooms , from kindergarten through graduate levels , and find students who come from multilingual households or who are studying abroad . jobs : teacher , esl instructor , guidance counselor industry : law enforcement why : among the many duties of law enforcement personnel is interviewing people , either to solve crimes or to understand what 's happening in a conflict . you can save a lot of time ( and maybe even a life ) if you do n't have to wait for an interpreter . jobs : police officer , investigator , security guard , probation officer , corrections officer industry : customer service why : every aspect of customer service involves dealing with people . depending on where you work , you might have customers who are tourists or who come from households where english is n't spoken . knowing more than one language means you can communicate to a larger amount of visitors , which both your employer and customers will appreciate . jobs : sales clerk , demonstrator , retail store supervisor , computer support specialist , customer service representative industry : social services why : social service workers meet with families , adoption agencies and schools in order to ensure the well-being of children . the fewer language barriers between the worker , children and important people in their environment , the smoother things can run . jobs : family social worker , substance abuse social worker , social work administration industry : finance why : money does n't only stay on one continent , so in the world of finance , whether you 're a teller or the ceo of an investment bank , you 're dealing with euros and yen and the languages that come with them . jobs : teller , financial adviser , investment banker , accountant industry : communication why : whether your job is talking to the media or writing for a publication , words are your livelihood . the more you know , the better you can do your job . whether it enables you to speak to a reporter or interview a source for a story , being bilingual makes your job easier . jobs : translator , public relations specialist , journalist , media relations officer copyright careerbuilder.com 2009 . all rights reserved . the information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority | twenty percent of americans do n't speak english at home |
california <tsp> editor 's note : cnn.com has a business partnership with careerbuilder.com , which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to cnn.com . a man from honduras reads in an english as a second language ' class in miami , florida . according to the u.s. census bureau 's 2006 american community survey , approximately 80 percent -- or 223.2 million people -- of americans use only english at home . the remaining 20 percent -- 55.8 million people -- speak a language other than english . add the millions of tourists visiting the country each year and you have a huge demand for workers who can communicate in more than one language . thankfully , bilingual workers come to the rescue . in almost every line of work the ability to speak a second language makes you a valuable asset . any job that requires you to interact with customers -- either in person , on the phone or online -- can use your knowledge of a second ( or third ) language . think about it : every additional customer you can speak with not only improves his or her experience but also brings in revenue to your employer . the states with the largest percentage of citizens speaking a language other than english at home are california , new mexico , texas , new york and arizona . spanish is by far the most popular non-english language spoken at home with roughly 34 million speakers nationwide . still , there are millions of people speaking other languages -- including french , german , mandarin , arabic and lesser known languages -- that also benefit from bilingual workers . if you speak more than one language or have thought about learning a second one , here are some industries and jobs where your skills will come in handy . industry : health care why : patients visiting emergency rooms and doctor 's offices come from all walks of life . in fact , america 's reputation as a leader in medicine attracts people from around the world , so you never know what language you 'll hear when someone walks through the door . jobs : registered nurse , paramedic , physician 's assistant , home health aide industry : hospitality why : spas , resorts and hotels help visitors escape their daily routine and makes them feel like royalty . creating a little bit of paradise -- for a tourist or a local just trying to get away -- is easier when you can understand what your client is saying to you . jobs : concierge , resort manager , hotel manager , desk clerk industry : education why : one of the richer aspects of an american education is the exposure to different cultures . you can walk into most classrooms , from kindergarten through graduate levels , and find students who come from multilingual households or who are studying abroad . jobs : teacher , esl instructor , guidance counselor industry : law enforcement why : among the many duties of law enforcement personnel is interviewing people , either to solve crimes or to understand what 's happening in a conflict . you can save a lot of time ( and maybe even a life ) if you do n't have to wait for an interpreter . jobs : police officer , investigator , security guard , probation officer , corrections officer industry : customer service why : every aspect of customer service involves dealing with people . depending on where you work , you might have customers who are tourists or who come from households where english is n't spoken . knowing more than one language means you can communicate to a larger amount of visitors , which both your employer and customers will appreciate . jobs : sales clerk , demonstrator , retail store supervisor , computer support specialist , customer service representative industry : social services why : social service workers meet with families , adoption agencies and schools in order to ensure the well-being of children . the fewer language barriers between the worker , children and important people in their environment , the smoother things can run . jobs : family social worker , substance abuse social worker , social work administration industry : finance why : money does n't only stay on one continent , so in the world of finance , whether you 're a teller or the ceo of an investment bank , you 're dealing with euros and yen and the languages that come with them . jobs : teller , financial adviser , investment banker , accountant industry : communication why : whether your job is talking to the media or writing for a publication , words are your livelihood . the more you know , the better you can do your job . whether it enables you to speak to a reporter or interview a source for a story , being bilingual makes your job easier . jobs : translator , public relations specialist , journalist , media relations officer copyright careerbuilder.com 2009 . all rights reserved . the information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority | california , new mexico , have largest percentage of non-english speakers |
spanish <tsp> editor 's note : cnn.com has a business partnership with careerbuilder.com , which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to cnn.com . a man from honduras reads in an english as a second language ' class in miami , florida . according to the u.s. census bureau 's 2006 american community survey , approximately 80 percent -- or 223.2 million people -- of americans use only english at home . the remaining 20 percent -- 55.8 million people -- speak a language other than english . add the millions of tourists visiting the country each year and you have a huge demand for workers who can communicate in more than one language . thankfully , bilingual workers come to the rescue . in almost every line of work the ability to speak a second language makes you a valuable asset . any job that requires you to interact with customers -- either in person , on the phone or online -- can use your knowledge of a second ( or third ) language . think about it : every additional customer you can speak with not only improves his or her experience but also brings in revenue to your employer . the states with the largest percentage of citizens speaking a language other than english at home are california , new mexico , texas , new york and arizona . spanish is by far the most popular non-english language spoken at home with roughly 34 million speakers nationwide . still , there are millions of people speaking other languages -- including french , german , mandarin , arabic and lesser known languages -- that also benefit from bilingual workers . if you speak more than one language or have thought about learning a second one , here are some industries and jobs where your skills will come in handy . industry : health care why : patients visiting emergency rooms and doctor 's offices come from all walks of life . in fact , america 's reputation as a leader in medicine attracts people from around the world , so you never know what language you 'll hear when someone walks through the door . jobs : registered nurse , paramedic , physician 's assistant , home health aide industry : hospitality why : spas , resorts and hotels help visitors escape their daily routine and makes them feel like royalty . creating a little bit of paradise -- for a tourist or a local just trying to get away -- is easier when you can understand what your client is saying to you . jobs : concierge , resort manager , hotel manager , desk clerk industry : education why : one of the richer aspects of an american education is the exposure to different cultures . you can walk into most classrooms , from kindergarten through graduate levels , and find students who come from multilingual households or who are studying abroad . jobs : teacher , esl instructor , guidance counselor industry : law enforcement why : among the many duties of law enforcement personnel is interviewing people , either to solve crimes or to understand what 's happening in a conflict . you can save a lot of time ( and maybe even a life ) if you do n't have to wait for an interpreter . jobs : police officer , investigator , security guard , probation officer , corrections officer industry : customer service why : every aspect of customer service involves dealing with people . depending on where you work , you might have customers who are tourists or who come from households where english is n't spoken . knowing more than one language means you can communicate to a larger amount of visitors , which both your employer and customers will appreciate . jobs : sales clerk , demonstrator , retail store supervisor , computer support specialist , customer service representative industry : social services why : social service workers meet with families , adoption agencies and schools in order to ensure the well-being of children . the fewer language barriers between the worker , children and important people in their environment , the smoother things can run . jobs : family social worker , substance abuse social worker , social work administration industry : finance why : money does n't only stay on one continent , so in the world of finance , whether you 're a teller or the ceo of an investment bank , you 're dealing with euros and yen and the languages that come with them . jobs : teller , financial adviser , investment banker , accountant industry : communication why : whether your job is talking to the media or writing for a publication , words are your livelihood . the more you know , the better you can do your job . whether it enables you to speak to a reporter or interview a source for a story , being bilingual makes your job easier . jobs : translator , public relations specialist , journalist , media relations officer copyright careerbuilder.com 2009 . all rights reserved . the information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority | spanish is most popular with 34 million speakers nationwide |
daniel <tsp> la junta , colorado ( cnn ) -- that morning in march 1968 played out like a hollywood movie : a secret cia radar station on the top of a mountain in laos , manned by a small group of air force airmen , is overrun by vietnamese soldiers . one by one , americans are killed until only four remain . as the sun peeks above the jungle , an american helicopter drops a rescue sling while hovering over the remaining airmen . chief master sgt . richard etchberger loads the wounded americans one by one into the chopper before climbing in himself . as the helicopter roars off , a stray bullet pierces it and hits etchberger . the men he saved would make it home , but etchberger would n't . he died on the floor of the chopper as it headed off to safety . fade to black . roll credits . except that is where this story really begins for john daniel . in his last memory of that day , etchberger is alive and hoisting daniel , who was shot in both legs , into the helicopter . daniel passed out , and it was n't until he woke up at udorn air base in thailand that he learned that his friend dick had died saving his life . today , etchberger posthumously received the medal of honor , the military 's highest award for bravery . his family accepted the award from president obama at a white house ceremony . daniel has struggled to make sense of the randomness of that day . it 's a matter of inches . it could have been anybody , or nobody , ' he said . when a round comes through the bottom of a helicopter , it does n't know who it 's going to hit . ' but it was dick etchberger and not john daniel who died that day , and ever since , daniel has wondered why fate spared him . it was a burden , ' he explained . you say ,'why me ? why am i still alive ? the rest of them are dead , how did i manage to make it out alive ?' you never know who is going or who is not going , but i know i would have gone if it had n't of been for dick getting me onto that chopper . ' now 71 , daniel has lived a good life . he stayed in the air force until 1979 , then spent a few years in the electronics business before opening a bar and doing some accounting . now he is mostly retired . he was present at the white house on tuesday when obama gave the medal of honor to etchberger 's family . he lives in a tidy home in small-town colorado with his wife . he has three grown kids , 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild . i have one grandchild to carry on my status . he 's in the air force , active duty , ' he said . a framed photo of that grandson , airman 1st class jerry w. daniel , sits on a shelf in the living room alongside a painting depicting his grandfather being hoisted into the helicopter as etchberger looks on : an artist 's rendering of his last memory of etchberger . daniel knows that if not for the bravery of etchberger 42 years ago , it could easily be someone else sitting in this living room , living this life . i do n't know why me , but it is , ' he said . and dick 's presence is in my life every day . ' he said he thinks back often to his last moments with dick etchberger . i said'dick , dick , we 're not going to get out of here !'and he says ,'i know , say your last prayers , that 's all you can do .' daniel 's prayers were answered that day in laos . today , he prays for the wisdom to make good on a debt he can never repay . it has to be that god is not done with me on the face of the earth yet . thanks to dick etchberger , i 'm still alive to do something , ' he said . | richard etchberger lost his life in 1968 saving fellow airmen , including john daniel |
daniel <tsp> la junta , colorado ( cnn ) -- that morning in march 1968 played out like a hollywood movie : a secret cia radar station on the top of a mountain in laos , manned by a small group of air force airmen , is overrun by vietnamese soldiers . one by one , americans are killed until only four remain . as the sun peeks above the jungle , an american helicopter drops a rescue sling while hovering over the remaining airmen . chief master sgt . richard etchberger loads the wounded americans one by one into the chopper before climbing in himself . as the helicopter roars off , a stray bullet pierces it and hits etchberger . the men he saved would make it home , but etchberger would n't . he died on the floor of the chopper as it headed off to safety . fade to black . roll credits . except that is where this story really begins for john daniel . in his last memory of that day , etchberger is alive and hoisting daniel , who was shot in both legs , into the helicopter . daniel passed out , and it was n't until he woke up at udorn air base in thailand that he learned that his friend dick had died saving his life . today , etchberger posthumously received the medal of honor , the military 's highest award for bravery . his family accepted the award from president obama at a white house ceremony . daniel has struggled to make sense of the randomness of that day . it 's a matter of inches . it could have been anybody , or nobody , ' he said . when a round comes through the bottom of a helicopter , it does n't know who it 's going to hit . ' but it was dick etchberger and not john daniel who died that day , and ever since , daniel has wondered why fate spared him . it was a burden , ' he explained . you say ,'why me ? why am i still alive ? the rest of them are dead , how did i manage to make it out alive ?' you never know who is going or who is not going , but i know i would have gone if it had n't of been for dick getting me onto that chopper . ' now 71 , daniel has lived a good life . he stayed in the air force until 1979 , then spent a few years in the electronics business before opening a bar and doing some accounting . now he is mostly retired . he was present at the white house on tuesday when obama gave the medal of honor to etchberger 's family . he lives in a tidy home in small-town colorado with his wife . he has three grown kids , 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild . i have one grandchild to carry on my status . he 's in the air force , active duty , ' he said . a framed photo of that grandson , airman 1st class jerry w. daniel , sits on a shelf in the living room alongside a painting depicting his grandfather being hoisted into the helicopter as etchberger looks on : an artist 's rendering of his last memory of etchberger . daniel knows that if not for the bravery of etchberger 42 years ago , it could easily be someone else sitting in this living room , living this life . i do n't know why me , but it is , ' he said . and dick 's presence is in my life every day . ' he said he thinks back often to his last moments with dick etchberger . i said'dick , dick , we 're not going to get out of here !'and he says ,'i know , say your last prayers , that 's all you can do .' daniel 's prayers were answered that day in laos . today , he prays for the wisdom to make good on a debt he can never repay . it has to be that god is not done with me on the face of the earth yet . thanks to dick etchberger , i 'm still alive to do something , ' he said . | daniel , 71 , has three grown kids , 13 , grandkids and a great-grandchild |
sophie calle <tsp> london , england ( cnn ) -- if the craggy , icy west coast of greenland does n't inspire them , perhaps vanessa carlton 's vodka infusions will . singer kt tunstall relaxes as the cape farewell tour heads towards disko bay . on friday , the american singer-songwriter and self-professed expert infuser ' will join an unlikely ensemble of 40 artists , scientists and musicians aboard the 10-day cape farewell ' expedition to disko bay . musicians jarvis cocker , kt tunstall , martha wainwright and leslie feist will be there negotiating the bridge with acclaimed french artist sophie calle , performance artist laurie anderson and novelist nicole krauss . see the full crew list they 're not there to perform but to be inspired by the scientists , their work and their surroundings , in the hope they 'll return home with a deeper understanding of climate change . it 's two-way traffic , ' explains cape farewell founder , artist david buckland . the place itself is inspiring , the dialogue about climate change is inspiring and the science that we actually do on board is important to the scientists , but it 's also inspiring to see scientists working . you do n't just look at a graph ; you actually see who gets the data that feeds into the graph . and from all that , the output is that we find this new language , this new way of communication and that 's what the creative souls are there to do . ' around midday friday , the sturdy and ice-strengthened science research vessel , the grigory mikheev , ' will depart kangerlussuaq in greenland bound for disko bay , a location on the west coast that provides some of the starkest examples of the island 's melting ice caps . there , the geologists on board will acoustically measure the seabed some two kilometers below . what happens is that as ice melts from greenland it lessens the weight on the land and the land rises . this causes cracks to appear in the ocean seafloor -- this is what we think , ' explains buckland , adding so you can measure what 's happening to the landmass of greenland by looking at the sea . ' it 's fair to say that the work the artists are hoping to achieve on board requires less scientific rigor . when cnn spoke with british comedian marcus brigstocke the day before departure , he was trying to decide which suit to pack . i 'm wearing a suit jacket and a waistcoat , trying to work out what 's the lightest thing i can put in my bag which will also keep me sufficiently warm if i do a stand-up routine on an iceberg . ' brigstocke joined the cape farewell crew last year on their most ambitious voyage yet , down the east coast of greenland . after suffering the combined trauma of seasickness and a cabin awash with sewage after a plumbing failure , brigstocke vowed he 'd never , ever ' do it again . when i asked him , he sort of went white , ' buckland laughs . i promised him a bigger boat this time , in a cabin that does n't do somersaults . we 're not sailing this time , which is a sadness for me , but it means we can do a lot more work . ' on his return last year , brigstocke wove his experience into a stand-up routine . this time , he 's hoping to complete the program they started filming last year on climate change and the cape farewell trip . i do n't know what the end result will be , ' he says . it does n't particularly matter . the footage already is astonishing . ' vanessa carlton , the u.s. musician best known for her grammy-nominated single a thousand miles , ' describes herself as pretty green . ' right now i 'm walking and i 'm carrying a reusable grocery bag -- i 've just been to the grocery store , ' she tells cnn by cell phone from new york . i wear mostly vintage clothes . i have a very energy-efficient house -- very long-lasting light bulbs . everything 's off unless i really need something to be on . if i 'm away for a long time , i turn off my water heater . ' she 's intrigued to see how her experience on the cape farewell expedition will manifest itself in her music . she 's also unsure of what she can teach the scientists on board . perhaps i will have a more emotional response to the surrounding than they normally do , ' she guesses , adding i hope that inspires their work and injects a bit of'non-scientific'spirit into the voyage . ' or perhaps another kind of spirit : i 'm an expert vodka infuser and will be teaching a thing or two about infusions . ' it was a much more sober affair when cape farewell 's youth expedition wound its way from iceland , around the southern tip of greenland , across the davis strait and down the coast of canada earlier this month . see photos of the youth expedition » most of the 28 students on board returned to their respective schools this week . luisa lizoain , a 16-year-old grade 11 student from the university of toronto schools described the experience as life-changing . we went to a few small villages when we were in the north of greenland and baffin island , ' lizoain told cnn . meeting the people who live in the north put a face to climate change for me . ' i want to try and raise as much awareness as possible and tell as many people as possible about this experience and what i 've just seen . ' martin rose , director of the british council canada , which organized the youth expedition with cape farewell , says , it was clear that the snow was late and the glaciers are retreating year by year . ' there are all sorts of complicated arguments around that , but symbolically it 's quite powerful to see green and red hillsides when normally there 'd now be snow , ' he continued . upon boarding , the youth expedition students were given sketchbooks and were encouraged to spend at least ten minutes a day being creative . while sketchbooks wo n't be standard issue for the professional artists on the disko bay expedition , david buckland says creative freedom will be encouraged . if anybody is inspired to do anything we 'll stop the boat and we 'll do it , we 'll find a way to do it , and that 's the rule , that 's the only rule : follow the inspiration . ' and he does n't care how long it takes . author ian mcewan boarded the boat in 2005 and has only just revealed that his new book , a boot room in the frozen north , ' is about climate change . brilliant . i can sit and wait for that , that 's fine , ' buckland says . it 's a difficult subject , it 's a great big amorphous subject , it 's abstract and therefore to try to make it real , on a human scale , that 's the really important message they get across . ' everyone on board the boat will be blogging about their adventure . you can have your say by posting a comment below . | crew includes jarvis cocker , kt tunstall , vanessa carlton , sophie calle |
israeli <tsp> gaza city , gaza ( cnn ) -- palestinian militants declared sunday that they would stop attacks on israel for a week , a statement that came hours after israeli prime minister ehud olmert announced a unilateral cease-fire in the country 's assault on hamas in gaza . an israeli soldier holds up an israeli flag after leaving gaza on sunday . the palestinians demanded that israel remove all troops from gaza within the week , hamas spokesman ayman taha said from egypt . the agreement appears to cover all palestinian armed factions , not only hamas . we in the palestinian resistance movements announce a cease-fire in the gaza strip , ' moussa abu marzouk , a senior hamas official in syria , said on syrian tv . and we demand that israeli forces withdraw in one week and that they open all the border crossings to permit the entry of humanitarian aid and basic goods for our people in gaza . ' there is no mutual agreement between the israelis and palestinians -- each side has made its own unilateral declaration of a cease-fire . mahmoud abbas , the president of the palestinian authority , called for the cease-fire to hold so aid could get into gaza . watch how a family in gaza is coping with the violence » ' we hope that it continues and that the situation calms down and that humanitarian aid delivery begins immediately to our people , ' he said at a summit in egypt . watch how a reporter finds gaza in chaos » during 22 days of fighting , more than 1,200 people have died , all but 13 of them palestinians . watch clean-up efforts in gaza city » the palestinians and israel continued to skirmish for several hours sunday after israel said it was stopping its offensive against hamas . palestinians fired at least 19 rockets into israel on sunday -- including at least two after the palestinian cease-fire declaration , according to israeli police spokesman mickey rosenfeld . at least three people were lightly wounded . israeli military aircraft retaliated , firing missiles and destroying a rocket launcher , a military spokesman said . shortly before the rocket attacks , palestinian gunmen opened fire on israeli forces in northern gaza , the military said . troops returned fire . separately , palestinian medical sources said 23 bodies were pulled from rubble in gaza . watch doctors tend to wounded civilians » olmert said sunday the israeli offensive had achieved its goals but that the israel defense forces reserved the right to respond to any palestinian violence against israelis . idf forces are in the gaza strip and many other units , which are surrounding gaza from all sides , are closely observing every corner and listening to every whisper , ready for any response that they might receive from their commanders if and when the violations continue , as they have this morning , ' he said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting , before the announcement of the palestinian cease-fire . israel pulled some troops out of the palestinian territory as it called a halt to its operation against hamas , but others remained . israeli government spokesman mark regev told cnn they would be there for a matter of days , not weeks . international leaders are in the region for talks on the crisis . egyptian president hosni mubarak and french president nicolas sarkozy hosted a summit sunday in the red sea resort of sharm el-sheikh , bringing together leaders from europe and the middle east . olmert told the gathering that , if the cease-fire holds , the government of israel has no intention to stay in the gaza strip . we are interested in leaving gaza as soon as we can . ' he said israel would continue to do whatever is possible to prevent the humanitarian crisis in gaza , ' and expressed sorrow for the deaths of innocent civilians . it was n't our intention to fight them or to harm them , to hurt them or to shoot at them , ' he said . german premier angela merkel underscored the international community 's preferred outcome in a news conference in egypt : the two-state solution is the only solution we have . ' israeli prime minister ehud olmert will meet the leaders of the uk , france , germany , italy , spain and the czech republic , which holds the rotating presidency of the european union , later in jerusalem . a top aide to barack obama said the president-elect would move swiftly to work on the middle east after he is sworn in on tuesday . the events around the world demand that he act quickly , and i think you 'll see him act quickly , ' david axelrod told cnn . but he refused to promise obama would name a middle east special envoy on day one . ' israel said it launched the offensive in gaza to stop the firing of rockets -- primarily the short-range homemade qassam rockets -- from the territory into southern israel by hamas fighters . we welcome any alleviation of violence , with cautious optimism and hope that these declarations of cease-fire will lead to the end of fighting , ' said charles clayton , national director of world vision jerusalem , an aid group . we call on all parties to stop attacks , including hamas'rocket strikes against israel , and refrain from further hostilities . ' he called for unhindered and safe humanitarian assistance to the desperate civilian families of gaza who have lost their homes and businesses and are struggling amid shortages of food , supplies , healthcare and fuel . ' he further called for an end to the 18-month blockade of the 1.5 million palestinians in gaza , ' saying it has devastated the economy , halted services , and rendered the people of gaza entirely dependent on humanitarian aid . ' cnn 's arie bell and karl penhaul contributed to this report . | new : israeli prime minister says no intention to hurt civilians |
palestinian authority <tsp> gaza city , gaza ( cnn ) -- palestinian militants declared sunday that they would stop attacks on israel for a week , a statement that came hours after israeli prime minister ehud olmert announced a unilateral cease-fire in the country 's assault on hamas in gaza . an israeli soldier holds up an israeli flag after leaving gaza on sunday . the palestinians demanded that israel remove all troops from gaza within the week , hamas spokesman ayman taha said from egypt . the agreement appears to cover all palestinian armed factions , not only hamas . we in the palestinian resistance movements announce a cease-fire in the gaza strip , ' moussa abu marzouk , a senior hamas official in syria , said on syrian tv . and we demand that israeli forces withdraw in one week and that they open all the border crossings to permit the entry of humanitarian aid and basic goods for our people in gaza . ' there is no mutual agreement between the israelis and palestinians -- each side has made its own unilateral declaration of a cease-fire . mahmoud abbas , the president of the palestinian authority , called for the cease-fire to hold so aid could get into gaza . watch how a family in gaza is coping with the violence » ' we hope that it continues and that the situation calms down and that humanitarian aid delivery begins immediately to our people , ' he said at a summit in egypt . watch how a reporter finds gaza in chaos » during 22 days of fighting , more than 1,200 people have died , all but 13 of them palestinians . watch clean-up efforts in gaza city » the palestinians and israel continued to skirmish for several hours sunday after israel said it was stopping its offensive against hamas . palestinians fired at least 19 rockets into israel on sunday -- including at least two after the palestinian cease-fire declaration , according to israeli police spokesman mickey rosenfeld . at least three people were lightly wounded . israeli military aircraft retaliated , firing missiles and destroying a rocket launcher , a military spokesman said . shortly before the rocket attacks , palestinian gunmen opened fire on israeli forces in northern gaza , the military said . troops returned fire . separately , palestinian medical sources said 23 bodies were pulled from rubble in gaza . watch doctors tend to wounded civilians » olmert said sunday the israeli offensive had achieved its goals but that the israel defense forces reserved the right to respond to any palestinian violence against israelis . idf forces are in the gaza strip and many other units , which are surrounding gaza from all sides , are closely observing every corner and listening to every whisper , ready for any response that they might receive from their commanders if and when the violations continue , as they have this morning , ' he said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting , before the announcement of the palestinian cease-fire . israel pulled some troops out of the palestinian territory as it called a halt to its operation against hamas , but others remained . israeli government spokesman mark regev told cnn they would be there for a matter of days , not weeks . international leaders are in the region for talks on the crisis . egyptian president hosni mubarak and french president nicolas sarkozy hosted a summit sunday in the red sea resort of sharm el-sheikh , bringing together leaders from europe and the middle east . olmert told the gathering that , if the cease-fire holds , the government of israel has no intention to stay in the gaza strip . we are interested in leaving gaza as soon as we can . ' he said israel would continue to do whatever is possible to prevent the humanitarian crisis in gaza , ' and expressed sorrow for the deaths of innocent civilians . it was n't our intention to fight them or to harm them , to hurt them or to shoot at them , ' he said . german premier angela merkel underscored the international community 's preferred outcome in a news conference in egypt : the two-state solution is the only solution we have . ' israeli prime minister ehud olmert will meet the leaders of the uk , france , germany , italy , spain and the czech republic , which holds the rotating presidency of the european union , later in jerusalem . a top aide to barack obama said the president-elect would move swiftly to work on the middle east after he is sworn in on tuesday . the events around the world demand that he act quickly , and i think you 'll see him act quickly , ' david axelrod told cnn . but he refused to promise obama would name a middle east special envoy on day one . ' israel said it launched the offensive in gaza to stop the firing of rockets -- primarily the short-range homemade qassam rockets -- from the territory into southern israel by hamas fighters . we welcome any alleviation of violence , with cautious optimism and hope that these declarations of cease-fire will lead to the end of fighting , ' said charles clayton , national director of world vision jerusalem , an aid group . we call on all parties to stop attacks , including hamas'rocket strikes against israel , and refrain from further hostilities . ' he called for unhindered and safe humanitarian assistance to the desperate civilian families of gaza who have lost their homes and businesses and are struggling amid shortages of food , supplies , healthcare and fuel . ' he further called for an end to the 18-month blockade of the 1.5 million palestinians in gaza , ' saying it has devastated the economy , halted services , and rendered the people of gaza entirely dependent on humanitarian aid . ' cnn 's arie bell and karl penhaul contributed to this report . | palestinian authority president calls for aid into gaza |
palestinian <tsp> gaza city , gaza ( cnn ) -- palestinian militants declared sunday that they would stop attacks on israel for a week , a statement that came hours after israeli prime minister ehud olmert announced a unilateral cease-fire in the country 's assault on hamas in gaza . an israeli soldier holds up an israeli flag after leaving gaza on sunday . the palestinians demanded that israel remove all troops from gaza within the week , hamas spokesman ayman taha said from egypt . the agreement appears to cover all palestinian armed factions , not only hamas . we in the palestinian resistance movements announce a cease-fire in the gaza strip , ' moussa abu marzouk , a senior hamas official in syria , said on syrian tv . and we demand that israeli forces withdraw in one week and that they open all the border crossings to permit the entry of humanitarian aid and basic goods for our people in gaza . ' there is no mutual agreement between the israelis and palestinians -- each side has made its own unilateral declaration of a cease-fire . mahmoud abbas , the president of the palestinian authority , called for the cease-fire to hold so aid could get into gaza . watch how a family in gaza is coping with the violence » ' we hope that it continues and that the situation calms down and that humanitarian aid delivery begins immediately to our people , ' he said at a summit in egypt . watch how a reporter finds gaza in chaos » during 22 days of fighting , more than 1,200 people have died , all but 13 of them palestinians . watch clean-up efforts in gaza city » the palestinians and israel continued to skirmish for several hours sunday after israel said it was stopping its offensive against hamas . palestinians fired at least 19 rockets into israel on sunday -- including at least two after the palestinian cease-fire declaration , according to israeli police spokesman mickey rosenfeld . at least three people were lightly wounded . israeli military aircraft retaliated , firing missiles and destroying a rocket launcher , a military spokesman said . shortly before the rocket attacks , palestinian gunmen opened fire on israeli forces in northern gaza , the military said . troops returned fire . separately , palestinian medical sources said 23 bodies were pulled from rubble in gaza . watch doctors tend to wounded civilians » olmert said sunday the israeli offensive had achieved its goals but that the israel defense forces reserved the right to respond to any palestinian violence against israelis . idf forces are in the gaza strip and many other units , which are surrounding gaza from all sides , are closely observing every corner and listening to every whisper , ready for any response that they might receive from their commanders if and when the violations continue , as they have this morning , ' he said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting , before the announcement of the palestinian cease-fire . israel pulled some troops out of the palestinian territory as it called a halt to its operation against hamas , but others remained . israeli government spokesman mark regev told cnn they would be there for a matter of days , not weeks . international leaders are in the region for talks on the crisis . egyptian president hosni mubarak and french president nicolas sarkozy hosted a summit sunday in the red sea resort of sharm el-sheikh , bringing together leaders from europe and the middle east . olmert told the gathering that , if the cease-fire holds , the government of israel has no intention to stay in the gaza strip . we are interested in leaving gaza as soon as we can . ' he said israel would continue to do whatever is possible to prevent the humanitarian crisis in gaza , ' and expressed sorrow for the deaths of innocent civilians . it was n't our intention to fight them or to harm them , to hurt them or to shoot at them , ' he said . german premier angela merkel underscored the international community 's preferred outcome in a news conference in egypt : the two-state solution is the only solution we have . ' israeli prime minister ehud olmert will meet the leaders of the uk , france , germany , italy , spain and the czech republic , which holds the rotating presidency of the european union , later in jerusalem . a top aide to barack obama said the president-elect would move swiftly to work on the middle east after he is sworn in on tuesday . the events around the world demand that he act quickly , and i think you 'll see him act quickly , ' david axelrod told cnn . but he refused to promise obama would name a middle east special envoy on day one . ' israel said it launched the offensive in gaza to stop the firing of rockets -- primarily the short-range homemade qassam rockets -- from the territory into southern israel by hamas fighters . we welcome any alleviation of violence , with cautious optimism and hope that these declarations of cease-fire will lead to the end of fighting , ' said charles clayton , national director of world vision jerusalem , an aid group . we call on all parties to stop attacks , including hamas'rocket strikes against israel , and refrain from further hostilities . ' he called for unhindered and safe humanitarian assistance to the desperate civilian families of gaza who have lost their homes and businesses and are struggling amid shortages of food , supplies , healthcare and fuel . ' he further called for an end to the 18-month blockade of the 1.5 million palestinians in gaza , ' saying it has devastated the economy , halted services , and rendered the people of gaza entirely dependent on humanitarian aid . ' cnn 's arie bell and karl penhaul contributed to this report . | cease-fire covers all armed palestinian factions , cnn reports |
palestinian <tsp> gaza city , gaza ( cnn ) -- palestinian militants declared sunday that they would stop attacks on israel for a week , a statement that came hours after israeli prime minister ehud olmert announced a unilateral cease-fire in the country 's assault on hamas in gaza . an israeli soldier holds up an israeli flag after leaving gaza on sunday . the palestinians demanded that israel remove all troops from gaza within the week , hamas spokesman ayman taha said from egypt . the agreement appears to cover all palestinian armed factions , not only hamas . we in the palestinian resistance movements announce a cease-fire in the gaza strip , ' moussa abu marzouk , a senior hamas official in syria , said on syrian tv . and we demand that israeli forces withdraw in one week and that they open all the border crossings to permit the entry of humanitarian aid and basic goods for our people in gaza . ' there is no mutual agreement between the israelis and palestinians -- each side has made its own unilateral declaration of a cease-fire . mahmoud abbas , the president of the palestinian authority , called for the cease-fire to hold so aid could get into gaza . watch how a family in gaza is coping with the violence » ' we hope that it continues and that the situation calms down and that humanitarian aid delivery begins immediately to our people , ' he said at a summit in egypt . watch how a reporter finds gaza in chaos » during 22 days of fighting , more than 1,200 people have died , all but 13 of them palestinians . watch clean-up efforts in gaza city » the palestinians and israel continued to skirmish for several hours sunday after israel said it was stopping its offensive against hamas . palestinians fired at least 19 rockets into israel on sunday -- including at least two after the palestinian cease-fire declaration , according to israeli police spokesman mickey rosenfeld . at least three people were lightly wounded . israeli military aircraft retaliated , firing missiles and destroying a rocket launcher , a military spokesman said . shortly before the rocket attacks , palestinian gunmen opened fire on israeli forces in northern gaza , the military said . troops returned fire . separately , palestinian medical sources said 23 bodies were pulled from rubble in gaza . watch doctors tend to wounded civilians » olmert said sunday the israeli offensive had achieved its goals but that the israel defense forces reserved the right to respond to any palestinian violence against israelis . idf forces are in the gaza strip and many other units , which are surrounding gaza from all sides , are closely observing every corner and listening to every whisper , ready for any response that they might receive from their commanders if and when the violations continue , as they have this morning , ' he said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting , before the announcement of the palestinian cease-fire . israel pulled some troops out of the palestinian territory as it called a halt to its operation against hamas , but others remained . israeli government spokesman mark regev told cnn they would be there for a matter of days , not weeks . international leaders are in the region for talks on the crisis . egyptian president hosni mubarak and french president nicolas sarkozy hosted a summit sunday in the red sea resort of sharm el-sheikh , bringing together leaders from europe and the middle east . olmert told the gathering that , if the cease-fire holds , the government of israel has no intention to stay in the gaza strip . we are interested in leaving gaza as soon as we can . ' he said israel would continue to do whatever is possible to prevent the humanitarian crisis in gaza , ' and expressed sorrow for the deaths of innocent civilians . it was n't our intention to fight them or to harm them , to hurt them or to shoot at them , ' he said . german premier angela merkel underscored the international community 's preferred outcome in a news conference in egypt : the two-state solution is the only solution we have . ' israeli prime minister ehud olmert will meet the leaders of the uk , france , germany , italy , spain and the czech republic , which holds the rotating presidency of the european union , later in jerusalem . a top aide to barack obama said the president-elect would move swiftly to work on the middle east after he is sworn in on tuesday . the events around the world demand that he act quickly , and i think you 'll see him act quickly , ' david axelrod told cnn . but he refused to promise obama would name a middle east special envoy on day one . ' israel said it launched the offensive in gaza to stop the firing of rockets -- primarily the short-range homemade qassam rockets -- from the territory into southern israel by hamas fighters . we welcome any alleviation of violence , with cautious optimism and hope that these declarations of cease-fire will lead to the end of fighting , ' said charles clayton , national director of world vision jerusalem , an aid group . we call on all parties to stop attacks , including hamas'rocket strikes against israel , and refrain from further hostilities . ' he called for unhindered and safe humanitarian assistance to the desperate civilian families of gaza who have lost their homes and businesses and are struggling amid shortages of food , supplies , healthcare and fuel . ' he further called for an end to the 18-month blockade of the 1.5 million palestinians in gaza , ' saying it has devastated the economy , halted services , and rendered the people of gaza entirely dependent on humanitarian aid . ' cnn 's arie bell and karl penhaul contributed to this report . | palestinian authority president calls for aid into gaza |
mountain view <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a night of revelry and music turned deadly in northern california , where a man was fatally shot at a wiz khalifa concert , police said saturday . authorities first got calls about gunshots at the shoreline amphitheatre shortly after 11 p.m. friday ( 2 a.m. saturday et ) , the mountain view , california , police department said . they arrived to find a 38-year-old man shot multiple times . the man was transported to a hospital and died from his injuries , according to police . the person who killed him remains at large , and authorities are appealing for the public 's help to acquire related video or information . police say the apparent murder weapon was a black pistol with a large magazine . wiz khalifa , the rapper behind platinum hits black and yellow ' and roll up , ' is the headliner for the under the influence of music tour that rolled into mountain view on friday . the tour was scheduled to continue saturday night in chula vista , california , according to his website . but wiz khalifa -- whose real name is cameron thomaz -- tweeted the show had been canceled due to a situation out of our control . ' he wrote , this was a senseless tragedy . violence is never the answer . my prayers go out to the victim 's family . ' cnn 's joseph netto contributed to this report . | rapper wiz khalifa performs in mountain view , california |
california <tsp> ( cnn ) -- a night of revelry and music turned deadly in northern california , where a man was fatally shot at a wiz khalifa concert , police said saturday . authorities first got calls about gunshots at the shoreline amphitheatre shortly after 11 p.m. friday ( 2 a.m. saturday et ) , the mountain view , california , police department said . they arrived to find a 38-year-old man shot multiple times . the man was transported to a hospital and died from his injuries , according to police . the person who killed him remains at large , and authorities are appealing for the public 's help to acquire related video or information . police say the apparent murder weapon was a black pistol with a large magazine . wiz khalifa , the rapper behind platinum hits black and yellow ' and roll up , ' is the headliner for the under the influence of music tour that rolled into mountain view on friday . the tour was scheduled to continue saturday night in chula vista , california , according to his website . but wiz khalifa -- whose real name is cameron thomaz -- tweeted the show had been canceled due to a situation out of our control . ' he wrote , this was a senseless tragedy . violence is never the answer . my prayers go out to the victim 's family . ' cnn 's joseph netto contributed to this report . | rapper wiz khalifa performs in mountain view , california |
cuba <tsp> when does a romantic anniversary trip with your hubby to celebrate five years of marital bliss become an international kerfuffle , complete with calls for you to be prosecuted for treason ? well , when it 's cuba , where americans are banned from traveling to for tourism , thanks to one of the most enduring embargoes in the history of mankind . yesterday , beyoncé stopped by abc 's good morning america ' and confessed the outcry over her and jay z 's trip to havana was quite shocking . ' welcome to the land of cray cray , bey . emotions run deep , high , and very bizarre when it comes to the subject of cuba . when photos of the celebrity couple strolling havana were released , a political tumult of epic proportions erupted in florida . sen. marco rubio and a small band of conservative cuban-american politicos released a statement vociferously demanding an investigation of the trip by the president and the treasury department . one anti-castro activist went as far as to threaten to file a petition against the celebrity couple to be formally prosecuted . hova and beyoncé 's crime ? chilling in havana . there 's little doubt the collateral damage and suffering on both sides of the florida straits -- families divided , innocents killed , fortunes lost -- has been profound . but it 's high time we stop the madness and bring sanity to this debate . for a long time , i 've been of the opinion that the cuban embargo policy in general is for cubans on the island and the diaspora to resolve . those of us who have not suffered directly should stay out of it and let cubanos figure their way out of this mess . but , what happens when political views of a few trample on an entire nation ? and , what are the ramifications when these opinions border on the irrational ? the few but very influential pro-embargo lobby have put a stranglehold on a lucid discussion surrounding cuba . five decades of failed policy later , our nation is being held hostage unable to have a cogent discussion on anything cuba-related . the u.s. embargo has not and will not work . put in place in 1962 by president john f. kennedy , the policy is stuck in a time warp that has nothing to do with modern-day reality . the most enduring embargo in modern day history is a remnant of a cold war past when the soviet union was the enemy and the world was on the brink of nuclear war . the thinking was that financial sanctions , which included a ban on travel by american citizens , would collapse the island economy and force people to revolt against fidel castro . over the years , these sanctions have been eased or toughened depending on political winds . in 1992 , disgraced new jersey rep. robert torricelli was behind one the cruelest acts which banned , among many things , food and medicine sales to cuba and prevented cuban-american families from sending cash to their relatives . these were tough times and seeing many friends and families suffer because they could n't visit their elderly mothers more than once every three years , or being prevented from sending them needed supplies , was very painful . restrictions have eased under president barack obama but there is still a major ban . enter jay z and beyoncé . it 's 2013 and we need to debate cuban policy earnestly . members of congress must stop the cowardice around the issue and stop humoring the delusions of passionate folks stuck in the 1960s for political votes and favor . the pro-embargo folks are ignoring the policy 's epic failure and fail to recognize that u.s. policy has played into the hands of the castro brothers , who have sinisterly used it to make the case to their people that if cuba is starving and the island economy ca n't grow , it 's because of this u.s. policy . in 1995 , i won an emmy for producing a show that explored the cuban embargo . what was special about the program , embargo contra cuba , ' was that it gave an opportunity for the many different opinions in the cuban debate to be heard . the voices of everyday cuban families caught in the quagmire of policies that make their family members the enemy ' were allowed to surface . these are the folks -- cubanos to the core -- who will tell you , if they had a mic and a safe forum , that the current u.s. policy is stupid . we hardly hear from these normal cubanos and for that matter , other average americans on this issue . that void is tragic . cuba policy is steeped in dysfunction on both sides . last week , the state department denied fidel castro 's niece mariela castro a visa to travel to philadelphia to receive an award for her gay activism , no reason given . a state department official said visa applications are confidential . fifty-one years into the policy , another castro is in power and the island is still communist . the u.s. still trades with communist china despite its human rights violations . the u.s. still trades with communist vietnam . we , the hip-hop generation , see right through the political hypocrisy and we want change . there are some bright lights in congress giving hope . u.s. rep. kathy castor held a news conference after visiting cuba on a three-day fact-finding trip recently . the tampa democrat announced that she found the island has made economic reforms and called for the united states to promote these positive changes . castor is part of a new group of audacious politicians , some from florida , who are pushing to normalize relations and bring constructive dialogue with cuba . obama stands to make history by using his pulpit to encourage a more sensible dialogue around a cuba policy that has been futile . i doubt that he 'll step into this issue willingly . it will take gigantic political cojones to do so and on cuba , sadly , the president has n't expressed a willingness to go there . ' the best hope for sanity rests on the voices of reasonable americans and cuban-americans to demand change . real democratic progress in cuba will happen when the gates of travel are opened . you want democratic transformation in cuba ? there 's nothing more compelling than a bunch of celebrities sporting prada bags in one hand and smoking puros in the other to inspire revolutions of capitalistic proportions . | beyoncé stopped by gma and said the reaction to their trip to cuba was quite shocking ' |
cuba <tsp> when does a romantic anniversary trip with your hubby to celebrate five years of marital bliss become an international kerfuffle , complete with calls for you to be prosecuted for treason ? well , when it 's cuba , where americans are banned from traveling to for tourism , thanks to one of the most enduring embargoes in the history of mankind . yesterday , beyoncé stopped by abc 's good morning america ' and confessed the outcry over her and jay z 's trip to havana was quite shocking . ' welcome to the land of cray cray , bey . emotions run deep , high , and very bizarre when it comes to the subject of cuba . when photos of the celebrity couple strolling havana were released , a political tumult of epic proportions erupted in florida . sen. marco rubio and a small band of conservative cuban-american politicos released a statement vociferously demanding an investigation of the trip by the president and the treasury department . one anti-castro activist went as far as to threaten to file a petition against the celebrity couple to be formally prosecuted . hova and beyoncé 's crime ? chilling in havana . there 's little doubt the collateral damage and suffering on both sides of the florida straits -- families divided , innocents killed , fortunes lost -- has been profound . but it 's high time we stop the madness and bring sanity to this debate . for a long time , i 've been of the opinion that the cuban embargo policy in general is for cubans on the island and the diaspora to resolve . those of us who have not suffered directly should stay out of it and let cubanos figure their way out of this mess . but , what happens when political views of a few trample on an entire nation ? and , what are the ramifications when these opinions border on the irrational ? the few but very influential pro-embargo lobby have put a stranglehold on a lucid discussion surrounding cuba . five decades of failed policy later , our nation is being held hostage unable to have a cogent discussion on anything cuba-related . the u.s. embargo has not and will not work . put in place in 1962 by president john f. kennedy , the policy is stuck in a time warp that has nothing to do with modern-day reality . the most enduring embargo in modern day history is a remnant of a cold war past when the soviet union was the enemy and the world was on the brink of nuclear war . the thinking was that financial sanctions , which included a ban on travel by american citizens , would collapse the island economy and force people to revolt against fidel castro . over the years , these sanctions have been eased or toughened depending on political winds . in 1992 , disgraced new jersey rep. robert torricelli was behind one the cruelest acts which banned , among many things , food and medicine sales to cuba and prevented cuban-american families from sending cash to their relatives . these were tough times and seeing many friends and families suffer because they could n't visit their elderly mothers more than once every three years , or being prevented from sending them needed supplies , was very painful . restrictions have eased under president barack obama but there is still a major ban . enter jay z and beyoncé . it 's 2013 and we need to debate cuban policy earnestly . members of congress must stop the cowardice around the issue and stop humoring the delusions of passionate folks stuck in the 1960s for political votes and favor . the pro-embargo folks are ignoring the policy 's epic failure and fail to recognize that u.s. policy has played into the hands of the castro brothers , who have sinisterly used it to make the case to their people that if cuba is starving and the island economy ca n't grow , it 's because of this u.s. policy . in 1995 , i won an emmy for producing a show that explored the cuban embargo . what was special about the program , embargo contra cuba , ' was that it gave an opportunity for the many different opinions in the cuban debate to be heard . the voices of everyday cuban families caught in the quagmire of policies that make their family members the enemy ' were allowed to surface . these are the folks -- cubanos to the core -- who will tell you , if they had a mic and a safe forum , that the current u.s. policy is stupid . we hardly hear from these normal cubanos and for that matter , other average americans on this issue . that void is tragic . cuba policy is steeped in dysfunction on both sides . last week , the state department denied fidel castro 's niece mariela castro a visa to travel to philadelphia to receive an award for her gay activism , no reason given . a state department official said visa applications are confidential . fifty-one years into the policy , another castro is in power and the island is still communist . the u.s. still trades with communist china despite its human rights violations . the u.s. still trades with communist vietnam . we , the hip-hop generation , see right through the political hypocrisy and we want change . there are some bright lights in congress giving hope . u.s. rep. kathy castor held a news conference after visiting cuba on a three-day fact-finding trip recently . the tampa democrat announced that she found the island has made economic reforms and called for the united states to promote these positive changes . castor is part of a new group of audacious politicians , some from florida , who are pushing to normalize relations and bring constructive dialogue with cuba . obama stands to make history by using his pulpit to encourage a more sensible dialogue around a cuba policy that has been futile . i doubt that he 'll step into this issue willingly . it will take gigantic political cojones to do so and on cuba , sadly , the president has n't expressed a willingness to go there . ' the best hope for sanity rests on the voices of reasonable americans and cuban-americans to demand change . real democratic progress in cuba will happen when the gates of travel are opened . you want democratic transformation in cuba ? there 's nothing more compelling than a bunch of celebrities sporting prada bags in one hand and smoking puros in the other to inspire revolutions of capitalistic proportions . | real democratic progress in cuba will happen when the gates of travel open ' |
homs <tsp> ( cnn ) -- syrian troops shelled restive neighborhoods saturday during a massive push in the city of homs , activists said . an onslaught occurred in the flashpoint neighborhood of bab amr , said activists abu omar , based in the western city , and alexander page , speaking to cnn from cairo , where he is in touch with people in homs . omar and page said thousands of troops entered homs . they are surrounding the area from everywhere , ' omar said . as cnn spoke to him by phone , heavy gunfire could be heard in the background . the operation occurred as the arab league prepared to start its monitoring mission next week , part of an initiative to end the violence in syria . another activist in homs , abu salim , said at least 4,000 security personnel were surrounding bab amr and the number was increasing . the troops dug trenches around parts of the neighborhood . he said the neighborhood 's population before the security forces arrived was at least 50,000 . now , many people have fled , fearing death and escaping the harsh humanitarian conditions . much of the shelling in the city is coming from the local headquarters of military intelligence in the city . they shell different neighborhoods from there , ' salim said . tanks are present in some neighborhoods and they directly shoot at homes . ' salim said people are targeted if they walk the streets , there are shortages of fuel , heating oil and baby formula , and the humanitarian situation is really difficult . ' the sounds of explosions are almost continuous and rarely stop even through the night , ' he said . salim said makeshift medical clinics are trying to make do . we lack any sophisticated medical tool or equipment . ... we only use first aid kits and tools to deal with bullet wounds . most of the wounded end up dying . ... we do not have enough doctors or nurses to help the injured , ' he said . omar said he saw more than 40 injured people at a field hospital . asked why he thinks security forces are targeting bab amr , he said the neighborhood is staunchly against syrian president bashar al-assad and is making a lot of problems for the regime . ' he asked the international community for its support . we want your help . ... we just need a no-fly zone , and more pressure on al-assad 's regime , ' omar said . at least five neighborhoods in homs have been attacked , salim said . security forces also shelled the neighborhoods of bayada , khaldiyeh , and karm al-zaitoun , and warplanes flew over the area , according to the local coordination committees of syria ( lcc ) , an opposition activist network . the lcc said 38 people were killed across the country saturday , including 25 in homs . it also said security forces assassinated ghazi mohammad khaled zoaib , former secretary general of the homs'division of the baath party , and his wife , rajaa mohammad khaled bakkar . that incident occurred during a raid on their house in bab amr . the martyr had been threatened before by the regime as a result of his support of the revolutions since its beginning , ' the lcc said . it said two army defectors were also killed . a massive demonstration was taking place in the neighborhood of malaab , a protest in solidarity with the people of bab amr . cnn can not independently verify reports of deaths and injuries in syria . the syrian government has restricted access to international journalists . the attacks in homs came a day after dual bombings struck the country 's capital , damascus . al-assad 's government blamed terrorists inside and outside of syria , but the opposition called the attacks the work of the regime . syria has entered its bloodiest period in a months-long uprising , raising questions about whether observers from the arab league will be able to stem the growing violence . the united states , which has called for al-assad to step aside and has initiated sanctions against the regime , deplored the bombings , said there is no justification for terrorism of any kind ' and expressed hope that the strike does n't undermine the arab league efforts . it is crucial that ( the ) attack not impede the critical work of the arab league monitoring mission to document and deter human rights abuses with the goal of protecting civilians , ' state department deputy spokesman mark toner told reporters friday . we hope that this mission will proceed unfettered in an atmosphere of non-violence . the burden is on the regime to cooperate fully and quickly with the monitoring mission . ' more than 5,000 people have died since al-assad began a brutal crackdown in mid-march on anti-government protesters calling for his ouster , the united nations said earlier this month . many more deaths have since been reported . avaaz , a new york-based political activist group , and the lcc said more than 6,000 people have been killed . the syrian government has said 2,000 of its soldiers and security forces have been killed in the uprising , which it blames on armed gangs . ' a surge of violence this week claimed almost 300 lives , according to the opposition syrian national council . funerals occurred saturday for 44 people killed in the two suicide car bombings at the offices of two security branches in damascus , the ministry of interior said in a statement released to the state-run syrian arab news agency . at least 166 were wounded in the attack , the ministry said . the violent crackdown by al-assad 's security forces against the opposition has garnered worldwide condemnation from the european union , the arab league and turkey in addition to the united states . cnn 's samira said , mohamed fadel fahmy and salma abdelaziz contributed to this report . | new : at least 38 people are reportedly killed in syria , including 25 in homs |
nextworth <tsp> ( cnn ) -- if you 're looking to unload your current iphone or other smartphone , now 's the time . beating the potentially millions of folks who will be buying a new iphone and selling their old one could put more money in your pocket . with apple virtually certain to announce a release date for the next-generation iphone next week , lots of current iphone owners ( always an excitable bunch ) are no doubt counting down the minutes -- and wondering what to do with their current phones . while some retailers offer discounts for a trade-in ( radio shack was offering $ 100 for some previous models when the iphone 4 was released ) , apple stores and their designated carriers generally do n't give back as much cash , or credit , as an owner might earn outside the store . but a growing online resell market has emerged to give folks another option . between now and monday , the day before apple has scheduled an iphone-related event , one of those sites , nextworth , is offering $ 250 for 16gb and 32gb iphone 4s that are in good shape . the company , which also has trade-in programs at some retail stores , bills itself as a way to get value out of your aging electronics while keeping the products out of landfills , where they can cause environmental problems . the services wipe all data from your phone as soon as they get it , they say . nextworth , and others like them , refurbish used electronics and resell them . in the case of items like the iphone , they sell them in countries where the items are typically unavailable , presumably bringing a healthier price . gazelle.com is offering $ 250 for a 32gb iphone 4 in flawless ' condition and $ 169 for one in good condition . got a busted model ? it 'll give you $ 85 for one even if it wo n't turn on or is physically damaged . of course , there are always the direct-sale sites like ebay and craigslist . you might earn more in exchange for the hassle of posting , selling and delivering the phone yourself . folks were selling 32gb iphone 4s on ebay on friday for prices ranging from $ 245 to $ 634 . in atlanta , people had listed 32gb iphone 4s for prices ranging from $ 290 to $ 450 . ( we 're using prices on that model because it 's the top of the line . older phones , like the 3gs , and 16gb and 8gb models obviously have a market as well , generally at lower prices ) . of course , the low-effort way to deal with a phone upgrade is to buy the new one at full price and just hold on to your current model . even retired , your current phone can be a music player or internet-surfing device when you have a wi-fi connection . | sites like gazelle , nextworth offer up to $ 250 for used iphone 4s |
sjp <tsp> ( cnn ) -- you can take my fendi baguette , you can take my ring and my watch , but do n't take my manolo blahniks , ' begs carrie bradshaw while being mugged at gunpoint . it 's no use . the heartless thief takes her precious strappy sandals anyway . ok , so while it 's a pretty far-fetched story line -- how many criminals are going to spot a designer heel two meters away ? -- it does point to the sex and the city ' character 's unhealthy obsession with the shoe label . indeed , manolo blahniks were as much a part of the hit tv show 's lexicon as cosmopolitans and rampant rabbits . the six-year series introduced the blahnik brand to millions of women across the world -- even if they could never actually afford them . of course , carrie 's shoe infatuation was n't just the stuff of fiction . actor sarah jessica parker -- who won four golden globes for her portrayal of the sassy new york columnist from 1998 to 2004 -- is a manolo blahnik diehard for real . so when she called up the coveted shoe company 's chief executive , george malkemus , on the off-chance he 'd want to create a range together , she was delighted when the business mogul took on this little pipsqueak . ' i was terrified at picking up the phone and being bold enough to say to george :'would you ever consider a partnership ?'' says 49-year-old parker , while sitting next to malkemus in an interview with cnn 's maggie lake . i was perfectly willing for him to say no , prepared for it in fact . ' but i did not say no , ' adds malkemus , who had never worked with a female designer before . i said'come to my office tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock .'' accessible accessories ? the shoes will cost between $ 195 and $ 500 and be sold at u.s. retail giant nordstrom -- a place partly chosen for its accessibility to a wider range of women . i have always felt that there was this group of 10 million women that i was honor-bound to in some way , ' said parker . i would n't be having this opportunity if it were n't for the dedication and diligence with which they committed to the tv show and my character who loved shoes .'' sure , it would be a thrill to make shoes that cost hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars . but the truth is those would not be accessible to those women who have given me this opportunity . ' creature comforts apart from the'sjp'stamp of approval , how much influence did parker actually have in the design ? sarah jessica told me she was going to try on everything , ' said malkemus . and she does try on everything -- she runs up and down the corridors to make sure that it 'll be comfortable for the woman who 's going to purchase that shoe . ' parker added : i would say to george :'how comfortable is that going to be under the ball of my foot ?'because we have spent so many years of our lives , rightly or wrongly , running around in shoes , we know how it feels . ' other personal touches included different colored ribbons on each shoe -- relating to the ribbons parker would wear in her hair as a little girl . this was something for my mother , ' she said of the striking strips of material . fashion house born in ohio , parker was one of eight children -- including four from her mother 's second marriage . we could n't afford beautiful things , but my mother was very clever and industrious , ' she said . we would go to church tag sales in the wealthier neighborhoods . ' i do remember sitting in what we called my mother 's dressing room -- it was just a closet that separated me and my sister 's bedroom that we shared , and my parents'room -- and we would watch her get dressed , and the last thing she would do was spray fragrance and it seemed like she was walking down this long boulevard to go down to the glamorous nightlife of ohio . ' the family later moved to new york , where parker attended acting schools , landing the lead in the broadway musical of annie . ' she made a name for herself on the big screen in footloose , ' hocus pocus , ' the first wives club , ' among many others . mum 's the word parker married fellow actor matthew broderick in 1997 and the couple have three children . how does she juggle a successful career and family ? i am in a position to choose to be busy , ' she said . there are millions of women in this country who have to work two or three jobs , who do n't have the support system , who do n't have the financial means to choose the kind of care they want for their children . ' when i ride on the subway , every day i can see in someone 's eyes that they 're off to their second or third job in the day , and that they have n't seen their kids , and they 're leaving their children someplace that they 'd rather not . and so it seems ridiculous for me to wax on about how busy i am or how hard it is to balance these things in my life . ' learn : what vivienne westwood did next inspire : why gloris steinem is a fashion icon | sjp to launch new shoe range with manolo blahnik |
manolo blahnik <tsp> ( cnn ) -- you can take my fendi baguette , you can take my ring and my watch , but do n't take my manolo blahniks , ' begs carrie bradshaw while being mugged at gunpoint . it 's no use . the heartless thief takes her precious strappy sandals anyway . ok , so while it 's a pretty far-fetched story line -- how many criminals are going to spot a designer heel two meters away ? -- it does point to the sex and the city ' character 's unhealthy obsession with the shoe label . indeed , manolo blahniks were as much a part of the hit tv show 's lexicon as cosmopolitans and rampant rabbits . the six-year series introduced the blahnik brand to millions of women across the world -- even if they could never actually afford them . of course , carrie 's shoe infatuation was n't just the stuff of fiction . actor sarah jessica parker -- who won four golden globes for her portrayal of the sassy new york columnist from 1998 to 2004 -- is a manolo blahnik diehard for real . so when she called up the coveted shoe company 's chief executive , george malkemus , on the off-chance he 'd want to create a range together , she was delighted when the business mogul took on this little pipsqueak . ' i was terrified at picking up the phone and being bold enough to say to george :'would you ever consider a partnership ?'' says 49-year-old parker , while sitting next to malkemus in an interview with cnn 's maggie lake . i was perfectly willing for him to say no , prepared for it in fact . ' but i did not say no , ' adds malkemus , who had never worked with a female designer before . i said'come to my office tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock .'' accessible accessories ? the shoes will cost between $ 195 and $ 500 and be sold at u.s. retail giant nordstrom -- a place partly chosen for its accessibility to a wider range of women . i have always felt that there was this group of 10 million women that i was honor-bound to in some way , ' said parker . i would n't be having this opportunity if it were n't for the dedication and diligence with which they committed to the tv show and my character who loved shoes .'' sure , it would be a thrill to make shoes that cost hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars . but the truth is those would not be accessible to those women who have given me this opportunity . ' creature comforts apart from the'sjp'stamp of approval , how much influence did parker actually have in the design ? sarah jessica told me she was going to try on everything , ' said malkemus . and she does try on everything -- she runs up and down the corridors to make sure that it 'll be comfortable for the woman who 's going to purchase that shoe . ' parker added : i would say to george :'how comfortable is that going to be under the ball of my foot ?'because we have spent so many years of our lives , rightly or wrongly , running around in shoes , we know how it feels . ' other personal touches included different colored ribbons on each shoe -- relating to the ribbons parker would wear in her hair as a little girl . this was something for my mother , ' she said of the striking strips of material . fashion house born in ohio , parker was one of eight children -- including four from her mother 's second marriage . we could n't afford beautiful things , but my mother was very clever and industrious , ' she said . we would go to church tag sales in the wealthier neighborhoods . ' i do remember sitting in what we called my mother 's dressing room -- it was just a closet that separated me and my sister 's bedroom that we shared , and my parents'room -- and we would watch her get dressed , and the last thing she would do was spray fragrance and it seemed like she was walking down this long boulevard to go down to the glamorous nightlife of ohio . ' the family later moved to new york , where parker attended acting schools , landing the lead in the broadway musical of annie . ' she made a name for herself on the big screen in footloose , ' hocus pocus , ' the first wives club , ' among many others . mum 's the word parker married fellow actor matthew broderick in 1997 and the couple have three children . how does she juggle a successful career and family ? i am in a position to choose to be busy , ' she said . there are millions of women in this country who have to work two or three jobs , who do n't have the support system , who do n't have the financial means to choose the kind of care they want for their children . ' when i ride on the subway , every day i can see in someone 's eyes that they 're off to their second or third job in the day , and that they have n't seen their kids , and they 're leaving their children someplace that they 'd rather not . and so it seems ridiculous for me to wax on about how busy i am or how hard it is to balance these things in my life . ' learn : what vivienne westwood did next inspire : why gloris steinem is a fashion icon | sjp to launch new shoe range with manolo blahnik |
cyprus <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the recent financial troubles in cyprus have attracted a range of alarming headlines around the world , but we must be careful to avoid panic and reckless measures that would exacerbate the crisis . for in reality , cyprus -- one of the smallest economies in the eurozone -- has a manageable fiscal deficit , low debt and until very recently a thriving economy , based on financial services and tourism . large reserves of natural gas and possibly oil have been discovered off its southern coast , which would bring a bonanza in three to five years . read more : why is cyprus trying to tax bank deposits ? the roots of the crisis go back to 2006 when the cyprus popular bank , the country 's second biggest bank was taken over by a smaller greek bank . the new owners invested very heavily in greek bonds and loans but kept it as a cypriot bank , instead of transferring the hq to greece . this was because of the better corporate environment in cyprus , where tax rates are just 10 % , compared to greece where it is at least double that . three years ago the bank of cyprus also bought large quantities of greek bonds , largely for reasons unconnected with their rate of return or risk , to help out greece . in 2011 , when a struggling greece was allowed to let some of its private bond holders take a loss -- a haircut ' -- cypriot banks lost money and needed refinancing . so the big financial institutions like the bank of cyprus and popular bank asked for a bailout from the government , and the government came to the eu in june 2012 saying it needed a bailout in turn . read more : uk flies cash to cyprus for soldiers last weekend under an eu plan , cyprus agreed to raise €5.8 billion to prevent debt from ballooning to unsustainable levels . this would have seen a bank levy on all deposits over 100,000 euros in banks in cyprus and a smaller percentage on deposits of more than 20,000 euros . the measure sparked fury in the cypriot parliament , prompting cypriots to withdraw money from bank cash machines and raising fears of a broader run on ailing banks . russia , which has extensive business and banking ties to the tiny island , was angered by the move . read more : cyprus deposit tax'overnight robbery ,'says businessman prudent bankers attracted depositors by following low-risk strategies . but now their depositors are asked to pay for the high-risk strategies of other bankers . high-risk bankers risked their depositors'money . but their depositors will not lose more than the depositors of other banks . this is the logic of the cyprus bailout ' by the international monetary fund , the german-led euro group and the european central bank . delinquent bankers'losses are protected by prudent bankers'gains . watch this : cyprus mp : bailout plan wo n't work what is the justification ? it 's better than letting the two risk takers go bankrupt , the argument goes . that probably is the case . but then greek banks and those of other nations in trouble were also bankrupt , and yet the same troika lend to them on better terms in order to avoid bankruptcy . greece got 140 billion euros ; the haircut on cypriot depositors will yield 5.8 billion . but cyprus could not have the 5.8 billion out of european funds set up to rescue banks in trouble . deposits under 100,000 euros are insured in europe . yet , the terms of the euro group are so harsh , that the government of cyprus could not raise the money without some haircut on the insured deposits . it is important to note that on tuesday the cypriot parliament rejected a €10 billion eurozone bailout package due to investor alarm over the proposed tax on existing bank deposits . however we do n't know what will come next . maybe the tax on the insured deposits will yield 2 billion euros . agreed said the euro group : we 'd prefer not to tax deposits under 100,000 euros but if you can not afford to raise the 5.8 billion in any other way , then you have no choice but to tax the small depositors . what does this tell us about the european project though ? is the eurozone a partnership of equals who care about each other 's subjects ? or is it a vehicle for scoring political points by the strong and powerful ? russia 's involvement with cyprus as an offshore centre keeps coming up in these discussions . attracted by a corporate tax rate of 10 % -- half that of russia 's -- russians have been investing money into cyprus from the early 1990s . the money is then repatriated through investments in russian ventures -- a legal way of reducing tax . cyprus accepted an order last month by the eurogroup to allow an investigation into possible breaches of money-laundering rules , which is under way . but the euro group could not wait for the results before imposing the haircut ; not a single case of money laundering has been discovered so far . i have been involved both with central bank policy and with private banking in cyprus for years ( and at different times ) and i have never come across anything non-compliant with european rules . the russians make cyprus 's financial sector too large , it is claimed . but it is still not as large as luxembourg 's , and not too different from those of other small nations with a highly educated labour force . and anyway , when a large system works well except for its involvement in a single and exceptional event like the greek sovereign debt write-off , you do n't cut off half the system and destroy the sector , causing acute unemployment problems . you try to fix it , with better regulation of risk and other vulnerabilities . but then they shoot the horses , do n't they ? sooner or later such policies could backfire on europe . those of us who supported the european integration movement are disappointed . | pissarides says russians have been investing money into cyprus from the early 1990s |
cyprus <tsp> ( cnn ) -- the recent financial troubles in cyprus have attracted a range of alarming headlines around the world , but we must be careful to avoid panic and reckless measures that would exacerbate the crisis . for in reality , cyprus -- one of the smallest economies in the eurozone -- has a manageable fiscal deficit , low debt and until very recently a thriving economy , based on financial services and tourism . large reserves of natural gas and possibly oil have been discovered off its southern coast , which would bring a bonanza in three to five years . read more : why is cyprus trying to tax bank deposits ? the roots of the crisis go back to 2006 when the cyprus popular bank , the country 's second biggest bank was taken over by a smaller greek bank . the new owners invested very heavily in greek bonds and loans but kept it as a cypriot bank , instead of transferring the hq to greece . this was because of the better corporate environment in cyprus , where tax rates are just 10 % , compared to greece where it is at least double that . three years ago the bank of cyprus also bought large quantities of greek bonds , largely for reasons unconnected with their rate of return or risk , to help out greece . in 2011 , when a struggling greece was allowed to let some of its private bond holders take a loss -- a haircut ' -- cypriot banks lost money and needed refinancing . so the big financial institutions like the bank of cyprus and popular bank asked for a bailout from the government , and the government came to the eu in june 2012 saying it needed a bailout in turn . read more : uk flies cash to cyprus for soldiers last weekend under an eu plan , cyprus agreed to raise €5.8 billion to prevent debt from ballooning to unsustainable levels . this would have seen a bank levy on all deposits over 100,000 euros in banks in cyprus and a smaller percentage on deposits of more than 20,000 euros . the measure sparked fury in the cypriot parliament , prompting cypriots to withdraw money from bank cash machines and raising fears of a broader run on ailing banks . russia , which has extensive business and banking ties to the tiny island , was angered by the move . read more : cyprus deposit tax'overnight robbery ,'says businessman prudent bankers attracted depositors by following low-risk strategies . but now their depositors are asked to pay for the high-risk strategies of other bankers . high-risk bankers risked their depositors'money . but their depositors will not lose more than the depositors of other banks . this is the logic of the cyprus bailout ' by the international monetary fund , the german-led euro group and the european central bank . delinquent bankers'losses are protected by prudent bankers'gains . watch this : cyprus mp : bailout plan wo n't work what is the justification ? it 's better than letting the two risk takers go bankrupt , the argument goes . that probably is the case . but then greek banks and those of other nations in trouble were also bankrupt , and yet the same troika lend to them on better terms in order to avoid bankruptcy . greece got 140 billion euros ; the haircut on cypriot depositors will yield 5.8 billion . but cyprus could not have the 5.8 billion out of european funds set up to rescue banks in trouble . deposits under 100,000 euros are insured in europe . yet , the terms of the euro group are so harsh , that the government of cyprus could not raise the money without some haircut on the insured deposits . it is important to note that on tuesday the cypriot parliament rejected a €10 billion eurozone bailout package due to investor alarm over the proposed tax on existing bank deposits . however we do n't know what will come next . maybe the tax on the insured deposits will yield 2 billion euros . agreed said the euro group : we 'd prefer not to tax deposits under 100,000 euros but if you can not afford to raise the 5.8 billion in any other way , then you have no choice but to tax the small depositors . what does this tell us about the european project though ? is the eurozone a partnership of equals who care about each other 's subjects ? or is it a vehicle for scoring political points by the strong and powerful ? russia 's involvement with cyprus as an offshore centre keeps coming up in these discussions . attracted by a corporate tax rate of 10 % -- half that of russia 's -- russians have been investing money into cyprus from the early 1990s . the money is then repatriated through investments in russian ventures -- a legal way of reducing tax . cyprus accepted an order last month by the eurogroup to allow an investigation into possible breaches of money-laundering rules , which is under way . but the euro group could not wait for the results before imposing the haircut ; not a single case of money laundering has been discovered so far . i have been involved both with central bank policy and with private banking in cyprus for years ( and at different times ) and i have never come across anything non-compliant with european rules . the russians make cyprus 's financial sector too large , it is claimed . but it is still not as large as luxembourg 's , and not too different from those of other small nations with a highly educated labour force . and anyway , when a large system works well except for its involvement in a single and exceptional event like the greek sovereign debt write-off , you do n't cut off half the system and destroy the sector , causing acute unemployment problems . you try to fix it , with better regulation of risk and other vulnerabilities . but then they shoot the horses , do n't they ? sooner or later such policies could backfire on europe . those of us who supported the european integration movement are disappointed . | pissarides : i have never come across anything non-compliant with european rules ' in cyprus |
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